DJ Bim and Medium Records were heavily involved in bridging the gap between late-nineties Goa trance and the progressive sound of the new millennium. Floor captures the development of DJ Bim’s winning formula: a blend of German reserve, Scandinavian refinement, and British ingenuity.

CHI-A.D. (Dave Young) opens the compilation with one of his more inspired creations: Waverider. Building on a foundation of heavy kick drums and throbbing bass lines, he cautiously introduces subdued electric guitar riffs, catchy melodic hooks, and futuristic atmospheric twists. The direction seems firmly established, but this track is loaded with surprises—saccharine emotional themes hesitantly emerge in the second half of the tale. There is something magical about the way this song unfolds—the contrast of tough rhythmic elements and a genuinely uplifting spirit makes for a beautiful morning anthem. Strongly recommended!

Human Blue takes a cautious approach with the mild-mannered Environmental Boogie, a slow-building tune that progresses in small increments. Based around elegant tribal-organic rhythms, the song amasses a subtle multi-layered arrangement of burbling acid lines and obscure atmospheric themes by the time it concludes. It may pass unnoticed.

Matenda explores similar territory with Fjaka, another streamlined example of Scandinavian trance, this time with discernible influence from Atmos. It cruises along without registering for much of its running time, sounding as if it were designed for background consumption. Attentive listening might be rewarded, or perhaps this track is simply past its prime.

Visionary shatters the spell with the strong beats of Glass, one of the highlights of the Floor compilation. Thick synthetic rhythms provide a solid foundation for the development of drifting melodic themes. Alluring in its simplicity, the artist weaves a captivating storyline that never seems to grow old. This is one for the ages.

Rastaliens had few releases behind them at the time Magwa was released. As one of their earliest productions on record, it shows a number of interesting characteristics. The creepy music box melodies that mark their later work are present, although remote. What I find particularly interesting in this piece is the mean bass line; it gives Magwa an almost Scandinavian feel that I’ve not heard in other releases from this group. Although the Rastaliens sound is only in its prototype phase on this work, I find Magwa to be surprisingly good.

D-Fundation (Detlef Funder, one half of Four Carry Nuts alongside Tim Schuldt) plunges the listener into the merciless domain of cold German techno with Chiccadilly Circus. The throbbing beat overwhelms the barren sound canvas; the surrounding noises are almost an afterthought. As with many contemporary applications of the minimal aesthetic, the technical quality of the song is acceptable, but the lack of creative focus means it is better suited for DJ usage than home listening.

Nerve—a side project of Mittlestandskinder Ohne Strom—explores the dehumanizing effect of clanging mechanical rhythms and minimal soundscapes with Rocket. Horrific droning atmospheres provide an unsettling compliment to the monotonous drum work. The sheer power of the massive beat is enough to carry the song; the resulting effect is somewhat like X-Dream on sedatives. The other Nerve singles might be better, but Rocket is still solid.

The final offering is a remix of CHI-A.D.’s Monsters, originally from the Neighbourhood compilation. Tim Schuldt and Detlef Funder tighten up the somewhat unfocused source material to create a powerful dance floor anthem fusing industrial guitar riffs with deadly rhythmic programming. As one of 4CN’s greatest hits, Monsters was eminently recognizable back in the day—in part due to the sample of Alec Guiness as Obi-Wan: “one cannot be betrayed if one has no people.” Removed from the original context in which it was initially elevated to such high regard, Monsters might not have the same impact on first-time listeners, but it remains a classic of the industrial psytrance style nonetheless.

Floor is a substantial release but not a classic of the genre. DJ Bim has selected a good batch of music, crossing the spectrum from dark to light with a confident movement through the elements. Several of these songs have an enduring quality, whereas others are merely decent. At any rate, Floor is worth owning if you’re interested in this chunk of trance history. Although many of the better songs were licensed for release elsewhere (see my review of Reincarnation), the Four Carry Nuts remix is exclusive to Floor. This is one for the collectors.

Release Data

Title: Floor
Label: Medium (Midijum Records)
Format: CD/Vinyl compilation
Released: 2000

More Information

Psynews: User-submitted review forum.
Psytrance.pl: Polish-language review

Phobium (Henning Helland Ottesen) has generously released a live set recently recorded at an event in Gothenburg, Sweden. Featuring 17 explosive psychedelic tunes packed into 85 minutes, this energetic set rushes by at a pace that should leave your neurons tingling. Most impressive is the fact that Phobium has freely released this set for download in MP3 as well as lossless FLAC formats. Be sure to read the release information for additional credits, technical details, and access to supplementary cue files.

MP3 Download | WAV Download | Link | Permalink · Download count: 18,116.

If you enjoy this set be sure to check out Phobium’s full-length debut album Future Uncertain, available from Wirikuta and Saikosounds. Phobium has also released with several free compilations available here on Ektoplazm: Yggdrasil, Terror From The Depths, and Next Destination. Lastly, if you need any help working with the lossless FLAC file, check out this site.

Ultrapop 2 is the second compilation from Fabularecords, an independent label founded by Loopus In Fabula in 2003 to provide an outlet for their distinctly unconventional style of electronic dance music. Although the label operates within the psytrance realm, the Fabula sound defies strict classification. They’ve carved out their own niche—a mutant blend of styles jokingly referred to as “funkypsydiscoteknimal.” True to form, Ultrapop 2 sports a diverse array of weird and groovy selections from around the globe. This will surely be of interest to those listeners and DJs who exhibit an appreciation for the experimental fringe of progressive psychedelic trance. Continue reading the rest of this post »

Release Data

Title: Ultrapop 2
Label: Fabularecords
Format: CD compilation
Released: 2007

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Saikosounds: Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong. Recommended.
Wirikuta: Physical mail order shop based in Austria.

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Isratrance: User-submitted review forum.