The Dissidents

The Dissidents is the third release from Horns & Hoofs, a label known for release an experimental blend of minimal techno and psychedelic techtrance. Compiled by Neoris, it departs from expectations by ranging across a wide expanse of the psytrance spectrum. This release features everything from the deeper side of full-on down into techtrance and progressive, finishing with luxurious chill-out. The cover art by Inga Bourin is distinct and interesting as usual. Let’s get to the tunes…

The compilation starts out strong with Under Sea Level, a collaboration between Neoris and Vacuum Stalkers. The sound is atypical of most Russian projects, fusing smooth full-on sounds with a deeper progressive vibe. The energy remains tangible without going over the top, and the free-wheeling atmospheres rest on a groovy foundation of squirming bass lines shift and mutate. Strong yet subtle, this is a great opening to the compilation!

Progus brings the album into deeper and darker territory with TranceZistor, a pulsating techtrance tune with haunting choral atmospheres reminiscent of M.O.S. The progression is long and slow, which makes the peak that much more powerful when it arrives after the big breakdown. Two downsides exist to this one: the production isn’t that great, and the beat structure in the last two minutes breaks out of the linear groove twice, making it tricky to mix. A good effort nonetheless.

Cybered’s heavy psychedelic tune Unlimited Edition features throbbing bass and clanging metallic percussion. If I were to make an ad hoc comparison to other psytrance acts, this sounds like Fungus Funk meets Midi Miliz. The focus is on the drive and dark atmosphere, which strays into almost Gothic territory at times. This is night-time psychedelic to rile the zombie hordes; a tech-trance monster which is sure to appeal to fans of the style.

Land of Tears from Neoris—the gem of the album—is a pumping piece of deeply melancholic psytrance with a stunning use of dense atmospheric layers and wicked clockwork rhythms. The arrangement is just perfect—every new chapter in this gorgeous tale unfolds exactly as it should. This is one of those very rare songs that works extremely well on the dance floor yet also sounds great at home. It has substance! Looking back, I played this tune at a lot of parties in 2004. It was certainly one of the top tunes of the year—I highly recommend it.

Fuzzion’s Revizzion of Godzilla by Breakpoint is up next. If you have heard anything from Fuzzion before you will have an idea of what to expect: gritty, plodding techno with lots of electro-bleeps and a few gritty guitar chords. There is plenty of space in the upper reaches of this dark and atmospheric piece since the beats don’t overpower. It is not my style but it certainly advances the storyline of the album.

Vacuum Stalkers set out on their own with Quantum Jump, a repetitive that seems to play off the style of Overlap and Neoris without managing to sound nearly as deep. It evolves slowly and relies mostly on the jumping beat to be effective. Unfortunately the production value and lack of versatile activity leaves this one sounding plain.

Weird Walker’s Undeclared Function begins on a strange note with an odd sample. Crackling percussion and a zany techno beat parallel some songs heard from Nuclear Ramjet, but this is much rougher. It seems random and incoherent in the final assessment.

Overlap (featuring Vyacheslav Bogachev from Neoris) returns the compilation to solid ground with Supernova. Solid drums form a deep rocking beat to provide a foundation for the tones, harmonies, and melodies that drift along over top. There are progressive elements at work here but the song is still quite pumping. Shimmering sounds evolve into a nice strong melody at times. It easily could have been featured on Overlap’s debut album 6th Sense released on Z.M.A. at the start of 2004.

Archivolt tone it down with Inspired, a light progressive tune with some liquid effects and a tribal groove. Bass tones come out to play and short harmonies dance between layers of atmosphere. Sadly, some tacky sample repeating “hey, what’s up?” spoils the quality of this piece. It is a minor issue, but the track wasn’t so strong to begin with. Luckily, it is just the right style for this stage in the journey through the compilation, so it is fine to hear in context.

Lastly the album features a great chill-out song from Koan entitled Warm Evening in Munich. A light beat and all sorts of psychedelic noises mesh very nicely with soothing chords and light atmospheres on this one. This is surprisingly excellent! Check out their other releases for more.

The Dissidents is a very different kind of compilation. It boldly crosses between numerous styles and moods, creating a cohesive journey through contemporary Russian psytrance. While there are several weak moments, even the mediocre songs remain listenable in the context of the album due to the great track ordering. Neoris/Overlap provide some of the strongest songs here—Land of Tears is an incredible piece of work, as mentioned. As a result, The Dissidents is an interested selection for open-minded listeners.

Release Data

Title: The Dissidents
Label: Horns And Hoofs Entertainment
Format: CD compilation
Released: 2004

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