Saiko-Pod - Phutures And Options

[Guest knut[at]shpongle[dot]com]

Saiko-Pod - Phutures And Options

 

 

Artist: Saiko-Pod

Title: Phutures And Options

Label: Solstice

Date: 2002

 

Track listing:

 

01. Two Dots

02. Silent Running

03. Phutures

04. Options

05. Wednesday

06. Groove Moderator

07. Magnetic Force

08. Apollo

09. Going Down In Chinatown

10. Tron

 

Review:

 

The year 2002 is deemed to be an interesting year with album-releases from

many of our top acts. "Phutures and options" perhaps being a focal point as

the leaders of the genre pull forward. This new release comes after a

matching name-change, apparently because saiko means "great" in Japanese. As

the era of minimalistic tech-trance comes to an end, attentive listeners are

reporting of a current trend among DJ's as to blend in regular trancy house.

It seems a move towards more funky and downtempo tracks is in the offing.

Hopefully, if there is to be any uniqueness left from the original

psychedelic intent, (-being distinguishable from plain progressive house or

minimal techno), more artist and DJ's will have to favour such profound and

imaginative approaches as the Saiko-pod album clearly presents. The future

of psytrance, and whatever options we shall have ahead, is clearly dependant

on the willingness of producers to stay away from a blatant merger with

other styles of techno and house, even as chances of making the same big

bucks are perhaps far from close. Therefore, I'm very glad to witness how

long time synthespians Ian Ion and Frank E deliver a set of full-flavoured

and original psychedelic music, with the delicious taste of detail as always

present. A clear progression and development of ideas reveals itself,

unaffected by the current simplistic domination. However, this is not the

duo's most advanced set of tracks as to date. Instead, the focus is on a

groovy dance-oriented unhasty sound (mainly around 135 -140 BPM), as most of

the tracks have shuffled rhythms and a funky feel, something not so common

in psytrance until now. The choice of sounds is interesting and often

unique, naturally subsequent of brilliant programming skills. I presume the

presence of real analogue, virtual analogue and FM-assisted synthesisers.

Unlike most minimal producers today, Ian and Frank are the kind of guys you

can count on to bring out the possibilities in modern synthesis to a fuller

capacity.

"Phutures and option" will probably come across as being a little less

layered than earlier Koxbox and Psychopod creations. Some of the tracks

might even be picked up by non-psy DJ's. But I'm not complaining. We have

had a fair share of complex mind-twizzlors from these guys, and it's nice to

see their talent pilot into new directions. Recognisably, some of the former

features are still being applied, for example the characteristic short

melodic phrases as in the tracks "Silent running", "Groove moderator" and

"Magnetic Force". This is something that may seem easy in the making, but in

Saiko-pod's design comes off as intelligent musication. Likewise, the filter

envelopes (sweeps) are used expressively in short passages, and not in long

phrases (because there are almost none), clearly a continued surpassing of

the common language of goatrance (read: long and dull filtersweeps). The

overall sound I would define as broad, transparent and balanced, taking care

of the whole audible spectrum. As expected, the bass is not over-dominant or

distorted, but the aim is rather to have a spacious sound as the selected

basses subsist in the mid-tones region. The RMS (average volume) is mostly

around -10 dBFS, meaning the tracks are not heavily compressed, thus leaving

room for dynamics. The top-region is vivid as usual, and the percussive

elements are supporting the flow nicely without being the focus of

attention. Furthermore, the sound effects are not as drastic as earlier

stuff has been. Instead, heavy reverbing is sometimes used, making

single-shot sounds stand out from the otherwise well-defined elements.

Some of the most bouncy and pumping tracks on the album are "Two dots",

"Apollo" and closing title "Tron". These workings share some resemblance to

"6 cells" and "Crunchy moles" from the last album. Very danceable music.

"Magnetic force", another groove-bop'er, has the added value of comedy and

chaos, probably designed to get big grins going on the dance-floor with its

persistent samples of monkey-laughter. Totally zoo! I'm not sure how it

relates to magnetic forces though... The album also comes with a couple of

other nice surprises, like the nifty no-kick tracks "Options" - being a

funky warm bass-driven tune with a smooth and small, almost undetectable

change in BPM, and later on "Going down in Chinatown" - being more of a

chords and single-synth vivisection with a small breakbeat dropin at the

end. "Wednesday" has a lovely mellow touch of "mid-week" aloofness, similar

to much of the Saafi Brothers material. One of my favourite tracks is

"Groove moderator", a loopy hypnotic shuffler with a nice closing

build-down. I must admit to smiling from ear to ear the first time I heard

the voice sample at the end... saying something about the future of music.

I'm sure whatever happens, saiko will be there.

Rating 10/10

[Guest sviskon]

track 1,2 is great!! really good psychedelic dancefloor tracks.

3 is ok but a bit boring.

4. hmm slow track.. some heavy synthlines in the background with some sample "i

love you" coming in every once in awhile. quite boring without surprises.

5.another track which just doesn't do it for me. again slow. some japanease

samples. no surprises.

6. better speed in this one. very danceable. nice groove. great track.

7.oh yes... nice monkey sounds.. speedy danceable track.one of the better on

the album.

8.wow.. great start.. uses some samples from the saiko-pod track go fly a kite

from infinite excursions 3. after the good starts it continues for 5 minutes

and slows down. almost feels like it's connected to the next track.

9.very good slow breakbeat ambient track. good atmosphere.

10. back to high bpm again. quite psychedelic. good track but not mindblowing.

 

well to sum up the album. Great quality production. alot of the best tracks are

previously released and the order of tracks could be questioned. the whole cd

is mixed. I like all tracks alot but track 4,5. I give this album 8/10.

[Guest russ]

more reviews from the knut please!

my take on this album: similiiar to the nutter above with regard to the

exquisite sounds and production, but more disappointed than the nutter with

regard to frank and ion's shift away from psychedelic structures to more

accessible clubby tunes. this work is missing the mental intensity of their

full-length works of the past. nothing wrong with that, if this is a one-cd

foray into a new fun and games. but if the next koxbox album follows this

road, i will be greatly disappointed. no one can make mental music like these

guys, but have they lost interest in the psychological side?

[Guest Digi Shamanix]

Without doubt high quality but nothing that REALLY stands out to me. I was

hoping for something that would REALLY suprise me.

[Guest Defbydelta...]

yes this one rocks for sure! nothing more to add after that review high

abouv.... 8/10 from me thu

BUY IT!

[Guest MG]

I liked the first review although I disagree about Groove Moderator, weak track

IMHO. I really enjoyed the observations about the Volume and the possible

level of overall compression, Great stuff, Great producers of great music. Now

for the album, I hope that something of a rock n roll thing happens with the

established groups will occur one day in that they always go back to their

roots with a new spin. Perhaps in conceit, I also hope that 'Saiko' will

eventually be regarded as a 4th incarnation (Koxpod can be considered as the

3rd, albeit an amalgamation, though if my conceit pays off Koxpod will become

an ambiguity). I am not saying that these tracks are bad, far from it, I am

affirming my preference for 1997's 'Psychopod', the Headlines EP was blowaway

material even today, and I feel that they still have something to contribute

to that modus operandi. It seems this album can be considered as a progression

from "The Great Unknown" which I also enjoyed as a whole album, I just hope

time won't find this progression a stylistic rut and the next Koxbox album

might just shock me with whatever conclusion. Listen to this first, if you

aren't a fan or more likely, unfimiliar with this group and their work, but

you are familiar then I say buy it like you buy Simon Posford's work, you

might not necessarily agree with it 100% but you respect the craftsmanship

involved and can appreciate the journey thus far. BTW Koxpod, please return to

Melbourne, it's been 3 years to long.

[Gorgonator]

Nothing left to say on this one !

 

Simply awesome 9.5/10

[Guest info[at]koxbox[dot]dk]

Thanx for your support and nice words. With this album we've taken an inroad

into new territories and as such it shouldn't be considered as a purist Koxbox

album (The next, which will be different from all the rest with it's Hawaiian

influence! ;-). Knut's nice review reads our intentions well and for you

die-hard psytrancers out there we'll twist the studio material into new

mutations at a number of live events all over the World this summer that

should keep your flouro flares flying!

 

xoxo Saiko-pod

 

www.saiko-pod.com

[Guest luky]

We have original sound here!!!! keep grooving 10/10

[Guest Saaf]

Long awaited and finally released in the year 2002 is the

full length by the boys from the koxbox lab Ian Ion and

Frank E. They start with a progressive like track called

"Two Dots". Slowly grooving they set the sphere for this

cd. To back up their concept the cd starts with a "phutures

and options" sample. The track keeps changing and lifting

with fine percussion. A nice opener wich promises a lot for

the rest of the disc.

Track 2 "Silent Running" is different, extremely trancey

due to the lead synth line. It's warm and very hypnotising,

it's is a journey on it's own. They make use of a guitar

sound wich is very well done again, very subtle sounding,

still upfront in the mix, those guys have great production

skills.

Then track 3, my personal fave of the cd. it's a quite deep

and progressive track with brilliant beats and percussion.

the warm synth lines make me travel through the galaxy

sober. Round 6min 40 the sound is brilliant it can only

make me smile, this will work very well on an open air

party!

Four is called "options" and is more of an electro-style

track but way fuller and stronger imo. The drive is quite

intens, very suitable for my downbeat sets this summer.

Play the track loud and you'll realise that this is still a

very layered, and groovey piece of music with warm synth

lines spread throughout the wall of percussion, delicious!

My favorite track of the cd will be track 5 called

"wednesday". It's a beau-ti-ful downbeat track

with lots of synth and percussion layers. It contains

several different samples of (women) voices and those give

this track an oriental feeling. It's not a drifting track,

more intens and very strong till the end, this one goes

straight into my downtempo set.

The next track on the disc is a real trancey and groovey

train. Very solid and funky, reminds me a bit of THU but

way phatter with a leading sound that goes on and on and

on, constantly evolving bit by bit. Strong in this track is

the sample "the music of the future...isn't music".

Track 7 is the track with the so called fake monkey samples

for the fans. It has a great groovy drive and fantastic

synth sounds morphing in and out throughout the track.

The track is a real killer despite of the monkey samples

wich begin to irritate after two or three listening

sessions.

The beats don't stop when the cd player skips to track 7

called Apollo. This is deep and phat and truely driving and

pumping. the layered synth sounds in the low segment

are very well done, goosebumps all over my body and I

hardly cannot sit still to check it out properly.

Next is "Going Down In Chinatown" and it is a downtempo

track again, starts off ambient with a melody made with a

beautiful half-distorted synth sound. At 3:00min a new

synth sound lifts the track to the next level and a tiny

breakbeat/d 'n bass or whatever it's called beat

complements the track very well, it's the shortest on the

cd but not a filler at all, maybe they can do a 20min.

version of this in the near future?

At last we've their beauty Tron, solid as a skyscraper. I

love the several different voice samples in this track, the

track also keeps changing and never fails to keep my

attention. If I had to categorise this track (or even the

whole cd) it def. would be PSYHOUSE. This is dancemusic as

I like it best, a diversity of tracks and sounds and the

best production in psyland. Run to get a copy!!!!

 

My personal favorites : 1,3(!!!),5(!!!),6,8(!!),10(!!).

[Guest gaelan]

hi there!

i'd say this album is nice but not really awesome. good music & great quality

for sure but i've been hearing some tracks in parties since more than a

year...and the ones i didn't know are not that killers.

have it if your a fan but i think i won't.

Love and Light.

[Guest Stimpski]

hmm, not bad, just some songs that sound like club-trance/prog with a psy

favor... or the other way around. Conclusion: i think its easier to relate

if you're into progressive.

[Guest z3pl4ne]

highly creative, funky, and danceable! we love it!

[Guest Bill T]

Groove Moderator is simply one of the most satisfying morning tunes I've ever

heard! Jummy stuff!

[Guest psyshop[at]narod[dot]ru]

uninterested stuff

 

1 & 7 old tracks////its good

 

 

6/10

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

I think this album is definitely more house-orientated, but that nevers comes

in the way of the pure quality. Sometimes certain sequences do sound a little

cheezy, but just in time get a spin that makes it really psychedelic. I was

really pleasantly surprised by this album, but I think the 'I love you'-sample

is really pushing it. 8/10 ( euhm one of the samples ends with 'fucked your

mother...' ?

[Guest wato]

this is a quality record...but wheres the creativity?.. this is more of the

same old shit

[Guest woutski]

The best artist album in Psychedelic music since The Great Unknown.

All the snobs who think this is booty House music: name me 1 House artist that

resembles this far out music.

This is simply the best there is, maybe you will come to realise this after 5

or even 30 years, coz (like every other Koxbox/Saikopod track/album) this is

music that stands the test of time.

Saikopod are The Orb of psychedelic trance! 8)

Favorite track: keeps changing all the time..for now it's Options ("I love

you"!)

9/10 (a 9 because there are so many previously released tracks on it)

Otherwise it would be a big fat 10

[Guest Aqua Mental]

Great album! I just received it from Psyshop this morning and put it on while

having breakfast in the morning sun in the balcony... What a wonderful way to

start a new day! Every track is great, but what really made me go nuts was

MAGNETIC FORCE (t7) with those crazy monkey sounds. This album is pure fun for

the whole family. I love Ian and Frank!

[Guest Psylent Buddhi]

Huh, got this a few hours ago, and I'm writing this review while I'm listening

to the album for the fourth time in a row. There is no point in giving a

detailed review of this album, as Knut, MG and Saaf covered all the aspects of

this album before me. This is just another classic album released by the

freaky Koxboxians Ian Ion and Frank'E! Somehow these guys are always spot on

with their innovations and changes! They never fail to deliver! Phutures And

Options is a must have album from the 'Koxbox lab'! By far the best

psychedelic album to come out in 2002. And although the year isn't over, I

highly doubt this effort will be surpassed (actually, I'm positive it won't)!

Ahhh, just great... simply... /PB

[Guest fr3qos[at]hotmail[dot]com]

Oh yes i love this album and i love too saiko pod LIVE!Very good!But why the

tracks that they made are so tripy and FraNKE'S set is so hard???

[DeathPosture]

Amazing stuff here... I cannot stop listening to this album over and over

again... My only concern was that some of these tracks were already released -

but then again - when it THIS GOOD, who the hell cares!?... This is

stunning... I cannot stress that enough! The soundtrack of the summer! 9.5/10

[Guest kzi]

i was excited to finally get my copy last week as i have been playing their

previous album out at parties for years... but this is worlds apart. i'll say

right off the bat that the ideas contained here are by no means nearly as

powerful as headlines. on the other hand, with these guys being such gifted

producers, it comes out better than most anyhow. my number one complaint with

the album is some of the awful samples... nicely integrated of course but

there are a few tracks that have moments where i go 'argh thats just awful,

why for the love of chri..' well anyway its kinda bad in that way. silent

running is for me the best track, nearly perfect as a fusion of psy and house

and good times... unfortunatly i've had that track for a while already and

played it at plenty of parties - i cant consider it in relation to the other

tracks i have available to me. two dots is good and funky but damn, dont like

the samples. i joke to myself and think one sample goes "saiko-pod is boring,

but psychopod is fun!" of course not, and just a joke but when i have to do

that to enjoy a part of a song i gotta wonder why... tron is fairly nice

though unsuprising, and phutures is LUSH. wednesday features some irritating

sample work again, and apollo is starting to make an impact (good on the funk

factor). bloody awful cover art though, clearly (to me) one of the worst this

year. its so disconnected and bland and at times, extremely cheezy (the 2002

in the top left corner repeating, what is this a dance hits compilation?).. ah

well... with high expectations one is going to get disappointed with the

little things, and having come to expect so much from psychopod i can say i

was a little let down... but not that much - i'm realistic too. i'll be liking

this in the years to come, even if i will be playing forever after, dragon

tales, and headlines much more often than this. saiko will completely redeem

themselves in my mind if we see a few hyper-complex remixes of these tunes on

vinyl sometime soon... anyhow, final note - wicked summer tunes, surely some

memorable music, and a leader of the pack. the only thing i'm not looking

forward to is the cluelessly inept copycat albums that are sure to follow.

saiko-pod, you have opened a potentially terrible pandora's box!

[Guest Astraldruid[at]hotmail[dot]com]

A tracks sure to shake the dancefloor, Tron and Magnetic Force... nice tracks..

Looking forward to playing these out at upcoming festivals and Options is an

awesome transition piece.

[Guest Diepeveen]

Well... I've allways been a big fan of Frank'E and IanIon... And i look at this

as a masterpiece just as good as Dragon Tales! Knut has made a fine review

indeed so i wont bother. But best tracks are: 1(!),2,3,6,7,9(!) and 10(!)...

But all tracks are very nice and listenable! Final verdict: 9/10