Atomic Powder

Charting the course of the Atomic Records will provide insight into the trajectory of the scene as a whole in a three year period surrounding the millenium. Beginning with the dark industrialized psychedelic sounds of Semsis and Psychaos, the label went on to dive deep into techno and minimal influences before turning towards lighter progressive sounds. Atomic Powder, released in the last year of the label’s operation, exhibits strong influences from house and techno. The resulting style is generally clean and accessible, with an occasional hint of funk, although some songs relapse into techtrance territory. Compiled by Dino Psaras, these tracks were harvested from a number of Atomic regulars. The complete sound picture, when considered in retrospect, is a prototype for what would become the progressive psychedelic sound. When this was released back in 2001 very few people seemed to like it, and to be honest, I really disliked it. Years later it can be appreciated for what it is: a fun romp through the diverse melting pot of influences that would later crystallize into one of the strongest strains of modern psytrance. Apt comparisons have been made to the Kamaflage 1 compilation from Dragonfly, which also explored the new frontier of deep trance. A word should be spared for the cover art, which is very professional and quite different from the usual psychedelic release. It does a great job of complimenting the actual sounds of Atomic Powder.

Tim Healey as Electric Tease initiates the compilation with TV is the New God, a smartly themed example of progressive house with a psychedelic edge. The main feature is a deceptively clever use of the Lord’s Prayer with a twist: “Our Father Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is on television.” Choral voices and tuning static flesh out the concept in a classy way. I never liked this years ago, but I must admit it has grown on me. Though it is outside of the realm of psychedelic trance, TV is the New God is nonetheless an intelligent piece of electronic dance music worth checking out.

N-Tropic is the mildly obscure project of French artists Adrian Danet & Alexis Le Tan. Their brief career is often overlooked, although they have released on high profile labels such as Flying Rhino, Dragonfly, and Blue Room. M.I.G. is composed in a dirty industrial techno style, filled with rusty clattering percussion and mechanical sound textures. The bridge is excellent, with a dark mournful melody and an explosive return. The final minutes are punctuated with the sound of a droning lead that sound uncannily like a power drill. This is so harsh and unforgiving that I can’t help but thoroughly enjoy it. Solid!

Etnica’s Robot Rebellion (Live Mix), licensed from Spirit Zone, is taken from the group’s fourth album – the techno opus Nitrox. It lopes along with jittery rhythms, a dazed bass line, and subtle layers of buzzing electric sound particles. The song is topped off with a few robotic samples such as “see that the humans remain entertained until the end” and “exterminate all humans.” It is groovy in a mechanical way, and somewhat unusual, but I find it kind of dull.

Bass Monster is a cheeky tune that marked a significant shift in the Cydonia sound. The previous year’s April Fools single had introduced the notion that the grim masters of industrial psychedelic trance might have a sense of humour, but Bass Monster confirms it. The track is nothing more than a muppet bass line with a sampled lead from Phreaky’s old classic Tornado. At best, it is cheap and disposable, but at worst – it is a travesty. Tornado was, for quite a long time, my favourite trance song. To hear parts of it shamelessly sliced and diced into this infantile knock-off is disheartening at times. Still, I recognize that I have rather unreasonable expectations some of the time. Bass Monster is cheesy, but it isn’t terrible; it’s just a track of its time designed to thrill a dance floor and nothing more.

Synchro seldom captured my interest after the demise of the original TIP Records in 1998. Four years after Kitchen Sync, Jeroen van Garling’s sound had become a sophisticated breed of techtrance. Kiss This is highly polished, with slick rhythms, wobbly bass, and minimal atmospheric sounds. Despite the high degree of refinement, the track seems to be missing something. It is decent enough in context, but nothing outstanding.

Next up, Eat Static remixes their own Critical Mass, originally put out on the tenth vinyl single from Atomic. I don’t know the original, but the Plastic Fallout mix is a filthy house monster. The rhythm is incredibly grimy, occasionally dropping into broken beat structures. Repetitious chimes echo in the space above a dirty bass groove, and the occasional Arabian flourish spices it up with an exotic character. Eat Static are known for their affection for b-movies, and this is probably where they sampled the phrase “exploring the plastic fallout” which is repeated several times at key junctures. This mix of Critical mass is fantastic, and might even be the high point of the compilation. It is also worth investigating the Kinetic Overflow remix of this same tune on Eat Static’s excellent album In the Nude.

Lasziv is an alias of Michael Kohlbecker of Germany, used only for a single vinyl release on Atomic from which the track Zustand is taken. This is an incredibly stylish piece of dark techtrance with a very high production value for its age. Aside from the droning rhythms, the main features of the song are a haunting vocal sample and an eerie music box melody. It almost sounds gothic in a way, and probes territory that has been covered by acts such as Four Carry Nuts, L.A.B., Dark Soho, and The Delta. The main difference, with the exception of that last act, is that Michael is evoking the mood with a far more minimal approach. Zustand is very simple and straight-forward, but it is composed with such a high level of quality that I’d call it a favourite.

Updata is a one-off side project from Mark Allen and Tim Healey, a famous duo who were also known as Quirk. Creeper is the sole production under this alias, but it’s a good one. The track gets its name from its funky creeping bass line. Snappy percussion belies the heavy house influence, while the scattershot atmospheric noises reveal the group’s psychedelic background. Following a slick breakdown, the bass line returns as a powerful grinding lead that will surely make an impression. Despite the simplicity of composition, Creeper possesses real charm.

The final track is a collaboration between Dino Psaras & Iain Rive (as Cydonia) and Marc van der Vlugt, who compiled the previous Atomic compilation Behind the Scenes. End is a real surprise for any old Cydonia fans, as this proto-progressive track is unlike any of their older material. The best thing about this piece is the bold use of orchestral pads, which can be heard throughout most of the song. Persistant prog-style chord strikes thrum along in most sequences, in counterpoint to the plucky bass line. The transitions are fairly slick, but the overall feel is somewhat awkward and forced to my ears. A curious tune.

Atomic Powder is not a bad compilation, despite what the early reviews might suggest. Dino Psaras has done a fine job in rounding up nine interesting explorations of rhythm. Each song has an original character that sets it apart from the rest, even though the CD is almost completely devoid of strong melodies or signature hooks. It makes for a consistent journey – even the weaker songs sound decent in context, thanks to an ideal track ordering. I find the production value to be right on the money: loud and clear without being too much, in strong contrast to some of the overproduced releases of the modern day. For a release that is now half a decade old, it has aged gracefully. Atomic Powder is one of those releases where the sum is greater than the parts. The result: a good release that should be of interest to all progressive music fans with a taste for eclectic beats.

Release Data

Title: Atomic Powder
Label: Atomic Records
Format: CD/Vinyl compilation
Released: 2001

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