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A mixed album review by Airon Later
CKYTEP : Croniestan Deathcamp Sessions
It has occurred to me over the years that not every DJ should compile / mix a set like another DJ does. Imitation simply breeds boredom and predictability in a genre like electronic dance music. However, the flip side of the coin tells us that if you’re too ‘over-reaching’ with a set, then you’ll lose the crowd; that is, if you are actually even looking to attract a crowd.
It’s safe to say that Paul ( aka CKYTEP : pronounced ‘scooter’ for those not educated in the Russian language; myself being part of that group ) has made a name for himself in certain circles. I’m not simply speaking of his love for crass jokes about masturbating in a sink or his seemingly insatiable appetite for barely legal porn, but his uncanny ability to take music that most others wouldn’t play or haven’t played in quite some time and make it ‘new’. CRONIESTAN DEATHCAMP SESSIONS proves that point in many ways.
Last night while listening to this mix for the first time, I was standing in my kitchen eating two beef pot pies with a liberal sprinkling of Creole seasoning when I noticed a sound that was quite familiar amongst many of the Cronies: Trentemoller’s mix of Les Dijnns by Djuma Soundsystem. A rather nice piece to start out the mix with, but defiantly not a signifier as to where the next 107mins would take the listener. I walked back over to my computer, my dog Ripley begging for a taste of the piping-hot pie, and I sat down to review the various tracks that would follow.
01 - Djuma Soundsystem - Les Djinns (Trentemoller Mix)
02 - Hernan Cattaneo & John Tonks - Warsaw (Original Mix)
03 - Anne Nalick - Breathe (Blake Jarrell Mix)
04 - Morozov - Fly Guitar (Astero Breaks Mix)
05 - Big Country - In A Big Country (Noel Sanger's Unreleased Breaks Mix)
06 - Silken - Feels Like
07 - Dana Bergquist - McEnroe (Original Mix)
08 - Marco Bellini - Dirty
09 - Hoxton Whores - Calabria (Remix)
10 - The Editors - Munich (Cicada Mix)
11 - Supermode - Tell Me Why (Original Mix)
Paul’s love of all things dirty, filthy, and immoral not withstanding, he can take a selection of tracks such as this and create a sort of unique soundscape that defies classification. When asked by a friend or fellow club-goer what this mix sounds like, there’s no clear explanation to give. However, allow me indulge you with a rather bizarre metaphor.
After a night of moderately heavy drinking, you have found yourself in a rather dimly lit room, the smell of cigarettes and cheap whiskey permeates the air. Suddenly you realize that there is a topless woman standing just in front of you with very small breasts with giant areola. And not just ‘bigger than normal’, I mean seriously large, like disproportionately large. You find yourself at one point asking, “How is that possible?” You have no idea what time it is, how you got here, or exactly how much of what you’ve had to drink. But, none the less, you find your situation oddly intriguing.
This is not to state in the simplest of terms that the entire mix is like the above situation. The ‘big areola’ part happens somewhere between tracks 7 and 10. But, I’m guessing that you have already figured that out, or at least I hope you have. Perhaps ‘oddly intriguing’ would have been a more straight-forward approach in attempting to classify a mix such as this, but, I’ve always wanted to write a scene where I use the phrase ‘giant areola’. I’m sorry, I’m getting off track.
In terms of shear sound value, each track has something all it’s own. From break-beats ( Warsaw ), to guitar driven riffs ( Fly Guitar ), 80’s classics ( In a Big Country ), and even saxophone, Paul has conjured up a concoction not likely to be rivaled until your next failed attempt to get drunk off Mad Dog 20/20 and Peach Schnapps without puking. Is this to say that this mix will turn away even the most discerning of drinkers? No. And come to think of it, Paul doesn’t even drink, so, I’m not even sure why I made that reference to two beverages that should never be combined; though it’s probably happened more times than once at a high school party somewhere in Eastern Kentucky.
Paul has, at times, been labeled a ‘trance’ DJ. This may be true on occassion. However, this is not one of them. Trance DJs, for the most part, have become tiresome and boring. There music has slowly become mass-produced and trite. But, within that genre that so typified the electronic music scene in the late 90’s, there are still a precious few that have the ability to bring something new to the listener. This mix is not Trance. And, in all honesty, I’m not even sure that you can place any type of label on it what-so-ever. But who wants to be labeled? I could call you a slut who is hurtin for a squrtin, but, that wouldn’t make it true.
I can offer this warning to anyone that downloads this. This mix is not for everyone. And neither is liquid Hydrocodone. All that is left to be said is that Paul is talented at putting pieces of a puzzle together that wouldn’t normally fit. And somehow, by some twist of fate, he does it and they work, and balance is once again been restored to that little place in Nashville called ‘Croniestan’.
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I cant believe I just read half of that 
