Grand Avenue

Grand Avenue is the third release from Sweden’s Moonflower Records, previously known for a pair of techtrance compilations: Nocturnal Imprints and Electroscopic. Tony Comanti (one half of Kalimax) has assembled these tunes for Moonflower, initiating a shift in style towards the more fashionable progressive psytrance market. The contents of this compilation are by no means homogeneous; flavours of house, electro, and psytrance intermingle with ease. The cover design is simple yet appealing and nearly 70 minutes of music fill the disc, so the fundamental value of the release is established. The mastering was done by Son Kite, but doesn’t sound quite as good as most of their work for some reason. As for the tunes…

Chris Pointdexter, already known for a number of releases in the last days of Spiral Trax, opens the compilation with a light and bouncy progressive house track entitled My Baby. A prominent set of repetitive hi-hats powers the rhythm, while simple melodic tones evoke a warm summer afternoon at the beach. Cheeky and cheerful!

Gazing At The Sun is one of only two original Son Kite tracks released in the year following the widely acclaimed Colours project. The pioneering Swedish duo has been focusing more of their time on their Minilogue side project, and their blooming interest in bubbly electro bleeds through into this new offering.

Kalimax (Magnus Forsberg & Tony Comanti) made their debut on Tribal Vision’s excellent Inner Circle compilation with Demons, a deep drifting slice of Swedish progressive. Where Is The Party continues in this path, dealing out steady pulsating rhythms interwoven with serene atmospheric pads. Smooth, polished, and hypnotizing.

Tegma’s Needafix is an uncommonly hard progressive track loaded with ripping electric sounds. Repetitive vocal loops may get on some nerves, but it suits the aggressive drive. The big breakdown introduces slick melodies that sound absolutely stunning, and are sure to raise the vibe. The rest is just as good. Needafix proves to be a highly effective crowd-pleasing anthem!

For the fifth track, Ticon revisit their massive hit We Are The Mammoth Hunters, originally released on their 2001 debut Rewind. Ostensibly a live mix, this version shows that the talented Swedish duo have taken a shining to the classic sound of Simon Berry and Platipus Records. The bass line is straight out of the golden days of dream trance, and what a bass line it is! The drum programming is simply perfect, and the seductive atmospheric chords and fluttering voices sound just right layered on top. The big breakdown captures the spirit of the original with the same tight rhythmic contortions and distinctive mammoth noises. Ticon deliver the gem of the compilation!

Woup reflects the calmer side of Human Blue. Deeply synthetic tribal rhythms gradually coalesce, adorned by moody atmospheric details. The arrangement is extremely progressive, beginning on a minimal tip, eventually gathering small vaporous particles into a hypnotic whole. The song is divided in two by lush filtered vocals, but there is nothing new in the second half. This serene song is best used in a set as a mixing tool.

Perfect Stranger (Yuli Fershtat), in one of his first compilation appearances, drops in with the smooth and refined It’s All About. The composition is very straight-forward, with little to remark upon aside from an ethereal high-end melody that darts around from time to time. A light return from the sublime breakdown tickles the ear without becoming too involved. It is nice, but nothing special.

Cybertronic is an obscure Greek act here to share Let Feel You. This is an easy melodic progressive groover with clubby pretensions, as exhibited by the unobtrusive vocal work echoing the track title. The group has potential, but this is merely decent.

The compilation comes to a close with a remix to James Benitez – Not Over Yet by Parham & Plaza, originally released on a Plastik Park vinyl single. It is a very simple progressive house tune with a driving electro climax. Not bad, but not memorable either.

Grand Avenue is a compilation with several strengths. The assortment of progressive styles on display strikes a nice balance between cohesion and variety. The usual suspects—Ticon, Tegma, Son Kite, and Human Blue—provide good material for fans and DJs. A few of the offerings from the new or less known acts are admittedly weak, but nothing really upsets the flow of the compilation. It might not be at the top of the field, but Grand Avenue is still reasonably good. Seek it out if you are hungering for a handful of quality tunes from some of the top names in Swedish trance.

Release Data

Title: Grand Avenue
Label: Moonflower Productions
Format: CD compilation
Released: 2005

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