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Trance Forum ť ť Forum Music Reviews - Whicked Hayo-Soundbreakers (Night Oracle)

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Whicked Hayo-Soundbreakers (Night Oracle)

mudpeople
IsraTrance Full Member

Started Topics : 113
Posts : 1785
Posted : Dec 5, 2008 10:45:38

Artist: Whicked Hayo
Title: Soundbreakers
Label: Night Oracle
Tracks: 9
Mastering: Shulman
Release Date: 25 May 2008
Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/1294229

Whicked Hayo are 2 guys from Belgium, Dan and Morad. Ever since I got my hands on Night Oracle's first release (aptly titled) The First Oracle, and heard Deadly Cargo, I was on the lookout, eagerly awaiting more releases. Ketuh's Psychic Imprint only made it that much harder to wait for their album... Then finally, a very nice person decided that I needed to have this album (thanks forever, you know who you are)! So, lets have a look, see if all that anticipation was worth it!

Track 1- Tribe of the Whicked (vs Hilight Tribe)

Im sorry to say I haven't heard much of Hilight Tribe alone, I do know who they are and that they are in fact a many-piece band, which I always thought was cool. So anyway, this track starts out with some definite Hayoisms, leading into a nice droning voice, giving way to breakbeat style percussions, ending with more vocals singing kirtan style chants. Nice intro, would also work well as an intro to a chill/downtempo set.

Track 2- Area 07

Alright, enough slow stuff, say the guys! A clean pumping bassline on this one, pumping that madness right into the cerebral cortex where it belongs. A surrealized melody wafts around the crunched out squidge-lines, almost reminiscent of Azax Syndrome at his best. Nice one to start a set IMO.

Track 3- Vertel Nekeer

A faster track than the last one, but somehow seems a little slower. A good bounce on this one, still Hayo as all hell, but this one could almost work in an indoor club set (think of the first couple tracks on Electrypnose's 'Le Tireur...'). The percussion and bass make this one feel less aggressive than some of their other stuff. Sometimes, I almost get a hint of Sienis in there. Ends up with a jumping multi-octave bass. Great track, but not my favorite of the album. Nice to hear some variety though!

Track 4- Mol Life Extension

Creepy samples start this one, then that oh-so-clean bass that I know and love that just makes your head bob even if you've already been decapitated, makes your feet stomp even if you just can't take it any longer. No sitting down here! "Bathe the earth in electromagnetic radiation"! I've always thought of Whicked Hayo as perfecting the style that others made famous. Aggressive, headbanging, squidge your corroded brain all over the dancefloor type stuff, speaking to you from higher dimensions...

Track 5- PC Naar de Reet

Another pumping bass on this one, and more of that Hayo that they do... so well! Metallic sfx swirl out from more directions than its possible to perceive with the human mind. Man, I'd sure love to see Whicked Hayo play a live set! Maybe they'll come to the US soon... Cuz this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff I want to hear when Im in the mood for some brain twisting! Not really a melody on this one, but I really don't miss it. This ones all atmosphere.

Track 6- Please, Don't Fuck With Us

OK guys, I wont fuck with you, just put the potato and the... rhesus monkey... down, I don't want anyone to get hurt... This track starts with a very similar (if not the same) sound as the last one, making it a nice smooth transition. More of that lovely clean bass pumping along, jumping along, sphglumping along, driving me on and on to that higher state of consciousness... A sorta unnerving state of consciousness, but, since when does staying safe and comfortable lead to anything but... Being safe and comfortable? Progress and evolution are brought about by challenging the old 'norms'. So please, don't fuck with us. ;D

Track 7- Tripsaus

Mmmm.... Tripsauce bubbling on the stove... This is a kind of bass/percussion I think of as 'jumping', or like, I dont know, sprinting with cybernetically enhanced legs at something like 200km/h over mountains. I always love tracks with this sort of rhythm to em. More of the usual Whickedness, I can't seem to get enough... 'I don't know what they done to me, but, I remember, it was horrible...' Oh yeah, this is the stuff. Makes my brain tingle just listening to it, I can only imagine what 'assisted listening' is like! Which reminds me...

Track 8- In Sickness and In Health

Ahahaha, funny sample, goes with the title . A deeper bass than Ive heard on the album yet, and a bit faster too. I could describe the bass as some really big piece of living rubber, in 5 dimensions, flopping around! Puduhwuduhpuduhwuduh Sickly effected lead crunching and scraping around that big rubber tongue thing like some sort of extradimensional orgy. So far this is one of the top candidates for my favorite on the album. I know Im gonna be playing this one a lot!

Track 9- Iets Anders

A rockin fast one at 160 bpm. Sometimes to me, fast stuff sounds too gimmicky, sometimes, its just the right stuff for the right time! This is definitely one of the good ones, sure to get some heads moving. More of the usual, again (and thats a good thing).

So, to sum the album up, basically, if you like Whicked Hayo you'll love this album. To me, they have this strange way of being totally perfect for crazy nighttime without sounding dark. I'd never think of this as dark-evil-scary, just, strong and energetic. At times their tracks sound similar to other artists, but, every time, they bring something of their own to the table, as if to remind us to listen with open ears, or we may just miss something incredible! Some of these tracks could even work during the light hours, if you wanted. A versatile sound Ive always been attracted to, like a moth to flame... Mastering work by one of the great mastering... masters... Shulman (I don't know many other releases in this style that he's mastered...) gives it a unique polish.

Verdict: 11/10 for defying my expectations.

Favorites: All. Especially 7 and 8.