"V/A - Network"

Trance2MoveU · June 28, 2011

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Artist: Various

Title: Network

Label: Nano Records

Date: June, 2005

1. Uberstar / Allaby

2. Dr. Freakenstein / The Commercial Hippies

3. Big Dipper / AMD

4. Real Stuff / Aphid Moon vs. Laughing Buddha

5. Welcome To The Future / Headroom

6. Hoax Trigger / Manmademan

7. Unbelievable / Hydrophonic

8. Coral / Scoofy

9. Mental Master / Polaris

I just sat through a Jennifer Lopez movie about having a baby. Voluntarily. Solely to remove it from my DVR which means that I actually chose to record it in the first place. Nobody to blame but myself. Sure it had a couple of laughs that I could appreciate now that I am a parent, but it could've been written by a fourth grader. Every cliche you can name was in this. Single successful woman meets mysterious stranger and falls in love only to have to overcome her own hangups. Seen it a million times. And yes, when she was brand new I was all over the J-Lo kool aid. Now that she is on American Idol (a show I have a healthy hate for) her bitchiness makes me want to put my foot in her over sized rear. So as you can imagine I am not proud right now. I feel dirty. But not the good kind of porn dirty...no, it's more like the caught by mom in the bathroom not combing your hair dirty.

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Nano records has a lot to be proud of. They have released some of the best full-on out there. Protoculture, The Commercial Hippies, Aphid Moon to name a few. It's groovy and intelligent and proves that it can be done. And at a time when generic full-on was at its height don't think that was an easy thing to accomplish. Sure they released the boring Fearsome Engine nonsense, but hell, I still put my son's shoes on the wrong feet sometimes.

Uberstar- Posted Image

Not that one?

Matthew Allaby hasn't released an album to my knowledge, perfectly content to skate along the periphery with compilation work. This is a good track to start things off. It's driving without being overly complex. You know the type, no real melody to key on, but you can feel what the artist is trying to say? It's a drifting track that has oodles of atmosphere. Not light, but not intensely dark either. Liked it.

Dr. Freakenstein- "Let us understand one thing doctor. These are not theories. I have successfully proved every point over and over again in my laboratory. You want me to believe that you've produced these...things?!?"

Love me some Commercial Hippies! These guys have the Midas touch as their two albums were superb. With a dirty bass lead and effects the menagerie begins. It rumbles just beneath the surface creating a dark feel, like something is behind you. Can't see it, can't outrun it, but you know it's there. Synths percolate like coffee brewing and with no real melody line they manage to blow you away with a dark stormer. Bravo gentlemen!

Big Dipper- "He was trying to spread a little love and joy together..."

All men want to do that. It's called hooking up. Big Fish was a great piece of work, but that was still 2 years away when this was released. It gallops along in full on fashion with sounds echoing on all sides. The sample is extensive but not intrusive as the track rolls on. Not super powerful, but still a good effort.

Real Stuff- "I don't wanna bring you down, but like, let's try to sort the real from the trip."

Jules is the man with several strong albums and this was before Jeremy released the impotent Sacred Technology. This is a dream team that brings forth a churning track with a nimble lead that soars. The break is an exercise in ominous and uncertainty as a new lead shimmers with loads of delicious reverb. The end is a little anticlimactic but still one of my favorites here.

Welcome To The Future- "The future begins today ladies and gentlemen. More sophisticated, more intelligent..."

This is Adam Metcalfe and he released a great album called Artelligent a few years back that I urge everyone to pick up if you can. Plenty of effects over a rolling bass line as he places sounds in all the right spots. It has a techno vibe to it with samples and changes in tempo. With numerous twists and turns it turned out to be a very interesting track that begs more listens.

Hoax Trigger- Never been a fan of this project. Well, I liked their goa period, but after that it was one thick slice of boredom after the next. Between the robotic "you don't stop" and the guitar riffs it takes all I've got not to just skip this sh*tshow. I'll give them this, it is groovy, but I need more than that please. Meh, it's not terrible...maybe I'm just being a grump.

Unbelievable- "Are these real."

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Umm...no. No they're not. What the f*ck is wrong with you? Stripper with Daddy issues or niche porn star? You make the call.

Only a matter of time before the Tacon brothers and co-owners of the label had their say and they do a pretty good job. This compilation would be a year after their Aquabatics album. It's a lead that sizzles right into the break which has a sci-fi theme. Very appealing and descriptive as they set you up for the finale. Great track.

Coral- This is what I think of when I hear the word Coral.

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She was on the tenth season of Real World back in 2001 but that's how old I am. I remember the first couple of Real Worlds MTV forced upon us. Sure she was a bitch and her forehead was actually a five head, but those boobies...it's like crack to a young guy.

Scoofy's undulating synths grab my attention right away, and you could be scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef. The break is a treat that is very vivid as another lead dances out to finish it up. Pretty good stuff.

Mental Master- "Elevate you to a spiritual plane."

See I always wanted to like this artist, but his boring repetitive music got in the way. However, here his track starts with a very drifting electric guitar. Just wavering in midair. Sure it's over the same bass line you've heard a million times, but the sum of the sounds is greater than the individual parts. Dreamy and mellow full-on which works well for the last track.

Solid compilation with good tracks surrounding some really good ones. The vibe is futuristic with a dark feel that all the tracks have in common. This was done over 6 years ago and still holds up. Recommended.

Mdk