V/A - Multiple Personalities 3

[Rotwang]

V/A - Multiple Personalities (Manic Dragon)

 

 

Press Release:

 

Manic Dragon returns with the 3rd installment of Multiple Personalities featuring 18 of the very best underground psytrance producers, lovingly compiled by Fried Babas The digipak and CD itself features special printing effects using two UV-active inks in addition to a light embossing.

Tracks (click titles for Saiko Sounds sample):

 

1) Claw vs Paranoise (aka Wicca) - Access Denied 7:36

 

The album opens very nicely. Access Denied starts with a powerful bassline, and rapidly sets the scene for what is to come: lots of dark, crunchy noise. Apart from an always-confusing doorbell sample and a short heavy metal interlude it continues to bombard the listener with this winning formula, until around the six minute mark, at which point the bass drops and the track becomes even more ear-rapingly awesome.

 

2) Gorump Peyya vs Acid Goblins - Brain Hack 6:41

 

Another nice track up next. This track is built mainly around the high-end sounds, namely the rhythmic, swirling hisses which are the staple diet of darkpsy fans. Meanwhile the bassline shows signs of ADHD, seemingly unable to go for a minute without stopping and starting, changing pitch or changing syncopation. I imagine that this would prove frustrating on a dancefloor, but in the context of this album it works. Incidentally if you're looking for the obligatory McKenna sample on this album, you'll find it here.

 

3) Devic vs Bodhisattva 13:20 - Magnetic Monopole 7:43

 

Very interesting, this one. It sounds less grainy or crunchy than the two preceding tracks, and is instead built out of noise that I can only describe as sounding "knotted". Some weird, alien laughter and breaking glass are used to great effect, and it works itself up to a climax that kind of sounds like MFG's Alternate Dimension has been run through a filter which removes any trace of recognisable musical mode.

 

4) Fractal Cowboys vs Freaks of Nature - Space Ark 6:50

 

The samples featured on this track include some accordion music, some bizarre guttural singing and an excerpt from a Steve Martin stand-up routine, among other things. Frankly it makes no sense at all. But that really doesn't matter, because the real purpose of this tune is to repeatedly stab the listener in the brain with bass noises until he bleeds out of his eyes. In a good way.

 

5) Baphomet Engine vs Iguana - Tictic Tactac 8:00

 

There's not a lot I can say about this track. It doesn't have much to make it stand out, and it doesn't have much in the way of progression or build-up. But it does what it does really very well, which is make strange noises which mess with one's ears rather nicely.

 

6) CPC vs Far East Ghost - Ground of Darkness 7:20

 

As the name suggests, Ground of Darkness is very dark indeed. A bit too much so for my liking, it has something of a horror movie ambience, a melody which would feel at home on a metal album and sound effects which hint at something evil writhing in the shadows. It's well made but not the kind of thing which I find easy to listen to.

 

7) Mubali vs Kraft - Aerobics 8:13

 

This is tasty. Aerobics starts off with a simple formula and sticks to it - it drifts up and down like a psychedelic tide, which keeps bringing interesting new things to the shore. By the time the track ends the listener has heard a bewildering array of timbres.

 

8) Dark Elf vs Darkshire (aka Septagram) - Tech Mec 7:11

 

Like track six this track seems designed to scare; it has the horror movie bassline and the slithering monster sound effects. But unlike Ground of Darkness this is almost camp - think Hammer House of Horror to track six's Blair Witch Project. Almost needless to say, it's also very good.

 

9) Kirayama vs Hishiryo - Yuuutsu Mori 8:16

 

Another excellent tune to close the album, this is bursting with bold, aggressive noises which sound as if they could eat you. And it's trippy as heck.

 

 

 

Overall:This is darkpsy at its most extreme: noisy, psychotic and psychedelic (and with very little that could be desribed as "trance"). If you like V/A - Durdom you'll probably like this too. Despite the high tempos I actually don't find this kind of music makes me want to dance - rather it is the kind of music that is best experienced by lying with your eyes closed and your head between the speakers, and allowing it to carry your conciousness to strange places. A couple of additional points in its favour: I am particularly impressed by how much variety there is on this CD, especially considering that all the tracks occupy a small corner of a sub-sub-sub-genre which places seemingly very limiting constraints on what artists can do. Also the digipack is really nice, both in look and feel (great work from Quasga as ever, and the effort they went to with the printing shows). An excellent album, thoroughly recommended. 9/10

 

Favourite Tracks: 1(!), 2(!), 3(!), 4, 5, 7(!), 9(!)

[Caffein:me]

Nice Review Rotwang, this is far from the chill you usually listen to, bet it was a hassle to describe each track, but you did really good in a humorous way

 

Not really into dark psy, but i will definetly be listening to some samples.

btw i like the coverart

[Rotwang]

Nice Review Rotwang, this is far from the chill you usually listen to

What makes you think I usually listen to chill? Actually I listen to darkpsy more than anything else.

[Caffein:me]

What makes you think I usually listen to chill? Actually I listen to darkpsy more than anything else.

Raindrops in the forest? i always seem to find you listening to chill :S must me then.

[GusSarcoffa]

I'll add a +1 to this one. I'm really picky about my darkpsy plus I generally avoid compilations in favor of artist albums. So for me to like a darkpsy compilation it has to be (if you'll pardon the expression) trippy as fuck. Most of the tracks on here are exactly that. There are a couple of duds (5 and 9) but the rest are top quality. Love that Space Ark sample. Hilarious.

[amphiton]

Cover typography unusually suxxor as for *Dragon labels.

[Riton]

Seems to be aimed to a very specific crowd (good).

In respect for the people here who post all these reviews and spend time "sharing" with us, i will gladly give it a listen!

[Darkarbiter]

Awesome compilation, plenty of interest, very dark/mindmelting in places without being incredibly inaccessible.

[psytones]

What makes you think I usually listen to chill? Actually I listen to darkpsy more than anything else.

I think he's confusing you with Abasio So you give this a 9/10? Is it very much the style of Acid Transmission from Trishula Rec. or .. ?

Would like to read words from you from that VA, but thats off topic here. About this release, never heard it, but I think I feel the sound from your words and I'm sceptic about it, not sure why though, maybe the names that doesn't say much to me exept messed up effects everywhere in messy fields. hm..

[Rotwang]

Is it very much the style of Acid Transmission from Trishula Rec. or .. ?

Yes.

 

Would like to read words from you from that VA

This is your lucky day.

 

About this release, never heard it, but I think I feel the sound from your words and I'm sceptic about it, not sure why though, maybe the names that doesn't say much to me exept messed up effects everywhere in messy fields. hm..

As I said in the Acid Transmission thread, the two albums are very similar so if you don't like AT you probably won't like this. Though with hindsight I think MP3 is slightly better, just because there are no bad tracks at all.