Very original release!
The main factor is "progressive" ranging from the very housy first half to the more trancy second part.

My instant favourites were Flowjob (really looking forward to hearing more stuff of them, as this grabs me more than their older stuf), Ticon (on a more melodic tip here, very trancy indeed) & the Minilogue track which is an absolute dancefloor-bomb!

Further more I loved the Vision & Canedy's use of samples from the New wave track Eisbeir by Grauzone (do correct me if I'm wrong!) & the vocals on the Rai-track, which might lack a little tension for some...
I also enjoyed Holm & Andersen with Cityrain, which is once again more into the housy side of this, but without losing grip on the steady rocking beat.

The last 2 tracks as well as the opening one didn't feel thàt special to me, but who knows, maybe they have to grow on me? I mean if I want elektro, I know better ...

As you can see, a lot of vocals in here, but I don't mind the sound of a (human) voice if it is used in such a briliant way as the Son Kite boys do with the well-known sample from "the 5th element" in "Leloo".

Tribal Vision Records based in the Czech Republic is out with their second compilation, after the successfull Urban Legends compilation released December last year. It is compiled by Slater & Schwa, and we get a few well known artists, as well as some fresh ones. Also this time, we get a fat booklet with pictures and information about each artist, which I find really cool!

First out is a very interesting collaboration between Jaïa (Yannis Kamarinos) and French Kisz (Stéphane Deschezeaux & Fathallah Lekal), both from France. Jaïa is a veteran in the trance scene, and has started releasing progressive trance lately. French Kisz is more known in the house scene. The track we get here is probably a few years old, but never released before. The first time I heard it was in a jaïa live set at the Samothraki Dance Festival in Greece three years ago. A progressive track with pure summer feeling. We get some really dreamy guitar in there, which lightens it up a lot. Nice one! Track 2 is by Rai (Roman Horinek) based in Prague. He also had a track on the first Tribal Vision release. The track we get here is really nice! I get totally summer feeling by this track. Quite housy, drifting progressive trance. A little bit too fluffy for many probably, but I think this will work fine in the summer evenings this year... Track 3 is by Vision & Canedy (Marci Mellmann) from Germany. He has released quite a lot of housy tracks, on labels such as Avalanche, YSE, Plusquam and Plastik Park. He also released an album (Another Life) on Hadshot Haheizar last year. Here we get a groovy, quite minimal progressive house track. Track 4 is by a duo called Minilogue (Sebastian Mullaert & Marcus Henriksson) from Sweden. They go under many aliases, but are most known as Son Kite. Here they give us a very housy vibe. Very funky track that will probably be appreciated by a house crowd and the progressive trance scene.

Track 5 goes a bit more massive. This is made by Flowjob (Joakim Hjorne & Mads Tinggaard) from Denmark. They are releasing their debut album on Iboga Records this year. Here we get a very drifting, quite trippy track, with some nice tribal drums above the bassline and floating echoing sounds. Nice one. Track 6 is a new Danish collaboration called Holm & Andersen. This is Kristian Thinning Andersen, most known as Elysium, and Kim Holm who has been a dj in Denmark for many years. Here they are with the first track they release together. Playfull track with a pretty funny voice sample and some beautiful floating vibes. Not the most interesting track Mr. Andersen has been involved in, but an okay progressive, housy track. Track 7 is by Ticon (Filip Mardberg & Fredrik Gilenholt) from Sweden. They are well known in the progressive trance scene, with a lot of releases on various labels, including two albums on Spiral Trax Records. This track goes a bit more clubby direction, with some electro influences etc. A bit more melodic than most of the other tracks on this compilation too. Track 8 is by Leo (Leo Leite), who is a fresh, new progressive trance artist from Brazil, now based in New York, but has been a dj for many years. He gives us a quite dark progressive trance track. The darkest track on this compilation, with floating vibes and melodies that builds up. The last track we get on this album is a track by Shuma (Davor Tosovic & Emir Cehaic) from Zagreb, Croatia. They have previously released a track on Hadshot Haheizar. This is surprisingly a pure electro track, with typical 80’s computer voice samples etc. Not really my cup of tea, but this should proably please those who like housy electro music.

Tribal Vision keeps a pretty high quality level as they did on their first compilation too. I really like the way they present the artists with a booklet, and the guys has done a good job compiling. I like the first compilation slightly better, but this is for sure one of the better progressive compilations to come this spring.

Music to watch girls by…

Tribal Vision Records from the Czech Republic released their first progressive trance compilation Urban Legends in December 2004 – it was an instant smash, so label bosses DJ Slater & DJ Schwa decided to grace our ears with another compilation now… And damn – that was one wise decision… I mean – just take a look on the tracklist here… Proggy bonanza… I’m already impressed! Let’s take a trip to funky town…

Let me take you thru the tracks…

#01: Jaïa vs. French Kisz – Drifting Planet [126 BPM]
First up is a French collaboration between Yannis Kamarinos (Jaïa) and Stéphane Deschezeaux & Fathallah Lekal (French Kisz)… Jaïa should need no further introduction except the notion of me really looking forward to the album on Digital Structures soon… But French Kisz is not a project I’ve heard about before… Good thing there’s an extensive booklet which describes them as a well-established progressive house act… A slow, electro-intro is soon drenched in tribal percussion and trippy synth-experiments… All done in a very chilled, laid-back manner… This is the slowest track here - perfect for chilling on the beach and enjoying life… The groovy is amazing here… The rich percussion, the phat melodic pads and the subtle singing all help in creating one groovy synthesis… Brilliant track!

#02: Rai – Liquid [130 BPM]
Rai is Roman Horinek from the Czech Republic… He has released tracks on a number of labels and his track Groove was on the first Tribal Vision compilation… This track lives up to its name – Roman plays around with filters and FX to create a liquid sound here… Somewhere in between commercial trance and progressive house… It’s all very well-polished and neat – and in that sense I could’ve wished for more edge… It’s a little too Balearic for my taste! That being said, this is a nice track with flawless production – and immediate crossover potential! I like the little breakdown and the groove that follows it… I would have abandoned the cheesy vocals though, but that’s just me…

#03: Vision & Canedy – Collected Vibes [130 BPM]
Reinforcement from Hadshot Haheizar! This track is made by German producer Marco ‘Canedy’ Mellmann… I have no idea where Marc ‘Vision’ Wollenschein went, but he’s not listed in the credits!?… But hey, Canedy does a good job on his own… This track is drenched in the typical V&C groove that I have come to like so much… An ultra-smooth kick alongside a tight percussion section… Rhythm n trance! Tribal percussion is always a hit and the cut-up voice samples just adds to the groove here… The break just leaves you moaning on the dancefloor – screaming for more... Nuff said - this is a massive track!

#04: Minilogue – Leloo [131 BPM]
Leeloo Dallas Multipas!? This track was released on a Baroque Records 12” in 2004, but I’m a CD-only trancer so this is my first encounter with it…Minilogue is an alias for Swedish progressive godfathers Marcus Henriksson & Sebastian Mullaert… Son Kite! Qlap! Kooler! Ooze! Trimatic! … Need I say more? I think not! I’m like the biggest fan of the sweet sounds coming out of the High-Hat Studios – and this is the first new stuff I’ve heard in a while… And yes, it’s good! This is even more experimental than Son Kite – drawing on an even wider spectre of electronic music… This is driving, danceable, highly enjoyable progressive trance – with a big fat groove… The voice-sample is among the best I’ve heard in a progressive trance track for a long time – it fits the music perfectly and I can vividly imagine myself tripping to this tune on the dancefloor… That climax part is unsurpassed! Reminiscent of the climax in On Air – but still nowhere near it! Sweeeeeeeeet!

#05: Flowjob – Cloud Politics [130 BPM]
Iboga Records reinforcement! Flowjob from Denmark has the members Joakim Hjørne & Mads Tinggaard and they’ve had tracks released on Midijum, Iboga, YSE and now Tribal Vision… Their debut album is coming out in 2006 on Iboga – and goddam I can’t wait… This is a very, very crispy track… We get some psychedelic influences here – with a strong melodic trance interface – mixed up with a funky, progressive rhythm section… A winning combination! This will work wonders both at the beach and on the trancefloor… And it’s perfect for spacing out in your easy chair! Instant summer hit! Brilliant!

#06: Holm & Andersen – Cityrain [132 BPM]
“I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it and stick your head out and…” Kim Holm used to spin in my hometown Aalborg – and was behind many of the big parties Audiobahn threw in Denmark… Kristian Thinning Andersen is a living legend and has been on the scene longer than anyone can remember. He is widely known and respected for his past as Elysium + Elysium Project… Releasing timeless classics within goa, psytrance, ambient and progressive trance… And he’s still very active today as this track accentuates… The base of this track is progressive trance with rich elements of tribal house, electro and trippy trance… A crossover track that combines the best of different styles in a tasty cocktail… This hybrid track is very long and has extensive stretched-out melodic pads, an extensive rhythm section and numerous changes in pace and direction – without ever loosing the ultimate focus… Kinda reminds me of 12 Moons or Tegma in some aspects… Though maybe a couple of minutes too long, this is a very nice, original track…

#07: Ticon – Reflections [135 BPM]
Ahh – more Swedish delights… This time from legendary Ticon (Fredrik Gilenholt & Filip Mårdberg)… I only just recently purchased the album Aero released in 2003 on Digital Structures - I’ve been playing that a lot lately, so I’m all warmed up for this track… This is another progressive trance track with rich influences from house and electro… It’s the fastest track here, but somehow it doesn’t seem fast – it just seems luscious… Sexy even! Melodic pads and delicate percussion assist in creating another beach-house choon… I’m afraid to say it, but parts of this track are just a little too well-polished and clubby for my taste… Just a little though, and the last three minutes are pure bliss – massive soundscapes of lush prog… Yummy!

#08: Leo – Music Design Revolutions [133 BPM]
Leo Leite is a Brazilian producer who now lives in New York where he’s also a member of the electronic outfit Influx… Supposedly he’s quite a well-known DJ and producer, but this is my first encounter with his work… But not the last I hope, as this is pretty sweet… This is progressive house with a darker edge than some of the previous tracks – tribal percussion and deep, spacey, metallic soundscapes… This will work wonders during the darkest hours of a progressive set… This is anti-fluff – and I like anti-fluff… However, there seems to be parts of this track that lacks the ultimate kick to push it into the close-to-perfection category… But yeah, I like this!

#09: Shuma – Illektro Music [132 BPM]
Shuma are Davor Tosovic & Emir Cehaic from Croatia… They had a track on a 2003 Hadshot Haheizar EP, but this is my first encounter with their distinct illektro sound… Illektro is obviously a clever little play on words as this is utterly and totally drenched in electro-vibes… It’s not the first time progressive trance has been mixed with electro, but this track takes it to the extremes… Fast-paced synth-galore with repetitive voice-samples and electronic stabs and hisses… Very experimental – well to my ears at least… I can’t really decide if I like this or it annoys me… Well, it’s definitely something unusual and I like that aspect of it… ;o)

Wow – take a look below at my favourite tracks… That’s a lot of stand-outs, indicating the very high quality level on this compilation… I am really, really impressed and there are no bad tracks here… In fact most tracks are brilliant, but some just pale in comparison with the really great ones… Hope you catch my drift here!? What I’m trying to say is that there are more than enough brilliant progressive trance tracks here to validate a purchase… Another big fat plus in my cool-book is the extensive 16-page full colour booklet that comes with this CD… One page is dedicated to each artist and the easy-rip DJ-slip is a nifty little feature! A nice booklet like this will never go out of fashion… Check it out!

I’m sure several of these tracks will become big summer-festival hits… They deserve it! Fans of crossover progressive trance need this compilation in their collection… The flow here is brilliant and I like the mix of new and old artists on one compilation… Well done Tribal Vision Records… I will not hesitate to give this CD my highest recommendations… Enjoy!

Favourites: 1(!), 3(!!), 4(!!), 5(!!), 6, 7