Score

Score is the first compilation released from Aurinko Records, a boutique label founded by German psytrance producer Tim Schuldt in 1997. Much like Atomic Records in the UK, Aurinko pioneered a more industrial approach to psytrance as the golden age of Goa trance came to an end. Score is fairly diverse, however—it was not until the release of the Catcher compilation that Aurinko’s sound began to homogenize. This compilation is lightly mixed.

Tim Schuldt leads the way with Absurd, one of his finest. The song opens with scattered snippets of various radio broadcasts that eventually give way to a slow stomping beat. Rough guitars and mysterious choral atmospheres—two Tim Schuldt trademarks—are put to great use later on. A great beginning.

Sentences To Heaven is a real jewel of a track; this is Jaïa at their finest. Beautiful vocals, crisp production, and an irresistible rhythm ensure a positive reaction. Interestingly, this is one of the earliest examples of what we now think of as “progressive psytrance.”

The Groupie Syndrome is a project formed by Tim Schuldt and X-Dream. Pacemaker, their only release together, is one of my all-time favourite songs. They just don’t get much better than this! I’ll leave it to you to explore this masterpiece in greater depth.

The oddly named Four Carry Nuts (Tim Schuldt and Detlef Funder) provide Kay Sea Isle, another winning track. This one is distinguished by an interesting use of highly filtered breakbeat loops alongside the usual dose of snarling melodies and evocative atmospheres. Great stuff.

Dodgy Connection unites Tim Schuldt with Joti Sidhu, another big name from back in the day. Off Limits is very intense: the soaring melodies and driving rhythms of this piece ensure maximum impact. Another favourite!

Non Zero is a one-off collaboration between Tim Schuldt and Oforia. Anthrax Sabotage should be good but it isn’t; it just drones on and on without any real direction.

Mittelstandskinder Ohne Strom (M.O.S.) attempt to revive the old school spirit with Toxic Offender, a peculiar song faintly reminiscent of X-Dream’s classic The Second Room (A Trip). It fails to make a strong impact, however—these guys have written much better music.

Score finishes with Harsh by B.E.T.H., a project formed by Tim Schuldt and Dino Psaras. This is aimless industrial mayhem, as raw and unpolished as the title might imply. No thanks.

The first five tracks of Score are incredible but then it goes downhill. I wonder what happened? No matter; those early tracks entirely redeem the compilation. If you don’t mind the uneven listening experience, Score is worth tracking down. It is among a handful of key releases clearly associated with the industrial/psytrance crossover sound that briefly held the limelight in 1998 and 1999. Collectors take note!