DeathPosture Posted May 21, 2004 Share Posted May 21, 2004 FREq – Strange Attractors Format: CD Artist: FREq Title: Strange Atractors Label: Iboga Records, Denmark Cat. #: Iboga CD22 Year: 2004 Track listing: 01. 08’42” Carbon-based Lifeform 02. 10’11” Dreambody (Progressive Mix) 03. 08’06” Nurbs 04. 07’58” Strange Attractor 05. 09’09” Spacechanger 06. 08’32” Return to the Masters 07. 08’40” Awaken (Materialize) 08. 05’54” Bliss 09. 08’50” FREqTal (Zero One Edit) Review: “Full-on is fucking dead as... dead. Progressive, it's coming back in a big fucking way!” Oh yes, slightly rewritten Pulp Fiction sample… I know full-on isn’t dead – far from it…In fact, I luv full on! But damn, it’s been a good couple of months for progressive; Son Kite “Colours”, Kooler “Open” and now this… Native-Kiwi-now-Aussie Aran Gallagher has been in the music biz for years making sweet little, progressive gems…And now Danish quality label Iboga Records has the honour of releasing his much awaited album... The hype leading up to this, his debut album release, was immense, so let’s find out if it was worth the hype… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: First up is Carbon-Based Lifeform… A subtle, peaceful intro is quickly interrupted by a “lifeform” sample that is repeated numerous times throughout the track… More FX are added, and off we go… A very smooth, deep progressive bass leads the way of what turns out to be a sweet track! There is something very mellow about this track – The repeated samples and the Gregorian chanting just adds to the mellowness… Smooth! #02: Kicks off with a sonic manipulated voice sample “dreambody”… And soon the smooth, smooth FREq groove takes over, slowly developing this into a groove bomb! @ 2.25 there’s a break that continues to put my speakers to the test – it’s just so damn awesome that I have to come back to it again and again… After the super-sweet “climax” that track really takes off and it’s time to drink some magic monkey juice and take a trip to space-land… Superb! #03: We launch straight into the groove on Nurbs (whatever the hell that is…) …At first it’s darker, heavier repeated beats, but it evolves into a lighter, more joyful piece towards the end… As many ppl have pointed out, FREq is a genius when it comes to having the melodies “communicate” and it really comes on strong in this track… Check it out, it’s so invigorating… Very lovely track, both for the dance floor and for trancing out at home with headphones… Brilliant! #04: Ahhh, more instant FREq! The groove is present from the get-go on this title-track and you start bobbing your head instantly… Check out the very trippy digital drops + the HUGE build-up/break part @ 2.20 … Damn, I can’t wait until I get to hear that at a party on a big-ass sound system… The crowd will freak out to the phat, phat grooves! This shit is dope! #05: Time for Spacechanger! After 3 blasting tracks, it’s time to chill out just a little bit… The pace is slower and the overall groove is somewhat more laid-back… But make no mistake about it; this is still very much a progressive trance track… I dig the tribal percussion work and the spaced out children’s samples well-hidden in the background… Nice track! #06: ‘Return to the Masters’ was on the Iboga compilation “Puzzled” earlier this year, so chances are that you’ve heard it… Well, you should’ve ‘cause it’s a sweet track… Again FREq shows us how to make the different musical pieces ‘communicate’ in an intelligent way… Such a sophisticated use of stereo FX… I just luv how those tribal percussions ‘talk’ to each other… It’s deep, it’s mellow, it’s funky – it’s FREq! #07: Why waste time with long, boring intros? FREq instantly hits the spot with this spacey tune… There is so much going on in this progressive stomper – the trademark ‘communication’ is again used wisely and the groove is phatter than ever… A succulent beat and the well-placed robot-samples and exquisite melodies just add to the lovely flavour that is Awaken… Yummy! #08: And now we enter dub country… Strip off the beats, and you are left with FREq in its purest form… Deep, eerie atmospheric ambient with lovely little melodies, laid-back percussion and a sip of tribal world music… Lovely - pass the spliff! #09: And now for the bonus track, made with Mr. Fractal Glider… Progressive meets psytrance… Oh yes, on this track we get the best of both, and it should convert even the most hardened prog-sceptic… Check out the sweet melodies, the twisted psychedelia and the overall groove created by two of the most talented trance producers on the southern hemisphere! ;o) 9/10 Pop-quiz: In which studio was this mastered? High-hat studios or Abbey Road? *sS* You guessed it – this has Son Kite written ALL over it – and that’s without looking in the liner notes! At no time does the BPM exceed 140, but I still can’t stop moving… The production is flawless (as always when Son Kite is turning the knobs), the sound is crispy and the cover is very nice and informative… Kudos to Iboga Records for releasing such a jewel! As mentioned above, this has been a great year for progressive trance and I really think that this album completes the Holy Progressive Trinity with Son Kite “Colours” and Kooler “Open”… If you liked those two, you do not want to be without this one! Stellar release, that was definitely worth the hype! Damn, I look forward to seeing FREq live next Saturday in Løkken, Denmark… ;o) Favourites: 1, 2(!), 3(!!), 4(!!), 5, 7(!), 9 DeathPosture External links: FREq: www.freqsounds.com/ Iboga: www.iboga.dk/ Psyshop: www.psyshop.com (Audio samples available!) Saiko Sounds: www.saikosounds.com Chaos Unlimited: www.chaosunlimited.co.uk Trance-shop: www.trance-shop.com [Note: For info on the LP version, check out the Iboga website!] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlockalien Posted May 21, 2004 Share Posted May 21, 2004 I second all that was said above =) btw, lucky you for listening to them live, DP!! I just hope they play in voov.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ben Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 killer album... i can't stop listening to track 5 just too good.... very nice production, nice sounds and always something interesting going on... more of this pease!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Genre police Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 Yes Sherlock. This is a serious offence. We will give you a week to decide what music you want to listen for the rest of your life. You must have the papers filled and sent by the beginning of next week so we can put your official genre in the records. Final warning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dr. Krelm Posted May 24, 2004 Share Posted May 24, 2004 ""Yes, it's cliche but this is not psychedelic at all. Why a PSY-trance listener buy this stuff or any else progressive album?"" Are you hearing the same FREq album that I am? I find this album to be damned psychedelic. Tracks like "Nurbs" and "Spacehanger" are some of the best *psychedelic* trance I have heard in quite awhile. It's not in-your-face psychedelic, but the layering and subtlety are fantastic and cerebrally moving. Progressive? I hear the influence, but this is certainly not something that can be so simply classified. This album dips into several styles. And remember, "psychedelic" will vary from one listener to another. You don't find this album psychedelic, but many others do. I find most dark full-on to be about as psychedelic as construction work, but others thing it is the best stuff out there and I won't question their tastes. Open your mind a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khogg Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 I think layered, rich, textured progressive can be very psychedelic, just in a different way than traditional psy-trance (if there even is such a thing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest david Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 the best progressive trance album this year:o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redeemer Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 Great production but musically nothing special. Every time you would expect a melody to really start, it just stops and never leads to anything. A nice listen but not great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffBeat Posted February 11, 2005 Share Posted February 11, 2005 <font style="font-size: 20pt; color:white;">FREq – Strange Attractors</font> #02: Kicks off with a sonic manipulated voice sample “dreambody”… And soon the smooth, smooth FREq groove takes over, slowly developing this into a groove bomb! @ 2.25 there’s a break that continues to put my speakers to the test – it’s just so damn awesome that I have to come back to it again and again… After the super-sweet “climax” that track really takes off and it’s time to drink some magic monkey juice and take a trip to space-land… Superb! Dreambody (Progressive Mix) no doubt its the best track on this album its pure progressive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemmiwinks Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 I honestly truly don't see what the hell anyone sees in this... it's fucking club music. Nothing to do with psytrance whatsoever if you ask me. I've listened to it quite a few times in case it was one of those albums that "grows on you"... but it didn't. I found it just as boring on the 20th listen as I did in the beginning. For me progressive is some sort of anti-psytrance: it takes everything that made this genre big (catchy melodies, screaming synth lines, dynamic progression, powerful climaxes, multiple layers), throw them all to the bin and just leave you with a calm beat and some floating sounds on top... If I want that then I'll listen to club music. But then I wouldn't be into psytrance in the first place! Sure production-wise this is top notch but honestly, what do you prefer between boring music that's mastered to perfection and creative music that has a bit unpolished production? Even though I don't like progressive, there is one track here and there that I apreciate... but none of them can be found here... 4/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ormion Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 I honestly truly don't see what the hell anyone sees in this... it's fucking club music. Nothing to do with psytrance whatsoever if you ask me. I've listened to it quite a few times in case it was one of those albums that "grows on you"... but it didn't. I found it just as boring on the 20th listen as I did in the beginning. For me progressive is some sort of anti-psytrance: it takes everything that made this genre big (catchy melodies, screaming synth lines, dynamic progression, powerful climaxes, multiple layers), throw them all to the bin and just leave you with a calm beat and some floating sounds on top... If I want that then I'll listen to club music. But then I wouldn't be into psytrance in the first place! Sure production-wise this is top notch but honestly, what do you prefer between boring music that's mastered to perfection and creative music that has a bit unpolished production? Even though I don't like progressive, there is one track here and there that I apreciate... but none of them can be found here... 4/10 218657[/snapback] Agree 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlockalien Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 blablabla with this ´club music´ bullshit... I am tired of these ´oh, psy is so good, progressive music degrades our genre name and it has nothing to do with psychedelic music´.. dont you realize that psychedelic is also subjective? Damn.. to me oldschool, full on and darkmusic sucks and are not psychedelic at all... but who cares? Its subjective anyway, so I refrain from trying to insult these genres in music reviews... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ageha Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 well, i for one love this album and it falls under one of my fav categories. I tend to like a lot of stuff from Iboga. I love the deep bassllines and i love the fact there isint much melody involved - like how some of you posted, that it doesnt progress into anything, and that its boring. Well, thats exactly what progressive is really - deeper, not as upbeat and melodic. I dont consider this club music either, at least where im living. Its hard for me to find this kind of music (progressive trance) at events than psy-trance events/clubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roua Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 well... dream body is ok (but i'm an "obsesive listener " who sucks the life from every nice tune so) after 5 times i was already bored... (and that in my book classifies as OK for the first tune of the night when no one else but me is paying attention :-) ) The rest I couldn't even finish listening to ... it reminded me too much of the music played in the clubs around here. But I'll listen to it again ... you know the saying ... pacience is a virtue... but then again isn't it lost time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seraph Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 I like all goa, all psychedelic, some progressive, little full on and very little minimal. I like to listen to the albums objectively ( like what makes this song as it is ) no matter the genre. After listening to it objectively, I can choose the music I LIKE subjectively. Subjectively, this album is just an average one and don't see the great hype about it. I like a bit more massive progressive ( Atmos, Vibrasphere ) or just morning ( Human Blue, Jaia ) or experimental ( Son Kite, Beat Bizarre ) but this album didn't do for me even though it has pretty smooth structure and some nice melodies. 5/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cogumelo Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Imo this album is good. But thats it. It´s not a great album, but it has his moments. for example i think a great album (iboga speaking) is the one released by phony orphants in 2003. the Freq album is good but not THAT! good. FREq gets a 6 out of 10 for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlockalien Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 I agree that this is not a greaaaaaat album, but it has its moments, as you said and indeed, phony orphants 2003 album rocks big time, and totally stands above the average... So does antix imo... I still think that there are a couple or maybe 3 tracks in the freq album that totally rock, and worked wonders on the dancefloor last summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redeemer Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Antix, FREq etc are ok for background while coding or something, but I can't imagine trying to party to this stuff. I'd fall asleep on the dance floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
las22 Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 this album is not a monument of music for me , sorry !! i dont like ! it is some kind of prog transe with howfull nord lead stuff on and it is make me pain to my soul sorry but it is very hard , i hate this synth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
He Who Listens Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 I for one find it very strange that progressive music never progresses into anything... 219300[/snapback] ouch. FREq - I've gotta say it, they are a bit over-rated. It's just OK - good production and sound but just wayyy tooo straight, no tracks are very memorable, and after a while, they all just sound kinda the same. I found this to be true for alot of progressive artists [like 99.99% of fullon, btw]. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisk Posted February 27, 2005 Share Posted February 27, 2005 Review: http://www.ektoplazm.com/reviews/freq-strange-attractors/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rain Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 Well freq is just something refreshing within the progressive scéne... progressive has never got any melodies or real full psychedelic sounds in the past... freq is one of those who are the first that actually got a typical trance sound and is still progressive... people who follow progressive from the beginning love this album a lot cause it's a proof that there is also evolution within progressive... I like it... I like progressive just I like all the best of any kind of music... I understand the hype about freq cause I've followed the evolution of minimal to progressive... someone who never liked progressive won't like this either, melodies or not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tox Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Simply one of my favorite albums of last year! Most full-on stuff sounds fucking great the first time you hear it & then just a little less good every time I hear it, upto the point that I'm totally sick of it This just keeps getting better & better: unfolding more & more small sounds every time I push it in my discman or stereo. Pretty timeless music, if you ask me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sawfly Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Great album imo. Works best while takin' a walk in a frosty forest while the snow gently falls down from the trees. The soundscapes really fit in that sort of stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRS Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Endless, Endless, Endless, Endless, Endless... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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