Issue 4.2 Part 3
Psychosis Agent
New Track Taster 4.3
Deep inna jungle 5.3
Ruffin ah jungle 5.5
The Illuminati Illusion 4.9
Christchurch, New Zealand’s Psychosis Agent is not only skilled in the hyper-velocity realms of drum’n'bass and jungle, but also in dense experimetnal sounds collage and reggae offshoots as well. “Taster” is just that: 60 seconds packed to the brim with trancey electronica, hardstyle and jungle, bound together with wild breaks and jump-cuts. “Illuminati” proves that Psy has the goods in breakneck EDM. The track veers between spaced-out drum’n'jungle hybrids with ear-shattering fx to hardcore breaks with expert sound manipulation. Production on both tracks is exceptional.
“Deep” and “Ruffin” are showcases for Psy’s arranging and mixing talents. See also the Jah Blessings tracks for similar excellence. “Deep” uses dark atmospherics, montage effects and synths that segue int a really solid, danceable and jacked-up jungle groove. The cut is also laced with a good dose of dance-hall. The end result will not only please your mind but your ass as well. “Ruffin” goes one step better, arc-welding spacey drum’n'jungle to more hardcore-style workouts. The ensuing mix of styles and forms is fantastic. Miss this track at your own peril!
Jah Blessings- Indica Sound (Psychosis Agent Mix) 5.1
Jah Blessings- Marjiuanaremix (Psychosis Agent Mix) 5.4
Both of Psy’s collabs with Jah Blessings have superior moments where the forms they employ (reggae, dance hall, island-beat, EDM, etc.) are nearly transcended by their usages and production. “Indica” is odd-meter electrnonic music: somewhere between the syncopation of reggae and the twitchiness of drum’n'bass. The rhythms clash, sometimes wildly, with Jah’s odd, sing-song toasting. It’s a good Grounation mix all around, and the global percussion saves the track from Jah’s occasionally irritarting chants, which are a little tough on these ears and possibly a lot tougher on the uninitiated.
The remix (I can’t resist calling it a “joint” effort) avoids the previous track’s problems by employing wonderfully rolling dance-hall flavors, meshed neatly into drum’n'jungle percussion. Jah’s rap is particularly inspired, and song’s end is nice and soulful. It’s kind of like the Fugees on holiday in Kingston, fueled by pot and meth, but without the weirdness either drug can inspire. With superior selections and productions like this, I can’t wait to hear his new material!
The Quirky
Straps 4.35
Itchy Tits 4.6
Fresh Lies 4.9
Poison Rain 4.55
Lee 5.05
There is no easy way to define The Quirky’s sound, nor its intentions, which is refreshing in today’s age of ready-made rehab superstars and squeaky-clean uplifting trance. Even more refreshing is the Salvation-Army-on-acid mix of styles and influences that they weave into a sound that is unmistakably theirs.
That being said, “Straps” is the least of the current offerings, but only because it is a showcase for their weird side. Vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Zee Peach has one of the most bizarre singing voices in alt/punk today: a strange marriage of the B-52 sisters’ vocal swoops and Poly Styrene’s glass-breaking caterwaul, the latter being the voice of seminal punk band X-Ray Spex. The lyrics seem to be kinky and damn funny in spots, but this isn’t the place to start if you’re not used to them .
“Tits” (contender for best song title of the year), “Lies” and “Poison” a re a much better place to get “quirked” first. Each works off of a different and well-executed stylistic reference. “Tits” is Syd Barrett at its core, Soft Machine in its arrangement. “Lies” features Moorish vocals and instrumentation you’d expect to find on a late ’60’s Jefferson Airplane album, specifically Surrealistic Pillow or After Bathing at Baxter’s. “Poison” could be the bastard love-child of Grace Slick and Nina Hagen (were that possible), set to rolling rock and funk settings.
“Lee”, however, is where the Weird and the Wonderful come together. The rest of the band (Tim Davine on guitar/vocals, Brian Heywood on bass, Mike Vishnick on drums) lay out a tight, vintage B-52’s rock track with trademark over-the-top vocals and hysterical lyrics. I still can’t get “doggy who’s always horny” out of my head, nor do I want to. This band has to be heard to be believed. It’s time to Get Quirked!
Simian Mobile Disco
I Believe 5.2
It’s the Beat 5.1
Simple 5.65
Bjork- Innocence (SMD Remix) 6.5
SMD deat. Char Johnson- Hustler 5.9
As you can tell by the ratings imposed above, it’s just possible that I admire and enjoy the work of London-based electronica/remix wizards, Simian Mobile Disco (a.k.a. James Ford and James Shaw, as they’re known to their folks.) I know I don’t have to do this, but I will. The ratings you see weren’t borne from blathering fandom or an homage to superstardom; their music, ranging from bulletproof dance mixes to all-out electronica madness, is simply some of the most amazing and addictive music I have heard in some time.
That being said, the first two non-collabs are from their most recent release, Attack Sustain Dely Release, on Wichita Recordings; the third is from their 2007 self-titled EP on Interscope. “I Believe” is a brilliant yet original updating of what could have been a killer 80’s synth-pop tune. The tone is bluesy, soulful, and pure new-wave sawgger. Spot-on harmonies and a fantastic vocal track make this a guaranteed winner. “Beat” takes the 80’s feel and puts it square in the 21st century, with an annoying but catchy cell-phone counter-rhythm: kind of like Tatarola’s “Who is Calling” meets Negativland. Spectres of Technotronic and a little Empirion weave in and out of the well-produced stew. The song is very accessible, if not quite as inspired as “Believe.”
“Simple”, by contrast to “Beat”, is an even more original updating of classic dance-track sound. Featuring jacked-up electronica with spacey rave trappings and great use of analogue vs. digital, the track feels like vintage, life-enhancing new wavges transmuted through seminal technorave: think New Order, circa “Perfect Kiss” or “Bizarre Love Triangle”, filtered through Channel F or early Praga Khan.
The track is wonderful in its own right, without the influence lip-service, and transcends the club genre into a sound all its own, which is not surprising considering the sonic nirvana served up in the collabs and remixes they are known for. “Hustler” is a dynamite, hot-as-lava dance track with great loops, solid production, killer rhythm, and Char Johnson’s cool hipster rap. It kind of reminds me of the treatment the Mighty Dub Katz gave Abusrd’s “Fluke”: weird and addicting.
If you read Part 1, you know how I feel about the Bjork/SMD cut, but if you didn’t (nice job, dork..this IS Part 3, you know), the remix of “Innocence” is simply stellar in all ways possible. I’d like to clarify, however, so I don’t come off as an irritating fanboy. It’s not so much the originality or the inventivesness of the track that makes it a true classic; it’s thre encapsulation and extension of the mix with elevates the song, a classic in its own right, into the realm of the sublimely inspired.
You can find it on Bjork’s MySpace page most readily, and from there, you can also find how to get it.
Stressbomb
The Slammer 5.0
Wasted Life 5.0
Imitate 5.45
I am honored to say that I know 2/3 of this raage-and-roll outfit from New London, CT. I’m sure I’ve met the other 1/3, but I’m old and sometimes mumble to myself in bus stations…
“Slammer” is melodic punk in the Oi vein (see Cocksparrer’s “England Belongs to Me” for details) and a great vintage Anti-Flag feel, but without that band’s annoying lead singer. Like the best punk, I really have no concept of what is lyrically going on, nor does it really matter. The attitude is there, everyone is having a great fucking time, and there’s enough references (Chelsea, Replacements, Test Tube Babies, etc.) to keep nerdy reviewers like me happy.
“Wasted” is a cross between Green Day’s bass-and-drum hyper-attack and great revved-up ’70s rock in the vein of Brownsville Station and Foghat. Add to that a healthy dose of alternative formulae and a bit of Blasters bite and you have a great piece of rock and roll.
“Imitate” is a fantastic tune in terms of how it’s put together and how it’s performed. Someone once told me (i.e., Douchebag 35980 I have met in this life) that punk only has three chords so it can’t be difficult to write a classic punk song. This is not true…at all. If someone out there can just whip off a tune that takes hyped up SoCal punk, throw in the Damned for panache, the Dropkick Murphys for assault and wrap it up in a giant Ramones package (eww..he said package) and still sound like themselves, I’d like to see it, because that is EXACTLY what this track is: fucking awesome!
Stay tuned for a full review of Stressbomb and their latest, Self Medicate, which will be coming in the hear future. You can also get your own copy now (plug plug) by hitting their MySpace page and checking out the locations where it’s sold.
The Better World
Down & Under 4.675
Time Travel 4.55
Before & After 4.95
Instrumental 4.65
These tracks, dating back to 2001-2002, come from an established, talented, though ultimately derivative, alt/rock band from the metroppolitan New York City area. The songs feature strong songwriting and talented musicianship. “Down” is highlighted by slamming al/metal attack and soulful vocals. The song’s lyrical concerns are a little standard, but soild guitar work and tight harmonies make it a very good rock tune.
“Time” is hampered only by, whether intentional or not, a muddy vocal mix. The tune has a heavy but not stifling New York Dolls influence and a nice nod to the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” in the pianoi-chord backbuilding section. “Instrumental” is exactly what the title says it is, and is a good listen. The arrangement (strings over rock band) is well-shaped but the song really doesn’t go anywhere.
“Before” avoids the pitfalls of the previous three songs by becoming more than just a sum of its influences,which is The Better World’s only real flaw. The track is more progressive in tone and scope and has a Smashing Pumpkins flavor to it, without Corgan’s sneer, which is really great to listen to. In form and attack, it reminds me of the rock song Joshua Kaddison wanted to record but was too much a sensitive singer/songwriter to emotionally enttertain. A littel but not a lot of Creed in the vocals (ugh..Creed…we’ll save that rant for later..) and some really fine guitar textures that make this song the Better World’s best track to date.
Trance Optic
N.W.O. MySpace Clip 4.3
Trancellvania 4.85
ElectroCrawl 4.45
Seriously Joking 5.05
Sequencing Destruction 5.00
Threshold 4.65
Baltimore’s Trance Optic specialize in a different sort of trance: the kind of trance that really..um..isn’t trance, at least not in the Oakenfold/Ferry Corsten mold. The MySpace clip is more in the shape of electronica with a slight techno edge to it. Slightly dark in feel, very propulsive, it grooves on the furthest reaches of tranceland rather than in the middle of it.
The punny-titled second tune (if you dont get it, explaining it woutd be waste of good joke), is solid techno/trance with solid nods to early ’90’s rave and some ambient as well. I’m not going to tell you exactly when it is, but if you check this track out in headphones, there is a bass kick in it that just might scare the shit out of you. I had to make a linen check after it. After a series of backbuilds and sequencing loops, the track returns to a nice electro/techno groove. Really good tune!
“Crawl” starts out with great vintage rave and electro riffing, more in the realm of Plastikman than anything parked on the dancefloor these days. The cut’s midsection strips it down to bare essentials, but then proceeds to not really go anywhere. It’s not bad, per se, just a little dull. “Threshold”’s problem is diametrically opposed to the problem posed in “Crawl”: the song is almost too eclectic. Still a good track in its own right, “Threshold” features jungle beats with a techno feel and a really unique electronic drumkit. Layers add texture but also make it a little spastic. Could be called “the ADD mix.”
“Seriously” and “Destruction”, however, are great tunes. The former takes a turn towards jumpy d’n'b that almost becomes a hard house track. After a series of rhythm breakdowns and synth variationa, the track culminates in an awesome frenetic groove. Intense mix as well. “Destruction” also cops to the hard house but features diverse technorave sounds and textures. Overall, the track is supersolid. It does get a slightly lesser nod than “Seriously” for not really going anywhere, as opposed to the former track’s clear journey. Still a great dance cut and one that should be played out alongside “Trancellvania” and “Seriously.”
Verdugo Brothers
Jesolo Nights 5.05
Denver Calling 4.75
Rather Safe than Sound- Trust (Verdugo Brothers Remix) 4.75
JD Davis- Thrill Factor (remix) 4.6
Nogales- CARE YOURself (Verdugo Brothes Remix) 5.15
StarSteady- Crunk Bunch (Verdugo Brothers Remix) 5.4
One of the hottest DJ teams in California and, indeed, on the entire West Coast, the Verdugo Brothers serve up hot and funky mixes as well as their own trance-fueled dance cuts to massive venues and festivals all over the country. Just prior to this publishing, they were one of the headliners at Denver’s x:Refresh! festival, which had to be a slamfest.
Known primarily for their mixes, the Verdugos also create stunning cuts of their own. “Jesolo” is a great original mix: progressive house leanings tempered by ace builds, great production, and an awesome acid house sound. “Denver”, while not quite up to the last track’s brillianc, has a great lush sound and refreshing orchestral textures. The mix and instrumentation is very diverse…maybe a little too diverse, but a very good track anyway.
One of the caveats with remixing tracks, I think, is the remix is only as good or slightly better than the tune being recast. If the tune is a stinker, you’re a little stuck. On the other hand, if the tune is amazing, the results are usually going to be jaw-dropping, unless the remixers seriously drop the ball. If any of you who regularly remix can comment one way or another on that, I would really appreciate it.
“Trust” is a better-than-expected remix of a not-that-great song. Working off of a very funky electrohouse groove, “Trust” is more mix than original and features a really fine progresssion from progressive house to latin trance to a little bit of spacey trance. “Thrill” is an ironic title, really. A solid but second-rate original track, the Verdugos work with what they have and come up with a funky Euroclub feel punctuated with cell-phone buzz. Tatarola, this is YOUR fault, you know. “Thrill” is adequate bump-and-grind but just wasnt a great song to begin with.
The Nogales remix is great: solid electro with a weird but wonderful percussion groove and a kitchen-sink rhythm mix. “CARE” starts minimal but evolves into a varied trance feel with awesome effects. “Crunk” is simply a hot-as-hell dance track. The builds are purposeful and perfecty measured, the layers are dense and deftly done, and the resulting groove is simply fantastic. Easily on a par with the best dance music of the past few years.
Issue 5 is coming up the pike and will be finished a hell of a lot sooner than this one, thanks to editorial suggestion and administrative assistance from my wife, Trish Mayfield, and as always, your comments and suggestions.
Coming up next will be update of live gigs and events and “Acid Trail Mix”, CG’s new mixtape mix/CD review.
Issue 5 features new tracks by 4 eva blesst, Goku, CerealKila, J-Dub, J-Dub vs. 4 eva blesst, Koga Ninja, Film Noir World, Trip Addict, BLY, brkr, Daniele Mondello vs. Express Viviana, Daz Hunt, DJ Browsa, Ella Blame, Express Viviana, Empty, 20Mile, Form B Music, Hannah, Hot 2 Go, VS23, Zootkitt*Mysterieuse, Saint Dirty Soundz, Gutter Breaks, Broken Youth, Lil L aka Lisa, Control, Oracle, and DJ Loop (phew)
Issue 5 Features: Norotek Records, Skizzy-Beats Productions, Skaul, Dizzygotheca, Alphazone, Dream Aria, the Fake Lazy Supernovas, SELF, Con the Bassmaster, Control, Cakebuilder, Louis Brains, DJ Nolche, .kne.lmpvzg., and Derb.
end CD 4.2 Part 3
