krelm
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jul 6, 2004 16:52
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V/A – Outsider (Balloonia)
01. Guitars on @cid – Mission Impossible
02. Activate Morlack – Digital Balls Part 1
03. Quantum & Samuel - Atalef
04. System - Energy
05. Ibex – Output It
06. Beat Shifter vs. Deep Play - Step
07. DNA – I Am
08. Planet B.E.N. – September Love (Eat Static Rmx)
09. Transdriver – El Condor del Paso
10. Schatzi – Retro Schatzi
Despite a lengthy release history including many artist albums, singles and licensed vinyl pressings, this is Balloonia’s first original compilation. With Outsider, we have a widely diverse range of psy-trance, with the dancefloor squarely in mind.
01. Guitars on @cid – Mission Impossible
The CD starts out with (for me) its low point – the appropriately named “Mission Impossible” from Brazilians Guitars on @cid. Cheeky guitar acid trance meets the theme from Mission Impossible – that’s about it. Not my cup of tea.
02. Activate Morlack – Digital Balls Part 1
Things begin to pick up here with the dark and funky “Digital Balls Part 1” from Russian artist Activate Morlack. A heavy kick & rumbling bassline build steam with squelchy sounds followed by a brief, Xerox-esque explosion of melody. The track settles back down into some bizarre patches and a nice bit of groove for the final minutes. I’m not a fan of most Russian trance I’ve heard, but this one is definitely a pleasant exception, if only for its originality and funkiness.
03. Quantum & Samuel - Atalef
Were the tracklist not in front of me, I would swear that this track was from Psysex – but wait, it’s Quantum & Samuel. The bassline, the flow, and the use of samples remind me more of Psysex than Psysex themselves.  It’s well done and super funky, but it’s too sparse and sample-heavy to really grab me much. However, this would definitely work well for a playful dancefloor earlier in the party, and might end up in some of my trancey sets anyways.
04. System - Energy
It’s hard, it’s powerful, it’s dissonant and it’s full-on - yet “Energy” from System (Germany) sadly lacks originality. It has a quirky melodic hook and a drive that will brand it a dancefloor favorite amongst the darker variety of full-on DJs, but it doesn’t grab me at all.
05. Ibex – Output It
Now things get interesting. Brazilians Ibex turn in a heavily driving percussive night-time piece with the creepy & brooding “Output It”. Frantic percussion joins with a tough kick to give an underlying groove, upon which creaks, squelches, atmospheres and bubbling ooze build a dark monster floor smasher. What gives “Output It” that extra edge above most night music is the crafty use of twisted percussive elements – this feels like it came straight out of a haunted Brazilian jungle. 
06. Beat Shifter vs. Deep Play – Step
With the track titled “Step”, Outsider takes one into a house-driven groovy psychedelia. You’ve got the dissonant darkness & frantic feeling of some of the previous tracks, but the pace is slowed, the bass is bouncing and the tribal percussion takes the forefront. Very smooth, very cool – definitely one for the progressive lovers.
07. DNA – I Am
Heading back to higher intensity is the highly infected “I Am” from DNA. Frenzied jabs, stabs, patches and hi-hats lead the track to a massive break and Mushroom-esque funked-out groove & melodic explosion. As with “Atalef” earlier in the CD, it is well done, but feels too derivative of another artist’s style – in this case, Infected Mushroom.
08. Planet B.E.N. – September Love (Eat Static Rmx)
True electronic pioneers remixing a veteran – this formula always has the potential for magic. Eat Static & Planet B.E.N. certainly don’t disappoint here. A lush intro paves the way to a rather minimalistic psycho-funk groove which gives way to an unexpected atmospheric break. The sparse noises and clangs sneakily form a melody which is accentuated following the break by an old-skool-feeling synth and short eastern-sounding vocal patch. I wouldn’t label this track as a “hit” – it lacks the catchiness. But it is still the type of brilliantly produced track that one could only hope for from the studio of Eat Static.
09. Transdriver – El Condor del Paso
Transdriver is up next with a rather chilled take on quirky trance. This is driven by modem samples, squelches, and other unusual sounds throughout. It is certainly original, but I find no dancefloor functionality whatsoever – something just doesn’t seem to gel here.
10. Schatzi – Retro Schatzi
Closing the CD is the debut track from the new project of Yoni Oshrat (Psysex) – Schatzi. Without spicing it up, “Retro Schatzi” is 80’s-flavored electro created with the sound bank of Psysex. This is definitely not anything for the dancefloors, but it is still absolutely fantastic. Clocking it at 3:14, it is too damn short, but fortunately there is much more Schatzi guaranteed to hit us in the coming months. Dangerous music.
Overall…..
While starting out somewhat weakly, Outsider picks up steam in the second half and finishes as a quality psychedelic trance compilation. In the end, it has its ups (2, 5, 6!, 8!, 10!), its downs (1, 4, 9) and all things in between. With 10 tracks in total, there is room to have a couple duds (for me), and still contain enough quality material to keep it very interesting. This isn’t anything new and groundbreaking – aside from the brief taster of Schatzi - but it is definitely a rock-solid compilation to rock the nighttime dancefloors.
Note to Yaniv – give us more Schatzi!!!
7/10
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Dr. Krelm DJ Mixes and Broken Symmetry archives - http://www.krelmatrix.com
Broken Symmetry on MCast - coming in 2007.... |
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