Entheogenic, like all musicians who start a genre, hit a stage in their career when they had to reassess their own work to date. As a genre, psybient has moved ahead since the time Shpongle and Entheogenic created it half a decade ago. New age producers like Bluetech and Phutureprimitive are creating more compact tracks, moving to a midtempo sound that is crisper, funkier, or more flamboyant. Their first two albums, Entheogenic and Spontaneous Illumination, were critically well received. Their last album, Golden Cap, was heavily criticized, and there was widespread agreement that Entheogenic had lost their touch. Flight of the Urubus silences all criticism that Entheogenic have fallen from the top of the genre. The duo forges a new musical relationship that resulted from world traveling prior to recording this album. This is a highly polished downtempo psychedelic offering, and the amount of time and care spent on the album shows brilliantly. "Trara" is an album highlight here, with the duo proclaiming its mastery over the more upbeat end of the downtempo genre, lacing powerful melodies with a "phat" sound over an interesting midtempo bassline. Entheogenic have showcased all elements from their years of being in the trade, and have asserted their preeminent position in the psybient genre.
© Bhasker Gupta /TiVo