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Wow this thread caught fire since I left. I respect that some of you like it more than others and vice-versa, and speaking candidly.. I thought Antidote, despite a beautiful intro and nice melody work at 3:42 grew forgettable in the third minute. Some catchy melodies and changes in the 5th+sixth minute (mentioned above), but overall I found this too safe, generic, and conventional. Mission Adept is a step in the direction I wanted. It's more Filteria-esque, mad energy. The synths don't stay stuck in your head but they're catchy! I go back and forth with the phone-esque effect (mentioned above). Even Mary was like, I like everything but the phone sound. Again, a high energy, electric number. I won't repeat my review other than more development (evolution) in the last act would've been great. Take more risks! It Is Not Possible is darker, edgier. I love the synths and atmosphere. Melodies ooze-- nighttime sleekness. Definitely Filteria inspired but not emulated. Again the last act (by 5:30 / 5:40) grows fairly similar but maintains its electric feel. Infinite Space is the MELODY track on the album for me, e.g., the second and third minute-- so good! The segment from 3:30 to 4:00 needed more change IMO (it overstays its welcome). Things sounded a bit going-through-the-motions a bit after till 6:01-- then the music's fast, punchy, and fun again! This is what I want but without the small dips! Again, the last act could have showcased more refreshing, complimentary variety. Great track though! On The Edge - Man I love the synths and intensity in the first 4 minutes. WOW!!! This is so AP-heavy (tense) without sounding formulaic. Great build to 5:18. Would it be possible to have more breath-taking, suspenseful, catchy interludes like this? Cool surprises like this exciting transition adds variety. I feel like the climax (continuing sound) could have been complimented with another synth and/or accent, but it's great and wow what a track! The song could have ended a minute earlier though! Pandora's Box -- Like I said above, great first half. The second half loses its dynamic, punchy mixing/editing and settles for a bland (going through the motions) Goa sound. This adds to my criticisms. The song's structure is too similar and deserves more range, tempo changes, surprises. Sure the dance floors will be more forgiving. And imagine how amazing the second half could have been if it was cut as tightly as the first. The second half is not bad per say, just very similar sounding after a while, almost too traveling(?) for its own good. It lacks variety, development, something to spice it up and make it more interesting. Sand Of Time -- Strong track, but the fairly formulaic, more conventional last act prevented me from giving this a higher score. It's too risk-free IMO. Goa can have more brains too. That's why many of us like Filteria. Still this will erupt dance floors and I would have loved a more inventive finale. Good song overall. Sunrise -- The first act was less engaging than where it goes but WHERE IT GOES!!!! The last lead tops off the track, avoiding sounding too similar, draggy. It's closer to the tightness of On the Edge. What a beautiful climax! Just marvelous! I feel so excited and elevated (full of joy) when hearing it. So full of anything and everything is possible. The Constellation Of Aries's first act reminded me of Man With No Name vs. Astral Projection. Solid synth work! The first climax is very good! The song's direction isn't that elaborate, but the AP-inspired design is cool. I liked the breathing space (good vibes) in the middle and the last climax was great, especially when the star complimentary Goa lead topped it off. So beautiful!!! Gave me a high! Full of positivity and NOT cheesy, like an eagle soaring through the sky climax!!! The song new when to end too (thankfully) unlike the last 1:20 of On the Edge and never felt draggy via second half of Pandora's box. Updated thoughts All in all, great album and more variety, surprises, and evolutionary/developmental aspects to the songs please? I agree with some of your constructive criticisms, but I love this album in numerous ways. It brought back happy moments and made me feel more alive at times! That said, a few songs were a bit bland, a few segments not memorable, and a few acts (mainly thirds) could have done more for their previous acts (as several act 2's did to 1's). But that is criticism to one of the year's best Goa-Trance albums. The artist has room to improve, but if Constellation is any indication, it shows that the artist has a promising future. Now if only he reflects on our feedback mindfully, the next album will be amazing.1 point
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Artist: Crossing Mind Title: The Inner Shift Label: Suntrip Date: April, 2012 1. The unenlightened perspectives 2. Solarium 3. Modulated self reminders 4. Magnetic fields of life 5. Elastic Harmonies 6. No way wrong (2011 rmx) 7. Plutonia 8. Optronic Circles (Inner Shift mix) When you're at the top of your game, you feel like there is nothing you can't do. Here is everyone's favorite goa trance label with their 25th physical release. 25th. That may not seem impressive to Colombia Records, but when you're dealing with a niche market in a sh*tty economy it becomes pretty damn impressive. We all love a good story, and there aren't too many better than this. Working his life away in the coal mines of Western Pennsylvania had to be a dark time for him. He wasn't the biggest or the fastest, but with tireless effort and perseverence (and a little prayer) he finally got his shot to play big time college football. Wait... Sh*t, that was Rudy. Then who the f*ck is this guy? This is Stephane Beze (sorry my computer can't do accents...the punctuation not the...you get it, right? Cause I can do an awesome Indian accent, you would think Apu was talking to you. Yessir, Nossir, hot dog, hot dog) and he's apparently been making music for a decade. We all owe a big thanks to DAT Records and their hard work for "discovering" him and releasing a free treasure trove of quality material. That was like picking up a hot chick at a club and when you're leaving, she asks you if he equally hot friend who wants to get back at her boyfriend can come too. Now who's gonna say no to that? So after that he drops the Holographic Paradigm again released by DAT. Then another free EP called Ultimate Reality on UAF. To say he's prolific would be an understatement. His goa trance is long unraveling melodies that make you feel like your in the mid 90's and now he's releasing his latest on the label that defines melodic goa trance. Mastered by Tim Schuldt with artwork by Richpa.... What the f*ck do you think is gonna happen? The Unenlightened Perspectives- It's mechanical chunky with a Daze of Our Lives feel at the outset and there is immediate melodic and layer gratification. Leads stretch to their limit like a fat chick putting a hurtin on some spandex. This track doesn't sit still for a second with constantly changing leads. Already magical, it becomes legendary when he throws the breakbeat in there. You know what this is? An aural happy ending. Solarnium- Wow. I'm blown away by this lush, evolving piece of atmosphere. The leads twist and turn and leave a sonic trail I believe I can actually see. Unbelievably full and moody, it shimmers crossing the line into the mystical. Yeah, yeah, the rabbit hole and all that, but I didn't fall down that hole. I fell up it. Modulated Self Reminders- Again with the layers of melody he carries you up without touching you. It's a drifting track that has me wondering where the time went. Partly abrasive and part acid tongue lashing this was another great one. Magnetic Fields of Life- I like how he distorts sounds giving it a Depeche Mode eeriness with squelchy and run in place moments. Long melodies that are measured in days not minutes. It's just brilliant storytelling with no shortage of characters. Pumping music for the discerning traveler looking for that outerspace getaway. I don't think that is what they meant by friendly skies. Elastic Harmonies- And just when you think it couldn't get any better. He wields that distorted lead like it's a + 5 flaming broadsword. If you got that reference then here's to hoping that one day you will kiss a girl. It comes at you in waves, each bigger than the last. You've got a key change to keep you on your toes, but this thing just keeps on reaching skyward. A 10 minute tour de force that breaks the sound barrier. No Way Wrong (2011 Remix)- Another melodic scorcher that is hip deep in layers and lead changes. It hops across the solar system on asteroids never lingering too long. Tumbling, tumbling...blistering. Plutonia- The final two tracks are downtempo pieces that still maintain that deep space vibe. Well, maybe mid-tempo is more accurate. Scraping leads begin to stack up twisting in concentric rings that flow into one another without the hint of a seam. He is still the master of his distorted domain and makes a slower track still seem like it left a burning mark on you. Optronic Circles (Inner Shift Remix)- The vibe is so outer space I don't know what else to tell you. Alien mid tempo groove, it is clear he ain't finished with you yet. The lead skitters and side steps in a way that reminds me of other old schoolers. And that is a compliment. Don't shut it off too quickly, because after an extended pause there is more eerieness to come. The Suntrip site calls it a hidden track, but at 1:35 in length...it's more of an epilogue. This was how I felt after each track was better than the next. So when is goa trance not simply goa? Obviously this is goa trance, but to shackle it with the chains of one singular genre seems unfair. This is glorious electronic music with beautifully crafted atmosphere and spiraling melodies. It's high technology on a voyage into deep space, and I'll be honest...you might not be coming back. How could you? Stephane has succeeded in smashing the full-on derivative goa algorithm. Do you have any idea how many times I had to (almost typed rewind) start a track over because I checked out of real life and floated into goaland. This is a landmark achievement in goa trance. Can you get enough layers? I know I can't. 3 layer cake? Limp-dick. Gimme some of that 7 layer sh*t. Rainbows? Yeah I guess there are rainbows here. But I'm looking at them through a 40 foot square window 50 miles up on a starship. Congratulations Stephane, it's awesome work. Thank you, and thank Suntrip. Good to be king, isn't it? Suntrip Psyshop Beatspace Saikosounds Goastore Mdk1 point
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Crossing Mind - The Inner Shift 1. The Unenlightened Perspectives 09:10 2. Solarnium 09:09 3. Modulated Self Reminders 09:27 4. Magnetic Fields of Life 08:46 5. Elastic Harmonies 09:49 6. No Way Wrong (2011 Remix) 09:20 7. Plutonia 09:27 8. Optronic Circles (Inner Shift mix) 08:13 Review: I feel a strong desire to start this review off by saying that Crossing Mind probably has THE most unique sound in modern Goa Trance at this moment. Not only that, the track’s composition and feel are very different too. But in what way, you might ask? Well, as we all know, Suntrip stands for melodic sunny modern Goa Trance in all it’s facets. While artists like Filteria and Artifact303 would fit into the blazing, uplifting spectrum and E-mantra in the somewhat melancholic, deeper, floatier spectrum, Crossing Mind surely belongs to the introspective, subtle yet highly melodic/harmonic spectrum. The style represented in this album is, as said before, a lot less to the point than his collection of older tracks on DAT Records and at the same time much more subtle. Do not expect full power trance. Do not expect larger-than-life, blazingly uplifting melodies. Instead, expect deliciously complex harmonics, subtly interwoven melodies that swirl and spiral in a never-ending introspective vortex of psychedelic bliss. The textures, leadsynths, bass, kick, in short everything is on a level of production and creativity rarely seen in today’s psytrance. It’s also remarkable how much he DOES with the sound, modulating it into oblivion. None-the-less I do have to admit that it took me some listens to start appreciating it to it’s full extent. I was sceptical at first because, while I did enjoy quite a couple of tracks by Crossing Mind, the album on DAT didn’t reach up to my (maybe too high) expectations. However, now I’m here I just can’t look back and can say with all my heart that this is a modern gem, a classic-to-be and next to Artifact303’s masterpiece of a debut certainly the best Suntrip has ever released. My favorite tracks here are Solarnium, Magnetic Fields of Life, Elastic Harmonies (which stands out the most) and No Way Wrong (2011 Remix). They represent such beautifully crafted landscapes that JUST DO NOT GET BORING. I can keep listening to them forever! Detail, complexity, sound, harmony, melody and creativity in a perfect marriage. The downtempo tracks deserve a special mention as well because they too are a joy to listen to and just get lost in. And I really hope that the short hidden track someday gets a lot longer and released because it sounds way too yummy to be this short! Buy it. Listen to it. Drown in it. 10/10 PS.: Congratulations Richpa on the beautiful cover artwork!1 point