Leaderboard

Juno Reactor's sophomore effort, 'Beyond The Infinite', is one of a kind. It's maybe the one Goa album that hews closest to its synth-pop and EBM roots, while taking it to that next level with acid-trance lines, techno strings and pads, and tribal/ethnic sounds. 'Guardian Angel' begins with ominous pads and a sample of Burt Lancaster from 'The Swimmer.' Immediately afterwards, we're whipped into a frenzy by a Front 242-esque bassline. Percussive electronic noises and frantic riffs that arc and spark keep the tension high. A little simple and straightforward, but that's what makes it a perfect introduction. 'Magnetic' is cool and seductive by comparison, with low chants sampled from the movie 'Baraka', a bubbling acid groove, and Spanish guitar-like melodies. Electronic bird calls echo and synth bleeps swim by like a school of fish, as though we were hearing the field recordings of a zoologist on a robot planet. 'Ice Cube' simmers in Yello-esque ambience before launching into a blisteringly intense run, proving that you can make a low tempo track (120, IIRC) without sacrificing ferocity. 'Feel The Universe' has an utterly gorgeous intro, with one of my favorite synth lines of all time. Some people prefer the 'Otto edit' of this track that dispenses with most of the introduction; I will never understand those people. It's like cutting the first movement of a Beethoven symphony. After the track has gathered momentum, it reaches escape velocity... industrial, found-sound percussion (SPK much?) combines with tribal drumming, alien sound effects, and Eastern European-sounding riffs in a cosmic cacophony of noise. I'd love to know where the inspiration for this track came from, it's so rich with ideas. 'Razorback', only available on the US version, is far from a filler. Cool, glassy synth lines bob and weave through pounding beats, punctuated by the occasional tribal yell. Aggression and subtlety are perfectly paired throughout. 'Samurai' is a slightly updated mix of a 1993 single by Jungle High (Ben Watkins and Johann Bley.) Juno by any other name is still Juno; this version has a little less acid-trance feel than the original and more of an industrial rock quality, which is probably Johann's sensibilities coming to the fore. Spoken-word vocals with a message of love and devotion provide the calm at the eye of the storm. 'Silver', the sole downtempo track, weaves contemplative futuristic atmospheres. More Baraka samples, monk's voices cut up and stitched together into a future-funk rhythm. 'Rotorblade' is maybe the most beloved track here, and it deserves all the praise it gets. Effervescent bass and percussion undergird gated synths, whooshing and breathing noises, and a bluesy electric guitar. All this is led by poignant electronic strings that hit you right in the feels. Powerful, mature, and complex. It mixes seamlessly into the final track, 'Mars', which takes the power, spaciness, and emotion of the previous tracks and somehow manages to sum them all up. Can you tell I like this album? Due to its storytelling nature, 'Beyond' is an album that works in multiple contexts, from armchair voyages and night drives to the most frenetic of dancefloors. Some tracks are a bit 'ravey' and unsubtle ('Guardian Angel', 'Samurai'), but they're balanced out by the deeper tracks, and lend their energy to the whole. Most of all, though, I love the album for its sound design. Nothing is harsh, mechanical, or overly 'synth' sounding here. Instead, these tracks come alive, yielding up a synaesthetic fruit salad of flavors and textures that doesn't sound like anything before it or since. There are a very few Goa releases that transcend the "Goa" or "trance" label. TIP's 'Mystical Experiences' is one of them. This is another, and deserves to be inducted into the canon of great synthesized popular music. 'Bible of Dreams' may be the album that brought Juno mainstream attention, but this remains their most accomplished and complete work. A masterpiece that sets the bar for what a psychedelic trance album could be. 10/10