Full On 4: Psy2K

Hom-Mega had established themselves as one of the leading psychedelic trance labels in Israel by the year 2000. Full On 4, subtitled “Psy2K,” gathers a variety of tunes from the usual suspects. Do not let the “Full On” title throw you off—this has little to do with the modern style of full-on psychedelic trance. The sound of Psy2K is essentially an extension of what was previously heard on IsrAliens 1, albeit somewhat lighter, more melodic, and with greater “mainstream” appeal. Naturally, this did not fare so well with many listeners seeking deeper psychedelic sounds. As Freak51 mentioned on Psynews back in 2000, “I think maybe the stereotypical Israelian trance sound is, dare I suggest it, getting old?” Several songs are taken from releases which were upcoming at the time, making this more of a sampler compilation than a set of exclusive originals.

The compilation opens with a massive tune: Infected Mushroom’s “live mix” of their classic dance floor killer Psycho. Love them or hate them, this group skyrocketed to the very top of the world with tunes like this one. Menacing melodies, synthetic trickery, and an excellent use of layers ensure the lasting quality of this Y2K-era anthem. It still works magic on the dance floor; just try it!

Passenger (Guy Zukrel, one half of MFG) never disappoints. The Race is a serious piece of power trance featuring samples from the speedway. Instead of overt melodies, Passenger uses layers of tonal constructions that accentuate the bass line. The arrangement is remarkably effective: one straight build. Simple yet deadly, although Zukrel has done much better.

Yahel & I.Zen (Erez Aizen of Infected Mushroom) team up for Waves of Sound. This version is shorter than the original, which appears on the album of the same name, also from Hom-Mega. As one would expect, this is a light and melodic piece of trance with the Infected touch. The soft sound of something approximating an acoustic guitar provides a nice balance to the strong emotional leads. Satisfying stuff, if you don’t mind the cheese factor.

MFG’s Tsunamillennium is a departure from their usual high level of quality. It wavers along without doing much for a long while, eventually digging into a very standard build and a couple of gratuitous key changes. This is easily one of the most forgettable tunes from MFG.

Psysex clearly had a laugh making The Evil Turkeys—luckily they’ve released a censored version for those of us who can’t stand insanely long sample usage. Sure, the samples from South Park can still be heard, but they are nowhere near as overwhelming as in the original. As for the track itself, it is dark and melodic—cute and twisted all at once.

Xerox teams up with Passenger on Angel Kaya, an epic anthem fondly remembered by many who were partying back in Y2K. The first four minutes are very tame, after which the first choral break is reached. Shortly thereafter, the lead melody comes surging up from near-silence, overpowering everything else for the remainder of the song. This is anything but subtle!

Freeman (with some production help from Liquid Metal) takes a dark and psychedelic approach on Just Making Noise, a charming little tune with plenty of subtle details. The samples in this one are wide-ranging and very well chosen–”music will make you disappear.” With this track, Freeman has nearly perfected his style, typified by collaborations such as Liquid Noise and Optical Crystal. Many early reviewers were not into it, but I would argue that this track has something most of the others lack: depth. Give it a shot.

Sandman (Izik Levi) is one of the most original producers ever to have emerged from the Israeli trance scene. His albums Witchcraft and Psycho Toons are acknowledged classics. Izik’s Green House Effect side project was mainly used, in later years, to showcase the lighter side of his productions. My Old School is purely transitional—not quite light enough to match with the material found on the full-length album Global Warming, but it doesn’t quite sound like Sandman either. In that sense, it is something of an offbeat hybrid—a blend of good and evil that is simultaneously awkward and admirable.

Highly Classified Project by Xerox & DJ Goblin is lifted from the album Freestyle. This is a fat and furious tune loaded with samples from Mars Attacks. It smoothly transitions from upbeat and friendly to the full-on intensity promised on the cover. The peculiar approach makes for a different kind of dance floor anthem.

Full On 4 contains a few great tunes and plenty of mediocre filler. Even though these songs are not generally the best work from these artists, they are seldom truly bad—only MFG earns that distinction. Despite this, the compilation sounds a bit stale, and therefore, average. Fans of Infected Mushroom and Israeli trance in general are sure to find this satisfying, but Psy2K is bound to disappoint some listeners. If you’re keen on an Israeli release from this era, I suggest hunting down something with teeth—Flying Eye Land or the aforementioned IsrAliens 1 will get you started.