DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Nov 5, 2004 00:32
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V/A – OV Silence Chapter 3
Cover: http://tinyurl.com/6j3xu
Artist: Various
Title: OV Silence – Chapter 3
Format: CD
Label: OV Silence (Germany)
Cat. #: OSR004CD
Date: November 2004
Track listing:
01. 08’20” Block IV vs. Jo Yummy – Royal Flush
02. 07’08” Audiomatrixx - Keywords
03. 08’43” Neelix – The One
04. 07’25” FREq – The Dreaming
05. 09’09” Xenical - Abstinenz
06. 08’41” 6th Floor – Mental Floss
07. 07’55” Psytrain - Neutron
08. 06’58” Atma & R’Tur – Labyrinth Of Life
09. 06’24” Tomtron & Liesegang – Brasil
10. 07’21” Auralis - Streams
Review:
Hamburg-based label OV-Silence is out with their third compilation… These tracks have been ready for some time, but for undisclosed technical reasons there was a delay in the release date… But who cares about that now – this progressive trance compilation should be ready to tickle progressive trance nuts any day now… The featured artists here are a mix of well-established acts and quite a few up-and-coming talents…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: Block IV vs. Jo Yummy – Royal Flush
Block 4 has been around on the German scene for quite a while – and so has Jo Yummy… And now they’ve joined forces on this track, which the promotional text refers to as “a progressive hammer ideal for a Sunday afternoon”… And sure, this is a nice proggy tune with a nice thick groove… And the groove is the best part… The bassline bugs me a little though – it seems ‘too standard’… However, the surrounding stuff is not bad at all… Not immensely original, but nice nevertheless…
#02: Audiomatrixx – Keywords
“And now we’ll go even deeper” …That’s right… Combine the talent of Magnetrixx + Audiomatic and you have Audiomatrixx… I was pretty impressed with their track on the Uplifter Sessions Vol. 2 compilation released earlier this year on Mental Arts, and this track continues in the same vein… Rich progressive trance with hints of psy… It’s very well-produced and very funky… The female voice samples are fitting and we get some smooth tribal drums too… Nice track!
#03: Neelix – The One
Nelix is another Mental Arts resident… This track strays just a little off the beaten proggy track, towards morning trance territory… Though still with distinct proggy undertones… But we get melodies here: nice floating, organic synth-lines wrapped up in a big old cheesy groove… Thumbs up for the percussion work which is very impressive… Tasty track!
#04: FREq – The Dreaming
Ahhh… FREq! ;o) Aran Gallagher’s debut album Strage Attractors released on Iboga was one of the best progressive albums of 2004… So my expectations for this new track were high… And yes, I’m happy to report that FREq delivers once again… I dunno how the hell he does it, but somehow he manages to totally soak this track in big, phat grooviness… Another rich, driving, trademark FREq progressive stomper … Excellent!
#05: Xenical – Abstinenz
After a raw-slash-gentle intro by newcomer Xenical, we get a hard-hitting bassline surrounded by eerie pads of darkness … I have no idea who’s behind that name, but it’s an interesting track nevertheless… It’s still proggy trance, though with a darker edge this time… Spooky even… This would be a great intro track for a Halloween set… Mesa thinks this is greatsa!
#06: 6th Floor – Mental Floss
“Sound – the equivalent to a thought…” Mental dental hygiene – now what the hell is that all about? … 6th Floor is another newbie, and this track has a more introvert nature… It’s less accessible, but has its moments nevertheless… Deep and repetitive in nature, but there is the odd little melodic bit every now and again… This track has potential, but it’s like it never really let’s loose… Decent track!
#07: Psytrain – Neutron
Psytrain is yet another n00b… After some mutterings in German we launch into a melodic piece… This is actually the most melodic track on the album thus far with twirling, fluffy arpeggios and predictable synths… I’m sure this is fine, but I’m not sure what it’s doing on this compilation… It’s simply too fluffy for my taste…
#08: Atma & R’Tur – Labyrinth Of Life
“It is not my destiny to be a hero!” This is a recently discovered duo from Womania… Atmospheric intro with voice mutterings, crackling doors and other weird stuff… This is a hybrid-tune with both proggy and melodic influences… Nothing special IMO – decent track…
#09: Tomtron & Liesegang – Brasil
More hybrid trance here… This time from partners in crime Tomtron and Liesegang who’ve worked together on a couple of occasions before… Tomtrom compiled some of the Goa Head compilations and is a well-respected name on the scene… This is well-polished progressive trance – and waaaaay to well-polished for my taste… Dare I say boring? Ooops – I said it…
#10: Auralis – Streams
Final track is by Auralis who’s an OV-Silence regular… This is kinda an experimental trance track that incorporates house-samples and plays around with twisted bits and pieces… A mixed blend of gritty industrial basslines – and lighter uplifting elements + some sweet percussion… I like the experimentation here – it keeps me interested… Though odd, this is a nice track!
Well, this is really a strange selection of tracks… Well not strange as in strange – just strange! I mean – the first five tracks are brilliant – then we get 4 mediocre tracks – and to finish things off another nice track… I could’ve coped with one or two mediocre tracks, but four in a row is just too many… Stuff like that subtracts the rating of this compilation…
There are however some very fine tracks here – and fans of well-polished, progressive trance will get a kick out of the first five tracks here… With the FREq track being the best… I’m sure tracks # six through nine also has a fan base – but I’m not too impressed with them… So to conclude – the first half of this compilation rocks – the second doesn’t! Listen before you buy!
Favourites: 1, 2, 3, 4(!!), 5, 10
DeathPosture
External links:
OV Silence: http://www.ov-silence.de/ (Audio samples available!)
TranceShop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4221
  On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion... |
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