Electric Embryo is the debut compilation from Sweden’s Yage Records. DJ Bröte selected the tracks for this one, selecting tunes from across the world. The comments concerning the style in the liner notes are completely accurate; the style is dark and full of energy, with frequent forays into humour and absurdity. In fact, this is easily what seperates this compilation from the rest of the usual dark-themed compilations of this nature. The common thread that binds most of these tracks together is the irreverant and playful approach. I usually prefer a much more serious tone in my trance, but I was intrigued enough to purchase this compilation anyway, just to see if there might be something here for strange moments and weird times on the dancefloor.

Mechanix begins with a standard stomper entitled Lifelines. This is the heavy Doof Records style of dark psytrance, known from groups such as Entropy and Jocid. I tend to draw a comparison with other high-energy forms of electronic dance music such as hard house when I hear this stuff. The progression of noises isn’t overly intelligent; this is all about the churning robotic rhythms and simple crowd-pleasing tricks. During the breakdown a sample plays through: “sometimes the mind needs to discover things for itself.” This is followed by a tricky sort of build that peaks with a scream. It’s rather moody and minimal despite the jumpy bass line. I don’t find it all that interesting but nor is there anything plainly wrong with this. Mediocre.

Toxic produce a similar style of music, though it’s more on the side of Psychotic Micro, who also has a track here. Katarzis is the usual blasting stuff, full of nasty riffs and big obnoxious rushes. At times the products of this group can sound positively adolescent, but this one has a self-assured poise which partially redeems all the bubbling overenthusiasm. Though it’s not my style, I’ll admit it’s a fairly solid tune from Toxic, possessing a certain brash and uncouth charm which is sure to appeal to existing fans.

Electrypnose’s 6h Debout Indux is an absolute gem. The pacing and tension building are magnificent, building irresistable rhythms in the early minutes alongside samples from some science fiction video game, setthing you up for dancefloor combat. Orchestral elements shine in the murky haze as the artist brings the listener deeper into the dark reaches of his entrancing vision. Surging synthetic riffs apply pressure, giving way to haunting music box melodies and a menacing stomp session. The final passage is doused in rich cinematic overtones, providing a distinct finish for this epic monster of dark psychedelic trance. Easily the best of the compilation!

Screams is fairly typical for Baphomet Engine, hard and full of aggressive noise patterns and sinister sample work. The arrangement is rough and ready, with a slightly sloppy percussive flow that is one of several drawbacks. What this song really lacks is a kick with a bit more oomph. The results are trite and uninteresting to me.

Wizack Twizack’s Hallucination continues to strike the same vein, although it does seem slightly more coherent. The sound is very muddy and unfocused however, which may or may not be the intention of the artist. The theme here is dissonance and vertigo, as repetative noisy melodies sneak and snarl over a slightly deranged rhythm. The last few minutes are especially creepy. Decent but it’s nothing I’d make a point of playing out.

Psychotic Micro tends to come across as a less serious version of Azax Syndrom, and Face of Fear is one of his most corny diversions yet. The setup yields little in the way of clues – it’s a fairly straight-forward dark full-on thriller for the early moments. The break in the last third introduces the surprise ending. Building up in characteristic crowd-pleasing fashion, the song explodes into a frenzy of lunatic bass lines and comical melodies that sounds like an evil circus to me. What the hell? There’s nothing serious about this funny romp through twisted sounds.

Damage delivers one of the most hilarious joke tracks I’ve ever heard. Resurrection of the Nothing is a sick-in-the-head production with anthemic properties: undead hoovers, grinding guitar stabs, insane bass lines. There is an undeniable rave influence present in this track, which likewise flavours the productions of several other South African artists. The big surprise is a chopped and tweaked excerpt from the theme to the Neverending Story, which is simply ridiculous. One of several massive breakdowns kicks in with more hilarious samples, and continues the absurdity until peaking with a very emphatic “whatever!” The rest is so over-the-top that it hardly seems worthwhile to describe it. The song meets an untimely demise after seven minutes of desecrating all that is sacred in music with some hilariously ironic sample juxtaposition that yields “neverending bullshit!” This is so choked on samples and full of shamelessly cheesy elements, yet it’s actually one of the best tracks on the album! I suppose that if one is going to produce something in this direction, ya may as well give ‘er.

I haven’t liked any Dark Nebula singles in recent years, and my response to Melding Plague is no different. It’s bouncy and sinister, full of samples from some sci-fi video game, and sounds as if it were produced in a marsh. Lots of people like this group, but they just sound like they’re trapped in 2002 to me. Nyet.

Procs wraps it up with one of the most bizarre tunes of the year: Jerry, Här Är Din Framtid. No rules apply to this manic 155 BPM blaster, which playfully snags samples out of Space Balls and A Nightmare Before Christmas. In terms of style, it sounds more like the artist’s Duck Off side project than the material on Procs’ debut album. This is menacing, chaotic, and deranged; something for dedicated psychonauts only. I might not find a time or place to play this out, but I enjoy the scathing frontiers of psycore, so I’ll admit to having a soft spot for this mental finale.

Electric Embryo doesn’t feature the sort of dark psychedelic trance that I really enjoy, with a few exception. Electrypnose’s contribution is magnificent, as noted, and I do enjoy the far out sounds of Procs. Damage surprises me with a track that sucks so hard it’s good. Aside from that it’s an assorted grab bag of silly tunes. I will say a few good things about the release however: this certainly does remain faithful to the idea of dark and slightly humorous! For DJs seeking some sinister and mischevious sounds for their wallet, this is a definate possibility. I can’t see it applying for the home listening environment, but hey – some people are really into this sound, so use your best judgement. Darkpsy fans should check it out, but everyone else can avoid this one without regret.