Sideffect... Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 AVIGMATIC RECORDS DigiCult: Avenida De Belgica (CD) 1. Instinct 2. All Balls Out 3. Twisted 4. Avenida De Belgica 5. Leap Of Faith 6. The Way In 7. Spiritual 8. Brainwash 9. Lightshaper Well here it is, The second Belgium artist with their debut album and once again imo one to be pride off. This is imo the most difficult review I ever started, cause in this situation I know the artist and the fact is although each review is subjective according to the reviewers taste there is an other area, influence I had to compete with, one of the two members Bert asked me long time ago the first time I heard some of their tracks, If I liked it? and I said yes I do. But how far do I like it because it’s made by a friend of my own age. The sub consciousness was playing a roll here, off course you say you like it, it’s your friend. Well in Israel this may sound ordinary but in Belgium not every 18 year kid living on it’s own is making goa (kidding ), so normally when people ask me to review their album I put in on my mp3 player for one week and then say, yep I like it and review it, or no I don’t let somebody else do it, Well without exaggerating I have come at this point that I have listened to this album > 100 times to lower down that subjective level within the subjective concept of my perspective. Enough intro about credibility, General: for those who don’t like long review, general will do Digicult is morning fullon, it’s based on the typical morning fullon formula like we all know psychedelic trance evolved since end 2002 – begin 2003. Digicult actually achieved with Avenida De Belgica to create a concept, how did they do it. The main mark of their formula is CONTRAST ! contrast leads to variety, variety keeps your mind focus. Within this release you’ll experience hard strong baselines, uplifting climaxes, slight fluffy but then again aggressive and crying for more ! In their advancement subtle is their force, playing with their sound creating the atmosphere for more. Although it’s morning fullon, the interpretation of the atmosphere is pure individual, if you compare it to other morning fullon artist I experience it more tuff, hard, industrial, creepy. But at the other hand the subtle guitars and intro’s are just the opposite, contrast I tell you. Digicult actually provides many atmospheres changing within a track, changing baselines and etc. The sky is the limit and I know they don’t own a plain but still. Let’s get more technical, The baselines are very motivating, the kick is a bit duff but the drive keeps on rolling together with the upper sounds. As a start they often use a walk in the woods baseline and then take off with a more faster drive. Their sound is unique. Off course is still goa but extremely psychedelic, it’s goes through your brain and is ultimate sharp. To be morning fullon is say heads off, this sound is crystal clear, perfect balanced and comes on strong. It’s not pure synths but a crackling wave of a thousand little sounds moving into the same direction, one faster then the other, some ahead, some at the back. Rastaliens frogs singing along Actually Avenida De Belgica is a journey from beginning to the end, there’s not one minute you are bored, there’s not one second your ears won’t notice a psychedelic masterpiece caressing it. Not like many other artist who just build up to a climax and then sudden stop Digicult takes his time with an intro and outro so you can smoothly surf on the fullon waves. The eye for detail is highly present here as you will notice. The combination of dance floor psy trance and home listening psytrance if you are in the mood. I could write on and on but you just have to listen for yourself, that’s always like that, Why different here 1. Instinct What I like in this track a lot is the sample. "I never belonged in this world, ... i wasn't made for this, ... but i'll never forget ... those who betrayed me ... and, those who never failed my trust ... So, ..., i'll seek justice for myself, i'll choose the truth i like ... forget the past and relie on your instincts ... Don’t know from which movie it is or whatever but It’s so real to the bone I love it ! They start with a walk in the woods baseline like I said in general and speed up the release with a harder drive. Little talking psy sound are coming from everywhere, everything fits perfectly, snares are being used, but no guitar climaxes. With less advancement Digicult shows us directly what a massive and strong sound they created, it speaks wise but no uplifting compared with detailed floating influences. 2. All Balls Out Has always been and until now is still my favourite, the wave they use comparing with the guitar sound is a bit repeating but I kind of like can’t get enough of it. The end climax is super, a masterpiece. The sudden area when they create the feeling it stops they just go further and after the climax the way they smoothly end the track is like saying thanks you to the listener for his attention. Mmmm, I noticed that I wrote much in general and it’s hard not to repeat so the review of the tracks won’t be that long, This release is like one whole track, that’s the problem, you just like the digital concept or you don’t. If you do each track will be another great experience. 3. Twisted The Bart Simpson sample is safe introduced and produced within the track, they play with the sample just like they play with their sound. Bart Simpson sample : in the 1960s, LSD tablets might be decorated with the batman logo or superman's insignia, in the 1990s the most popular design chosen by manufacturers of illicit LSD is Bart Simpson’s head' ... Again we start with a walk in the woods baseline warming us up for further to come. With a sudden break the drive fills my speakers and is mainly present. Softly plays Digicult with their sound not to overloaded. But yét enough to keep it going. Together with their typical sounds crystal clear sound fill the room and smoothly the under wave announces the upcoming climax. Again an overload of crying forces sweeps through my brain but as gentile Digicult is, there is no brusque stop but smooth lowering down the climax to a an all everything perfect at the right time moment end. 4. Avenida de béligica A soft slight latino guitar used as intro creates a calm atmosphere but not for long, strong and stubborn the bass enters the tracks and a high tempo motivating drive is created, the advancement is very subtle, one sound of another, not loaded at all, surfing on the morning fullon waves. Slowly their typical sounds arrives and becomes bigger and bigger and without expecting it, you are in a climax. Good song. 5. Leap of faith Walk in the woods baseline again to enter, keeps on scoring with me, very atmospheric sounds being used, a female voice at the background and underneath their sound softly. A long break and here we go. Again the same motivating concept of baseline with subtle sounds creating a mystique atmosphere, the feeling this is trance thought trough many times rises like hell. At the 3rd minute the climax is their sound but more fluffy, more morning tinted, not that aggressive, and also the outcome after the climax is still warm and emotional, this track shows another side of Digicult we haven’t seen yet. At the end the climax gets more emotional and warmer what is nice, artist who are not afraid to leave their pattern within the same album. 6. The way in. The kick and only the kick announces the track, following by a female voices speaking ‘ok here it comes’. The baseline explodes like a tornado going up en down at the end like a storm at sea. In the way in we experience their typical rastaliens frog sound speaking very fast but at a certain point it becomes a wave leading it’s on path away from the baseline like we used to know in old skool releases. 7. Spiritual Bass lines walk in the woods, but at the moment we expect a faster baseline they keep on holding that walk in the woods baseline and play with different psychedelic sounds, teasing your mind, very enjoyable. Still there’s no way out and the motivating drive should enter any moment, with a long subtle break and reforming they announce it very original. Their typical speaking sounds is absolute present here, and I forgot since track 3 how hard it could scream and cry for more. Nice. 8. Brainwash I think this baseline although it’s still Digicult is the less original, it’s motivating but not that sophisticated. The advancement is mainstream. Yet they surprise us with a psychedelic wave that is die hard present but totally not what we expect from Digicult, uplifting but no crackling, speaking, but one layer. The baseline goes in walk in the woods style and starts of just like it left itself 30 sec ago. The end climax is again a warmer sound, not their typical sound, it’s one layer, subtle, and caresses your ears, good variations Digicult 9. Lightshaper Lightshaper providers us here a total different form off baseline, the kick isn’t that duff anymore but ticks more like we are used to know in morning fullon. The advancement is well done basically the treble sound, their sound reformed in a giant snare creating an uplifting movement. The track is a continue of psychedelic sounds and a bit floating out of the strong goa experience we just had. Conclusion: 1. was it necessary to describe all the tracks: I would say no Is this album worth describing all the tracks hell yeah… This is what I look for in morning fullon, continue variety, a good level of psychedelica, strong baselines, but artist who don’t score to be the fastest or to be the most melodic, but just create their own concept just like Digicult did and proves the sky is the limit, how many concept are their still waiting for us. Well here is one ! Enjoy ! grtz koen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzzy Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Way to go digicult. Very strong release. Good full-on Especialy 2 tracks: spiritual and brainwash which has innovating, original melody starting at some 75% of track Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniël Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 what is a walk-in-the-woods bassline? full on bassline? dark psy bassline? morning bassline? goatrance ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeller Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 what is a walk-in-the-woods bassline? full on bassline? dark psy bassline? morning bassline? goatrance ? 626299[/snapback] a bassline which is used a lot in progressive, with one bass between the kicks so instead of kbbbkbbbkbbbkbbb=>k-b-k-b-k-b-k-b- doek-um doek-um doek-um doek-um but they use it a lot in other subgenres too, mainly as calm down bass it is one of the most popular and simple bassline they use also in other music genres, but it is effective most of the times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time_Trap Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 k-b-k-b-k-b-k-b- also used very much in goa, but with the bass getting modulation/lfo/frequency increase in each step.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sideffect... Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 interview coming up soon on this forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqualung Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 I'm listening to this album right now. Like it very much! It's very groovy and the sound is great! Reminds me a bit of Cosmosis - Trancendance sometimes. This is the kind of full on I like, melodic, psychedelic and with a nice groove. I'm not suprised I like this album, since I have always enjoyed them live. The subtile melodies are great and the album sounds very mature and experienced, a great acomplishment for a debut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeller Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 also used very much in goa, but with the bass getting modulation/lfo/frequency increase in each step.. 628054[/snapback] yeah well it used in a lot of music, a lot in psytrance as calm down and then go all the way again.. and a lot in goa and prog as main bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trance2MoveU Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Another good strong release. Nice melodies and it keeps the groove going. I think this is a nice mixture of 75% full-on and 25% progressive. Really good stuff. Mdk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riton Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 I very much like this album. I was listening to it today after hearing his track on Positive Alchemists 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLB Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Digicult is a Belgian duo composed of Davy Piessens & Bart De Decker (aka dj Nemesis), After a very promising full on-goaish influenced tune released on the starter compilation from Avigmatic, it seems quite normal to meet them again for a debut album on this same French label from the Lyon's suburb, founded by Dj Chaï & Khetzal. The band provides a mainly melodic & morning full on which doesn't mean this album lack of energy & vivacity on the contrary. I think they deserve to be quoted as belonging to this new category of more subtle Full On artists such as Optokoppler for example. I mean a Full On trance which always keep a floating, oniric or adrenalistic feeling, indeed in a word emotions without focusing on the usual high bpm . *** 1 This opening tune reveals a light mystic forest ambiance mixed with percussions appearing later on. 2 It's a more swift & nervous dancefloor production. Around there's a nice little break made of the hacked/syncoped elements of the song. You've got some goaish flavours from 3'30 with this typical oriental & vibrating old school lead which brings more heat & btw more depth and contrast to the the track. 3 A very good & unexpected deep jazzy atmosphere serves as intro alas i think i'd appreciate it to keep more going all along the tune. However the next is nice too composed of a groovy-funky bass. 4 The track giving its name to the album has the specificity of incorporating more acoustic elements (a guitar). During the core-peak many layers deliver slightly shrill but very fast arpeggios. 5 Here we go with a more floating, muffled,vapourish ambiance at first , it pursues in this atmosphere, this time multi-layered with a catchy rolling bassline. The lead before the 3'40 tiny break has a pretty texture, a bit nasal. Then we keep going with another interesting lead, it gives the impress to be in weightlessness especially in the position of a cosmonaut walking on the moon: you don't control very well your scrolling but it's fun. 6 Tougher , rougher tones & bassline compose this new track, it gets obvious it'll evolve in a frenetic way with intensity. Like in some previous tunes before, during its core-peak time, you've got a flood of melodic layers answering to each other. 7 Now it's time for more rocking production with some slightly sour hatred riffs with delay & echo on metallic tones. At beginning there's also a cold ice block lead conferring a sweet melancholic feeling before the more rock part occurs. I particularly enjoy the bassline here, reminds me the New Wave period. 8 We enter a cosmic dimension, high in the stratosphere above the clouds but also accompanied with vociferous leads & some powerful winds. The rhythm is more kickin than than the rest of the album & the hit hats are specially metallic & resonating. It's also embellished with spatial robotic voices which fit well in the global harmony here. 9 You're welcomed by a robotic, hacked, sharpy lead & a big bouncy bassline. Many leads are present here and sometimes i must admit it's quite confused & chaotic by moment. This one is under the average quality production of the album for me, i think a lifting remix couldn't bad for this one. Overall not a bad tune but the harmony is a bit harder to perceive or enjoy. *** Belgium has always brought several talented electronic artists through the last 20 years among the different styles coz this country has a strong history, connection with this underground music. Psytrance doesn't escape to the rule & Digicult should normally become soon a new rising star in their country & obviously beyond. Mark:8/10 Climaxes: 3,5,7,8 Outsiders:1,2,4,6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trance2MoveU Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 While some of the luster has come off this diamond, it's still pretty good. Numerous layers of melody in the full-on style. Mdk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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