Further Ambivalent Tendancies

Further Ambivalent Tendancies shatters nearly two years of inactivity from the mavens of menace at Ambivalent Records. FAT gathers original efforts from Ady Connor (Scorb), Paul Konrad Wright (NRS), and Santos De Castro (Deviant Species), with some help from a few guests. The sound is exactly as one would expect: hard synthetic psytrance, with a dark and demented twist.

Paul Konrad Wright, in his Serious Porn Collector guise, opens the album with a slow and creepy techtrance tune entitled Bloodlines. Chunky synthetic rhythms pound away at 130 BPM, punctuated by snarky percussive flourishes. This one features a mutated rendition of the sample written out on the inside sleeve: “law makers, law breakers, let us fight them all.” Weird squelchy themes, bizarre vocal manipulations, and cinematic atmospheres complete the picture.

Squid Inc. (Ady & Santos) kick up the energy level with Tilt, a sly and subtle midnight roller. The composition is rather plain, with little more than a beat and a number of creaking psychedelic sounds. The production quality is ace on this one; everything is clean and pristine. Reaching the peak moments, the sound takes a turn towards conventional full-on psytrance. This is like the low-fat version of the Ambivalent sound.

Rave From The Grave features a staggered beat that some psytrance fans have mistakenly referred to as “triplets” over the years. In fact, the producers have shuffled up the rhythm, arranging the drums and bass line into a lurching zombie groove that seems perpetually out of balance. Spooky atmospheres and tweaked out leads top it all off with an appropriately undead mood. Decent.

Deviant Species vs Scorb – Jack The Kipper has a lot more going for it. The first half is very dark, fast, and will achieve a strong impact on the big rigs. After crossing the mid-point threshold, warped hoover sounds begin to flare up all over the joint. Everything becomes mighty squelchy, weird, and even a bit silly. Count Chocula does 3D Vision, basically. Quirky and fun!

NRS teams up with Far East Ghost on Knocked Out Goner, reprising their collaboration on the original LPS compilation Unhinged. The setup is practically pre-ordained; a monotonous beat flops around like a fish out-of-water, crispy drum loops add a satisfying crunch, and eerie atmospheric notes induce a sense of dread. Driving into the more active sequences, intense snare drums pound over the kick for additional emphasis. The peak is reached as a tortured lead snakes out of the darkness, whipping around and shuddering across the stereo field. The sound of some infernal demon breathing in the background is chilling. Seriously sinister!

Scorb’s Resonant Evil is a sick carnival of violence. Rolling beats chatter alongside unnerving electric tones in the early moments. The sample in the main breakdown says it all: “pure evil!” The return brings more haunting melodies, wild bass lines, and paranoid atmospheres. The wailing background sounds get to be insanely intense as the track peaks. This is another tight production from Connor.

Deviant Species has managed a very unlikely fusion of hard techno and high-energy psytrance with his modern work. Iophant is more active and involved than some of the more minimal pieces on his 2004 album In The Hands Of The Randomiser, but the style is pretty much the same: menacing, moody, and loaded with intelligent sound design and effects wizardry. It is no surprise that the Ambivalent crew identify so strongly with the giant squid: this is a crackling behemoth swimming through the abyssal depths.

RAM – (Theme From) Cole’s Law is another twisted brain basher filled with small hooks, demented hoovers, and subtle melodies. Droning atmospheric pads flow smoothly into the gaps, rise serenely from the major breakdown, and cushion the eventual fall following the peak sequence. It is complex enough to reward detailed listening, and sufficiently aggressive to suit the night-time dance floor. Another solid tune from Connor and Wright.

Orzels Machine (Ady Connor & Mike Rucinski) rounds out this collection of dark and devilish tunes with something entirely different. The beat doesn’t have the deranged snap and roll that is the hallmark of the Ambivalent sound. Instead, the chrome-plated rhythms throb and grind with a slick mechanical edge. Cold acid riffs pulse in a hypnotic fashion, accentuated by choral atmospheres. This is an interesting new direction to explore; more would be welcome.

Further Ambivalent Tendancies provides more quality tunage for the zombie rave massive. FAT does not manage to exceed the standard set by some the more daring LPS releases such as Symptoms of Compliance, but fans of the Ambivalent posse will not be disappointed. Most of these songs are fairly techno-oriented, relying less on overt hooks and massive melodies and more on intelligent atmospheric composition. I have found fewer favourites as a result, but the quality remains consistently good throughout the CD. There is a risk that the appeal of FAT will be limited to DJs and fans of the style, but any psytrance listener with a taste for the dark side will find something to sink their teeth into. This is another solid product of the devious intellects at Ambivalent Records.

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