V/A - Touchin Bass

[damion]

V/A - Touchin Bass

 

 

Artist: Various

Title: Touchin Bass

Label: Dragonfly

Date: 2002

 

Track listing:

 

01. 12 Moons : Nimbus

02. Shakta : Was On

03. Zen Lemonade : Dark Star

04. Green Oms : Mr Boing

05. Bamboo Forest : Step By Step

06. Zodiac Youth : Tatoo

07. Transparent : Acid Blues

08. Aphid Moon : Disco Biscuit

09. Biscava : Bass Syndrom

 

Review:

 

One of only a handful of the day-one English labels still around after the

departure of Blue Room and Flying Rhino, Dragonfly seem to have carved a good

niche in the current trance landscape. Not too hard, not too soft; not too

dark, not too mellow… it's Goldilocks syndrome, folks, and it kicks. 12 Moons'

Nimbus is a smooth bit of morning-prog with a perfect balance and an almost

otherworldly effect, while Shakta takes things a little deeper with Wax On, a

nice mover in a classic progressive vein that builds into a textured and fluid

peak. The wonderful, organic runs of Zen Lemonade's Dark Star justify it's

massive amount of plays over the summer (including one John ‘OO' Fleming), and

it's full of their trance-fusion vibe and boiling underbelly. Dick “Green

Nuns” Trevor's viral return to making music is represented by Green Om's Mr.

Boing, a pacey metallic tune that makes you wait ages for the bottom-end, adds

acid, then plays breakout with the pieces. Destined for big things, this is

the sound of 2002. As is, thinking about it, Bamboo Forest's Step By Step, a

bouncy house-trained rhythm section and wonderful analogue high-end, held

together by some amazing techno stabs n' pads till a subtle growl drives it

along, and immaculate pings bring it down. Zodiac Youth's Tattoo is harder,

with a menacing look in its eye, a killer cinematic breakdown and a totally

unique vibe and drive. Transparent ride Acid Blues on a deep, deep groove with

soaring electric guitar phased in and out, before Aphid Moon's Disco Biscuit

brings it all back home to the belting, gurning dancefloor material. Huge and

devastating, it does have a disco feel (though imagine Donna Summer's scored a

bit of DMT off McKenna). Finally Bass Syndrom, from Swedes Biscaya, is a

clattering and lo-tempo bit of progressive with a killer line that rounds

things off nicely. Touchin' Bass is fresh, effective, killer, well-produced,

varied and not a duff tune in sight. Which can only mean one thing: five stars.

5/5

[Guest Tomvcarter]

A good all round album, with a bit of everything through out. 12 moons begins

with a sci-fi progressive tune, which grooves allong on a fat housy baseline,

very nice. Shakta with his best tune for many years imo, a percussive very

groovy prog tune, with a strong UK feel to it, wicked little breaks throught,

which kick back into its big bouncy base line. Zen lemonade & Green Ohms tunes

are a little harder than the previous two, both nice tunes, and if you listen

carefully you can still hear the Green Nuns sound in the Ohms tune, very much

missed. Bamboo Forest with a good hard trance tune, there best so far in my

opinion, a stompy baseline, with cool little samples throught, and lots of

acidic stabs, and is finished off with a beutiful psy melody. Not a big fan of

the Z.Youth tune, just nothing special with it, stupid pointless samples which

are anoyingly faded in and out at the wrong times ruined an allright tune, but

i am fussy! Transparent, another side project of legendary Youth, is a slower

but very fat tune with a blues guitar rift funking it along with some meaty

bass, a very good tune. Aphid Moon also with a good tune hard psy, and

percussive, with a kind of old skool goa vibe to it, but than not at all old

skool, if you see what i mean. And finally a collaboration that i would love

to see a lot more of, Biscaya which is made up of Marcus from Son Kite &

Philip from Ticon, two of the best artists on the scene. It is a funky tune

with typical Digital Structure like rhythems and bass line, with a huge rift

picking up halfway through, a very good tune, and would love to hear more from

these two.

Overall it is a very good album, as every tune is good, but not all of it

works. But i would still recomend buying it for the 12moons, Shakta,

Transperent & Biscaya tunes, which are all amazing. The album has a sound to

it that only Dragonfly seem to be able to make, and i am looking forward to

more especially from these 4 artists.

Good 8/10

[Basilisk]

My review:

http://www.ektoplazm.com/reviews/touchin-bass/