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Trance Forum ť ť Forum Music Reviews - Xatrik - Project A [Digital Psionics 2004]

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Xatrik - Project A [Digital Psionics 2004]

bluespectralmonkey
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics : 80
Posts : 1336
Posted : Jul 18, 2004 03:18

XATRIK
Project A
[Digital Psionics 2004]
1. Initialize
2. The Scary Door
3. Crank This Shit Up!
4. Particle Flux
5. Specify Procedure
6. In Viro Mental
7. The Cleaner
8. A Little No
9. Phatism

"Digital Psionics is proud to present the debut album from 'Xatrik ' .
Xatrik is pure mind fruit .
Follow us into the digital blender with this unique style of trance juice .
Adding a twist and kick and a twinkle of tweak.
You will taste the very special blend of fresh sounds .
This is organic floor freedom , striaght from the psychedelic straw.
Delicious for the ears and mixed with a solid bass flavour .
Xatrik rocks : ) "

first off, the cover art is great as it summarizes the feeling of this album well.
little electronic parts are flying everywhere in the blasts of technological power. the inner sleeve depicts what i would identify as an angel being formed as the crystallisation of electricity is shattering.

1. we are treated with an odd downbeat number here, its 140bpm, but the kick never gets going, its like a teaser for what is to come... lots of sounds, texture to draw us into the space. strange looped voices and fx create a flowing and disturbing intro.

2. "youre entering a realm... prepare to enter the scary door"... the rolling dark bass and tweaks get fired up here, a real stomper. many psychedelic sounds are crunching and morphing thier way as the song builds and grows. you are on a journey, and while it isnt easy, you feel stronger for making the adventure. a very full sound, which twists and turns, great work on the drums and progression. rapid stab lasers and moving arpeggiations keep up with the quick rolling kickbass. the break is scary, but keeps the energy moving as the beat comes right back in to thump the final movement, which just gets funkyer, bigger and thicker, this one grooves to the final second, and slides right into ---

3. which kicks off where the other left off... this one is instantly more sizzly and a tad faster it seems. we are treated to a mind crunching drive, the crisy percussions and sounds impart a dark atmosphere. the lead instrument plays this melancholy but somehow anthemic hints... great detail in the percussions and various sounds whizzing by. deep layers of sounds unfurl. the samples are laid over the beat which is nice, keeping the dance flowing. definitely a trippy stomper here, as it moves along you can begin to see the size of the machine which is cranking this out, its a monstrosity! you are just a tiny speck in comparison. "are you ready to go... well crank this motherfucker up!" the lead gets all twisty and the intensity is launched upwards as the track builds and gets huge. a new sound enters for the final blowup, and you are spinning willy nilly being tossed around within the sound tornado!

4. this track comes in with a glitchy screeching sound that delivers another deep dark rolling jam. some scientific information is presented, "see if you can get a reading..." some morning pad and a bit of melody? is laid into the framework of this fluxing and rapidly grooving jam session. a great changeup/breakdown gets all funky for a moment, and then into the arpeggi blowup anthem direction... it seems to be breathing, each movement given a bit of room... then headfirst back into the cyber battle tune, we are an electron zooming thru a giant spacious matrix of intercrossed wires, with zaps of static flowing in the solar wind all around. towards and in the middle of the last advancement, everything is coming at you at immeasureable speed. great!

5. "please specify how you would like to proceed..." a shifty bendy acid lead over the top of a rumbling deep bass wobblestomp, advancing at a comfortable rate, leaves a trail behind as it changes shape. we are in a hovering state, being measured and tickled with statically buzzing probe tendrils. as it moves and morphs around, energy grows and recedes, welcome to science class. with three and a half minutes to go the song nearly disappears as it goes into its closet to grab extra weapon and shiney bits for swinging around. the symbiotic technology is teaming up to create an intense mindscape for your ears to chew on. again it recharges, threatening to burst, with measured grace and patience, it works you over and builds a massive structure around you, which then commences to grow into your body through countless wire channels and cybernetic implants, you are becoming part of the machine.

6. giant waves of fat static flow down from above. darker than before, we are thrust into a pod zooming through curvey tubes. a technological tale of circuits taking a voyage, a complex and unpredictable adventure. a quirky little tune emerges, the rest of the elements follow suit to accentuate the story, which ebbs and flows along. crispy and chunky tek-grooves laid atop swirly and shifty underlayers, some multi-colored bursts of arpeggiation, and overall just slamming away. the layers peel back to a more minimal structure after a brief sample concerning narcotics, and then soon back into the twisty, funky, bendy sizzle stomp! as the end of this monster draws closer, it coils itself up nicely, just simply getting down with its bad self all the way down to the final seconds.

7. the cleaner is here to wipe the slate, to scour your mind of extraneous thoughts. its hard to tell whats going on here, a mysterious process is unfolding, we are lucky enough to witness the formation of new things, new ideas. the bassline is a monotonous throbbing beast, over which varied sounds flow and go... my head is wiggling, feet stomping, microscopic funk becomes visible. the lead has a nice bent effect on it, and jams away in an epic morning style, grooving with direction. the track starts to pump with more serious intent. some neat effects in the breakdowns, big scapey sounds that impart a view into larger realms of potential. the earth spins faster, being pushed by the thumping, leaving trails behind itself, hints at morning again, overall leaving me feeling energized, hopeful.

8. "this should be played at high volume." deep and dark rolly chunk-tech is the order here. again the epic qualities are apparent, a detailed chapter in the story. as im being absorbed into the thickness, im finding it harder to describe, as this one has as much information and groove as the rest, only slightly different, and as it goes along im getting more and more squiggle worms, harder stomping, buzzier buzzing, the percussions are changing as you are trying to measure them, the instruments shape and move around each other, playing tag, shifting as they go. a big blowup build ramp is in order, it is unleashed, but only slightly, then trying to squeez it back in the box, it is managed quite well. the final half of the track is the ramp! its long and curvey, we are higher up than we thought, and by the final phrase we are completely absorbed by the massive scope of this track.

9. (this track made with The Slug) a crunchy sound delays off, the bass and kick are hollow, changing, wobbling thickly. neat! the percussions are slippery somehow, they seem to accentuate the movement present here. constant advancements are happening, ever complexifying and intertwining, and the drums are made with voices? quite disorienting, the nice gooey high sizzles tease us, and we are busy chasing shadows of memories. a mad groove is conjured, so many elements all teaming up to create a busy and yet perfectly organized sound sculpture. more unexpected adjustments, and changes, leave us with nothing but this very moment to grasp onto.

overall i am incredibly happy with this album. normally i only take time to write reviews for those who send me promo cds, as a gesture to balance the act of giving the cd. but on this album, my expectations were surpassed, as i have been looking forward to the album from xatrik for some time now. and nobody else has written yet. some key words: intense, complex, dark, zooming, twisty and innovative.
boom!

http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=4207

http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dps/dps1cd009.html

www.bluespectralmonkey.com
www.touchsamadhi.com
www.interchill.com
www.metacrew.com
www.nw-psy.com

ChoBo
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics : 50
Posts : 536
Posted : Jul 18, 2004 10:06

very nice review bspm!

I have been listening to the samples and will dig it up soon along with what i had planned to get.

shift
Shift

Started Topics : 38
Posts : 319
Posted : Jul 18, 2004 16:57

yeah,, nice one !!

lukepsywalker
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics : 28
Posts : 165
Posted : Jul 19, 2004 03:52

great review BSM , i hope there are a lot of happy campers out there with this release . sure to please the current dark trend .

DiMiTry
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics : 70
Posts : 2299
Posted : Jul 19, 2004 08:06

Killer album. The South African sound is evolving, and I really like where this is going. Dark, storming, crunchy music. Check it out!

Xatrik
Xatrik

Started Topics : 3
Posts : 38
Posted : Jul 23, 2004 21:51

Ahoy Blue Spectral Monkey!
shot for tha review man...
I feel inspired to make my toonz even more psykadelik now!!!!

good work : )

X~a~T~r~i~K

deadearth

Started Topics : 0
Posts : 39
Posted : Jul 26, 2004 04:13

Xatrik and digital psionics what a kliier combo. This album kicks ass, crank this shit UP!!

DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics : 142
Posts : 547
Posted : Jul 28, 2004 16:05

Xatrik Project A

Cover: http://www.wirikuta.at/media/dpsicd009g.jpg

Format: CD (jewel case)
Artist: Xatrik
Title: Project A
Label: Digital Psionics, Australia
Cat. #: DPSI009
Distribution: Wirikuta (Europe), Cisco (Japan)
Date: July 2004

Track listing:

01. 0251 Initialize
02. 0743 The Scary Door
03. 0759 Crank This Shit Up!
04. 0738 Particle Flux
05. 0841 Specify Procedure
06. 0806 In Viro Mental
07. 0706 The Cleaner
08. 0809 A Little No
09. 0810 Phatism

Review:

Come on now, crank this motherfucker up!

After a couple of compilation tracks, South African Xatrik (Greg Hamber) is out with his debut album, on Australian quality label Digital Psionics.

To be honest, my knowledge of Xatrik was extremely limited before receiving this CD so my high expectations were based solely on the label releasing it. In my opinion Digital Psionics have released some of the most innovative stuff in the scene with the Scatterbrain album as the absolute spearhead. So, lets see what gems Psywalker & Co. chunks out this time

Let me take you thru the tracks

#01: Just to get things going and get you in the mood, were exposed to this weird little tune All kinds of spacey FX are thrown around seasoned with irregular beats, digital farts and electronic burps And so it begins

#02: Youre entering a realm with is unusual. Maybe its magic. It contains some kind of [voice sample run backwards TwinPeaks-style]. The second one prepare to enter the scary door! This full-on, night-time track has an extensive range of layers, brilliantly incorporating all kinds of twisted FX: Dark, driving bassline and some serious hardcore acid-tweaking Hundreds of psychedelic bleeps and bleeps and squealing 303s Oh, and I think I hear a pitched up foghorn too Oh yes, this is some seriously trippy stuff Nice track!

#03: 8 seconds to catch your breath and were straight into a similar mayhem of sound as where the last track left off The beats are somewhat darker and faster now, and the surrounding melodies/acid-twirls are of a more haunting nature I wouldnt go as far as calling this Halloween-trance, but were definitely heading in that direction The track has an overall zombie-feel to it Very fast, spooky night-trance Should satisfy any Parvati-fan I cant get enough of that break/climax-part @ 5,03 Ok men, are you ready to go? Im ready to go! Come on now, crank this motherfucker up! After that sample, all hell breaks loose and its time to just let loose and go ballistic Those last 3 minutes are pure bliss! ;o)

#04: More of the same madness in Particle FluxSome high-pitched ear-drum torture noises kick off the track, and soon the gritty bassline is back alongside some space-craft voice-samples As you might have guessed by now, Xatrik is very generous with the psychedelic effects, so once again we are treated to all kinds of fucked-up, trippy effects Spacey synth melodies, laser-beams, acid-lines and more acid lines than I can count Sooooo intense, almost too intense for the last couple of minutes But still a nice track!

#05: Please specify how you would like to proceed!? First part of this track is more stripped down, but not stripped-down in the usual sense There is still a lot of stuff going on A banging, irregular bass and different percussion + some kind of chant in the distant background Further into the track, the first acid line is introduced accompanying some wicked pads Slowly the track builds, gaining energy @ 453 there is a break, but soon enough the groove is back, with recharged batteries This is a funky number less intense Ok track

#06: ZA meets Finland With the sound of a laser beam, this track is in full FX I dunno whats environmental about it though!? All kinds of technological sounds are weaved in between a crisp, sharp bassline Talented use of percussion both organic and metallic Undecipherable drug-samples As much as this is dark, fast-paced night-time trance, we also get a couple of naďve melodies mentally tweaked almost beyond recognition I can vividly imagine tripping to this tune beware! Extremely psychedelic

#07: And now The Cleaner Hard, pounding, repetitive bassline yet, this is lighter, fluffier and more melodic than some of the other trax And fluffy is used as a positive adjective here Acid-lines - Knob-adjustment tweaking Constant changes in pitch, trippy synths and some really sweet soundscapes in the background, helps create a hectic, yet pleasant feeling Tasty track!

#08: Gloomy acid-ridden intro This should be played at high volume Its hard to grasp, but this track seems even more psychedelic than its predecessors Driving bassline, and extremely trippy groove Wicked percussion, guitars, irregular cut beats and the likes Very cool build-up part @ 455And @ 520 all hell brakes loose Damn, what the hell was that? I like the odd-ball approach, though it can get a little too weird for even my taste at places

#09: Last track co-produced by The Slug (as a couple of other tracks on compilations) Echoing intro, and then some haunting, irregular bassline The demented Sauna-feel continues here, and this is some severely demented stuff Frantic even I cant even begin to count the layers So much stuff going on, but somehow focus is never lost

Phew, that was quite a ride This is some seriously wild shit I mean, multilayered, highly complex and very, very intense Hard-core sensory attack! Its like all your senses are being bombarded by countless psychedelic elves throwing resonance-bricks at you Until youre left with a big-ass wall of sound can you cope?

Well, generally I like it and yes, I can cope But on the other hand, I need to take this in smaller doses At certain parts it gets too intense even for my taste Perhaps I need to listen to this while on shrooms? Could be But hey, there is no doubt in my mind that a very large portion of time and production skills have gone into making this And that does not go unnoticed Well done Xatrik (and The Slug) your debut album is impressive!

Recommended to anyone who likes multi-layered, crazy-ass, in-yer-face, twisted, highly psychedelic trance

8/10

Favourites: 2, 3(!), 4, 7,

DeathPosture

External links:
Digital Psionics: http://www.digitalpsionics.com
Wirikuta Distribution: http://www.wirikuta.at/web66/product_detail.jsp?showDetail=55695
Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dps/dps1cd009.html (Audio samples available!)
Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=4207
Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/product.asp?LR=DPSCD09
Trance Shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3941

On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion...

lukepsywalker
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics : 28
Posts : 165
Posted : Aug 4, 2004 05:04

thanks for another great review martin .very happy to hear that everyone is enjoying this album . some brilliant work done by xatrik on this album .

deadearth

Started Topics : 0
Posts : 39
Posted : Aug 12, 2004 08:58

I can't stop listening to this CD still.
what a release!!!!!!!!

My favorite track is in-viro mental...
I want to hear it on a big sound system!

raider
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics : 22
Posts : 491
Posted : Aug 13, 2004 08:10

This album reminded me a bit of Absolum/CPU... I liked that part

Syntax442
IsraTrance Junior Member

Started Topics : 12
Posts : 350
Posted : Nov 22, 2005 17:34

just great!

*Karma Cola*
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics : 113
Posts : 2314
Posted : Nov 23, 2005 04:57

Good album.. im quite impressed with his skills.
In viro mental is a strong psychedelic track and in my playlist

~*** You can tell By the way i use my walk, Im a woman's man, No time to Talk***~

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