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 Posted on Tue Oct 2, 2007 01:21 PM.
This event will be a double first for Calgary from two world-class artists: a live set by the master of tech-psy and the head of Zenon records from the land down under and a live 5.1 surround sound set by one of Canada's premier producers. SENSIENT  SENSIENT (Zenon Records - Australia - LIVE SET!) Sensient is Tim Larner, the label head for Zenon Records in Australia. Zenons’ mission is to expose the psytrance world to a range of fresh and interesting music, and to expose new acts that write music outside the sphere of mainstream psytrance labels. The Zenon sound ranges from dark minimal, to deep tech-trance, to funky minimal, to smooth morning progressive, but always with a psychedelic bent and an increasing emphasis on pure musicality. It steers clear of the generic cheese trance so prevalent in today’s psytrance scene, instead offering deep, intelligent music whilst maintaining the dance floor factor. Sensient's music follows along these lines. He tries to absorb the influence of many other musical styles (breaks, glitch, jazz fusion etc.) and incorporate them into his productions. With 3 solo albums plus heaps of tracks on different compilations and an active touring schedule that includes Voov, Boom, Fusion and Mexico with Son Kite, this is one act you don't want to miss. www.zenonrecords.com http://www.myspace.com/zenonrecords NYSTAGMUS  NYSTAGMUS - (Area 709 - Vancouver, Canada - LIVE 5.1 SURROUND SOUND SET!!) - The sound of Nystagmus is rooted in trance but in saying this takes away from the range of textures that he weaves into his music. Currently putting the finishing touches on a new full length album produced in 5.1 surround sound due out as the first release on Area 709 Records we are excited to be bringing this next level of audio technology to the dance floor. Nystagmus has many albums and tracks released on labels such as Boom, Aleph Zero, Sundance and Entheogenetic records. We are proud to bring you this newest member to the Area 709 roster. http://www.myspace.com/nystagmustheimmaculateperception Supporting Area709 Artists: Sons of Aurora (Calgary, Area709, Psydub and Psyprog) After testing their duo laptop performance skills at this summers Motion Notion, Shambhala, Burning Man and Symbiosis festivals, Darvin and Norris are aiming to converge 8 stereo channels of music out onto the dance floor. Taking advantage of technology and blurring the lines between the realms of the DJ and the live act, this will be the first show in which the Sons of Aurora will be embracing the potential of a 2 x 8 performance. Wes Straub vs Rusty Ezard (Calgary, Area709, Deep Trance)
Every time these two veterans have taken the decks together the sum result has been the fuel for some serious dance floor grooving. It is obvious to those who are present that their friendship and love of killer tunes translates directly into powerful performances without fail. Visual Artists: Shaun Friesen
In 2003 Shaun Friesen received his BFA with distinction from the Alberta College of Art and Design in the Media Arts and Digital Technologies program, and has been honing his skills as a digital ninja ever since. Launching Free Zen Design in 2005, he combines art and design to support conscious business development, artists and arts organizations, musicians and educators. Interested in living bio-mimetic designs, Shaun’s technology infused drawing practice investigates the organic and geometric. His current focus on animation and installation based work explores intention and audience interaction. For an closer look at Shaun's previous work check out his website at www.FreeZen.ca Jayson McNabb"My work is very conceptually graphic yet self organizing and alive. Much of my content is created by the machines themselves and then transposed over organic film". View Jayso's work at http://appliedchaosmology.googlepages.com/home Details: - Location: Crescent Heights Community Center - 9PM to 6AM - 18+ | ID Required - Attend at your own Risk Tickets: First 50 - $25 Advance | $30 for the next 100 | More at the Door Available at: Giant 45 and from Area709 TicketsAll religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom. - Albert Einstein
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Posted on Mon Nov 5, 2007 10:43 PM.
A collection of album reviews and comments of Sensients music found at various message forums
around the world.
*****
Album review of Sensients latest album, from Psyreviews.com
Sensient’s third album sees him reach a musical maturity that I’d not anticipated. His scratchy, low-set sound has got bigger for this album – by a factor of ten.
Opening track Dusty Circuit serves as a transition point between Pressure Optimal and this; once the opening strains of A New World come out of your speakers, you know that change is afoot. The sound is nothing short of mesmerizing: that pulsing-minima is still there, but the sounds across the top are a newly-intricate patchwork of shifting, sliding themes and voices. And this is what it’s essentially all about: atmosphere.
Simple Sex is desolate, Nectar has a pounding warmth. Motion Perception has a freakish quality, sounding like you’re trying to constantly catch up with what’s going on, and as such is strangely psychedelic in a first-person subjective way, rather than a third-person objective way that one usually expects.
Wookie Beats and Madmans Playground see a hint of a new direction; while Sensient’s music has always been funky, here the groove comes to the fore and almost happens independently of the – again, crazy – sounds that warpshift around you.
Finally Sona Arome is one of my favourite bits of music around at the moment; decidedly chilled and with a smooth, ebbing groove, it’s as close as we may ever hear to downtempo from this artist.
What Sensient’s done here is masterful, but you get to appreciate its significance when you place it in the context of his previous work.
He’s reinvented minimal; after a year when everyone banged on about Trentemoeller, it’s f*ing brilliant to hear an album that takes the bare bones of minimal, removes the sparseness, and somehow whips it up into a significantly psychedelic end product that’s as unmissable as you’re ever likely to get. Important.
10 out of 10.
******
Sensient is Matt Larner, one of Australia's finest psy producers and this is his debut album on the now late Tatsu Records. By now you should be already aware to Sensient's unique style that blends obscure sound scapes with intricate melodies. The progression of the tracks is very slow and it doesn't follow the oh so abused break/climax/break structure. Also, take into your consideration that this is not an album that will be absorbed within a couple of listens. Much like his predecessors in the Minimal Trance genre, Double Dragon and even Atmos, Sensient takes you on a journey but a one that requires a commitment from a listener. Take your time and dive in.
9.5/10
A milestone
*******
A post about Sensient found on Isratrance forums
I would like to take a moment of your time to tell you about an artist that will change the definition of trance. There are not a lot of people in the world that get to experience what we feel when listening to this music. Most of you, if not all, know what I am talking about. At times, though, it seems that the music has lost its magic, and we wonder what happened to the days where each track sounded like the seventh heaven. At other times, we find the magic is still there - alive and kicking. But not often do we get to experience the wonder of a new sound.
Throughout history, great musicians have laid down guidelines for an improved set of principals. The wisdom and thought of these people have undoubtedly inspired others to achieve new levels of comprehension in regard to their own personal distinctiveness. Uniqueness, however, can only be reached when one strives for uncharted patterns of thinking along with creativity, innovation and high standards.
Simon Posford is just one of the names in a very selective group of artists who actually created their unique sound. Tim Larner – Sensient - is among that selective group as well. Only 23 years old, Tim has created a new sound that will undoubtedly change the way artists will create music, and the way we will listen to it. He is the new breed of this genre, creating a distinctive style that combines all the elements of trance; the power and kick of full-on mayhem, the groove and soul of progressive, and the soft and gentle sounds of minimal music. All this, fused with his original and unusual mind bending psychedelic sounds, create what some might regard as bliss. His ability to deviate from mainstream dogma will create unconventional visions and possibilities for an enhanced way of thinking. Moreover, Sensient has unveiled a new path that will in turn be imitated but never duplicated.
*****
Artist: Sensient
Album: Pressure Optimal
Label: Zenon Records
Year: 2005
Format: CD
Country: Australia
Songs:
1. Tropicana (139 BPM's)
2. Rhythmic Transposition (134 BPM's)
3. I.D.E (135 BPM's)
4. Guns n Ammo (135 BPM's)
5. Lather (138 BPM's)
6. Flashback (136 BPM's)
7. Where are We? (136 BPM's)
8. Multiplier (133 BPM's)
9. Immersion (128 BPM's)
Bio-Blurb:
Tim Larner has been featured during the years in Tatsu Records, Zillion Mental Anarchie, Groove Zone, Flow records, the list goes on. Not too long ago, the Larner brothers started Zenon Records in Australia, to promote the wealth of promising acts coming out of the island. Showcasing an interesting side of ‘gutsy' progressive without loosing an inch of the musical aspects of the production. The output is radically different from anything in the shelves these days under the label ‘psychedelic' or ‘progressive', nevertheless staying true to the grassroots of the Sensient vibe.
Why we like it:
Because the sound has evolved to the point where it could be considered a Swiss army knife for the dance floor, there are many features to the songs, you just don't know when you might need it. The general flow is masterfully sequenced and you can tell time has gone to the production. Who else do you turn to when the sound needs to remain somewhat aggressive, but musical without even thinking about drifting to the 140 BPM's?
Why you might like it:
The album is a complex collection of different rhythms and sounds intertwined in between every song breathing new life to the dance floors. Most of the beat work stays within the same boundaries Tim has displayed in the past, but some others are just straight out of an 80's techno-beat box. It would be kind of silly to even try, pointing out every influence this album has crafted, but let's give it a try: There is some progressive, there is a clear techno phase, we have jazzy moment's a-la Thelonious Monk, oh yeah… it is still really groovy, edgy psy trance somehow. Sensient has mastered the ‘rhythmic transposition' effortlessly leap-froging beats in perfect harmony with a winning formula.
My Highlights:
* Rhythmic Transposition
How does a side-chain sounding kick mix on top jazzy samples for a break? 'you can't know the reality of what happened', but you can hear it yourself. The track like most of his work starts cold and hard and it slowly evolves to a complex rhythmic formula with myriad sub-levels of sonic detail like only a good craftsman would muster.
* Lather
There is 40 second tease at the beginning with some corny samples and quasi-scary sounds, we can only presume are a joke. Well the laugh ends as soon as heavy kick gets things rolling a la-Magnetrixx, but slightly edgier. Somewhere in the middle, there is enough skill to implant soothing, jazzy piano bits reminding me of the cocktail-hour at the bar. Don't read this the wrong way, it works beautifully and Larner knows exactly how long to make it last before it turns jaded.
* Immersion
Full immersion to the Sensient sound with great drum thumping on lower frequencies as the song maintains a progressive feel. Intertwined sampling between a lion growling, a “know what I mean” female voice, and what seems like a baby burping/growling, keeps the listeners occupied with an ear-full of candy.
*****
I just listened to whole album last night...what a trip it was. I'm a huge fun of Sensient music since my first encounter his music Crystal rain on Tribeadelic Solid comp. Actually, my expectation for his second album was very high but he did it fully..actually beyond my expectation.
I'm speechless...this is amazing music. Long build up as always but never gets me bored, spooky and jazzy feeling, trippy sounds, stylish progression, genius! what else can I say? Tim, now I fully understand what you mean by "PSYGRESSIVE", man. Highly psychedelic and very advanced or progressive. Production skill is out of this world. You definitely know what you are doing. Best album of this year, no doubt. Nothing can get close to, imho. I want to leave a full review here, but I don't want to devalue this awesome music with my poor vocabulary.
There is one surprising bad-ass breaks track Multiplier! OMG, kicking breaks! I would love to hear more breaks from Tim Sensient.
All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom. - Albert Einstein
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Posted on Mon Nov 5, 2007 10:44 PM.
Being one of the genres biggest online music forums Isratrance is a regular hang out for the most prominent dj's, music producers and promoters in the world of psychedelic music. Sensients last album created one of the longest threads in the album reviews section in the last couple of years. there were 7 pages of discussion and comments surrounding this release. Compared to most albums barely making it to a second or third page of discussions. Nicknamed the "Master" sensients music commands huge respect from both full on and progressive communities all over the world. Here is another review listed on the Isratrance forum.
Tim Larner AKA Sensient is back with his third, aptly named album, AntiFluoro. After releasing some of the finest minimal gems on compilations and 2 exellent albums he presents us his fresh material on this album.
First let me mention that i had a huge expectations from this album, Sensient for me is one of the very few artists in this scene that still stay true to their own roots, still make complicated, not easily digestible and dare i say very psychedelic music with very precise and well thought structures.
So shortly after I received the package i brutally ripped it off and inserted the album into the CD player.
First, let me mention the wicked cover and especially the inner art. Two thumbs + another thing up for this one! One of the best designs of this year, no doubt. And now for the music itself:
Dusty Circuit starts off with a very dark and indeed dusty soundscapes. Slowly but surely it clears out and gets a bit groovier but still remains pretty dusky. Nice tune but i am not sure how good it is as the album opening.
A New World is a bit like fast forwarding a cartoon. It has a lot of insanely fast shifting elements and it can easily f*** you up when you're under the influence digging a hole in the dance floor. Words can't describe the mess that this tune creates in my head, so I'll just advice to hear it with the volume fader up till it's red. This track is a mindf***kery of the highest grade.
Simple Sex kicks off with some mechanical noises and a warm atmosphere with the trademark Sensient's "Heavier than your average Sumo wrestler" rhythm section. This tune develops rapidly with various spooky growling noises and pads. I swear i can hear church bells at some part. Pope on acid in Helloween outdoor party. Not much sex here aside the kinky samples in the middle, unless the church samples turn you on like they turn me on.
Nectar starts with a sample that was used too many times before but it gets swallowed pretty fast with another deeper than Jenna Jameson throat bassline. The porn samples that escaped from the previous tune found themselves here harmoniously fitting the tablas behind. Yet another seriously fucked up tune here. I blame the hole in the Ozone for this one.
Motion Perception begins with some more dark pads and seriously bent cartoon samples. It has a more coherent progressive structure although it has it's share of Sensient's trademark oddity. I think that this one has a big dance floor potential. Both full-on and progressive dj's should find this one fitting in party's peak. A bit like Beat Bizarre but with that extra Sensient touch.
Wookie Beats with Moses (a half of Bufo that just released a wicked album on Cosmic Conspiracy Records) takes the insanity one step further. Starts rather standard but starts to gain energy with all sorts of weird circus, kids and home appliances samples. I am sure those lads had great laugh creating this tune cause it just oozes silliness and fun. Don't get me wrong though, it is another dance floor burner on a bit more experimental side though. Great to see there are artists out there that still maintain a high fun factor in their music and don't resort to pseudo serious spirituality in their music or god forbid, political messages.
When you think you can't get any sillier Madman's Playroom starts with really well placed Pools balls sounds. You can hear well in this tune that Tim has a drummer's soul deep within. The tune is very much percussion driven. It is very unfortunate that there aren't many drummers in nowadays Psy trance, the percussions when used properly can turn a tune upside down and this tune is a prime example. This and the funky bass guitar slaps. The crazy funky break in the middle is delightful, one could wish that more people had the balls to go with something as wild as a black female singer in the middle of a psy trance tune.
Sensient does it and gets away with it.
Sona Arome, the closer reminds me a lot Immersion from the previous album. It has the same epic qualities and is much less hectic as the rest of the album. Very deep and laid back tune with some surprising saxophone parts inside. Not much to say further, it's a cool tune and a fine wrapper for a fine album.
Bottom line:
Well, yet another fine Sensient album that firmly puts him in my personal Hall of Fame of Psy Trance. Not a single weak track here, although the first track wasn't that much of a good choice but that's really small money. The album should create a serious havoc in the dance floor and a little bit less suitable for home listening unless you have a serious sound system to really absorb the superb sound production here that once again is top notch (not that i expected any less). Recommended for both Full-On and Progressive followers, but i have a feeling that Suomi fans might like the sonic anarchy here as well.
10/10
All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom. - Albert Einstein
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Posted on Mon Nov 5, 2007 10:44 PM.
All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom. - Albert Einstein
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Posted on Tue Nov 6, 2007 03:53 PM.
Translated to English, the Sanskrit word Yoga means Union, or Union with the Divine.
Digital Union is a sequential series of digitally woven acrylic and ink images, each uniquely contextualized by prose. These abstract and fractal images tap into the viewer’s unconscious, while the added text propels them further into a state of contemplation. The digital weaving process involves scanning hand drawn and hand painted work which is then modified in computer applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator; the new manipulated images are printed off, and again worked on by hand. This process repeats again and again until the image is neither purely a hand drawn piece, nor merely a digital image.
As this visual refining happens, the finite details become the source of the next image – creating an infinite pattern of paint and ink. This creative pattern is mimicked in nature by the Fractal: a geometric shape that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is a reduced-size copy of the whole. This relationship becomes more apparent to the viewer when the digital layers are transferred from Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator into Adobe After Effects and Flash where they are brought to life through animation.
Printed images, projections and multiple animation sequences of Digital Union will be on display at Area709's Ecliptic, Saturday Nov 17 2007.
deep peace, Shaun 
www.FreeZen.ca |
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Posted on Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:44 PM.
HUGE respect for bringing sensient. he is easily one of the most talented trance artists in the global scene and gets the most play on my stereo by far. area 709 has (in my opinion) been the most reliable and capable contributer to trance culture in calgary as long as i've been interested in this scene. this collective is doing it right- keep on again, much respect |
