"V/A - Keep It Surreal"

[Trance2MoveU]

 

Artist: Various

Title: Keep It Surreal

Label- Pixan Recordings

Date: February, 2012

 

1. Salvia - PHASE

2. Mania - ASSIOMA

3. Impedimental - AJJA AND FLOOTING GROOVES

4. Madman's Diary - MOLE

5. Double Mind Trick - DUST AND CHRIS RICH

6. D n A - FULL FACE

7. On the Radar - JOCID

8. Forest Ship - ARCHAIC

9. Invisible Residents - WHIPTONGUE

10. Pusher - PANTOMIMAN

 

"Today I want you to open your mind to the possibility that one day we will make contact."

 

 

I don't have a lot of experience with Pixan because I'm not a darkpsy kinda guy. There are plenty of other people that probably are more familiar with that part of our genre, but f*ck 'em* they can write their own review. The promo says it goes from night style to twilight so we'll see.

 

*by f*ck em I mean you can ask them nicely and they will probably be able to help steer you in the right direction. Working on my anger management.

 

Yeah, I'm not advocating violence against women because your man boobs aren't as appealing, but I can imagine that is the same look she gave that douchebag Chris Brown right before he went apesh*t.

 

 

Salvia- Never heard of this guy, but he drops a pumping beat with a live wire lead. It sounds like the album cover looks. Don't touch the edges, you'll get a shock. If you heard the first 2 minutes, then the other 5 sound like the same bar over and over again. Oddly enough, even though a melody was absent, I did enjoy it.

 

Mania- You know what you can spell with his name? Soma, from the Latin meaning body. What were you thinking? This is pretty psychedelic with more of those sharp leads and random sounds. Not bad, but the melodies are still firmly planted on a milk carton. Should we issue an amber alert?

 

Impedimental- Now these two projects I've heard of. And it's my favorite track so far. Bubbling effects and a punishing bass line never fail to disappoint. It's alien and isolating at the same time with more layers than the previous two tracks.

 

Madmen's Diary- "Charge up your suit first."

 

After a long sample about things I'm sure I fell asleep to in college we are back in the pumping bass line business. And business is good. Not to mention more in the twilight areana where I feel more comfortable. Groovy sounds with acidic backsplash and it even has a break. This is some funky sh*t!

 

Double Mind Trick- This could be Madmen's Diary part II because it sounds almost identical. Go ahead accuse me of being biased against darkpsy. It's not like I said all Chinese look alike. Although I would say that if you're looking from the second story. Futuristic Matrix-esque sounds are scattered all over the place in staccato cadences which add to the groove. Very electronic with the melody still AWOL.

 

D N A- Jeez, this is like going to a party and not knowing anyone. They're all looking at me wondering what the f*ck I'm doing here. Hey man, don't hate on me. I'm just trying to get down to your funky sounds. Maybe if I dance like they do, they will accept me.

 

Score.

 

More pumping bass lines with a very good kick are the order of the day while scratchy and bubbly leads put fear into the less hearty. Those squirting sounds are deep. I'm beginning to think that Melody gave me the wrong address. It couldn't be on purpose could it?

 

On The Radar- Holy sh*t, a little melody! And by little, I mean under 4 feet tall. *Takes a look around, sees nothing but chicks with dark eye shadow, pale skin, and multiple piercings*

 

Wanna hook up?

 

Cool! All we gotta do is go downstairs and get outta this dump.

 

If you can't love the one you want love the one you're with, right?

 

 

Forest Ship- I like the atmosphere in this one. It's dark and pumping telling me there is no escape. Like the title says, it combines the juicy darkness of forest with the alien of outer space. The bass line is frenzied and it's waves of effects tumbling down upon me. Good one.

 

Invisible Residents- Whiptongue.

 

F*ck yeah, he wields the acid groove and destroys all challengers. Finish HIM!!

 

....um with the Rock 'em Sock 'em robot I guess.

 

Pusher- Weak. Did we get too many pumping and driving beats that we had to go out with a whimper? This got me as close to rocking out as jumping gets you closer to the sun. See what you did? Got my internet muscles all riled up. I'm done.

 

 

So those who are more experienced with Pixan probably already knew what to expect. Intense rhythms that all sound rather dark. It's not mad at your parents music, but it ain't Vibe Tribe either. There were a couple of twilight tracks, but mostly it's darkpsy lite. Makes you want to get fired up, but runs out of gas at the end. A point driven home by the last track. Still most of the tracks had good effects and get the blood moving. If you're looking for melody then...let's be honest. If you're here...you ain't looking for melody.

 

 

 

Psyshop

 

Beatspace

 

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Mdk