Eskimo - Balloonatic

[mars]

I still can't believe it :

 

The eagerly awaited new ESKIMO album BALLOONATIC is here. This will be the first cd in a 3 CD SET!! BALLOONATIC 2 will be released in November & BALLOONATIC 3 - COLLABORATIONS featuring Eskimo collaborations with some of the top names in trance, will be released early in the new year.

 

Oh dear but he will stop at nothing (Sigma records neither) !!!

Seriously he makes so much tracks in a row that he has to release them by the dozen. No wonder when you make the same track all along the year using ideas stolen from others.

 

With some friend we already made the bet that it will be the same bassline & 145bpm in every track of the trilogy...

 

To be objective i listened to it. Yes i did it. It deserves no more than 3 lines of reviewing.

 

Basically i don't want to be hard on artists, but here, what strikes is not really the fact it's overheard full-on style all along. What strikes is it's so close to all his other tracks in every way, rhythmic, sounds, breaks, melodies, prodigy-rip, etc... The challenge is to give this overcooked thing a positive mark.

 

Eventually i can't see the point. For the people, even for the artist. Ah yes keep the vibe around him...afaik i'd rather say the fud !

[FrozenRealm]

I'm currently listening to the cd, and as I said before, it's going to be flamed and bashed.. but if you liked Eskimo's older work, you'll like this too. Ain't as bad as I did expect, some nice tracks are there! (review will come soon).

And for the bassline.. well.. that's Junya's style eh, and this is not innovative on any front or really psychedelic, but makes people move, smile and I feel good when I listen to this music it's not made for the money, .... and I hope people won't bash him for the guy he is, because he doesn't have a stupid rockstar attitude at all!

And, there's loads of worse full on around.. Anyways, a little bit more respect for a fellow artist wouldn't be to bad Mars, even though you don't like the music.

[dmtree]

I'm currently listening to the cd, and as I said before, it's going to be flamed and bashed.. but if you liked Eskimo's older work, you'll like this too.

 

eh.. i like some of Eskimo's music. once in a while he puts out a really nice one, like that Jack in the Box remix from the Portuguese promo. haven't heard the whole album yet, but so far I don't like it very much.

[cangrejo]

It's a good album. I don't know why you hate it so much. You're blinded by fear.

 

For example: Eskimo - Wake Walking Dream is a good track. Should be trippy enough for you.

 

I can't say it's my favourite, but it's quite nice.

[Guest antic]

In my opinion this CD is one of the best full-on albums released in few recent years. Sure it's still a music made by numbers, factory full-on BUT it's very good IMO. His level of production and programming reached the best seen in this genre (S. Posford, Infected guys) and in this CD he somehow matured musically. The last album was aweful in this area, with more than a few false-sounding melodies but so far I can't spot them here, and believe me - I'm very picky

 

Remember, this is not the best psytrance album (far from the quality of Voice of Cod or Jaia), but it's at the top in it's subgenre (GMS, Bamboo Forest (sadly), Save The Robot, Visual Contact, 1200 Mics, Fatali and most of israeli pseudo-psy). You won't find there music for your brain, but it's perfect for the body

 

I'm gonna buy it, when it's out

[FrozenRealm]

Gave it a couple of runs, it's nice indeed! Not bad and it really has great dancefloor value with his own distinctive style...which for example.. his bassline is and I like it!

If you don't like full on, you should let this release alone.. it has its cheesy moments (basss tooo the place london :S ) but other than that, solid tracks, freaky filtered breaks and enough melody!

[Basilisk]

I listened to this for some reason. Such formula. I actually don't mind the odd Eskimo tune on a compilation but... a three part CD album? What the fuck for? He isn't Wizzy Noise.

 

Eskimo would kick a lot of ass if he took this slightly mysterious sound he sometimes has and actually made his music much more complex and theatrical...

 

As for this... no thanks. Can't say I like artists who make albums which are basically like upgrades isntead of new concepts.

[Guest antic]

I listened to this for some reason. Such formula. I actually don't mind the odd Eskimo tune on a compilation but... a three part CD album? What the fuck for? He isn't Wizzy Noise.

 

Eskimo would kick a lot of ass if he took this slightly mysterious sound he sometimes has and actually made his music much more complex and theatrical...

 

As for this... no thanks. Can't say I like artists who make albums which are basically like upgrades isntead of new concepts.

391571[/snapback]

True. It probably would be a lot better if he made ONE album of the best tracks he'll put on those 3 Ballonatic CDs. Although I'm afraid, that he'd choose the worse ones, because he named the series after the track "Ballonatic" which IMO is the worst on the first CD - it's just silly and childish

 

Talking about taste...

[dj mylo]

I thought Eskimo's "Take a look out there" was cutting edge. The following VA releases dissappointed me to say the least. Now this new release has pulled him back on track imho.

 

Everyone either seems to be stealing ideas, melodies and formulas from the likes of IM, GMS, Protoculture and Astrix these days. Balloonatic stands out as being a little more "fresh" sounding. It's not happy candy raver shit, nor is it dark and twisted horror psy - it's somewhere in between.

 

The bassline is finally just a bassline! The melodies carry all the tracks. And the arrangement and sequencing is inventive. As always, the production is top-notch. You'll here all the trademark Eskimo details like twisted vocal samples and the often gratuitous use of breaks - but still it feels like this boy has matured a little as a producer. He seems to be moving forward and developing his craft.

 

Most of the tracks are danceable, funky and rocking - although the odd break may upset the groove on the dancefloor - but I guess that's Eskimo.... keeping his audience surprised.

 

If you like full-on then buy this cd. It's not the next biggest thing, but it certainly stands out from the pile of full-on shite that we have from 2005. I expected to be dissappointed, but now I'm pleasantly surprised! Solid release.

 

I give it 7/10

[Guest antic]

...it feels like this boy has matured a little as a producer. He seems to be moving forward and developing his craft...

 

...If you like full-on then buy this cd. It's not the next biggest thing, but it certainly stands out from the pile of full-on shite that we have from 2005. I expected to be dissappointed, but now I'm pleasantly surprised! Solid release...

 

 

woohoo! so I'm not the only one who enjoys it

[FrozenRealm]

I thought Eskimo's "Take a look out there" was cutting edge. The following VA releases dissappointed me to say the least. Now this new release has pulled him back on track imho.

 

Everyone either seems to be stealing ideas, melodies and formulas from the likes of IM, GMS, Protoculture and Astrix these days. Balloonatic stands out as being a little more "fresh" sounding. It's not happy candy raver shit, nor is it dark and twisted horror psy - it's somewhere in between.

 

The bassline is finally just a bassline! The melodies carry all the tracks. And the arrangement and sequencing is inventive. As always, the production is top-notch. You'll here all the trademark Eskimo details like twisted vocal samples and the often gratuitous use of breaks - but still it feels like this boy has matured a little as a producer. He seems to be moving forward and developing his craft.

 

Most of the tracks are danceable, funky and rocking - although the odd break may upset the groove on the dancefloor - but I guess that's Eskimo.... keeping his audience surprised.

 

If you like full-on then buy this cd. It's not the next biggest thing, but it certainly stands out from the pile of full-on shite that we have from 2005. I expected to be dissappointed, but now I'm pleasantly surprised! Solid release.

 

I give it 7/10     

392424[/snapback]

I agree so many worse albums out there, and though it may not be most innovative album around.. it surely rocks my dancefloor at times!

Favourites: Wake Walking Dream, Electric Scream, GMSkimo

[moni]

Moderator's note:

 

Discussion in here went too far away from the main issue: reviews of the Eskimo - Balloonatic release.

All off topic posts from this thread have been deleted.

[NT]

Moderator's note:

 

Discussion in here went too far away from the main issue: reviews of the Eskimo - Balloonatic release.

All off topic posts from this thread have been deleted.

393218[/snapback]

tsk..

[ztef]

hoy there -

 

I am pretty convinced that this album kicks ass and that eskimo has an ability to get people to dance and smile which is somehow rare in the new fullon psytrance scene...

 

Track 9 - Every Single Sound - really kicks ass and keeps on getting played on my iPod...

 

Here is an interesting interview with Eskimo on this matter:

 

Balloonatic 1 interview

 

 

Later -

Ztef

[Frontier Psychiatrist]

Judging from samples only it sounds quite interesting. For sure better than most of the full on nowadays. Nothing breakthrough but some very cool sonic manipulations. The guy did invest time in the creation. No doubt this will burn the dancefloors.

[Manuser]

Yes, that CD is OK, some surprising moments.

 

I don't know if the guy always makes the same tracks, as this is the first time i listen to Eskimo.

If i remember well, the first tracks, like 1 and 2, are cool! But as often it will bore me rapidly.

[InFecTeD_gOa]

Here the Balloonatic part 1's review, a superb album of 2005, produced by Eskimo. Jon Ford plunges us completely crazy, delirious in an environment acid/full on/psytrance. Jon overcomes the noises acid and sounds psychedelic and flirte with our hearing.

 

With 'my rave', the small and nice introduction, summarizes the contents perfectly, namely a well spiced track where the notes are stretched of each extremity and the sounds become hysterical. In Balloonatic part 1, With 'Wake Walking Dream', 'The Balloonatic', 'Electric Scream', and 'GMS-KIMO': we notice that these tracks are worked, detailed, the melodies are carefully carved. There are several topics in each tracks mixed with skill :clapping:

The breaks are numerous and play a fundamental part, making more dynamic and living the tracks.

He knew to be inspired with talent and ingeniousness the Infected Mushroom's universe with these deformed, vibrating and eccentric sounds. He models and accumulates notes and the effects. Too, he doesn't hesitate to break/upset the rhythm by accelerating it or by decreasing it, in order to give a sharper tempo.

 

It is a first part very convincing with 5 marvellous ways, however, the 4 last ways are blown. In the form 'Lazy Beam', 'Tourminator', 'Tiny Little Things' and 'Every Single Sound' remain identical. Environment is thrilling, the Infected Mushroom' spirit is largely respected, the melodies are original and sensitive but unfortunately the tracks are less definite/thorough/detailed. They are linear without intrigue. But these remarks don't affect the album!!!!

 

 

The whole of work is splendid with much sensitivity and subtlety. Balloonatic part 1 is an album which I recommend highly. This small young person has much imagination and talent by developing to the maximum these musical capacities.

 

 

 

Tracklisting:

1. (8:08) My Rave [10/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/06f/13.m3u

2. (9:15) Wake Walking Dream [10/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/06f/14.m3u

3. (8:35) The Balloonnatic [10/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/06f/15.m3u

4. (8:19) Electric Scream [10/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/06f/16.m3u

5. (7:42) GMS - KIMO [10/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/06f/17.m3u

6. (7:34) Lazy Beam [4/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/05a/90.m3u

7. (7:13) Tourminator [6/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/06f/18.m3u

8. (6:17) Tiny Little Things [6/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/06f/19.m3u

9. (7:57) Every Single Sound [8/10]

http://play.saikosounds.com/m3u/06f/1a.m3u

 

 

 

RATE: 8/10

[exotic]

beh its ok , nothing great. avoidable even. the only thing i liked about this cd is that i won it through a contest on isratrance

[Sgt Wrecker]

Some people are hard to please!!!

 

Eskimo is a CHAMPION! His music is phenomenal to dance to and even better to listen too in the comforts of your own home.

 

Some of you have complained it is full on. Kidding right? If you want to listen to boring sh!te then listen to that and stop giving critiques on people like Eskimo!! Too full on my @rse, psy is meant to get into your head and take you somewhere or at least to provide an environment for you to do this yourself. While I agree some of the samples are a little cheesy this is completely irrelevant. Somewhere I saw someone having a go at the samples in My Rave - um, if you missed it this is a throwback to the "oldschool" so having a dated sample like that is entirely appropriate. For that matter using a Prodigy sample is once again entirely appropriate in this track. It is the whole point of the track that it sounds old, the clue is in the name!!

 

"All his tracks are the same" - and so were Beethoven's so what is your point. The same could be said for the vast majority of albums in any genre. In fact, listen to any compilation, usually has a similar vein through all tracks. That is the point of an album!!! Tracks/songs of a similar ilk collected on the one CD. He is more diverse than a lot of artists out there. So this criticism is just bull! Even a lyric band as diverse in style and ability as Ween is "guilty", if that's how you want to put it, of having a Ween sound. Eskimo's sound is Eskimo's sound, good on him, it's awesome, keep doing it, let Voice of Cod write Voice of Cod tracks, let Eskimo write Eskimo ... any view that his work is derivative is also bull and a red herring - 99% of music is derivative, if not in terms of sound then in terms of memes. This is just how music scenes work. If he was blowing through a hollow egg while standing on his head underwater making a beat with his knees would that be original enough? Bet it would sound sh!t too! So long as it is a progression on what has gone before then this whole idea of "derivative" is just a red herring and not a considered critique.

 

Anyway, enough on the back foot, now the front foot - Electric Scream!! I can not stop playing this, lucky for my neighbours I have found a remix with Puzzle so they don't hear the same song all the time, lol. But music like this is just awesome, it is the type of music that your body finds its own to on the dancefloor. Driving energy, sliding layers, beautiful - and a pretty funny sample, I am in search of a 6 ft pile of radios to dance in front of myself now. On Part 2, Are You Serious? - now you people saying it is not anything new ... please tell me where to find other stuff as “done” as this, I want more ... sure it is derivative in that it uses many sounds we've "heard before" but who has put them together in such a succinct and clever manner? Surely, far from the cr@p which has been labeled "progressive" that this is truly progressive in that it takes the old and makes it new again (again talking of appropriate samples in Eskimo tracks I particularly like his use of "that's progressive" in My Rave. EXACTLY, progressive is taking the old and making it new by moving the sound forward. Not the bullsh!t boring rolling go nowhere stuff which is really only played because djs have become too cool to risk making mistakes mixing proper full on DANCE music – that’s not progressive, that’s just sh!t)

 

Anyway, at the end of the day, too be honest (to use a few well used terms in a non-progressive manner) this music is meant to make you dance and ESKIMO has me and many around me spinning ... even people who had lost the ear for the psy sound are coming back into the fold due to Eskimo. KEEP IT UP BOY ... where's part 3, I wannit?

[frozen dream]

his latest collab album got canceled since he ran out of friends

[Sgt Wrecker]

thanks for the info ... but dude, play the music not the man ... no reason to personally attack a bloke ... while it is interesting to note that you think he has no more friends it is rather irrelevant to the quality of the music and is particularily non-PLUR. Now you may say that is some old Hippie bullshit but really mate I'd prefer to dance surrounded by people being nice ... be nice ... maybe he is a c@#$ I wouldn't know but f@#$ he writes great tunes ... that's all I'm interested in.