Review by Damien @ Psyreviews http://psyreviews.net
Various
Origin Stage 3
Nano (UK)
The one problem with this is that there has never been a stereo or soundsystem invented that goes loud enough. Psyreviews’ predictions for 2007 included a statement that psytrance – as distinct from progressive, dark and oldskool – would come back storming into vogue this year and, happily, this album marks the opening “thank fuck”s of this resurgence. Allaby’s remix of The Egg’s Angel Of My Soul kicks off like a belter; it makes you firmly aware that this isn’t going to be Just Another Derivative Compilation Vol 16. Staticy interference through the intro, then just over a minute to warm up before you’re confronted with a deep bass, sparkle-sparse production, and that rare sort of fluid energy that separates a cracker from a knacker. It really is fantastic; stunning stuff, Allaby being one of a handful of producers who, mark my words, will save psytrance. Laughing Buddha does well with Lighting Games; interesting to see that of the oldskool UK boys, Jez is one of the only few who hasn’t gone down the Joti/Dino shitpath. Anyway, the movement is as fluid as lesbian cheerleaders wrestling in KY Jelly. A Commercial Hippy (Anton) and The Electric Ant (Ans) do well with Electric Hippy, featuring some solid drops, decent escalation, and a 303-led final run that’s one of the best in years. AMD’s remix of Tristan’s Depends On You maintains the quality. There’s something timeless about this one, as though it could be a track on an old, blisteringly-good compilation you’re revisiting for the first time in a while. The final run is barely shy of perfect, and with both AMD and Tristan having artist albums around the corner it makes you beg for more like the nag champa slut that you are. The Commercial Hippies take a heftier tone than last year’s album with The Queggestion Box, and it doesn’t quite work; as producers they’re more comfortable being flighty, and the blasting pads here detract from the real topend meat of what’s going on. The quality-meter goes right back up to eleven with on-form Zen Mechanics’ Disco Pixie. At about two minutes in, the groove comes up and out and right into the room; the most interesting part of which for me is that somehow I’m hearing sounds from parts of the room where I don’t have any speakers (and no, I’m not on anything stronger than three cups of tea and a rather pleasant falafel I had for lunch.) Add to that a final run that you can’t not dance to, and you’re onto a winner. Headroom’s Artelligent has a few too many stopstarts, but is generally fatter than yo mama, despite losing it briefly with a misplaced chordmonster. Hydrophonic’s Heckyl n’ Jive sees the fluid duo creating some amazing rhythms deep within the music; you’ll find yourself dancing like a loon to this one and I strongly suspect that may have been the idea. Finally Flip Flop – another duo whom I mark with by godlike hand as being responsible for the future of psytrance – have managed to turn an Eskimo track into a pearler with their remix of Take A Look Out There. It’s understated, subtle, and moodily euphoric. All in all: Bloody hell. The mastering by Cass renders the sound so clear, it’s off the scale. After a couple of questionable releases last year, Nano are back at the top of the heap and – to return to the point I made at the start – the resuscitation of psychedelic trance is about to begin. Thank fucking fuck.
9
01. The Egg - Angel Of My Soul (Allaby Remix)
02. Laughing Buddha - Lightning Games
03. A Commercial Hippie and The Electric Ant - Electric Hippy
04. Tristan - Depends On You (AMD Remix)
05. The Commercial Hippies - Queggestion Box
06. Zen Mechanics - Disco Pixie
07. Headroom - Artelligent
08. Hydrophonic - Heckyl'n Jive
09. Eskimo & Madcap - Take A Look Out There (Flip-Flop Remix)
http://www.nanorecords.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/nanorecords
