V/A - Tribal Maker

[RAH]

Compilation: Tribal Maker

 

Label: Tribal Records

 

Year: 2005

 

Format: CD

 

Web: http://www.tribalrec.com

 

Country: Israel / Slovakia

 

 

 

 

Track listing:

 

1) Z-Machine - Try 2 Fly

2) Zion & Insert Silence - Nano Tech

3) TUL - Peperoni Machine

4) Hujaboy - The Real U

5) Black & White - Electricity

6) Goblin - Bad Trip

7) E-Jekt - Good Old Days

8) ESP - Shtakumblator

9) Nitro & Dima - Shua

 

 

Review

 

Compiled by Zion, Tribal Maker is the 5th release from Slovakia and Israel based TribalRecords, and I've got to admit it's the first one of theirs that I have heard. The label seem keen to distance themselves and this compilation from the usual Israeli expectation, presenting a far more underground side of the countries trance output. This can only be a good thing.

 

The opening track from Z-Machine really takes the name of the compilation to heart and presents tribal percussion and chanting which soon gives way to a track that hits you with some delicious squelchyness. Z-Machine were certainly paying attention in Hallucinogen 101 as this track zips and pans about the stereo in a style that is reminicent of a certain Mr P. Hands up who thinks this is a bad thing?

Nope...didn't think so. Great way to open the album then.

 

Zion and Insert Silence are up next with "Nano Tech" which provides a solid foundation then adds layer upon layer of hyperactive touches on top before a mobile phone ringtone/answer routine - I'm not exactly sure

what is said but it sounds like the guy says "Killlaaaargh", which conjoured up images of an unknown Dom Joly routine "HELLO...yeah I'm at a rave....yeah yeah the music is KILLLLAAAARGH"...so top marks to Zion and Insert Silence for unintentionally putting that image in my head. The track then proceeds to hit you with lines that are all over the place in a very cool way, ever changing and unpredictable. Psychedelic

in fact.

 

Track 3 is Peperoni Machine from TUL. It's full on, with a bassline mirrored by a creaky midrange. Melodies flit in out and the tune progresses as much as a result of the layer upon layer piled on top. Think along the lines of Artifakt and you have a fair idea what to expect. The Real U from Hujaboy bounces along nicely before dropping out to the sample "the television is the retina of the minds eye, the television screen is part of the physical structure of the brain, whatever appears on the television screen emerges as raw experience for those that watch it. Television is reality, and reality is less than television" followed by the sort of bassline that puts a spring in your step like somebody just filled your reebok pumps with laughing gas. Hujaboy is great is teasing the listener and some of the detail in this track just leaves

you thinking "whatever gave him the idea to stick that noise in there" as unseen objects appear to fly past you. "Reality is less than television" but this track is loads more.

 

Black and White dish up some piano and other sounds that are distinctly acid house in a tune that is 100% modern sounding. You probably just read that last sentence and thought "well that sounds a bit odd, can't imagine that works" but I can assure you it does, the overall effect is original and certainly a track that if used right in a set will really make people take notice.

 

Goblin's Bad Trip for me is one of the total treats on the album, being in love as I am with wibbly wobbly old-school analog lines. This track is full of them. It should be the law that every album contains at least one track full of tweaking acid. That would be cool .This track makes you understand why.

 

Initially I wasn't sure what E-Jekt were up to with Good Old Days, I mean there are some nice noises going on and it presses forwards nicely but I felt that the track should have a trick up it's sleeve. And it does. You see we are lead like lambs towards a sample that initially tricks you into thinking it's going to be pure stilton as it talks about drugs being poison blah blah blah but then as it says "even more" and

then loops the "en more, en more, en more" tweaking the nuts off it as the track builds behind you until a completely alien voice is telling you "en more" and the track kicks back in with a vengence. Top marks. I've got a feeling we'll be hearing that sample all over the place this summer.

 

ESP's completely unpronouncable Shtakumblator is just designed to completely eat up dancefloors. The bassline drives onwards, while little iddy biddy noises flit about the top end. And oh yes, more acid style analog tweakin'! Keeps me happy that's for sure.

 

Overall then Tribal Records have put together a compilation that manages to seperate itself from the crowd, not because it delivers anything particularly new or groundbreaking - on the contrary many of it's move are decidedly old-school - but because it manages to sound underground without being inaccessible and is well aware what the PSY in psytrance

stands for. A great collection of tracks, many of which will be finding their way into my sets for the foreseeable future.

 

 

Review by

-Dj MonkeyDo