Hallucinogen - 2002 - In Dub

Quality: 4.25 out of 5
Trip-O-Meter: 4.5 out of 5

I suppose that this is technically Hallucinogen's remix album, but unlike most remix albums, this one really does stand on its own. All of the tracks were remixed by one man instead of by lots of random producers, and they are all going for a dub sound, which gives the disc a thematic consistency which is usually the antithesis of a remix album.

Behind the boards on In Dub, we find not Simon Posford, but a fellow named Ott. The title right away gives a fairly accurate impression of what kind of sounds you'll find here, but there are a few notable differences. Where classic dub is gritty and nasty sounding, Ott preferred to retain the clear shimmer of Posford's original tracks, substituting the beats and bass lines for the loping dub variety. In effect, In Dub is a one-trick-pony, but it's a damn fine trick and manages to sound fresh for the hour that the album lasts.

For Hallucinogen fans, there are a few tracks present ("Mi-Loony-Um!" "Spiritual Antiseptic," "Angelic Particals") here that are not on the two proper albums. I'd imagine that they sounded quite different in their original incarnations, but they work pretty well in this dub environment too. As far as album tracks go, I actually prefer the Ott version of "Gamma Goblins" and the remixed "LSD" holds its own pretty well in comparison with the great original.

The two proper Hallucinogen albums are adrenaline-pumping psy-trance dance floor slammers. In Dub is oriented more for the chill out room, and brings out the more melodic components of Posford's work. These are the subterranean twilight sounds of Hallucinogen and is the rare remix album that is absolutely essential for fans of the group.