Chakra is Rami Shapira, an Israeli psytrance producer who has been in the game for a long time. Even though he has released many tracks on numerous albums, this is only his second full length release, coming 13 years after Chakra & Edi Mis- The Promised Land. With Crossover, Rami gives us 10 tracks ranging from 130 to 145 bpm, with 5 of them being remixes. Although many are quick to demonize full-on, I feel that when done right, it can be a rewarding journey. The tracks here exhibit a wide range of emotions, from the dream-like quality of the opener Opacity to the Latin feel of Montezuma’s Revenge (I liked the soft acoustic guitar, but could’ve done without some of the samples). With most albums some of the tracks are stronger than others, and this album is no exception. However, along with the fat kicks and the rampaging bass lines, there is an intelligence that draws the listener in. The synth lines of Heaven’s Tears (T4) dance lithely across the tracks with soft pads and gently wailing sounds that bring a fuller experience. The breaks in the tracks are pretty large and detailed in scope, allowing me to drift pleasantly along. This is not your little brother’s full-on.
One thing I don’t care for is male signing in my psytrance. I just don’t like it. I feel it can ruin a perfectly good track and make it very UN-psychedelic. That is what you get with On the Ground (T5) and The Pretenders (T6), so I go right past those, although the melody and groove of the latter is quite nice with the music taking center stage rather than the vocals. Created for Control, a collaboration with Black & White, has an electro sense to it with a bouncing groove and a very spacious break. My favorite track would have to be the the remix to the classic Resurrection, with its no-nonsense approach and far reaching and spatial sounds. |
