Vibration 3

Vibration 3 is a progressive compilation from Medium Records compiled by label owner DJ Bim. Although it may have been considered minimal at the time it was released, this is in fact an early exploration of what would become the modern progressive psytrance sound. Although I was never much of a fan of the label back in the Y2K era, in the intervening years I have learned to appreciate the special recipe DJ Bim followed while assembling his compilations. Bim drew upon homegrown German talent, the cream of the Swedish trance scene, and a short list of exceptional artists like CHI-A.D. As part of the flagship compilation series for Medium Records, Vibration 3 is a perfect example of this approach.

Another Time is the most seductive, emotional, and beautiful song Noma has ever crafted. It cruises along in a dream-like fashionen minutes, softly expressing the grace and innocence of a divine ideal. The music drifts with languid ease, encouraging contemplative introspection, and then it hits: a momentary flash of insight into the ineffable wonders of creation that vanishes into vapour before the memory can be held fast. This stirring voyage into trance has the feeling of real magic, but I will warn you: if you are not patient with this song its secrets will never be revealed.

Despite his relative obscurity, M-Sphere (Markus Kaiser) regularly released noteworthy singles on Medium’s various compilations. The Argus Eye is the first piece I ever heard from him, and I was immediately hooked. The name comes from Greek mythology; Argus was a minor hero who sported a hundred eyes. That the title references myth is no surprise–the song itself features an epic melodic progression that conjures a special kind of feeling. Sure, the production is rough, but the ideas here are very good.

Atmos chose well in naming this next song The Beaver. It is easy to imagine a giant rodent gnawing away on a massive log as gritty percussive loops and chewy bass cycle on and on. A metallic hook flares up intermittently, but the focus of this track is repetitious rhythms. There is nothing else like it–this is quite a unique production.

The first offering from Magnetrixx is Ploxis, a sly piece of German progressive with a distinctive bounce. The production is detailed, but there is not enough to captivate my interest here. Years later, Magnetrixx began to release material that has since made them one of my favourite psytrance producers, but their older material never really got to me. Good stuff, but it might seem a bit ordinary.

Exanimo’s upbeat progressive anthem Two Gongs still has the power to charm. The sound is very full: percussive loops provide a satisfying hook while the heavy bass throbs away in the early minutes. Hints of future melodic themes make their way in, sounding nice and subtle. The title is made clear in a few breaks across the track, when two gongs are struck in a crafty way just before the return of the beat. Half a decade later, this one still sounds fresh!

Magnetrixx carefully craft the percussive details on Syntax Error, an intricate track with a pumping groove. Creaking sound effects and resonant bass warbles form the rippling core of this steady pounder. The production quality on this one is great, and there is no arguing how well it is made, but this is too static for my taste.

Noma returns as Amorphous on Sector, the fastest track of the compilation at 144 BPM. This strikes me as being similar to material from the Prex side project Magnus was involved in with S>Range. It is very minimal, but the deep and spacious atmosphere just sucks you right in. If you enjoyed Navigator then this will hold an appeal as well.

The final honours are awarded to CHI-A.D., who provides a stunning masterpiece entitled God Module. This is heavily psychedelic, featuring subtle layers of sound all across the frequency range. The mood of this song is very dark, but it isn’t the kind of darkness that feels oppressive. Though sinister at times, the main theme has a curiously uplifting quality–existential terror and epiphanous enlightenment all at once. It is a strange feeling–simultaneously giving way under the oppressive atmospheres while rocketing above on a billowing plume of transcendental joy. Maybe this is taking it a step too far, but I don’t know how else to explain the weird way in which this track works on me. Try it for yourself with the proper set and setting (lights out, volume up).

Vibration 3 is a competent progressive release for the year 2000. Framed by two of the finest tunes in the Medium Records discography, the body of the work features a number of great moments as well. There are dull moments towards the middle of the journey, but no bad ones whatsoever. Every track has a distinctive sound, which is quite satisfying. Fans of early progressive, Y2K-era minimal trance, the Scandosound, and CHI-A.D.’s album Anno Domini should all check this compilation out.

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