V/A - Twisted Vision

DeathPosture · July 13, 2006

V/A – Twisted Vision

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Hi-res cover: front

Artist: Various

Title: Twisted Vision (by DJ Leptit)

Format: CD (jewel case)

Label: Hadra Records (France)

Cat. #: HADCD04

Distribution: Arabesque

Date: 3 July 2006

Track listing:

01. 07’05” Barak – Insane Tentacle

02. 07’05” Menog – Trance Human Extinction

03. 07’24” Hyper Frequencies - L'Élektrö Bô

04. 08’04” Jahbo vs. Shotu – Trigger Happy

05. 09’38” Highko – Brain vs. CPU

06. 06’38” Syntax Error – K-8

07. 07’50” Shotu – Aarhus Virus

08. 07’28” Phonic Request & Akhoa – The Dead City

09. 06’19” EVP - Evolution

Stream: http://tinyurl.com/pvty3 (all tracks!)

Review:

All over the history, even the greatest actions and the most critical turn points, started with a VISION!

Hadra Records is a psytrance music spin-off by the French festival-organizers-turned-record-label Hadra… Maybe it’s the other way around!? I’m not really sure. What I do know though, is that this collective of French psytrancer nutters have been releasing compilations since 2004… This is their 4th instalment, compiled by the label persona DJ Leptit… The tracklist reveals a bunch of well-known names, so I’m looking forward to getting a Twisted Vision…

Let me take you thru the tracks…

#01: Barak – Insane Tentacle [145 BPM]

“Mmm, I’m thirsty! Oh, I don’t think you should drink thaaaaaaaaat, it looks bad for you! Nonsense, it makes me feel great, smarter, more aggressive! … Purple Tentacle's mutated into an insane genius! … Are you sure we don't need to add anything about hideous slimy super-intelligent tentacles? Well, what possible harm could one insane, mutant tentacle do? … I feel like I could take on the world! … Build a time machine!” Barak (Fernando Diaz Gallardo) opens the ball… And this aptly named track is indeed insane… It’s fast-paced, pounding night-trance packed with humorous samples from Days Of The Tentacle and all kinds of odd twists and turns… Seriously, there’s not a single dull second here. It’s action packed and it’s very psychedelic, but it doesn’t get too pretentious. It’s simply good, wholesome fun! Reminds me a great deal of Drumatik’s style which I really like… I like this too!

#02: Menog – Trance Human Extinction [144 BPM]

“Look around. Those passes are the only entrance to this oasis! Hey, did you hear something? Shh, I hear something! […] I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that the alternative, if you can call it that, is total extinction!” Portuguese producer Menog (Daniel Bernardo) has released two albums + a long list of compilation tracks and remixes… What I’ve heard from his hands has been great, and this track is also good… Basically this is melodic party music verging on night trance with a big splash of psychedelia… I really like the eerie background pads and naïve melodies that span the entire track… They correlate nicely with the pounding bass and the twirling acid lines… Another nice track!

#03: Hyper Frequencies - L'Élektrö Bô [146 BPM]

Frenchman Gilles Béraud is another very active psytrance producer with an impressive roster of releases under his belt… With a few exceptions, I’ve appreciated most of what I’ve heard from him in the past and this track certainly has potential too… It’s energetic, twirling psytrance with a certain funky charm to it… I like the morphing sounds and how they swoosh in particular – they are very trippy and help elevate this track into higher dimensions…

#04: Jahbo vs. Shotu – Trigger Happy [148 BPM]

On this track Shotu (David Marmin from France aka. DJ Leptit who compiled this CD) is joined by Danish producer Røllike Jahbo – one of the most acclaimed Århus personalities… And that’s because of tracks like this! This is a class example of the fine-tuned, relentless, deeply psychedelic Århus-sound which rocks trance floors across the globe… Sharply defined, much focussed and deeply trippy night trance destined to fuck you up! Lovely!

#05: Highko – Brain vs. CPU [150 BPM]

Heiko Quast from Germany is a night-psy producer whom I first got acquainted with recently… His collaboration with fellow Germans Naked Tourist on the 2006 Dropout Productions compilation Project Eleusis was a stand-out, but from what I’ve understood both his album and his compilation tracks are all over or close to 150 BPMs – just like this one… And that’s where it gets just a liiiiiiiiittle too hectic for my tastes… Sure, there are a bunch of interesting, trippy and funny elements here, but that gabbaesque bassline doesn’t really fly well with me… It’s too much of a good thing…

#06: Syntax Error – K-8 [150 BPM]

And the same problem applies for the next track… It’s too hardcore! Anyway, this is an alias for Danish producer Jacob Skouborg (member of Grapes Of Wrath) who has released some real goodies over the years… And sure enough, this track oozes quality too – from the rich, shroomy qualities to the twirling acid-lines and otherworldly tweaks… I just wish it was a little less hectic…

#07: Shotu – Aarhus Virus [148 BPM]

David Marmin (DJ Leptit) is back with a solo track here… And though he’s French, he’s been infected with a virus from Denmark. Århus to be more precise! That’s right; this is definitely Parvati-like stuff – raging mad, deeply focussed, demented and triptastic night trance… And groovy at the same time! Wow, what a complex! Great!

#08: Phonic Request & Akhoa – The Dead City [146 BPM]

“The Dead City! Quick, quick, they will see, they will see. Come away! Come away! Look, look, we've found it: the way into Mordor! The secret stairs! Climb!” Wilfried Decaesteker (Phonic Request) and Olivier Charpier (Akhoa) stick together like waffles! I’ve often commented positively on their oddball and usually humorous take on psytrance… This approach takes the music to a more humane level – and leaves you smiling while you’re dancing. The intro revolves around the Gollum samples from ROTK when he’s leading Sam and Frodo past Minas Morgul – and the creepy atmosphere from the movie is portrayed well here… As the track progresses it turns into a versatile bunch of psychedelic bleeps, twisted blops and trippy twists – all tied up by some churning synths and a very well-constructed rhythm section… Lovely!

#09: EVP – Evolution [146 BPM]

“The new evolution stems from information, and it stems from two types of information: digital and analogue. The digital is artificial intelligence; the analogue results from molecular biology, the cloning of the organism, and you knit the two together with neurobiology…” Closing things up is a track by UK-producer Alex Diplock… He released his excellent debut album Harmonic Module on Wild Thing Records in late 2005. I was really taken by Alex’ unique underground, yet melodic style rooted deep in old-school psychedelia… And this is a very typical EVP track – just like what I fell in love with the first time… Very melodic AND very underground psychedelic too – incredibly versatile and immensely trippy! The Waking Life samples are maybe a bit over-used, but who cares? This is a brilliant track! Perfect for dancing, trancing and late night romancing! Awesome track!

Hadra started with a vision – a twisted one! I gotta give them, and especially the visionary DJ Leptit, credit for compiling one hell of a fine night trance compilation… With only two exceptions all tracks here are above average quality… Seriously, this is up to par with a Parvati Records release! And that’s about the best damn compliment I can give as Parvati is one of my absolute fav’e labels… And this is equally good, packed to the rim with trippy, twisted and very dancefloor friendly night time tracks… Well done Hadra and DJ Leptit!

The cover art is plastered with maybe a little too much bright text, but it does not ruin the impression of a very fine package… Fans of diverse, edgy Parvati-like psytrance should NOT miss this one… Enjoy!

Favourites: 1(!), 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9(!!)

DeathPosture

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