Headphone_Commute, Mar 16, 2008
Dag Wallin has been producing psyprog for ten years now - starting with the third label release on Spiral Trax, back when minimal Swedish sound was still establishing itself among the goa and progressive trance genres. Spiral Trax almost folded in June 2006 due to financial difficulties with its distributor, only to be resurrected exactly a year later, while Human Blue moved on to Transient Records. Coincidentally, Transient had a similar operational bleep in 2005, and reopened its doors in 2006 with a compilation titled Resurrection. Wallin’s 2008 release, titled Base Basket Buffet is an album that rides through tracks with tight kicks, rolling basslines and minimal melodies - all with a measured paced progression (I love how the hi-hat comes in half way into some tracks). Although this genre is considered upbeat and geared towards the dance floor, I ultimately relax to the arpeggiated synth lines, filtered sweeps, and hypnotic rhythms. I use the album as a head cleaner to calm my busy mind (Atmos comes to mind). There is nothing revolutionary on this release, yet it still feels powerful and refreshing, without that overwhelming Middle Eastern influence in Arabic scale and Maqam modal structure. Some elements remind me of the older Platipus releases, and of course, it is very much in the footsteps of Vibrasphere, Ticon, Astrix, Hux Flux, Son Kite and the like. And yes, I listen to psytrance.
4.6/5 (