Kiwa – Retroactive

Kiwa is the eclectic Finnish band who released the landmark Dreamtime Enhancer in 2002. The next year saw their follow-up release, which wasn’t as well-recieved. In fact, finding reviews was rather tough, and the decision to purchase this one was essentially on the basis of chance. I’ve enjoyed the music from these guys before – and I respect the label, so I took a chance. After extended listenings, here’s how I found it…

Into Sound opens the journey with a funked-out piece of wriggling psychedelic trance drizzled in processed percussion, each element dripping with acidic intent. There are plenty of sound tricks going on but little in the way of melodies or leads. Most of the activity is in the beat and the rhythm, which shifts and morphs in time. Space is created with echo and reverb as the elements clatter and clank. Some small hints of distinct riffs appear from time to time but often lead off into nowhere or are squelched by new incoming noises. Quirky!

Oxygen is next, and it delivers a proper work-out of any system with deep mutating bass lines. Kiwa exhibit their mastery of intricate percussion, and provide enough of an atmospheric glaze to pound out a solid piece of work. Once again there is nothing one would really call a melody, but this song more than makes up for it with all the detailed work on percussion and bass to create one monster of a funky track.

The third offering is D.T.M., also the longest on the album at nine and a half minutes. The fusion is once again evident, with crispy looped breakbeats laced on top of a steady beat, all backed by some very funky bass. An increased amount of psychedelic effects flow above the rhythmic section this time around, with noises and a few acid lines that grow and fizzle. Plenty of subtle shifts and changes work through the groove, and some atmosphere comes into play as well, but nothing stands out too much. It’s fairly good and certainly groovy, but perhaps too long for the creative content.

Mental Collapse is up next, displaying a slower more funked-out groove. Plenty of stodgy percussive licks keep it moving, and a few interesting atmospheric hooks develop as the song plays out. It has a confident disposition but lacks something of substance to really make it stand out. Another adequate trip through the Kiwa sound, but I’m beginning to think they’re holding back.

Five Digit Orange features rolling breakbeats on top of the usual jittery bass and kick. Several stories unfold in subtle fashion as the groove shifts and fiddles through new patterns. Plenty of different sounds are used, sometimes only for a very short period of time, giving it a chaotic and jumbled sort of feel. More activity is heard in the later part of the track, and what energy there is dissipates stylishly. Above average for the album, I would say.

Pure in Motion is the first break from the 4×4 tracks here… this one is a big beat sort of tune with tight dynamic bass lines and original drumwork. Atmospheres echo off into the void, reverb and effects are used all over, and the track takes on a dubby liquid feel. Whereas some of the earlier tracks suffered from having few distinct notes and more of a focus on inchoate noises, this song cohesively holds it together, making for a satisfying excursion into downtempo territory.

Aeroplane Menace continues the broken beats with a rough drum’n'bass cut. It actually sounds much better than a lot of the steady house-themed material on the album perhaps because the rhythms are so dynamic and intelligently programmed. Another solid piece of work, though very few trance elements can be heard in this one.

Sidechained perfectly shifts the album back into the steady techno rhythms with a broken beat introduction rich in atmosphere. Here’s the first song that really sounds like the material from the previous album. The bass line and percussive rhythms steadily evolve, eventually crossing some very interesting funk-fortified territory. Synthetic hooks and bubbling effects keep it interesting, and the track proves to be the most entertaining of the lot. Better than the first run of dance-friendly tracks here.

Commercial Break Munchies is a short track of about three minutes, drifting and slow breaks with all sorts of echo and reverb, sounding somewhat like trip-hop. There’s not much to it; it’s just a short trippy interlude.

Over the Top features more breakbeat-techno fusion with wriggling psychedelic sounds on the prowl. The funky beats are joined by a little clockwork twitch in the flow of the rhythm, keeping the mutant flow alive. It sounds akin to the first three, with a subtle development into an irresistable dancefloor rinse-out.

Purist is, as the title may suggest, a bit more of a straight-up tune, with shuffling percussive depth and a sly retro chord cropping up every now and then. Breakbeats still come into play but most of the focus seems to be that really dense beat and another sublime arrangement of effects and noises above. It’s ultimately sort of bland.

The final track, Retro Activity, is simply an outro less than three minutes in length… slow breakbeat rhythms, a few simple melodies, and not much more.

Kiwa’s second album is certainly not your average psychedelic trance release. In fact, is it even within the realm of the genre? Well, that is debatable. You could spend some time probing this album for new nomenclature, but the truth is, Kiwa have a style all their own – a funky mish-mash of techno, house, and breaks, all composed with a production style that oozes psychedelia.

Despite the exploration of other genres, the boundary doesn’t seem to be pushed very far with this release. After many listens, I have a lukewarm reaction to this album. Something is missing! Dreamtime Enhancer had a very substantial musical presence, whereas this one is almost too focused on pure rhythm. As a whole album experience, it certainly sticks to the theme – but it does get dull in parts. I’ve found this is a fine album to sample a track at a time, but it simply doesn’t possess the immersive qualities that these guys are capable of forging with their deviant synthesizers. Some fans are still going to dig it, and anyone who is content with electronic music solely based on the beat may get right into it, but for the average psychedelic trance fan this lacks the hook that would make it great. Despite being something of a disappointment, the album is still very listenable, and has an assertive flow to it. Individual tracks work very well when thrown into a set of other more conventional progressive psychedelic trance. Retroactive could have been much better than it is, and while I mark it as above average, it’s still a stand-out release worth investigating. If you’re curious about Kiwa, start with Dreamtime Enhancer.