Though an overlooked tune, Mantra by E-Razor belongs to the best tunes of its genre.
E-RAZOR - MANTRA
E-Razor was a music project by Oliver Laib and Martin Eyerer. The partners in crime were frequent collaborators within 1997-2003, producing under various aliases, such as Dixon Hill, Nervouz Boys, Van Helsing, among others. They surely adopted the classic convention of 90's producers by using different pseudonyms according to the music genre they represented, whether it was trance, techno or minimal!
E-Razor alias focused on the hard trance sound, flavored with acidic elements and seamlessly interchanged with different styles of trance (progressive or goa). It was also their most successful project, featured on two Global Underground mixes (Mantra in GU:007 by Paul Oakenfold and India in GU:008 by Nick Warren) and licensed in several DJ mixes and compilations.
What makes Mantra a trance masterpiece is how the deep bass is interchanged with the melancholic piano pads. Though it is a hard trance composition, it creates a feeling of calmness. Mantra was released as a single (with Yeti on the B-side) in 1997 by Technogold, a German label which re-released mostly techno and trance classics between 1997-2003.
So, what are they up to now?
Oliver Laib (often confused with fellow German Oliver Lieb) still works as a producer, but for other artists. On the other hand, Martin Eyerer is a successful label owner of Kling Klong (along with Rainer Weichhold) and a versatile composer of electronic dance music, extending his rich heritage for more than 25 years!
