Pygmees Groove Vol 1

Being probably the first ever compilation reviewed by yours truly, that’s been compiled by a French fashion designer. But “100% Jean Paul Goa-Tier Grooves” it ain’t.

Talamasca’s Groovy Pygmee pt 1 isn’t quite what you might expect. It’s Juno-tribal in the same way as his Mind Controllers stuff, but more so – and with a chuggy, uplifting sound to it. Decent stuff, and at about +6 it sounds like old Goa. Inessence’s Treasure is a fucking delight: a collaboration between Manmademan and Triptych, it’s a hybrid prog/psy track that’s as fluid as freq and as heartwarming as Jaia. The sounds are awesome, the flow is measured, it’s undeniably trancey and definitely has you hooked right into the middle. Manmademan’s And All That gets a remix from Alternative Control and bloody nice it is too. Punchy, cruisy, and well-suited to its ethereal production. It’s feelgood summery stuff, exquisitely done. Triptych does well with Meegos, indicating that his unmistakeably French style is changing to near-Loopus, with disco stabs and very solid funkability sitting right through the track.

Tikal’s Flow is one of his better tunes of late; however, it’s still one of his tunes, so the chord changes and fluffy topends still abound. Nicely done, but there’s nothing new here; I defy this man to produce anything of worth. Ever. Intelabeam does better with Free Action, a slinky little number where he’s moved the foot off the accelerator pedal to let the energy flow for itself. Wizzy Noise turn in a tasty remix of Elec3’s Plugged, further evidence that while there own output has lost some of its shine recently, when they add their sound to somebody else’s it works like a charm. Think elec3’s clean, polished sound with that cutsaw Wizzy backbone underneath, with a shifting horrorflick melody across the top, and you’re in the ballpark. Prosper’s Electro Grooves starts out sounding like something Chicane would have released several years ago; it then builds up more and more summer-driving cheddar before becoming one of the most obnoxiously over-the-top Ibizan trance “classics” in recent years. Well-executed, we admit, but this is about as psychedelic as a tin of beans, and considerably less nourishing.

We can forgive this, however, with PsyPilot’s awesome remix of Logic Bomb’s Shadow Of The Beast. This, in my book, is just how a remix should be: the original is very much alive in the centre. PsyPilot adds great touches, cute little surprises and generally brings the track up to date, with the menacing vibe sitting nicely against a cleaner, meaner topend; and it makes me realise how much I miss Logic Bomb. For the most part, this is a solid compilation and further evidence that Turbotrance are back on an upward trajectory: although I can’t work out whether the cover art is genius or dross.