psychedelic_mustache Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Artists: Vegetal Title: Free thinkers are dangerous Label: Wirikuta Catalog: WKTCD005 Format: CD Released: 2006 Tracklist: 01. Ultramilitance 02. Bare Knuckles of hate 03. No Gods No Leaders No Problem 04. Nothing in this world worth having comes easy 05. Brown Shirt Bush 06. What Goes Around Comes Around 07. Free Thinkers are Dangerous 08. Become the Media 09. Global Intifada 10. Pledge of Defiance Vegetal isn't like most other psytrance producers. He's a man with opinons, and where other trancers keep quiet he's not afraid to voice his somewhat hard-hitting message in his music. The tracktitles reveal some of the themes you can excpect to encounter on you politically charged trip through vegetals sonic universe. Musically my expectations for this album were mediocre before digging in. I'm not really familiar with Vegetals previous work, but what I've heard from peacespect(which he is a member of) has mostly been positive....Let hit the barricades and check out the tracks! 01. Ultramilitance The opening of the first track sounds pretty much like any other "darkish" psy these days. It soon becomes clear, though that vegetal is serious about his agressive theme. Ultramilitance is a hard-hitting, raw-edged piece of mayhem where the three key elements are 1 )energy 2)energy and 3) energy. It should also be pointed out that it's pretty varied and to my suprise (and delight) also somewhat melodic. I especially enjoyed the last 2-3 minutes when the sound shifts somewhat to a more fluid direction. Very nice opening! 02: Bare knuckles of hate This tracktitle leaves little to the imagination, and as it suggests this, as the previous track is pretty hard-hitting stuff. Even so, you can still hear that all the energy and mayhem is resting upon a clear musical fundament. This isn't just random clutters of sound placed on top of eachother. The melodies involved might not be the most complex and multilayered out there, but they give some harmonic background for the more noisy parts of the music. As for the samples - well, you can agree or disagree politically - but for me they ceirtanly give vegetals music an extra edge. Another Solid track! 03: No Gods No Leaders No Problem This track opens in a very gloomy fashion with US president George W. Bush Jr. (if I'm not wrong here) talking about the media and corporate America. After this rather nicely excecuted intro I have mixed feelings about this track. I mean I barely can't listen to the first four minutes of it. For me it's to monotonus and somewhat dull. It should also be pointed out that I have nothing against guitars - I enjoy my Rock and my Roll as much as I enjoy my Psy and my trance, but here I found them sort of...well....out of place. Then something happens however, and there is a rather nice mid-section of the track that for me stands out. A female voice starts singing and the mood is more relaxed. Towards the end we get more of the monotonus stuff that bothered me before. For me this is one of the weaker tracks here, but hey.....you might enjoy this 04: Nothing in this world woth having comes easy As for this tracktitle - I couldnt agree more! Here Vegetal is back in a more playfull mood. While this is still really agressive it's more varied. There is an awfull lot of work put in to the rythmic sections of the track and in additions to this there are som beautiful and harmonic melodies moving to and through. There are also some guitars involved here and though a tad harsh for my general taste they fit well with the expression here. At the moment this is perhaps the track I enjoy most from this album. Oh...and the use of samples here?? Brilliant! 05: Brown Shirt Bush So if you haven't figured it out by now you haven't been paying much attention while listening to the first few tracks, bu Vegetal really doesn't seem to enjoy the US president very much... Can't really disagree with him on that point now can we. As for this track, this is again one of those tracks that contain all those elements that so far has proved so enjoyable. Really clever use of samples, hard hitting and stomping trance, nice melodies, a rainbow of changing sounds and effects and some really nice breaks every now and then. Nicely done! 06: What Goes Around Comes Around Oh, this is a track I have some issues with! hehe..I mean - it's great (To some extent) - and it's not the samples I mind either. The issue involved is Turkey and Armenia, and I really don't know my history well enogh to comment upon it. Back to the actual track. My main issue here is that in the start of this track there seem to be som great ideas. Som softer, dark ambien sounds blend with the bassdrum and a few othe atmospheric elements and together it all sound really nice. The problem though is that instad of building further on this, most of the track is constructed around a horrible Gabber-style melody. Every now and then those ambient scapes are brought back, but it's just so frustrating when they're taken away. Nice ideas - but I'd like to see them differently put together. 07: Free thinkers are dangerous Opening almost as some Euro-style dancetrack that is quickly distorted in to the by now familiar vegetal-sound the albums title track howls at you like there is no tomorrow. This is a really atmospheric, almost epic piece of of wonderful trance-music. Perhaps the most "uplifting" track on the album with it's long synth-sweeps compined with warious political speaches. There are so many elements and so much change involved here that this ceirtanly isn't boring stuff. Is it psychedelic you ask? I'd say yes, sir - give it a try! One of the best tracks here! 08: Become the media "Become the media" picks up where "free thinkers...." stopped. Plenty of melody accompanies the more raw stuff. What hits me, and this actually goes for most of the album and not only this track, is that I'm really suprised by how catchy and accessible some of this music is. Perhaps this is part of some strategy to get more people hooked to his own personal message(he has infact become the media...). I for one really enjoy this blend of hard and soft sounds. Anothe solid track. 09: Global Intifada The opening of this track, as has been the case with so many others on this album is laced in a really atmospheric mood and with samples. Unfotunately I don't lnow arabic(?) so I have no idea what the guy actually says. The tracktitle should give some hints, though... The melodies here also seem to be inspired by arabian music. They wotk pretty well, even though they perhaps sound a tad "thin" compared to the roaring guitars and massive sound of the rest of the track. Not my favourite track on the album, but none the less a good track. 10: Pledge of defiance We finsh the album with a "pledge of defiance to the flag of the United states of captivity"... I love the samples involved here, and there is a ceirten sadness or melancholi in the melodies that i find really appealing. Sadly this last track displays a tad to little of what vegetal has proven capable of throughout the album. For me it's to monotonus and to much "just energy" without that little extra spice that has really made this the journey that it has been. No favourite of mine, but who really cares about that now.... Final Remarks: Needless to say you won't enjoy this album if you are a conservative republican living in the south of Texas. The samples on this album aren't of the kind we're used to hearing in psytrance. There is no references to either LSD, Mushrooms or Spliffs here. Vegetal has a point to get across and in my opinion he manages to do so just fine. The reason I bought this album was actually all the talk I'd been hearing about the samples and how vegetals music had "corrupted the true essence of psytrance" with politics. After having the album for quite some time, though - I really think there is alot more to this album that just the samples. I'm especially thinking about the combination of really raw, punk-like aggression and energy and softer, more melodic installments. I don't like everything on the record, there are two or three tracks that really doesn't do anything for me. That being said - this album is recomended. Really! Tomas (Psychedelic Mustache) Buy it here: Saiko Psyshop Beatspace Wirikuta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybernetika Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Really awesome album. Excellent review as it reflects my feeling about it quite well, I dont think I need to write mine then This album definately got something special to it, its got soul and atmosphere which seems to be lacking in many modern releases. Its like Dark Psy infused with a Hardcore/Punk attitude. Well, about the messages... while I think they are not the most intelligent ones, I still appreciate the fact that Vegetal wants the listener to actually think about his music. And of course, theres atmosphere inside... long ago since something gave me such shivers as the "Free Thinkers are Dangerous" track. Pure dark uplifting stuff, works perfectly for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alleycat Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 at times, it seems to me that those in other countries, especially Europe, know more about whats going on in my country than many Americans. Theres so many here who are willing to just "go along with it all" so they dont have to give up convenience, giant cars, cheap gas, disposable everything, and most of all their comfort, taken at the cost of others' comfort. Freedom, at the cost of others'. And so many Americans just turn their heads, turn on the TV, and turn off their minds. Its good that people are exposing themselves and others to the truth of whats going on, it may not be pleasant, but it should be known. The samples are the voices of, I believe, Jello Biafra, former singer of the Dead Kennedys, Noam Chomsky, author, Mumia Abu Jamal, an outspoken former Black Panther wrongly accused of murdering a cop and now on Death Row in Pennsylvania, and others I dont know. Its great that the world is hearing this message, that America, as a country, not a people, does not care much for human rights so long as there's money in it! And anyone who actually takes the time to look around this nation will agree that its true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Psychiatrist Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 Well this 5 page discussion ignited my curiousity. Not everyday i hear about a psy trance CD that carries some sort of a message, so I've downloaded it, started to listen and spotted some obvious Skazi influences (guitars, kick+hat combinations but unfortunatelly no reversed kicks...) Total lack of any coherent structure or buildup, fast BPM, lots of screams and noises. Samples that i just ignored, cause they are as relevant to the music as my pudel's farts over a Mozart recording. To sum things up: I couldn't care less for political views of some guy in Sweden, but the music doesn't have any message. It's hollow, messy and gave me a headache almost as strong as the last Ka Sol album did. I can only feel sorry for people that will be tripping in a party and hearing this nightmare music. One way ticket to the asylum. Give me Paranormal Attack over that any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gutty Posted August 16, 2006 Share Posted August 16, 2006 paranormal attack sucks, and this isn't a 5 page thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klas Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 This is stupid. This is not music to me, this is pure shit. Both Ka-sol and Paranormal attack at least have melodies in most of their tracks, but this is just noise. You dont need any talent to make that kind of music. You just have to feel a lot of hate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotwang Posted November 23, 2006 Share Posted November 23, 2006 I actually quite like the sound of the samples on saikosounds, but the whole message thing just ruins it for me. If I want opinions I'll form my own, I listen to music because I want to hear something that sounds good. Last thing I want is to hear about some Turkish massacre while I'm stoned and dancing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmanuhell Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Very nice Review Mr psychedelic_mustache. Vegetal isn't like most other psytrance producers. He's a man with opinons, and where other trancers keep quiet he's not afraid to voice his somewhat hard-hitting message in his music.... I could not have sait it better myself. Now also available on www.nabi-records.com, in the shop area. We decided to support this release by our friend Peter: Psychedelic music is about opening counciousness and freedom... Sorry to dissapoint some or many of you, but psychedlic trance has nothing much to do with getting stoned or stupid little elfs flying on giant colorfull flowers ... Time to wake up and admit people have the right and freedom to try to express other feelings and ideas If you believe some people, some acts, some actions are not right nor just: Express yourself one way or another instead of being a silent sheep and maybe things will change according to YOUR views. That is a GREAT message!!! Thank's Peter for some kick ass music and for the serious subjects and idea you share with us. Peace Emmanuhell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sideffect... Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 it's not bad, their sound reminds me of the typical rave sound, like snares, only the samples get boring after a while imo.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pr0fane Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Wow, the man actually has OPINIONS!?!?! Groundbreaking man!! SUPPORT THIS NOW!!! Killargh bassline + Killargh opinions = Killargh album! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goa Bill Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Wow, the man actually has OPINIONS!?!?! Groundbreaking man!! SUPPORT THIS NOW!!! Killargh bassline + Killargh opinions = Killargh album! 649603[/snapback] Exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
implogen Posted November 26, 2006 Share Posted November 26, 2006 Hearing it right now... Global Intifada is EXCELLENT Free Thinkers Are Dangerous' intro is very good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gutty Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 I think Rotwang said it best. Political messages just aren't trip friendly. And being trip friendly is kinda what trance is about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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