Penta - Funraiser

[Jon Cocco]

01. 08’14” It Is Done

02. 07’29” Detonator

03. 07’25” Inverter

04. 08’50” Pigletango

05. 08’20” Past Holidays

06. 08’23” September

07. 08’38” Eater Of Worlds

08. 07’31” For The First Time

09. 07’51” Flash Forward

Crazy. I'm hearing this album for the first time in 2021... 

I read some criticisms higher up well over a decade ago that turned me off, so I never gave this a chance. I didn't want to experience a disappointment after enjoying Pentafiles so much. My thoughts?

This is a very good album! All tracks are in high quality on YouTube for those who missed it, check it out.

The sound/melody work and atmosphere is just as good as ever. I love the dark, edgy rhythm that the artist accentuates with sweet soundscapes, the tunes, and the downright edgy (intense, advantageous) dark/spooky elements.

One criticism I will agree with:  Some of the samples-- NOT all but a handful-- are iffy to put it mildly. For instance, in Detonator.. "We have to use the detonator" ... the way this is said could have been cool. It's not. To me it sounds cheesy and doesn't enhance the song in any way. In Inverter, a less frequent sample I could have done without. Thankfully it's short and uncommonly used. Good thing is the music around them is ALWAYS superior -- probably more so had something like "Next on Syfy" for instance been on the album. Some will find these (some of the samples) effective/deranged. I realize the concepts may work well on dance floors. For me though, the artist could have had more kickass samples. That said, the Homer shit is awesome, and the return of music there is sweeeeet > classic fun/wild dark old-school Talamasca!

Funraiser is a mostly solid, inventive, dark, and fun sequel to Pentafiles. The album's chock full of sleek synths and rhythms, industrial elements accents, effects, atmosphere, and more. I'm surprised I didn't give this a full listen-through back in the day, as I let a few reviewers (honest they may be to their experience) influence my choice to give the album a listen-through to decide what I think for myself. They just don't make dark psytrance albums like this any more-- so hearing this in 2021 sounds catchy/fun. To sum it up, the pros far outweigh the cons, and those industrial accents (e.g., September and a handful of others) captivate. The last two tracks especially end the album on a high albeit dark (the samples work fine) note. If you're a fan of Pentafiles or dark psytrance in general, give this one a listen. Despite a few samples that were obviously meant to be entertaining, it's the music we show up for. The samples aren't make or break and in that sense the album delivers. Although Pentafiles may be a shade darker, Funraiser is DARK and more fun than the debut.

Favourite tracks -- 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9.

4/5