EarPIPE

Soma Compilation 2008 | Album Review

Saturday, December 6th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments

Soma helps us to reminisce about the past year with their annual Soma Compilation. It’s a pretty simple concept; Soma put the highlights of the past year on a small disc of plastic. If only life was as simple.

Unfortunately the compilation isn’t mixed. It would have been interesting to hear the full coloured spectrum of Soma mixed together in a multicoloured epic journey. Instead they’ve plumbed for the unmixed variety which in a way is useful for all the DJs out there catching up on tunes in one big go.

So what’s the track selection like? It’s a bit hit and miss, although it is more hit than miss. Prime examples being Adam Beyer’s mix of Slam’s Staccato Rave is a stuttered orgy of whirring noises; enough to kick start any CD, whilst Orlando Voorn’s remix is a beautiful unravelling track of blossoming electronic layers. On the other hand Robert Hood revives the Black Dog track Train by the Autobahn Pt2 by violently shaking it so all the reverberating synth stabs echo out at the pace and rhythm of a train. And new boys Xpansul and Massi DL have a jittery new school techno workout with their track Nerd Soul. So some great hits there.

Then there are the nearly hits. Mark Broom’s version of Lets Go Outside Girls Don’t Like Me isn’t a bad reinterpretation its just a bit too conservative whilst I think the Mr Copy remix would have been more interesting on this compilation. Also nearly a hit is Onionz remix of Funk D’Void’s Ginebra. Whilst raw and heavy with its spacious percussion and growling bassline its still doesn’t hit home for me.

Which brings us onto the not so great. There’s only really two tracks I’m not particularly feeling. First is Vector Lover’s Raumklang. Its spacey synths and excessive layers is just too flowery in its approach. This maybe a personal thing though as I’ve never been the biggest Vector Lovers fan. Second is the noisy Minerva by My Copy. Basically its too noisy with its wobbly alarm come buzz. Noisy is not necessarily a bad thing, its just this is clichéd noisy techno.

Apart from those two gripes this is not a bad package. It’s a great way to catch up on Soma tunes and pick up a good package if you don’t have many of the tracks on there.

Buy Soma Compilation 2008 on CD, MP3

Tracklist (Click for MP3 Release):
01. Slam – Staccato Rave (Adam Beyer Remix)
02. Octogen – The Journeyman (Orlando Voorn Remix)
03. Beroshima – Horizon (Funk D’Void’s Hope Remix)
04. Funk D’Void & Sian – Ginebra (Onionz Corrosion Remix)
05. The Black Dog- Train By The Autobhan Pt2 (DJ Remix By Robert Hood)
06. Vector Lovers – Raumklang
07. Let’s Go Outside – Girls Don’t Like Me (Mark Broom Remix)
08. Xpansul + Massi DL – Nerd Soul
09. Mr Copy – Minerva
10. Decimal – Eleanor
11. Harvey McKay – 69
12. Silicone Soul – The Pact (Bassline Dub)

Tags: Adam Beyer, Beroshima, Decimal, Funk D'Void, Harvey McKay, Let's Go Outside, Mark Broom, Massi DL, Mr Copy, Octogen, Orlando Voorn, Silicone Soul, Slam, Soma, The Black Dog, Vector Lovers, Xpansul