Prog - an observation...

OK, a big call coming so brace yourselves..

I've listened through tunes in the past few days - hundreds of tunes from the past couple of years in my collection.

I can say that I don't think that a better 'prog' record has been made since Chab "My Memory" (Romanian Edit). This tune set the benchmark in so many ways - style, idea, production. It's flawless - I think in terms of going down in history as a truly great, forward-thinking and having longevity - tune, it hasn't been bettered since.

Ideas or opinions? Before you do tho, put some headphones on and turn the light off and listen to it from start to finish. (if you haven't heard it please leave this forum)

R

no replies - you must haved owned everyone knobbly

Tech house

You think? I can't see Terry Francis, Colin Dale or other people know as tech-house DJs etc playing that ever.

R

It's nice but I don't see why it's so amazing.....

it was one of the first proper prog records I ever bought when I was making the transition from prog-trance to prog.

To be honest I always used to play just the first half of the track with the nice strings.....when it got techy halfway through I just mixed out.

Yunus vs Subsky - Erotic Sumo

bought that around the same time....I'd probably rate that higher than My Memory.

Theres you answer right there Virg, u play trance
Its a stunner of a record

both tunes kick arse

No disrespect but did you listen to it from start to finish before you added your comment? Please do..

Also, having little history in dance music prior to it coming out sort of makes for an interesting query.. when you first heard it what did you think? If you'd heard it in a shop with no prompting would you have picked it as being great?

R

I'm interested to know Naish - you and Ro and the crew were in your finding-you-feet era (around the time you threw up in Rohann's car out at the farm ). Looking back at the quality of tunes you've listened to or bought - and not from a "it kicks arse" point of view only, but also from a holistic view. Stuff like th idea, the execution, the pacing of the tune, how everything fits together effortlessly, and how many others were influenced from that one tune.

Personally - I can't think of a more groundbreaking 'prog' tune since. Everything I've heard - running into the thousands probably - always seem forced, or over-baked, or inspired too much by someone else, or too obviously trying to be big-room or spacey or dark, or don't flow effortlessly throughout the whole tune etc.

R

I don't own the track, Rogueone had it so heard it a fair bit when we had the radio show together. Really want to hear it again if it's got you so moist, Rob, as I only remember thinking it wasn't that great. Good, but far from a great tune.

Meet this young local guy on the weekend who produces; sound scapes/music for movies through to grunty/funky prog and breaks madness. Would love for you to hear one of them in particular, but was sworn to not sharing it...currently Hernan Canteneo is one of the few with it apparently...fucking gorgeous...actually, all 3 of his tracks he gave me I'd rate above My Memory.

That's what I meant... find it and listen to it right through in the right setting and then let me know what you think.

(and check your PMs)

R

Well it's obvious why I liked it......it combines both the melodic fluffy nature of trance, but it's slowed right down to fit in a prog set........that's why I bought it.

I didn't think it was amazing, but I thought it was well worth the 20 or so dollars I spent on it.

I have listened to it right through and I've felt like I always need to be in just the right mood to enjoy the whole tune. The first half is just a lot easier to take in......

now now.....there's still decent trance tunes that come out, it's just that you have to wait about 6 - 8 weeks between them.

Personally Rob my finding my feet was around 1999,but for you it was around 1900 right :p, in regards to prog tracks my first two records i ever bought whenst starting to dj were Bent - Always, and Trisco - Musak. And as far as execution, lastability and ideas i hold those two tracks in the same regard as the Chab track

Bent 'Always' is a masterpiece.

R

word

Nice track, only heard it once in a club; that was in Centro 2004 I think?

why is it that prog and tech people have this thing if you play or like trance you have no idea, its wack.

my memory is quite trance synth orientated anyway.

Like most of Chab's stuff we thrashed the shit out of it when it first came out. Then as time goes by like most things you push stuff to the back of the crate( and yes i do have this one on wax) and play the new. I guess this is the same for many a gem that we have collected over the years. As far as the track being ground breaking the production qualities on the record are superb

I prefer my prog acidic.

Kurt lots of these do-gooder techno/minimal/"wish I was german" wannabees just cant get it that we can play pumping trance to crowds of 1000-3000 people at events like Chemistry, Slinky, Oxygen etc (far more than the 100 odd most of them will ever play to in their dingy pens), then we can change direction and play a super fucking sick progressive set.
They assume because we play trance that we will obvioulsy just play cheese and prog trance when we try to play something else. I dont understand it cause I listen more to Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson etc in my car and I manage to refrain from dropping industrial rock and metal into my sets.

I think its quaint. They are the new breed of "we're more underground than you" and they can't even swallow it.

You mean "psy"??




I'm pretty sure Naish was just stirring (although I'm sure Rob more than agrees with him )......In any case most of the stuff I play now is 50% techno, 40% prog and 9% trance and 1% - other.

I'm cooler than anyone here.

Nah Rob knows what Im mean. Acid as in Acid House not as in wasted hippies.

and anyway I just like passing comment. Half the time Im not even sure if I mean it which possibly makes me the coolest.

the one thing i love about travelling around the world and talking with different people is that the concept of what music or parts of music define a genre...

that chab track i'd personally lump into the tech house basket ahead of prog, especially because of how obscure the prog genre really is

personally, i feel chab has done better work than this particluar track, however, its personal taste and clearly "turning the lights of and putting headphones on" makes it personal emotional experience that seems to be making the tune be held in such high regard....

if you want to do it that way, then i'd prefer to look at tracks like W.O.W - The Fall (bedrock dub) and Tone Depths - Rumble Fish, especially if you have any way of getting the bass to kick you in the side...


anyhow, i'll try dig out a piece of vinyl next time i'm back in NZ, some chab track afaik that is probably the best track i've ever heard "with the lights off and headphones on and cranked loud..."

The Fall...

Rumble Fish

R

I reckon Dirty Souths remix of Chabs Closer To Me (a.k.a. the Serbian edit) tops it Rob

Yuo= pillock.

Dirty and South are two words we do not mention in this forum unless we are discussing 1: Members of the Shroud and 2: Getting dirty down south on teh bitches seen innit.


My Memory and Five are two of my fave tunes ever.

What about that shit remix that came out of Five and all the plebs finally heard it and started thrashing it.

Die plebs. Die.

hahahahahaha u can always count on Samsara for speaketh teh truth

sam

word

In fairness I had a listen to the remix before commenting. All I can say is that remix is so mediocre I can't think that you were being serious. Like everything I've heard of Dirty South's - I wonder why people like anything they do.

R

I love that tune. The original on the album was ace.

R

Opies should listen.

http://www.plong.com/page_pid_85_release_56012_lang_2.aspx

ya the original is def the best.

Chab: starts off well. beautiful. craps out completely at the end!

Which one? "My Memory"?

If so. Darn. I don't know what would impress you as a prog fan because that is a flawless tune IMO.

Also Virgo1, I had a listen to the Yunus & Subsky tune you mentioned above. I don't like it much and definitely wouldn't call it a classic or genius compared to tons of other tunes.

R

funkenclimb.

Ok so what like you are a funky guy who likes funky house, pink shirts and climbing things?

Take it to nzgirl.co.nz next time.

Opinions that do not match my own are not welcome here.

Period.

Subsky was pretty much one of two artists who's sound convinced me that prog was worth giving a chance. He bridged trance and prog beautifully - at a time when the word prog = dirt.

In terms of tracks that encouraged me to actually broaden my horizons beyond just trance, Erotic Sumo had a much bigger impact than My Memory, I suppose if you wanted to get technical about production techniques and arrangements between the tracks, I'm sure you could point out one as being "more groundbreaking" than the other.

tsk tsk ther you go again virg self defeating yourself by mentioning the word Trance in your argument nuff said.

what's the deal with this forum? seems like everyone has to have the same preferences or, well, apparently you don't have any taste. has anyone considered that the definitions of "classic" and "genius" might be totally different for different people? that people might look for different things in terms of progressive

probably my favorite track in terms of progressive would be bedrock - heaven sent (yunus guvenen remix) and bent - as you fall (micah remix). that to me is classic, and genius, though i suppose that makes me some kind of heathen outcast in this forum

yeah, but I've totally redeemed myself by playing minimal techno......me so cool.

In some ways yes, on other no. I definitely think the term classic can only be used for a tune which, on looking back at in ten years time, has stood the test of time.

Most tunes which people claim to be classic aren't really - usually because they're only a couple of years old. Cheeky people or those with (who think they have) foresight will claim them as 'future classics'.

In terms of house in general (covering prog also) you'd say Fingers Inc "Washing Machine" is a definite classic. Likewise for Allison Limerick "Where Love Lives" (the greatest modern house record made in many people's opinion).

But then what about DJ Sneak "Can't Hide From Your Bud" or Pete Heller "Big Love"? I say yes to both even though they're no in a cooee of the two I mentioned above.

Roll forwards to the last couple of years and I think the number of instant 'classic' candidates has gone down a lot as a ratio of tunes released. There really are very few records which meet the criteria - whatever is may be (unless you include every tune you really love, in which case every third tune is a classic :roll - that of being a record you can look back on in the distant future and say "that was important" - not just a great tune, but important. It's hard to see how it might fit now, but it will show in the future which tunes influenced others and spawned whole trends, niches, styles. But plenty of massive tunes are destined to not be classics because they're just too focussed in the now and date like a banana.

My opinion is that most prog is pretty un-classic. The Melbourne guys have been amongst the least groundbreaking of any area known for prog - but it didn't stop lots of people jacking off over their new Chable promo a couple of years ago. (I have yet to like anything he's done except 'Melburn'). The people who have done stuff which I think shows amazing direction, talent, soul and the hallmarks of being a classic are generally the quirkier artists in any genre. Chab is one of them to me - he might not seem it now because he's used the same synth for a whole bunch of tracks since 'My Memory' (hello Deadmau5?), but his initial effort was simply amazing.

Subsky are definitely talented but I don't really feel like they've got that x-factor in the classic stakes. I listen to older tunes of theirs which I loved and can't feel the love there anymore.

Anyway, in aid of putting it out there I'll name some other tunes which I think will be remembered as classics. Not sure what it is about them but they still sound amazing and fit so many situations..

Quicksound "Stop fooling around" (Rohann/Naish - you know it, don't deny it)
Ananda Project - Can You Find The Heart (Rui Da Silva rmx) (a weird one I know, but I keep hearing it in sets and it always seems to hook me)
Youngsters - Curtains (not their only classic IMO, but the absolute gem... Samsara even wanted "the tune with the running water in it" for yonks )

R

Actually fraggle.

Bent as you fall the micah mix is also one of my fave tunes.

SO you pass. JUST. Pass.

But well done.

Gold star.