The new compilation from SST is packed with dancefloor oriented, killer, full-on tracks. After hearing minimal and chill-out for the entire year it's time for some partying!
The compilation opens with the lo-fi sound of Plexus- Supreme Being (also released on Luminus vs. Perplex - Plexus). A groovy bassline and a simple drum sequence, not too exciting but the right track to prepare your mind for tracks to come. The break in the middle is really good- going down and up. Domi makes us dancing with Eisblumengarten- one of the most complicated names I have heard lately. The beat is simple yet deep which serves as a background for the sound games: buzzing sounds going up and down, weird drum hits with a large amount of reverb applied to them. The track doesn't develop a lot, but it's not boring. Yahel gets on Jorg to produce Nauschka (T3). A very impressive beginning with a sample that fits the music like a glove. Not long after the bassy beat punches in quickly followed by filtersweeps and swinging hi-hats. Typical Yahel style- bassline transpositions, clubby melodies. The only bad thing about this track is the break in the middle. The break comes in terrible, the chords doesn't fit the singing girl at all, looks like something went wrong in the studio. After the break the track returns to the full-on power: moving melodies, snare rolls and kick drum grooves. The fourth track was made when Cosma met Guitarminator. They received a bit of inspiration from the Pink Floyd and named the track They Wish They Were Here. Excellent beginning- wierd sounds, groovy (!) bassline, beautiful strings. There is a good use of guitars here. Some clean some distorted, but they are here and they also blend with the background melodies in a hyptonic way. The fifth track is a remix to Shiva Shidapu's Power of Celtic, made by Lemurians & Guitarminator. This track was a big disappointment to me although some people may find it a very good track. It is very noisy and the beat is boring, though I have to admit it sounds much better than the original. Follows Natural Distribution (T6) from Sphero (Cosma and a friend). Classic Israeli sound for this one, featuring complex melodies, evolving drum beat, just flowing. Talamasca shows us what uplifting trance is all about with Little By Little (T7). It should have been named A Lot By Little- evolving slowly but what an evolution! The bassline is perfect. Very nice, both in sound (woah..) and in feelings. The track is packed with happy melodies- but it's not nitzhonot. The eighth track, Zalex - Celestine 153 (Lemurians remix), comes as a relief for Little By Little. This track has a very interesting beat, and together with a nice arrangement give us an average track. It might take some time for the listener to fully understand this track. The album ends with Cosma Shiva- In Memory of Terence (from the Cosma Shiva 12"). This track is more oriented towards the atmospheric chill-out sound in contrast to the rest of the album. Interesting melodies and background effects but that's all, nothing special in here. |
