3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent double disc compilation of German trance, September 1, 2003
This review is from: Harthouse: Axis of Vision (Audio CD)
I honestly don't think anyone really appreciated this label for its contributions to dance music. Co-founded by German DJ/producer/musician Sven Vath, Harthouse had an almost unrelenting commitment to releasing the best tracks by the best trance artists. And when I say hard trance, I MEAN HARD TRANCE. We're talking about 140-165 BPM raging stormers and distorted acid freakouts. Forget about the kickdrum/single note bassline pop trance that has become so popular now...the majority of the songs on this compilation will easily wipe the floor with any of those. You can almost feel your brain expanding with the sheer effort to keep up...twisted, complex arpeggiations, full and dramatic arrangements that build and build, and steel-clad drum tracks that plow into your eardrums like runaway locomotives....
Whew. OK. This CD is an abbreviated history of the salad days of Harthouse, ranging from Marco Zaffarano's hypnotic poundings on "Clapconfusion" to Resistance D's "goggles on, heads down" full-throttle "Airwalker", not to mention the FANTASTIC "Alice In Wonderland" by Cybordelics, a psychedelic centrifuge of escalating polyrhythms and percolating bass. The tracks on this compilation stand out not just for their intensity, but for their inventiveness. DJs who have been around for sometime in the dance scene should know just how valuable Harthouse records are. Oh, and one more thing. Even though this isn't immediately available, I wrote the review anyway in the hopes that some of you might be more inspired to look into Harthouse and other European trance labels with a similar track record (Superstition, Flying Rhino, X-Trax)....
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