Guest antic Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Track list: 1. Algae Rhythm 2. Green Room (Resonance Mix) 3. Filthy Luka 4. Kuxan Suum 5. Time Bomb 6. Army Of Darkness 7. Vesuvius (Remastered) 8. Psi Corps 9. Green Room (Original Mix) Info: Label: Zion604 Catalog No: Zion604CD006 Release date (CD): 14 Feb 2014 Samples & Purchase (digital+CD): http://zion604records.bandcamp.com/album/deviant-electronics-green-room Review: Deviant Electronics is Ciaran Walsh, a UK-based producer that in 1997 released a classic and to this day very sought-after goa-trance album "Brainwashing Is Child's Play", followed 3 years later by a more controversial but still great chill / drum'n'bass "Blunt Instruments" on Blue Room. He went off-radar for a bit, to resurface as a contributor to the lovely "Grow Your Own" downtempo album from Polyploid in 2007. This year, thanks to the efforts of israeli/japanese Zion604 label, 5 unreleased tracks from 1995-99, one from 2013 and 3 old vinyl/compilation-only tracks were made available for purchase in a form of "Green Room" album that was available digitally via Bandcamp page late last year and on a proper CD mid-Feb '14. As you all know goa/psy has this 'trance' suffix attached to it and in majority of cases this is related to the fact that the music is built from - usually short - loops, which then are tweaked, overlaid and morphed on top of 4/4 beat to induce the trance state. Partially, this is because human brains are susceptible to trance-like states if they're stimulated at certain frequencies, but also because of how this music is/was created - it was samplers and synthesizers in the 90's, it's loop-based DAWs nowadays. It's not helping that a lot of this music is produced by DJs and 'producers' who simply lack proper musical education. Deviant Electronics' "Green Room" is one of those rare albums that - for the most part, at least - strays away from the beaten and safe path of loop-based music, though still uses enough of goa/psy-trance sounds and templates to be comfortably reviewed here. It is a bit more free-form than your typical old- or new-school goa, in a way similar to the music of OOOD, Sienis, Troll Scientists or Hedonix; where there's a general musical idea permeating throughout the tune, which is being realised using psy/goa techniques and sounds. As a result "Green Room" is very musical, though doesn't follow a typical hindu/arabian scales. The melodic progressions are much longer than the usual 1-2 bars and synth patches used are less 'cliche', with overall sound-picture being less busy, with more breathing room for individual sounds. There's a lot of variety in drums, usually constructed from several loops and not just simple 4/4 kick + snare + hihat combo. The basslines are very characteristic for this artist - soft, bending and squeaky, so if you heard "Brainwashing Is Child's Play" you'll immediately recognise the style. For those that haven't, a good point of reference could be Shakta's "Silicon Trip", though this is softer and usually slower as well. In fact, the whole album is actually pretty smooth, not very aggressive despite being quite dark and moody for the most part, which is partially owed to a lot of atonal sounds skillfully used throughout the mix and acid lines that are not heavily over-driven nor distorted. Due to the tracks coming from different periods in time, there's also quite a lot of variety - tracks like "Algae Rhythm", "Green Room" and "Time Bomb" feel more modern, improvised and less trancey, driven by the aforementioned musical idea rather than the rhythm; "Filthy Luka" gets close to regular (non-psychedelic) melodic trance with big chord progressions, while the rest follows the "Brainwashing..." template, which still sounds unique to this day. Overall, I really like this album - it is genuinely old-school, but does not sound dated. It has this sense of musical craftsmanship that's admittedly rare in current trance scene. If you were not fortunate enough to pick up the original "Brainwashing Is Child's Play" then this is the next best thing and if you do have it, then this will complement your Deviant Electronics collection quite nicely - it is really a mandatory album for old-school fans. Oh, and the cover is lovely 4/5* * mandatory for old-school fans, should be interesting for new-school fans as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest antic Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 BTW, one thing that bugs me is that I can't seem to hear the difference between Green Room's original and resonance mix (tracks #2 and 9) - could it be they're the same on bandcamp and hopefully different on the actual CD? If that's the case, I'm looking forward to hear that because that's my favorite track on the CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Eye Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Aren't there some additional synth lines (and perhaps something else that at the moment escapes my mind) on the Resonance Mix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest antic Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Don't think so. Actually I've uploaded them to Audacity and they "look" the same as well: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Eye Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Well I just put them into Reaper, aligned them to be sample exactly in sync, and phase flipped one track. There is at least one additional synth on the Resonance Mix Compare for example @ 1:20. And some subtle extra FX on the percussion @ 5:22. The song structure is the same, that's why they look deceptively the same. Edited February 17, 2014 by Paul Eye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest antic Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Well I just put them into Reaper, aligned them to be sample exactly in sync, and phase flipped one track. There is at least one additional synth on the Resonance Mix Compare for example @ 1:20. And some subtle extra FX on the percussion @ 5:22. The song structure is the same, that's why they look deceptively the same. Well, if that's really the case then they should have left the track out. I was hoping it's an error... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the goa constrictor Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 look at the breakdown at 445. the wave forms are different. i can't remember the tracks off the top of my head, but it is clear that they are different. sure, they might be closer to the same, but they are two different tracks. there are many 12"s with an A and B side that are virtually identical. it's cool. sometimes you want to play one version and other times you want the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest antic Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 but it is clear that they are different. They're not if you have to run them through phase flipping in DAW to find the difference... sometimes you want to play one version and other times you want the other. Not really, if the difference is so small. It's a cheap way to fill the CD and I'd really lower the score if I wasn't in love with the music, "Green Room" in particular regardless - or maybe because - it's twice on the CD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollylovesgoa Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 This is one of the greatest releases in years, Deviant Electronics was an unsung master of the slick and sci fi 1997 sound and here it is again, brooding but bright with excellent melodic hooks and textures. Green Room is an absolute blinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I don't think I'd even heard of Deviant Electronics before I saw the post in the Label Announcements section, but I trust Zion 604 so much I checked it out and bought the album, and it's fucking awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the goa constrictor Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I understand your frustration and have experienced it in the past myself. but sometimes those subtle differences really materialize in the context of a set and sometimes you kind of want both of them. this is one of those silly "a song is never finished" things that can become problematic if an artist doesn't make executive choices. There is that Planet Syncro 12" Vampire State Building. Red and Purple are the versions. Both songs are structurally very similar, but then they made two different tracks out of it. And depending on mood and timing, one version is definitely the better choice than the other. It's not necessarily a cheap way to fill a CD per se, they might simply recognize that there are differences in the tracks and that it was hard to choose, so if you don't have to pick one and can put both out, may as well give us both tracks =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest antic Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Well, I don’t understand their choice in placing two nearly identical tracks on the CD, but as I said I still love it, so let's not discuss this topic any further. Get this albums people - it's really worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraydoG Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Was listening to some tracks today. As soon as I heard Flithy Luka brought the CD. That is a brilliant trance track that will probably male it to some of my fav tracks ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Cocco Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I've heard of Deviant Electronic's name, but I don't recall their music. I like when old school artists re-release and remaster solid songs from their era that were unreleased or rarely known before. It's nostalgic and often very appreciative and enjoyable. This was especially the case on last year's Dimension 5 albums. Listening to the samples now. They're catchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trance2MoveU Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I'm not a big fan of this project. Yeah I said it. Jeez, Cianan's grandma has a strong arm. His debut Brainwashing is Child's Play proved it was because everyone seemed to think it was a classic. Not me. Sure the title track and Viral Spiral were great, but a classic? Really? So here comes Zion604 with an album of rare and unreleased tracks. I'll be honest (always) I almost purposely skipped this. The hype machine was in full effect as everyone was losing their sh*t when this was announced. In the end I purchased it for three reasons. One, the guys at the label are super nice and have pure intentions where the music is concerned. So supporting them and their efforts are important. Two, I missed out on Mind Rewind and I sure as hell wasn't gonna let that happen again. And three...who doesn't love monkeys? "Get over it Ciaran's grandma, it wasn't that good. You know it! I know it! I can name 10 albums that are way better!" And let me tell you I'm glad I did. Like his debut this isn't something you hold next to the icons of the genre. He doesn't make that kind of goa. His strength is in the details. It's the musicality. The album is fluid and the tracks are creative showing continuous evolution. Antic was dead on when he said this was a departure from loop based music. Sound quality was beyond reproach and the whole album has a warmth to it that makes it feel more accessible. The melodies while distinctly goa are joined by other musical elements that also add to the overall depth. Just another actor with a part to play. I do have one issue and that's the incredibly similar Green Room tracks. The fact that someone in the thread used software to distinguish (only minutely mind you) between the two is pretty weak. Far as I'm concerned it's the same f*cking track. Sure it's a great track, but that's what the damn back button is for. Would love to hear from the label what happened here. So you get 7 tracks instead of eight. No big deal. It certainly is a worthwhile addition to your collection. Of course I, uh...I haven't received my copy yet. Which is why the getting the high quality download as soon as you purchase the album is greatly appreciated. #firstworldproblems #whatthef*ckareyoudoing #notevenontwitter #hatehashtags #feellikeadouche #wannapunchmyself Mdk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopie Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I do have one issue and that's the incredibly similar Green Room tracks. The fact that someone in the thread used software to distinguish (only minutely mind you) between the two is pretty weak. Far as I'm concerned it's the same f*cking track. Sure it's a great track, but that's what the damn back button is for. Would love to hear from the label what happened here. So you get 7 tracks instead of eight. No big deal. It certainly is a worthwhile addition to your collection. Of course I, uh...I haven't received my copy yet. Which is why the getting the high quality download as soon as you purchase the album is greatly appreciated. Mdk I have to fully agree with you on this one. The original is from 1998 and the "remix" from 2013... alright there might be some nuance differences but in the end, they're the same track and yours truly would've been much happier if one of these mixes was replaced by another vinyl track. Oh well... Nevertheless, an enjoyable release. DE has a distinct sound I can't quite but my finger around it. It's not full blown goa, but has nice amount of detail and trickery especially in the percussion department. In the end a recommended release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balance Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Nice album. The two Green Room tracks are really disappointing. If you're gonna bother making a remix make it a bit more remixed or longer/shorter.doesnt blow me away. Not like the NervaSystem album Time Travel has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blubber Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 oh man, this is so great what a start for 2014, this will please all ears for a long time thank you Ciaran Walsh and Zioneers !! this is not only a nice collection of some random tracks, this is all written to be released how it's released now. and on top: the perfect ending for a special piece, the title track again. really people, why not release the most unique journey and repeat the main theme? that's how the melodies of Star Wars, Braveheart and Conan the Destroyer survived in our mind! and since i don't have a remote controller, i don't have to skip back to the best track (for now). get it people, this is a limited piece of plastic, buy it and have a smile nothing more to add Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alek Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Was listening to some tracks today. As soon as I heard Flithy Luka brought the CD. That is a brilliant trance track that will probably male it to some of my fav tracks ever. +1 The style is a little unexpected from DE, but wow... what a track! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starkraver Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Let's all devolve and listen to Monkey trance! Yeeeeeaaa. This is one beautiful album. It has everything, a beautiful trance track, plenty of psychedelic sounds, loads of progression, a bit a dark atmosphere too in some of the tracks, some very catchy melodies all that in a very gentle way. If Caesar(planet of the apes) was into electronic music he would loved it, I guess 😂 And that cute Cover! A bit of baldy, that monkey. 😄 Favourite tracks: 3,4,5,6 Edit: how ignorant of me to forget that beautiful floaty melody from Psi Crops! :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitrinos Posted September 17, 2020 Share Posted September 17, 2020 When I play the CD the first track is clipping in the 1st minute and I hear some weird 'roar' from the CD player. Anyone else having issues? And yes, it is frustrating to have two almost identical versions of the same track. It'd be much better to have another old comp./vinyl track in the album. Nevertheless, I like the music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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