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Artist: Talpa Title: The Path Label: Sundance Records Date: December, 2011 1. J 2. The Path 3. You 4. Distraction 5. Lenjivac feat. Merlin 6. Instinct 7. Hidden Smile 8. Shall we dance 9. An accident in Talpania 10. Away Serbian goblin Goran Juric who, if you have been listening to psytrance, would know has been around a while. Lately he's taken his flair for the dramatic into the funky ass wriggling progressive arena under the Riddler project, but before that he was all about the symphonic and set the world (hmmm, we're kinda small for a world, perhaps a neighborhood?) on it's ear with his blistering debut The Art of Being Non. After a hiccup with his second effort he's back with his third release and there is quite the buzz about it. J- I'm guessing he titled this track for his girlfriend. We've all done some stupid sh*t to impress a girl, but the difference here is Goran actually has some talent so he doesn't come off looking like a doofus. This is some very bright and happy intro music. Remember that SouthPark episode where all the cute forest creatures come out? This is them in a woodland orchestra performing a downtempo piece...right before they get all satanic. I mean, you know it ain't gonna stay like that right? "Well....hello there." The Path- Part Riddler Part Talpa he kicks it off with an eerie psychedelic stormer. Told you those animals were gonna get crazy. Levels of synth licks and melodies skip over each other sometimes playfully, sometimes angry like a bipolar girlfriend. "It's not you...it's me. I just don't think we should see each other. Ok you're right...it's you. You're f*cking crazy." One of my favorites. Hits in all the right places. You- This one travels close to the same path with a very goblinesque synth that speaks of creatures in the dark you can't see. The piano twinkles over the bass line and this puppy breathes with some scary intent. I love that the bass line isn't a one noter, but rather more complex. He's a fan of that oscillating synth as well as mixing different textures together. Not bad. Distraction- There go those damn woodland critters pounding out the funeral march on a kiddie piano. Right before they turn your insides out. Sadistic f*ckers. Spooky with an eerie groove just like the previous two tracks and we see a slight return to the winding synths from The Art of Being Non. Pretty good, but it doesn't separate itself from the previous two tracks. Lenjivac- The same vibe is in place here...eerie but not scary. Like a midget troll. Yeah he's scary, but it's not like you're gonna wet your pants over a midget. Back to the story it's more Tim Burton creepy yet endearing at the same time. Just the combination of the pads and delicate synths make this a meal. There are lots of little sounds to discover here, and the break beat is a special treat. Instinct- Jungle sounds start you off, but it isn't long until the sinister vibe returns. But for me this was the weakest track on the album. Very vanilla. Now when I hear the jungle sounds I just skip it. Hidden Smile- I guess he's trying to conserve sounds, because the bass is the exact same as the last track. Must be a shortage. Hell even the rhythm is the same. But the difference is the complexity. Left of center melodies that increase the tension and heighten the groove. He hits the spooky vibe and then some uplifting positivity with twisting and winding leads. Sounded good. Shall We Dance- The Riddler is back with his groovy self and the stacking of melodies begins. Tasty! Lots of changes to keep the mind fully involved with a wicked carnival atmosphere. What I like here is that it is seamless...when he hits with a new lead it flows and doesn't sound like separate tracks. Another good one. Yes we shall An Accident in Talpania- Soft melodies and light percussion make you believe that you've arrived at your destination. But while the melodies can be uplifting it is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The clouds begin to darken and the wolf shows its teeth. Power and evil swagger push to the front making this one of my favorites also. Away- The final track is a downtempo one. Sure you followed the Path, but where are you? Who knows, but the ambient destination gets all...what's the word...Ultimae on you. Light melodies and scratchy sounds float above the pads and it's an eerie end to magical trip. I mentioned him earlier, but this is a soundtrack to every Tim Burton movie ever made. That guy takes what is normally benign and puts his freaky twist on it and a whole new avenue of eerie opens up. Remember the original Alice in Wonderland? Probably not children, but it was cute and harmless. Tim Burton Version? "Here kitty....nice kitty..." Willy Wonka? The original was a recluse who ran a chocolate factory, but Tim's vision had me wondering whether he was going to eat the kids. Hmmm...note to self. Great idea for a horror movie. No, a real horror movie. Not that p*ssy PG-13 crap. R baby. Maybe NC-17. Definitely NC-17 if I can convince Megan Fox to do it. Wait, Lindsay's a f*cking mess. She'd do it. Yeah baby! Anyway.... Point is, with the exception of the nauseatingly sweet intro this is a train to spooky town. Like when you sit next to the guy on the train who...just ain't quite right. It's groovy in a lot of places and strikes with a Dickensian roundhouse kick. The layers are nice and he follows the theme throughout the whole album. It seems like a return to the style of his first album that showcased his brilliance. So yeah, I enjoyed the crap out of it. That said, I suppose you could look at the other side of the coin and say it's too samey without much difference between the tracks. It's not going to knock you out with it's power, but that is not it's intention. Very good, but not great. I guess all the Talpa bunnies inflated the Discogs score, but who knows. Nonetheless I can recommend it without question as it's different than a lot of stuff out there. Hell the fact that there ain't one buildup is enough for me. Nice work Goran. Psyshop Beatspace GoaStore Mdk