Phony Orphants – [it’cetra]

[DeathPosture]

Phony Orphants – [it’cetra]

 

 

Hi-res cover: front

 

Artist: Phony Orphants (Denmark)

Title: [it’cetra]

Format: CD (jewel case/w six-page colour booklet)

Label: Iboga Records (Denmark)

Cat. #: IBOGACD32

Distribution: twohandsdistribution.com

Date: 4 October 2005

 

Track listing:

 

01. 09’52” Rise

02. 06’37” Sex, Drugs..

03. 07’38” I Want To Feel

04. 08’22” Got What It Takes

05. 07’50” Mi Corazon

06. 08’09” I’ll Promise You

07. 06’55” Going Down

08. 06’55” Party

09. 07’43” House For My Spouse

 

Review:

 

Shizzle dizzle progrezzle!

 

This is the 32nd CD-release by Danish the Danish power-house label Iboga Records – and this time it’s none other than the second album by Phony Orphants – oh, happy day! P.O. is a Danish producer duo, consisting of Mikkel Dahlgaard (Emok) & Jeppe Ørnkilde and these guys have been progressive stars since the late 1990es… Their debut album Symphony is still regarded as one of the most important progressive trance releases of 2003, and the guys have released countless compilation tracks to much acclaim… After a couple of delays, the oddly named album is finally here… Let’s dig deeper…

 

Let me take you thru the tracks…

 

#01: Rise

Time to rise up – get up – and start grooving! A majestic intro of gargantuan dimensions sets the mood – holy shit, we’re in for quite a ride it seems… Atmospheric, floating background pads alongside a naïve melody and a mean ol’ bassline lurking under the surface… And then BAM – @ 2’26 all hell brakes loose and we’re exposed to a crisp, lush, plush Son Kite’esque groove… And groove is the keyword here – this is more uplifting than your trusted morning wood… The perfect track to play when the first rays of light soak up the dancefloor in the morning… It has clubby parts for sure, but the phat rhythm section and the neat electro parts make sure we don’t cross over to club-trance completely… A brilliant, groovy track!

 

#02: Sex, Drugs..

… And rock n’ roll!! Yeah, we crank the old trip-meter up a couple of notches and dig deeeeeep into rich, groovy and totally funky progressive trance… Sex, drugs and progressive trance drenched in the sweet reverb I like so much… Yeah, this is kinda FREq’qy – without getting close to plagiarism… This is oh-so-bouncy, and will work absolute wonders on the dancefloor… And with its distinct groove it’s perfect for home listening too… A corker!

 

#03: I Want To Feel

The intro here is pretty straight-forward with an old-school bouncing bassline… Pretty bleak actually, and not very funky… Slowly industrial FX are added alongside sharp, stretched-out melodic pads to ensure the balance is kept intact… The groove is relentless in all its chainsaw glory and the Nitzer Ebb-like vocals come as a total surprise… To be honest, I have somewhat of a problem with them… They seem oddly out of place – grotesque even! Yuck! Sad really, coz otherwise this is a pretty solid track – I just can’t seem to get past those vocals…

 

#04: Got What It Takes

This track was made by Emok on his own… And he got what it takes! Another progressive stomper with a slight electro/industrial feel to it… A long, building intro finally explodes in pure tribal-progressive mayhem after a couple of minutes… The sharp metallic hisses give this track its hard-hitting industrial edge … The rhythm section is simply impressive – throw in a couple of phat reverbs + a funky-ass-hell build-up/climax part and we’ve got a winner… A massive track!

 

#05: Mi Corazon

My heart belongs to… Hybrid trance? Ahh now this is trippy – this is the perfect blend of psytrance, house and progressive trance! Not since the second Tegma album 002:Avant.Garde have I heard such beautifully fused hybrid trance… This is the perfect mix of the before-mentioned styles… Progressive percussion, housy groovy and rich, trip-tastic psychedelic elementos - ¡Finalmente junto! Another class track!

 

#06: I’ll Promise You

The pace has quickened and the edges are more serrated now… Yeah, it’s definitely night now and we’re in bleaker, deeper territory… Rich progressive trance with a technoid twist! A marching rhythm section sets the pace and a couple of ethno voice samples are sprinkled about just to piss off the purists… There is also an acid-line bursting with life, bubbling somewhere in the background… Sweet track!

 

#07: Going Down

And now we’re going down… to ghoul town! Haunting, morphing sounds comprise the intro – trying their best to freak you out! And then… wait for it… A mean-ass, pounding, heavily filtered bassline alongside razor sharp acid-stabs and gritty percussion… Minimal without really being minimal – dark without really being dark…I like the loopy structure here – ‘tis very hypnotizing, but it’s also kinda monotonous and bleak… I could have wished for that little extra touch to spice this up… This is not a bad track at all; it’s just not as good as the rest of this sweet album…

 

#08: Party

Zombie… nation! …Oh wait, this is a different track! Yeah - now it’s party time… TekKno party! The intro starts in a repetitive mode where the previous track left off – but soon enough more layers are added and the boys engage in some serious knob-tweaking, synth-experimentation, and teKkno-bass-bopping! The heavily vocoded robotic voice doesn’t really do much for me, and to be honest I’d rather party to some of the previous tracks than this one… Again, this is far from being a bad track; it just pales a little in comparison to some of the others…

 

#09: House For My Spouse

On the last track we’re trying to find a house for the phony wives… As the first word of the title suggests, we’re in housier realms now… Gone are the grim, murky atmosphere from the previous three tracks, and we’re left with a down-right funky piece of filter-house… Reminds me of Superfunk or Kojak or something similar – though with a distinct Phony Orphants touch to it… Bebop-trumpets, house-groove, steel-drums and yeah-yeah vocals… Yeah yeah, we’re definitely experimenting now… The odd-ball track so to speak – it’s all pretty neat, but not exactly my cup of java… But it’s always fun to regain your strength with an experimental tune… ;o)

 

This was quite a ride through the many corners of progressive trance… From epic, reverb-soaked progressive grooves, over deep, murky technoid night-time trance to fluffy, uplifting filter-house – in nine easy steps! Oh yeah – this is a cross-over as it gets – potent hybrid trance, beautifully executed by the Orphants…This is a really good album that works both as a journey and as individual tracks! There is not a single bad track here - though I didn’t really connect to a couple of the darker, repetitive tracks… But that’s nitpicking really; coz the quality level is damn high here! What’s also cool about this album is that it doubles as both quality home-entertainment and as a valuable DJ tool… And it sounds fabulous both on low volume, but more importantly also when the volume is cranked to the max… Cool!

 

The cover art is stylish as always with Iboga, so you really get your money’s worth on this one! That’s right – Iboga continue to distance themselves as the world’s leading record label for progressive trance in its many forms… This is benchmark material and this album is a strong contender for best progressive album of the year. It’s right up there with the Tegma, Jaïa and Beat Bizarre albums… Fans of intelligent hybrid trance should not be without this gem… Enjoy!

 

Favourites: 1, 2(!), 4, 5, 6

 

DeathPosture

 

External links:

Iboga Records: http://www.iboga.dk

TranceShop: http://tinyurl.com/8oncb

Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/eyplh

Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/cx9wp

RecRec: http://tinyurl.com/8mt6d

Wakyo: http://tinyurl.com/96zon

iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/dplor

Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/7qnac

Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/889ot

 

Note: For info on the 2 x single vinyl version please visit the Iboga website…

[freak51]

No secret, I'm no fan of anything but the highest-quality progressive influence (e.g., Vibrasphere, Son Kite, Jaia).

 

And I've only heard the samples. But they are very promising! Proggy fans will need this release. It's top-drawer. Phony Orphants (Bony Orphans, wasn't, in the before-time, on Flying Rhino?) have been around a long time, they are serious professionals putting in a proper effort to get the sound they want. This is their best work so far.

[GaySatanicHippie]

i just joined the evil itunes just to get this, it better be as good as you say, DP!!!!

[pr0fane]

Artist: Phony Orphants

Title: It'Cetra

Label: Iboga

Format: CD (Jewelcase with 6 page inlay)

Released: October, 2005

 

 

Review:

 

Phony Orphants is one of Ibogas most prominent local acts, consisting of Mikael Dahlgaard and Jeppe Ørnkilde. Mikael is also one of the founders of the biggest progressive trance label at the moment, Iboga records, and without a doubt better known as Emok, while Jeppe Ørnkilde is founder of the label Nanobeat Records, focusing on more house-oriented sounds. The first Phony Orphants album "Symphony" was released in 2003, and received amazing feedback from all parts of the world, making it one of the biggest releases on Iboga through the years, and now, little over 2 years later they're ready with their second album "It'Cetra".

 

 

01. Rise [135 BPM]

"Rise" opens the show with a very promising and truly epic intro. We get the first hint of the kick and bass after around 1½ minute, but it takes another minute before it really kicks in. The kick, bass and retro-ish lead is extremely tight and is in striking contrast to the huge, organic pads, giving the track a very special feel. Around halfway through we get a short breakdown, followed by the entry of some delightful melodies. Stunning melodic opener.

 

02. Sex, Drugs.. [135 BPM]

Things get a lot dirtier and electro-inspired with "Sex, Drugs..", fuelled by an excellent vocal-sample, chopped up, looped and used to perfection. I remember this being played at Banel in his set at VooV Experience 2005, and it's a real crowdpleaser - not only is the vocal-sample cleverly used in the breakdowns, but the whole track is really loaded with energy, only downside being the only 6½ minutes of playtime!

 

03. I Want To Feel [135 BPM]

"I Want To Feel" was released a few months back on the Revolve magazine, and for most parts it works very well. For starters it has a very catchy melodic hook, and basically everything sounds fine until around 4 minutes, where we get the first hint of some really annoying vocals (to me it sounds like Keith Flint from The Prodigy) that seem way over the top for my taste - a real shame.

 

04. Got What It Takes [133 BPM]

The next track, "Got What It Takes", also has some vocals - fortunately they are less dominant than in the predecessor, and the cheeky "We got what it takes" sample fits fine with the rest of the track. Not as rolling and pumping as the previous tracks, but with a quite nice groove, a strong breakdown and some really delicious metallic sounds. Solid, yet perhaps not as distinctive as some of the other tracks.

 

05. Mi Corazon [126 BPM]

"Mi Corazon" (Spanish for "My Heart") is so far the most laidback tune, running at "only" 126 BPM, and with a really good and lazy feel to it. A sexy voice-sample (which Emok also used in his recent collaboration with Jokke on the track "More") on top of some delicious progressive house, and it really works to perfection - especially the 1 minute long breakdown with the super phat bassline is really something else.

 

06. I'll Promise You [135 BPM]

The tempo is kicked up a notch again with "I'll Promise You", not really that groovy, but with a tasty relentless bassline pounding like there's no tomorrow. Some delicious African chanting-samples sest the atmosphere, and all in this tune really took me right back to the german open air feeling. Pure festival-trance.

 

07. Going Down [135 BPM]

Time for another previously released track, "Going Down" initially released on Ibogas popular "Playground" compilation last winter. Keeping up the energetic pace from "I'll Promise You", but going a bit deeper and darker. Solid effor, once again with some more of the pumping Phony Orphants sound, yet without being one of the standout tracks.

 

08. Party [126 BPM]

And with "Party" things get a bit slower once again - a sleazy groover just oozing with retro-vibes. Electro is really getting more and more popular these days, and "Party" is indeed a very electro-ish tune; funky, dirty and with a very appealing collection of dirty lo-fi sounds on top of a very pleasant melody in the background. Probably won't be the most popular tune among progressive trance DJ's, but different and most of all fun.

 

09. House For My Spouse [130 BPM]

"House For My Spouse" marks the end on the album, and it's really filled with house-cliches; From the saxophone to the typical house-chords and the predictable "Yeah" samples - but it works. The least typical Phony Orphants track on the album, and perhaps feels a bit misplaced with its overpolished sound - but an enjoyable mellow groover, and a very pleasant landing after the first 8 tracks.

 

 

Bottom line:

 

In a time with a lot of similar-sounding progressive psytrance, Phony Orphants really shines as an act with their own distinct sound - they manage to fuse elements of progressive psytrance, progressive house and a lot of electro as well, and the result is overall very impressive. Tight and unique, but still groovy and very dance friendly. Overall one of the best progressive albums released in 2005 - not as pleasant and epic as Jaïas "Fiction" or Antix' "Twin Coast Discovery", but an album that really stands out in the crowd, and probably also will stand the test of time.

 

Yet another must-buy from Iboga!

 

 

Favourites:

 

1(!!), 2(!!), 5, 6, 8, 9

 

 

Verdict:

 

8/10

 

 

Link:

 

Iboga Records: http://www.iboga.dk

[sherlockalien]

curious curious.. lets see when it comes out, this and ticon

[pr0fane]

Official releasedate is 4th of October - meaning this tuesday! I've even heard that it can already be bought at iTunes.

[furthur]

Phony Orphants (Bony Orphans, wasn't, in the before-time, on Flying Rhino?) have been around a long time,

348154[/snapback]

You might mean horny enphants

[ritual om]

No secret, I'm no fan of anything but the highest-quality progressive influence (e.g., Vibrasphere, Son Kite, Jaia).

 

And I've only heard the samples. But they are very promising! Proggy fans will need this release. It's top-drawer. Phony Orphants (Bony Orphans, wasn't, in the before-time, on Flying Rhino?) have been around a long time, they are serious professionals putting in a proper effort to get the sound they want. This is their best work so far.

348154[/snapback]

[/quote

 

 

 

he is back!

[Jon Cocco]

I skipped reading what others thought so that my thoughts wouldn't be altered or affected. This is based on the extended samples at saiko sounds. This sounds like well done Progressive Trance with the clubs seriously in mind. Thanks to Saikosounds I may consider buying this later on... It's bookmarked for now. This is not groundbreaking or what I consider amazing or innovative, however don't frown on those words. I really like some of what I heard.

 

Track 1 ... "Rise" sounds nice. It does maintain the same repetitive single melody sound through-out however, while other melodies come in and out, but that's not enough for me ... it says that this is psy-trance on psyshop, but this sounds more progressive.Track two changes much more it seems.

 

Track 2 ... "Sex, Drugs" is very well composed. It picks up, changes, picks up, etc... I found it very catchy, the melodies ... there is a very catchy instrument that comes in occasionally, (what the hell is it I like it) and the other sounds that mix in and out really compliment them.

 

Track 3 ... "I want to Feel" sounds like freekin house music to me. This sounds too clubby for me and those voices get old and annoying quick!

 

Track 4 ... "Got What It Takes" ... Okay I'm now conviced this is progressive trance. This is what I call catchy enough you want it to keep repeating, haha.. well thats the style dumb ass. However, I can imagine at any second a Dj coming ingoing, "It's time for the perculator." *repeat.*

 

Track 5 ... Mi Corazon has this metal like aggressive sound that accentuates over every several beats and I really like that. It gives it a punch before the song changes up. This is a cool song! It seems to have more mixing than some of the other tracks.

 

Track 6 ... "I'll Promise You" sounds catchy too. I'll promise you this. I like what i heard, with it's synthesized 80's-esque melody, hard beat, and sounds of voice skipping or echoes.

 

Track 7 and 8 ... don't have time to comment now.

 

Track 9 ... "House For My Spouse" is just too er.. funky, fluffy, whatever I just don't care for it. This song seems too be very different from the tone and style (s) of the other ones. It reminds me of tunes I'd here on some broadway orchoastra (can't spell) or some 80's or oldies with some sounds feel (what I thought was a trumpet) thrown into the mix.

 

Psyshop says this is psytrance. I believe it's Progressive Trance. I'm very selective about Progressive because most progressive music doesn't progress as much as it's repetitive, and some people love that; as Progressive Trance develops a tone that stays consistent for what it is and does develop more with sounds while usually maintaining the same basic song structure. The point is for the tone to be catchy enough. This album is not all that psychedelic though. Some of the melodies are very nice, cool, and some of the album has an 80's like disco-esque feel to it like in the LAST TRACK with what sounds like a trumpet. Not my taste or style AT ALL but far from being bad too.

 

I have no rating because I haven't heard this entire album. These are simply my impressions based on about 4 minute samples of each track. Thank you for reading.

[RAH]

right-o' then...

 

[Guest]

Hmm wanna listen to this one , I really liked their first album Symphony!

[sherlockalien]

from first 2 listens:

 

its nice... has some nicer tracks (2, 3, 5, 6 ,8), some others not so much

 

I say listen before you buy... not as good as symphony, and not nearly as good as Antix - TCD....

 

but nice.. later I see if I post a bigger review

[SkeletonMan]

I think the vocals in "got what it takes" sounds like something coming out of Scooter. Hate it !!!

 

Other than that, yeah, great album. Not really crazy about track 7 Going Down, but I hear 4 great tracks and at least one killer - I love Mi Corazon and it's out as a b-side (!) on a 12". Funny.

 

Full review to follow.

[SkeletonMan]

Last post in a 3 string "2005 progressive trance" review for me. First up was Jaia's Fiction, next Antix' Twin Coast Discovery, and now the time has come for Phony Orphants' It'cetra. Saving the best for last? Well, let's see.

 

Phony surely sets their album off with a blast. Rise is a sweet opener with a killer bass line setting in after 2½ minute. These guys must be thinking: Why make it more complicated, when you can make something really nice with just a steady beat, killer bass and some nice FX? P.O. really sets the standard for 1st class progressive here. Yeah, baby, yeah!

 

Sex, drugs .. is a sweet follow-up'er. Yeah, I love it just as much as the opening track with its nice "sex, drugs .." sample and one more let's-keep-it'simple-and-rock bass! Another dance floor filler.

 

I want to feel introduces vox and I'm not to keen on those. Someone has compared them to Prodigy and I kinda agree with that and the view point that they don't fit in here. From the first two killer tracks this is also more down to earth. Without the vox it might've worked for me. Next tune Got what it takes brings us back on track. Sweet, sweet synth line going on for 5+ minutes (!) before opening this baby with the bass. All this is awesome, but there's a snake in Paradise! Just before the bass kicks in at 5:19 P.O. decided to use what I am pretty sure must be a left-over Scooter sample "got what it takes". First time I heard this sample I couldn't believe my ears. But they mean this sample! It's repeated. Unbefuckinglievable! It almost completely ruins the song for me and downs it from a 5-star to perhaps a 3-star. Schade!

 

Well, maybe they knew cause they follow up with my favourite on the album, Mi Corazon. Oh, this is sweet. No killer bass. Just a steady going beat, it's impossible for me not to move to. And then just when I think I know this track, the most wicked bass enters in the break at 3:19. Man, to be taken aback by this on the festival dance floor ...!!

 

Yeah, P.O. is on track now. I'll promise you is another dance floor bomb. An imploding one ) mind you, sucking everyone to the dance floor. Things are more complex now compared to the beginning but still everything is under control. Progressive with an extra layer? In any case, rocking!

 

This is followed by my least favourite here, Going Down. More like Not Going Anywhere. What happened? Boring bass, a beat close to pointless, and with add-on's a weird blend of hard synths sounds not doing much good. Fortunately, they follow up with Party, another hit in my book. Yeah, now the FX works again. It's hard, but fun hard. The sample is head on, but fun. And the bass is dead on simple the way P.O. knows how to do it. Danceable & loveable. Progressive when it's best.

 

And, finally, house for my spouse, to end this. Well, downbeat, housey, female choir going "yeah-yeah" (hm ...heard this 1.000.000 times before?), and the obligatory sax. Like a disco-house track on acid and missing a layer. Nothing special, but not bad, and could work for a no-trance crowd.

 

So, the verdict. This is a great progressive album suitable for home listening as well as the dance floor. 7-8 great, decent or very decent tracks and in time for me possibly more than one total killer and only 1 real miss out. Compared to Jaia, I think P.O. is better. Compared to Antix ... Hm, probably gotta tie those two. Not my pick for best progressive release of 2005 but up there.

[DeathPosture]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=newOIGkwmrs

 

I just revisited this today and I gotta say, it has aged alot better than I had anticipated. Classic stuff from the classic age of progressive trance.