Cybered - Acid Box

[Bill]

 

Artist: Cybered

Album: Acid Box

Label: Horns & Hoofs

Release: July 2014

 

I was at a festival just outside of Montreal a couple summers back and the performing DJ dropped a tech-trance set. When the familiar chords of Cybered’s “Dark Athena” started up I simply lost it, dancing around frantically, working up a very healthy sweat and as the set wore on a burst of energy was needed so I looked to my peers for a boost…except no one else was moving.

 

It’s not surprising, I suppose. Tech-trance has always been a niche style and I’ve known this since first falling in love with Midi Miliz’ 2002 album, “Passages”. For those who love tech-trance will quickly find themself surrounded by many more who just do not know what to do with it.

 

Interestingly, when popular progressive producers Nerso & Tyce got together for their Ectima project the resulting two albums were well received and acclaimed. Certainly, the pitched-down BPMs define it as dark progressive but the moods and militant bass lines strongly suggest tech-trance.

 

I suppose it all depends on who is delivering the message. Here, then, Cybered’s “Acid Box” could be Ectima for the full-on crowd. Without question, the influences of Midi Miliz, The Delta and X-Dream run rampant through Cybered’s style.

 

With everything that Cybered accomplished with his 2013 full-length debut on “Forget Your Past” he continues here. Both albums are full of deep, full-bodied, percussive bass lines (turn it up and bask in the rumble!) and wildly cinematic compositions. On both albums, Cybered defines himself as an awesome producer whose details in all of his tracks are crisp, interesting, darkly beautiful.

 

There’s no way for me to pick a favorite between the two albums. “Forget Your Past” is the wild, raucous original and “Acid Box” is its equally bombastic sequel – a continuation of the same ideas and themes without anything sounding similar or recycled. In fact, the original was so damn good it deserved a follow-up of this magnitude and similarity.

 

Here, “Wild Tuba” is a gem (very much a twin to Forget Your Past’s “Dark Athena”) with so much cinematic flair that it seems to be begging for a wild sci-fi film soundtrack to be a part of. “Kraken” is a techno tyrant. “I’m Bad,” “Nobody” and “Acid Box” growl and menace in the most delightful ways possible. “Anolog ID” and a remix of Quite K’s “Vasya Exhale” crackle with raw power.

 

There’s a reason this tops my list for best release of 2014. Nothing else I have heard this year even comes close to the power and precision of this album.

 

Now, the question is, will anyone else know what to do with this thing?

[Basilisk]

I agree 100%. Both albums are great and techtrance remains one of my favourite niche genres of psytrance. "Crackling with raw power" indeed!

[Balance]

Wonderful album. I've loved his work since the early Horns & Hoofs days. Very crunchy back then whereas this beast has a slightly more modern techno edge, I love the slightly melancholic feel to the album.

 

 

For my tech crunch & darker stuff I stick with Nachstrom schallplatten label. The VX album is just stunning. I find their releases very inspirational in my own production sense.

[Jon Cocco]

Cybered - Acid Box

Dark Trance, Tech-Trance, Psytrance, Goa

Horns and Hoofs

 

1. Acid Box

2. I'm Bad

3. Nobody

4. Wild Tuba

5. Stalwart

6. Analog ID

7. Micron Saluter

8. Vasya Exhale (Cybered remix)

9. Kraken (feat. Chumahod)

10. Blunder (feat. Eldar Stuff)

 

This is such a tasty, underrated release. When I think of tech trance, I think repetitive. That's not the case here. The album's VERY catchy, atmospheric, and intriguing. It goes BEYOND tech trance. The introductions are interesting. At times a song becomes down right powerful, intense, and uncompromising. T

 

This is dark (NOT MAINSTREAM FORMULAIC) Trance with evocative melody/sound, ambient, and industrial(/metal (?) influence. Wild Tuba anyone? There's an emotive (somewhat sad, deeply personal) feel at times that really hooks me. Maybe this is what people call Psy Dark Prog... The album's never cheesy. It's dark and absorbing, introspective, and occasionally provocative (via voice samples that are NEVER overused). There appears to be touches of Goa and Psy too, maybe some Delta meets Eat Static influence (from back in the day) that underwent a wild evolution. I finally found something dark that grabs my attention and is vastly different from what I've been listening to for years. Every song on this album is well done.

 

This is one of the BEST, most SOLID releases of 2014. I'm so glad I became aware of it via 2014 "Best of Psynews Poll" thread in time and added it to my Top 10. It's easily one of my favorite albums from 2014. Virtually every track is great. The only one I find noticeably weaker is Blunder (Eldar Stuff); the last it seems to play it safer than the others, but it's still fun to listen to. This release is CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED. I'm impressed.

 

Steam a full track here. Steam them all on YouTube and decide what you think!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ootly60EDG8

 

Samples / Order

http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/hah/hah1cd009.html

 

Favorite tracks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

[Goa-Head]

Sampling this, reminds of Delta/Spirallianz/MidiMiliz.

 

I'm sure the cover puts off a lot of people.

[juril]

I think the cover is equally awesome.

[Alek]

Holy shit! I'm not a fan of tech trance, but thought I'd give this a quick listen on bandcamp due to all the freaking hype... and I'm blown away! An unforgetable journey and now I need to listen to his previous album also.

 

Quick highlights include Nobody, Wild Tuba, Micron Slutterz and Vasya Exhale.

 

It's like X-Dream's Irritant and SynSUN's Symphonic Adventures had a beautiful dark-featured love child!

[Mergi]

Artist: Cybered

Release: Acid Box

Year: 2014

Label: Horns & Hoofs Entertainment

Cat-#: HHCD009

Rating: 4/5

 

Tracklist:

1) Acid Box

2) I'm Bad

3) Nobody

4) Wild Tuba

5) Stalwart

6) Analog ID

7) Micron Slutterz

8) Quite-K - Vasya Exhale (Cybered Remix)

9) Kraken (Featuring Chumahod)

10) Blunder (Featuring Elder Stuff)

 

I haven't heard this kind of atmospheric contemplative technotrance since MidiMiliz - Passages album on boshke beats. It just swiftly rolls over you and takes you on a journey. Really nice to hear this kind of stuff 15 years later. Of course I have the soundmute CDs, but they come off as really hard techno CDs compared to the more progressive psychedelic techno style from Acid Box.

 

It's dark sinister but adventurous and with detective rustin cole going on one of his epic deprecating rants about humanity in Nobody the tone is set. This might not be everyones cup of tea but I seriously like these deeper tracks that do not necessarily bombard you with epic synth leads or "nutty" out of place effects.

[Trance2MoveU]

Oftentimes it is great to jump out of your comfort zone and discover what artists are doing.  This tech-trance hits me just right.  Dark, brooding, mysterious...whatever you want to call it.  All backed up with some very danceable rhythms. 

 

Wild Tuba...wow.