Regen Records, a branch of environmental festival organization R.E.G.E.N., is out with their 3rd release Treecreation, a collection of downtempo tracks to sooth the soul & heal the Earth. Treecreation is extremely environmentally friendly as the CD has been produced completely carbon neutral and all the packaging is from recycled material. Also R.E.G.E.N. will plant one tree for every CD sold at their next event. Now all of this is great but I have found in the past that these environmentally friendly PLUR CDs designed to save our planet often end up with a collection of boring run of the mill tracks. The same cannot be said for this release. The first 8 tracks are nothing short of brilliant tracks, most are quite ethnic sounding with lush psychill melodies, fat basslines and cool chilled beats without going too overboard. I’m not so thrilled with the final two tracks, not because they are bad per say, but after the high standard set by the preceding 8 they are kind of a let down.
Track 9, Bumble – Courtship could be great but they overuse the nature documentary samples. What sounds like David Attenborough is really nice at first but goes on too long with the sound bites getting longer and more disjointed from the music, as shame as the rest of the track is very nice. The final track has a very nice message. A storyteller tells the story of a hummingbird trying his best to help put out a forest fire and how we should help the world not just talk about it. After you have listened to it a few times though it does feel kind of preachy and although it sums up the whole message of this project, I could do without it.
The rest of the tracks though just have this beautiful natural feeling to them, warm melodies mix with soft beats that carry you away over lovely sunny landscapes. While listening to this CD I visualize myself flying over the oceans, through the rainforest and passed archipelagos all on beautifully warm spring days with a bright blue sky reflecting in the seas, rivers and lakes below me. I have to give a special mention to Bent Intent’s Deca- for its amazing spine tingling melody that seems to make my skin dance; To Spoonbill’s J-Spray for managing a glitchy track that still sounds very natural; To Indijika’s Hunahau for the ethnic chants, flutes and tribal beats that sound mystical but not cheesy; And to Thermohaline’s Tumbleweed Dub for the clear crisp and delicious beats and huge bassline. |
