V/A- 'Hyperspatial Chrysalis'

[Lauryn]

VA- 'Hyperspatial Chrysalis' (Ketuh Records, 2005)

 

Artist: Various

Title: Hyperspatial Chrysalis

Label: Ketuh Records (Portugal/Austria)

Catalog #: Kthcd010

Format: CD

Released: 13 June 2005

 

Tracks:

1. Psychoactive- 'Crazy Cabby'

2. Hefty Output- 'WTF? Rmx'

3. Sychophant- 'Life and Death Rmx'

4. Sungirl vs. Iron Madness- 'Buddhist Pyramidi'

5. Pondscum- 'Style Stalker'

6. Paranoize- 'Deception'

7. Phonic Request vs. Akhoa- 'Call 1334 Rmx'

8. Psyboriginal- 'Spirited Way Rmx'

9. Killer Buds- 'Biogenese'

 

Review: This is the tenth release from Portuguese-born

and Austrian based record label Ketuh Records. At the

start of 2005, the paths of the Ketuh Records family

and the Triptamind Crew crossed in Australia. The

experiences gained there, spawned the 'Hyperspatial

Chrysalis', a collaborative effort between the two.

The result- a collection of nine tracks from new and

upcoming Australian artists as well as some fresh

sounds from elsewhere around the globe. Compiled by Dj

P_Mac, Label manager of Ketuh Records and resident

Boom Festival DJ, with liner notes written by Eli of

the Triptamind Crew in Australia. This compilation

showcases the transitional period between night time

and morning- the multi-dimensional and ever-evolving

sound of the chrysalis that is Ketuh Records.

 

1. Psychoactive- 'Crazy Cabby'- Psychoactive aka Steve

Barr, from Australia, is the co-founder of Fragile

Planet Records. This is his first solo release on

Ketuh Records. "It's like getting a personal visit

from God", perhaps so. It's an enticing sample to

start off the compilation. Extracted from reality, we

are at once propelled into the opening groove. The

result- a crisp, dynamic bassline that's constantly

evolving and changing with surprising subtlety. The

main synth melody is crunchy and raw, complemented by

a squeeky tweaked out synth, more than doubling the

quirkiness. The two sounds are cleverly weaved

together with countless variation, creating the

animated, whimsical groove that drives this track

onwards. Loose percussive breaks add a highly

effective, yet barely noticable punch to the already

carefree, effortless feel of the dark funky

psychedelic grooves, "51 times stronger" for sure!

10/10

 

2. Hefty Output- 'WTF? Rmx' - From Australia are Dan

Verbi and Tim Hanlon, recent additions to the Ketuh

family, this is their second release, its heavy music

for the night to the max! You can hear the raw, biting

influence of South African artists Damage and Artifakt

here. A deep bassline rolls along fearlessly,

occasionally meeting with a multitude of elastic synth

sounds dribbling nighttime psychedelia. Also hiding in

the shadows a piercing melody lurks, ready to strike

when the time is right. Smooth deep dark psy, in a

genre of its own. From time to time, various creaking

and rewind fx join forces with the ripping main synth

line, further embellishing the already vicious groove.

What is lost in focus and momentum towards the end of

this track, is made up for with psychedelic elements!

Their prior release, 'Ghb (Remix)', was a bit charged

with spoken samples, it's nice to hear a track

focusing more on created rather than found sounds.

Super mean and highly potent. Last words: It's all

about the bass. 8/10

 

3. Sychophant- 'Life and Death Rmx'- Welcome Aussie

#3, Sycophant, Melbourne based artist John Vougioukas.

This is his debut release on Ketuh Records. The style

is dark and atmospheric, the dancefloor effect-

massive. Ethereal, dreamlike atmospheres collide with

a galloping bassline and scratchy synth- a sonic

depiction of being lost amidst unknown confusion. The

break brings inaudible samples of chaos and disarray

as well as a wind tunnel which sends us swirling into

a super mean psychedelic synth line. A perfect

nighttime groove! This track is all about the

atmosphere as we swirl about in anticipation of where

it will toss us next. The main breakdown brings the

bassline to the forefront where 'your hell awaits you'

as well as a groove full of darkness, scratching synth

lines, and screams of confusion, as we descend further

into the abyss of the unknown. 8/10

 

4. Sungirl vs. Iron Madness- 'Buddhist Pyramidi'-

Sungirl is Yana from Russia, with previous releases on

Trishula and Manic Dragon Records. Iron Madness is Ziv

from Israel, previously releasing on Doof Records.

This is their first track released as Sungirl vs. Iron

Madness, and also their first Ketuh release. A

symphonic beginning, reminiscent of the opening scene

of an epic movie. This melodrama is soon cut short as

we are instantaneously faced with a dark, driving

baseline and powerful snare interspersed with screams

of horror. The main synth is introduced, catchy and

melodic, yet also with a somber and emotional element

to it as well. The melody doesn't detract at all from

the overwhelming sense of darkness, chaos, and

confusion that is the essence of this track. Rather

than disrupting from the flow, the numerous

breakdown-buildups we hear only serve to propel this

track onwards, further building the intensity. This is

nonstop madness!!! Previously, I had not been a fan

Sungirl or Iron Madness, but together, the blend of

their sounds is magical!!! Best track on this comp so

far 11/10

 

5. Pondscum- 'Style Stalker'- Aha! The long

anticipated second release from Luke Danielewski,

Aussie #4 on this comp. His full flavored musical

project Pondscum is notoriously known for its

signature dark, minimal, hypnotic psychedelic sound

and this track is certainly no exception to that! From

the start, I am immediately drawn in by an

overwhelming sense of spiraling downwards. Various

complex and intricate synth lines working together

along with swirling atmospheric pads sitting further

in the background of this track further evoke the

downward spiral. This is for sure one of the darkest

psychedelic melodic grooves I've heard in a while. I

really like how this track progresses and changes up a

lot without ever straying too far from its central

theme. Around 3:30, everything falls into place here

and the groove is dark, melodic and extremely

effective, it would have been interesting to see this

idea develop more before the track changed things up

once again. A monstrous spooky nighttime track-

guaranteed to get everyone out of the darkness and

onto the dancefloor, I only wish it hadn't ended so

abruptly. 9/10

 

6. Paranoize- 'Deception'- From Israel comes Alex

Ladyzanskyi aka Paranoize, this is his second release

on Ketuh Records. With a driving bassline, scratchy

percussive synth and air of eerieness we are

officially launched into orbit. This track is centered

around two synth lines, one which has a metallic,

rhythmic sawing quality to it, the other can only be

likened to the cawing of a scavenger crow circling

above. Every element in this track is precise, exact,

and deliberate. Transitions between different ideas

are smooth and effortless, and the overall level of

production is extremely high. With virtually no

melodic element in this track, I find I'm craving more

melody! As the hi-hats and snare are prominent here,

it would have been interesting to see some more

mid-range percussive elements added in. As this track

progresses, the main synth line increasingly begins to

ooze psychedelia. The constant morphing nature of this

track keeps it interesting, leading up into the final

buildup- Dark psy with a twist of lime. 9/10

 

7. Phonic Request vs. Akhoa- 'Call 1334 Rmx'- With

previous releases on Magma and TIP, PhonicRequest is

the work of Wilfried Decaesteker. Here he teams up

with fellow Frenchman Akhoa. You may recall the duo

from their track 'Early Reflections', on Parvati

Records earlier this year. This is their second

collaborative release, and their first Ketuh

appearance. The track begins with a funky bassline

full of movement, some short squiggly zooming synths

adding to the raw bouncy sound and a gritty dirty no

nonsense snare reminding me of Rinkadink. The likeness

is again heard in the zooming buildups appearing

throughout. The entirety of this track feels like one

long buildup, leaving me constantly anticipating what

is to come. I must admit, with the comical flavor, I

expected the final buildup to lead to a goofy sample.

I'm slightly disappointed with "call 13.34", which

leaves me with with more of an "um....ok" feeling.

Despite the fact that this track could have had a bit

more drive, it is an essential dirty groove full of

zooming psychedelic sounds and I love it! 9/10

 

8. Psyboriginal- 'Spirited Way Rmx'- Aussie #5 on this

compilation, Psyboriginal is Marc Freund from Sydney.

A new Ketuh artist, this is his debut release. His

sound has been described as explosive, unique and

highly danceable and now I will hear for myself. We

start things off with a groovy bassline, some quick

start-stops and eerie atmosphere to complete the mix.

The main melody reminds me a bit of Logic Bomb, only

with a darker, more sinister feel contrasting nicely

with the raw bouncy synth line previously introduced.

The sample usage throughout, and especially at 4:40,

is the best of any track appearing on this

compilation. Psyboriginal has managed to weave

together all the right elements to create a perfect

killer groove that just works- so much so that I

cannot give away any more of the details. This is an

insane debut track, I cannot even begin to imagine

what else this guy has got up his sleeve. For sure,

one of the strongest tracks on this compilation,

perfect for bringing in the morning 10/10

 

9. Killer Buds- 'Biogenese'- From Brazil, Enzio,

Tarcisio and Marcelo, collectively known as Killer

Buds, are a Ketuh Records staple, appearing on the

past 5 Ketuh compilations, as well as recently

releasing their full length debut album on Ketuh. Much

like their previous releases, this track is nothing

short of massive sounding. A slightly different sound

then I've previously heard from Killer Buds- the

bassline is sitting more towards the back of this

track, while the main synth line is front and center

throughout. This track is a bit lighter on the sample

usage than previous releases, giving precedence to the

melody of this morning stomper. The breakdown is quite

unique and my favorite part of this track, slowing the

beat down and then rapidly speeding up once again, a

zooming buildup storming ahead towards all hell

breaking loose. Melodic mayhem perfect for waking up

any dancefloor. 8/10

 

Favorites: 1(!!), 4(!!!), 5, 6, 7(!!), 8(!!!)

 

Overall: Another strong compilation from Ketuh

Records. Nothing endures but change, and with each

quality release from this label, we continue to see

just why this is true. Much like the Chrysalis, we

are all evolving to a fluctuating vibration of cosmic

energy, music is no exception to this. If you are at

all curious as to where the future of psychedelic

trance music lies, rest assured, a few of the answers

you will find here. Five Australian artists appearing

on a non-Australian label, Four artists making their

debut releases on this compilation... Ketuh Records

has consistantly made it their goal to seek out the

newest, freshest, most unique sounds around. Well,

mission more than accomplished.

[DeathPosture]

V/A – Hyperspatial Chrysalis

 

 

Artist: Various

Title: Hyperspatial Chrysalis

Format: CD (jewel case)

Label: Ketuh Records (Portugal/Austria)

Cat. #: KTHCD010

Distribution: Arabesque

Date: 13 June 2005

 

Track listing:

 

01. 07’14” Psychoactive – Crazy Cabby

02. 06’36” Hefty Output – WTF? (Remix)

03. 07’19” Sycophant – Life And Death (Remix)

04. 06’30” Sungirl vs. Iron Madness – Buddhist Pyramidi

05. 06’12” Pondscum – Style Stalker

06. 08’27” Paranoize - Deception

07. 07’07” Phonic Request vs. Akhoa – Call 1334 (Remix)

08. 06’58” Psyboriginal – Spirited Away (Remix)

09. 06’28” Killer Buds - Biogenese

 

Review:

 

Chrysalis: Hang-out for neo-urban shamans and their initiated travel companions…

 

‘Its structure is that of a self transforming, pulsating, vibrating, and oscillating multi-dimensional crystalline fractal’… In other words: A space pupa!

 

Ketuh Records is one of the most productive labels around – and despite the high release frequency label boss P_Mac still manages to impress with every single release… This compilation was conceived in cooperation with the Australian Triptamind – showcases five acts from downunder + selected choons from the Ketuh debut pool… As usual I put my trust in P_Mac’s talent spotting and once again it’s time to get Ketuhfied…

 

Let me take you thru the tracks…

 

#01: Psychoactive – Crazy Cabby

“MDMA utilizes serotonin, opiates, like heroin, utilizes dopamine; sort of like the same sensation you get after sex. Amphetamines increase adrenaline, cocaine gets those synapses in the brain firing really fast. My product is 51 times stronger than cocaine, 51 times more hallucinogenic than acid, and 51 times more explosive than ecstasy. It's like getting a personal visit ...from God!”… Australian Steve Barr is joined by Scott the Monkee on this full-power hyper-trance choon… The sample from 51st State has been used by psytrance producers before, but it really fits this track… Its Australian heritage is indisputable with its raging acid-lines, flaring synth-tweaks and stiff crisp bassline… Very Digital Psionics-like in style – and very trippy! A stomping track that will immediately fill any trancefloor! Brilliant!

 

#02: Hefty Output – WTF? (Remix)

We continue in the same direction with this track by Australians Dan Verbi & Tim Hanlon… Their GHB-induced track on the In Crypto compilation was nothing less than amazing – and this track follows the same style and is pretty fucking amazing too… A deeply original, sinister, frenzied night-time track – riddled with psychedelic elements, and a badass bassline that will scare your neighbours… Wholesome acid-grind! … The breakdown is one of the best I’ve heard this year – WTF? Stellar track!

 

#03: Sycophant – Life And Death (Remix)

“The Union Aerospace Corporation is the largest corporate entity in existence. Originally focused on weapons and defence contracts, new ventures have expanded into biological research, space exploration and other scientific endeavours. With unlimited funds and the ability to engage in research outside of moral and legal obligations, the UAC controls the most advanced technology ever conceived.” We continue with more Australian hyper-trance… This time a debut track from Sycophant, which is Melbourne based artist John Vougioukas who apparently likes Doom 3… This is kinda like a hybrid of the previous two tracks… A dark, gloomy, frenzied hyper trance track – with enough acid-stamina and dancefloor potential to keep me happy! I really like the breakdown and the transformation of the track after it… “Your hell awaits you!”… Another smashing track!

 

#04: Sungirl vs. Iron Madness – Buddhist Pyramidi

“Do you believe in God?” Sungirl (Yana Polishchuk/Russia) really impressed me with her rocking tune on the Trishula compilation Ignis Fatuus released in 2004… Iron Madness (Ziv Viner/Israel) however is new to me, but he’s released stuff on Doof records previously… Both of them have debut albums coming out in 2006 + a Sungirl vs. Iron Madness album… Woow, that’s a lot of albums! Anyway, this track has one of the most beautifully executed intros I’ve heard in a long time… The soft, harmonic, ethereal orchestral music sends the listener on a voyage to the Garden of Eden… Pure bliss! And then BAM – the meanest bassline this side of Egypt catapults you straight to space… This is deep and dark horror trance – though with an epic, soft, melodic touch… Like The Misted Muppet on amphetamines… Brilliant track!

 

#05: Pondscum – Style Stalker

Pondscum takes us back to Australia… Luke Danielewski also had a track featured on the In Crypto compilation… And just as that one, this is an extremely dark track reminiscent to the style of say Psyfactor, Parasense or Xenomorph… Deep, pounding, repetitive teKkno-beats with a murky, yet trippy percussion section… It’s all very dark and sometimes even a little too monotonous for my taste… Don’t get me wrong, this is still a nice track – it just pales a little in comparison with the previous four…

 

#06: Paranoize – Deception

As on In Crypto, Paranoize follows Pondscum… Alex Ladyzanskyi from Israel really impressed me with that track – and this is equally good… We’re still in dark, gloomy, fast-paced night-trance territory – and this track has a certain haunting quality to it that I really like. Although this track has evident tech-trance elements it has less technoid influences than the Pondscum track…. I like this better… But approach with caution – this is horror-trance!

 

#07: Phonic Request vs. Akhoa – Call 1334 (Remix)

“Call thirteen point three four!” Phonic Request is Wilfried Decaesteker from France and he’s released track on TIP.World, Magma and Mandragore Records … Akhoa is Frenchman Olivier Charpier… I liked these guys’s darkish and experimental collaboration track on Psychedelically Yours 3 released by Parvati earlier this year… Gone are the darkest technoid beats, and we’re left with a propane-fuelled, psychedelic night-trance track… Funny bits and pieces are thrown in to heighten the amusement – and it works… Will leave you dancing around with a smile on your face! Nice little track!

 

#08: Psyboriginal – Spirited Away (Remix)

“Something’s coming… I wonder what? … How long was I asleep? … Actually I’m impressed you made it this far… And you humans always make a mess of things…” Behind the naff name Psyboriginal is Marc Freund from Australia – and this is his debut release. My fellow reviewer Lauryn described the Psyboriginal sound as close to the sound of Logic Bomb – only with a darker, more sinister feel… And that is very true… This is melodic, multilayered full-power hyper-trance… To be played exactly when the sun sets… Very uplifting, though never crossing the border into cheddar-territory… A very nice tune – and very, very trancefloor friendly!

 

#09: Killer Buds – Biogenese

“The readings don’t make any sense!... This is your last chance. The choice isn’t that hard. Come with me!...” Enzio, Marcelo & Tarcisio are Ketuh regulars. The dynamic trio from Brazil has been featured on five consecutive Ketuh compilations and their debut album Interfiber Skunk was released only a couple of months ago… As usual with KB we’re in the darker edge of the full-on spectre… Multi-climactic, highly melodic hyper-trance with an impressive amount of energy and tons of twists, turns and voice-samples… It’s typically Killer Buds and I’m afraid the novelty is starting to wear off a little bit… It’s a pretty nice track, but on this high-quality compilation it fades just a little bit…

 

Well, I’ll be damned if Ketuh hasn’t outdone themselves once more… Forget everything about the alleged ‘Ketuh flood’… When the quality level is *this* high, I don’t mind being drowned! This is without a doubt the best compilation thus far – and if this quality level continues, the sky is the limit…

 

Even though the Pondscum and Killer Buds tracks didn’t rub me exactly the way I like, they are still high quality track… But the rest is even better… Seriously, the quality level here is very, very impressive… If you liked In Crypto this is essential – I would go as far as calling it In Crypto 2… This is a no-brainer purchase for Ketuh fans - Also fans of Digital Psionics should not miss out… It’s brilliant! …Enjoy!

 

Favourites: 1(!), 2(!!), 3, 4(!), 6, 7, 8

 

DeathPosture

 

External links:

Ketuh Records: http://www.ketuhrecords.com

TranceShop: http://tinyurl.com/cvrqk

Discobole: http://tinyurl.com/a3xep

Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/9lex8

Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/bl2g2

Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/aaa5h

Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/b6gyz

Ajuca: http://tinyurl.com/96rzo

[RAH]

kick a$$ review DP! Sungirl vs. Iron Madness look veddy interesting

[delars]

meh

well...it's ok, no real gems there, but also no really bad tracks

maybe i'm just asking too much....but this is just the regular dark compilation, it doesn't stand out in between the rest....

[Sawfly]

Not a bad compilation at all. Might not be the best it but certainly has it's moments... The best being that Sungirl vs. Iron Madness track, damn! 😎

[Sawfly]

On 6/20/2005 at 6:10 PM, DeathPosture said:

#04: Sungirl vs. Iron Madness – Buddhist Pyramidi

“Do you believe in God?” Sungirl (Yana Polishchuk/Russia) really impressed me with her rocking tune on the Trishula compilation Ignis Fatuus released in 2004… Iron Madness (Ziv Viner/Israel) however is new to me, but he’s released stuff on Doof records previously… Both of them have debut albums coming out in 2006 + a Sungirl vs. Iron Madness album… Woow, that’s a lot of albums! Anyway, this track has one of the most beautifully executed intros I’ve heard in a long time… The soft, harmonic, ethereal orchestral music sends the listener on a voyage to the Garden of Eden… Pure bliss! And then BAM – the meanest bassline this side of Egypt catapults you straight to space… This is deep and dark horror trance – though with an epic, soft, melodic touch… Like The Misted Muppet on amphetamines… Brilliant track!

There was an album in the works? Holy hell, would've loved for that to happen!