One of the joys of dance music is the constant search and discovery of new mind bending tunes and of course gifted artists. Some may find it tiring or futile like on a constant search for The Holy Grail. I myself find it exhilarating! There are so many artists out there that are talented, follow their passion and strive to be heard in the vast spectrum of dance music!
One of these gifted artists that has been honing her craft for quite a spell comes to us from the faraway land of Israel. Sigal Cohen or "ATARA" as she has become known in the dance music cosmos, has played her fair share of events in her native land and as far abroad as Greece and Hungary. She has also supplied us with a fair share of unique and ecstatic tunes to arouse the senses. She most recently finished up her latest labor of love: her first artist album. A milestone for any producer out there! It is a rare treat to have early access to it and present you with a full scale review of "ATARA's" new album the amazing "Samsara"!
"Unity": African chants and cries form the beginning of the track while the rest of the elements fall harmonically into place. Strumming melodies come rushing in amidst frantic fills, loads of effects and explosions. Pounding basslines, ecstatic rhythms and speech samples reconfigured from the previous African cries are ever present here. Female one liners signify the start of an adrenaline fast paced rush as the main leads kick in spreading a vast amount of positive energy!
"Boing Mushroom": A futuristic female vocal introduction lays out before us amusing our curiosity while dreamy melodies are welcomed eagerly within giving us an inside look into another world. A plethora of psy-trance influenced effects are added with good measure among turbulent basslines, distorted playful vox and catchy one liners. Trippy beats emerge amidst curious vox and ecstatic leads. Dreamy soundscapes are introduced ever so lightly in the break before all mayhem is unleashed. Ferocious!
"Samsara": The album title track starts off with ethnic chants and distant wails descending from the far east while the basslines come rushing in like the ever flowing tide. Squelches, bubbling synths and dramatic effects are all here to add to the heightening of the tune. Tranquil melodies are perfectly timed out alongside the wails, building rather beautifully from the break, as the "Blade-like" leads take things to a whole other level!
"Dancing With Bobby": Epic vibes fill the air from the very seconds while anthem-like qualities unfold. Chopped vox and turbulent basslines follow as the main leads play a game of "hide and seek" throughout the track. "Tarzan-like" elevated jungle cries and mysterious vocal one liners add an essence of utter mischief to the track. Trippy vocals continue amongst jungle birds while the leads giddy as can be join in the dance! A full on adrenaline rush!
"Power (feat. Ezequiel)": Guitar riffs, harmonic pads and surprise rebellious preacher outbursts make up for the introduction of this one. Pumping psy-trance basslines follow among a plethora of mischievous vox and effects. Electric guitars mark their appearance dramatically alongside the drums while the atmosphere is completely transformed. All the elements come together in perfect harmony as the buildup can be contained no longer! Explosive, powerful, huge! "Infected Mushroom" fans will be all over this one!
"Fly High": Mystical vibes form like shadows in the mist. A sped up percussion, aural exhales and frenetic synths are utterly highlighted by far out female vocals and pumping basslines. Supercharged leads complete the aural puzzle we have before us paired up with semi-distorted arps. All this results in a playful buildup that toys with our innermost feelings until the energy contained is finally unleashed like a time bomb!
"Amazonas": This one builds slowly and majestically. We seem to be lost in a kind of long forgotten forest. The sounds of nature surrounding us instill a sense of tranquility, till the aggression contained within the drumbeats and pounding basslines chase the dreamy vibes far far away. Epic bittersweet melodies dipped in a distorted mystery make their appearance known by chasing away the sunlight. The break brings forth a small dosage of the lost tranquility paired up with cries of the long lost children of the forest. Bubbling synths and dark industrial leads carry a storm of chaos and raw energy to the tune that will without a doubt impress the trance warriors with its undeniable might!
"Mantra": The final track of the album is most fitting to serve as an epilogue to a truly remarkable aural voyage! Whooshes of cosmic air and spiritual female vocals uttered in the wind bring forth an essence long lost to us humans. The feeling of enlightenment rushes all over us like a cool wave of sound with the proper use of assorted chopped vox, playful rhythms and far out melodies alongside cosmic synths. A female chopped vox serenade complete with reverse effects, rhythms and a spiritual atmosphere totally seals the deal! Magnanimous!
A breathtaking voyage into the wondrous and illuminated world of psy-trance!
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