Connected

Switzerland’s Insane Creation has turned in an interesting album here. At a first listen, it almost seems as though the tunes don’t travel places; something that in the current progressive seems a little strange. For my money though, this is quality – it’s shy, subtle less-is-more music that almost doesn’t want to intrude but that has such a strong, likeable personality you can’t help but fall for it. Distorted Dreams is a perfect opener. Not in a rush to go anywhere, the sounds fall into place smoothly and the production is, of course, butter-smooth. The approach reminds me a little of older progressive music; where at the time, we all went and called it ‘minimal’… know what I mean? There’s less of the post-Freq sound massaging here, it’s more of an actual progression. Restlessness is in a similar vein – you’re hard pushed to find any central line or theme going on here, which is almost a frustration, but the layering and the textures are mesmerising. Filestyle has more substance – the sounds are warm and inviting, the bassline is nonchalant and a little cheeky, and it all makes for a cruisy and warming tune. Sweet Random is a very tight progressive track. A topend broods and bubbles just under the surface, comes out to play and draws you up with it, the final section is led by a cute little riff… almost unbearably simple, it goes to show that you don’t need complex sounds and structures in progressive music. Snuul had left me cold, with its Leary samples (heard it) and sub-Sensient growls, but then it suddenly comes alive about five minutes in, after which it’s a dream. I guess this sort of mirrors the approach here: the themes and sounds are introduced without fanfare, and massaged and rolled in together until, quite suddenly, they become what they were intended to be. Cafane is more focused, and I guess has ‘trance’ and ‘progressive’ in more or less equal measure. Once again the pattern of the track is pretty dazzling; it opens up, then moves around in this deliciously light-footed and evasive way, until it falls in together… tight, in this case, and driving. Freakuencer sees Insane Creation pull the Sensient thing off – albeit with a little less moodiness. Its deep, low-set stuff that growls at you, making the floor shake… then eases off the pressure… then increases it again… then eases off and fade away. Class in a glass. And finally, with Shoobidoo it all comes together. The melodies here are more prominent, the production is more confident, and when it all slides in together it’s a solid, solid slab of trance that’s simultaneously organic, technologic; fat-as-phuck and hardly-there. I’m really impressed with this album. It might lack the immediacy of Son Kite or Freq, but it stands up well in its own right in virtue of how the music hangs together. You can bet your granny that Insane Creation is a nice, mild-mannered, easy-going, recycling, charity-giving bloke – that’s the energy coming through this music. No rush, no stress, I’ll do what I’m gonna do over here, don’t mind me… Love it.