Waveform Transmissions Volume Two – Waveform Records (2009)

Info

Artists:

• Paddy Free
• Sounds From The Ground
• Pitch Black
• Third Ear Audio
• Warp Technique
• Capsula
• International Observer
• Hoehle
• Hanfstengel
• Master Margherita

Album: Waveform Transmissions Volume Two
Format: CD (Digipak)
Label: Waveforum Records
Catalog #: WAV 09102-2
Release Date: 10/13/09

Waveform Transmissions Volume Two

Tracks:

1. Paddy Free – Lali (5:10)
2. Sounds From The Ground – Wicked Flow (5:32)
3. Pitch Black – Transient Transmission (5:48)
4. Third Ear Audio – Up In Smoke (7:03)
5. Warp Technique – Wonderland (8:07)
6. Capsula – I Still Know That I Know (7:05)
7. International Observer – Quiet Please (4:54)
8. Hoehle – Why Me (4:26)
9. Hanfstengel – Big Fish (Winter Mix) (5:08)
10. Master Margherita – Antaris (10:17)

Total Time: 63:48

Waveform Records is out with their second psychedelic-dub-infused compilation, Waveform Transmissions Volume Two.  It features some of the biggest names in psychedelic dub music as well as some brand new artists that I’ve never heard of before.  The many different styles of dub are represented fairly here, I think, and the listener is bound to find a personal gem among the 10 tracks.

So dim the couch-side lamp, take a hit or seven and let’s begin…

#1 – Paddy Free – Lali

Paddy Free is a member of New Zealand dub act, Pitch Black, who also have a track on this compilation. After perusing his Discogs page a bit, he’s remixed Salmonella Dub tracks, a dub band also from New Zealand.  He also has his own full-length album.  The track begins with a pulsating pad and a shaker comes in a few seconds later beginning the beat of the track.  The pad swirls slowly the sound field as the first drums come in.  The bass line oozes into the track at the 1-minute mark and plays throughout most of the track, as any quality psy-dub track should.  It finally peters out around 4:05 and the beat follows at 4:40.  The rest of the sounds fade out at the end.  The track is a fine opener to the album.  Nothing much goes on in it, to be honest, but it does feel like an opener:  it gets you ready for the styles to come, but is definitely not a show-stopper.  It’s not a bad track at all but when heard the fourth or fifth time through, it’s definitely got nothing on the following tracks.  (7/10)

#2 – Sounds From The Ground – Wicked Flow

Sounds From The Ground have been a mainstay of Waveform Records, who have released four SFTG albums and a variety of singles since 1996.  For me, Wicked Flow is where the album truly begins.  The track fades up with a funky, reverbed beat already in mid-session.  It immediately has a groove and movement that makes you want to hear where the track is going to finish.  The bass line is hairy and groovy and there’s a lot of sounds spliced in that not only carry the track forward but engage your brain as well.  It’s an aural puzzle that needs careful attention.  The track really takes off when the slow melody line drifts in.  I immediately get the internal picture of an alien surfing in slow motion across a fluorescent green ocean on some distant planet.  It has a good and otherworldly vibe that works really well.  There’s some vocals too and they’re saying “Wicked Flow”, but there’s a lot of effects on them which also gives an otherworldly feel and at first I didn’t hear what it said.  Another melody comes in around 4:20 which takes to the last part of the song.  The song slowly fades out.  This is a great track in my opinion, filled with a great beat, beautiful melodies and a moving bass line.  It’s not however very psychedelic, but that’s not a problem at all, those tracks will be coming later.  (8/10)

#3 – Pitch Black – Transient Transmission

Pitch Black is one of the biggest names in psychedelic dub music.  They’ve released a multitude of albums and remixes and have singles on many compilations.  Just take a look at their Discogs page for all their information.  Their track, Transient Transmission, is a slower, marauding track whose focus is definitely the bass.  It’s deep and pulsates throughout the entire piece.  This is definite subwoofer material here and is exactly what I think of when I think electronic dub.  The track starts off rather innocently but methodically builds and builds, with beats and organ stabs that have some reverb.  Then the bass comes in and the song is now officially underway.  A gentle pad is heard in the background and the beat kicks into high gear around the 2-minute mark.  It’s also here that we get the first samples of the track and the beat that plays behind gets more complex.  I am now completely in the track and lost in its groove.  It’s intelligent and interesting and I feel myself physically in the song.  It’s easily the best track of the first third of the album.  We then get another interesting sample that adds another layer to the track around 4:00, and repeats the rest of the album.  I have no idea what it’s saying and I don’t need to, it’s simply apart of the track and just works.  I like this track a lot. (9/10)

#4 – Third Ear Audio – Up In Smoke

Next up is a track off of Third Ear Audio’s self-titled debut release.  If you haven’t heard this album yet go ahead and quit reading this review and find and purchase their album.  It’s cool, I won’t be upset or pissed, I’ll understand.  It really is that good…

Now that you’ve gone ahead and purchased the album, let me talk about the track on this compilation.  This is the very definition of psychedelic dub in my opinion.  Something is constantly happening in this track.  There’s always a unique sound happening somewhere in the listening space and it’s almost always psychedelic.  It makes me wonder what this track will sound like while in a chemically altered state.

The track starts with some stabs with some wicked and long-lasting reverb.  The space is huge and the sounds begin in each channel almost immediately.  The ride has begun!  Then one of the most interesting aspects of the track comes out and that’s what I take to be a small amount of beat boxing placed perfectly over the beat.  Sounds are whirring and buzzing in all directions and then the track slides into the second third of the song.  The bass comes rolling in, the psychedelic sounds increase, the pad in the background adds another dimension and we even get a hint of guitar maybe around 2:30.  This is definitely my kind of music.  We then hear a sample from the pot maestros themselves, Cheech and Chong.  It’s a hilarious sample and really adds to the playful but still trippy nature of the track.

The beat-boxing returns along with the squelching sound effects and throbbing, melodic bass lines.  And then we get a beautiful horn section play a line or two and another sample of a Rastafarian robot plays.  This gets played upon more on Third Ear Audio’s album.  See now why you should get it?  Hint:  Checkout the track “Jamaican Robot” on that album.  The track comes to a close with solely the bass and psychedelic sounds playing, which spiral out to infinity and then fade away.  What a track!  (10/10)

#5 – Warp Technique – Wonderland

Ready for some more embarrassing praise coming out of my fingertips?  How about easily one of my favorite acts of the last 2-3 years, Warp Techniqure and their track Wonderland?  It’s on their debut release, Make Animals Happy, and is actually titled Wonderland Dub on it.  Not sure if the dropping of “Dub” is intentional or not, but who cares, right?  It’s about the music.  And Warp Technique knows how to make a track.

This and Capsula’s track, which is next are tied for my favorite tracks on the album.  Wonderland begins with the sound of thunder and various effects until the bass line meanders in about 30 seconds in.  The bass line itself is the signature sound of Warp Technique and is an instantly causes the listener to tap their foot and nod their head in concert with it.  Like all psychedelic music in this genre there’s a constant movement of a variety of sounds, moving and swirling happening at all times.  Then around 2:27 a sample occurs and it is a hilarious moment the first time you hear it.  I won’t talk about it here.  Give a listen for yourself.  We get some vocal sample work around the 5:20 mark, about 2/3′s of the way through the track.  They’re well placed and add just another dimension to the overall track.  The bass line drops out at 7:40 and it’s been playing for so long that it’s almost as if you’ve forgotten the bass line was there and how intricate to the song it really is.  This is amazing track and if you too enjoy it, should definitely checkout their album.  (10/10)

#6 – Capsula – I Still Know that I Know

Up next is a track off of Capsula’s second album, Sense of a Drop, which I’ve previously reviewed here.  I am going to shamefully copy and paste what I wrote about this track on that review because it’s late and I’ve skipped tomorrow’s class assignments to continue writing this review and my eyelids are now like dead weights, so here ya go :

I’ll admit, as soon as I saw the track listing for this album, this track was the one I wanted to hear the most.  It’s the sequel to I Know that I Know, from his first album.  That track was one of my favorites too.  This track is immediately recognizable as a sequel because Alan Watts begins it.  I’m a huge fan of Alan Watts and anytime an artist can incorporate his words successfully, it can work great.  The samples are new, not seen in the first track, but the original sample is also included to remind you of it, a nice touch.  This entire song has something going on at all times.  When I think of Capsula, this is what I hear in my head.  There are layers upon layers working here and they all belong here, everything works.  The same melody lines are present from the original but expanded upon.

A second set of samples comes in half way through which, not surprising at all, are an extension of the original sample.  On the original the Watts says:

We are all so fascinated with recording things. Taking photographs, writing them down and above all remembering them.  Because you see if you don’t remember anything, you don’t know you’re there. A person who has total amnesia and lived in a split second only wouldn’t know he was there.

The sample here builds on the concept:

The in and the out, the raw moment and the memory…. See memory, if you didn’t remember it, you wouldn’t know there was going to be a tomorrow, because there isn’t one. “Tomorrow” is an illusion. It simply isn’t here, where is it? Now this is perfectly marvelous!

As soon as the sample ends the track kicks it up a notch and the whole sound field is alive.  There’s really a lot going on here!  The track ends with another sample of Watts.  (10/10)

#7 – International Observer – Quiet Please

International Observer is Tom Bailey and Rakai Karaitiana.  They’ve released four albums to date including an album this year titled, “Felt” on Dubmission Records, the same label that features Pitch Black, Warp Technique, and Third Ear Audio.  Quiet Please begins with Middle-Eastern beat and sitar melody and right from the start has a different vibe to it and it’s a good one.  The bass line and rhythm immediately follow.  The song at this point is really groovin’ with the bass hitting pretty deep, it’s really a nice bass.  The sitar returns a bit around 1:30.  The track from now until the end doesn’t change that much but it is still a pleasant track.  I’ll admit, I haven’t heard that much of International Observer, but now that I’ve heard this track, I’ll definitely take some time and checkout their other work.  This is track is relatively simple but it’s very good. (8/10)

#8 – Hoehle – Why Me

There’s not that much information out on the next artist.  From their Myspace page it says that the project is a collaboration between Jus10 and Master Margherita. Seems they’ve released an EP but I’ve yet to check it out so I can only only comment on this track.  And the track itself is a very interesting one.  It’s mainly beat driven with some unique sci-fi samples thrown in.  It begins with sample talking about the weather on a planet in a particular star system.  The rhythm section bursts onto the sound field around :44 and will play almost continually for the entire track.  Some really nice psychedelic sounds echo and spiral throughout as well.  The entire track keeps you focused due to it’s unique beat structure.  Another sample comes in a bit before halfway through and gives the song it’s name.  Again, Hoehle is another project I had not before this compilation and will be checking their work out as well.  (9/10)

#9 – Hanfstengel – Big Fish (Winter Mix)

If it was hard to track down some info on Hoehle, it’s even harder to get some information about Hanfstengel.  A quick copy and paste into Google Translate and I get “hemp stems”.  Kind of interesting.  It seems to be a side project of Master Margherita.  If the above track was also considered very rhythm driven, then I’d say that this track is even more so.  It’s basically a beat with an occasional pad and jamming bass line, which repeats for five minutes.  It’s not a bad track in any sense but just doesn’t match well with the psychedelic work of the majority of tracks preceding it.  It’s still interesting and unique but after repeated listenings, it’s not one of the tracks I found myself wanting to play again, even though it isn’t really that long.  (7/10)

#10 – Master Margherita – Antaris

And finally, the last track of the album, Master Margherita himself.  It’s also the longest track of the entire compilation by about two minutes.  Master Margherita has released a few albums, most notably his latest effort on the mighty Peak Records.  Again, I’ve not heard much of his work outside of the Peak Records compilations so I have yet to form a fair opinion of his work.  But based off of this track, I probably should try harder.  Antaris takes a long time to build up and to feel like a dub track.  It’s Middle-Eastern feeling with a steady guitar note played to an increasing intensity until the beat emerges out of the ether around 3:16.  It continues to build, tension increasing and almost exactly at the mid-point of the track are we finally in full movement.  It’s an outstanding buildup overall but you’re still reminded of the work it took to get to this point by the guitar that still plays along.  Then at the 6:30 mark the song shifts into a higher gear with a bass guitar solo and a new rhythm comes into play and it’s funky and groovy as all hell.  Some remnants of  sound from the first half of the song return to meld with this new sound.  This may actually be my favorite track of the album!

The track then comes to an end with the same style as it began.  It almost feels like a psychedelic trip in itself, with a definite rise and peak with a slight trough here and there and then a giant peak near the end and then a slow fadeout.  A marvelous track here.  If MM’s other tracks are anything like this I’ll be having to skip a few meals the next few weeks so I can purchase his albums.  (10/10)

This compilation is a mixed–but definitely positive–bag for me.  It’s got some amazing tracks that are sure to please fans of psychedelic dub and fans of complex but fun rhythms.  But I can’t help but seem to think that some of the tracks towards the end could have been replaced with a longer, single track that stayed more in tune with the other tracks.  These tracks aren’t bad in any sense of the word, they just don’t seem to fit.  But then again, hearing new artists is always a good thing, so take that previous statement with a grain of salt and definitely think about purchasing this album.  Especially if you like your music dubby with a side of psychedelia.

Top 3(+) Tracks:

1. Wonderland
2. Antaris
3. Up In Smoke
4. I Still Know That I Know

Purchase @:

Waveform