Synthatic – We Are Underground: A Deep Dive into Psy-Trance's Underground Soul
Iboga Records, the Danish institution that has anchored progressive psy-trance for over two decades, reasserts its relevance with this Synthatic-led compilation. We Are Underground is more than a release — it's a sonic manifesto that navigates the tension between dancefloor impact and introspective depth. Spread across five labels — Iboga Records, SYNK87, Digital Structures, TesseracTstudio, and Shamanic Tales — the ten-track selection builds a coherent arc despite its breadth of tempos and collaborators.
The title track, co-produced with Tijah and Groundbass at 142 BPM in F Major, sets the tone immediately: coiling basslines, breathing synth layers, and an eight-minute architecture engineered for festival peak hours. It's followed by Synthatic and Capital Monkey's remix of Ticon's cult classic Models on Cocaine — a 140 BPM update that honours the original's DNA while pushing it firmly into the present.
The tracklist earns its credibility through bold lateral moves. Perception and Groundbass's Control Me, Pt. 2 drops to 117 BPM in Eb Major, stretching across nearly nine minutes of hypnotic near-downtempo tension. Defragmented by Tijah and Basscannon clocks in at 69 BPM — a half-time or closing chilldown piece — while Perception's High On Park hits back at 144 BPM in G Minor, one of the set's sharpest, most incisive moments.
- We Are Underground – Tijah, Groundbass, Synthatic: monumental opener, built for the main stage.
- Models on Cocaine (Remix) – Ticon: a faithful yet forward-thinking remix of an Iboga staple.
- Prata Da Casa (Sphera Remix) – Perfect Stranger: Sphera reimagines the original at 129 BPM in D Minor with rare elegance.
- Asana – Ritmo & Pettra: a nine-minute ascent on Shamanic Tales, closing the journey on a transcendent note.
With contributions from Liquid Soul, Captain Hook, Interactive Noise, Klipsun, and Ritmo, We Are Underground reads as a collective document of global psy-trance in 2024. Essential listening for anyone who demands both technical depth and emotional resonance from their electronic music.
