Strange Frequencies
Various Artists
ESKIMO yells the front cover, in capitals. X-NOIZE, it continues. OFORIA, TIMELOCK.
All ten artists concerned are sprawled over the front cover; I’m not sure who this marketing trick is meant to apply to, but it’s presumably for people who (a) can’t turn a CD over to read a tracklist or (b) can’t read the list of artists on Saikosounds.
The Sirius Isness track isn’t bad – certainly better than their recent, dreadful album – Anti-Gravity’s Urban Style has edge, and V-Storm’s Mixing Styles is okay. But for the rest of it, it’s plodding, predictable stuff. Everything’s on the 32’s, so you know exactly when the breaks are coming. Everything’s got that glassy, high-end crispness that has the other frequencies sounding hollow.
Eskimo’s remix of Psysex’s Bionic Bong turns a sort-of classic into a stopstart cliché, Oforia’s Overrun is deathly boring, and System Nipel’s Disco Accident is a pure, disposable mdma rush on a glowstick.
Fair dues to Phantasm for still being in business, and label honcho John is a wonderful bloke, just like everyone else is.
However like Transient, you sort of wish this label went under and stayed there. “A shadow of their former selves” doesn’t even come close. With so much better stuff coming out of the UK, this is an unfortunate embarrassment.
Source: http://psyreviews.net/2007/03/various-strange-frequencies-phantasm/
