V.A. Sunday

[kazuku]

And some prog for a change...

 

Artist: VA

Title: Sunday

Label: Blue Tunes Recordings

http://www.bluetunes-records.com/engine/label

Format: CD

Released: Feb 2010

 

1. Vice - Within

2. NOK- Breaking Point

3. Midimal- Age of History

4. Zyce-Puls

5. E-Clip - Krik

6. DJ Fabio and Toxic Universe - Feel Good

7. Haldolium- 2nd Movement 2010

8. Ace Ventura - Sao Paolo Ritmo RMX

9. Zyce and Egorythmia- Lithium

 

http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/btr/btr1cd031.html

 

What better to do on a boring, snowy Sunday then listen to a promising looking prog album? Meh I don’t like Sundays much (unless Im at a festival)…always seem to drag me down and make me melancholic… )

 

1)The man behind the Vice is Martin Daltoft who has played at many large festivals as part of the Time in Motion collaboration. His opening track Within guides the listener into a dreamy trance with warm synths and patient build up. As we can expect a very mature Nordic prog approach, some beautiful euphoric melodies, at times even a little bit melancholic. Within has a very laid back attitude but does not sacrifice power and direction for this. With many progressive trance artists taking different approaches and venturing into more minimal territories, it is nice to hear some rich, dreamy sounds like this, warm hearted Scandinavian sounds with a story to tell. Mellow and emotional track that gently initiates the album.

 

2)This mellow attitude that we can expect from a lazy Sunday flows over into this track by NOK from Hamburg who you may also know from his project Galactika. Breaking point takes its time to unfold with warm synth scapes and angelic spherical sounds, slowly erupting into a bouncy groove which pushes forward against optimistic melodies eventually dropping us into a long, emotion charged breakdown. After this “Breaking Point” is reached, the pressure is released with the return of the drums, becoming increasingly playful towards the end.

 

After the first 2 tracks I would already suggest lovers of mellow Nordic trance ala Vibrasphere and the like to give this a listen.

 

3)The pattern of long, beat less, very warm sounding intros continues here in a brooding yet positive buildup where I found myself reminded of the emotions conjured up by classic stuff like head cleaner. When finally “Age of History” decides it is time for the crowd to move their legs, it does so with a big punch accompanied by sunshine drenched leads providing a big energy burst. Although the track runs at 134 I would say at least a half of its heart has a love and pull towards full-on, with euphoric bursts packaged in a progressive form.

 

4)The album flows on consistently with more sunny dreamscape sounds from Serbian artist Zyce, whom I remember from a recent collaboration with Ovnimoon. Soaring melodies, hypnotizing vocal samples and trancy pads are driven along by a steady beat which remains with us through most of the tune. As with previous tunes on this album we have a very multi layered, rich and colorful soundscape that is very uplifting and melodic. My favorite track so far as it maintains a mesmerizing groove behind all of this.

 

5)E-Clip brings us a track with a comparatively straight-to-the-point approach relying on focused drive forwards, not letting the listener wait for long before determined drum patterns emerge. paints pictures of a slightly mysterious world…perhaps some clouds are closing up the immaculate blue sky? Not long and the euphoria comes through again, albeit a little bit rougher around the edges and cheekier this time round. Unfolds into some epic melodies that have a definite smile effect and are accompanied by quirky leads, rising to several peaks without breaking the rhythm too long. There is a little bit of twisted attitude in this tune, making it an interesting one.

 

6) Builds up with a focus on creating a minimal rhythmic approach spiced up with a portion of fx radiating some strangeness. This pattern is rapidly broken by a very fat and chunky baseline line stomping its heavy body across the tune interlaced with intricate funky percussions. The deep vocal effect enhances this groovyness, and piano stabs lead us into a breakdown in which warm pads build positive vibrations. Overall takes a slightly more minimal approach and gets most of its character from the aforementioned chunky rhythm work which really kicks ass but maintains a very laid back attitude. If the track would be a person it would be a fat American tourist on the Bahamas with shades, flip flops, fleuro Hawai shirt and a very large cigar wobbling to the cocktail bar to get another Pina Colada. He ended up becoming Caribbean limbo master.

 

7) I have listened to Haldolium since the very first album and I see their first 2 albums as milestones of progressive trance. The Timetech stuff was also all right, then I don’t know what the hell happened. I guess it’s a matter of taste, but I thought none of the latter stuff reached that same depth of trance. I wish they would have made a little more in that style. Still 2nd Movement is one of the better latter Haldolium tracks, and I enjoyed this RMX, the basic structure of the track remains untouched, and the tribal techy rhythms bring across some classic Haldolium feeling, and I feel this remix has given the track an extra dimension with some slightly eerie atmospheric pads and some nice creaking. I really hope by some miracle these two dudes find a little bit of inspiration in their roots in future.

 

8) I had not heard the original so I cant say what changes have been made, but for me this is the highlight of the album so far. An epic track that puts you in an emotional roller coaster, many twists and turns and mood swings. The album has developed to include different faces of progressive trance, making a smooth transition from warm spherical tunes at the beginning of the album to include deeper, more psychedelic (imo) pieces like this one. Titled Sao Paolo, it presumably takes us through a sonic voyage through the Brazilian metropolis, showing us the energy, the wonderful sides and the darker sides, always with a mysterious beauty drifting under the surface.

 

9) Zyce and Egorythmia have the honor of bringing things the Sunday trip to an end with their track Lithium which is a remix of the track by Nirvana, describing Kurt Cobains unhealthy relationship with Lithium, or lack thereof which may have played a role in his brain splattering antics. No, no just joking. This is no remix and I am sure these artists have very healthy lithium levels, otherwise they would have probably created something a lot more depressive…another very positive and beautiful track that offers plenty of drive for your legs while also providing vivid sonic imagery…..I don’t know what it is, the collaboration he had with Ovnimoon or whatever, but Zyces sound always creates South American images in my minds eye, panoramic views of the Andes and dense rainforests….whatever, enough babbeling…

 

Conclusion

The album is very aptly titled as the atmosphere it creates brings up emotions and memories we associate with beautiful sunny Sunday afternoons at festivals ( VuuV/VooV floor on a Sunday anyone? Prog Paradise!) All tunes are uplifting yet cover a variety of different styles of progressive trance from nordic sounds to more psychedelic offerings all between 134-136 BPM. In recent times we have seen numerous artists creating a very minimal and slower variety of progressive psytrance. The concept of this album unites artists which present a rich, multi layered sound that focuses more on atmospheric story telling, making this interesting for dancefloors and melancholic Sunday home listening.

Some people may find that some tracks (especially in the earlier parts of the album) are a little predictable, but they are very well executed and grow on you over time.

Favs 4, 5, 7, 8, 9

 

8.5/10