pr0fane Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Artist: Various Title: Origin - Stage 3 Label: Nano Records Format: CD Released: February 2007 Review: Nano Records has been among my favourite full on labels since their first compilation "Emergence", and based partly in South Africa, partly in the UK, they've built a solid reputation among many other DJ's and partygoers. The newest release from the label is "Origin - Stage 3" - a 9 track soundtrack for the annual Origin festival held in South Africa, featuring a couple of the artists performing at the festival, and compiled by DJ Ans. 01. The Egg - Angel Of My Soul (Allaby Remix) [140 BPM] First up is UK's biggest talent at the moment in my opinion, Allaby, with a remix for "Angel Of My Soul", originally found on The Egg's album "Forwards". Despite not having lots of tracks released so far, Allaby has already appeared on labels like Twisted, Nano, Spiral Trax, Alchemy and Neurobiotic, and he gave a stellar liveset at last years Sonica. His sound can best be described as a mixture of progressive and full on - relentless, pumping drives, but still with a sophisticated sense of buildup and progression, and this remix is no exception. Classy tune. 02. Laughing Buddha - Lightning Games [143 BPM] Laughing Buddha is another artist from the UK - a long time psychedelic trance producer with releases on labels like Transient, RTTS, Flying Rhino, Dragonfly, TIP.World and the original TIP. Compared to the opener he turns up the psychedelia-meter a little notch, adding a dose of quirkiness, yet still maintaining a good amount of dancefloor appeal. If you liked his tune on "God Save The Machine", you'll probably like this one as well. 03. A Commercial Hippie and The Electric Ant - Electric Hippy [140 BPM] Anton Raubenheimer, half of the The Commercial Hippies duo, teams up with Ans aka The Electric Ant on "Electric Hippy". It brings back some of the slightly progressive-influenced sounds and grooves, relying on quite subtle melodic tricks in the first half, before going into a more acid-tinged finale. Not among the most distinct tracks on the compilation, but certainly a good tune on its own. 04. Tristan - Depends On You (AMD Remix) [140 BPM] Next up is Aphid Moon and Dickster (of Green Nuns fame) remixing "Depends On You" from Tristans upcoming album "Chemisphere". I haven't heard the original version yet, but this remix is certainly a massive outdoor festival-anthem, providing a solid wall of groove and Tristan-trademark well-chosen voice-samples. Huge track - also look out for AMD's upcoming album "Big Fish", which is equally good and pumping. 05. The Commercial Hippies - Queggestion Box [145 BPM] The full The Commercial Hippies team is up next with "Queggestion Box", and fans of their debut album "If You Can't Stand The Heat" will feel right at home here. It's still as uplifting and funky as back then, yet with a slightly deeper and tougher approach than most of the stuff on their album. I found their album among the best psychedelic releases in 2006, so this is definitely right up my alley as well. 06. Zen Mechanics - Disco Pixie [142 BPM] "Disco Pixie" is by the dutch rising star Zen Mechanics, whose productions so far has been featured on such diverse labels as Neurobiotic, Flow, Iboga, Dance N Dust, Crystal Matrix and Aleph Zero. Compared to the majority of the tracks on this compilation, he's providing a more typical full on morning sound, but fused with some great grooves and a huge breakdown, it works very well though. Good stuff. 07. Headroom - Artelligent [142 BPM] Headroom has definitely turned some heads with his releases so far - funky and intelligent seems to be the best keywords to describe his music, and the aptly titled "Artelligent" is another great example of his sound. It has wacky breakdowns and very creative use of voice-samples, plus some of the quirkiness that categorized Rinkadink a few years back. Not your everyday rolling full on monster, but great sense of groove and funk that'll surely get the dancefloor moving. 08. Hydrophonic - Heckyl'n Jive [142 BPM] Nano label-owner Regan and his brother Gareth Tacon is back with their project Hydrophonic on "Heckyl'n Jive". They released an album back in 2004, but haven't released much stuff since then, but it seems like they've kept the high standard from back then. Solid, pumping morning track. 09. Eskimo & Madcap - Take A Look Out There (Flip-Flop Remix) [143 BPM] Last track is a remix of Eskimo's "Take A Look Out There", from his second full-length album with the same title. Behind the remix we find Flip-Flop - a relatively new duo from the UK, with sideprojects such as Hemi-Sync and Touch Tone - and this remix is really a storming end to the compilation. Starting out pretty anonymously, but after the theme from the original emerges in the breakdown, it's high-quality full on all the way. Great stuff. Bottom line: Nano Records certainly starts 2007 in top form. "Origin - Stage 3" is full of full on goodies, delivering a good dose of very positive dancefloor oriented daytime and morning music, but without falling to the über-cheesy melodic themes and rave-pads. The quality is very consistent, and none of the tracks are even remotely bad, so I can only say that I'm very pleased with the overall result. In short, this is definitely the best full on compilation I've heard for quite a while, and it's probably my favourite Nano compilation since "Natural Selection". Highly recommended. Favourites: 1 (!!), 4 (!!), 5, 6, 7, 9. Verdict: 8,5/10 Links: Nano Records: http://www.nanorecords.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pandemonium Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 I just bought this compilation a few hours ago. Im listening to it right now.You cant help but get up and dance. Im on track five. This compilation is already so astoundingly refreshing and unique at the same time that if the next four tracks were complete garbage it still would be worth the money that I paid for it. Compilations these days only have like two or three good tracks on them and the rest are just fillers, this on the other hand is one powerful and diverse song after the other. Nano are on the top of their game lately. I just finished listening to this compilation now and I must say this blows anything out of the water coming out these days. Even the Eskimo remix sounded so innovative. This one is gonna get alot of play time in the near future. This one will blow the peoples minds in and out of different realities. Listening to this compilation might make one oblivious to the world around them as it did for me. I highly recommend this compilation for any serious fan of psytrance. Origin Stage Three represents a very mature and well put together compilation. A bad track doesnt exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nano Records Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Review by Damien @ Psyreviews http://psyreviews.net Various Origin Stage 3 Nano (UK) The one problem with this is that there has never been a stereo or soundsystem invented that goes loud enough. Psyreviews’ predictions for 2007 included a statement that psytrance – as distinct from progressive, dark and oldskool – would come back storming into vogue this year and, happily, this album marks the opening “thank fuck”s of this resurgence. Allaby’s remix of The Egg’s Angel Of My Soul kicks off like a belter; it makes you firmly aware that this isn’t going to be Just Another Derivative Compilation Vol 16. Staticy interference through the intro, then just over a minute to warm up before you’re confronted with a deep bass, sparkle-sparse production, and that rare sort of fluid energy that separates a cracker from a knacker. It really is fantastic; stunning stuff, Allaby being one of a handful of producers who, mark my words, will save psytrance. Laughing Buddha does well with Lighting Games; interesting to see that of the oldskool UK boys, Jez is one of the only few who hasn’t gone down the Joti/Dino shitpath. Anyway, the movement is as fluid as lesbian cheerleaders wrestling in KY Jelly. A Commercial Hippy (Anton) and The Electric Ant (Ans) do well with Electric Hippy, featuring some solid drops, decent escalation, and a 303-led final run that’s one of the best in years. AMD’s remix of Tristan’s Depends On You maintains the quality. There’s something timeless about this one, as though it could be a track on an old, blisteringly-good compilation you’re revisiting for the first time in a while. The final run is barely shy of perfect, and with both AMD and Tristan having artist albums around the corner it makes you beg for more like the nag champa slut that you are. The Commercial Hippies take a heftier tone than last year’s album with The Queggestion Box, and it doesn’t quite work; as producers they’re more comfortable being flighty, and the blasting pads here detract from the real topend meat of what’s going on. The quality-meter goes right back up to eleven with on-form Zen Mechanics’ Disco Pixie. At about two minutes in, the groove comes up and out and right into the room; the most interesting part of which for me is that somehow I’m hearing sounds from parts of the room where I don’t have any speakers (and no, I’m not on anything stronger than three cups of tea and a rather pleasant falafel I had for lunch.) Add to that a final run that you can’t not dance to, and you’re onto a winner. Headroom’s Artelligent has a few too many stopstarts, but is generally fatter than yo mama, despite losing it briefly with a misplaced chordmonster. Hydrophonic’s Heckyl n’ Jive sees the fluid duo creating some amazing rhythms deep within the music; you’ll find yourself dancing like a loon to this one and I strongly suspect that may have been the idea. Finally Flip Flop – another duo whom I mark with by godlike hand as being responsible for the future of psytrance – have managed to turn an Eskimo track into a pearler with their remix of Take A Look Out There. It’s understated, subtle, and moodily euphoric. All in all: Bloody hell. The mastering by Cass renders the sound so clear, it’s off the scale. After a couple of questionable releases last year, Nano are back at the top of the heap and – to return to the point I made at the start – the resuscitation of psychedelic trance is about to begin. Thank fucking fuck. 9 01. The Egg - Angel Of My Soul (Allaby Remix) 02. Laughing Buddha - Lightning Games 03. A Commercial Hippie and The Electric Ant - Electric Hippy 04. Tristan - Depends On You (AMD Remix) 05. The Commercial Hippies - Queggestion Box 06. Zen Mechanics - Disco Pixie 07. Headroom - Artelligent 08. Hydrophonic - Heckyl'n Jive 09. Eskimo & Madcap - Take A Look Out There (Flip-Flop Remix) http://www.nanorecords.co.uk http://www.myspace.com/nanorecords Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeathPosture Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Threads merged! /DP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaFeel Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 Well not so good as the first origin, but on this release you can find very good tracks for sure!!! My fav are 1, 4, 8! My rating: 7/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkeletonMan Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Just feel inclined to one short comment here ... BRILLIANT !!! :clapping: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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