V/A – Set/5 – Summer Collection
Artist: Various
Title: Set/5 – Summer Collection
Format: CD (jewel case)
Label: Iboga Records (Denmark)
Cat. #: IBOGACD31
Date: June 2005
Track listing:
01. 08’59†Perfect Stranger – What’s The Line-up?
02. 08’15†Son Kite - Catch
03. 07’37†Ace Ventura – Cardiac Arrest (Zen Mechanix Remix)
04. 10’41†Frogacult – Bye She Said
05. 08’32†Liquid Soul – Go Reality
06. 09’31†Flowjob - Wadley
07. 06’56†Reefer Decree – Gone For Good
08. 07’47†Lunaspice – Eclipsed’ay
Review:
68 minutes of summer!
This is the 31st release by Danish label Iboga Records – a label that has yet to let me down with it’s upfront, smooth releases within progressive trance with psychedelic influences… The Antix album
Twin Coast Discovery was pretty good and the Beat Bizarre album
Somersault Industries was kick-ass… So here we get the newest opus in the Set-series – this time compiled by label top-dogs Emok & Banel – focussing on dreamy summer vibes…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01:
Perfect Stranger – What’s The Line-up? [130 BPM]
As on
Set/4 here’s a track by Yuli Fershtat a.k.a. BLT… And yeah, it’s still very smooth, rich progressive trance – with evident Israeli morning influences… A huuuuuge track here – a big phat wall of synth-action, ultra tight percussion, morphing bassline and the trademark Iboga groove… This is the shiznitz! Stellar track!
#02:
Son Kite – Catch [140 BPM]
Ahh – finally a fresh track by the Swedish studio wizards… Last year’s ambitious
Colours project was an instant smash – and I’ve been looking forward to new stuff from these guys ever since… I’m happy to say that my high expectations for this track were met – and even exceeded… This is a smashing track – very similar to what was on the
Colours album… Big orchestral pads, well-crafted melodic leads and tons of übercool Hi-Hat progressive trance… We even get some Shpongle-like parts… Perfect track!
#03:
Ace Ventura – Cardiac Arrest (Zen Mechanix Remix) [138 BPM]
This original version of this track was on
Set/4 – made by Yoni Oshrat – one half of PsySex. A Smooth, funky and kinda wobbly track – and here’s the remix by Dutch producer Wouter Tomassen… This is a remix that pays deep respect to the original – the main leads are intact, but Wouter tweaks it into a tighter, more upbeat trancefloor bombshell… It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the reverb-effect – and this track is soaked in big, majestic reverbs… Luuuurverly! A very nice track!
#04:
Frogacult – Bye She Said [128 BPM]
Let’s take it down a notch… Here we get a taster from the upcoming second Frogacult album. This dynamic Danish duo consists of Casper Datai and Mikkel Calum – and what we get here is a very clean, well-polished track… Kinda clubby, yet still very underground… The voice-samples are well-fitting and the percussion section is nothing short of ultra-funky… Dropping 10 beats per minute is a brave move by Emok & Banel and personally, I think I would’ve started the compilation with the slower tracks… There is a dull section of this track and maybe it’s a little too long – but it’s still very nice, hi-quality progressive trance…
#05:
Liquid Soul – Go Reality [135 BPM]
Nicola Capobianco debuted on the Plusquam compilation
Wireless with a track from the deeper, darker realms of progressive trance – and he really impressed me with his hard-hitting and intoxicating track on the recent Domo Records compilation
Posse… This is equally deep… A very crisp rhythm section, morphing and melodic background pads… Oh yes, this is smooth, sexy beach house trance… Would mix well with Antix…The breakdown is eerie and the build-up is very cool… Another great track!
#06:
Flowjob – Wadley [128 BPM]
Joakim Hjørne & Mads Tinggaard from Denmark had the best track on the recent
Lime Light compilation from Tribal Vision Records… A very crispy track with rich psychedelic influences… And they continue down the same path here, on this afternoon burner…The rhythm section is funky and progressive, the melodic leads are solid – and the guys are not afraid of experimentation, as we get all kinds of world-beats influences throughout the track… Well done! Again this track suffers from stand-still syndrome towards the end, but it’s not too bad… I can cope! The debut should be out on Iboga in 2006 – and goddam I can’t wait…
#07:
Reefer Decree – Gone For Good [138 BPM]
Holy shit – this is the first new Refeer Decree track in two years! RD was one of the leading progressive acts of the past and Oliver Nonell has now picked up the pieces of the band started in 1999 by Kim Jiwook Bijl… This track sounds pretty much like RD did 5 years ago, though not quite as minimal… It’s very deep, stripped down progressive trance – with electro-influences…We even get some nifty little acid-bits and melodic twirls here… The final breakdown and the following climax are very dancefloor friendly, but I could have wished for an even more well-defined rhythm section and tighter percussion… But as a retrospective choon, this track serves its purpose… Dope!
#08:
Lunaspice – Eclipsed’ay [138 BPM]
Mathieu Delepeau from France released his debut album
Reflexion with Steven Le Corre on Sub Machine Records in 2004…. Unfortunately I haven’t heard that album, but I do remember Mathieu’s track on the
Inspirazzia compilation under his D.Sens epithet… That was a very house-influences track and so is this - though with a deeper, darker edge… A good track, but nothing extraordinary…
Well I’ll be damned, if this isn’t the best compilation to surface from the Iboga labs for a long time!
Set/4 was great, but this is even better… The variation is great here – kept within a basic framework of groovy progressive trance of course… As always with Iboga, the packaging reeks quality. The artwork is cool and breezy – I like the clean 6-page booklet with info on all tracks… Well done!
There are no bad tracks here – and the number of really good tracks is impressive… My only gripe is the order of the tracks – I would have put the slower tracks first, but that’s only nitpicking really… This works wonders in my living room, it’s tested and approved as car-entertainment and it is absolutely essential for any DJ spinning rich progressive trance… I give this compilation my highest recommendations… Enjoy!
Favourites: All! … But 1(!), 2(!!) and 3(!) are stand-outs!
DeathPosture
External links:
Iboga Records:
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Saiko Sounds:
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TranceShop:
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Wirikuta:
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PsySale:
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Psyshop:
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Wakyo:
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Chaos:
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Loud:
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