pr0fane Posted December 26, 2005 Share Posted December 26, 2005 Artist: Various Title: Street Art Label: Tribal Vision Format: CD (Jewelcase with 16-page inlay and DJ-inlay) Released: December, 2005 Review: In only one year and with 5 releases, Czech label Tribal Vision have already established themselves as one of the most impressive progressive labels at the moment. After a couple of more traditional psychedelic progressive releases, they are back with a new compilation focusing on the more house-influenced club-grooves – just like on the labels 2nd compilation "Lime Light", which in my opinion is the labels masterpiece so far. Before starting on my track by track review, I would also like to mention that, like on all the other releases from Tribal Vision, the whole package just oozes with quality – the artwork is stylish, and the inlay is extensive like always, featuring background info about all the artists involved and a useful case-insert with BPM's for the DJ's. It's a joy to sit with a high quality product like this in the hands, and in my opinion more labels should follow Tribal Visions example – especially in these mp3-days, where it's essential that labels provide something extra for those who actually buy their releases. 01. Absolut & Greed – The Other Side [132 BPM] The two Swiss masterminds André Absolut and Greed team up on the opening track "The Other Side". It starts with a relentless, crisp kick, before a phat, growling bassline is added after one minute and from then on the track just lifts and lifts. Not in the hyped up "hands in the air" way, but with a more delicate and sophisticated touch. A very solid opener for the compilation; simple, but deep and rocking as hell. 02. Rai – Let’s Dance [129 BPM] The Czech producer Rai really got his breakthrough with the first 2 releases from Tribal Vision, which where incredibly smooth and pleasant house-groovers. "Let's Dance" definitely has a little more bite than his earlier tracks on Tribal Vision though, with a super catchy joyful groove, a hint of uplifting melodies and nice, clubby vocals. Another fine creation from this promising Czech producer. 03. D-Nox & Beckers – Jet Lag Slave [128 BPM] 2005 was really the year of D-Nox & Beckers. Beckers was the man behind one of the biggest hits of the year, "Switch", and D-Nox has further improved his status as one of the most recuested DJ's and producers on the progressive scene. "Jet Lag Slave" is a re-release from Baroque Records, and is a tight, electro-inspired funky piece of music, It doesn't contain any easily recognizable vocals like on their biggest hits, but is definitely a great tune nevertheless – rocking dancefloor material. 04. Minilogue – Spam [130 BPM] Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson of Son Kite fame is up next with "Spam", a tune made with their Minilogue project, and previously released on the new Swedish label Frosty music. It's a quite special tune, with electro-minimal influences in the sound, but also with definite trancy elements in the pads and melodies, while the big breakdown in the middle of the track is accompanied by a sweet, thoughtful sample. The production is of course phat as always, and this is another marvellous track by the Swedes. 05. Sonify - Sonifunk [130 BPM] One of Israel's most hyped artists at the moment is Andy Yakolev, being involved in projects like ProSect, Sound Field and ICO. "Sonifunk" is a new track from his more club-oriented Sonify-project, and while it has a nice pounding groove, to me it definitely fails in living up to his "No More Silence" hit-collaboration with Threshold Productions. Some way it just feels way over the top (especially the aggressive MC-samples), and doesn't fit with the rest of the compilation. 06. SAN & Sebastian Moore - Inceptor [128 BPM] SAN is one of the bigger artists in the non-psy progressive circles, and my first encounter with his sound was a fantastic remix of Lemon 8 a few years ago. On "Inceptor" he's collaborating with Sebastian Moore, and while the production seems pretty nice, I must say this track was a disappointment compared to the rest of the compilation. Not bad in any way, to me it just seemed too repetitive and lacking focus and a general "story". 07. Sonic Cube – Cloud Buster (André Absolut Remix) [128 BPM] André Absoluts 2nd contribution to this release is his truly outstanding remix of Sonic Cubes "Cloud Buster". I already reviewed it when I received the 12"-version, and I've been playing it ever since. This track is simply a delight to hear; an ass-shaking straightforward groove sets the pace, while trancy pads, beautiful strings and a wonderful, optimistic melodic theme set the atmosphere. Hands down, this is an outstanding remix. 08. Flowjob – Life Extensions [129 BPM] The Danish duo Flowjob perhaps isn't among the biggest progressive acts at the moment, but relatively unnoticed they have already appeared on compilations from labels like Iboga, Midijum and Tribal Vision. "Life Extensions" is another typical tune from them, somewhere between the housey tempo around 130 bpm, but still with a very psychedelic progressive theme of sounds. Very sweet and loveable, uplifting morning tune 09. Vibrasphere – Manzanilla (Jaïa Remix) [135 BPM] Last but not least is the track that I was looking forward to the most, Jaïa's (who in my opinion made the album of the year) remix of Vibraspheres classic downbeat tune "Manzanilla". I must admit the track felt a bit awkward at first, but it has really started to grow on me – the adaptation of the memorable guitar-melody to Jaïa's crystal clear melodic trance-sound is really something special, and this track is certainly a gem. Bottom line: Tribal Vision did it again. While the psychedelic progressive "Inner Circle" and Meller's "Rockable" where quite good, Slater and Schwa simply do an outstanding job on their more house-oriented releases. Ok, there where a few tracks here that didn't impress me that much, but it's amazing how a label only 1 year old, can release music of such outstanding quality overall – with half of the compilation being absolute winners. It's hard not making this sound like a promotional text, but in a time where new labels start almost daily, Tribal Vision is one of the few new labels that truly stand out. Not only with superb music, but also in being professional in almost every aspect of their release – it's labels like these that people should support by buying their releases. For the DJ, the home listener and everyone in between, "Street Art" is one of 2005's essential releases. Favourites: 1 (!!), 2, 3, 4 (!!), 7 (!!), 8 (!!), 9 (!!) Verdict: 9/10 Link: Tribal Vision Records: http://www.tribalvision.cz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Psychiatrist Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Top release. Highly recommended! Been Waking up with this album for a week now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tox Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Usually, with a V/A, I only mention my personal highlights. But in this case I’ll give a full review, now why would that be J ? 01. Absolut & Greed – The Other Side [132 BPM] We kick off the track list with André Absolute & his long-time partner in crime Greed. Normally I really dig their style but this time it’s a little too restrained for my liking. It’s a decent track but it doesn’t really seem to make a big impression on me. 02. Rai – Let’s Dance [129 BPM] Clubby disco trance, done to perfection. The whole track oozes with optimistic happy sounds, that could to be taken from some 70’s classic. Probably way too fluffy for some, but this is sleazy house music & I like it: catchy clubby shit. The guy really has a style of his own & imo it’s one of Rai’s best efforts so far. Original to say the least… 03. D-Nox & Beckers – Jet Lag Slave [128 BPM] No vocals in here & honestly that’s a relief to me. These guys know how to balance on the thin line between catchy & cheesy. This track has a great, pumping drive like rollercoaster, but never too fast. Cool little sounds seem to pop up along the ride. & when it’s all over, you just want to hop in for another one! Highly addictive. 04. Minilogue – Spam [130 BPM] Another highly original track from the Son Kite-guys. This time is seems like they were looking for inspiration in 80’s New Wave. Their sound is dominated by minimal bleeps & mechanic glitches as if an engine that’s struggling not to breakdown. This one stays as far away from the psytrance/progressive-clichés as possible, without losing any attention. These guys are shaping the future as we speak…amazing! 05. Sonify - Sonifunk [130 BPM] Different track here with raga-toaster vocals, straight from Jamaica. Could easily have been on Ticon’s Aero-album & in my book that a compliment. So: good but, not great. 06. SAN & Sebastian Moore - Inceptor [128 BPM] Another personal highlight here!! I never heard of these artists before but that should definitely change. Did somebody say “epic build-up”? This is what I call “Full-house”! Roaring monster of a track that could be played on a dozen different dance floors & leave everyone breathless. I just love that improved Global Underground-sound... Subtle percussion, well timed breakdowns & an vague melody. Mindblowing track that deserves a huge sound-system. 07. Sonic Cube – Cloud Buster (André Absolut Remix) [128 BPM] Not knowing the original, it’s always hard to judge a RMX. But as usual André Absolut has the “golden touch” The track seems pretty straightforward at first but then nice & friendly soundscapes start morphing underneath the steady beat. 08. Flowjob – Life Extensions [129 BPM] On another compilation this track would be pretty good, but here it fails to distinguish itself. Maybe it lacks some power? Nice proggy beats with cool changes in rhythm & a really deep break, but nothing special. 09. Vibrasphere – Manzanilla (Jaïa Remix) [135 BPM] Saving the best for last? Only a truly great musician could pull this of: remixing a Vibrasphere chill-out track into a dancefloor-bomb. The original (the halftime-chill track from Lime Structure) gave me goose bumps & so does this one. With the first textures you’re floating of into oblivion when a sharp melody pulls you back in. Melodic progressive at it’s very best, with still very clear hints to the emotional guitar from the original. ESSENTIAL TRACK! Bottom line: Most compilations these days bring you 1 or 2 truly fantastic tracks. Street Art brings you at least 4 of that calibre. The tracks by D-Nox & Beckers, Minilogue, SAN & Sebastian Moore & of course the Jaïa RMX are simply amazing. The rest is also enjoyable, but maybe just not as impressive. This is of course a matter of personal taste… It’s never too late for good news & even in 2006 this remains one of the highlights of 2005. A friend of mine said this was the best V/A he had heard since Prooved Vol2 on Plastik Park. I don’t know about that, but it comes pretty damn close As usual the booklet is a piece of art, but we come to expect nothing less by Tribal Vision. Music wise, definitely their best compilation so far. Probably even better than Limelight… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeathPosture Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 V/A – Street Art Hi-res cover: front Artist: Various Title: Street Art Format: CD (jewel case w/ 16 p. colour booklet + DJ case insert) Label: Tribal Vision Records (Czech Republic) Cat. #: TVRCD006 Distribution: Psyshop.net Date: December 2005 Track listing: 01. 08’25”Absolut & Greed – The Other Side 02. 07’32” Rai – Let’s Dance 03. 08’21” D-Nox & Beckers – Jet Lag Slave 04. 09’25” Minilouge - Spam 05. 08’20” Sonify - Sonifunk 06. 09’20” SAN & Sebastian Moore - Interceptor 07. 08’13” Sonic Cube – Cloud Buster (André Absolut Remix) 08. 08’54” Flowjob – Life Extensions 09. 07’30” Vibrasphere – Manzanilla (Jaïa Remix) Review: Streetwise knack! Czech label Tribal Vision was recently voted ‘best new label of 2005’ by the Isratrance forum community… And I totally agree on that! Slater & Co. have fast become major league players in the progressive world, releasing high quality albums + compilations… This is the 6th release, and once again the track list looks very impressive… Let’s head downtown and check out the high street performers… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Absolut & Greed – The Other Side [132 BPM] Swiss producers André Abt (Absolute) and Tobi Wirz (Greed) have teamed up on this intro track… Whereas Greed is not a project I know too well, Mr. Abt has indeed impressed me with his aggressive progressive style… And yeah, I guess aggressive progressive is also the keywords here… The track doesn’t waste time with boring intros, and the first sound is a kick-drum, which immediately gives the track a raw edge… After about a minute, more FX are added, like a nifty little melody and some tweaked synths thrown in to add to the groove… A very nice track, but I could have wished for a climax or two – and what’s up with the long boring ending? But still – a fine opening track! #02: Rai – Let’s Dance [129 BPM] Rai is Roman Horinek from the Czech capital Prague and he had a well-polished (subsequently a little too clubby) track on the Lime Light compilation released earlier this year…And whereas his previous tracks were maybe a little too Balearic, this track digs deeper into electro/progressive house territory… Synth galore with über-smooth sequencing and a tight rhythm section… I’m still not a big fan of the cheesy vocals, but in this track they don’t bother me as much as they could have… So IMO, a step in the right direction for Rai – the future looks promising… #03: D-Nox & Beckers – Jet Lag Slave [128 BPM] This German power house duo consists of Christian Wedekind (D-Nox) and Frank Beckers - and they’ve been all over the place recently… To be honest, I never really got Becker’s mega-hit Switch, but combined these guys have made some absolute corkers… This track was already released on wax by Baroque Records, but now it’s available on CD too. Anyway, the track itself is a sure-fit progressive little beast… Somewhat minimal in structure, but with enough depth and warmth to satisfy progressive elitists… The middle bridge part is nothing short of impressive, and reminds me a great deal of the latest Son Kite album… Sweet tune! #04: Minilouge – Spam [130 BPM] “She was kneeling beside him and gently lifting the tearstained face from his arms. I’ve got something to show you. She removed the pencils, one at a time, and placed them on his desk. Do you love yourself? You may think that you do, but do you really? There is only one way to find out – by taking a closer look at what you think, say and do. You might not like some of what you find, but if you’re serious about really loving yourself, then take a closer look!” And hey, I was just talking about Son Kite… Minilouge is of course a Son Kite alias, and the Swedish wizards Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson have seldom let me down… As with the previous track, this was also released on wax by Frosty Music in November 2005... It’s great to be able to listen to it on CD also… Anyway, this sounds just like I’d hoped… Son Kite-like progression and break, Kooler-like rhythm section and Minilouge groove… So fucking sweet! Disable your spam filter people – you do not want to miss out on this funky number! Stellar! #05: Sonify – Sonifunk [130 BPM] Israeli sensation Andy Yakovlev really, really impressed me with his ProSect track Sonified released on the Inner Circle compilation in September… One of the best progressive tunes of 2005! And whereas this is a very mature, experimental track, I’m afraid it doesn’t live up to my expectations… It’s not that I don’t like the electro/trance outfit – not at all… I like genre bending stuff, but it just seems so oddly out of place here… Also, I’m not too impressed with the ragamuffin vox – they suck! Anyway, the track is not bad at all; in fact I’m sure it would be a real stomper without the vocals… But - it’s just positioned wrongly on the CD...And that’s a shame! #06: SAN & Sebastian Moore – Interceptor [128 BPM] This is my first encounter with the music of Dutch producers SAN (Sander Jongerius) and Sebastian Moore, but apparently they’ve gained massive playtime amongst some of the biggest DJs in the club scene… Despite the low bpm, this seems like one of the fastest tracks here, mainly because of the pounding bass/kick session… Later the track takes a clubbier detour into more housy realms – complete with a break down, reverbs and floating, uplifting melodies… I like it for the most part, and especially the final tribal run is pretty nice… A nice little tune! #07: Sonic Cube – Cloud Buster (André Absolut Remix) [128 BPM] Sonic Cube are Swiss producers Daniel Müller & Ueli Schill perhaps better known as Sonnenvakuum, and their Cloudbuster EP was the first vinyl release by Tribal Vision… From that we get another visit from André Absolut with this, his remix… And what a remix! Oh my, this has ‘funky’ written ALL OVER IT… From the minimal tribal intro, to the huuuuuuge groovy pads, to the uplifting melodies and so on… A huge, epic progressive hit – with enough depth and edge to keep me entertained! Fantastic! #08: Flowjob – Life Extensions [129 BPM] “Life Extension, or LE as we like to refer to it, is a glimpse of the future. It's a ticket. Not in the juvenile sense, but in the deeply meaningful sense. […] The dream of peace!” Danish producer duo Flowjob (Joakim Hjørne & Mads Tinggaard) has also had a successful year, with stand-out tracks on both Lime Light (Tribal Vision) and Set/5 - Summer Collection (Iboga Records)… And here’s another trademark Flowjob choon – rich in floating, well-polished, feel-good progressive trance with well-fitting samples from Vanilla Sky… This is funky as hell and definitely sexier than anything else on this compilation! I for one cannot wait for the debut album coming soon on Iboga Records… Another fine tune! #09: Vibrasphere – Manzanilla (Jaïa Remix) [135 BPM] Behold the battle of the giants! When I first read the track list to this compilation, this track was the biggest piece of eye candy… I mean, come on – the classic downbeat track by Vibrasphere remixed and tranced-up by another legendary producer - Jaïa! And the track sure doesn’t disappoint – this is fast-paced, edgy progressive house with more than a few excursions into uplifting, twisted morning trance… And what is that strange sound – a cello perhaps? Whatever it is, this is a mighty fine, uplifting tune that crosses well over into different genres… A brilliant hybrid track and a fine way to end the compilation… With Street Art Tribal Vision removes the last shred of doubt in my mind – this is one of the best labels within progressive trance! Right up there with Iboga Records and Digical Structures! Damn, I’m impressed by these visionary Czechs… By looking at my indication of favourite tracks below, it should come as no surprise that this is indeed one of the very best progressive trance compilations of 2005 – and it will remain a fav’e well into 2006 too! With only a few minor glitches, everything on this CD is solid gold… As always, we get the full package here – stylish artwork by Quapim, and a phat color booklet with info on all artists + a handy DJ slip… Stuff like that always sends my thumbs in the air! Well done Slater & Schwa! So, to conclude – this is a very solid compilation, that will appeal both to progressive dancers, sofa trancers and groove connoisseurs… An essential purchase! Enjoy! Favourites: 1, 3(!), 4(!!), 6, 7(!!), 8(!), 9(!) DeathPosture External links: Tribal Vision: http://www.tribalvision.cz Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/588552 Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/9329c Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/9w85d Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/dgvmh Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/8lfrs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amphiton Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 High-quality progressive trance - that's for sure, but if you are looking for psychedelic progressive trance - this is the wrong place, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Journey Man Project Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 it's nice experimental house, dunno, some of it clicks and some just sounds really plain and boring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riton Posted January 16, 2006 Share Posted January 16, 2006 Definitely an over par progressive rls. Really enjoyed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Journey Man Project Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 I did not mean to say it was a bad release, just a bit different in that it has very heavy house flavour, but the final track is an absolute bomb!! I give Jaia full credit for one of the best remixes ever made... and a lot of hard for sure, remixing ambient/dub to progressive trance!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krelmatrix Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 My slightly long review. Artist: V/A Album: Street Art Label: Tribal Vision Records Genre: KILLAAARRRGGGHHHH Year: 2005 In barely more than year, Tribal Vision Records has gone from being an upstart progressive label from the hardly-on-the-map Czech Republic to having firmly planted itself in the upper echelons of modern progressive labels. After 5 CD releases and a 12” vinyl, they still lack any strikingly weak releases and are one of those few labels such as Iboga and Digital Structures whose releases can be pre-ordered without any fear of regret. Kicking off their 6th release, Street Art, is a solid grooving number from the top 2 Swiss progressive producers – Absolut & Greed. Admittedly, I’ve become bored to death with André Absolut’s mass of output in the last year as he seems to be copying himself over and over again. The solo works from Greed have also never really struck me as anything beyond proficient. The collaboration between the two, however, is one of those wonderful cases where the outcome is greater than just the sum of the two parts. Without having any of the obvious marks of a hit track, “The Other Side” has that rare quality of being an instant smooth morning classic in a way which one cannot explain. In my CD & vinyl case, I’ve always got those couple of hours of tracks that I’m always saving for that sublime morning – Ticon’s “Ass-tronaut”, Purple’s classic “Money Shot”, Slide & Healey’s opus “Fear” and a small assortment of timeless gems that will undoubtedly find a place in those inexplicable morning sessions where everything is going flawlessly. “The Other Side” will fit perfectly. Tribal Vision regular Rai returns with another of his smooth progressive numbers in “Let’s Dance”. I’ll be blunt here – the bassline is what makes this track work. The atmosphere, melodies and vocal snippets are high on the fluff factor with the occasional threat of a visit to the Wisconsin cheddar factory. Yet the bassline just works like a charm. Rai has obviously caught on to the latest fad of pulling electro influences into the progressive sounds here, and he does it damned well. It grasps the combination of blissful smoothness and driving low-end that I usually expect to hear from a master like Nick Muir. Rai has definitely redeemed himself after his disappointing last outing on Tribal Vision. “Let’s Dance” will probably not end up as a classic, but it’s going to be a load of fun on the floor for the next few months. German Wunderkinder D-Nox & Beckers follow with their monster “Jet Lag Slave”, which proved to be an unbelievably huge hit in 2005. This has the on-point dancefloor-ready groove of this pair’s productions that is bound to get everybody screaming. Alas, this one happens to be my least favorite of their works - something in the main melody that kicks in at 3 minutes just rubs me the wrong way. However, the beginning and end of the track are so nice that a quick edit could turn this into an excellent tool for a bit of mixing fun. Continuing the parade of progressive heavyweights are the kings - Swedish duo Seb Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson under their Minilogue guise with the delicious “Spam”. For fans of Minilogue, this is their hugest outing since the early “In a Deeper Motion”. For the rest, this is just a huge dancefloor track in the abstract vein of James Holden, but with the full-spectrum brilliance which Seb & Marcus have become known for. One equally for the dancefloor and the head…. Take a closer look. The next 2 tracks, Sonify’s “Sonifunk” and SAN & Sebastian Moore’s “Inceptor” follow Tribal Vision’s history of always providing a good dose of nighttime psychedelia in their compilation releases. With both, a throbbing bassline melts with crafty percussion to form a solid core, upon which layers jabs, melodies and atmospheres give the ideal nighttime feel. Melancholy is the sweetest darkness and both of these tracks are black sugar. André Absolut makes his second appearance on this release with his remix of Sonic Cube’s “Cloud Buster”. This is standard Absolut – a solid sunny progressive tune that doesn’t stand out from much else he’s done recently. It is without a doubt a sturdy melodic progressive tune that Absolut-ely deserves to be unleashed on dancefloors, but the same could be said for his last 10-20 solo tracks. The Danish act Flowjob follows up with the energetic “Life Extensions”. As with the earlier track from Rai, Flowjob manages to expertly combine a blissful melodic feel bordering on fluffy with a powerful electro-influenced bassline. By managing to keep the overall essence a bit more subtle, however, this has the added flexibility to be a track that can find its context at anytime of the night – groovy opener, gritty peaktime tension builder, or trippy early-morning tune. After several promising teases from Flowjob, it’s about damned time for an album…. Closing this wonderful CD is the Digital combination of Jaia and the newly-reunited Vibrasphere with the vigorous Manzanilla. In case anybody remembers this track from years past, it was the beautiful downtempo interlude on Vibrasphere’s second album Lime Structure, released in 2003. Jaia has managed to re-create it into an emotional late-morning piece with a low-end thrust one could expect from D-Nox & Beckers. The melodic texture and lush acoustic guitar from the original version still dominate the mood of the remix, but Yannis manages to give it a whole new life with a driving 135bpm nucleus around which the rest of the track arranges itself. The outcome is catchy as hell – you will forever recognize it after one listen. All in all, with Street Art, Tribal Vision Records have raised the bar for their future releases. Quite simply, this is their strongest release to date. I have enjoyed all of their previous CDs, but the constant stream of top-notch tracks on Street Art elevates it above their (still impressive) earlier works. Consider me a fan. Rating: 9/10 Fave Trax: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisk Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Review: http://www.ektoplazm.com/reviews/street-art/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riton Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 i think the simple fact there are so many reviews of it sorta states that it's a pretty good compilation no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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