Seventh Wave

There’s something just not right about System 7 still being around. Shouldn’t these ex-Gong members be off on a beach in Goa or somewhere instead of making trance and getting big name producers to remix their singles? Perhaps that’s a bit harsh. System 7 have always more-or-less had their finger on the pulse and this album of progressive and house-tinged trance is no exception. Tracks like ‘High Plains Drifter’ and ‘Manik Shamanik’ are bang on the money – putting many current prog producers to shame – while ‘Soft Rain’ – with Orb-man Alex Patterson – and the chill-out-tastic ‘Sal Del Mar’ balance the tougher gear. There’s a couple of duff tracks, but, overall it’s a pleasant surprise. You can still hear the dippy-hippy dolphin noises in there, though, and you suspect its producers have sand between their toes. Hippies.