Weapons of Mass Destruction is the latest release of Manic Dragons Records, which is a division of Sonic Dragon Records. A label that goes already with great successful albums and compilations, like the case of the split album of Fractal Cowboys and The Many Faces – Entre Nous; CPC´s Double Bouble, and the magnificent compilations Multiple Personalities 1 and 2; and Light From the Depth Of Chaos.
In this release we encounter solid producers like the cases of, Ocelot, Fractal Cowboys, Kerosene Club and Polyphonia, but also new ones like the case of Arsenic who is releasing tunes in some recent compilations. The mastering of this CD was made in the 4CN Studios; it was compiled by Fried Babas, and the artwork made by Quasga.
Now let’s go through the “Weapons”:
The opening track of this CD (T1) is produced by Chemical Sp00n. Supernatural Encounter starts with some samples of a very dark voice, and the first minute goes reasonably calm, but this is only the first minute, because after this we catch some crazy leads, and I, particularly, like the one that enters at 1:49 minutes, the work in here is very great, and makes you go up and down to the rhythm of it. Coming after this work we get some changes in the bass line that keeps a nice vibe – it speeds up the track. Almost in the last part of the track we hear some female samples, spoken in a thin way that I find very funny. Good track.
Now with Theatre of Mind (T2) we are into the multilayered kingdom of Ocelot, whether by the leads, whether by the changes in the bass line, whether by the million sounds he applies into his music. Aaron right now, to me, is one of the hot producers of the moment; every single release he makes is just superb. The first part of this track is very hypnotic, it gives me the sensation that you are swimming and there is a part that you came out to breath, that is when the track changes sonorities – the second part - and we get more forceful sounds; the kick and bass changes again and the trademark of Ocelot - the multilayer sounds - gets it’s maximum exponent: an “explosion” of leads.
Now appears my preferred track of this compilation, by the fantastic duet: Fractal Cowboys. The persons who compose this duet are Quasar, that released an album last year on the late Mistress of Evil Records called One Day; and Dylalien. The Mantra Song (T3) is extremely psychedelic, funny and at the same time comes with a bit of old Goa sounds. Not much, but they are there. The track is very well composed, lots of changes in the sounds, lots of brakes also, and what it pleased me the most was the samples used in here: someone speaking: “I shall teach you mantras…they will guide you”;”...boom…” these are just some of the used samples in here. And I, living where Boom Festival is made (Portugal) can’t stop associating it, with the festival. This track is top!
Now we are in the Wastelands (T4) by Kerosene Club. Kerosene Club is the project of Dj 26Bryan, who released an album in May this year. This track has Bryan mark, but is more hipno-intelligent, more twisted and aggressive. I can clearly “ear” an evolution in Bryan’s music. If you had the chance to hear Forest Of The Freaks, this track goes in the mood of those sonorities, but like I stated before much more intelligent. I enjoy very much the twisted psychedelic leads that Bryan puts in his tracks. Another favourite!
Project Pluton (T5) is the music of Kalilaskov As, the track starts with some monks samples – samples these that will repeat themselves during the track. This track is rich in random sounds; they appear alone, or mixed together with acid lines. I personally don’t like very much the track, and is for a simple reason: the kick and bass line just don’t put my feet moving. The sounds used are fine, but the combo kick + bass, isn’t my cup of tea.
Polyphonia, one of the members of the group Metallaxis (the other is Kulu), brings Sound Impact (T6) that starts with some sharp and metallic voices; right after these voices we get the regular sounds of this project: twisted lines, twilight sounds and hypnotic sounds - with a power full kick and bass - all the kind of sounds that will make your head trip into vortex tunnels. In my opinion I have already heard much more trippy and psychotic tracks by Polyphonia, which I adore from him, but this one is more a regular than a hit for the dance floor. I’m sure it will work in the psy heads, but I expected it a little bit trippier.
With the Service of Satan (T7) by Baba Jelly (one of the members of Jelly Headz), appears with his style in a pumping way. This one has the a very high bpm; if truth be told his music usually has a high number in the BPM´s – it’s Babba trademark. This is spreading and “inserting” music into your brain from the 1st second till the last. The only parts we manage to “breath” are the first 20 seconds, because past the 20 seconds the track leaves no room for you to step away from its path. It really imbues you in the sonorities; there are lots of changes in the rhythmic of the track, but at least for me it caught all my senses. And I lied back there when I said you had no more room to breath after the track starts – you get 10 more seconds to breath in the middle of the music, but it won’t make you no good, because after that brake, you will get more twisted lines, more aggressiveness in the leads, always “escorted” with the pumping and fast kick plus bass line, which only by themselves give a lot of influence to the track. It’s full power from beginning till the end.
Alex and Leonid Burshtein are two brothers that form the group Attoya. They have released their debut album in Trishula Records called Based On True Events. This track, Scream Project (T8), follows their typical style, but in my humble opinion this track stands better then the material released on their album. One thing I have noticed is that they evolved in the leads they made - and presented in this track - making them more and more complex, some more aggressive others more hypnotic (in fact the hypnotic leads they make are from such a complexity, that when I hear the leads, I don’t hear the rest of the sounds, like the kick and bass line, they go to second plan), but the work on the hats is very poor, it seems they use the same rhythm in the whole track. I believe this is an area they have to focus a little bit more. The rest of the work on the music is good.
Organised Chaos (T9) is simply the craziest and insane track in this compilation. Raphael a.k.a. known has Datakult delivers a “hell” of a track. This track presents us with pieces of simplistic leads and others more hardcore to “digest”. In the overall this is intense and profound music, crazy lines of psychedelic music. This track will bring madness to a dance floor and when you think you just can take it no more, such is the insanity the track is bringing to your brain, you will get even more insane cause the only corridor this track knows is the way “step on the pedal at full” – almost 9 minutes of a rollercoaster side that seems that will have no end. Favourite track no doubt!
And in a rush we are in the last track of the compilation. Arsenic brings Micronoise (T10). But from micronoise you won´t get nothing, I mean, this should be named Macronoise. This is the last track, and is another chaotic, hypnotic and obscure track; this isn’t music to fill up the compilation, this is quality music for the night trippers. Nice tricks on the brakes, and good choice of used leads. |
