Various Artists: The Gathering
(Kog Transmissions)
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The Trance scene in New Zealand has been largely invisible to the public and totally ignored by the media - the desired state for any genuine underground movement [Actually, The Gathering is waaaaaay more than just Trance - try Trance/Techno, Dub/HipHop/Drum&Bass/Roots, Happy/Hardcore/Industrial/Hardbag, House/Funk/Garage, Ambient/Lounge, Tribal, Jazz/Classical/World - and as for being 'totally ignored' - perhaps Gary should take a look at our media archives... WebEd]
Over the past five years there have been swelling numbers attending outdoor trance parties, often covert operations on remote farms or beaches with details made available at the last moment. [Possibly Gary needs to take the time to look around him, where he'd see mass advance publicity for the vast majority of dance parties (outdoor and indoor) these days... you can't put on a $500,000 party like The Gathering without telling people about it... WebEd]
The Gathering, which takes place every New Year in Takaka, Nelson, has outshone its humble origins [Eh? What humble origins would those be, then? WebEd] to become the premiere New Zealand electronic event, and The Gathering CD compiles studio tracks by 14 Kiwi acts who have played there.
It starts well enough with three gorgeous, aquiline, well-sequenced productions from Auckland's Kog studios (Pitch Black, Micronism and epsilon blue) and diversifies pleasingly with Christchurch rock-dubsters Salmonella Dub, the sophisticated post-drum & bass of Trigger X and The Nomad. But at the halfway point it all goes horribly wrong. The Gathering's awful origins are suddenly hung out to dry, without the benefit of a good wash to get rid of the stink. [Now we're really confused - what on earth are our 'awful origins'? Are they the same as our 'humble origins'? WebEd]
Generic trance must sound great on drugs, [ah - the inevitable out-of-context drugs reference... WebEd] but mindless repetition and lack of individuality hardly appeal in any other condition.
[Hmmm - you know what? We get the strangest feeling that Gary doesn't like the CD. This review is sooo bad it cracked us all up. Chortle, snort, snorfle... WebEd]