Breeze

Breeze is the fresh progressive compilation from Z.M.A., a label which I respect for the diversity of their output. These days most progressive compilations are either really slow and electro-flavoured or more energetic and clearly more attuned to the psychedelic movement. Breeze is a mixture of both, with tracks ranging all across the map from 130 to 145 BPM. The cover is typical for Z.M.A., but luckily there are 71 solid minutes of sound here.

Fog’s Empty Cargo opens the album with a bland tune that nails the style right but fails to deliver an engaging storyline amidst flowing synthetic sounds. This is easily digested, lazy beach house to throw on in the background, not to rock a party.

Shadow FX offers another tame exposition of deep sounds with Head Shift, a representative slice of the new sound of Australian progressive. Moody sounds akin to what you might hear from Sun Control Species or Luna Spice proliferate throughout, and the infrequent appearances of a lighter lead are simple and never too strong. More upbeat than the first, this also has slightly more going for it, but still fails to impress.

Sensifeel is a group I initially disliked as they suffered from an indistinguished sound, but Smileys is quite different from their releases thus far. It’s another easy tropical stroll through deep progressive, but the heavy bass notes give it a more appealing groove. Unfortunatly there is next to no development in this tune, so it ends up dragging after the initial allure wears off. Useful as a DJ tool for the interesting style on display here.

Fog returns with a better offering entitled Vitamin to clear the air. This is another slow progressive groover that relies on atmosphere and small elements to develop an enticing flow. Somehow the magic is more present here than it has been on the compilation thus far, as I find myself swaying along to the pleasant rhythms as the track rolls along. A spacious breakdown provides a little variety, though the return is more of the same for the most part. This is potentially useful for long mixing DJs who seek mildly funky filler.

Sensum’s Flight Control is a brash leap upwards in energy from the last, immediately pumping out of the speakers with more vivacity in the first minute than all the previous tracks combined. This is full power progressive, smooth yet energetic. The vibe is cheerful and upbeat, though a darker current does enter into the liquid passages every now and then. It might sound a little anonymous in other contexts, but here it shines with vitality. A solid organic groover to shake the festivals next season.

Sensifeel’s side project Cyklones is up next with Audiodrugs, another slick progressive number with no shortage of tribal drums. Again it is a sort of middle-of-the-road progressive groove fest with a light character. The only thing that distinguishes this from countless other tunes just like it is a sinuous lead that whips up from the lower levels with a sharply crafted edge to it. A few voices rise up in some segments, but I don’t feel they suit the song very well. Aside from that, there are no surprises here; I don’t even understand what warrants the initiation of a second project for Sensifeel, considering how similar this sounds.

The second offering from Shadow FX is Thoughts Have Certain Sound, another plodding synthetic beast. The famous sample from the movie Dune is put to use here without seeming necessary. Strangely, a long sample from The Man Who Wasn’t There is also prominently featured. The beats themselves are about as anonymous as can be, leaving very little for me to write. Filler.

Sensum’s Solar Sound is much better, once again. Bouncy rhythms churn on by, augmented by squelchy sounds that flow around with tangible viscousity. The nature of Sensum’s production technique is such that it is rather difficult to make a stand-out tune, and this form-fitting tribal morning groover isn’t any different. At least it is better than some of the blander material here.

Genetic Spin closes the compilation with another one of their distinct tunes, fusing morning trance with deep bass-heavy grooves. For the first time, the melodies are abundantly audible! Unfortunatly the song is marred by some questionable sample usage: “he can’t get it up,”, “this is nuts,” and “killing is an addiction, like any other drug,” among other choice selections. It might otherwise have been the tune of the album, but this sort of thing can really ruin a song for me. Disappointing.

Breeze is a testament to the dangers of releasing whatever satisfies current production standards. One also needs substance in music, especially when it comes to progressive, which is a style that can easily become dull and redundant if attention isn’t given to detail. This is a fine example of this problem. It’s not that this is a bad release – it’s simply that the music is generally as flavourless as a plain soda cracker. Maybe these tunes will sound nice on a big system, but structurally they are, by and large, not particularly stimulating. I couldn’t pitch this to anyone; if you enjoy the dirty slower progressive then the new Plastik Park and ACDC imprints do it much better. If you enjoyed the recent Z.M.A. albums from Sensum and Interphaze, as well as the debuts from Elastic and Drone, then perhaps you’ll find something here to appreciate. For some, there is beauty in simplicity. For others, this is the soundtrack for a cat nap. Choose wisely.

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