Labels:text | screenshot OCR: THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP EUPHORIA THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP THE EUPHORIA REVIEW Hi! Andy Baxter here. This issue we've a special look at the three disk EUPHORIA package. It's a collection of mods all created using OctaMED. The disks can be run independently of MED and I recommend you do this just to laugh at the hilarious presentation screen! Stick to the music Euphoria !!! Okay then, disk one :- The first track is called (quite logically) Euphoria. This is a very haunting piece which uses the full 8 tracks of OctaMED. This considered, the sound quality is quite good. It starts off slowly and gradually gets more and more intense as it progresses. The end has been very well thought out, it's good to hear a decent ending. In this case it's a superb drum tattoo. Inspiring stuff and I'd give it a not at all bad 7/10. Digital Revolution It's a bit mad this one, a ( crowd chants almost incessantly to ''fill' out the rather sparse electronic effects. As a tune it's almost non-existent but the use of samples is worthy of some praise. The stereo capabilities of the Amiga are used to good effect too, with some samples moving across from one speaker to another, nice touch. It's not the sort of thing I can imagine anyone actually listening to repeatedly but for being a bit different and somewhat experimental I think it deserves 6/10. Crepuscular Crepuscular meaning POf twilight, dim, appearing or active in twilight' and shall be our word of the day . .. CREPUSCULAR! (Totally Irrelevant !!! ) The tune seemed a bit predictable to me, perhaps the writer realised this and in an attempt to make it less so there's a few notes chucked in which sound completely out of tune. It's all a bit long winded really. Goes on for ages but never seems to get anywhere, if you see what I mean. Quite forgettable- technically good but not a classic piece of music. 3/10 Euphoria II - Oh dear, we've not come to the end of the first disk yet and already the titles are getting unimaginative! Actually, this is quite impressive at first. The strings, choir and gong sounds produce a very 'grand' sound. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes quite tiresome, a vocal sample of "Euphoria" reminds us over and over again of who we're listening to, just in case we forget in the 10 seconds since we last heard it. Still, the sound is good and for that ... 4/10. DISK 2 The Ra ja Euphor ia certainly like to write 'atmospheric' pieces and this is no exception. Strings and gongs abound. This one however is one of the better attempts. The rhythm is basically a quite repetitive but effective bongo type affair. It goes on for a bit but in true 'atmospheric' traditions builds up to a climactic finale, which after me saying 'it goes on for a bit' I would have preferred to have lasted a little longer. Still you can't have it all !! 7/10. Let's Get Funky I can't be sure if Euphoria is one person (modest, subtle pseudonym ) or a group of people. This tune comes as a bit of a shock as it is totally different to the others on the disks and has me thinking that Euphoria MUST be two different people. As you can probably guess, this is an upbeat number. The rhythm is a looped sample and is incorporated into the tune quite well (if you've ever tried to do this then you'll appreciate just how difficult it can be to do ) It even speeds up and slows down. It's not all hunkydory though, despite the composers' frantic tempo twiddling, the tune doesn't always quite 'gel' with the rhythm and it stands out quite badly. Still, this gripe apart, this is an uplifting piece which had ME strutting my funky stuff on more than one occasion. 8/10 for a good attempt. A New Dawn This sounds like something I'd write ... the chord changes are a bit more interesting though. It's a slow, sad piece but has a certain charm. There's not much more I can add to that! Interesting and 6/10. In The Wilderness Wolves baying , oppres ive and low, rumbling strings, shakuhachii (or whatever the plural is !! ), dogs barking. This tune has got the lot! For the first two minutes it's just sheer atmosphere from Euphoria. Then it livens up a bit. The drum rhythm is certainly different. After four minutes a spooky detuned piano makes its appearance. This tune has pretention written all over it and takes a few liberties with the listener. I found myself wanting the detuned piano bit to pass. Unfortunately it didn't and the last half of this tune is just too hard going to make for enjoyable listening. A shame because the intro is quite brilliantly composed. The samples used are good for ripping though ?? Perhaps this tune tries to be TOO clever? 6/10 And so we come to disk 3 ... The Harlequin The first three minutes of this tune are completely repetitive. I can't see the point, the second half changes radically but it's still boring. I find it difficult to find anything good to say about this tune. It's just plain irritating. Maybe I'm missing something. For me, it just mars an otherwise good collection of tunes. I can't even give it a rating? The Kirashu Tribe This 8 tracker is typical of Euphoria, starts off slowly and gradually gets a little more complex until by the end it's absolutely hectic! The main instruments are brassy types. I must say, with this in mind, the title seems a little inappropriate. I mean, I've never seen a David Attenborough programme on telly with a tribe of Kirashu's running about wielding trombones and French horns !! That said, this is a competent tune, a little drawn out and quite . . . well. . . uninspiring really. It does try very hard though to be a momentous piece. In the end it's just too predictable. And for this I'll give it a middling 5/10 Oestrogen Well, that's forward for don't mess around with titles like you? Euphoria 'woman' or 'girl', they get straight to the heart of the matter. Musically, I suppose this is excellent, very clever. It manages to actually sound improvised. It's certainly not repetitive, there are about five different parts in here, but at ten minutes long, it's just as well! There's obviously a lot of work been put into this one and I hate to say it but it didn't do much for me musically and for that I'll only give it 5/10 for effort. Try again with Testosterone! Hypnotic Well, what a strange little ditty we have here, what starts out as quite a simple little tune suddenly transforms into a full blown rave track. The merge is very well done and for two vastly contrasting styles they mix well. For a rave tune, this is quite good, purely because Euphoria are so clever musically and bring an element of 'music' into it. (Pro- Rave campaigners will hang me!) 7/10 for being original with rave Gates Of Dawn YES !! I LIKE THIS !!! As a tune to end off a compilation, this is a nice touch. It's another 'grand' affair, the music wouldn't sound out of place in a film like Ben Hur. Choirs and gongs abound yet again. The ending is great and left me sitting, awestruck, staring at my speakers. If someone ever tries to tell you that computer music is just beeps and moises. . . slap this on !! Euphoria have been unusually disciplined with this piece in that they have resisted the temptation to make it a long, drawn out tune. As a result, it's compact and to the point and so, hard hitting. A well deserved 8/10. On the whole, I can't deny that Euphoria are great musicians. They seem to like experimenting and sometimes they even pull it off! I can't help feeling though, that this three disk set could've been a very good two disk set and with the use of a cruncher such as Powerpacker, reduced to maybe even a brilliant one disker. ndy Baxter . MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG MUG THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP This article orignally appeared in the official OctaMED magazine, TI. For more information on TI, please send a stamped, addressed envelope or international reply coupon to MED USERS GROUP, 6 Glevum Road, SWINDON, Wiltshire, SN3 4AF, ENGLAND. This is also the address to write to if you would like to make any comments or criticisms of this article or if you would like permission to use this article in your publications.
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