Holographic Memory 3

The third installment of the Holographic Memory series features an all-star line-up of trance titans, which is the standard for Japan’s Solstice organization. There is no particular concept at work here—just a solid offering of festival-rocking material and choice cuts from the main stream of psychedelic trance in 2005.

Deedrah opens the compilation with Free Motherfuckers, a highly contagious song that is sure to raise a few eyebrows. Just what is the idea here? The beat is a blend of old and new, with audible hints of Dado’s old Transwave project. The rest is layered in calm and sneaky progressive house chords and countless samples, many of which don’t seem to fit at all: “if you got it, light it up / let’s get this party grooving!” A sweet melody finally makes an appearance in the last minute, but by then it’s too late. No thanks!

Pixel & Cyclic follow up with Nuclear Device, a typical track for those involved. The action is largely centered on the effects, with snappy electrical noises leaping into the air at key moments. Heavy rhythms with resonant bass provide a beefy bottom end. The track holds together thanks to a number of well-placed electronic beeps and some great sample work on the subject of a nuclear device, as the title implies. A wailing guitar sound flares up in the latter half, adding a bit of spice to the mix, but this song lacks a strong melody after the decent tension build-up.

Joti Sidhu’s Black Eyes is a rumbling techno monster, sure to leave you feeling torn apart on the dance floor. The sinister bass line rides beneath heavily synthetic riffs and spooky atmospheric sounds, but the song never really progresses. I am inclined to use this in a set, but it sounds a bit washed out on its own. DJ tool.

Wrecked Machines provide a generic piece of “neo” full-on with Echo Groove. It is definitely more on the subtle side for the style, exhibiting depth and space. Unfortunately, it seems to lack a certain vital spark—a bold melody, a big hook, anything!–and there is an ugly sample in the middle somewhere. Pass.

Hujaboy’s Just A Freak expands on the style of his second album Sonic Tonic, dishing out energetic full-on sequences doused in trippy effects. The sample heard in the third minute is loads of fun: “how many more nights and weird mornings can this terrible shit go on? How long can the body and the brain tolerate this doom-struck craziness?” It goes on for a while in this manner while Hujaboy throws down more weird sounds. This is a crisp and energetic song that is sure to delight a peak-time dance floor. Were it composed with more depth, it could have appealed for home listening as well, but this is fairly good stuff nonetheless!

Intelabeam is a questionable choice for a compilation featuring all these big stars. Be Somebody is a one of those half-way hybrids: plastic full-on sounds sprinkled with lighter progressive touches. A sample from the Governator does nothing to improve the credibility of this piece. It proves to be an easily overlooked example of hackneyed Israeli sounds.

The Antidote teams up with Dimitri to bring you Distortion, a track that certainly lives up to its name. A standard set of beats, grinding noises, and a dirty production style make the track what it is. There are hints of goodness heard in the break, but the dark melodies are not expanded upon. The bland arrangement causes one to tire of this song after a few listens.

Psysex teams up with Rocky to bring you Brenner Power, another full-on anthem. The lead-up is fairly promising, with bubbly bass lines and small acid-washed effects. Light progressive chords tickle the mind while nasty guitar riffs spice it up. The arrangement seems to falter in the last few minutes; it’s almost as if the producers weren’t too sure how to wrap it up. Not bad, but not outstanding either.

Synthetic’s Space Is Da Place has a promising beginning: now this is different! Fat and funky rhythms dig a deep groove in the first half, adeptly complimented by quirky little melodies. The massive breakdown is powerful: huge atmospheric pads swirl around, suggesting magnificent things to come, but the return does not deliver. The final moments are sparse and restrained; the track completely fizzles. This might be useful as a DJ tool, but I find it sadly disappointing.

Tristan delivers the final salvo with Activate Yourself, the second highlight of the compilation. As with many other tunes from this UK veteran, the composition seems so simple, but there are hidden depths, and a certain cleverness to the arrangement. An early teaser of the main theme is smartly placed, providing some measure of foreshadowing. It all begins to let loose once the big breakdown is reach. How hypnotic! The track continues to develop new kinks as it rolls onward, guaranteeing an effective dance floor response. Noteworthy!

In essence, this is a completely average compilation of full-on psytrance aimed at the DJ market. The big names involved should be capable of more than this. The production quality is of a professional grade but the creative contents of this release are severely lacking. It may seem all right at first, but repeated listening should reveal how shallow and disposable most of these tunes are. This simply isn’t made to last. That being said, DJs could probably squeeze a few good moments out of it, if full-on is your style and there is nothing better to play. Home listeners can safely pass on this one.

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