A winning collaboration between two of the psytrance scene s best producers the legendary Simon Posford (HALLUCINOGEN) and the highly prolific Benji Vaughan (PROMETHEUS). Younger Brother is the latest project from Simon, w... more »ho has been concentrating on his downtempo project Shpongle, and will be a welcome 4/4 dancelfoor return to his numerous dance music fans. Still he has brought the latest influences with him merging them together into a new blend of Shpongle s slow beats and the faster dance of Hallucinogen s trance. Prometheus influence further accentuates the eclectic nature of this project with a wide range of sounds, samples, effects and beats that create unique fusion of musical fantastia, from tribal chants, hard driving rhythms, electronic effects, trance mayhem and very British samples from the Isle of White festival to famous voices from the past reminiscent of Mr. Scruff, Lemon Jelly, and Coldcut nostalgic sampling or Royksopp with it s mix of melodies and slow dancey beats.« less
A winning collaboration between two of the psytrance scene s best producers the legendary Simon Posford (HALLUCINOGEN) and the highly prolific Benji Vaughan (PROMETHEUS). Younger Brother is the latest project from Simon, who has been concentrating on his downtempo project Shpongle, and will be a welcome 4/4 dancelfoor return to his numerous dance music fans. Still he has brought the latest influences with him merging them together into a new blend of Shpongle s slow beats and the faster dance of Hallucinogen s trance. Prometheus influence further accentuates the eclectic nature of this project with a wide range of sounds, samples, effects and beats that create unique fusion of musical fantastia, from tribal chants, hard driving rhythms, electronic effects, trance mayhem and very British samples from the Isle of White festival to famous voices from the past reminiscent of Mr. Scruff, Lemon Jelly, and Coldcut nostalgic sampling or Royksopp with it s mix of melodies and slow dancey beats.
CD Reviews
Simon at his best
PsiScape Labs | Nowhere, TX | 06/23/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"You can definately tell that this album is "Shpongled". It is a great album all to itself though. This will probably be the best chilled psytrace album of the year (2003). This will definately hold me over until the 3rd Shpongle album is released at the start of next year. :)"
Meh??????????????????????
ekongkaar | 01/04/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this album is SICKY!!!! yes, sicky. i bought the more recent younger brother album, last days..., and while that album is great, this album... well, like another reviewer said, if you have ears... you need to let them listen to this. while i love shpongle, LOVE shpongle, this work is great in that it is a more continuous journey fit for dancing without stop, except for the occasional chuckle. simon posford... thank you again and again."
Meh.
Grunt Hog | Vancouver, Canada | 04/02/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I guess it's an above-average psytrance album, but it just didn't do it for me. I should point out that I came to this album hoping it would deliver music similar to Shpongle, and while there are some similarities this is more along the lines of formulaic dance music: aggressive, repetitive, and, well, rather dumber than Shpongle.
Bottom line: it's good for what it is (a dance album), but don't expect another "Are You Shpongled?" or "Tales of the Inexpressible.""
Shpongle/Hallucinogen for the masses
Radu Gruian | Seattle, WA, United States | 02/24/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The beginning of the album is absolutely brilliant; Simon's artistic and sound engineering skills shine through -- the first song would go perfectly on any Shpongle album. The next two (or so) songs are a little bit of a let-down. They almost sound like "Shpongle/Hallucinogen for the masses". They are easier to listen to than earlier Posford work. Not my style, but I can appreciate the effort. I am guessing that Benji Vaughan and possibly other people's influences are at work in these songs. I am not familiar with Vaughan's work, so I can't really say for sure.
Starting with track 5, the album picks up and changes direction towards Hallucinogen-style psytrance. Tracks 6-7-8 are hard, fast, and beautiful. They culminate with an uplifting 4-minute auditory feast: "It's like a finger that points to the moon... Don't look at the finger, or you will miss all the heavenly glory!..."
Starting with track 9, the album cools down, and finally ends with a 2:40 minute chill-out "Bedtime story".
Even though I'm giving it only 4 stars, I definitely recommend this album. Tracks 1 and 5-8 are its backbone and well worth the bucks."
Sick, Sick, Sick
cowphunk | Vail, CO | 10/07/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Posford and Co prove again why he is pushing the limits of trance music. Great incorporation of organic elements while keeping the trance alive. The album starts out real thick and shpongle-ly then picks up pace in the twisted records tradition.If you like drippy psy-trance, this album has it all."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1