Authentik - Preamplified

Authentik is a spin-off project of Three Point Turn, a French act formed by Jocelyn Jaigirdar and Stéphane Hoareau. Appearing on the scene in 1999, they were instrumental in defining the minimal techno-influenced aesthetic that was to become the main focus of psychedelic trance production in the divisive years of the millennium. Preamplified is designed to showcase the deadly techtrance style that made them famous, and as a bonus, the last half of the album is a diverse and experimental array of cinematic downtempo treats. Whereas the first batch of tunes are composed in a devastating style similar to that of Midi Miliz and The Delta, the remainder sounds very little like anything else in the field of psychedelic trance. The split nature of the album reduces its overall listenability, but there are still a number of interesting moments worth experiencing.

The first six songs of Preamplified are expressed in a tortured lexicon of scrap metal and industrial waste. The production technique seldom differs: every track is a brutal collage of rattling percussion and heavily distorted drums. There are absolutely no melodies of any kind to be heard—this portion of the album relies entirely on crushing rhythms and abrasive metallic atmospheres. Heard in a single sitting, it can become incredibly monotonous and headache-inducing, so it might be better to sample a tune now and then without opting in for the full measure of oppressive beats.

The Fifth Colour establishes the mood with a stormy opening, an incredibly hard and hollow kick, and numerous distorted sound effects. Solid provides the best example of Authentik’s hard and heavy techno style, grinding out streamlined rhythms, jagged riffs, and killer drops punctuated by one of the most lethally distorted kick drums ever heard. The militaristic cadence of A 10 is soulless and repetitive, but that’s the whole idea. Métaldust continues in the same vein, occasionally drifting off into the realm of cinematic horror. Airline and Hambourg Fever are perhaps the least interesting tracks on the album—they merely rehash familiar territory—but it might be a matter of positioning.

After the rigid conformity of the first half, the unbridled creativity of the last five tracks is astounding. Marakas features a hip blend of old school breakbeats, seventies-style funk bass lines, jazz flute, and a spaghetti western theme of some kind. Authentik seems more influenced by groups like the Chemical Brothers than any of the established psychedelic chill out acts. Preamplified Dub takes a sinister turn, integrating some of the distorted sound of the first half of the album while slick breakbeat loops and evocative female vocals spice it up. Opératik is a stunning fusion of apocalyptic downtempo beats and spine-tingling male and female vocals. I wouldn’t hesitate to call it my favourite from the last half of the album. The Horning is a haunting continuation of the distorted dub themes heard thus far. Killer beats and an extremely precise use of a horned instrument lends this work considerable power. Air, much like Marakas, is a jaunt back in time to the silver screens of yesteryear. Perhaps more than any of the others, this song has the feel of a film score; the soaring orchestral elements, warbling instrumental flourishes, and ethnic samples lend it a worldly mystique. This is mighty nice, for a change of pace.

Preamplified is one of the more polarized releases of the Y2K era. Given the split nature of the album, it has been considered very difficult to penetrate. The relentless sense of oppression that dominates the first half is completely unlike the rather intriguing cinematic explorations of the second. In the end, there is very little that is psychedelic about Preamplified. This is an album better understood as a conventional electronic music release covering a number of nearby realms of sound, primarily hard techno and downtempo. It might have an appeal for those seeking something a little different from the norm, but without any sort of cohesion between the various songs presented here on Preamplified, it is difficult to rate this any higher than average.

Release Data

Artist: Authentik
Title: Preamplified
Label: d.Drum
Format: CD/Vinyl album
Released: 2001

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