Diversity In The Isles ( UK Chill Compliation ) - Review

Back in the early days of psychedelic chillout/ambient trance music the UK was one of the leading counties producing such music. From The Orb, The KLF, Loop Guru and Banco De Gaia through to the genesis of Twisted Records ( Shpongle ) and Liquid Sound Design ( Kuba, Youth Abakus etc ), UK producers were shaping the future of what was to become psybient music. Two decades hence and the the psychedelic downtempo scene has become a global movement with strong representation from America, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Australia and more. 

If you ever find yourself pining for those days of old, wondering what the UK scene is like in 2016 then you might do well to check out this new compilation release "Diversity In The Isles" from Ian Taylor of Liquid Lounge fame. Aiming to highlight the diversity of music on offer from the current crop of established and up and coming UK based producers, Ian has hit on a wining formula that is sure to delight long time fans of the genre and new listeners alike.

It kicks of with a engaging dubby chillout tune from Pete Ardron ( aka Orchid Star ) in that classic Liquid Sound Design style - kind of Abakus vs Kuba in a way. A very soothing opening  to the compilation. Pete has been around the scene for what seems to be forever and he has no intention of slowing down with a new solo album due for release this July. Check out his website for more info on this multi talented wizard. 8/10

Vocal Quintessence - PsyAmb 88

In all the years this blog has been active I've tended to focus on non vocal psychedelic downtempo music. That doesn't mean I don't like that sort of thing. I guess that style of music just didn't often fit in with the mixes I was creating. So those tracks typically got sorted into a folder in the backwaters of my brain for later use. Well, that time has come ! Here is a mix of beautifully expressed ambient vocal trance, glitchhop and bass music.

We kick of with a track from Hinkstep who had a great 2015 where he topped a number of Reddit's best of Psybient 2015 polls. Check out the full poll list here. It was great to see Entheogenic's "A Singularity Encoded" rank so high - certainly my favorite psybient album of 2015.

This is followed up by a soulful, glitchy, lullaby from desert Dwellers with vocals from Ixhel Prisma. 

AtYyA has gone from strength to strength since his debut with his mix of melancholic, glitchy bass proving popular worldwide. Here he remixes Ayla Nereo's "Let In In" from her album 2014's "Hollow Bone" album. 

After some glitchy bass from Kalya Scintilla/David Starfire we get into the soaring vocals of tribal goddess Deya Dova and her track "Footsteps In The Stars", remixed by Temple Step Project. Deya Dova has a large back catalog of music and has been remixed by quite a few artists over the years. For more info visit the Deya Dova homepage.

Next up is an awesome track by Whitebear and Australian musician Tara Walsh. When I first heard this I was blown away by Tara's voice and thought she must be some famous singer. So I was very surprised to find out that wasn't the case. She only has a handful of followers on Soundcloud. I'm sure with the right break she could be huge. Anyway, this is a phenomenal remix by Whitebear so check out his stuff for more bass goodies.

Continuing the mix of gnarling bass and contemporary vocals is Mindex's remix of "Dusted Compass" by The Human Experience which features the vocals of Lila Rose. You can hear the original version of this here. If you do hear the original you'll be able to appreciate just what a wonderful job Mindex has done with the remix.  There is also a remix done by Phutureprimitive. Personally I prefer the Mindex version. The Phutureprimitive one is good but approaches Skrillex territory at times. 

We then have a couple of classy number from The Glitch Mob and Alice Spacedoll before a track from Benji Vaughan's latest solo album "Even Tundra". Released back in 2013 it marked Benji's last output before going into a self-imposed musical hibernation. Will we ever see new art from this master musician ? Let's hope so. Sometime people just need a break. Speaking of which, I just discovered Pitch Black will release a new album this year after a 6 year hiatus ! Awesome !

After Benji the mix then takes a quiet and reflective turn with a lush, escapist sonic massage from Subaqueous and a couple of delicate delights from Yaima before smoothing things off with a quiet reprieve from Erothyme. 

I quite enjoyed putting this one together. Let me know what you guys think in the comments below or on the Mixcloud page. I have plenty of other tracks in this downtempo vocal style so, if there is enough interest, I'd be more than happy to mix another one.

Cheers ...

 

Track / Artist  

• 01. The Hypnotic Aldrig Mer Dub  -  Hinkstep
• 02. Dive into the Core (with Ixchel Prisma)  -  Desert Dwellers
• 03. Let It In (AtYyA remix)  -  Ayla Nereo
• 04. Electrify Me (Kalya Scintilla remix)  -  David Starfire
• 05. Footsteps In The Stars (Temple Step Project & Dakini remix)  -  Deya Dova
• 06. White Flag (Whitebear remix)  -  Tara Walsh
• 07. Dusted Compass (Mindex remix)  -  The Human Experience
• 08. Between Two Points (with Swan)  -  The Glitch Mob
• 09. Divine Distance (with Louisa McCuskey)  -  Alice Spacedoll
• 10. Pyramid  -  Benji Vaughan
• 11. Stillness Dawns (with Desi)  -  Subaqueous
• 12. Reflection  -  Yaima
• 13. Sweet Kiss  - Yaima
• 14. Thousand Hands of God (with Entheo)  -  Erothyme

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