Etnica - Nitrox

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Etnica - Nitrox

 

 

Artist: Etnica

Title: Nitrox

Label: Spirit Zone

Date: 2001

 

Track listing:

 

01. 07'39" I Am The Shadow Of Myself

02. 06'17" Technoshit

03. 07'06" Robot Rebellion (Live Mix)

04. 07'40" Nitrox

05. 08'37" Small Doses

06. 06'39" Sambadrome

07. 05'27" Vega

08. 08'31" The Beast Man

09. 06'42" Ritual Plants

10. 07'46" Triptonite (Playa Rmx)

 

Review:

 

Oh well, maybe I should start this review by saying that this is nothing like

old Etnica, that's lost style for good (unfortunately though)... but instead

this sounds pretty much like their last album "Equator". Old Indian style

uplifting melodies are gone for good, but thankfully this isn't pointless

psytekno either. For me this whole album is a bunch of good rhytms. You just

can't beat Etnica's percussion power. When I first listened this indoors and

with quite low volume, whole album besides the more chillier stuff sounded

pretty pointless. But when I tried it in my car I finally realized the power

that is within the dance tracks too. First track starts off with quiet

filtered kick and some Italian speech in the background, which eventually

fades in at about 1 minute, and then the full rhythm starts. Very strong beat,

reminds me of "Modulation" track released under the name "Pleiadians", on

album FOL. Just like that stomper, this needs to be listened *loud*. It has

some strange sounding guitars as well, but very little, nothing cheesy.

"Technoshit", no matter how you look at it, is a good track. I don't really

know what is the point of this track though. Maybe it's just ironically named,

or maybe it really means that we should get sick of that lousy tehcnoshit

soon... either way, Etnica points here that they can write this kind of stuff

as well. For the bassline and kick it reminds me of Spirallianz stuff mostly,

or any other similar artist, for that matter. But for the rhythms and other

stuff it's way more varied than most of it's counterparts. Then... "Robot

rebellion". On "Andromeda" EP this track sounded totally pathetic. But now,

it's reworked, and very well indeed. It's totally storming. That bassline will

blow your ears off!!! Very groovy , pounding and has *great* percussion

rhythms. Very good track indeed. Then, "Nitrox". This has very strong

psyteknoish bassline, but somehow it sounds totally different than psytekno.

Maybe cause of the kick...and of course after all this track is very

different. Good and pounding stuff this as well. I think it has some GMS

sounding buzzing, etc effects. "Small doses" has some drug related theme, and

tells us something about substances and scientists testing them. It's probly

the most powerful track on this album. Somehow this reminds me of older Etnica

for some of the sounds used. I just don't know how to explain this stuff, it's

just powerful and good. Surprisingly (?) Etnica uses no long builds or

anything like that on any of the tracks. Then "Sambadrome", which sure is a

strange track, there's nothing wrong with it, it's just a little boring

compared to the other faster tracks on this album. It has this samba feeling

with it, as percussion is kinda sambaish. Maybe it's just me, but I think

these guys could have worked a little more on basslines on some of the tracks.

It gives me this "no, you should do that instead" feeling sometimes... oh

well, now we have achieved the slower part of the album. "Vega" first sounds

very chilly and reminds me of nature, rainforest or something, but in few

minutes very acoustic sounding drums start playing, and you can't avoid having

the feeling that "is this reborn Funkadelia?". Backgrounds are very chilly for

the whole track, it's just percussion which mayeb dominates a little, but the

outcome is good. "The beast man" is strange, it's chilly, and uses acoustic

guitar quite a lot, but after five minutes percussion pops in, and backgrounds

get more powerful. Somehow it manages to satisfy me, dunno why... these guys

don't know how to make a bad track. "Ritual plants" is another chill-out

track, and name says it all, it tells us something about ayahuasca testing.

Those leads and backgrounds give me the feeling like I was travelling in some

South-american rainforest and looking for some ayahuasca . Then, last but

definitely not the least, new mix of "Trip tonite", those speech samples they

use are simply just perfect, so trippy!!! Track begins directly with good old

melody, and has some flutes. Now this legendary Trip tonite melody is also

played with a little acoustic sounding piano on some point, and it sounds

quite fine. Tempo is slower than before, and it's quite chilly. But on the

other hand I'm quite disappointed with this mix, only flaw being that it's a

little too short infact and leaves me craving for some more. Another Trip

tonite mix please? All in all, this is a good album. Etnica doesn't know how

to fail. For those guys who greatly disliked last Etnica's album, "Equator",

this doesn't work very well. But for Etnica fans like me (who also appreciated

Equator) this is a killer album. This album presents more styles than just

one, so there's a little for everybody, or a lot for people who like all the

styles. Because this is Etnica we're talking about I might be a little biased,

but I give a good 9,5/10. Get this now! Bom!

[Guest iNFiNiTi500]

Whereas Equator was a radical departure from Alien Protein, Nitrox is also a

true metamorphose when compared to Equator. The Italians apparantly discovered

the scandinavian minimal sound and they took no prisoners here so say goodbye

to melodies and welcome some heavy funkin' rythms. In the first 6 trax the

Etnica train is at full steam and the biggest surprise must be that everything

sounds totally linear and unadventurous, except for the 1st track which sounds

like Daft Punk doing minimal, the other trax are an unoriginal blend between

Human Blue, Atmos and Son Kite. The next 4 trax are more chilled but none

reach the level of excellence of the ambient trax on the South Africa 2000

compil. I wished they expanded the "Be On Go" style of the previous album and

came up with something more original/psychedelic than this surfing on the

popular minimal waves..." The first 2 track names nicely sum up my impressions

of this album: "I Am The Shadow Of Myself" and "Technoshit". 5/10

[triplex]

the last 4 tracks were incredible!!!

[Guest back to 97]

I don't mind most of it - apart from Technoshit, which is well named, the

fingerprints of Dino 'hard and nasty' Psaras being all over it. The best

track is probably Small Doses, though they all do show signs of the genius

that brought us Alien Protein and IFO. Another remix of Trip Tonite is a bit

cheeky, I think - the last remix wasn't as good as the original either.

Groups that fill their catalogue with remixes (eg Infected, GMS) tend to wind

me up a bit - how about writing some original stuff? Saw this lot play live

in London a few weeks ago - loads of energy, but a bit samey really, and not

'true' Psytrance in my opinion. Max is s'posed to be a really good DJ, but he

was too fast and too bangy for me, now that I look back on it. Sid Shanti,

where are you? Anyway, what's the deal with the personnel - first there were

four, then three, now just two. As with GMS, I can't help thinking that too

few cooks can't make enough fresh-tasting broth. 6/10.

[Guest 129/129]

all this opinion are useless...except perhaps that some time it's

really too bangy............

for etnica album, i will say it's perfect. "sambadrome"

is perhaps the best of the cd.can't you feel the rythm?

it's noway techno...and could be mix with "resistance".

where did they sample the voice for "playa mix"?..i know that,don't you?

[Guest Ehsanur]

Yes its bangy and I dont mind that energy-dose Etnica tends to inject into the

listeners mind. Very technoish,but I think the rythm is in the centre this

time and the melodies play a secondary role. Small doses is probably the best

track,but they've all got that hard "give-a-fuck" attitude. Reminds me of

electronic punk. The Beast man could have been something made by Radiohead

...nothing Xtraordinary. Actually nothing X-traordinary about this album at

all. After Casa Blanca one could expect what was coming from the darker side

of the Italians...(so they are two now? ) Overall good banging electronic

dancemusic. Is it psychedelic? You'll be the one to judge that. I myself am

just waiting to get my hands on Crop Circles' Unreleased. 7/10

[Guest [Anonymous]]

Only a real Etnica fan can understand Nitrox and Equator. 10/10

[Guest Ehsanur]

I am real Etnica-fan but I wont give it 10/10. The sample

in "Small doses" is the same as in the Cosmosis track on

Synergy (cant remember the exact track now). "Small Doses" kicks sonic

rump......

[Guest [Anonymous]]

how can i become a "real etnica fan"? this album is good, the first track

has a super-driving synth line that makes me want to drive my feet into the

ground....nothing "bad" on this disk....might take some getting used to

though. great programming!

[Guest Flying Kundalini]

this very good dark energy dancing music can,t fault it at all... ambient

tracks 7 - 10 are superb 9/10

[Guest Nic Cotton]

Hmmmm the word minimal comes to mind and generally minimal psy trance makes me

puke however this is surprisingly refreshing comparitively. Etnicas percussion

has always been their strong point, and again they shine through with their

groovy pulsating beats. I kind of was expecting some melodic mahem but forget

it, it never came. This is way way better than Wizzy Noise, Bigwigs or reffer

decree or any of the other mindless minimal numbers but really it doesnt make

a patch on people like Droidsect or Absolom. 6.25/10

[freak51]

Adequate release. But what would have been better IMO would have been to

package the good stuff from the otherwise useless SA2000 comp, plus Nitrox,

Sambadrome and Ritual Plants. I expected more magic. Technoshit is not that

great a tech-trance release; it's all noise and no soul - guys, listen to MOS

or MidiMiliz before criticising the genre. 6/10.

[freak51]

OK, the Trip Tonite mix is really good. The Jim Morrisson poetry samples and

breakbeats are suave elements. Actually I imagine if you take any ambient

psy-trance from 1995 and tweak it a bit and drop in breakbeats, voila -

bleeding edge breakz. Nice to see that at least we were kind of right about

this being the future of music, though not quite like we had in mind.

[Guest Epic Automata]

Equator is one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time. It has so much

incredible diversity and musicianship that sucks me in and spits me out into a

heap of weak bones. But I hated it initially, except for History, and it took

a year or so to fully grow on me. I've given Nitrox about 5 listens in a

couple days now, and my previous experiences with Etnica and Pleiadians prove

that you can't be too hasty too judge poorly anything that these guys do,

because sooner or later these albums are going to creep up on you and kick you

in the ass. So, with that said, my following criticism should be taken with a

grain of salt. (New paragraph) To simplify the above reviews, there are ten

tracks on the album: the first six are trance and the last four are

Psy-ambient chill-out. I have to say at this point, despite my previous claims

that these guys don't do ambient well, that the last four tracks are the most

impressive here. Yes, a couple of the full-on tracks stand out - Robot

Rebellion, a relatively relaxed shadow of Resistance, and Small Doses, a more

chaotic and unstylized History, being the standouts. But, oh my god, track 8 -

The Beast Man - gives me goosebumps. The melodies and variations in this track

are unbelievable, and it is certainly the standout track among the latter

chill-out pieces. (New paragraph) Etnica/Pleiadians, being of the few great

innovators of our genre, are doomed to have unrealistically high hopes set

upon everything they do. If you compare the "minimal" stylings of most of the

first set of full-on tracks to the other minimal music out there, there really

is no competition - Etnica wins hands down. They succeed because they still

recognize what the listener wants to hear, and that's build-up and climax.

Their minimal isn't minimal, because it actually goes somewhere, does

something - and with a vengeance. Etnica's music hasn't gotten lazy, it has

become mature. The last four tracks are testament to that. They're interested

not only in making music to dance to, but also music to listen to. Young

artists should take many notes. My present self, before this album has had the

year required to grow on me gives this album an 8.5/10. My future self, the

self that inevitably knows better, gives it a 9.5/10.

[Guest Pit-UFO]

I am really disappointed of the ignorance in all you so called goa-heads and

psychedelic people. This album is a homenage to electronic music and by far is

Etnicas greatest accomplish. The first track reworks one of the best new beat

era tunez ?Los niños en el parque? by Liasons Dangerous, and has several

samples from Kraftwerk and other classics. Of course how will you know if you

discover electronic music through Astral projection or Infected M?. ?Techno

Shit? is about listening to recycled music that you know is good to dance, but

forgettable, but always gives some kind of weird pleasure. ?Robot Rebellion?

has a really nice kick and a really cool groove. The highest point is ?Small

Doses?, pure energy that really captures the feeling of LSD through the body

during a hard psychedelic set. The rest is really good. 9/10 and I cant care

less about Etnicas previous works.

[Guest what happend to Etnica ???]

techno shit is on of the most UGGLIEST trax dont by Etnica,,,, by hearing this

track i dont think that they know much about techno music , this album is a

disaster.....

[Guest [Anonymous]]

i got this album 2 dayz ago, and at first i thought it ok, but nothing great

(exept small doses amd the triptonight rmx). however, this album has been

growing on me fast. trx 1- 2- 3- 6 I would hesitate to call psy trance, too

bangy for me, no melodies (maybe they need more time). Nitrox is a fuckin nice

minimalistic? track and small doses is definatly the stand out goa track of

the album. its got a crazy built up, some amazing voice samples, and simply

fuckin rocks. The last 4 chillout psytrance trax are all fuckin impressive

aswell. the triptonight rmx gets 11/10 , and the beast man has an incredible

guitar riff (watch how the guitar gets transformed).overall a solid 9/10.

[Guest Que]

Oh God.. Halfway through "Ritual Plants" I'm starting this review.. I've never

been an Etnica/Pleiadians fan, as it's always been difficult for me to get

used to their way of throwing in unexpected "cheese balls" (like crazy

violin-like out-of-tune themes, etc), but this is their first release I

consider truly mature. Indeed, they've finally learned how to combine great

percussion work with funkadelia and throw most of the cheese away!

The beat is so strong, funky and INTELLILGENT. Great work, one of the best

modern-sounding albums. The freshmaker, for sure.

[Guest Trancers303]

These guys rule..and i have said it 1000000000 times but i must say it 10000000

times more. These guys are unstopable. I really don't like but listen to

Riutal Plants or The beast man.. The minimal traxxx grows on you. and Small

Doses kicks ass...And for you how misses Etnica, we have Pleiadians how make

the melodies and Crop Circles. And We have to think On Max and the guys, you

know they can't do the same thing for 7 years. The must change a style and the

manenaged to do it , without destroying the music..Thanx Etnica..YOU ARE THE

BEST!!! 8.5/10

[Guest Stormbringer]

From the cover: "All tracks written and produced by Max Lanfranconi and

Maurizio Begotti". That´s NOT true!!! I really hope they pay royalties to

Liaisons Dangereuses for using "Los niños del parque" from 1981. Why do they

change the name? Why can´t they give them credit for creating a classic tune?

"I am the shadow of myself" sounds way to much like the original from 1981 to

be considered to be a new track. Do the right thing! Don´t be the Puff Daddy

of Psytrance!

[Guest jsb]

ETNICA IS SHIT ! DONT BUY THIS ALBUM ! Its stupid just like all the other new

releases trance music should be back to 96 we need the melodies for our

spiritual well being 2/10

[Guest Phaeton]

i think the first track is really shitty, i've already heard a techno kinda

remix of "los niños del parque" before (i think it was by 'plastic voice' or

something)and it was _much_ better, and etnica's version is even less

psychedelic ..

 

anyway for the rest of the album .. small doses is one helluva cool track

[Guest Connor]

Its funny. Everyone bashing the new sound. Thanks Epic Automata for putting

it in good perspective. Equator had to grow on me, but now equator is easily

one of my top 5 as well. All time. Nitrox is a very new sound, but it is

also very original. It is not just riding on the popular minimal waves

because Etnica is always about doing new things. I especially see that in the

robot rebellion live mix. They took a track that is obviously lacking in real

etnica time and effort and made it quite amazing. Skill. Etnica has skill in

ways no other artist can begin to dream of. Give this one another try. Give

it 5 more trys. New sounds have to grow on you and this one especially. Its

quite worth it.

[Guest TecHniC]

This is a REAL SHIT !!! It is nothing new but the simple way to make money by

producing music using few sounds, some beat and some well known effects. Their

first album was the best in my opinion. I will not buy their next album.

[Guest Gibra]

This album rules but not as good as their older stuff. Buy it

nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.