V/A-Source

[Ormion]

V/A - SOURCE

Nexus Media 2005

 

 

Compiled by Shift

 

TRACKLIST:

1.Hydraglyph-Isis Crisis (Shift rmx)

2.The Slug-Divine Intervention

3.Shift-This Pain

4.Hydraglyph-Condition Black

5.Abomination-Redback

6.Manifold-What Time Is Love

7.Menog-Spirits

8.Visual Contact vs Shift-Mechanical Mayhem

9.Artifakt-Ntagathi

10.Tickets-Infinite Pleasure

 

Style:Hard Full On

 

After the amazing Midnight Storm compilation (still the best comp of 2005 IMO) Chris Hoy and Nexus Media give us a new Hard Full On compilation in the well known South African way.I know that many guys will click the ‘back’ button when they’ll see the word ‘full on’ but I can assure you that this is real Full On and not cheesy bullshit. It’s hard,twisted and night stuff.

Ok, here we go.

 

Just like Midnight Storm the comp opens with a track remixed by Shift and this time it’s a Hydraglyph one. The original has been released in the Urantia Rising compilation (Sanskara 2004) and it was an ok track. It had really odd sounds, screaming at your brain, incredible production and sound quality and a well known latin track sample at the end (very popular latin track, dunno the title though). It was a nice track but a bit clubby. Now, what Shift changed? Well, he did everything right. He kept the strange sounds, he made the bassline much more aggressive and he threw away the latin sample. This sample was really funny in the original but-true- a bit annoying. The remix is better than the original, although similar to it. Not much variation between the original and this one, except that remix is focus more in the melodies. Nice track for sure.

Next is the Slug, well known SA artist. Although I like his tracks a lot he’s not my favorite artist from down there, because his tracks aren’t that hard or crazy. Well Divine Intervention is by far the best track I’ve heard from him. It has a really nice bass and enough complex sounds, together with a very trippy night melody. A very good track and if it was harder and more melodic it would be a blast, but it’s still great.

Track 3 from mr.Hoy himself. It opens with a singing sample about a ‘pain in your brain’. I’m sure you know the group where Chris took this sample. I don’t know it but I guess it’s well known, anyway if you know let me know. This Pain is a night, atmospheric track with lot of sample from that group and a trippy melody. There’s not much variation in the first minutes except the usual Shift sounds but the second half is great. After the climax the track explodes with a beautiful night melody. I’ll be honest and say that I was expecting an even harder track when I saw the word ‘pain’ in the title. Yes, it’s not the harder track by Chris nor the most crazy or melodic (check his album Excession for that stuff), but damn it’s quality full on and trippy!

Hydraglyph again. Nice track here. The bassline is cool but I prefer harder bass like the one in the System Critical track. It has also some heavy guitar riffs, not a fan of that instrument, but thank God there is no guitar solo here like Skazi. Instead of that we get some very trippy melodies, a big surpsrise for me. Not that good as System Critical (awesome track) but very good again and more melodic.

Another group of Trojan comp. Come next. Abomination. If you liked the Abomination vs Phyx-Flatline track in Trojan you’re gonna love this, too. First of all the bassline is hard and I like it that way. Second, the whole track is hard and powerful, perfect for dancefloor smashing.Third,… well not much to say. Typical hard South African style with nice melodies too!

Next is Manifold. I think they’re Russian but I might be wrong. Well, this track is great! It hasn’t the perfect production and it doesn’t sound that professional but it has some great melodies. From the title of the track you can guess that the melodies are really emotional and morning although this track has nothing to do with the typical Israeli Morning Full On.Goood!

Menog from Portugal comes next and his spirits kick ass!!! I love the old Menog dark style a lot but his new one is still great cause he uses many melodies. Spirits has maybe the best melodies Menog ever written. They’re trippy,beautiful and epic. It’s not Goa but damn it’s good quality melodic Full On. Astrix eats his dust!

Chris Hoy again this time in a colaboration with a group called Visual Contact. Never heard of them before. Anyway this track is on of the best here! Mayhem for sure with many styles combined together influenced by industrial,electro and trance music and of course crazy Psy! Mad track with crazy melodies, love it!

And time for the Artifakt. After the ok but not something extraordinary track Mr.D in Trojan comp Mr.De Nobrega gives us THE track!!!! Hard bassline, phat kick and percussion, madness and WOW! great melodies in a Old School style! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not Old School-Goa or something, but it’s has some Goa elements IMO, especially these amazing melodies. Maybe the best track Artifakt ever made together with Nosferatu,Left Foot and Drugged And Base. Awesome!!!

Last but not least Tickets. His latest tracks are very good. Infinite Pleasure is very good too, morning full on in a South African way->heavy bass,hard kick,no cheese. It’s somehow the twin track of the Toy (again from Troyan comp). The first half is good but a bit repeated while the second half is much more melodic with nice bass’ changes. Again a very good track but his has written even better.

 

So, it’s a really good compilation if you like South African style although it has nothing to do with the ->classic<- Midnight Storm. It’s less poweful and melodic although some tracks have very nice melodies, but it’s definitely quality stuff. This is how Full On must be. 8/10

 

Fav.3,5,6,7,8,9(!)

[Shimmer]

I'm waiting impatiently for this to arrive....DAMN THE POSTMAN!!!

 

Nice review...I really loved Midnight Storm, good to see someone else who enjoyed it.

 

If it's anywhere as good as Trojan (I know it's not trendy to say that) I'll be pleased. Nexus and Timecode as fukkin consistent with their releases.

[amphiton]

8/10

 

What if I don't like SA style? What if I don't like full on?

[Ormion]

8/10 

 

What if I don't like SA style? What if I don't like full on?

What you mean with that?

If you don't like SA full on you won't like this comp either. If you do, check it out.

And why the smiley?

[Slug]

Thanks for the review Ormion - we must have similar taste - I agree completely about what was good on that compilation, esp the manifold and shift vs visual contact tracks.

 

Just a note on where the samples came from from in Shift's "This Pain" - he wrote the lyrics and sang those himself.

[Ov3rdos3]

Thanks for the review Ormion - we must have similar taste - I agree completely about what was good on that compilation, esp the manifold and shift vs visual contact tracks.

 

Just a note on where the samples came from from in Shift's "This Pain" - he wrote the lyrics and sang those himself.

339505[/snapback]

It will be bought. i love the good ol' SA stuff.

 

although, if its Hard full-on, your really in the mood for. listen. to V/A - Lethal Doses. jesus, that is such a sweet album. absolutely insane.

[Trance2MoveU]

Condition Black is a bad ass mix of head banging guitar and acid torpedoes. It's like if Downward Spiral NIN made a track with Syb Unity Nettwerk. Love that one. But the whole compilation is a sizzler from Nexus Media. 10 years old? Hard to believe. This was a time when this label could do no wrong.