Liquid Stranger - The Invisible Conquest (Interchill) 2007





Tracklisting :

1 Vibration Ruling The Nation (8:01)
2 Liquid Stranger On The Run (2007) (5:56)
3 Djarum Express (7:32)
4 Familiar And Unknown (5:55)
5 Drop Sacrifice (4:06)
6 Splash Matters (7:18)
7 Cook N Curry (5:02)
8 Wallflower (1:07)
9 Confusion (6:51)
10 Mutants (Sneaky & Adaptable Mix) (7:21)
11 Doncamatic (5:41)
12 Faun On The Waters (8:34)

Artwork By - Luke Brown
Artwork By [Design] - Nick Edell
Mastered By - Dave Blackman
Vocals - Shuggoman
Voice [Spoken Word] - David Icke
Written-By, Producer - Liquid Stranger

Written & produced in the forest and in the desert by Liquid Stranger and his friends 2005-2007.

Liquid Stranger is Martin Stääf one of the numerous scandinavian producer (swedish to be precise) in the psycene and probably not the most notorious one nevertheless you might have probably listen to his past project productions. Actually Martin is one half of progressive band Necton & has also release tracks on his own on Plusquam compilation such as Bomberclaad under the name Slugger, more recently he focused on the down tempo side with his new project Liquid Stranger.
Taking these two examples (The Slugger's tune & the last Necton album 'Children of the noisy village' in which some tunes were an alchemy of chunky prog & dub). So, you understand Martin isn't recently involved in Dub territories & has always developed an interested for this style, so that's not a surprise to see him coming with a full length Dub album.

Now, let's take some time for decrypting some of the songs in The Invisible Conquest.

2 Liquid Stranger On The Run (2007) (5:56)

The opening is especially interesting, it puts you nicely in an expectation feeling. There's immediately coming in my head the vision of a fat & funny cartoon smiling guy trying to walk but who is forced to bounce each 3 steps coz he would have too much fizzy cola drink for example.

3 Djarum Express (7:32)

Here we recover some trademarks from Necton in the chunky approach of the choice of sounds. Otherwise there's an exercise of jumping contrast between the warm deep bass & the other sharp melodic instruments. If Djarum Express was a train, it would be an old slow but sympathic one, travelling through the desert from oasis to oasis in circle.

4 Familiar And Unknown (5:55)

Before i forget it, i'd like to mention how i find globally humoristic the Liquid Stranger's tracks, this one is a good example of it. For the break at 2''15, the bass line becomes very catchy, sexy (!?) for me, it's like if it makes me a wink or if it would be possible to pull out me its tongue...i must admit it, i'm sure i always meet this person somewhere before

6 Splash Matters (7:18)

Good, good, the base line is going freaky jazzy in this song, where does it drives us? Indeed up to the 3'55 break, very psy-floating with the '' weird whirldpooling'' escape. Compare to the others, it sounds much more hypnotic, repetitive & some may consider it annoying.

10 Mutants (Sneaky & Adaptable Mix) (7:21)

This is the speediest tune of the album. It also brings something different through the bank tones used in order to cook a different feeling; something sweeter & mainly more evanescent as a woman's fragrance.

11 Doncamatic (5:41)

In this track there is a succession of many little weird details which actually are the spice of this production. One of the best prove could be the little break at 4''10 & the embellishment of the bicycle' ring as a triangle. Once again i perfectly imagine this song as a cartoon's TV soundtrack.

12 Faun On The Waters (8:34)

As conclusion, Liquid Stranger delivers an enigmatic dub-atmosphere jewel tinted of fairish.


The Invisible Conquest among the dub albums productions takes place in the emotional, intimate & sometimes fairish side of it, the music delivered is much story-telling if you focus on if you listen to it with your cortex. Liquid Stranger for his first album proposes an interesting refreshing entertaining content, it's not the most awaited album of the period due to a lack of notoriety of the artist but like i enjoy to say : this album wins easily the title of the best of chill album of end 2007.


mark:8,5/10

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