Joti Sidhu - Punktuator

Veteran producer Joti Sidhu’s first album in five years reflects contemporary trends in full-on psytrance. Formerly known as Psychaos, Sidhu released his debut full-length album Cause and Effect on Atomic Records in 1999. Back then, his sound was much darker and far more techno-oriented. Punktuator is less distinct—this is smooth and groovy synthetic psytrance designed for modern dance floors. Hints of the original Psychaos vibe will shine through in some sequences but the connection is somewhat remote. Released in a digipak, this album also features a case insert—always a nice bonus for the DJs. The mastering is accredited to Four Carry Nuts.

New Sensations opens the album with a sign of things to come. It sounds as if Eskimo has had some influence on Joti with regards to the big digital bass line that persistently rolls beneath the punchy kick. The playful atmosphere is quite dance floor friendly. This track does a fine job of opening this blasting album with a wake-up call that is sure to delight those who appreciate the full-on sound.

See The Music continues on in a similar vein with jumpy beats and predictable samples about the hallucinatory state of mind. Slick melodies dabble around and a decent use of layering can be heard, but many moments seem unreasonably sparse. Average.

Joti Sidhu does a fine job remixing his old classic Chaos To Order, a song originally released in 1998 on Transient 6. The original groove is in place, rumbling from note to note as the precise drum programming relentlessly develops. After a slick drop, the first stark hook invades in a timely fashion, driving the song on to an early breakdown. The atmosphere grows spooky, and we hear the infamous sample “I bring chaos… to order.” A spine-tingling sound accompanies the building tension, dramatically invoking the next frenzy of highly technical rhythms. As the story unfolds, several more tricky drops occur, the melodies shift around and take turns emanating from the speakers, and the beats remain intense. Joti does a great job on the update for this track; it remains distinct, menacing, and rich in measured sounds.

Fourth in line is the title track Punktuator. The beat is more mechanical on this offering, with the same cultured rhythmic poise that has kept the grooves so enticing thus far. The crispy drums and head-nodding bass lines keep it rocking wile several intense atmospheric flourishes maintain interest. With a shuddering lead and a few highly processed guitars this track sounds much more like the good old Psychaos style than many of the others here. An enchanting piece of psychedelic techno.

Long Long Arms is a collaboration with Hallucinogen (Simon Posford) that also appears on the Unusual Suspects 2 compilation from Twisted Records. Hallucinogen’s influence is readily apparent—his trademark sample manipulation techniques and playful psychedelic approach can be heard all over this astounding morning anthem. Joti provides a tough groove and a number of cool leads—Simon takes care of the rest. The result is pure euphoria—this is truly a gem of psychedelic trance!

Twinight takes little time in picking up energy, and rapidly involves an energetic hard-hitting full-on beat. The somewhat irritating sound of sea gulls rests in the background to provide a haunting atmosphere. I’ve heard crow sounds used for this purpose, but never gulls. It actually works in context. An extensive sample in an early break discusses electrical impulses and the brain, and then the track is off on another pumping drive with the first real melodic hook. Few surprises await the listener—this is purely dance floor material.

Live Fast Die Young was originally made alongside Dino Psaras, another veteran producer. This remix continues in the same vein as the rest of the album. After the bubbly breakdown, Dino’s presence is finally discerned as a searing lead snakes up from the depths. The titular sample plays through: “live fast, look beautiful, die young; the bomb may drop tomorrow.” There is no doubt that Dino and Joti meld well, but I find that this predictable track only has a limited appeal.

Situation is possibly the most uneventful of the lot. The slick rhythms are back, and Mr. Sidhu’s touch can certainly be heard in the elastic lead, but there isn’t much to chew on here. Dull.

Signals—Joti’s remix to his collaboration with young Eskimo—is the closing track on the album. The sound is about as synthetic and as full-on as it gets on the album, with the usual bubbling bass lines and big rushes. More of the same.

Punktuator is an average release in the full-on style and somewhat of a disappointment given Joti Sidhu’s long history in the psychedelic trance scene. He’s traded in his distinct style for something closer to the mainstream, abandoning the sick warehouse vibe for adequate festival-friendly beats with a short shelf life. Nonetheless, the album does have a few strong points—the quality of production remains reasonably high through-out, the breaks and drops are particularly well-crafted, and some of the leads have a subtle kind of power to them. Joti also knows his drum programming—the rhythms tend to be very appealing and great to dance to. Unsavoury traits also exist, mainly centred around the generic nature of some of the tracks found here. The themed samples—often dealing with hallucinatory experiences—are slightly distasteful in my opinion. There is no real attempt at storytelling here—it is just another full-on CD for the DJs out there. As such, it has little staying power, and won’t be of great interest to listeners in later years. Average.

Purchase Options

Saikosounds // Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong.
Wirikuta // Physical mail order shop based in Austria.

More Information

Discogs // Detailed release data.
Psynews // User-based review forum.

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