Trance Scandinavian Express

Chromosome compiled this release for France’s Turbo Trance Records. Though the title denotes a Scandinavian compilation this is in fact purely Swedish music. None of these names are new, and in fact I picked this one up based on name recognition alone. With all but two of the songs being productions of either Logic Bomb or their latecoming imitators Chromosome, I figured this whole album would have the sound of a favourite set of producers from years back. Having skipped the On Air single it was also nice to pick up Deedrah’s fine remix, and as it turns out I grew to really appreciate S>Range’s new full-on style with his single offering here.

Alternate Vision vs Z-Man open the album with Back to Reality, a 130 BPM groover in the style of Logic Bomb’s old classics Dumbfound and Normalised. I’ve always enjoyed these slow morning trance pieces, and this one sure hits the spot. A lazy synthetic groove gets underway and pleasant melodies come spiraling out of every corner of the sound canvas. Great effects fill the air and smoothly transition the song between melodic sequences. An excellent opener, and one tasty slice of deep melodic goodness for the sunshine hours.

Andromeda provide a remix of their song Hypnotic Meeting originally released on their debut album. Andromeda is an alias of Chromosome, compiler of the album, and emulator of the Logic Bomb sound. This one is another nice morning groover with all the typical sounds of the group. If you’ve heard anything from Andromeda before you’ll have a good idea of how this sounds. If you haven’t, well – think of round rolling bass and crispy percussion, all laced with the characteristic melodies that squirm and warble. I wouldn’t call this progressive in the traditional sense, but it is certainly deeper than the usual full-on. The Jim Carrey sample really bothers me, but what can you do. A decent track overall but the artist has made better tunes with similar sounds that would be better to play out. In the context of the album, it’s not a bad piece at all.

Artax, younger brother of Jonas Bergvall (of Logic Bomb), presents Mysterious Virus for the third track. A one minute intro opens it up with a selection of samples and typical atmospheres. The beat that comes rumbling in is placed somewhere in the mid-range with some choppy percussion, soon clearing up to showcase the first hints of melody. The mood alternates between eerie and carefree as different hooks come sliding in for a short exposition. Disagreeable samples leap up from time to time, not fitting well into the trance context. Some fairly basic melodic lines can be heard later on, dabbling around as effects and audio tricks cavort in the background, but they don’t really go anywhere. The production sounds fairly rough still, though it may simply be the technique. It remains on the subtle side yet doesn’t really possess any innately fantastic sounds or a startling arrangement. Mediocre at best, though it will fit well into some sets, and certainly doesn’t disrupt the flow of the album.

Deedrah’s remix to Son Kite’s modern-day anthem On Air slides in for the fourth selection, taken from the remixes EP on Digital Structures. The original really hasn’t been improved on, but Dado’s production provides a different more full-on interpretation of the subject material, even at 135 BPM. Hard pounding beats kick open the song in the early moments, sounding very much like the Synthetic side project. This smoothly transitions to the rolling full-on beat that Deedrah is known for, with sharp hi-hats and subtle atmospheres flooding in from behind. Precise notes from the original begin to play through with a delicately crafted sound, and soon the electro vibes of the original can be heard as Dado’s high production standards shine. Atypically I am not a fan of Deedrah’s modern work but this remix is very professional and highly polished, so I must give it some respect. The original is still better in my ears but this is a great piece of remixing.

Tranan, another Logic Bomb member’s solo project, provides Who’s Who to return the compilation to the Swedish sounds. This one is fairly ordinary, with a drifting vibe and a mundane assortment of groovy bass lines, crispy percussion, and ethereal chants. The song has several stages with various elements demanding attention at different moments, but I find this to be easily overlooked though not inherently bad in any way. It’s generic psychedelic trance with the Logic Bomb sound.

Chromosome’s Big Fat Giant Phantom is more on the full-on side for this artist. Their usual sound can be heard with some guitar riffs and widespread sample usage that unfortunately ruins the song for me. The selection of words is mainly nonsensical and unnecessary. Not a good combination of elements.

S>Range have really undergone a metamorphosis since being a part of the original wave of Swedish trance stars. From the deep and progressive sounds that Sweden was originally known for, the artist has pumped up the energy and begun to explore the full-on style with an eye towards deepness of sound that often makes his productions very noteworthy. A rolling beat and some stoned samples greet the listener at the very beginning, and soon hints of the lead comes sliding in. A guitar sound is used in a way I haven’t heard before in trance… it’s very catchy and provides a mystical vibe to the slick drum work. The song grows with atmosphere slowly accumulating strength and boiling over at key transitions. The arrangement drifts without ever reaching a big break, but remains satisfying throughout the duration of the track. The sample usage is once again somewhat heavy for my liking but easier to ignore on this track. Overall it’s a really nice piece of full-on that will rock the morning dance floors.

Logic Bomb reunite for Tales from the Basement, the fastest on the album clocking in at 146 bpm. Lucky for fans the sound here is more true to the original style of the group than their later solo work. Drifting atmospheres flow over synthetic percussion thoroughly laced with effects, rapidly developing into a steady satisfying groove that delights with sharp and varied melodies. A break showcases some twisted digital effects as a fitting sample plays: “what is the nature of your experiment – electrical, or mechanical?” The beat returns and bubbles away with the off-kilter bass line and a slow accumulation of sounds and effects. The percussion begins to rock back and forth with shaking hi-hats and some modern descendant of the handclap as a simple melody keeps the drive on. Another break is colored with the samples: “we’re creating a new perfect society / to protect you from reality” while a new melody comes flooding in with serene vibes. This doesn’t last too long, as the track takes another jump back into the stomp and effects grind, once again rising up with a new pattern of sounds to provide a small build in intensity before smoothly fading into the outro. Overall it’s a diverse journey through the Logic Bomb sound, and while it doesn’t measure up to some of their older classics, this is still a good song.

Chromosome finally strike gold with their remix to Test Tones by S>Range. I didn’t actually enjoy the second S>Range album from which this track was taken, but the remix is fantastic. Drifting cosmic vibes are in full force from the very start, and the song churns with delicacy as a pulsating bass line meshes with an unobtrusive kick drum and some mild percussion. This isn’t a very heavy song but it is certainly effective! Light arpeggiated melodies persistently flow in the background to provide the sensation of traveling through space, and plenty of catchy hooks flare up to provide a dense palette of psychedelic sounds for maximum enjoyment. All of this leads into the key breakdown sequence, in which a sample plays: “if everything’s ready here on the dark side of the moon, play the test tones” – leading into the well-known excerpt of the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A spacious atmosphere lurks in the background until it is time for the beat to return with another catchy sample. All of the elements of the song previously heard return in a tasteful arrangement that meticulously builds on the drifting outer space vibes to lead the song, and the compilation, to a serene and relaxing conclusion.

In the end this is a fairly decent compilation that sticks to the Swedish sound pioneered by Logic Bomb and later emulated by Chromosome. The selection of tracks has ups and downs, with a few shining gems, several decent songs, and some mediocre or bad material. The first and last are favourites, while Deedrah’s remix is a nice addition. S>Range and Logic Bomb drop some decent tracks, though they aren’t necessarily as good as their older material, and long-time fans need not come running. The rest suffers from blandness or questionable sample usage. The mastering style of Triptych is something I’ve grown to dislike, as he doesn’t fill out the low frequencies very well, or so my untrained ears tell me. It causes some of the songs to lack punch at lower volumes, though these songs will still deliver on the big rigs. This compilation has a good length, clocking in at 69 minutes of music. Perhaps the cover art isn’t very different from some other releases, but I think it’s fantastic – a really great design for the sound of the CD which incorporates a tear-away CD wallet insert. Overall, an above average compilation that Logic Bomb fans would likely enjoy, though it plays as a disjointed collection of singles and b-sides. If you enjoy the style however, this release might be exactly what you’re missing.

Release Data

Title: Trance Scandinavian Express
Label: Turbo Trance Records
Format: CD compilation
Released: 2004

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