Amazon

Stella Nutella compiled Amazon in 2002 for Turbo Trance Records. At the time, Psytrance had not yet split into full-on and progressive subvariants—artists were taking risks, and exploring their creative potential. Stella gathered nine tracks from around Euopre, primarily from France and the U.K., with this in mind. Her selections are diverse, interesting, and compliment one another. Amazon—the title—has a clever double meaning, referring to the tribal theme of the compilation as well as Stella herself. Son Kite mastered these songs, ensuring a clear and powerful sound. The journey begins…

Cameleon is a side project formed by Stéphane Dureisseix of Bamboo Forest and Stéphane Djani aka Ninja. Clear Vision is a heavy driving piece of psychedelic trance, relying on pounding technoid rhythms covered in a thick layer of digital haze. Tribal drums put a natural touch on the intensely synthetic sound. The producers avoid overt melodies, but there are many subtle tricks and layered patterns to follow. Quality work!

Evangelica is the very last truly psychedelic release from Tim Healey and Mark Allen (Quirk), appearing here under their Quixotic guise. This is downright strange! The unruly rhythm tumbles out of the speakers with nervous energy, punctuated by the sound of a vinyl record whipping backwards. An angelic vocal sample, looped and manipulated to an extreme degree, fills the air with a heavenly sound that seems wryly ironic in context. Allen and Healey achieve one last success with this bizarre operatic experiment loaded with freakish charm.

Aphid Moon’s Funk is an unexpected treat from the producer of A Lot Of Radio, a classic single released in the dying days of Flying Rhino. Initially cold, Funk begins with a brooding groove, a chrome-plated mechanism assembled from gleaming parts. The spacious machine-driven rhythm achieves a sublime metamorphosis towards the fourth minute as a slick bass line enters. Gradually, the sound field begins to open up, as lighter themes and layered acid riffs begin to compete for attention, eventually drawing the song to an energetic peak. The progression is slow and determined, but the energy levels grow to be quite substantial, making this an interesting hybrid of styles.

Triptych – Cranky Stevie (Tribal Remix) is standard fare from this French artist. Funky drumming provides the most alluring feature of this track, although the brash hi-hats sometimes upset the flow. The composition lacks subtlety; the arrangement has no real direction. Sloppy and undeveloped, but still listenable.

Tortured Brain (Dino Psaras) and Sterilizer (Ian Rive) provide an interesting diversion sweetly named Totally Fucked. This offering is similar to Cydonia’s Bass Monster, released on Atomic Powder one year previously. The immensely funky groove is hyped up with repetative samples and a few corny acid riffs. It remains trite and superficial for the duration—a happy dog wagging its tail. One could develop a soft spot for something so cute and inane, but it will not suit everyone.

Hyper Frequencies digs into the grime with Robotomix, a nasty tune bogged down by repetative samples from Lost In Space and other sources. The hard driving rhythms are relentless, layered in corrosive noises and shuddering sound effects. It must have been an exciting change of pace for 2002, but the overused samples are too much for my ears. Nonetheless, it is an interesting artifact—an early precursor to the modern darkpsy movement.

Next up, Etnica provides a live version of Liquid Forms, based on the original released with their fifth album Chrome. The caustic robotic rhythm is an interesting blend of dry kicks and snappy percussive nuances, united under a menacing techno drive. Squelchy synths populate the upper realms with intricate layers and subtle hooks, filling the atmosphere with countless details. Any loud sound system will make the stunning quality of this song readily apparent. Listen for the small sounds, and this is bound to hypnotize!

Tristan & Jon Om deliver a sublime shocker with Future Fizz. It takes no time for the heavy beat to kick, and an incredibly clever progression builds tension to screaming heights that might seem unwarranted were one to skim through. Devilish drum programming makes the most of the basic rhythm structures, leading up to an explosive peak towards the fifth minute. The rest is purely cerebral, with a stimulating array of smart melodic flourishes. This one takes the cake!

Ticon display their formidable percussive mastery with Obi Not The One Kenobi, a majestic tribal journey into the deepest reaches of the rain forest. The arrangement is steady, simple, and extremely polished. Moody and mysterious atmospheres percolate through the canopy while a tasteful array of ethnic samples are put to excellent use. This is a very nice way to end the compilation!

Amazon starts strong, dabbles with the bizarre, goes funky, slips into the darkness, tickles the brain, and finally drops the listener in the heart of the rain forest. What a trip! The intensity is suitable as much for home as it is for the dance floor. Stella Nutella did a fantastic job selecting such enduring material for this stand-out compilation. All psytrance fans could probably find something to like on this commendable release.

Release Data

Title: Amazon
Label: Turbo Trance Records
Format: CD compilation
Released: 2002

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