Feb 11, 2002 - Text: Sequential-X

System 7 are a very strange band. Firstly you cannot categorize them, like Eat Static they are a scene of their own. Many trance DJs have hammered their tracks but that is what Techno DJs do too. Personally I love them, because their tracks set fire in the sky every time played. They have this gift of making ultra dancefloor friendly tracks. Their journey in time is a very rich one too. Who doesn't remember the famous "Ring of Fire", by me one of the best techno / trance tunes ever produced. Especially that Volcaniq mix was astonishing.

Next is "7 o'clock", a more laid back track with slower house-like beats driving the track. Nice warm melodies, a perfect summer open-air party feeling and that hypnotic touch of System 7. Not to mention the great break down and the fantastic melodies of the last three minutes of the track. A winner all the way.

Famous collaborator Alex Patterson (The Orb) merges his knowledge with the duo and the result is a chilled out track of infinitive Orbiness. Nice warm textures, lazy programming and dub basses. The usual ingredients for the perfect party at the beach with your friends.

Their introduction to the psychedelic crowd started with Matsuri's decision to change music policy and release more diverse material. "Om Rock" was the track, under the Groovy Intent name. The track was plain pure System 7 material, groovy all the way and a dancefloor killer. Unfortunately Matsuri had to close and no other record company wanted or could risk to release System 7 material. Personally, for the next two years I thought that System 7 had bitten the dust and that Steve Hillage and Miguette Giraudy were doing solo projects.

"...Who doesn't remember the famous "Ring of Fire"..."

When you read the title of a track named "Sal Del Mar", the first things that come to your mind are sunsets, the famous "Cafe Del Mar" and thousands of English people cashing out, helping on the economy of Spain. Never been to Ibiza though so lets forget the irrelevant intro. "Sal Del Mar" sounds more like a house track to me. No problem with this though. Good proper done house is good music by me. So is this (again) summerish track. This CD sounds more and more like summer and considering the fact that in Greece the summer is only… four months away, I am in a great mood. Piano chords, buddy bassline, laid back beats and filtered melodies are the order of the day in this track. Enjoy!

Somewhere in the year 2001 a friend of mine told that System 7 are certainly not a dead project and that they had set up a record label, A-wave Records. Loaded with my nice money I head all the way to Athens records shops to locate the label and get myself some 12"… "Yes what was the label again ?"… "Alphawave Records"… "Sorry man we do not have such a thing"… if you are regular vinyl buyer you should be used to these words by now.

Fortunately one nice day accidentally I bumped to A-wave Records web site and saw their back catalogue. System 7 had produced and released an album for 2001 called "Seventh Wave" and an ego was hurt badly. Armed with my love for the band I approached them and they offered to send me some material. This material "Seventh Wave" I am about to review now after my rather long I must admit introduction.

"...nice percussion loops, trademark 4/4 System 7 beats, and trippy all the way. System 7 in their trancier suits...."

Follower "Varkala" I wished was not a System 7. Anyway their tranciest effort to date, armed with the most used bassline in the trance scene right now, pulsates and mutates through acidic effects and start / stop arrangement. Not bad but it doesn't feel nice to hear System 7 do this kind of music. Anyway many people will find this very interesting.

"The Abyss" resembles nothing from the great movie of the 80s but it is sure an ambient trip into blistering lines and filtered breaks. Again chilled feeling, warm textures and… birds singing through various effects units. A good chilled moment.

The epilogue of this album is "Chiringuito". Strange name but wonderful track. Some pretty much time has passed since I heard a house track that reached my heart and soul. Personally I believe that this is the best track of the album. A very good groove arrangement and a nice happy bassline are the basis where the happy piano chords and warm textures are layered over. A great track, personally I will "melt" this track in the forthcoming summer.

Opener "Manik Shamanik" has done some pretty good damage in the dancefloors of England, Tsuyoshi has been hammering this down too so it must be a good track I wondered ? "Manik Shamanik" is not just a good track but a damn good track. Following the well-known System 7 recipe for creating dancefloor bombs, the track is groovy, huge in length and hypnotic all the way. It kicks of with some warm pads and nice filtered house lines but soon it gets a monster track that drives you straight to the dancefloor.

"High Plains Drifter" follows next and finds the duo in great shape again. In true System 7 style this track goes… and goes… and goes till you get merged in it and loose the plot completely! Nice percussion loops, trademark 4/4 System 7 beats, and trippy all the way. System 7 in their trancier suits.

Overall this album has left me with the greatest impressions. I will give you one tip though, System 7 do party music mostly, so you must listen their material through a nice loud (not necessary clean) soundsystem in order to fully appreciate their tracks. If you do that I am sure, even if you didn't like System 7 since now, your opinion will change.

Tracklisting:

01. Manik Shamanik
02. High Plains Drifter
03. 7 o'clock
04. Soft Rain
05. Sal Del Mar
06. Varkala
07. The Abyss
08. Chiringuito

A-Wave Records 2001 AAWCD007 ©