There is a renaissance happening in the dark electronic UK scene and the wider world, genres are mixing, artists are pushing boundaries, and the incredible releases I am hearing recently are really setting the stage for UK artists in the Goth electronic and industrial world to take centre place.
This album is a fantastical dance of pure bliss. The Bitches Potion had me under its spell immediately and I reviewed it in one sitting of the album, something very, very rare for me which is a testament to how entertaining it is.
(Well, I did listen to the track 'HEX HEX' A lot though!)
Following on from their successful debut EP, "BEAUTIFUL DESTRUCTION" (self-released March 2021), UK's SIMON CARTER has again decided to team up with Germany's original bad witch FABSI to release the full-length album, "THE BITCHES POTION". This dark, gritty, dirty, and oh so witchy Industrial-Techno album is sure to conjure up a bit of magic on any dancefloor.
Listeners are treated to 11 original, DJ-Friendly tracks, accompanied by 7 remixes courtesy of TEKNOVORE, MOAAN EXIS, MATT HART, RUINIZER, HUMANS CAN'T REBOOT, SD-KRTR and NARCONIC.
Review
Firstly this is a big album, with eleven great tracks followed by seven remixes, it's one hell of a good value release. Therefore I can't fully comment on every single track but I will certainly shine a light on the finest parts.
Dark industrial techno with female vocals, plenty of which are in German is certainly one way to get my undivided attention and this album pretty much hypnotised me the whole way through which I suppose is something witchcraft and music have very much in common.. The power to bring their marks' to their knees, and their jaws to the floor..
The album opens up in a very pleasing manor of introduction to the style of techno in store but takes the training wheels straight off with 'Hex Hex'. The thump, thump, stomp of the track entrances you and makes you feel safe within comfortable memories of dancing in nightclubs on only the best of nights out. At '1.44' the lyrics and the magic begin. The techno beats heavier and stompier, the sense of serenity becomes overwhelming and the sense of flirting with danger on an ever more dangerous dancefloor takes hold in your mind. What you are experiencing is a trance fugue state only the most talented of techno artists can cast, each build up and drop sends waves of adrenaline and dopamine spiking in equal force. The lyric's are also fantastically poignant..
Wir sind die Hexen We are the witches
Wir lieben es zu hassen We love to hate
Wir sind die Hexen We are the witches
Wir werden dich nicht bestimmen lassen We will not let you determine
Wir sind die Hexen We are the witches
Mit Kräutern und Kerzen With herbs and candles
Wir sind die Hexen We are the witches
Du kannst uns nicht beherrschen You can't control us
As if that wasn't enough 'Beautiful Destruction' continues to enthral with a similarly powerful bass and beat set. The break down at 1.42 had me hooked and left me deeply satisfied for the remainder of the track. It's easy to get lost within audio like this. First premiered by MATT HART during one of his Outlaw Vision stream's, this track deserves a lot of recognition.
It is great that every track on this album does sound very different to one another even within the usually limited confines of techno. 'Pink Queen' takes on a more chaotic range of samples, and 'We Are The Witches' takes on more of a song structure and 'house' style sound to it whilst seeming to carry on lyrically from 'Hex Hex' which is a nice touch.
'Manifestation Spell' hits hard, fast, and deep, with a great progression of samples loops, and vocal affirmations.
This track seems to be shining a light on the real side of witchcraft, the helpful and positive, empowering magic and thought process of witchcraft through the medium of music; And tune fed serotonin is certainly a beautiful representation of it that the world needs far more of!
Take a deep breathe in with the industrial and out with the techno as it flows in waves during 'Musik Makers'. This is the heavier, darker EDM the scene has been leaning towards but in such a smooth and meditatively primal sense of connecting with the rhythm and samples and letting yourself go completely.
You remember that bloody awful Doctor Who episode with the creepy A.F WW2 children? (Yea, I wish I didn't either!) Well buckle the F up.. Simon Carter and Fabsi are about to make you really uncomfortable but in the most comfortable of formats, through dance! I both absolutely hate and absolutely love 'Nanobots (Are You My Mummy?)' in equal measure. Proper horror show stuff this banging grove.. *Shudders*
I don't remember much before the drop in 'This Is Only A Test' at the 1.54 mark because my brain melted.. I thought I had them just about in my skull again until 3.48 and I proceeded to spill them once again..
The strange thing here? The track is quite simple and doesn't overly stand out amongst the rest but something in its composure sent the weirdest waves through my neuro-divergent brain that can only be described as a cheesy grin with two thumbs up! By 5.34 I think there had been some permanent damage.. Love it.
Now for the remixes..
Enter Teknovore's first official remix with his 'Hex Hex' remix and wow.. this sends chills down spines, and stomping feet through floors. It is somehow more ominous and powerful. This is a rollercoaster of dreadfully awesome proportions, like dancing in a Vampire nightclub and feeling vulnerable yet untouchable the whole way through.
It sure is great to see Moaan Exis listed too, and they bring quite the thrill and injection of speed freak energy to 'The Witching Hour' that packs one of the hardest punches music can deliver.
MATT HART also bring a stronger trance and EDM vibe to 'We Are The Witches' which is so out of character for his music which makes this truly special and unique!
Ruinizer (RNZR) brings a chaotic melody of distortion and hell-scape fire in his impressive remix of 'Pink Queen' which makes it so full of depth and meaning beyond words which only a truly talented artist like Jay Ruin can achieve.
The final three remixes are much more towards the trance and lighter side of EDM which makes for a nice exit to a very intense album!
Tracklist
The Witching Hour
Beautiful Destruction (Album Version)
Pink Queen
We Are The Witches
Manifestation Spell
Musik Makers
The Wiccan Dance
Nanobots (Are You My Mummy?)
This Is Only A Test
Get Out Of Here
.....
Hex Hex (Wir Sind Die Hexen) (Teknovore Remix)
The Witching Hour (Moaan Exis Remix)
We Are The Witches (MATT HART Remix)
Pink Queen (Ruinizer Remix)
Manifestation Spell (SD-KRTR Remix)
The Wiccan Dance (Humans Can't Reboot Remix)
Hex Hex (Wir Sind Die Hexen) (Narconic Remix)
Conclusion
Simon Carter and Fabsi have crafted something truly epic in this album. Each track is like a different barbed arrow specifically designed to get you hooked and stick fast into your mind for a very long time.
It is not often such an incredible album is conjured up and blasted out to set ruin to dancefloors everywhere but here one sits. Ready to ruin and break in fresh Goth and raver boots of all fans of electronic music. Truly a fine piece of work that deserves all the success in the world.
Scores
Technicality: 9/10
Soul factor: 9/10
Energy: 10/10
Vocals/Samples: 9/10
Re-play value: 10/10
Overall score: 9.4/10
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