Joshua Gablan first started to become active in the dance music scene in early 1998, when he began DJing locally in Holland as a progressive house DJ. Not being able to find the sounds he wanted to play, he decided to start to make his own music, soon buying himself an Atari, a synthesizer and mixer. The next year Joshua began to work closely with Ramamurtu Gresbek and Troy Leidich, on a project they called Fungus of Light. The Israeli label Krembo Records took an interest in the new sounds they were developing, and together with Bonky they released an album in late 1999, on USTA, Krembo’s underground side label. In 1999 and 2000 the Fungus of Light project toured around Europe, playing in Israel, Spain, and some of the largest festivals, such as the Voov in 1999, and Boom and Antaris in 2000. By this time Joshua felt that he wanted to explore some new sounds on his own, and left the group to study Audio and Sound Technology for a year, all the time building on his studio, and writing new tracks.
He called his solo project Jocid, and started a close relationship with Doof Records, an Israeli label. Doof released some Jocid tracks on various compilations of theirs, and then received such a positive response from them quickly signed Jocid up for a full-length album, which was released at the end of 2002.
In 2003 Jocid started to work on his second album, called From Meatware to Hardware. The first four tracks are the same progressive hard style and for the last five tracks, the style changes to use fatter basslines, darker kicks, and a more full on style. Looking for a new label to present his newer sounds, Jocid approached Sonic Dragon Records, who heard his music and immediately agreed to release it to the world. This is the first release from Sonic Dragon Records, a label committed to bringing the newest sounds from the underground to the rest of the world. Review Courtesy of http://www.psytrancereviews.btinternet.co.uk/ Meaty indeed. Dutch Joshua Gablan was one half of the Fungus Of Light project, and has released stuff on Israel’s wonderful Doof label. Starting out with this style, and morphing into a more busy, nocturnal mayhem as the album progresses, this is a heavy going but rewarding listen. Opening track EBM is deep and very reminiscent of the late Bonky’s output, similar for Energized which manages to be effective, disturbing nighttime music which relies on subtle changes rather than huge noises to create the tension. Bonky’s Lab has one of my favourite samples of the year- “right then, you scouse git” -- after which it shoots off into total gnarl city, getting increasingly dark and twisted as it progresses. When Dondoperwty picks up all its ingredients and flies off, it’s awesome -- and features some of the tastiest time signatures heard this year; Swingers is edgy, punchy, and crunchy and seriously raises the dance floor’s temperature without knocking it through the roof. Perhaps the biggest achievement here is Kinky Shit, an uber-squelchy belter which singles out fluffy trancers in the same way an incessant strobe light singles out epileptics. With an awesome melody rising up at the end, it makes a sweet distinction, and leaves you hanging out at the end most definitely wanting more. |
