DeathPosture Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 Twisted System - Core Artist: Twisted System Title: Core Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Timecode Records (South Africa) Cat. #: TCCD015 Distribution: Arabesque Date: 25 January 2006 Track listing: 01. 08’20” Stark Raver 02. 08’28” Razor 03. 07’25” Business Hippie 04. 07’44” Mad Minor 05. 08’00” Resistance 06. 08’41” The Forgotten v.3.0 07. 07’21” Outer Dementia 08. 07’24” Daorithe 09. 07’40” Beautiful People (Tribute Rmx) Review: Wall-to-wall, hard-to-the-core night trance It wasn’t until well into the new millennium that South African psytrance started to catch my attention – and to make matters worse, I didn’t really pay much attention to Timecode Records before the release of the Trojan compilation in 2005… And yeah, I’ve been kicking myself ever since, coz this is indeed a quality label with a bunch of really interesting artists on their roster… Twisted System is a dynamic trio consisting of Ian Summs (Phyx), Chris Hoy (Shift) and Rabdom L… They released their debut album The Dealers in 2004. I haven’t heard that one, but especially Phyx’ compilation tracks have impressed me a great deal the last couple of years… Most of the stuff I’ve heard from Shift has been pretty banging too, so yeah, I’m hoping this album will do it for me…Let’s find out… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Stark Raver “Lord Vader…Yes master! …Riiiiise!” Does the world really need another tranced up version of the Star Wars Imperial March? I think we all know the answer to that… Anyway, obviously this is a blatant piss-take track… Or at least I hope so, coz this is seriously bad! Riddled with cheesy Star Wars samples, Darth Vader heavy breathing and *that* feet-cringing theme… Puuuuuke! The sad thing is that the rest of the track seems pretty damn solid… I just can’t get past that damn Star Wars crap… Yikes, what the hell have I gotten myself into here? #02: Razor Luckily Razor comes along and saves the day! Fuck yes; this is exactly what I was hoping for… Fragmented, multilayered, climactic, banging psytrance… Like a big, wide wall of sonic energy drenched in acid and with twirling melodies all over the place… Just like the many impressive Phyx tracks I’ve come to love… A smile-cracking track if there ever was one… Sweet! #03: Business Hippie “Do you all feel like getting high tonight?” Yes please! Whereas the previous track was twirling, happy-go-lucky psytrance, this track takes a slightly darker approach… The bassline is heavier at least, but luckily we still get endless amounts of raging acid-lines… There’s literally acid all over here… Several times throughout the track, the guys successfully incorporate emergency sirens into the track – and it works surprisingly well… That’s right; this is banging, relentless and powerful psytrance… Nice! #04: Mad Minor March of the penguins! On this track we’re well into the darker hours of the night – with a healthy dose of action-packed, fast-paced, acid-ridden night trance… The bassline rolls at an incredible speed and the high-pitched melodies are downright evil… Again the soundscapes are huge here – and the guys manage to create the wall-of-sound illusion… Sheer brute force! A real dancefloor stormer… I like it for the most part, but it doesn’t work as well for home-listening as some of the previous tracks do… #05: Resistance Half-way through the album we get a very tasty intro… A seemingly uninspired bassline is soon accompanied by a variety of freaky FX and eerie samples from horror movies… Throw some seriously tweaked percussion + half a can of acid ketchup into the mix and stir well… Sprinkle a handful of industrial metal riffs on top and garnish with a haunting, eerie atmosphere… A yummy dinner in only eight minutes! Class! #06: The Forgotten v.3.0 The next track carries on down the same spooky path… Some disgusting creature is giving birth in the intro but is soon disturbed by an evil bassline… Soon more FX are added and the track unfolds… Dark, gritty and spooky night trance – with an impressive drive… Slowly the old acid-meter is cranked up and eventually all hell breaks loose… A nice track, but maybe a tad too dark at first… I’m not saying this is a bad track – not at all! I like it… Especially the last couple of minutes! #07: Outer Dementia As if things weren’t grim enough… Here’s another heavy-set, nocturnal piece of propane-injected psytrance… Slowly evolving, this track evolves into another huge dancefloor bomb… It reminds me of a tranced-up version of the ancient hard-house anthem B.O.N.Y - The Angels’ Cry (B.O.N.Y. Mix) … Yeah, this is literally wall-to-wall sonic mayhem – very euphoric and instantly rewarding… Brilliant! #08: Daorithe Daorithe is a small step towards industrial-sounding psytrance with its sharp metallic hisses and glasslike kick… A predictable melody is bubbling in the background and frankly the novelty is starting to wear off now… Sure, the break is refreshing, but generally this track reminds me a little too much of Chemical Crew stuff… Yikes! #09: Beautiful People (Tribute Rmx) “It's all relative to the size of your steeple…” The closing track is a tribute to the classic emo-industrial tune Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson… On paper this has disaster written all over it, but actually this is a pretty decent tune… I’m impressed by the level of accuracy in which the musical elements from the original are duplicated… Obviously this is still a psytrance choon, but most of the juicy Manson bits are here… Not too shabby at all! I like it! After the wobbly start, I was really nervous that the whole album would turn out to be a pile of stinking crap… But I’m happy to say that my doubts were put to shame! This is indeed a good album – with more than a handful of fine tracks… The first track is a real stinker, but I’m sure it’ll find its audience nevertheless… As mentioned above, I like the majority of the tracks here – and I’m really impressed by the level of energy these guys put forth in their music… It’s very intense four-to-the-floor dancefloor napalm… In that sense, this album is a very handy DJ tool, which also makes it less handy for home-listening… Journey-wise this suffers from the Killer Buds-syndrome – the tracks are simply too similar and it’s hard to enjoy the all to the fullest in one sitting… But hey – individually the majority of these tracks are pretty damn good… Timecode fans will most likely take well to this album and I will not hesitate to recommend it to fans of fast-paced, acid-ridden, danceable night trance… Enjoy! Favourites: 2(!), 3, 5, 7(!), 9 DeathPosture External links: Timecode Records: http://www.timecode.co.za Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/611574 Saiko Sounds: http://tinyurl.com/cbhlu Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/d7nhv Play.com: http://tinyurl.com/746ll Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/ce8ur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insejn Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 One of the few reviews I've read from you Finally you review a interesting release Can't wait to get my hands on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAH Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 tsss.. i was just talking about this album yesterday... sppoookee i really want to hear the last track... i'm curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ormion Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 This is one of the releases I 'll buy even if the whole world tells me it's crap. I don't even have to listen to the samples. Your review DP is very nice but I feel sorry you didn't like the first track. I mean the Star Wars melody in a Psy track, wow! This must be named Twisted System-Ormion, since I was waiting for this one 2 years now every day, every night. Anyway I have to buy the album first to make more comments, but I couldn't resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euchkuh Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 actually I loved the way they twisted the star wars theme sample cant wait to get my hands on this album Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Matta Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 One of the few reviews I've read from you Finally you review a interesting release 426939[/snapback] Awww! I love DeathPosture's reviews. He and I have similar taste and I can pretty much tell if I'm going to like an album or not just by his great reviews alone. That said, I ordered this album yesterday, and am very anxious to hear it. Thanks again, DP, for another fantastic review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenRealm Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 This is a really really great CD Finally some real FULL ON ! no half work, this is the real deal.. I can Agree with Death Posture (great review dude) for most of the time! Though: If you love S.A Style (twilight) Psy,... this is your a-bomb! Will work wonders on the dancefloor, but also very suitable for homelistening if you are into these crazy melodic (and PHAT) layers of sound! It greates a wall of sound at times, huge soundscapes just like DP said, and I suggest everyone who's into hard heavy (dance-able) fully twisted grooves to check this out and yeah... the Starwars tune does rock IMO ! maybe a bit cheesy but I really like the melodie and they did it pretty well ! haha Only minor I can come up with now is that it isn't really "refreshingly new", but know a bit what to expect when Phyx,Rabdom-L and Shift Co-operate! But they managed to create a sound that really represents the best of them.. Awesome! I couldn't find a "filler" track.. every one of them has some strong moments! Though im not really into the MM remix Favorites (upon hearing the album for 3 times in a row) : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ormion Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 What can I say about this album? Being the biggest Twisted fan in the world it's kinda difficult to write a review without get over excited. But who cares? Here it is: Stark Raver: This track has simply the best intro ever. They used the best sample you can get from a movie, the legendary : Lord Vader. Yes Master. Riiiiiiiiiise, together with the heavy breathing of Darth Vader. Since I first listened to this part from the movie I was waiting for a Psy track that will use it. Bon did it first with a track in his album Underground Resistance, but Twisted guys did it better. After the sample we have the well known Star Wars, but slightly changed to become more uplifting and trancey. Then the power strikes you with a powerful bassline, phat percussion and high volume sounds. Welcome to Twisted world. Is it cheesy? Don't think so. It's the best track ever based in a movie theme. Hard, dark, spacey with great ideas (check out the bass playing the theme!) Awesome! Razor: Twisted Power! Blasting Psy-trance with ultra powerful bassline and blasting snares. If you like SA Psy this one is made for you. If you don't, get ready to become a SA fan. Not much to say, this track is a winner. The leading melody is sooooo good. It's simple yeah, but so great. I can't believe how these guys made such an awesome melody. Amazing! Business Hippie: Another killer track. But killer not bullshit. The first minutes ain't something unique, but still blasting with cool samples and police alarms. The highlight in this track is the melody in the middle of it. What a melody! Coming straight from the old days. Uplifting but hard at the same time! The final part crushes your brain and it would be better if they'd finish it with this melody but it's still Superb! Mad Minor: Mean stuff. A typical Twisted System track. Typical here, means hard, mean, maximal not average. Hard all the way with three different melodic lines. The final part is Twisted chaos. All the melodic lines together in high volume. Chaos I say! Not the best here but still Fantastic! Resistance: The first minutes are a bit simple. The bass and the kick are so loud! Then the hard sounds coming at you and the track get twisted. Suddenly everything stops and a melody fades in. A melody.... Yeah but what melody. One of the best ever heard! Mean but uplifting, morning and dark, happy and angry, all together in this (simple to be honest) melodic line. And the madness starts. Full Power unleashed!!! It's getting harder and harder, the melody, the bass, the percussion, the schizo sounds. And harder! and when you think it can't be any harder it blasts you even more! One of the best tracks ever made! The Forgotten V.3.0.: Darker stuff here. The pads are scary and the bass kicks ass again. Dark madness all the way. Not much to say. Blast off power! The final part is awesome with again a simple but so effective melody(How they do it?). This is true night full on. Outer Dementia: Euphoric, uplifting, optimistic. Cheesy? you got to be kidding. Hard again and again together with fantastic melodies and full power. The final part is one of the most hard but ecstatic ever listened in my life. Hardcore rave! U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E! Daorithe: Melodies keep coming in this track. Yeah melodic stuff but still powerful. The melody reminds me something and the track is high class again. Not the highlight of the album but A must have track. Beautiful People (Tribute rmx): Wanna know how a metal/hard rock track can be remixed by a Psy artist without be cheesy or stupid? Here we have a perfect example. The track throws away guitar solos and singing samples except some parts just to let you know that the original is a Marilyn Manson song. The track ain't that fast like the rest but still pumping, reminds me a lot the Da Business track by Shift. Very good! Overall: If you looking for spirituality, different fx in every second or minimalistic beats search somewhere else. When it comes to Twisted System project Chris, Ian and mr.Skragg care only for one thing: To blast your body and mind. And they are the best to do that. Not just an amazing piece of psy, not just one of the best albums of the last years, not just an excellent sequel to The Dealers but one of the best albums ever heard in my life. 11/10 easily... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Le Lotus Bleu Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 This new album doesn't make it for me (too full on), only The Forgotten & Outer Dementia reminds me the good face of Twisted System which was more represented in their first album 'The Dealers'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moni Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 Moderator's note: some posts have been removed, as they were too off topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psydmt Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 Not sure about this one. Not as good as the first twisted system (More power I thought) and Phyx dominates in this a little too much. Dont get me wrong I like Phyx alot when he gets it right otherwise he can sound a little industrial-which is what this begins to sound like. Im more of a shift sound person 7/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perception Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 well this is a good example how we see that sout african fullon is becoming more and more morning fullon but still I liked it the sound they create is good and they surely know how to use it the first track is cheezy but I see it as a joke, no one forces you to listen to it to be honest I rolft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawfly Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I don't know what I was expecting, but this is not as good as their last one, but still the better ones I've heard this year. The first track is an obvious joke and the last one suits very good for drunken evenings when all my girlfriends metal/goth friends are just wanting to hear something else than electronic music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riton Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I always liked Twisted System, so yeah, this one's good for me I liked their previous album better, but whatever, this one still kicks ass IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeller Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 very good full on album.. th south-africans never disappointed me so far.. only the star warz track wasn't necesary.. i mean Systembusters already made one, which was funny and this is almost the same.. a lot of nice tracks here anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmtree Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 i stopped playing SA full-on a long time ago 'cuz it started to bore me.. and this album isn't doing much to change that. though that first track is really funny, just wish it had a bit more to it than just the dum-- dum-- dum dum-dum-dum... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
advance Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Twisted System - Core #08: Daorithe Daorithe is a small step towards industrial-sounding psytrance with its sharp metallic hisses and glasslike kick… A predictable melody is bubbling in the background and frankly the novelty is starting to wear off now… Sure, the break is refreshing, but generally this track reminds me a little too much of Chemical Crew stuff… Yikes! I actually loved this track. Kind of reminds me of a mix of old-school Dark Soho and Infected Mushroom.. with a touch of Artifakt. Mind directing me at some similar tracks, even if they are from Chemical Crew? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psytones Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 The first track made me laugh but its retarded. The rest I cant remember atm and I havent heard the album in two years or so .. What I do remember is that it bored me. The last track is cool if your a Manson fan and TC does a good job in converting a Metal track to a trance track without loosing the fundemental vibe of the original. Good review Ormion, I'm gonna re-listen to this album because of you (Its in another country then me so I'll have to wait) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeathPosture Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 Gave this a spin today... It still has its moments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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