Hypnotic Journey

Hypnotic Journey's inside cover describes DJ Matthew Grim as "the Eminem of Techno" — an intriguing, attention-grabbing description, certainly, but not an accurate one. Grim's rave music has little in common with Eminem's hardcore rap. Eminem is a brilliantly dark-humored storyteller — he thrives on vocal personality, whereas this instrumental CD is all about the beat and the track. Eminem gets in your face; Grim is going for electronic hypnosis. So comparing Grim and Eminem is comparing apples and oranges. Although it was released under Grim's name, Hypnotic Journey actually falls into the "various artists" category. This CD offers a nonstop techno/trance mix, and the way the material is presented is up to Grim. The Honolulu-based club DJ sets the tone of the CD with DJ Peebles' "Closer," and he keeps the electronic momentum going with tunes like DJ Skimpy's "Love Affection," Pitchrider's "I Know," and Chemical Slim's "Abyss Dream." Grim maintains a rave-like atmosphere; Hypnotic Journey is exactly the sort of continuous mix one could expect to hear at a rave. This exhilarating, if limited, album isn't for the uninitiated. None of the tunes have a real song structure, and Hypnotic Journey is unlikely to convent anyone who doesn't already have a taste for this type of music. But ravers and committed techno enthusiasts will no doubt find a lot to admire about Grim's mix.