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Xatrik - Inside Information (Digital Psionics Records)
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Acidhive
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
76
Posts :
2014
Posted : May 3, 2007 17:40
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Artist: Xatrik
Album: Inside Information
Label: Digital Psionics Records
Released: February 2007
Cover: http://www.juno.co.uk/covers/255811-01-front.htm
http://www.juno.co.uk/covers/255811-01-back.htm
Tracklist:
1. Is This It (8:12)
2. Slot Machines v2 (7:01)
3. Ok Okay (8:26)
4. Sketchy Bizznizz (8:18)
5. Red Handed (7:21)
6. The Special (7:08)
7. Police Escort (8:47)
8. White Flour (7:43)
9. Farmyard Frenzy (7:35)
The review: Ok, so this is the soloproject of one of the guys (Greg Hamber) from Multistate? I never knew that, but that would probably be due to the fact that Xatrik existed before Multistate did and had already released an album. Anyway, this is his second album and I got this recently due to the fact that I liked the samples and that he was a part of Multistate  So let's go through this track by track again.
Track 1: Starts off with some atmospherics, birds and other noises. Some percussion gradually sneaks in. A sample: Is this it? Is this what you wanted? And then the bassdrum really comes in. Some synths, warped and distorted. At 1:47 the bassline starts and we're off. The track continues along and turns into one of those standard south african style tracks but very enjoyable. Turns quite wild near the end. Good start.
Track 2: A sample starts this off. Bassline comes in very quick, bassdrum not soon thereafter. And we're off again. A driving track, and this clearly reminds me of Multistate. A break at 2:47 with a slotmachine sample and we're off again at 3:19 building up towards the finale. Nice work on the twisted acidic sounds that form the melody here. And clobber me if that melody at around 4:40 doesn't stick with you even after the song has passed Great track.
Track 3: Atmospheric start again and we're ready to move at 0:40 when a bassline and kick come in. In sound a bit slower than before and this is one of those tracks that take longer to get going. Around 3:00 we're knee-deep in the acidic melodies again and grooving along quite nicely. The melodic acidic touch continues on until the end. Another stellar track IMO.
Track 4: A sample starts this off, going on about weed if I'm not mistaken. This one is a little more into the weird category, not as driving as the previous two track, but nevertheless quite psychedelic. Great work on the bassline here which is quite pronounced. Plogresses quite nicely and has a more dark and wacky approach to it. Fades off into silence.
Track 5: Starts with atmospherics again. Turns into quite a stormer again, promising more fast delight like tracks 2 and 3. Great work on the bassline once again, this is just like it was on the Multistate album and that can be seen as a big compliment. A pad sound plays behind the song for a time and after a break we're totally in psychedelic city again. The sounds seem to fly at you from random places and it's all yummy. Near the 7 minute mark it totally loses itself right up until the end. Great track.
Track 6: Starts off with acidic loops, some sampling and quite an unusual bassdrum sound. The bassdrum turns, the bassline comes in, and we're off again. This album doesn't give you much of a breather, although this song takes its time getting started, mind you, so maybe this is the breathing point, hehehe Anyway, it's all good stuff once it takes off, but it stays less pronounced than the tracks before so it's a nice change from the previous tracks.
Track 7: Starts off with a sample and some atmospherics again. Gets into a good groove once more and the bassline is again great. Sounds a bit like 'Pulse' and its spinoffs from Absolum did, and this is not a bad thing. The song breaks at around the 3 minute mark, a few samples are heard and then it's off once more until another break at around 5:30. It builds up again from there. "Make it dynamic!" says another sample and then it's banging until the end. Nice track and no mistake.
Track 8: Starts off with synthworks, a bassline and bassdrum follow shortly. The nervous little bassline gets more pronounced and this promises to be a bouncy track. It proceeds to be exactly that although it turns quite psychedelic near the end. The bassline remains great throughout. Another good track.
Track 9: And we're on to the last one. Has a different bassline than most. This is more like track 4. It turns out to be a stormer again and this rounds off the album really nicely. No chill at the end here. Just plain stomping
Conclusion time then: Well, I've reviewed Frozen Ghost, Zion Linguist and this one in a small amount of time and I have to say this album sticks with me the most as being pure quality all the way through. Although the other two albums are great as well, this one stuck with me the most. If you're looking for some more Multistate kinda psytrance then this is the place to look. I liked it a lot. Even the artwork looks nice, it makes a change from the abstract stuff I guess. That cartoony look is something else. Anyway, 8,5/10 from me.
Listen to samples here:
http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dps/dps1cd019.html
http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=6361
  "Subconscious unravels at the point of death, and all time it has known erupts into a moment. As death extinguishes us, so we become it."
[Esoteric: Subconscious Dissolution Into The Continuum] |
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squirm
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
254
Posts :
2638
Posted : May 3, 2007 17:48
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Perma Fry
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
56
Posts :
2835
Posted : May 4, 2007 04:41
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another smasher you review here very well man
Its a monster album
I lyyyyke
Favs: 3!,4, 6,7!,8!!
Respect
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Shaqattack
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
71
Posts :
1381
Posted : May 4, 2007 12:48
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this is multistate sounds with a difference....a xatrical difference hahah
the special is really special....love that one..
album is top notch all the way..
cant wait to watch xatrik soon
cheers....
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lukepsywalker
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
28
Posts :
165
Posted : May 10, 2007 11:03
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slug
Slug
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
114
Posted : May 15, 2007 12:26
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Big up to G for your great original style, theres definitely nothing quite like it (except maybe your other project, hehe).
Cant wait to write some more collaborations. also congrats to Dig Psionics for supporting some really great underground music. |
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Zion Llinguist - MMD Rec.
Zion Linguist
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
241
Posted : May 15, 2007 13:09
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Xatrik
Xatrik
Started Topics :
3
Posts :
38
Posted : May 17, 2007 07:43
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hey hey! thanks for kind review acidhive...i really like ur style....its concise and to the point > good work !
and thanks for the comments all !
big up to DP for making this possible >>>
about to jam some of these tracks in australia...cant wait!!! |
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