Snake Thing is the solo project of Nick Taylor, formerly of the esteemed Prana and dozens of other collaborative efforts. Searching through the dusty history of bizarro Oz-trance, seeing his name on a release is usually a clear indicator of quality. He’s always had a good ear for experimental approaches that still works wonders on the dancefloor. Witness the innovative Blizzard of Ooze and Scorch singles released on my all-time favourite label TIP back in the late 90s; musical brilliance like this does not come along every day. In fact, prior to the release of It’s All Good, no one had really heard much from Taylor for years. I know my expectations were high, but I gather that this rare Finnish release on the highly exceptional record label Surreal Audio never registered with most listeners. The lack of a CD release for either tune further compounds the obscurity of the material.

The original version of It’s All Good is a twisted piece of funky house music. The beat is lush with cinematic sweeps, but it isn’t long before the initial seriousness of the tune dissolves into a demented array of sultry horns, cheeky hoovers, massive bass lines, and one hell of a distorted breakdown. It is just warped enough to keep a cockeyed grin on your face while you stomp your feet to the steady smashing rhythms. Nick Taylor’s sound signature is written all over the layered atmospheric textures and small melodic hooks of this creation, and there are a handful of fresh developments as well. This is pure fun on the dancefloor, but make no mistake; this is psychedelic house.

For the remix treatment, there could hardly be a better act to pick than the Finnish masters of rhythm and groove, Kiwa. Hot on the heels of their brilliant debut album Dreamtime Enhancer they give Snake Thing’s cheerful original a complete overhaul. It begins with a subdued atmospheric intro full of spicy flavours and distorted kicks lined up in a breakbeat pattern. The tribal-organic rhythms in this track are as thick as molasses and tight like a vice. All the snappy features of the flipside have been reflected through a lens of sophistication, mapped on to the innovative topology of Kiwa’s immaculate grooves.

This is truly inventive psychedelic dance music. If you already enjoy the artists involved then this is sure to deliver. Surreal Audio put out some blindingly good music in this time period, and these two cuts certainly warrant a second look. Recommended for all groove hounds and vinyl connoisseurs.

Street Art is the fourth compilation release from Tribal Vision, a label which has enjoyed incredible success in the past two years. This one picks up where Lime Light left off, dealing with the upbeat side of progressive crossover trance down around 130 BPM. As always, Tribal Vision provides the best packaging and liner notes, featuring informative bios, a DJ insert, and some highly appealing cover art. The CD itself is stuffed with value as well, as there are 76 minutes of sound to feed your ears.

Swiss artists Absolut & Greed begin the compilation with The Other Side, a track licensed from Greed’s lacklustre debut album released on ACDC. This is a mundane blend of two similar styles resulting in a standard proggy stomper with hints of morning light. There’s nothing really wrong with it, but I still find it redundant and unremarkable.

Tribal Vision introduced the world to the beach-side sounds of Rai with their first compilation release Urban Legends. Let’s Dance is another gorgeous piece of luscious progressive house with an uplifting trance feel to it. The smooth drifting flow of elements is what makes this track great; every bright and shimmering sound is laid down with extreme care. Rai has a very passionate style which imbues his creations with a tremendous emotional power. Phenomenal!

Jet Lag Slave is another electro-progressive anthem from D-Nox & Beckers. It lacks any kind of vocal hook, making it a prime a choice for DJs seeking pure music to rock the floor. The arrangement is an ideal trip through several stages, gradually introducing the cheeky hooks and alluring rhythms that make this so delightful. After nearly six minutes of satisfying grooves the track drops out into one of the most massive build-ups of seething electro-lines I’ve heard in the progressive domain. Far from being serious, this is a fun-loving tune without any shame. It’s one of the best from these incredibly successful producers and a definite favourite from this release!

The evolution of Son Kite’s side project Minilogue has been interesting to track. Originally founded to provide the two Swedish masters with a guise under which lower tempos and more linear rhythms could be explored, they have grown to represent truly progressive music in the forward-thinking sense of the term. Seb & Marcus have been instilling their creations with a deeply intelligent approach, exploring the fashionable borderlands of electro, minimal, techno, and trance, and amassing fans far outside of psychedelic circles. Spam is one of their more successful experimentations, laying down crispy rhythms laced with glimmering electric textures topped with sparse emotional melodies. The distinctive bridge in the heart of the song throws down light breakbeats and a very touching sample: “Do you love yourself? You may think that you do – but do you really?” I’ll admit I didn’t like this at first, but it has improved with repeated listening. It took some time to get used to the different approach, but now I really enjoy this a lot!

Sonify is the progressive project of the versatile Andy Yakovlev, who has previously released on Tribal Vision’s Inner Circle as Prosect. Sonifunk is the new manifesto for this particular project, shaking things up with a hearty mixture of progressive house and electro-funk with a psychedelic touch. The ragga samples and vocoded track title might otherwise dissuade my discerning ears, but they really work in the context of this particular tune. There is no shortage of fat rhythmic hooks to get your hips thrusting, and the bold melodic elements keep the upper levels interesting as well. The original style and thick production result in a solid groove and another highlight.

SAN & Sebastian Moore’s collaboration yields Inceptor, a sparkling progressive trance piece with well-placed tribal drums and a mystic flavour. The production quality isn’t quite as full as the material hailing from the psychedelic side, but it remains adequate. Once the initial themes are exposed, progression is pre-ordained, causing this material to seem a bit weak when compared to the rest. It’s fine for home listening but isn’t something I would play out when I reach for this compilation.

André Absolut’s remix of Cloud Buster by Sonic Cube is taken from the very first Tribal Vision vinyl single. This is a bright and appealing track with a quirky character, suitable for clubs as well as open air festivals. Absolut’s rhythmic production shines with vitality, as the clanking tribal percussion and warm bass riffs weave an enticing storyline. In an interesting deviation from the usual script, the climax emerges just after the half-way point rather than near the end. Gorgeous cinematic pads provide a euphoric atmosphere for slightly more than a minute, and then the track is on its way out. The structure is clearly devised for long-mixing DJs; consider this a great tool for a deep progressive set.

Flowjob delivers another sweet and easy progressive morning tune with Life Extensions. It is far softer than Wadley or Cloud Politics, sounding closer to some of the good-natured material on their debut album Support Normality. There’s nothing too remarkable about this one, but it could easily be used in the mix, and makes for very nice listening at home.

Jaïa wraps it up with the most uptempo track of the release at 135 BPM. This is a remix of the dubby chill-out track Manzanilla from Vibrasphere’s excellent 2003 album release Lime Structure. Could this song be any more perfect? Beautiful electro-lines, ecstatic melodies, and the silky smooth guitar of the original combine to make a modern-day masterpiece of morning trance. I don’t think anything more needs to be said; this is an amazing piece of music!

Slater and Schwa at Tribal Vision have once again put together one of the most thoroughly enjoyable progressive compilations in recent memory. The style is on the deeper, more accessible side of progressive; less related to the psychedelic roots, but great nonetheless. After the rather dry introductory track, each song is engaging in its own way, with many highlights to elevate the listening experience far beyond mere satisfaction. The versatility displayed by the artists keeps the journey interesting even though the tempo and style remains within a relatively narrow range. In essence, this release is overflowing with talent, and any self-respecting progressive fan is going to have to give this a listen. Highly recommended!

Dark Noizez is a fresh release from Sonic Tantra, India. DJ Sid (aGhOri TanTriK) has compiled nine blistering tunes with an underground character in 320k MP3 format. If you enjoy the style of Nabi Records, Vertigo, and Devil’s Mind, then this is for you!

I am sure DJ Sid and Sonic Tantra would appreciate some feedback, and there is a thread open on Isratrance as well.

MP3 Download · Download count: 2,497.