Transient 5

Transient 5 is a landmark compilation from Transient Records, one of the major psychedelic trance labels of the nineties. It marks the point at which a certain kind of artistic maturity was reached. Whereas their previous numbered compilations had contained a large number of tracks licensed from other labels, Transient 5 is dominated by original material. The “Transient sound,” which had been forming for some time already, had finally crystallized into something recognizably unique.

The opening track Zero is a classic authored by Avi Nissim and Deedrah (Dado), formerly one half of Transwave, a legendary group strongly influenced by Astral Projection. The seamless fusion between the style of these two artists results in an epic creation powered by strong analog rhythms and brash cosmic melodies. Zero is a captivating old school anthem! This song was also released on The Astral Files.

Gangguru were an obscure foursome known to have formed the nucleus of Children Of Paradise, an X-Dream side project active around the turn of the millennium. Gangguru were not prolific by any means; aside from Ultimate—their debut—they are only known to have released a single vinyl record later on in 1999. Ultimate seems to draw influence from the style of Kris Kylven and Pete Martin, employing chunky bass and scattered electrical noises as heard from the UX project. The title of this track might be a clue, as UX stands for “Ultimate Experience.” While it is not the most original nor sophisticated production on this compilation, at the composition of this song is decent enough that the deficiencies in sound quality can be overlooked. Additionally, the sample is fairly good: “the heavens have become a part of man’s world.”

Reality Check is one of the last Cosmosis songs to feature the full original line-up of Bill Halsey (then known as Bilbo Bagginz) and Jeremy Van Kampen (who took over the Laughing Buddha moniker when he left). Although it is by no means the most memorable Cosmosis track from the early years, it is still very good. Moderately funky beats and bubbling 303s intersect to capture the spirit of Cosmology, their acclaimed debut. This one also contains a number of noteworthy samples: “this technology is going to change the world” and “we haven’t been tapping into new areas of the brain; we’ve just been awakening the most ancient.” Cosmosis fans are sure to enjoy this.

Slide’s unique style helped to define the Transient sound in the last half of the nineties. Taken from a vinyl single, The Search is wildly unbalanced, seething with insanity, and ultimately quite bizarre. Slide combines chaotic leads and slick guitar riffs with funky mutated bass—a devilish combination that I have always found to be rather striking. If you enjoy this I would recommend scoping out Slide’s full-length album Unstable, also released on Transient Records.

Radiation was a collaborative project featuring Pete Martin (Slide) and Chris Conklin (Lumen). Socaine invites the listener to descend into an obscure and mysterious realm of dark organic sounds. Heavy alien rhythms churn beneath insistent phaser blasts and a whirling assortment of twisted leads. It serves well as the track placed in the exact center of the compilation.

Element Over Nature is the evolution of Kris Kylven’s solo project Syb Unity Nettwerk. Kylven is an incredibly eclectic producer known for possessing a uniquely industrial approach to psychedelic trance. The Age Of Cyberspace is exactly as one would expect: hard, menacing, and richly atmospheric. It is an extreme version of what Kylven accomplished with Pete Martin as UX in the same year. As such, this song is not for everyone. With my industrial roots I enjoy this, but Kylven’s more daring productions have never fared well with the majority of old school trance fans.

Blacklight (Johan van Reede) abruptly broke into the scene in 1997, releasing several vinyl singles and making a number of compilation appearances before vanishing later that year. Arena features rough guitar riffs, stereotypical Goa trance beats, and an eerie high-end melody that makes this track sound better than any other I have heard from this artist. That being said, the production quality is lamentably poor, and this somewhat sloppy creation is unlikely to appeal to anyone aside from die-hard old school fans.

Transient was founded by Russel Coultart and Lawrence Cooke, two British producers responsible for projects like Butler & Wilson, Floorplay, and Disco Volante (Italian for “flying saucer”). Their early releases helped to establish the label in its formative years but they were left behind as Transient became increasingly aligned with the psychedelic side of trance. 360° was one of their very last releases on Transient; they soon faded from view. This particular song does not exactly fit with the rest—it is a rather plain piece of UK-style trance circa 1995, lacking much of a creative focus. Filler!

Nemesis is a one-off side project from the members of Lunar Asylum (Paul Greendale and Chris Stevenson) in collaboration with N. Leman, who was also part of Lords of Chaos. Snake Dance is a cheeky piece of Goa trance that layers Indian vocals and exotic instruments above a foundation of squelchy acid trance. Strangely enough, I swear I hear the snap and crackle of vinyl noise in this song despite owning the CD release. Am I losing it, did Transient misplace the master, or is it intentional? At any rate, one can appreciate this corny classic for its kitsch value.

Transient 5 displays a great deal of artistic integrity for a compilation aimed squarely at the dance floor. The flow between songs is incredibly smooth, moving from an upbeat introduction deeper into the darker side of the Transient sound, finishing off with slightly more conventional offerings. It is one of those releases that seems to gain strength from complimentary programming—the sum is greater than the parts, in other words. While there are few outstanding classics to be heard on Transient 5, the general quality level remains quite high throughout the journey. As good as I find it, this compilation is unlikely to appeal to anyone who doesn’t already enjoy old school Goa trance. Even then, it might not go over well—Transient 5 received a lukewarm reaction back in the day, although this can be partially explained by the inclusion of so many tracks previously released on vinyl singles (trance fans have always been fickle about that kind of thing). In any case, Transient 5 is integral to the label’s history—it touches on all their major themes—and is sure to be of interest to some old school Goa trance fans and collectors.

Release Data

Title: Transient 5
Label: Transient Records
Format: CD/Vinyl compilation
Released: 1997

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