FX

FX was the first really light progressive compilation from the acclaimed Danish label Iboga. Previous releases had mainly focused on a darker more minimal sound, in line with the trends of the post-millenial era. With a clean and simple cover design they introduced a fresh new style to the world with these tracks in early 2003. While Iboga has polished the deep progressive sound in the years since, this transition release featured a healthy share of experimentation and variety.

The compilation opens with Jaïa’s Peter Pan Syndrome, a surprise solo return by Yannis K., continuing the sound first heard on Flying Rhino’s Something for the Weekend CD in 2001. The style is clubby progressive with plenty of light melodic atmospheres and echoing samples of children speaking en Français. The rhythm has a housey groove to it, with shuffling drums and alternating up-down bass lines. Overall it possesses a naive and innocent quality which makes for easy listening. Back in the day it went over well with some people, but I never got into this track. Still, it’s all right.

Frogacult’s Lucky Strike is a soothing deep progressive track with the Scandinavian touch. Rumbling beats and chord strikes combine to emphasize a dub-influenced style similar to that of Vibrasphere. There are a lot of nonsensical samples throughout the song that I don’t quite understand the exact significance of, but luckily they don’t detract from the music that much. This one is polite and relaxed; not an unwelcome guest to my stereo.

Oryx, a project of former Reefer Decree member Olivier Beirlich gone solo, delivers the most psychedelic track on the compilation with the excellent This Goes Back. Reefer’s unique style is written all over this one! Crispy drums and percussive details flood the speaker with irresistable rhythms. Effects and noises creak, wail, and squelch their way through swampy organic passages sprinkled with screaming liquid melodies. One of the best tracks here!

Filur, a side project of Son Kite’s Seb Mullaert, delivers a gem with Underrated. A lengthly intro sets the tone, with a lush female vocals sweeping by alongside small emergent melodies and a spoken sample: “it’s just a fantasy.” Breakbeats herald the incoming beat – a slow drifting groove with all the rich character you’d expect from Seb. Smooth atmospheres, pleasant melodies, and slick dazzling effects bubble throughout the first several minutes, then the track goes into an incredibly deep breakdown full of more luscious vocals and emotional atmospheres. After the return, floating melodies and the rolling beat are casually re-integrated with incredible skill. The driving rhythm perfectly compliments the strong leads and beautiful atmospheres that are reached at the climax. Truly, it’s a gorgeous piece of music, and one of the more powerful pieces of morning-friendly progressive out there.

Double Dragon is one of my favourite psytrance artists, and the slow and ultra-funky Seperated is a sick piece of work. The song is full of wicked drums from the very beginning, dripping with thickly coiled psychoactive properties. The slap bass goes very well with the quiverring rhythms. A grinding noise from his side project Bubble Dragon’s Hentai can be heard from time to time – is this an easter egg for fans perhaps? A woman’s voice recites some numbers throughout the track – “one, seven, eight.” It’s excellent work but that’s no surprise from this brilliant producer.

Emok, Coyle & Jokke’s Cex is a very straight-forward progressive tune – you will recognize Emok’s trademark sound all over this one. It is nearly 12 minutes long so it takes quite a while to get anywhere – the first three minutes is mostly just the beat clattering on without much to nourish it. Afterwards, some shimmering chords enter the mix and start to give the track some character. This goes on for another three minutes as the atmospheric sounds delicately dance around the beat. The break features some haunting choirs and a questionable sample: “I want a man tonight.” Hmm… I find this particular piece too drawn out given the actual musical contents. Though well-produced, the length is not justified, nor is there enough happening to really maintain interest.

True To Nature’s Pulsar continues in the repetitious tradition, but the composition is much more appealing. The beat and bass are a bit muddy by design, ping-pong percussion with tribal touches keeping things lively in those quarters. The atmosphere develops in small measures with intricate detail, gradually unfolding with soothing harmony as the track progresses. The beat is non-stop – no breaks or drops. It makes for a slow progressive tune with a sensual and emotional feel, which is very nice for the right moments.

Flowjob round out the album with Fluff Me Tender, another soothing morning-time treat. The production here is accomplished with a lighter touch, relying less on thick beats and more on the charming composition of friendly melodies. Leads spiral in time to groovy bass drops, and the song develops a pleasant atmosphere as the title might describe. Transitions are handled with a nice twist, as the melodies start to spiral out of control and come crashing into the next sequence. The beautiful sunshine vibe on this one makes it a great song even though the production quality is not up to contemporary standards.

FX is a milestone in the development of progressive trance from the psychedelic side. Some of the material hasn’t endured quite as well as the rest, but there are several excellent tracks on this compilation nonetheless. Filur and Oryx provide some stellar tunes, and I have a real weakness for the intelligent production style of Double Dragon. I feel that this compilation remains fresh and interesting, even years after its release. Fans of the lighter styles of deep progressive psytrance should certainly check it out.