Search the Community

Artist: Various Title: Erratic Distortion Label: MMD Records Date: 2006 1. Lost & Found - Rhythm Machine Stick 2. Phyx - Fall of Babylon 3. Zion Linguist - Masquerade 4. Hiyarant - Mechanism 5. Multistate - Press Any Key 6. Frozen Ghost - Dr. Hooligan 7. The Linguist Vs. The Cell - The Door 8. Hiyarant - Split 9. Sworn - Last Chance 10. Rabdom L - Hidden Land "Oh hey so uh...wanna try something?" I think you know that I do. Another of the less heralded South African labels delivers with some heart pounding night time psytrance. Thumping music with dark atmospheres is the name of the game. Another one of these compilations that holds up a decade on. It's all 140 ish bpms so that might get a little tiresome if you're of the mind to give this a full listen through and they use a lot of similar sounds. Having said that the tracks are so energetic and powerful a minor quibble as that doesn't bother me. Like a lot of compilations that offer this style of music it's often drenched in metallic sounds, twisted samples, and forecasts a post-apocalyptic future. But those basses son! Also a heavy techno influence here that reminds me of the Artifakt. Lots of psychedelic madness to be discovered within. Recommended. Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Hydraglyph Title: Kinetic Label: Sanskara Records Date: 2006 1. Kinetic 2. Retroactive 3. Hi Fidelity (Remix) 4. Sonica 5. User Friendly 6. Networks Solutions 7. Dude, Where's My Dignity? 8. Electric Feed 9. Condition Black (Remix) 10. Shade "It makes you wonder doesn't it?" Ah, this project is missed. I don't believe they're even making music any longer. They were part of that mid-2000's crew that made South African night time psytrance that was relentless. This was their debut on a label that they started before they became staples on Nexus Media and Timecode. Dark and melodic was the name of the game and they were pretty good at it. This album showcases some of their talent, but certainly wasn't their best work. There is f*ckton of generic full-on here, but they found their groove later on. My favorite was the Condition Black (Remix). Still sounds great today. Here are a few bullets: Kinetic- This was a really good opener and had my hopes up. Unfortunately you can catch a nap for awhile after this. A long one. Retroactive- There is nothing redeeming about this full-on pablum. Hi Fidelity (Remix)- This is like Tiger Wood hitting from the ladies tees. You guys can do better. Sonica- No. Just, no. User Friendly- Had some moments, but it had just too much mediocre in it. Network Solutions- Meh. Dude, Where's My Dignity - Meh Part Deux: The Yawning. Electric Feed - Bass is too loud and too out front. Unlistenable. I'll stick with the original from NIN. Condition Black Remix - good metal guitar crunch and the best one here. It's not even close. Shade- A nice dark industrial ambient closer. Good, but needed to evolve more.

Artist: Safi Connection Title: Shout Aluma Label: Spliff Music Date: 2006 1. Trip dot Com 2. Reborn Free (Album Edit) 3. Hope Matters 4. Over Me 5. Shout Aluma 6. D.M.A. 7. Music 8. Bitter Sweet 9. Stanko 10. Lolly Bong It has taken a long time, but I do believe I have finally found the worst psytrance album ever produced. Ever. I don't know if that's his kid on the front, but if you think that's gonna prevent me from taking this down you are so wrong. The world needs to know. This is the total package of horrible. From the absolute sh*t show of a front cover to the terrible vocals found within this disc can only aspire to be a coaster. The lead sounds are annoying and the melodies are as childish as the cover. Was this put together in an afternoon? Was a bet lost? Top to bottom horrible music that made me want to kick a piano. And how dare you cornhole Master and Servant from Depeche Mode in here? And then to sh*t all over Bittersweet Symphony? Ok...I'll let that one go. Really people, there have to be some rules otherwise we cease to function as a society. I would bury this in the ground, but I fear it would crawl out and continue to walk among us. Best we burn it, scatter the ashes, and never speak of this again. God help us. Psyshop

Artist: Commercial Hippies Title: If You Can't Stand The Heat... Label: Nano Records Date: 2006 1. Loose Control 2. If You Can't Stand The Heat... 3. ...Get Out of the Chai Room 4. Dr. Freakenstein 5. No More Nights 6. 3 Star Hotel 7. Where Dreams Come From (Technological Rennaisance Edit) 8. Organic Machines 9. The Unconventionalist "It's funny...the world is so different in the daylight. But in the dark your fantasies get so out of hand. " No. No. No. Don't want any girl scout cookies. Where is your mother? Back when Nano records artists didn't make the same track over and over again, they were solid producers of elaborate full-on. Yes there really is such a thing. This is the debut from the Hippies and a decade on it still sounds fresh as a daisy. Back when there was a seemingly never ending tsunami of full-on releases this came along with loads of dynamism. It churns and burns with layers of sound as melodies dance across power rhythms. There's also plenty of effects to give it a lush sound and the sample work is effective without being intrusive. Reminds me of Protoculture and what do you know? His brother is one half of this duo. So based purely on genetics you would assume that he won't be drooling all over the equipment with his underwear on the outside of his pants. Now I cannot independently verify that that didn't happen, but this music is engaging and mostly devoid of what makes people sh*t on full-on. 10 years ago Nano had a great reputation and the other half of the duo is the brother of one of the guys that runs Nano. So to keep peace in the family they're going to bring their best to represent the label. And with quality albums like this you can see why. Can you imagine the dinner convo if one brother's weak effort brought down the other brother's label? Awkward. Very solid and highly recommended! Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Various Title: The Next Generation (Compiled by DNA) Label: Phonokol Date: 2006 1. Psysex & Rocky - Japanese Awa (DNA Remix) 2. X-Noize - Rock It (Psy Craft Remix) 3. Melicia - Running Out Of Time (DNA Remix) 4. Domestic & X-Noize - Flaming Dart 5. Wizzy Noise - Behemoth (DNA Remix) 6. Quantum - Need For Lead (DNA Remix) 7. DNA & Melica - Magic Stick 8. Space Cat - Kreak Take 2 9. Injection - Massive Attack "Boys, what the f*ck is wrong with you?" I apologize if their grandmother is reading this, but DNA (Eitan Tanami and Zeev Kardonsky) are pretty much patient zero when it comes to the pandemic known as full-on. An insidious infection, it has spawned many copycats and taken the psychedelic out of psychedelic trance. They are far from the only perpetrators, but they must take responsibility for their role. Looking at their Discogs account it seems they have released the same album 5 times. True this isn't their artist album (even though they are involved in over half the tracks), but they compiled it thereby dragging all the artists represented into the swamp with them. It's unabashedly full-on full of rolling bass lines, hyper sample use, and glow stick melodies. Running Out of Time by Melicia is a blistering track and the only way DNA could screw it up is if they changed the synth sounds to dog barks. Low point has to go to the deplorable remix of Rock It which reinforces why people make fun of psytrance. Music we have heard a million times that really should have the psychedelic label removed post haste. The stops and starts, the guitar...Oh, the agony. Full-on can be done well and can be descriptive and detailed, but a bar set this low...well, that takes some doing. Not the worst I've heard, but man...just throw it on the ever increasing pile of low-mediocre releases. "Full-on as home entertainment, this cannot be the future. Can it?" May God have mercy on our souls, Kurt. Beatspace

Artist: Various Title: Chemical Playground Label: Chemical Crew Date: 2006 1. Attack SKAZI 2. Highway To Hell VOID 3. Vilderness EXAILE 4. Go Crazy TUBE VS KOX-BOX 5. Dangerous SKAZI VS TUBE 6. Time Split PSYCHOTIC MICRO 7. Psycreoes PARANORMAL ATTACK VS EXAILE 8. Be Real STAR-X 9. Gioto ROCKY 10. Breath MAFIA "Chemical Crew is back with a compilation of 10 unreleased bombs!"- quote from Psyshop promo. Toilet bombs maybe. That basketball goal hit the rocket boosters to leave post haste. I knew this was gonna blow meat chunks when I saw it. The track list confirmed it as Chemical Crew and their artists have a knack for...underachieving. Attack- I've never heard a Skazi track before, but man have I heard people sh*t all over his music. I'm here to tell you this is less psytrance with guitars and more hair metal masquerading as psytrance. And bad metal at that. Guitars have their place in psy like pig anus does in hot dogs. We know it's there we just try not to bring it up. And uh...I smell pig anus. Wheeeeeeee!!!!! Highway- This is very shiny and polished. But you can do that to a turd also Vilderness- More buildups and guitars. This is getting sad. Go Crazy- Tube has crafted some pretty good tracks in the past and we all know what Koxbox was capable of back in the day. I can't tell you that this is a solid return to the glory days, but so far it's the best track here. And that's not saying much. With some techy warbles it keeps with the futuristic vibe. But I dare you to keep an accurate count of how many times the word "crazy" is uttered. What an unfocused mess. Dangerous- Skazi and Tube? That's like g etting herpes and gonorrhea from the same chick. Guitars in 3...2...1. Galloping bass line? Yep. Buildups with more guitars? You KNOW it! If only there was an annoying repetitive sample...ah, there it is. Time Split- Dare I hope that we might get some twilight goodness amidst this sea of refuse? Don't throw away your Timecode CD's just yet. Somehow he managed to neuter any power this night full-on might've had. Ewww...it's got Chemical Crew stink all over it. Psycrepes- Choosing a more annoying sound is patently impossible. If a sinking ship is used to signify that things have gone awry, then this vessel started out underwater. Be Real- "What do I need to do?" "Be Real" Uh, Ok. This sucks. Gioto- Meh. Just more crap to throw on the junk heap. Breath- How I made it this far is beyond me and it didn't end well. Commercial nonsense that just has me shaking my head. Congratulations if you purchased this CD for you are now the proud owner of the worst collection of tracks I've heard in quite some time. A Discogs rating of over four? Not for long. Can someone please help Chemical Crew? They seem to have fallen and can't get up. Only if you want to punch your ears in the face. Mdk