DeathPosture
Fingering.Nuns.On.Mars
Buzzmonx – Toms’n Jerry
Format: CD
Artist: Buzzmonx
Title: Toms’n Jerry
Label: Plusquam Records, Germany
Distribution: Cosmophilia & Wakyo
Cat. #: PQRCD104
Year: 2004
Track listing:
01. 08’27†Monkey
02. 08’37†Search
03. 09’10†Twinpeak
04. 07’21†Shift
05. 07’46†Funck Off
06. 08’10†Toms’n Jerry
07. 08’01†Tune
08. 07’20†K.Camper
Review:
Buzz + Bitmonx = Buzzmonx! …Next stop rocket-science!
Technoid Germans Sascha Haske (Bitmonx & Lube) and Sebastian Plehn (Buzz & ½ of Timetech) joined forces back in 2001 when they build their studio Keller.04, and ever since they’ve been releasing their highly acclaimed tracks on various compilations… Now they are out with their debut album on renowned German proggy-label Plusquam… Let’s see what they have in stock for us…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: First up is the monkey track – a nice, minimal intro… Banging bass with a reverb effect – some smooth female house-samples and soon the groove is introduced – the PHAT sound of funky progressive trance… Pure beach-house trance for chilling at the beach… Beautiful!
#02: This one is a bit stompier – just a bit though… I really dig the rolling bassline and all the floating melodies and “peaks†that are present throughout the track… Very FREq’ish in nature – Same groove and energy! I’m impressed!
#03: She’s deeeeeead – wrapped in plastic! Nope guys – you’ll find no cheesy TP-samples here… I think Buzzmonx sampled something from Badalamentis’ Twin Peaks theme here – and that’s about the only reference to TP I can find… This track has a more tribal approach – the percussion sound acoustic at times, and that creates a cozy atmosphere… Very organic and very well-polished… Pure groove!
#04: Again, Buzzmonx touch up on their old minimal trance roots – nice flashback guys… ;o) However, this is not 2001, so this is minimal trance seasoned with 2004 beach-house funk! … Tribal percussion, housey hi-hats and funky reverbs and sweet little synth melodies… Sweet!
#05: More laid-back, tribal stuff… Juno Reactor-like bongos and nice, organic floating soundscapes… The pace is slow – almost dubby and lazy at times, but the groove is very much intact… This is cabana chill – and this track marks the change in pace, to the slightly more chilled part of the album… Boat-drinks!
#06: The title track is another laid-back percussion-driven tune… Slightly ‘darker’ and more metallic – but as always, the Buzzmonx groove is phatter than ever… Somehow the two talented producers makes the musical elements communicate – kinda like melodies… Funky!
#07: Tune is a great tune! – Ha! … This is even more stripped down at first, but soon more FX are added, turning it into a darkish, ‘minimal’ progressive trance tune… And the low BPM ensures that the Buzzmonx groove is never lost … I really like the clash between fluffy soundscapes and deeper than deep bass and other ‘dark’ effects here… Yummy, this one is soooo tasty!
#08: … The pounding bass makes a surprise comeback on this last track which is much faster than the previous 3 tracks… Well, pounding is an over-statement; the bass is just more minimal at first… This is definitely a progressive trance tune – which is somewhere in between chilled prog and dance floor prog… Those little acid-squelches really scratch my itch… Very nice track!
Oh what a great year it has been for progressive trance… High quality albums from FREq, Atmos, Son Kite, Etic and Kooler – and now this from Buzzmonx… We’re so spoiled… ;o)
This IS a good album… I’ve listened to it several times now, and besides a few “good-but-not-great†tracks, I cannot put my finger on any major flaws… Perhaps the flow of the album is kinda thrown off – I would have put tracks # 5, 6, 7 @ the end… But that’s nitpicking… If you’ve enjoyed some of the artist albums I listed above, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this as well – recommended for anyone surfing the progressive trance wave!
8.5/10
Favourites: 1(!), 2(!), 3, 4, 7(!), 8
DeathPosture
External links:
Plusquam Records: http://www.plusquam-records.de
Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/plu/plu1cd104.html (Audio samples available!)
Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=4063
Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/product.asp?LR=PQRCD104
Trance-shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3853
Format: CD
Artist: Buzzmonx
Title: Toms’n Jerry
Label: Plusquam Records, Germany
Distribution: Cosmophilia & Wakyo
Cat. #: PQRCD104
Year: 2004
Track listing:
01. 08’27†Monkey
02. 08’37†Search
03. 09’10†Twinpeak
04. 07’21†Shift
05. 07’46†Funck Off
06. 08’10†Toms’n Jerry
07. 08’01†Tune
08. 07’20†K.Camper
Review:
Buzz + Bitmonx = Buzzmonx! …Next stop rocket-science!
Technoid Germans Sascha Haske (Bitmonx & Lube) and Sebastian Plehn (Buzz & ½ of Timetech) joined forces back in 2001 when they build their studio Keller.04, and ever since they’ve been releasing their highly acclaimed tracks on various compilations… Now they are out with their debut album on renowned German proggy-label Plusquam… Let’s see what they have in stock for us…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: First up is the monkey track – a nice, minimal intro… Banging bass with a reverb effect – some smooth female house-samples and soon the groove is introduced – the PHAT sound of funky progressive trance… Pure beach-house trance for chilling at the beach… Beautiful!
#02: This one is a bit stompier – just a bit though… I really dig the rolling bassline and all the floating melodies and “peaks†that are present throughout the track… Very FREq’ish in nature – Same groove and energy! I’m impressed!
#03: She’s deeeeeead – wrapped in plastic! Nope guys – you’ll find no cheesy TP-samples here… I think Buzzmonx sampled something from Badalamentis’ Twin Peaks theme here – and that’s about the only reference to TP I can find… This track has a more tribal approach – the percussion sound acoustic at times, and that creates a cozy atmosphere… Very organic and very well-polished… Pure groove!
#04: Again, Buzzmonx touch up on their old minimal trance roots – nice flashback guys… ;o) However, this is not 2001, so this is minimal trance seasoned with 2004 beach-house funk! … Tribal percussion, housey hi-hats and funky reverbs and sweet little synth melodies… Sweet!
#05: More laid-back, tribal stuff… Juno Reactor-like bongos and nice, organic floating soundscapes… The pace is slow – almost dubby and lazy at times, but the groove is very much intact… This is cabana chill – and this track marks the change in pace, to the slightly more chilled part of the album… Boat-drinks!
#06: The title track is another laid-back percussion-driven tune… Slightly ‘darker’ and more metallic – but as always, the Buzzmonx groove is phatter than ever… Somehow the two talented producers makes the musical elements communicate – kinda like melodies… Funky!
#07: Tune is a great tune! – Ha! … This is even more stripped down at first, but soon more FX are added, turning it into a darkish, ‘minimal’ progressive trance tune… And the low BPM ensures that the Buzzmonx groove is never lost … I really like the clash between fluffy soundscapes and deeper than deep bass and other ‘dark’ effects here… Yummy, this one is soooo tasty!
#08: … The pounding bass makes a surprise comeback on this last track which is much faster than the previous 3 tracks… Well, pounding is an over-statement; the bass is just more minimal at first… This is definitely a progressive trance tune – which is somewhere in between chilled prog and dance floor prog… Those little acid-squelches really scratch my itch… Very nice track!
Oh what a great year it has been for progressive trance… High quality albums from FREq, Atmos, Son Kite, Etic and Kooler – and now this from Buzzmonx… We’re so spoiled… ;o)
This IS a good album… I’ve listened to it several times now, and besides a few “good-but-not-great†tracks, I cannot put my finger on any major flaws… Perhaps the flow of the album is kinda thrown off – I would have put tracks # 5, 6, 7 @ the end… But that’s nitpicking… If you’ve enjoyed some of the artist albums I listed above, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this as well – recommended for anyone surfing the progressive trance wave!
8.5/10
Favourites: 1(!), 2(!), 3, 4, 7(!), 8
DeathPosture
External links:
Plusquam Records: http://www.plusquam-records.de
Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/plu/plu1cd104.html (Audio samples available!)
Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=4063
Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/product.asp?LR=PQRCD104
Trance-shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3853
