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V/A - Namaskar (Indica Music, Nov 2004)
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traveller
IsraTrance Senior Member
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Posted : Nov 24, 2004 16:56
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V/A Namaskar (Indica Music)
Artist: Various
Album: Namaskar
Label: Indica Music http://www.indicamusic.com
Compiled by: Josko & Eduardo
Release Date: Nov 2004
Cat: INDICD01
Total playtime: 75:34
Genre: Ambient/Trance
Track list:
01 Cell - Zaz 10:06
02 Yucatan - Aero 07:07
03 Tikal - Canicule 08:08
04 Altom - Plasma (Shaker Edit) 06:15
05 Tripswitch - Viscous 07:19
06 Scene - Angel 09:32
07 Tikal - Mind Control 09:48
08 Vibrasphere - Peace Of Mind 07:56
09 Cell - Explicit Rotative Movement 09:23
Namaskar
When someone joins his hands and says Namaskar, he actually says in humility, “I bow to God in you; I love you and I respect you, as there is no one like you.” The joining of hands symbolizes the idea that in the meeting of two persons, the Self actually meets itself. Today it’s a respectful way of saying hello in India. Yes, in India. If you say it anywhere else you’re but a pathetic hippie and a drug addict. Looking forward in finding a horse head at your bed?
So Namaskar, my name is Mr. Traveller and I’m here to tell you about this album. I’m your friend. You may trust me. We at Traveller incorporated© promote releases we find good and on the other hand bitch about releases we don’t. Everything we say or write can’t and may not be used against us at the moderator section.
Cell (Alex Scheffer) I’m afraid to say I’m not too familiar with. Can’t even place that last name to any particular country although it does give you a hint of the German language, does it not? It all starts with a sound, which isn’t that unusual approach. I mean let’s face it, most if not all albums do. So no points from originality from there. Then to the song. It’s a female voice and she goes like this “Aaaeeeeh, ooooh”. And repeats it a good ten times. It’s elegant in some minimalistic way. Hints of electronic music are all around, but the organic counter part is doing strong as well. The part that is to follow is something I’ve been enjoying quite much lately. But it quite isn’t the time for that just yet for the sample is to be repeated one more time. And just around the corner at the four minute mark the bass is finally in. And where exactly have I heard this sample before? Some tune on Ott’s Blumenkraft perhaps? And that’s not all for also the structure, or perhaps it’s the bass but still there’s something quite Ottish to this all. The first few times I wasn’t too enthusiastic about this tune. It’s not like there was anything wrong with it, more like there was really nothing into it, which of course would indeed come out as there was something wrong with it. But hey, opinions change, now I’m rather fond of it. The beats are chilled and broken. Chilled break beats would be another way to put it.
Yucatan (Yann Henaff) peninsula I can point out from a map but the artist I’m again not that familiar with. Guitar, bass the beat and the bleeps are all there before you can say “Oh no, that’s the 3rd tune from GMS this week!” 3 times in a row. There’s definetly more edge to the beat in this one and same does apply to the bass too. There’s also a new element here which would be the groove. Before I pretty much ignored this tune for I found it to be faulty the same way as the previous. Then it hit me. Maybe Indica Music isn’t after the most mad, twisted, evil druggish mind- and reality bending compilation out there? Maybe, just maybe instead they just simply wanted to release a quality ambient collection, something for the chilled tribes, something for the hammock people. Not all music has to be mind-altering you know? I can’t point out any real influeces of India on this one. The tune before this had those vocals and the string instrument thingy I took as Indian. This is more like something you could actually hear there, at some beach café perhaps? This tune is something you might find from those Café Del Mar compilations.
This one (Canicule) I’m proud to say I’ve actually heard before. It was included on Tikal’s “Ritual Cycle” album which was released about 3, 6 or 9 months ago. It’s still by the way holding the “full on album of the year” title in my book. I didn’t see the Indian connection before but now it’s ah so clear. Here we explore the more full onnish ambient approach with the sort of rolling bass line and it’s all good. Then we get the solid 4x4. I call this style Alien Project ambient for the first time I heard something like this was on “The Mystery of the 13 Crystal Skulls” 1st track, 1st Revelation Part 1. Not that surprising that a few months later a man called Astrix came up with a few very, very similar tunes, talking about copy&paste. The groove isn’t left behind, more like boosted really. Tikal is shaping up to be my favorite full on artist. There’s a sample about “Unidentified Flying Objects” which I personally wouldn’t have included in the track, but hey maybe some still enjoy those, personally I’ve had enough. This is a perfect continuum to the previous track and it sure seems like Namaskar isn’t that chilled compilation after all.
I didn’t get a hard on about the Altom album. Some say it’s a good release while others tend to disagree. Personally I just choose to shut up for umm, Neurobiotic records is an Italian label and talking about horse heads and umm anyways what I was saying is that his tune was on that album, only this is the “shaker edit”. Continuing where Tikal left we’re still doing the full on ambient thing. There’s a kick, there’s a bass line and the BPM counter is on the red. At 02:45 it sounds like we’re going to some full on orgasm climax with the ever increasing counter, a good 30 seconds later it’s off the charts. Then suddenly we’re back in the ambient, thank god. You’re not supposed to include full on tunes on ambient compilations you know. Then again tricks like that are a lot of fun. Sort of like the first tune on Hallucinogen In Dub. Those damn clock hands are ticking faster than in the original and then they just shut up and the dub is leashed. Only here there’s no dub, more like break beats on top of a hypnotic bass line and then there’s the guitar as well. But where are the shakers?
Tripswitch was once remixed by the dub maestro Ott so whatever Nick Brennan comes up with has to be if not groundbreaking then at least very, very good. The BPM remains high. The sound is soft but the style is not. It’s not full on and it’s definitely not ambient. It’s more like clubby trance or something. Then there’s a break which yells “it’ll change” and indeed it changes. It changes into even more clubby trance. Call me a weirdo but when I’m promised ambient I expect to hear it. Seems to me like this release is going to miss the people it’s trying to reach. And who are they then? If there’s someone out there who thinks ambient is for pussies but at the same time is sort of tired of full on full on and would love to experience a bit softer side to it, this would so be it! Now I’m not saying this is bad music, only bad marketing.
Scene (Fabrizio Greco) is yet another new artist. A new artist to me at least. He has to be Italian, at least to me that name shouts Italia. If you ever heard that Mr. Oozo tune with the furry yellow animal thingy music video then you’ve already got a pretty good picture what the bass is like in this one. If you managed to dodge it consider yourself lucky. However it wasn’t the ultra fat bass that sucked in the track, but well let’s not get into that. This is actually quite trippy tune. That’s mainly thanks to the weird noises which come in plenty. The song is definitely going somewhere. As if it has a story to tell. That’s at least how I hear it. I’m eager to hear more of this, very much so. There’s a pattern to the track which remains if not exactly then at least almost the same the whole track. The biggest player would be the bass. It for one remains unchanged. On the other hand all those beeps and other disoriented noises do evolve, while they remain pretty much the same. Actually they change quite much all the time but the transition is always smooth. Just like the track.
“Expand your mind, Expand your mind, Expand your mind.” That’s what he’s whispering, only there’s also echo to it. It feels so Tikal from second one. Once the bass enters (00:40) I’m so back in Ritual Cycle. Maybe this is a tune that never made it to the album? Tikal has a very grand majestic style, not in the mayhem way but the structure, or well I don’t know how to put it. It’s there to hear. Again this is everything but ambient but I gave up that idea a long time ago. Ah, horns, very much like in that tune “Horn Travel” on Ritual Cycle. There’s also a sample from Fear & Loathing, only it actually works, it’s not just thrown in but more like hidden beneath. You know when you’ve got a image of something good, like for example say Friends telly show. You know it’s funny, and even if you see a crappy joke you still find it funny, after all it’s in the Friends, it can’t be bad. Maybe I’ve developed that kind of fetish to Tikal. I don’t know. What I do know is that I fooking love this. I love this even more than Swedish men love other men or the Czech ice hockey players love their mullets. I definitely see myself listening to this for a long time. In fact the first few times this disc was occupying the holy territory of my flat this was the only tune that was playing. I just couldn’t have enough of it.
Vibrasphere has a loyal fan base. I surely see the talent in tunes like Manzanilla but still they never made me a screaming teen girl. And talking about Manzanilla this tune has very similar beginning. That is if I remember correctly. Around 02:30 the hope is still high. You know like in Manzanilla it took a long, long time for that majestic bass to enter the game. At four minute mark you get anxious. Is this it? Aren’t they doing their thing? How dare they try something new! Your mind is screaming “FRAUD!”. Then you take another listen and hear the beauty. It’s all good. It’s all good.
Cell kicked the compilation in motion and now he’s back to close the circle. If the name of the tune “Explicit Rotative Movement” suggests anything it would be something like “You’re in for a pretty repeative minimalistic ride". It’s just like in the previous tune, you’re expecting a sudden change which never comes. However there’s no question why this is the last tune. It sounds so, well last tune. It’s telling you that the trip is over. There is a solid kick here, and the rotative movement is in rotation. There’s some emotion to this. The coolest thing would be the final spoken sample. Man that’s so uber phat! 
Conclusion:
This would be about 40 minutes of chilled full on and another 40 minutes of ambient. The brightest gem would be the Tikal tune and the weak point doesn’t really exist. You know if you ask me, bad ambient compilations don’t really exist. I mean they’re always good, it’s just the way it is. Then on the other hand it takes so fucking much for an ambient compilation to be somehow above it all, a groundbreaking or something. Not even the Backroom Beats or any Interchill compilation for that matter make it to the “above it all category”. In fact the last I can think of would be Spaceship Of Imagination from TIP. And that was quite a few years ago, then again this is only my explicit opinion. So in short, don’t expect this release to change your world or alter your universe or mind or something like that. Just expect to enjoy it. That’s something it’ll definitely not fail to accomplish. Not if your taste is any good.
  "The dinosaurs became extinct because they didn't have a space program."
- Larry Niven |
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KakoOlalaJwal
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posts :
2565
Posted : Nov 24, 2004 23:39
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About Cell, Traveller, he is french and already released @ Ultimae and Candyflip, and also is Yucatan (1/2 Bamboo Forest) who used to release chill tracks @ Spirit Zone..
Nice reviews, thank you, I will surely give it a listen !
.
.
"Get your dose of BoOgie !"
http://www.bunkum-records.com
http://www.myspace.com/zekakoo |
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korpora
IsraTrance Junior Member
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34
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452
Posted : Nov 25, 2004 01:12
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i want wish best of luck to label indica music...great selection ...
Nice work!!!
KORPORA(HOMmega/Crystal Matrix) |
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Banel
Behind Blue Eyes
Started Topics :
96
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415
Posted : Nov 25, 2004 02:10
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This release sounds like something i would find interesting..
Btw Iboga also just released two Cell tracks on Floating point II
www.myspace.com/michaelbanel |
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edoardo@neurobiotic
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Nov 30, 2004 06:49
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V.O.R
2HI
Started Topics :
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Posts :
553
Posted : Dec 2, 2004 05:08
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dunno if traveller liked it or not but I must confess that I really loved it... amazing selection of such beautiful tunes... all the best with the new label edo and josko
love & light
marcello
vor2hi@hotmail.com
http://www.neurobiotic.com |
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Dopese
IsraTrance Junior Member
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298
Posted : Dec 3, 2004 13:54
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it's good to see another quality ambient/chill out label out there!
a great start for indica music, i especially love the vibrasphere track, very beautiful and relaxing.
i hope further releases will have the same quality, good luck! |
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BrettFromTibet
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Dec 4, 2004 05:40
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traveller..
of course some ambient compilations are bad...and some are much much better than others! |
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Josko
Started Topics :
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119
Posted : Dec 9, 2004 16:28
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Hy chillers, thanx to all for comments.
Namaskar is out and our next release it will be ''phonic peace'', first album of the wellknow french act mr. Cell!
Traveller!! Thanks for the review but i'm still searchin for a horse head inside my bed...
Stay tuned
____________________________
www.myspace.com/giorgiogatti |
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cell
Cell
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5
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170
Posted : Dec 15, 2004 20:12
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Hey!
Thanks for words, Traveller, even if, at the first read, like Edoardo, I didn't really understood your position...
For my own part, I've been surprised by this compilation...
When Ed and Giorgio talked to me about this project, I didn't know the other tracks.
In fact, I thought artists composed tracks in the same vein, I mean Ethno-ambient...
I'm happy to see (listen...) that it works perfectly, even if all tracks are not in ethno-ambient style.
The more I listen the comp, the more I really feel good vibes with it!...
Like all Cds, I noticed respectable moments :
Yucatan's track (2)
Altom's track (4)
Tripswitch's track (5)
and Vibraspher's one (8)...
Very nice work on Sound structure!!!
I wish to Ed & Josko the best with this compilation, which is, I'm sure, a very good starting point!...
Respect and Love to Neuroboys!
Peace!
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PKS
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jan 11, 2005 19:23
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Indica Music is a new chill out label based in Italy. It is actually a side label of Neurobiotic Records, which is doing well in the full on scene these days. Indica Music is now out with the first compilation, called Namaskar. With it you get a beautiful cover art. It is compiled by Josko and Edoardo.
Namaskar (Indica Music) 2004 (INDICD01)
1. Cell – Zaz
2. Yucatan – Aero
3. Tikal – Canicule
4. Altom – Plasma (Shaker Edit)
5. Tripswitch – Viscous
6. Scene – Angel
7. Tikal – Mind Control
8. Vibrasphere – Peace Of Mind
9. Cell – Explicit Rotative Movement
First out is a new track by Cell (Alex Scheffer) from France. He has got a very good reputation for his chill out tracks lately, after releasing several strong tracks on various compilations. His debut album will be released on Indica Music later this year. Here he delivers another good track, with a lot of beautiful Indian vocals and a floating, relaxed vibe. Nice start on the compilation. Track 2 is by Yucatan (Yann Henaff), which is one half of the famous trance duo called Bamboo Forest. Yucatan is his down tempo project, and he has released several tracks on compilations on Spirit Zone etc. Here we get a nice floating vibe, with some guitar, groovy bass and some break beats. Nice one. Track 3 is by Tikal (Manuel and Vincent Bernal). You can also find this track on their debut album called Ritual Cycle, released on Neurobiotic Records 2004. A pretty good, dubby, down tempo track, with a touch of funky vibes. Track 4 is by Altom (Alexis Cornet and Thomas Dubreuil). They are also known for their melodic full on trance, so chilled tracks by them is quite unusual. You sort of get the full on picture in this one too, with a little bit stronger beats than I like to listen to when I chill out…
Track 5 is by one of my favourite chill out artists these days. It is by Tripswitch (Nick Brennan) who has released some fantastic tracks on Liquid Sound Design. This one goes really deep. Beautiful, floating vibe, but here we also get a danceable beat, but in a relaxed way. Definitely one of my favourite tracks on this compilation. Track 6 is by an artist I haven’t heard of before, called Scene (Fabrizio Greco). This one goes the dubby direction. Not bad, with some pretty melodies. Track 7 is another track by Tikal. Here they give us a track that almost goes over in the trance category. Not among my favourites. Track 8 is by Vibrasphere from Sweden, who has split up and is now only Rickard Berglof. Vibrasphere is known for their progressive trance, but has also made some very strong chill out tracks. Here we get another beautiful track with a nice melody and a floating drift. Cell who opened this compilation, also finishes it. This track sounds defiantly better than the first one. A deep, floating track. Totally relaxing, with a mystic vibe. Look out for more exciting releases by this guy in the future!
Here you get a nice collection of chill out tracks. Most of the artists on this compilation are actually trance artists, which you can also hear in a couple of them. Some nice tracks here too, especially by Cell and Tripswitch.
PK (shivapks@hotmail.com)
More reviews at:
http://www.trance.net
CHILL TRIBE
CTRCD01 QUALITY RELAXATION
CTRCD02 RELAXED JOURNEYS
CTRCD03 EAR PLEASURE
CTRCD04 WOMBATMUSIC - Shameful Silence
CTRCD05 POLYPLOID - Grow Your Own
CTRCD06 IAN ION - Gringo Locomotion
CTRCD07 SUNKINGS - Before We Die |
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Shao
Started Topics :
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Posts :
54
Posted : Jan 11, 2005 23:34
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here I am!
I write a review too, but it is in Italian. I suggest this comps for use in indoor cycling activity aka Spinning.
Thanks again to Edoardo & Josko for the selection of the artists and track in Namaskar.
Namaste,
Shao
La Vida no esta hecha de tiempo, asi como el mundo no esta hecho de espacio.
(Paul Bowles)
http://www.myspace.com/majmar |
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