Alfa

“Yowza”. Many cars elicit this reaction in this reporter; most Samothraki women elicit same. However for a cd – (a mere cd! with only one curve, and neither fleshy nor status-affirming) – for a cd to create this one-word response is a rare thing indeed. Let me explain. Wizzy Noise’s new sound evolves further with opening track Liquid & Solid. Spectrum vs Antidote’s Experience is a well-textured proggy delight and a mature, refined sound. Sesto Sento vs Bishop’s It’s All About Trust is an utter killer, moving like a bastard right from the off. Orion’s Sync the Zinc is in keeping with his deep, magnetic and subtle trance stylings that sound so damn fresh at the moment. CPU vs Atomic Pulse is a trance tune with a McKenna sample, who’d a thunk it, but the franco-israeli finale is rather blistering. Altom’s Balkanized is deep as phuck, taking it rioight inside itself before unfolding and tickling all in its firld of vision. Jaia vs Wizzy Noise’s Crystal Noise is the perfect marriage of two unlikely sounds – a wizzy groove under jaia’s delicious melodic truffles, a great hook and surely one of the tunes of the year. Trust me it really is that good. Silicon Sound’s Jaguar Rmx is a morning-flavoured Silicon anthem, and SOS vs Antidote’s Break Out may be a slightly flat end to proceedings, but it’s bouncey scatty vibes will raise a few smiles around the trance planet. Nine tracks, of which eight are indespensible. No contest really. One of the better compilations to have landed on psyreviews’ doormat – really rather special. Yowza indeed.

5/5