Tabernanthe 2

Tabernanthe 2 is the first compilation from Iboga Mexico, a new division of one of the biggest progressive psytrance labels in the world. Subtitled “Back to the Roots,” the name is a reference to the original Tabernanthe compilation released by Iboga in 1999. There is no connection in terms of style; it was chosen simply due to its association with the beginnings of the Danish parent label. Compiled by DJs Vedant and Banel, Tabernanthe 2 features three songs from Mexican artists alongside six more from Iboga regulars.

The opening track Inner Vision is authored by Trancemission (Gandulk and Ojos) with some help from a new artist by the name of Inner Mind. This song draws influence from a number of European artists—one can easily discern elements borrowed from Ticon’s Waiting For The Knights, for example. Still, it is done rather well. Although unoriginal, Inner Mind serves as a promising beginning to Tabernanthe 2.

The second track begins with crowd noises and a bad sample. The beats on Hi Fidelity seem weak—they are lighter than anything I have heard from Ski Fi before. Andromeda-style tribal drums, FREq-style echo effects, and breezy electro lines give this one little impact, although the atmospheric programming has a certain appeal. Nevertheless, they have much better songs out there.

Nizzel (one half of Ski Fi) and Saeg team up on Digital Audio Bytes, a tough throbbing track with plenty of software effects. It keeps a solid groove even though the melodies never truly captivate. All fat with no substance. Chunky filler.

Our Instincts was originally released on the Rainbow Serpent Festival 2004 compilation just as FREq was emerging as one of the hottest acts in progressive psytrance. A few years after the release of his debut album Strange Attractors, his sound doesn’t excite people in quite the same way, but the “Joof mix” of this overlooked oldie might rekindle interest. I should note that this is not a remix by John ‘00′ Fleming—popularly known as Joof—but a remix by Aran himself named in this way for unknown reasons. The song itself is just as one would expect: highly melodic, upbeat, and very well produced. I wonder if the CD I have is defective, though; I hear a number of suspicious audio artifacts shortly before the five minute mark that do not sound right. Minor problems aside, this is a solid tune from FREq that is sure to please all his fans—especially those who yearn for more like Dreambody and Carbon-Based Lifeforms.

Having just released their debut album Support Normality, Flowjob follow up with Milkyway Honey Moon, a soft and saccharine track with a light and easy groove. There is nothing particularly distinct aside from a cheesy recurring sample of some girl saying “I have a universe inside of me.” This is too bland and fluffy for my ears.

Mondays Millionairez (Emok and Hayden Strom in this incarnation) provide a proper piece of Iboga-style electro-house with This Music. The artists manage to strike a classy balance between kitsch and substance, dropping confident synthetic grooves amidst luxurious atmospheric flourishes. Great stuff!

Deep Impact by Behind Blue Eyes starts in an alarming fashion with sounds straight out of 1998—is that the introduction to Morphem’s Nothing Left that I hear in the background? Weird. Throughout the song, a nonsensical sample cheerfully declares “click on the button” for no apparent reason. The introduction wears on for far too long; the bass line doesn’t drop until after a break sometime into the third minute. The rest is all fairly typical for the group. Disjointed.

The second-to-last offering is a remix of another Behind Blue Eyes song: Rumble In The Jungle. Fiord, a side project of Antix, puts a deeper spin on the original, infusing it with all things resonant and organic. Technically proficient and loaded with details, this remix sounds great on a quality stereo system. Fiord/Antix have far more remarkable songs out there but this one is still a cut above the rest.

To close the compilation, Beat Bizarre provide an incredibly advanced work of trance: Stalactite. The shimmering crystalline sound of this visionary epic is surprisingly stimulating to the imagination. The name of the song acts as the key: it inspires vivid impressions of a cavernous space, deep below the surface—a sort of ornate underground cathedral. I see, in my mind’s eye, glittering gemstones arranged with geometric precision, kaleidoscopic patterns of light reflecting from their polished faces. The key breakdown is something else—you just have to hear it! Stalactite is something special: it has a rare quality that stimulates visual internalization and mental travel. I could not say whether it would work the same for anyone else, but it might—the effect is quite strong. For that, I must say that Beat Bizarre has achieved a rare kind of greatness. Do not miss out on the remastered version released on BBEP!

Tabernanthe 2 has a few high points but it hardly seems to excel beyond the norm. About half of these songs are good—the rest I would not bother with, to be honest. Usually Iboga maintains a slightly higher quality standard than what is evident on this inconsistent debut release. It may have something to do with the near-random track ordering—it doesn’t flow whatsoever. As such, Tabernanthe 2 will mainly be of interest to DJs who haven’t yet had their fill of the many Iboga releases already on the market. Conceivably, this is worth buying for Stalactite alone, but it has been remastered and released online (see my review of BBEP). Hopefully Iboga Mexico will improve with their future efforts.

Purchase Options

Cytopia // Digital download shop selling MP3 and WAV files. :: €8.56
Saikosounds // Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong. :: €10.32

Share This

Transmit a Comment

Name (required)

Email (required; never published or spammed)

Web Link/URL (optional)

Check this box to subscribe to the Ektoplazm newsletter for infrequent updates, special promotions, and more.

Check this box to receive an email whenever additional comments are made.