V/A - Ryonic Spaces [PsyTropic 2007]

[Basilisk]

V/A - Ryonic Spaces [PsyTropic 2007]

Written By: DJ Basilisk / http://www.ektoplazm.com

 

 

Track Listing:

01 :: PsyNina - Silence (1:52)

02 :: PsyNina - Level Of Creation (8:42)

03 :: Rumble Pack - Dream Vision (7:34)

04 :: Cycle Sphere - Enzyme (7:25)

05 :: Miraculix vs Trinodia - Half Past Dead (8:13)

06 :: Slug - I Believe (6:24)

07 :: Luckyy Seven - Crypton #7 (8:07)

08 :: Perplex vs Michele Adamson - Meltdown (Indra Remix) (7:54)

09 :: Miditec - Galaxy Wave (7:49)

10 :: Galactica vs PsyNina - Cocaine Serotonine (7:48)

11 :: Tron - Hostage (6:45)

 

Full review copied from:

http://www.ektoplazm.com/reviews/ryonic-spaces/

 

Ryonic Spaces is the latest compilation from PsyTropic Records, a German label that has weathered a storm of criticism in recent months. Compiled by DJ Chemicus, it features a long personal message on the inside cover expressing positivity in the face of adversity. It would be easy to write pages about the scandal PsyTropic has been involved in—the question of whether the label’s leading lady really exists—but that is not the subject of this review. To be fair, I will be assessing the music, leaving the tabloid-style speculation to the international psytrance message board regulars. The template for Ryonic Spaces remains similar to other releases from the label: a hodgepodge blend of in-house productions, European and Israeli full-on, and a couple of artists from further afield. The sound is generally very melodic, rich in samples, and aimed at DJs playing the morning hours. With mastering by Triptych and some reasonable artwork, the presentation is decent by psytrance industry standards.

 

Ryonic Spaces opens with a two minute spoken word introduction by none other than PsyNina herself. The subject is silence, and the content is, shall we say, very fluffy. Take this, for example: “a mind cannot know what life is like when life is not lived according to the mind. The only thing that mind can know is life lived according to mind.” Yes, there is two minutes of this—and the words can be found in the liner notes, for those that want to play along. Make of this what you will.

 

PsyNina formally kicks off the compilation with Level Of Creation, a rumbling track that defies many of the conventions of modern full-on. Bubbling leads and snarling effects whip across the sound field as a steady bass line pulses underneath. The occasional hint of light melody provides an intriguing counterpoint to the otherwise gritty production style of this piece. The somewhat amateur arrangement and questionable sound quality hold this one back, but at least it isn’t completely formulaic.

 

Fresh from the release of Rumble Pack’s debut album Packed And Ready, Philip Guillaume drops in to provide Dream Vision, a highly polished full-on stomper rich in distinct melodies and smoothly layered atmospheric sounds. After building in strength for five minutes, the breakdown ushers in a strong mid-range synth line that carries the remainder of the track. This is nothing you haven’t heard before, but Rumble Pack have accomplished it with a confident ease. Nice one.

 

Cycle Sphere comes from a family of full-on artists that includes Bliss, Zmachine, and Eskimo. Enzyme is an exercise in extreme exuberance, joyously romping through a bewildering assortment of glittering melodies, hyperactive bass lines, and explosive “rocket launch” crescendos. Particularly notable is the uncompromisingly rapid way in which it develops; nothing seems to stand still for more than a measure or two. If you can get past all the frantic stop/start activity, and the lamentable use of samples about date rape drugs, then this cheeky slice of popular full-on isn’t bad.

 

Miraculix and Trinodia are two Swedish producers well-matched for the proceedings of Half Past Dead, a rollicking peak-time full-on anthem loaded with amusing samples from a movie named Thirteen Ghosts. Sure, I might not be the biggest fan of mining Hollywood for intellectual content, but I can’t help but be amused with ironic declarations like “you stole people’s souls for money, how depraved is that?” As for the track itself—bubbling bass lines and somewhat sinister melodies make it a fun ride.

 

Slug’s I Believe is an electric example of South African psytrance, Nexus Media style. Scorching synthetic beats and snarling acid lines combine with rolling bass lines to deliver an energetic dance floor work-out. Not being too much of a fan of Slug, I couldn’t rate this highly—but at least this tough track provides a bit of backbone to this compilation.

 

Luckyy Seven (Tanya Kret from Germany) is a fresh face on the PsyTropic roster that is sure to have some of the aforementioned message board regulars firing theories this way and that. Crypton #7 is a rather standard affair: pumping bass lines, scratchy sounds, and a motley collection of forgettable samples. Unsurprisingly, the style is very similar to that of PsyNina.

 

Meltdown is a rather standard slice of commercial Israeli trance featuring Indra remixing Perplex and a bunch of cringe-worthy vocals from Michele Adamson. As if that weren’t enough to dissuade anyone, how about yet another appearance of the hackneyed “we are experiencing technical difficulties” sample? No thanks.

 

Miditec (Miki Bibas, formerly a member of Beat Hackers) provides another offering of melodic Israeli full-on with Galaxy Wave. There is nothing remarkable about this track—with a straight-forward lead and an ill-fitting Hollywood movie sample, this bland production is par for the course.

 

Cocaine Serotonine is a joint production between Galactika and PsyNina. After opening with a long excerpt from Pearl Jam’s Better Man, the steady barrage of movie samples soon floods this otherwise unremarkable full-on song with frivolous babble. Poorly conceived, and you have to wonder about the lawyers finding out.

 

Tron is a Mexican producer that became known after the well-received release of his debut album Existence on Liquid Records in 2006. Hostage begins with a fitting sample: “words are cheap; words come and go.” This piece has a different flavour from the rest; the rhythms and melodies are more elastic, and the sonic depth of field has a broader reach. It is not a bad effort; morning-time DJs could put this to good use.

 

PsyTropic Records has come a long way, but Ryonic Spaces does not offer much of interest to the discerning full-on fan. DJs with a particular interest in the fluffy sample-laden side of Israeli-style full-on may find some material to enjoy, but for those of us less enraptured by the style, this CD comes up short. Rumble Pack, Cycle Sphere, Miraculix vs Trinodia, and Tron provide the better moments, but the rest are marred by bad sample usage or a lack of genuine inspiration. As a result, I find this release to be slightly less than average in terms of quality—but as I mentioned, this is a big improvement on previous releases I have heard from this label. Check out Ryonic Spaces if you’re a DJ seeking another CD to add to your morning-time sets; it probably holds little appeal for anyone else.

 

Full review copied from:

http://www.ektoplazm.com/reviews/ryonic-spaces/