Battle Royal

Battle Royal is a significant release from the year 2004 featuring a combination of modern techtrance and groovy progressive sounds. Z.M.A. doesn’t shy away from bringing new artists on board, and the label made a number of significant finds with this release. The cover art is excellent, and the mastering, courtesy of Ololiqui, sounds great.

Heliotrope opens the compilation with a smooth progressive chiller entitled Hellion. Thick rhythms and deep bass – doused in loads of echo and reverb – form the underlying foundation, while sleek melodies and atmospheric hooks drift overhead. The results are very nice for an introductory track.

Sun Control Species provided one of their very best tracks for this compilation. Searching the Spiral Arm is a sophisticated piece of work, deeply exploring cosmic themes through tribal rhythms and majestic atmospheres. A long breakdown carving the track in two features a great sample from Planet of the Apes about the return voyage to Earth. Years later, this favourite still evokes awe and wonder. For anyone who appreciates genuine science fiction music, this is an absolute gem!

The third track is the first I had ever heard of Sensum, who went on to release Nocturnal Transmissions with Z.M.A. in 2005. His remix of Fiddlestix is a deep and growly groover highly reminiscent of minimal material from the turn of the millenium. A number of well-chosen samples from Dark City are sprinkled throughout the song. It lacks a significant set of hooks, and the sound quality is a bit low, but it is still good to hear in context.

Metronome’s Orange is a standard piece of Scandinavian trance. Had he been around three years earlier, it would have been no surprise to see him releasing on Spiral Trax. Pulsing beats composed with a clean aesthetic thrum along for much of the track, eventually reaching a break where a sample concerning an orange office slides in. Slight melodies eventually flow out of the vibrating rhythmic passages, making a decent impression. This isn’t anything remarkable, but it should appeal to fans of the Scandosound.

Sphere is another tight production from one of the modern masters of psychedelic techtrance: Tetraktys. The drum programming is finely tuned, precise, and vaguely mechanical without falling prey to cliché. The track feels cold and remote, with minor atmospheric pads making only the slightest impression as the beats shift and cycle. A number of nebulous effects coalesce into a subtle climax near the conclusion of the story. Despite being sparse and austere, Sphere is quite satisfying; a testament to the talents of producer Vincent Courcot.

Sensient is another highly skilled artist with a consistent output of exceptional material. Mind Control digs deep into the psyche with a fat chugging bass line, heavy mechanical percussion, and menacing psychedelic noises. The arrangement is amazingly progressive, building in subtle ways throughout the entire journey. Small sounds peek around jagged corners, twisted synths contort into improbable configurations, and strange dissociated voices spread out across the sonic wasteland. This is another classy production from the dependable Mr. Larner.

Sensum’s second contribution Mental Floss is an appealing exploration of organic soundscapes. The drum have teeth, and the track keeps moving, developing in unpredictable ways. Eerie atmospheric noises sweep across the stereo field, accented with alien flutes, a creepy sitar-like hook, and the swampy sound of frogs croaking. The end result is haunting, otherworldly, and memorable, even if the production value isn’t everything it could be.

The Higher Human Form released the excellent I Hear Them Call on their tragically overlooked debut album Neurohighways a few months after Battle Royal came out. It is one of the best tracks to be found there, and a highlight of this compilation.

Heliotrope’s second contribution is a great improvement on the decent opening track. Inelastic retains the deep drifting character of Hellion, but manages to delve much further into the mysterious beyond, captivating the listener with a layered arrangement of swirling melodies, choral voices, and flowing atmospheric sounds. Magnificent!

Yotopia rounds it out with a punchy tribal stomper. The deep groovy bass lines are delightful, but the arrangement seems to drag. It’s not a bad way to end the compilation, but I was never very affected by this morning tune.

Battle Royal is a great compilation that succeeds on many levels. With several outstanding tracks and a number of good tracks in an original style, there is a lot of appealing music to be discovered. Not only are many of these tracks great for building a set at a party, but the whole journey is a good one to take at home. Respect has to be granted for rounding up a number of new artists and giving them a chance to shine. Battle Royal is a worthwhile release that will be of interest to fans of the deeper side of psychedelic trance.

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