V/A - All Systems Go

[DeathPosture]

V/A – All Systems Go

 

Format: CD

Artist: Various

Title: All Systems Go

Label: Exposure Productions, Greece

Distribution: Zillion Mental Anarchie

Cat. #: EXPOCD 001

Year: 2004

 

Track listing:

 

01. 08’28” Silicon Sound – Smooth Out

02. 07’52” Logic Bomb – Mystery Mirror

03. 08’42” Bamboo Forest – Si Senor

04. 06’16” Alien Project – Solar System

05. 07’00” Exaile - Funky

06. 07’24” Nomad - Albavoce

07. 08’32” Electric Universe – The Essential

08. 06’46” The Antidote – Three Days

09. 07’09” Kinetic - Ultraviolet

10. 07’32” Talamasca And Yuman - Crescendo

 

Review:

 

Yikes!

 

When was the last time you saw that many big, well-respected names on a labels debut-release? The first look at the track-list had me rubbing my eyes an extra time… I must say that I’m impressed with Detox’ work here – he compiled the whole thing, and I’m sure it hasn’t been a walk in the park getting all those big names to appear on the compilation…

 

With mastering by Volker König of Ololiuque fame, the basis for a fine compilation should be laid down…

 

Let me take you thru the tracks…

 

#01: [140 bpm] First up is Silicon Sound…Johannes Reigner gained a fan in me with his very impressive debut album “Pure Analog” released last year on Moon Spirits… This track fulfils my high expectations… Sweet, well-polished, harmonic, organic track with well-fitting samples… Floating melodies and analogue basslines… This is the kind of uplifting French full-on that I will never get tired of – come on Johannes – release another album already!… Sweet track!

 

#02: [145 bpm] Next up is the highly acclaimed Swedish Ørebro duo Logic Bomb… Johan & Jonas delivers a somewhat darker, more pounding night-track – with the wonderful sound of the late nineties… Rolling acid lines, twisted ‘metallic’ percussion and wicked melodies – and they multi-layered, trance-inducing sound I first fell in love with… Yummy! Fine track!

 

#03: [145 bpm] Then we have Paris-based act Bamboo Forrest (Stephane Dureisseix & Yann Henaff) – famous for their sought-after album “Random Future” which was only released as a promo on Flying Rhino before that label went under… Bamboo Forest has always had a special ‘ethno-tribal’ approach to psy-trance which can best be described as… ehhm… ethno-tribal! ...And this track is no exception… It starts out slow with ethnic vocals and slowly building percussion – and soon the whole spectre of sound is open and we’re treated to a funky, full-on night tune… Complete with weird multi-language samples [old Entish!], nifty little melodies and heaps and heaps of psychedelic mayhem… Damn, this is the shiznit! Brilliant!

 

#04: [145 bpm] Next up is a track from Israeli Mr. Ari Linker… And everyone has an opinion about Alien Project – he’s been bashed for being over-productive, for releasing on TIP World and for using samples of other peoples stuff in his tracks… I kinda liked Aztechno Dream, but besides from that I’ve deliberately tried to stay clear of his stuff – and this track is a good example of why… Instant cheddar-alarm! I wouldn’t go as far as dubbing this copy/paste-GMS-clone trance, but it’s pretty damn close… The power presented in this track IS impressive – and yes, it WILL fill any trance-floor… And yes, it IS highly melodic… All those things are true - It’s just not very original … This kind of track been done so many times before over the last couple of years… Move on already! Average track!

 

#05: [145 bpm] Second Israeli act featured here is Exaile… Although I’m not a big fan of Skazi-trance, I appreciated Exaile’s tracks on the compilations Monarchie IV and Doppler FX… This is a very industrial-sounding darkish night-track… The melodies are hidden in between some hard-hitting acid-guitar tweaking and a severely dark bassline… It’s definitely full-on – extreme full-on at places… Oh and except for random tribal bits there is nothing funky about this track! Decent track!

 

#06: [144 bpm] We’re back in France with DJ Maël aka Nomad… I like some of his older stuff, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard anything from him… A weak intro is soon replaced by a hardcore bassline and some spacey synth-action… Apocalyptic singing and some dude’s creepy voice muttering adds to the dark, brutal atmosphere this track has… Later on we even get a touch of violin and some seriously demented melody… I like the way Farid plays around with constant changes in style, direction and pitch… Also the cool stereo-FX are impressive… Brutal, but nice track!

 

#07: [145 bpm] Ahh, Boris Blenn – the German godfather of Goa… The track starts out with an oddball, yet melodic intro that incorporates some of the very familiar old-school goa effects… The track has both minimal and tribal parts… But also psychedelic acid parts with flying saucer-like samples that will take you straight back to 1997… Very nice variation … I’m telling you, this track rules – it IS The Essential!

 

#08: [143 bpm] Next up is Serge with a track straight from his Ibiza-studio… Very trippy, promising intro, but the track itself seems strangely out of place… Compared to its predecessors its more on the progressive/housier side of the trance spectre – stripped down with fewer layers… But hey, this compilation has already shifted direction a couple of times, so I guess it’s not THAT much out of place… And, the track isn’t half bad… It’s just not great either! And what’s up with the track fading in the end!? Highly unusual!

 

#09: [142 bpm] Kinetic was the only artist on this compilation I had no preceding knowledge of… But as the label is Greek, I’m guessing the bigger names are giving a local act a piggy-bag ride into stardom… This is a full-on morning track – fuelled by uplifting melodies and driving, powerful riffs… Seasoned with the sporadic appearance of a hard-hitting bassline… Anything is possible – and this is a very danceable tune! Well done Kinetic!

 

#10: [138 bpm] We’re back in France, where Cedric gets some help from his friend Yuman on this last, slightly slower track…It’s typical Talamasca minus 10 bpm – which makes this quite groovy with a tribal touch… I dig the familiar, trippy, moaning voice-samples … Ok track!

 

Pheew, what an impressive debut for Exposure Productions… We’re treated to A LOT of fine tracks here – ranging from old school, multi-layered melodic mayhem to deep, highly atmospheric moderne psy-trance… And everything in between! With a few exceptions, all tracks can be played both at home and on the trance-floors – and I’d recommend this compilation to anyone interested in well-produced psy-trance 2004-style…

 

I’m already looking forward to the next compilation which will feature tracks by Astral Projection, Deedrah, Alien Project, Synthetic, Orion, Space Cat, Wizzy Noise, Logic Bomb and more… Sounds promising! Big up to Exposure and Detox for putting out such a top-class compilation!

 

8/10

 

Favourites: 1, 2, 3 (!), 6, 7 (!), 9

 

DeathPosture'

 

External links:

Exposure Productions: www.exposure-productions.net (Under construction!)

Psyshop: www.psyshop.com (Audio samples available!)

Saiko Sounds: www.saikosounds.com

Chaos Unlimited: www.chaosunlimited.co.uk

Trance-shop: www.trance-shop.com

 

(Format update 12/05/06)

[SkeletonMan]

Different strokes for different folks, as they say. I've tried hard to acquaint myself with this compilation, but it leaves me somewhat buzzled everytime. There are okay tracks. Don't get me wrong. For the full-on follower, I'm sure, each and any of these tracks played at the right hour would rock your sox off. I know my sox would do the gymnastics !

 

But I'd probably only go for one dance, then I'd gotten bored. It leaves me unimpressed!

 

If I go for full-on, there are so many, much more interesting acts out there. Filteria, Altöm, Rinkadink. Even Serotonia, if you like straight full-on-no-bullshit psytrance.

 

Still there are three trax here I guess comes border close a safe purchase, namely, Alien Project, Electric Universe, and Kinetic. They're not essential. They're not highly recommended. But they're a safe purchase on an over-all "well, ..." album.