Prabhamandala - Terra Incognita

[Guest Slave2rave]

Prabhamandala - Terra Incognita

 

 

Artist: Prabhamandala

Title: Terra Incognita

Label: Saikosounds

Date: 2003

 

Track listing:

 

01. Premonition

02. Gnome Grown

03. Terraformers

04. Diamondback

05. Explorriors

06. Tokyo Droids (Spaceblade Mix)

07. A Land Apart

08. Tablamandala

09. Spiritchill

 

Review:

 

Didn't hear this album, but heard a song called Spellbinder, still unreleased.

If this album is somewhat similar to that music, than it's a weird album.

Their sound seems to be very psychedelic, full of bleep-blops. Sometimes it

remembers me of Hux Flux, but even more twisted. The beats are very variated,

and that's a very good point. Very tended to drum'n bass. There's no real

melody, but a certain order inside the "bleep-blop-chaos". Well, if you like

experimentation and weird psychedelia, maybe you'll like their sound. Can't

rate it since i didn't listen to the album. If their style is the same as in

Spellbinder, then i give 8/10 for experimentation. And 6,5/10 for the sound

itself. PLUR

[Guest Slave2rave]

Well, i must say that the sound grew on me, and actually is very good. They

have a very unique style, it's something you like very much or hate it to the

core. Me likey. :-) 9/10 for experimentation. 8/10 for the sound now.

[Guest Immersed]

Before I start, let me just say “Buy This Album.” You can get it at various

online shops now. It's some of the best US psy out there. Now on to the

review. ;-)

 

Prabhamandala have a unique approach to psytrance. Slave2rave really nailed it

but let me elaborate. Out of a wall of primal chaotic sound they develop

specific grooves and mental images, which rise and fall back into the source

sound. As a result, their sound is different than the classic trance stompers.

For one, the rhythms tend to change within the tracks. In fact, they seem to

view their rhythms as only one of the many sounds available in the primal

sonic stew, instead of as an underlying base (pun not intended) that ties the

track together.

 

This approach, especially the rhythm changes can be challenging on the dance

floor. Some people like to enjoy their psytrance primarily through headphones,

while some like it primarily through the dance floor. Prabhamandala initially

made their music for the first category, as their 3 earlier albums

demonstrate.

 

However, as they've evolved and played out live (which is a different

experience than simply listening to the albums), they've become nicer to the

dance floor. This album is huge step in that direction in my opinion. While

preserving their signature metallic sound, Prabhamandala produce their most

organic and tribal sound yet on this album. I think that the dancers will be

able to appreciate this one.

 

 

The album starts with an eerie track that is more of a prelude than anything.

Premonition is a great name for it. Then Gnome Grown kicks in. This track is

definitely one of my favorites. It starts slow and chilly, sounding similar to

Shpongle. The sound is shuffling, tribal and oriental. The lazy guitar adds to

the stoned out feel. The track gradually unfolds to some straight up trance.

This a good track to light up to.

 

Gnome Grown blends into Terraformers, which starts out as pure pounding trance

and develops into further weirdness. The part with the “Shake ‘n Bake-a”

sample is wicked!

 

The fourth track is called Diamondback and gives out a very snakey vibe. Hell,

even my mom, who hasn't heard much psy and didn't know the name of the track

commented that it reminded her of a snake. There are many snake related

samples, including the Indian from Natural Born Killers and Jim Morrison

singing “”ride the snake.” The track hisses and slithers along nice and dark.

 

Explorriors comes next and it's the most experimental, minimal, and harsh.

Because of this, it's my least favorite as I'm one of those full on melodic

dancing freaks.

 

Number 6 is a remix of a track from their 12", Tokyo Droids. It's some

psychotic robotic full on sound that definitely produces pictures of a Samurai

Droid battle. This remix had several samples that the original doesn't have,

which, while cool, didn't seem to go with the theme of the track. It's

entirely possible that I'm missing something though.

 

By the 7th track the rhythms start out slower and phatter. The album itself

gets more organic, warmer, and hypnotic. The rhythm of A Land Apart is very

drum and bassy yet the track soars at the same time.

 

Tablamandala is another hypnotic full on track with what seems like some Etnica

influences. The Vo-coder at the beginning sounds almost like Buddhist

chanting. Very nice.

 

The name of the last track, Spiritchill, gives you a good idea of how it

sounds. Very chilly and the most organic track on this album. It's also

another one of my favorites. The bass is the phattest on this track and the

melodies carry on a beautiful conversation with each other. The sample, “your

new family welcomes you,” is pretty cool and fits quite well. Excellent! I

really look forward to hearing stuff from their chill side project Androcell.

 

Finally, I can't leave without complementing Quasga (one half of the duo) on

the gorgeous album art. I really dig that there is an explanation of the

symbolism in the cover art. I also admire that this group makes it's own album

art. They are definitely Multi-tasking Artistic Entities!

[Guest Jesiah]

the last review says it all, but here's just one more huge FUCK YEAH! to this

album!

not just good american psy - this is just damn good psy. I couldn't believe it

was from the 'States at first just because I had never heard anything of this

calliber be spawned of there..

great, very dynamic and mind bending album...

My favorites are Terraformers (track 3) and Diamondback (4)... great stompers,

incredible headphone music, and rip up the dancefloor too! ... ... all in all

9/10 !