Morebusinesslinkyouthere is the debut album from Flying Rhino alumni Gus Till, who has, up until now, never released an entire album of trance all on his own. Alongside his wife Cozi as Zen Lemonade he released Lemon Soul in 2002 on the classic label Dragonfly, but aside from that it’s all been ambient releases. The solo project Bus is not new however; he has releases going back to 1998. An album was announced long ago, but it took until now to finally see the light of day. As the liner notes state, “it may be noticed that this album is somewhat belated” – no kidding! This album is something like seven years in the making, and the time and dedication invested into its creation is abundantly clear. These songs were written and recorded in the U.K., Japan, and Bali, showing a true global flavour. It is released on the newly founded Sub label, a division of Psy-Harmonics out of Australia, which is at least partially operated by the brother of Gus, Andrew Till. The album art is cheeky but it works. Let’s dig in…

Disco Suns immediately captured my interest with an uncommon approach to easygoing progressive trance. There is a lot of heart and soul put into this thoughtful opener! Big atmospheres, sad yet stunning guitar chords, and a highly distinct wistful lead are the main features of this beachside groover. The listening experience is blissful for the duration, as Gus Till adeptly conjures a mystic trance vibe that is simply awe-inspiring. Beautiful!

Take a Walk With Me shows a more traditional side of the Bus sound, dealing in gooey liquid synthwork, thick resonant rhythms and a highly processed and manipulated breakbeat loop. There is a prophetic quality to the message here, with samples speaking of “a whole new way of living.” The clattering core of tricky filter work blends with the polished steady state groove for a nice finish.

Outta Their Loco Vulcan Heads begins to explore Gus Till’s techtrance style, which is sure to please fans of late period Flying Rhino. Two minutes of alarming sounds in the introduction segue into the throbbing mechanical maelstrom of this grim robotic creation. It takes a while to build beyond a rolling bass line and rusty percussion, but this only increases the menacing power of the final conclusion, awash in haunting atmospheric sounds from the barren wasteland. A solid piece of psychedelic techno.

Plastico continues the techtrance exposition, albeit with a curious twist. The beat has more bounce to it, and the percussion is lighter and more intricate. What provides distinction to this is the very peculiar sample manipulation that goes on in certain moments. It’s completely indescribable, but adds loads of charm to the stodgy monotonous rhythm. I find this to be similar to the slightly odd yet minimal productions of Loopus in Fabula. It gets to be rather dull in the end though.

Bambi and Thumper immediately gets the album back on track with an anthemic summer hit oozing with pomp and splendour. Friendly guitar plucking evokes a cheerful mood over the lightly pumping beat, making this perfect for a summertime stomp. Orchestral flourishes grow with time, leading through playful sequences that develop in amazing ways. The short mid-point break is a lot of fun, featuring a wry jazzy explosion right out of a detective thriller. Hazy female vocals are heard here and there, lending this one a sensuous touch. The finale lacks the flash and sizzle of the initial build, but this deficiency does little to spoil the charm of this cheeky tale. Overall, it’s a remarkable fusion of sunny vibes and cinematic atmospheres.

Bus L’Ouverture is subtitled Gus Till conducts the Concrete Orchestra, so you can imagine what the theme is here. It’s no secret I have something of a soft spot for well-executed orchestral fusions, whether it be in the Infected Mushroom vein or more like Jaïa’s Orchestra 2.0, which this is. The pacing and tension are often restrained, frequently resorting to long drifting passages with a persistant symphonic sound cycling in the background. After the variance of the early moments the song settles down into a subtle progressive journey, reaching a delicate climax that can easily go unheard. My impression is that this song could have done with another three or four minutes of airtime, as the concepts ultimately seem a little underdeveloped… but maybe it’s not intended to be a track with a bang at the end, and that’s all right too.

Return of the Fist is loaded with alien sound effects, a crazy quivering beat, and hilarious kung-fu samples. The whole song is delirious with swampy sound effects and maddening little noises. After the half-way point a scratchy lead begins to provide a small measure of order to this chaotic jumble of elements. This is a solid piece of work, impressively full of activity, and as diverse and distinct as the best of this great album.

Attitude Jets is the late stunner of the album, returning to the heavy realms of psychedelic techtrance. From the title I infer that the distinct sample used in the intro is that of a jet firing up, but it sure sounds like a helicopter to my ears! Plastikman made use of a similar effect over a decade ago. The track features one of the deepest hitting bass drums I’ve heard in a while, complimented by a menacing array of mechanistic percussion. A creepy high-pitched noise flares up in some segments to scratch at the upper layer of the subconscious. Gus Till knows how to build atmosphere with these unsettling elements! It doesn’t seem to have hit the mark with many reviewers, but I think this is one of the best techtrance tunes I’ve heard in a long time. The only regret I have is that the outro is very tricky to mix.

The final song is the Bus remix to Slinky Wizard’s Depth Charger, an as-yet unreleased track from George Barker. At close to 12 minutes in length, it’s quite the epic. It builds tension with a dry shuffling groove for the first five minutes, then it breaks into something much more spacious, with hints of 12 Moons’ Northern Star in the background. A thoughtful quote from an interview with Robert McNamara in the documentary The Fog of War is used throughout the track: “We must try to put ourselves inside their skin and look at us through their eyes, just to understand the thoughts that lie behind their decisions and their actions.” In the beginning, this song is a little dull, but it gradually grows to possess an ethereal quality which makes this perfectly suited to close the album.

Morebusinesslinkyouthere has it all. From sad and mournful to grim and foreboding; from bright and cheerful to wry and funky – this album truly has it all. Every track has a distinct feel to it, and they are ordered in such a way to provide an interesting journey without conforming to a traditional story arc. Did we expect anything less? I think not.

Unlike many veteran artists, Gus Till has not fallen prey to trends and current fashions in trance; this could have been released any time in the last few years. There is no shortage of experimentation and risk-taking on this album. A few of these tunes differ from standard trance structuring by peaking early and drifting through the last moments, almost as if they were built backwards. On several tunes, the artist explores the decaying ruins of techtrance for musical inspiration, which is only sensible considering his understated role in the formation of the original minimal and progressive movements. This is not an album to be missed by any long-time listener, although it will understandably confuse some newcomers. Anyone seeking full-on sounds are going to be out of luck, for example. Beyond that – anyone with an interest in progressive techniques and deeper methodologies needs to hear this long-awaited gem.

Nocturnal Transmissions is the often overlooked debut from the Sydney-based artist Sensum. He was previously known through a number of decent compilation appearances on this very label, Z.M.A. Let’s Turn On was a solid piece of work from A Day After, and he had a pair of notable tunes on Battle Royale. This CD showcases an uncommon blend of deep chunky progressive with minimal sensibilities, which is sure to be of interest to some listeners. I wrote this review mainly to see if I could get anything out of this experience, as I have had it for a while without forming any kind of opinion on it.

Going Mad begins the album with a sign of things to come. The key melody is heard at the very start, and never does it develop as the track progresses. There are times where it is not present – when tension is being built – but most of the time it is cycling through the same simple pattern. The rhythm is a chunky setup, sounding very Central European to my ears. Alongside the occasional outburst of tribal drumwork, slight pads slice through the soundscape in a hypnotic fashion. Ultimately it is competent yet dull, which turns out to be the case for much of the material found here.

Ghost Logic features a darker drive, with samples from Nosferatu and Blade Runner. The focus is once again on pulsating grooves and slight sound effects. The menacing edge and well-timed sample usage lends this one a bit more character than some of the other pieces here. Decent but not outstanding.

Rollersmoker lightens it up somewhat with the inclusion of female vocals and bright melodic flourishes. Just as with the first song, a single pattern is expressed over and over again without any real development. All of the development seems to take place in the muddy territory right above the steady rhythm, and it’s easy to miss. There are no surprises here.

At 144 BPM, Lunar Activity is the most uptempo piece of Nocturnal Transmissions. It opens with a one minute long intro, in which a sample from Hellraiser III plays through. Wolf sounds and well-integrated guitar adds some distinction to the developing rhythms as they begin. After this, it is easy to lose track of what is going on. There is evidently some thought put into the construction of the rest of the song, but it fails to make a strong impression on my ears.

Afrika begins with a powerful sample some may recognize: “it began in Afrika.” From that point onward the linear rhythms begin to unfold with a sublime array of atmospheric themes. Another reviewer describes the sound as that of the Australian outback, and I agree; it’s a poignant bit of imagery that concisely expresses the specific character of this piece. Mournful mystic tones flare up in the early moments, but the song gives itself over to deeper tribal-organic travelling as it carries on for ten minutes of ritual pounding. In the last couple of minutes an array of old school trance riffs begin to lightly spiral above the constant rhythms, reminding me of classic tunes from Sheyba or Elysium. The spoken samples in the body of the work detract from the entrancing powers of the steady rhythm and casual interplay of atmospheric themes, but the wolf calls fit perfectly. Easily the best of the album!

Tri-Polar is the slowest song of the release, clocking in at 135 BPM. The beats are highly processed once again, sounding very thick and extremely synthetic. This is another resonant groover full of deep tones and drifting atmospheric sounds which is lacking in distinction.

The Visionery throbs along with a pushy bass line and the usual Sensum-style kick drum. Tribal textures invade near the half-way point, but there isn’t much to chew on in the early moments. A short break in the last third begins to change that, however. The return features a fitting vocal sample, and the song begins to loosen up. Simple melodies begin to sparkle in the twilight atmosphere, but they don’t go too far before the track concludes.

I wouldn’t have thought it were possible, but Ear-Drumming is even more sedate and unengaging than any of the previous tracks. I hear more of a tribal touch to the drums in some parts, but aside from that it’s as if nine minutes of my life slipped by without any memory of it. Uninteresting.

After a number of bland tunes, the closing tune Pokerface is nice to hear. Though very deep and sedate, there is greater emotive power present. There is something about these stealthy rhythms and subdued atmospheric passages that reminds me of Noma’s more dreamy material. A good sample can be heard in the heart of the tune: “we’re all shamans using music to acheive ecstasy.” The final minutes rise to the occasion, calmly instituting additional layers of mild-mannered synthwork that capitalizes on the entrancing nature of all that has come before. This completes the album on a positive note.

Sensum’s debut is a dry progressive album in the style of Aerolink, Shaman, and Shadow FX. The production quality and sound design are acceptable, but the arrangements tend to drag, and I’m not convinced by the creative elements. Sensum has a consistent approach, but the result is an album that is very dull to listen to in one sitting. As background material it may work well, but this approach runs the risk of leading to irrelevance. That’s exactly what the problem is here; I simply can’t see a reason why anyone would want to purchase and then listen to this when there are much better progressive psychedelic trance releases out there. I’m sure Sensum has more good music in him, but this collection is only for the rare souls who appreciate a truly minimal style composed with heavy progressive motifs. Even the cover art is tragically bland. This album is missing an essential spark of ingenuity that would make these well-conceived soundscapes come to life. I’d only pitch this towards those who appreciate very static, deep, and sublime styles of minimal psychedelic trance.