PART ONE
Today I realized a couple of things. Well, not really realized, I just came to think about them cause we were talking about stuff. I realized that I have been listening to this music for very long now, and I realized how many artists, labels, djs i have seen coming/going/staying/getting worse/getting better. I realized that I am going to be 33 years old this year, and that I have been a DJ for 15 Years! I have been in this very psy-trance scene for FIFTEEN years.
As much as I have loved it, hated it, been fucked by it, having good vibes with it and many more things, I still have to say, I LOVE IT! Things have not always gone in the direction that I wanted them to go but I sure still have tried to keep positive and enjoy. Many times I feel like its the end but then I feel like its only the beginning. FIFTEEN YEARS!
So during my 15 years djing, I have gathered some artists in my heart, and these I will list here with a little comment.
Of course, I have to start with Sven Väth, he is my number one god in this scene. Bringing the baby Eye-Q up and then Giving birth to the matured Harthouse (together with master genius Matthias Hoffman aka Brainchild). How can you not like this guy? Releasing KoxBox' finest album, having the best work of Spicelab and so many more. 100% of all releases ever on this label are going to be in my heart forever! Eye-Q, when I think about it, I get tears in my eyes. With releases like Vernons Wonderland and Cygnus X - Orange Theme. And who doesnt get a tear in their eye when they think about the Earth Nation album Terra Incognita?! (Ralf Hildenbeutel and Markus Deml) Talking about Ralf H. the brain that made Sven V's musical visions into sounds... There are no words for what I feel for these people.
Continuing with Artists here, I mentioned Spicelab. The mastermind behind Spicelab is the man the myth and the legend Oliver Lieb. This person has probably been through the most genres an artist can go through. His LSG. project is also somewhat of the best music that I have heard in my life. With LSG he has taken so many directions, that you can not put a genre stamp on its music-but for me- it is for sure just TRANCE!
Hardlfoor! Wow, noone has ever created better acid-trance than them! You hear that?! NEVER! I love these boys over everything (Except my girl and son of course!). Hardfloor are for me the inventors of good Acid Trance. One might dispute this but this is what I feel. Noone has ever mastered the silver box to the perfection that they have. Noone has ever touched me more with just a drum machine and 2 303's, as well as then, as now! I am so glad that these boys are still at it and that they are still at it with very much STYLE!
Leaving Germany and going a bit further north, another Artist that the famous HH Label released was KoxBox. KB are somewhat of gods and creaters of the psy trance scene in the northern parts of Europe (FOR ME!!). Without them we would probably not have the sound that we have coming from there now. However, we can move a bit further north, and we get to artists like Cari Lekebusch and Robert Leiner. Cari also released some stuff on HH, and I think its amongst the better releases on the label. With early releases on OHM records in Sweden Robert moved on to work with R&S with some of the (for me) most influential tracks for modern trance.
The organic sound that Robert and Cari created, was very unique for just THEM, and they sounded very much alike in the beginning.
Another Swedish Label that needs Mentioning is Planet Rhythm. Planet Rhythm was in the beginning a very good hard-trance label with just a little pinch of psychedelia (and it was founded by the below mentioned friend), with a lot of hard sounding Trance tracks, the first 2 ones being produced by Cari (As Vector). The peak of their trance era records were produced by Masterminds behind Genecom, Adam Beyer and Peter Benish. With their first EP "Quaternary EP" they really took the dance-floors around europe and turned them into madness fields of euphoria! The other artist that in my opinion has done to make trance what it is today is Ascendence. I can only recommend that you check out the mentioned releases, and you will see/hear what I mean why I am writing this.
Oh yes, start the engine of the Nautilus, we are going to the island. Of course, the UK! The Dragonfly boys are also a very big influence in my life. I had the first Dragonfly EP ever released 2 days after it was released in the UK (Thanks to a friend that got it for me!). Later on they released my absolute favorite ever on Dragonfly, Project2Trance. The sound of this record really bent the view I had on trance. But before I get too much into Dragonfly, I have to go to another artist that lays very near to my heart.
Eat Static! Wow, nother ever sounded like them. I guess many have tried (Or maybe not), but never achieved the very sound that they have achieved. I compare Eat Static's diversity in sound and experimentalism with the one of Master Lieb. I believe however that they have been the influence of many artists that spawned later on in the UK. You can hear in other artists that they use the same kind of structure, using tricks and sounds that Eat Static used, but put it in their own way. I myself have many tracks of my own where I have re-created their sound (Or tried atleast haha).
Back to Dragonfly. As you might have noticed, I am not only into those weird sounds and beats, but I am also very emotional. Some of the most emotional psy/trance came from Dragonfly artists. I fell that I have to mention Genetic with the track Transmission. That track is one of the best emotional tracks that I have heard EVER. The remixes of the track that came a little bit later, were even better. Redifining this track into a monster on the dancefloor.
Wow, I am not even 10% done on my tribute to the artists of my 15 year dj carreer....
So back to the UK. Where were we? Ah yeah, we were at Emotional Psy/Trance. Well, I have to mention Man with no Name then. Martin Freeland for me is a master of emotional music. The music he created was simply just pure energy trance. Music that touched many a people eventhough they were not into psy trance. Whilst Lunar Cycle might be the favorite on the EP, Sly-Ed for me is the Masterpiece. It is psychedelic, its trance, its slow, but it has fucking energy! One can not forget to mention Sugar Rush though. That track is probably the ONLY track that has directly given me a severe physical injury! When MWNN was playing at a Dragonfly Label party on a boat in Copenhagen I was on the upper deck of the boat chilling out (After a 5 hour dance session). We didnt realize that MWWN had started playing until we heard the intro to Sugar Rush, and we rushed down to the dance floor. BIG MISTAKE! I slipped on those wet stars and bumped on my ass all the way down! I had so much pain in my ass, you can not believe it, but I still danced the whole MWNN live and 3 hours after that as well.
I feel like this is time to stay in the UK and start to praise Mr Posford (Radi this one is for you!). When I first heard Hallucinogen, I was baffled. Of course LSD was my favorite track. I used it in almost EVERY set that I played for 2 years. I still do actually. I still actually play the very first copy that I have of that record on special occaisions (its a ritual thing for me hehe). Anyways, whilst LSD was THE track of the record and Alpha Centauri didnt get too much attention from me (EMO NEMO), the Alpha Centauri Track is what formed Simons later creations. The TWISTED sound that he created with that track, is the sound that we all so well know by this master of audio polution. I think every single track this man has released as Hallucinogen is a masterpiece. Even later projects as Shpongle show us that Simon is a true Genious. (Or atleast shows ME that he is). No matter what people say about him, I still think that he is one of the best producers out there. I have to admit I am very tired of the hype though, but whilst admitting this, I have to admit that I have been a little bit anti Simon Posford just to tease Radi. So here it goes: Sorry Radster, but I love Simon Posford as well (Probably more than you lol, I just dont show it to every one all the time!).
Anyways, I think the man has gotten too much praise already (Just kidding) so I am going to leave him at that. Well I wish that something new will come soon as Hallucinogen! HEAR THAT SIMON!?
We are still in the UK! TIP! Not the label-well the label as well-but the band!! Wow, TIP really formed my way of seeing music. (Oh I hope that people realize that I dont really follow the years in releases, and that I am actually jumping back and forward in time here haha). Raja Ram, MWNN, Simon and Graham Wood in one big mixup. It can not get better! Emotional?! Trancey?! Chilled?! Psychedelic?! Well, they served it all on a very big plate!
So, to conclude (And not getting into too much details) Dragonfly and Tip really has influenced me with all of their releases.
Blue Room anyone!? Oh yeah, they have to be mentioned by me, since they have a big place in my heart as well. They brought us Etnica - Tribute, Starship 101 and the of the most tearbreaking tracks ever made, Trip Tonite. Can you listen to Trip Tonite without a shiver going through your whole body? I sure fucking cant! (im listening to it now by the way, and so should you!). Etnica for sure has made me content, but also disapointed with various side projects, but I can never ever say that the boys have created shit music. It just didnt fit my taste as much as early Etnica. HOWEVER whilst you might think that I am talking about Nitrox, I am not, I very much love that album! However, they will NEVER be able to beat their early releases and the emtions that they brought me! (Making love to Trip Tonite on Acid is a very weird but cool experience!)
Which brings me to another two of my favorite artists of all times. Not because of Blui Room, but because they both had releases on it. Lets start with Juno Reactor. Juno Reactor are for me the masters of Industrial sounding trance. No band has ever moved me more on a dancefloor than them while playing live. I danced literally until my legs were hurting. I stomped so hard that I had a circle made in the ground afterwards (ITS TRUE!). I had muscle aches for several days after that! Their first release I ever heard was Laughing Gas on Nova Mute. When later their Album came out, I was sold forever. Being an old fan of Front 242, this was right up my sleeve (Now, I am not going into my comparison to Front and Juno, because it would become too damn complicated and confusing I think haha). Any of you should check out early Nova Mute stuff, its very much worth it! (hang on, hold that thought, its time for my insuline shot).
So anyways, many might not know it, but DOOF had a release on Nova Mute
Enough about Juno Reactor, because I could go on and on about it for hours really. Next artist that sprung to my mind while talking about Blue Room, was X-Dream. Of course also, I didnt get into X-Dream at those stages. X-Dream have been there for way longer than that. With their Early releases on Tunnel Records, they really hit the scene with a storm. It didnt really kick off like with Etnica of course hehe. X-Dream is also a band that have changed a lot for me during the years. They have shown me that there is so much more to psytrance than just psy trance (if you understand what I mean?!). I dont think I need to mention the various side-projectst they have been involved in, though.
Staying with Tunnel Records there for a while, another band worth mentioning is Morphem. Many have heard about them, but many have forgotten them unfortunately. Morphem created some of the best Acid Trance like music ever released, and if you can get your hands on any of their releases, GET THEM! Oh since I am in Hamburg, I need to mention the Label Gaia Tontrager!
Its time to actually go and being Productive now, so I have to leave this for another time. But Part 2 will come very soon, and I will add it to this one as well as making a new post.
Sorry for ranting, and sorry for taking up your time, if you found my first part of the tribute to the above Artists/Labels a load of bullcrap!
With the most warming hugs!
Nemo
PART TWO
So here we continue. I wassnt at all productive (I kind of felt exhausted hehe) so I watched some 24 instead and had another couple of beers. Eventhough to many it doesnt make sense that I mention the following person, it makes perfect sense to mention him in this report/appreciation/whatever and that is Mr. R. Hawtin. He for me has influenced my way of producing/djing in many ways. I am also sure that without him many trance acts wouldnt have sounded like they do. Therefore, he deserves his spot in this thread.
Next artist coming up is as much hated as loved, and that by the same as vice versa. Did that make sense?! I think when I say Infected Mushroom, you will make sense of the previous sentence. The same people that so much talk shit about them, still love them as well. IM changed a lot of things for all of us. They changed the way music sounded, they invented, they infected! Classical Mushroom being my absolute favorite by them, but not to mention the 2001 release BP Empire which was as much a masterpiece. Some person the other week posted which would be the best mastered albums and I would say that BP Empire is one of the best mixed/mastered albums that I have ever heard. The production of BP Empire is as crisp as Kellogs.
But lets leave Israel for a while and go back in time for a while because I really feel like going to France. In france there was this phenomena that really got my attention many years ago. Of course I am talking about Blue Planet Corporation! Overbloody Flood was released on Underground French-Kommunication (UFK), a label that didnt have many good releases imo, but the ones that were good, were FUCKING GOOD! A label that you should definetly check up (You might find some cool stuff!).
Talking about France or French people, I also need to mention Total Eclipse. When I first heard Total Eclipse I was totally speechless! Their sound was nothing like any of the other groups of their time. This was the charm back then for me. There was Trance/Psy, but so many groups had their own sound, which today is not really the case. Of course, this is not negative, I like the evolution, and I like a lot of the same sounding artists, so dont get me wrong here! Anyways, Total Eclipse totally blew me away. For me, the best release they have ever made was the Collapsar EP on Blue Room, but of course the 2 albums before that were pure masterpieces as well!
For some reason, when I think about Total Eclipse I automatically associate and think about Astral Projection. Not that they sound the same, or have ANYTHING to do with eachother, but I guess it was just something about them two that really fascinated me equally. Astral Projection got my attention with the very first release they had on TIP with Enlightened Evolution. From that release until their Astral Files and Trust In Trance were absolute KILLARGHS! Enlightened Evolution is to date still one of my favorite tracks, and I often still play it when having a gig!
A really weird label that has to be mentioned is Trans'Pact Productions. I wassnt a real fan of their Trans'Pact releases but more of their sublabel called Doss House. Unfortunately Doss House however didnt have too many releases. If you look closely at the both labels, you will see that the artists look diffrent but that indeed it were just many of the alter egos of mastermind Gilbert Thévenet (Asia 2001!). Worth mentioning is that Transwave had a release in 1994 on Trans'Pact.
Well, staying in France for a while here. One label that really caught my attention was FNAC. Now you are probably thinking about the superstore FNAC and you are thinking right. Mr Garnier wassnt the founder of the Dance Music division, but I believe he was the driving force. With the releases from Lunatic Asylum, which of the 2nd one-techno sucks vol.2.- being the better with the absolute killer The Meltdown (Anyone who has heard this track will agree with me!) Shit it was 9 minutes of total trance madness. FNAC however was also releasing artists like LFO, ScanX, Laurent Garnier etc etc. One of the tracks that always followed me in my record-bag was Alaska - Lost In Alaska, absolutely stunningly EP. The Dance division of FNAC relased some real GEMS that should be mentioned, but please just check them out on your favorite database page (Disgogs?!) and you will find your way to the them! (Early though!).
Speaking of Lost in Alaska and since the original was a blue vinyl, it reminds me that I need to mention Air Liquide. Air Liquide; also known as Cem Oral & Ingmar Koch or Jammin' Unit and Walker released some of the most beautiful trance/acid/ambient music out there! They would classify as R. Hawtin here, but sure has had major influences on the sound of today. (Just a reminder that this is MY view on things eh?!).
Shit there are so many artists to mention, and there is sooo little time left of this day for me (well, its the next day already) so I am going to round off with mentioning Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia. PWOG released some of the most stunning pieces of music to date. One of the best live acts that I have ever heard was by them in Copenhagen in 1995 (I THINK). It was one of those times where I totally danced my socks off... and haha, I remember that there was this guy in a wheelchair at the party that I almost knocked over because I was all over the dancefloor but not looking carefully enough. Poor guy! If you have never heard of this band before, you really should check them out, because it will explain a lot to you when you hear it, why trance/electronica/psy sounds like it does today. Oh, at this party Juno Reactor also played live
Oh no, I am not rounding off, because I need to mention my last artist of today. PASCAL FEOS. Pascal FEOS was/is/whatever a member in the German super trance group Resistance D. Resistance D was/is/whatever Maik Maurice and Pascal. Anyways, Resistance D created some of the most stunning tracks ever made in Trance History as well. For me they took the 303's from Hardfloor, and put more Energy/Strings/Flow and made it sound more like trance than Acid. 303's were however not their main themes of their songs, so it wouldnt classify as Acid trance but more just Trance. I have had the pleassure to see them live several times and each time I have always almost had a heart-attack from dancing too much haha!
Oke folks, end of Part 2, off to bed now!
Part 3 coming very soon!
