Five Tons Of Flax

Five Tons Of Flax is the first release from Mechanical Dragon, a newly formed sublabel of Sonic Dragon chartered to focus on psychedelic techtrance. Although techtrance dominated psytrance shortly after the turn of the millennium, the rise of the progressive and full-on movements led to a wholesale abandonment of the style. While many artists continue to explore the murky borderlands between techno in trance in the modern day, very few have continued to explore the devastating cybernetic aesthetic pioneered by artists like The Delta, Midi Miliz, Authentik, PPS Project, and even (for a time) Wizzy Noise. Compiled by Simon, Five Tons Of Flax resurrects the post-millennial techtrance style remembered from the dance floors of yesterday.

The compilation begins with Mentalisten, the first release from Tecnotika (Israeli producer Omri Azran; one half of Intersys). The hazy introduction, punctuated by fittingly chaotic samples, sets the mood well. As the track develops, languid chords drift across a fat set of rumbling beats. Distorted noises and grinding industrial percussion establish conformity to the stylistic conventions of the subgenre. A competent beginning.

Black Machine (Maxi AKA Oscuro and Yoko AKA Cardinals Cartel) showcase the mean-spirited side of techtrance with Wrong Way. Heavy beats descend with mechanical fury as eerie atmospheric sequences evoke a sense of impending doom. A stormy sample in the breakdown contributes to the dark mood of the track, and the remainder continues to crush and crumble with impunity.

Epi Centrum (Jerzy Przezdziecki) drops in with a self-titled track—produced, perhaps, back in 2004 or 2005. Jerzy is known from the iconoclastic Bigwigs mega-group as well as his quirky solo work under the guise of Praecox. The Epi Centrum project seems to represent a far more straight-forward approach, as Jerzy delves into brooding technical rhythms beset with paranoid atmospheric oscillations on this intriguing number.

The French group Kali Frogz seems to have taken up where Tetraktys left off in 2005. After releasing several free singles on Sub-Machine.net, the group has begun to make commercial releases on techtrance compilations such as DJ Clown’s Rewired (2006). Agent Orange is a menacing behemoth smeared with filthy percussive loops and piercing insectile stabs. This crunchy piece of techtrance is sure to deliver on the dance floor!

The Toronto-based artist Metalogic employs a dry and mechanical approach that tends to draw far more influence from conventional techno than most of the other artists on this compilation. The static quality of the rhythmic programming heard on Transit Flash 2004 makes it seem rather reserved; most of the activity seems to take place in a very limited space. The one exception is a grim lead that drones on in a few peak moments. Not bad, but I tend to prefer slightly more movement and dynamism than can be heard here.

Le S4b0t3ur is Joakim Håkansson from Sweden, an artist formerly known as Dopamin. Sabotage exhibits a kind of malevolent sonic brutality seldom heard since the soul-crushing productions of Authentik and Source Unknown infiltrated the airwaves. With wildly distorted kick drums, screeching metallic leads, and slick structural surprises, Joakim has taken his style to a new level of wickedness. The results are fantastic!

Trimada (Jonas Andersson and Tarek Mansur, who previously released on Digital Structures) delves deeper into the labyrinth with Underworld. Stark, hollow, and repetitive, the charred beat pulses and throbs on automatic. There is no sign of organic life here; only the machines remain. Theatrical opening and closing sequences bookend the song, and a short ornamental break punctuates the very centre. At two particularly striking points the track twists and contorts under the pressure of a convoluted effect sequence, maximizing the power of the bleak and oppressive rhythms. Daunting.

Hailing from Israel, Gothica (Daniel Zarkhin) makes an extremely impressive debut with Beats And Breaks. Blending polished chrome rhythms, massive mourning leads, the sweeping atmospheric presence of X-Dream’s Psychomachine, and an effective array of subtle filters, this track seems to have it all. Beats And Breaks is a rare example of what I call the tech noir aesthetic, an extremely specific mood conjured through the use of rich cinematic themes. This track is pure class!

Described as “a mixture between techno, electro, psychedelic gothic electronics,” The Star Shrink Shooters is the new project from Holeg & The Spies (Charles Rapeneau and Alexandra Mercier). L.I.S. transcends the limits of dance music; I could imagine this working well in the context of a film score or art project. Imaginative in its execution, this haunting dystopian thriller possesses a rare kind of vision. Sublimely stunning.

Five Tons Of Flax is a solid release showcasing a refreshing assortment of modern psychedelic techtrance producers. Simon has chosen well; the resulting journey is very cohesive. In the same respect, the compilation may come across as being somewhat monotonous as it focuses quite heavily on one small aspect of psytrance. For the dedicated techtrance fan this will be a godsend; for anyone with only a passing interest, it might be too much in one dose. Personally, I can’t get enough of it. If you like your psytrance deep and mechanical, Five Tons Of Flax offers a superb selection of killer beats.

Release Data

Title: Five Tons Of Flax
Label: Mechanical Dragon Records
Format: CD compilation
Released: 2007