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2 Reviews
Harthouse in it's hey-day
If you have stumbled onto the backtracking of the Harthouse label then this is for you. I mentioned elsewhere that the Harthouse - Chapter 1 is the must have, this album is a close second. Really what this album is a closer look at Chapter 1, a lot of these tracks here are overlooked B-sides. In order to hit the marketplace with something fresh, Harthouse opted to scour it's then-small catalog of tracks and came up with a winner. Actually it's not an album, it's a mini compilation or an EP; which is too bad, because by the time the groove starts going on this little compilation - it's over.
1993 was one of the strongest years for Harthouse and the palette for 303 rhythms and experimentation was wide open. Having a wide array of artists playing around in Sven Vath's 24 track studio didn't harm production either. Sven was so ambitious he expanded his Frankfurt studios into having a branch in America. Global domination or Planet Harthouse was being instigated in 93, and perhaps the beginning of the financial end for Harthouse.
This compilation has 6 tracks:
Arpeggiators - The Spirit Makes You Move
Doesn't really do much for me. Is is underground techno? Or is it a stab at a semi-pop-dance release? Skip.
Hardfloor - Acperience III
An A2 track from early release of Acperience 1. Truly Acperience 1 is the shining moment to revive the 303 into techno fame. But Acperience 3 is overlooked. Vastly different than Acperience 1 (y'know the slow build up until a frenzied finish), Acperience 3 just starts out stomping and is hard, hard, hard. The pace of it is great and the acidic sounds assault your ears. Great stuff.
Futurhythm - Red Heat
Smooth start. Steady rhythm. Really have to crank this track on a subwoofer to really appreciate the fine bumps and grooves in it.
Barbarella - Barbarella 1
Not really my favourite version of Barbarella.
Arpeggiators - Trancemission
A B1 track from the "Freedom of Expression" release, that track can be heard on Harthouse Chapter 1 and is one of the most pounding acid tracks ever. Trancemission is great, and has a great hollowed out acidic sound that pulls your eardrums out.
Spicelab - Wierdo
A B2 track from his second release, The Spicelab EP. Although Spicecowboy was the prime track, Wierdo has some great 303 effects and some synths that keep the rings of Saturn circling overhead. Oliver Leib is constantly cooking up new sounds and throwing them into a rhythm of some sort.
- eternalravenRead full review...
This is an OK CD
This is an OK CD and features a couple of good tracks! Would have been better if it had a couple more tracks.