VA - Transition

Penzoline · October 19, 2011

Various Artists - Transition

BMSS Records

2011

Posted Image

01. Aes Dana - Intro 1:57

02. Yan Gecko - Dreamcatcher 7:35

03. Soul Kontakt & Dj Boom Shankar - Simulated Reality 7:51

04. Acid Box & Chimbo - Sueños del Sur (Homenaje a Morente) 6:22

05. Hypnoise - Psycho Plasma 8:04

06. Tristan - Mind Jacker 6:47

07. Multiman - Transition 8:14

08. Quantica - Quantic Motion (Live Version) 7:04

09. Hypnocoustics - Buddha Nature 8:09

10. Interconnekted - Fractal Nature 7:47

11. Entheogenic - Body of Light (Sophia Mix) 7:47

What do we have here, a review of a psytrance album? BY ME? WHAT HAPPENED TO PENZOLINE? Relax, relax, my motives are still clear. I was just skimming through the artists/labels news section and I came across this release, the tracklist had a couple of known names on it (Tristan, Entheogenic, Aes Dana), I was mildly intrigued. After listening to the samples I was highly intrigued. How could a tad of full-on psytrance compilation spark my interest so well, aside from occasionally wanting something different? What made it stand out? The attractive artwork helps, but let's find out exactly what it was!

SAMPLES!

FULL TRACK PLAYLIST IN YT!

Aes Dana - Intro

The appropriately named intro gets things off with a really rich interlude full of heavenly large yet mysterious atmosphere. Natural sounds everywhere, tiny effects. Starts to rain and then eventually goes to a soothing end that very well works with...

Yan Gecko - Dreamcatcher

...the start of the next track. The sound is rather progressive psy with a touch of a heavenly sound. Lovely morning melodies and typical, yet extremely strong full-onish production without the sharp kick and aggravating bassline nonsense. Small effects sparkle around, atmospheric pads and some breaks after which the melody starts spiraling beautifully. At the end there is a nice touch with some acid lines. Solid first track! You don't always have to start with a bang when it comes to a psytrance release.

Soul Kontakt & Dj Boom Shankar - Simulated Reality

Again a really strong intro leads up to a full-onish bassline but it sounds a lot more darker and even goay you could say. The kick isn't sharp at all but much more muddy like goa does it. Soft pads and effects galore the spaced-out atmosphere. 1:50 gives the first kick-off and at 2:25 a beautiful melody comes slowly from the background. After a while a lovely sample with a woman saying "...sworn to find the truth no matter how hard people try to hide it..." arrives. The track has a key change right after at 3:39, where the tone changes to a lot darker. Feels like I'm in the middle of a jungle though this doesn't last long and the melody comes back at 4:39 and starts softly spiraling and lifting you back up to the space. Another break where there's only the bassline, kick and nice effects. The melody comes back a little different and takes us towards the end where we are left off on a remote planet. Really good track!

Acid Box & Chimbo - Sueños del Sur (Homenaje a Morente)

Dark, twisted desert atmosphere and eastern ethnic arabic vibes with a proper arabic sample that makes it just that much more awesome, intriquing, deep. Acid leads in the background light up like sun in the morning, a dark fat goa bassline. Reverbed samples. Acid farts speckle around. Badass acid leads come in to fray, everyone at this point should at least be moving a part of their body in motion of the bassline. 2:50 a break that is so common for full-on style of production though the track picks up relatively fast and we're still on our way. This atmosphere is just so intense with the constant samples and growling acid leads. Another break at 3:39 and the track again injects a dose of adrenaline and we're off once again until the end and it's outro. What a track! Just superB subtlety. This is like darker acid psy with serious Goa vibes.

Hypnoise - Psycho Plasma

Psycho Plasma? What could you possibly expect from such a track title. "...psycho cosmos..." and some more samples while having really growling progressing leads and a dimm bassline. The bassline kicks off at 0:54 and it's massive. No sharp kicks, no atypical full-on bassline, straight up dark psy/goa. Scifi atmosphere full of interesting sounds. Synths that are almost like quitar riffs, revving set up some form harmony and melodies. A new does of adrenaline at 2:40 that powers everything up. A break with sample and bassline shortly thereafter and then the basslines key changes and oh how I love when they do that. There seriously aren't enough basslines that change like this. Metallic melodies start to get on the road again and AGAIN at 4:04 the bassline's key changes. That is just.. give this man a goddamn cookie, I love this shift (e-he a pun, there's a pun..). Immense groove! More quirky effects go onwards and some of the riff comes back. The bassline dimms and goes out completely. Those riffs now start sounding like alien voices at 5:25 and the dosage of adrenaline starts being amped straight in the vein. The track progresses a bit predictably towards the end whilst throwing a layer of acid on top of it all and has a nice outro with a fitting sample. Great track! And hats off to the key changes on the bassline!

Tristan - Mind Jacker

Dark, evil atmosphere with glass like structure reflecting the little light. A typical hallucinogen style psychedelic sound and then the bassline rolls in. More of those samples and then crystal/glass like effects going up and down on the background. 2:02 a growling mechanical dark melody comes in and starts to stir things up. More effects and atmospheric pads grace the track. Groovy sounds take us till 3:21 where a melody starts growing and effects stream back in, such a psychedelic atmosphere that does a short climax quite full-on style and goes right back down yet keeps growing right after. 4:55 - you sure this wasn't written in the 90s? Feels like I've stepped into a late 90s psytrance compilation. Definitely a highlight, Tristan still has it!

Multiman - Transition

Title track up next. Wet atmosphere with samples hollowly in the background. Dark, sewer like atmosphere sinks us in with a rolling muddy bassline couple with with some sweet hi-hats. 1:20 really atmospheric pads arrive and short psychedelic sounds start going on and about. 2:55 slows down to a complete halt and right after it picks up again with a sample "what is it.. what is it.. it seems so important it looks so familiar and yet its utterly incomprehensible" followed up by the kick again and the atmosphere sinks in yet again and suddenly the track starts having an injection of adrenaline that plays around with the bassline and then goes back, speeding up the track overall though. Subtle melodies playing around and interesting psychedelic effects. At 4:48 there is a really groovy and a cute part till 5:15 which even comes back a little later. I love how it's keeping the interest high from start to end. Lovely atmosphere.

Quantica - Quantic Motion (Live Version)

Next up is almost just a standard full-onish track with faster melodies what the above has offered. Some nice acid effects and other sounds but predictable 'happy' melodies and not so great samples. I.e. "what the fuck is that". Hardly tasteful, though one might like what I don't. Not my cup of tea, this track. Next..

Hypnocoustics - Buddha Nature

...up is another more typical full-on oriented track, though this time the melodies are nice uplifting morning vibes with some real nice layering. There are a couple of cheesy, really predictable moments, as well. Especially those sweeping synth riffs that are a bit iffy. It's a good track, overall, but considering the first 7 track being what they are, don't really feel this fits here all that well, hence I didn't even bother to write anything lengthier. The style is a tad too predictable. Reminds me a bit of Vibe Tribe, actually, just not cheesy.

Interconnekted - Fractal Nature

Soft modulation interlude with a very calm windy atmosphere into a really soft, yet big, almost underwater-like bassline. 1:25 echoing acid melody starts to progress whilst another melody brings in melancholy until 2:45 where an awesome soft synth melody starts to calmly spiral onwards. Towards the end there is a nice calm climax. Wonderful calm underwaterish atmosphere to be found here. Nice proggyish track.

Entheogenic - Body of Light (Sophia Mix)

I haven't heard Entheogenic's latest, but as Flight Of The Urubus was an album I didn't enjoy very much at all, I'm happy to say this is much better than what that album offered. Entheogenic graces this compilation with a really strong calm dubbish downtempo ender. Echoing watery soundscapes with beautiful quirky melodies and rich psychedelic texturing. A fitting ender for this compilation! Great stuff.

Well well well, what a surprise. The basslines and overall richness in the sound was the thing that got me interested in this judging by the samples. I enjoyed this compilation very much. It's not a-typical psytrance release as it covers variety of styles and the tracks themselves sound like real effort has been put to them. There's depth you don't often hear. The only downside to this compilation sadly are tracks 8 and 9. I really feel like these were put hastily here, like fillers. 8 is really something I would have said just no to, it sounds way too uplifting, somewhat noisy and typical. 9 sounds like the style doesn't belong on this compilation. It's not(!) a bad track, though, just feels like it doesn't belong here. For the rest? Expect very, very cool moments from this. Variety of moods and thick atmospheres make this very journey filled with a couple of exceptions.

Fans of psytrance should check this out.

For Goa fans this also might do something because of the small vibes the basslines and the definition of the overall sound.

For only old schoolers the tristan track might actually do something as well.

For people who like their psytrance compilations diverse and full of quality, this should be a must have imo.

Youtube Playlist provided by the label itself