First album: Various Artists - Transfer One
Transfer One starts off with the aptly named track The Fall of Arabia which is sort of a psychill track with a moderate tempo since it doesn’t start with a 4/4 kick drum loop but transcends to 4/4 after a while. There are some nice foreign language one shot vocals here and use of uncommon percussion in dance music - tambourines and tablas I reckon, if my ears do not deceive me. All this results in quite an exotic experience that works really well. All said, the drum work is probably the highlight of this track.
The second track Mirror Image is a bit non-descript and pretty relaxing. The usual things are here filtered melodies, delayed synths and arpeggiated leads. It is also more atmospheric than others and offers the listener a little more breathing room in the midst of all the psychedelic sounds.
The third track Path of the Wizard is best decribed as being very restless in nature. Always evolving, the melodies and synth lines change almost as often as the drum work stays constant. Every 2 bars or so, your ears are treated to something new. The melodies here are somewhat oriental in nature and the synths sound really happy, and the leads almost euro in nature. It’s fun to listen to though just because it just keeps changing. On a side note, this track was done by saiko, an artist belonging to the group Easily Embarrassed whose work we reviewed not too long ago, in collaboration with cadra who runs Sublogic.
The fourth track Phunk’d is yet another interesting listen. This one sounds a bit more techno-ish and the breaks come fast and furious. The lead line is very catchy and hypnotic and the sounds, in general, offer a much darker palatte as compared to the earlier tracks.
Release website
Download Transfer One here.
Second Album: Magicdust - Magicdust EP
The Magicdust EP is a great sounding two track EP by Finnish producer Anssi Hohti. Released back in 2003 on Sublogic, it sports two psychedelic trance tracks that will get your mind fired up in a heartbeat. Fast, relentless beats are coupled with sinister atmospheres and sounds making it a dark moody experience.
Subtlety and listener leading is used to great effect on both these tracks. The second track, Strike seems to be composed of nothing more than different sounding parts that fade in and out as the track progresses while playing a similar driving rhythm. A recognizable motif leads the listener onwards every time something changes.
Little touches like marking every 8th beat with a different sounding snare also added noticeable polish to the music. From the wailing siren-like sounds of magicdust to the distinctive basslines, there’s much to like on this EP. One small quirk of the EP though was the breakdown in the first track which was unexpected. I won’t spoil it for you but suffice to say that after a few listens, the breakdown probably defined the track and gave the music a greater lasting impression than take anything away from it.
Artist website
Download Magicdust EP here.
Netlabel: Sublogic Corporation
