"V/A- Grand Slam"

[Trance2MoveU]

 

 

Artist: Various

Title: Grand Slam

Label: Iono Music

Date: May, 2008

 

 

Iono Music again with more Progressive Trance delicousness. Ritmo (who recently had another comp "Archive 9") is becoming quite the force in the scene and he compiles a nice list of folk for this outing. I really enjoyed his debut release "Disharmonic Silence" and his style fits me perfectly. It's wide open with heavy kicks and evolves nicely. Here he puts together 9 tracks from some known and lesser so folks. The cover is a simple yellow wall with some faded writing on it. Is that a flower box in the corner?

 

 

1. Shear Force KAEMPFER AND DIETZE Discogs says these guys are a progressive House outfit, but they dropped a pretty good progressive bomb here. The beat was very heavy and this is one of those tracks that makes you nod your head. Not a lot of variation, but just oodles of groove. Nice start.

 

 

2. Blue Connection (MUTe rmx) RITMO This Israeli duo try remixing one of Dubi's tracks and it isn't bad. It has some nice movement to it, but is a little too thin for me. The jumbled melody line doesn't appeal to me.

 

 

3. No More Bitchin' KRUEGER AND COYLE This is the first time I have been exposed to this act, and they start with a definite house beat with a super repetitive sample. Super repetitive. "Why can't you see, that all you are to me is a burning effigy of the girl you used to be." Really? You guys sound bitter. I pass on this like an NFL quarterback. Yuck.

 

 

4. Supacheap SONIC CUBE Here come the Swiss! And they are bringing a superb bass groove that rings of sunset beaches with drink in hand. The break was a bit odd, but luckily it is short and we are plunged into more groove with a nice melody over top. Great track.

 

 

5. Bright Side SHIMMER AMOUNT I have no idea who this is, and according to the almighty Discogs, this is their first release. The best part of this track was the too short break with the percussion and airy atmosphere. Most of the sounds (including the bass) didn't do much for me. It sounded kind of abrasive, like the tune was being forced onto me, not smooth like I'm used to from Iono.

 

 

6. Single Gemini FAT DATA These guys bring the 2nd longest track on this compilation andhad an average track on the "Pathfinder" V/A. This is more of the same. It takes forever to develop and the groove isn't all that strong. I believe this is what you would call filler.

 

 

7. Ocean Fly TEMPTATION This duo start their track off with a cheesy statement of the track title. Pure corn, is it really necessary? The rest delivers Ibiza trance vocals with more cheesy guitar. Ritmo, what were you thinking?

 

 

8. Bodycheck SOLANO This is Tony Buehlmann & Heinz Loertsche from Switzerland who have released 2 full length albums. I haven't heard either, but their compilation releases were quite good. Unfortunately this one plods along without any real direction. Pretty disappointing actually.

 

 

9. Alexanderplatz TIMEDRAINED 13 minutes?!? I can usually only tolerate that with goa! Or...Jikkenteki's stuff. The Danes offer a seemingly downtempo start, with thundering tribal drums and then the beat kicks in. This one maintains a sense of atmosphere; character. The bass is low and grumbly with well placed effects putting me into the track. I get an Aboriginal feel with a sound that sounds like a didgeridoo! I wonder why he called it Alexanderplatz? Regardless, it was worth spending the thirteen minutes. Great track.

 

 

Well what you have here is an uncharacteristically pedestrian effort by the great Iono Music. I was waiting for a hiccup in their seemingly stellar catalog and it seems I have found it. Aside from the Sonic Cube, Timedrained and Kaempfer And Dietze tracks there really isn't anything to blow your skirt up. The melodies aren't stellar and most of the grooves are not up to Iono standards. What I have come to expect from this label is wide open airy atmospheres with thumping beats that allow the track room to grow and evolve. There wasn't any of that here. This release is average and I can recommend plenty other discs that will satisfy your progressive need.

 

 

 

Psyshoppage

 

Mdk