The sixth label compilation from Transient features nine tracks selected by Pete Martin (Slide). Subtitled “Theory of Evolution,” Transient 6 was released in the tumultuous year of 1998, at the end of the golden age of Goa trance. As with most of the other major UK labels, Transient began to explore the more menacing realms of psychedelic sound. This shift in tone was not sudden; Transient had begun to explore darker side as early as 1996 with the release of Transient 4. Many fans resisted the change with outspoken criticism that bordered on outright revulsion, although others welcomed what they perceived as an attempt to shake off the stagnation of the previous years. As a result, critical reception of Transient 6 was mixed; it seems to have been one of those “love it or hate it” releases that, at the time, inadvertently spawned widespread discussion and debate about the future of psychedelic trance.

The compilation opens with an old favourite: Joti Sidhu’s mind-blowing classic Chaos To Order. One has to wonder if there was some kind of Faustian bargain behind this faultless creation, for everything is just perfect. Screeching leads, eerie atmospheres, sick acid riffs, distinctive rhythms—this eternal track has it all. Chaos To Order is one of the best dance floor killers of 1998.

Lumen’s Flooob sounds very dry and raspy owing to the low-tech production techniques employed by Chris Conklin. As a result, this song is difficult to enjoy. I never was much of a Lumen fan back in the day anyhow—he always seemed to produce muddy and indistinct songs similar to Pete Martin’s own twisted style, yet never as good. Pass.

Tim Schuldt rips into heavy industrial rhythms with Mummy Machine, a brutally aggressive track loaded with distorted guitar and nefarious melodies. At times it can seem like too much—the hammering drums are relentless—but this is precisely what enables some listeners to completely lose themselves. Tim Schuldt produced many more accessible tunes in a similar vein, but the sheer power of this infernal creation is highly convincing nonetheless.

Sean Williams and Pete Martin appeared on the scene simultaneously, releasing several vinyl singles throughout 1996 under the name of Satori. Shortly thereafter the duo split to pursue individual projects—Sean as Process, and Pete as Slide. Two years later, they rekindled their original creative partnership with the track Creepy Crawly. This is a richly psychedelic masterpiece composed in a twisted style strongly reminiscent of Hallucinogen. Brilliant!

“A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now.” The opening lines of Thomas Pynchon’s immense novel Gravity’s Rainbow strike me as being the perfect introduction to Spies’ Ceremoniak, one of the most distinctive songs released on Transient 6. Melding industrial breakbeats with harsh growling noises, Ceremoniak evokes blighted images of plague and pestilence. It is an unnerving trip, but one well worth taking. If you find yourself enjoying this, be sure to check out Karmic Energies.

Radiation is a collaborative side project formed by Chris Conklin (Lumen) and Pete Martin. After releasing a vinyl single on Martin’s short-lived Swarm Records imprint in 1996, the group appeared on Transient 5. Barbequed Mind is the last release from the project—a musty tune flooded with unsettling noises, weird rhythms, and squealing leads. It is interesting at the very least.

Tristan & ManMadeMan provide the only relief from the sinister tone that runs through the rest of Transient 6. Julz takes a little while to build up steam, but the whirling melodies begin to shine once the third minute is reached. As promising as it may seem, the end comes rather abruptly. Short but sweet!

Kris Kylven of Syb Unity Nettwerk and UX is behind Element Over Nature (listed on this release as E.O.N.), an experimental side project heavily influenced by EBM and industrial music. Megabyte stomps along with hard kicks, rusty drum loops, and filthy bass warbles. Above the rhythmic plane, a dazzling assortment of digitized noises surge and scatter as time wears on. This is the very definition of cybernetic music. I like it, but it might be considered unapproachable by some listeners.

The final track Eighth Hole by Coma has never been well-liked by most trance fans. Far from being a relaxed way to finish the trip, this song is perhaps the most brutally primitive of all. Droning bass pumps along while unnerving noises percolate in the background. Difficult listening.

Transient 6 features a handful of gems as well as some duds. With this release, the label delved as deeply into one particlar creative dimension of their “trademark sound” as they would ever go. No other Transient release is quite so dark and disturbed as this one, except perhaps Slide’s own solo album, Unstable. A consequence of reaching such an extreme is the fact that Transient 6 is an acquired taste. Maligned since its original release, many listeners will find it to be too mean, dirty, and/or ugly to thoroughly enjoy. But remember: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For those of us who can appreciate the style, Transient 6 is a bold release, but one which nonetheless falls short of its potential.