Changing Frames

A hugely trumpeted release, Changing Frames is in no way as significant as the press hyperbole has claimed. BNE’s biggest stab to date at progressive is, in fact, not. It’s slowed-down fullon.

If you do want to call it progressive trance then it’s the kind of progressive that pushes-you-along rather than the sort that draws-you-in. The kind that the psytrance scene has adopted so enthusiastically, because it works in pretty much the same way that fullon does, just with less T’rance Big Mac Kenna samples.

G Note has some Eastern-sounding riffs and lines that harp back neatly to old Goa, but doesn’t really engage on the levels it wants to. M12 falls culprit of Israeli electronic music’s favourite instrument, the distorted guitar: and it sounds abysmal, as though the preceding DJ left his Johan CD playing in one of the decks. And from here on out, it’s like listening to any fullon CD at about -4. Step On It and Time & Space are the prime culprits of this – pitch them up to 145bpm and you’ll see what I mean, especially with the latter’s persistent crescendo going crazy in your ear.

The tune with Atomic Pulse, Strike Twice, is another thinly-veiled slomo romp, responding perfectly to the 32-bar rule and choc full of tried and tested Goan specialmoves, as does Mind Factor, a collaboration with “BNE’s rising force” BASIC – a name whose music is so unsubtle, he spells his name in capitals.

To single out one tune, it’s Don’t Be; a good track because of the solid energy it thunks at you, and the way it sounds like very very good analog friendly psytrance when pitched up to about +2.5.

As a chilled fullon album, this isn’t bad – it’s certainly listenable. What stinks is that someone – whether it’s Echotek himself or his label – is telling us that this is progressive trance when it clearly isn’t. Don’t piss on my chips and tell me it’s vinegar.