Various Irresistable Meltdown 2 Plusquam (Germany)

It seems to this reporter [writes our correspondent psyreviews, in his socks] that the number of progressive releases is down on this time last year. Rather than to muse on whether the war in Iraq or this nasty virus thing has anything to do with it, let’s look at what we got here: eight tracks, of the fresh and smooth progressive variety we’d expect from Plusquam. Haldolium’s What’s Up? sets things off with a low-set groove with a certain third-person-perspective, morphing FX over the top. Sly Flynn & D-Nox’s Nowhere is firmly in their trademark style, a tecchy stomp with good textures and a quality twisted groove. Bitmonx’s Blindspot is smooth and building just the way it should be, Buzz’s Breath It layers batman stabs sweetly over a solid, stoned groove, and Auricular’s Bucketgroover deploys a sound melodic hook, some quirts n’ squelches, and raises the tension nicely. Neo Logic’s Walla is harder and clatters about the house like your pissed up uncle at christmas time, and the layered, low-set synths of Research from Dusk Rider & H make for a good, deep, brooding end to the album. All in all this is good stuff, well-produced and certainly very fresh. But in the absence of any real killers or extra-special treats, the lasting effect is rather average.