Mr. Peculiar - Alternate World

[Trance2MoveU]

 

Artist: Mr. Peculiar

Title: Alternate Worlds

Label: Hadra Records

Date: April, 2012

 

1. A new machine

2. Psycho Disco Balls

3. Everything Remains

4. Infinity (Mr Peculiar rmx)

5. Another World

6. Mental Universe

7. Ascention

8. Pandora

9. Algarythm

 

 

"This truly is another world."

 

Tell me about it. A world where the government deploys drones to fly over the backyards of regular citizens. What the f*ck are you looking for? A world where doing your job can get you arrested.

 

"You see, it's all just a...what happened was...di-did Hawaiian Punch put you up to this? Where's my lawyer?"

 

 

This is Dustin Saalfield with his fifth album and first one in 5 years. Guy's been doing his thing for over a decade and creates some of the most descriptive and involving psytrance today. Since I love sci-fi like the rest of you nerds, the cover has me all hot and bothered.

 

Ummm...no. You're acting like a pedophile that was just released from the prison across from the elementary school. What the f*ck is that noise? Is that...is that a drone?

 

 

A New Machine- Sounds like someone got some new hardware!!!!! This has an incredibly mystical and spiritual beginning with a tribal chant that goes on for 3 minutes set against an ambient opening. Talk about setting the table...Like he often does, he creates the atmosphere with effects flashing out as the bass line runs. If I put my mind to it (and you know that I can) it's easy to be a willing captive on his space disco vessel. The final break (at 11 and a half minutes you know there is more than one) illustrates how vast the corridors are as sound reverberates of alien material. Nice opener. Even if it was just full-on, it was all the ancillary stuff that I enjoyed.

 

Psycho Disco Balls-

 

*insert disco whistle*

Bout time someone brought the disco back into the club. George Jefferson's ready...are you? Complete with brass and guitar wah-wah it's all studio 54 up in here. For f*ck's sake Liza, do you have to be such an attention whore?

 

Aside from the transvestites and doing coke off the stomachs of bartenders he just seems to be going through the motions. The break was awesome as usual, but not a track that's gonna stay with me.

 

Everything Remains- After underwhelming me for the first two tracks, he gets back to his strength. Atmosphere. This one stinks of it. Melancholy, forlorn...whatever you want to call it. The vibe captures you and if you're not careful you can get lost in all these layers. It's drifting and right in my wheelhouse until he does the unthinkable.

 

N-no..no...I mean I don't think he fell asleep in the back of a car with his shirt off. Thug life? More like chub life! Yikes, let go of the pork rinds.

 

No, he slows it down, like the batteries were running out. Man I was mad, but because the guys got skills, he turned it into a quality break before returning to the dream.

 

Infinity Rmx- Yes I know it has the dreaded galloping bass line, but listen to all the fanfare behind it. Bubbling effects, arching synths, and of course he owns the breaks. It is very futuristic in his alien and floating style. I feel like I'm at an extra-terrestrial zoo oohing and ahhing over all the foreign electronics.

 

Another World- "A strange new world."

 

As if the previous tracks weren't alien enough he shoves a 3 fingered hand up your rectum. It's fast and there's all kinds of critters running around here.

 

"What's a matter...you never seen a translucent biped mesomorphic organism before?"

 

If you can tell me what movie that's from, you win a bucket of semen.

 

This track has all the atmospheric synthplay that makes psytrance fun. Never a wasted minute as melodies crawl over each other like passengers on an Indian train destined for Bombay. Quality tune.

 

Mental Universe- How can you not like a track with a choir in it? You can't. Well, unless you're Catholic. A choir might make you wet your pants. Oh c'mon, don't tell me you feel sorry for the church? Laser shots, acid splatters, and long sweeps make this one very appealing. His breaks are just awesome at teleporting you right where he wants you to be. Not bad.

 

Ascention- *Turns pages of dictionary, while licking thumb*

 

Ah there it is...

 

Filler- Hungarian currency unit.

 

What the f*ck

 

Let's try again.

 

Filler- One that fills. F*cking dictionary.

 

Filler- Something added to augment weight or size Thank you. Thank you, was that so hard?

 

Pandora- Another long one, but this is a slower, almost mid-tempo experience. It's very magical that flows with a saunter like it was made by a shaman. Progressive in nature with a primal feel. Why do I feel like I'm going to hear a voice say, "I'm sorry Hal, I can't let you do that."

 

The orchestral part of the break gives the track a cinematic quality like the main characters stumbled upon something that Michael Bay will soon destroy. Impressive. I feel it went on too long, but hell if you've got a story to tell...I liked it.

 

Algarythm- What are the odds he ends the disc with two progressive tracks. Put your hand down doofus, it's a rhetorical question. If you told me this was Flegma & Nerso I would've believed you. Good groove and wonderful effects as I'm sure this would gather the masses into a frenzy. Make a hole people, I'm tryin' to get a soul train line goin' here!

 

"Psycho Disco Ball is over! Get the hell outta here!"

 

 

So after a couple of commercial bumps in the road this turned out to be a solid album. If I had one gripe it's that damn galloping bass line. I hear it and instantly the hackles on the back of my neck stand up. Also it becomes a bit full-oney for me, but the majority of that is offset with brilliant layers of synths and effects that wrap around you like a straight jacket. Rich in atmosphere it's a bubbling cauldron of alien stews that never strays from the outer space theme. While nowhere near as good as Infinite Evolution it's still worth the price of admission. Recommended.

 

 

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Mdk