Leaderboard

Triquetra - Ecstatic Planet 1.Gate to Happiness 08:45 2.Stormbringer 08:31 3.No Unexpected Errors 07:50 4.Homonculus 08:57 5.Gargantuan Tribes (Live) 08:24 6.Starbirth 08:26 7.Psychic Dissonance 08:30 8.Chosen By The Gods 08:36 9.Helios 09:01 Fresh. It is the word I'd use to describe Ecstatic Planet. What this album avoids pretty well is using useless and predictable melodies and instead opts for absolutely vivid and odd sound design. It doesn't really follow the footsteps of modern post-2000 goa where all tracks share same intensity and melody structures, but instead it feels like it's molded from the same clay that Goa originally was. It sounds weird and at all times varied, aside from the screeching acid lines that might be a little over-abundant. It is highly danceable while remaining an interesting listen at home. You could throw tracks from this album to any compilation from the 90s and you'd have a hard time saying it's not from it. There is a clear ravey and unexpectingly alien sound to everything you hear. The highpoints of this album are fantastic(Gate To Happiness, No Unexpected Errors, Homonculus, Starbirth). There are moments that will undoubtetly wreck the dancefloors with their unconventional sounds. Homonculus is a perfect example of the album not conforming to the mainstream goa sound, it's just so weird. There is a melody at 2:00 that just sounds like your auditory nerves just went into overdrive. The tracks that fall a little short from the highpoints generally have too much repetition and can sound even a little bit aimless. Just about every track brings something new to the table for this album, and while it's not perfect, like some tracks engulf too much of the aforementioned problems, it has qualities that full albums don't always have - Variance. The Tracks sound different from another! the only real repetitous sound in this album is the typical screeching acid lines that I mentioned before. If you skip albums released lately you will find the sound is quite homogenous, I didn't really feel the same here. Absolutely not what I expected! I hope that it'll stand the test of time!

Suntrip records, 2019. 1. The Crane 8:39 2. Kraftpaket 8:48 3. Faster Than Light (Wormhole Edit) 7:07 4. The Elite 8:20 5. Barbed Cotton 9:41 6. Ghost 8:04 7. Life Behind The Sun 8:16 8. Disco Valley 8:40 9. Tenderlion 8:02 Battle of the future Buddhas release their 7th album. First thing we can notice is that the dirty sound is gone Instead, the iconic Swedish band delivers a nice polished sound, clearly morning oriented but also with some (rare) dark touch. It's clear from the get-go that the tracks are "inspired by the music played on the beaches of Goa in the early 90s". The tempo is slower than usual, it's acidic and melodic, very danceable and it includes some key changes here and there. As often with these guys, intros are almost non existent which is good for quick mixing and makes it interesting for dance-floors without a doubt. Also, even though the style is different to what we were used to hear from Battle of the future Buddhas, the signature synths and occasional distortion are still present. The rhythm used is more reminiscent of the slower tracks released in the album Demonoizer. The most inspiring tracks have to be #2, #4, #5 and #6, but I did not find any weak track there. The Elite is deep and hypnotic Goa trance at its best. Barbed Cotton is in my opinion the most accomplished composition, it contains more twists, it's less linear than the previous tracks and it ends with a very intense melodic climax! Ghost almost has a clubbish feel, yes funny to say when we know the past output of this band To sum up in a few words, this is an unexpected morning Goa trance album from the Swedes, more conventional this time but very interesting nonetheless. Rating: 7.5/10. Listen / Buy: https://suntriprecords.bandcamp.com/album/battle-of-the-future-buddhas-the-light-behind-the-sun

Artist: Pete & Pan Title: Return Of The Goddess Label: Goa Madness Records Date: November 27, 2019 1. Serra Del Estrela 2. Elysian Fields 3. passing Spirits 4. Tantric Tweak, 5. The Fool 6. Abundance 7. Nowhere 8. Solstice 9. Muse (Bonus Track) Peiter, will you tell me a story? I’ll do better than that for you Peiter, we are going to make one together Pieter Goessens & Pieter van den Broeck make up Pete & Pan. If you haven't watched the Goa Madness interview with these fella's go and do so to get an idea of what they are all about. Alternatively you can take my word for it that they are all about having a fun and bringing enjoyment to the world. And if you know about Goa Madness Records then you probably know that they pretty much only release well produced psychedelic Goa albums. Taking this into account you can expect a well produced psychedelic Goa trance album that is almost filled to the brim with good times and positive story telling. The feel good aspect of this album is something I haven't heard since listening to Spiritual Healing. ~ Serra Da Estrela Good intro's are the most wonderful little gift that makes an album so much better. Serra Estrela has Astrix level Shamanic Tale vibes and does the trick of transporting you to another world like nothing else. The baseline is deadly and the magical atmospheres carry you through to a large vibrant melody that pick you up and take you higher and higher if you let it. Elysian Fields An anthem for all the teenage boys and girls out there that could never get some. A perfect mix of despondent teenage insecurity floats around positive future outlooks. If Elysian Field (Which is perfectly titled) does not pull an adolescent from their glum self pity into a mood terrorized by hope and positivity then nothing but time will. There is a playful little surprise for us further down the line that turns into a gamechanger for the track. Passing Spirits I like the vocal samples here. They all fit in really well and remind me of old 90's vocal trance that I used to hear in my friends old gym. Body Pump in North Australia circa 2005 is written all over this track. 8 bit sounds can also be found around Passing Spirits as can some key changes that almost always leave me feeling cheated. This time is no different but I find it easier to get over it and move on to my continued enjoyment of the track. The wicked first act sets the scene for the rest of the track that is The Fool. The smooth leads form into a smooth melody that travels around the void calmly juxtaposed against a dirty bassline and kickdrum. The two take turns with your attention and build a glitter spangled storyline Tantric Tweak Cool title and another cool intro comes as no surprise. If you want a track that builds and builds and builds then this might be the track for you. The explosion of feel good vibes wrapped up in a wide melody makes you want to stroll where rays of sunshine can surround you in warmth the way that Tantric Tweak warms you from the inside. Darker atmospheres crawl out of the intro to Abundance but quickly get buddied up next to some playful positivity. The track builds and builds into something almost unrecognizable to the beginning. Absolutely incredible story telling that has so far remained impossible to not get lost in. Nowhere Melodies of raw sugar screech across your brain and etch themselves into it. Behind that you have a melodies begging you to throw your arms out to the side to glide on euphoria. Solstice Starting energetic and full of playful potential as can be expected with these bubbas. Here you're gonna get more twists, just as many feel good melodies and scorching raw leads of nuclear fusion. Muse (Bonus Track) It's been a long time since ive sat through such a purposefully uplifting banger. Muse is the sort of track you close a magical festival experience with, leaving everyone full of bliss and peace. A favourite from the album for it's pure emotional power. ~ Goa Madness continue their selection of hand crafted, top quality maestro produced Goa Trance. The production quality here is on par with Hypnoxocks Eurythmia, everything is polished, clean & purposeful. Each Track is a story and each finishes far away from where it starts. Listen to your album however you want, but try as many different ways as possible, back to forth, front to back, on shuffle. each time you get a different perspective and a different journey. Some of the track in Return Of The Goddess are the sort of music The Muses Rapt should have been producing in 2019. Well Pieter & Pieter have taken the torch and given us something that is so delightful I'm scared of listening to it too much. If Pieter & Pieter are going to go to the effort of releasing this piece of wonder then i'll face my fears and listen to this album till my heart is content. This album is certainly going into my top 10 for 2019 and something I'll be bumping every time I need a little extra aural love in my life. Thank you Goa Madness and all of the Pieters involved in this project. https://goamadnessrecordsofficial.bandcamp.com/album/return-of-the-goddess

Artist: Miranda Title: Cosmic Treasure Vol.1 Best of 1995-2000 Remastered Label: Spiral Trax I mean, all I have to say to this is 'wow, fuck yes this is great, never leave my ears you beautiful sounds'. I have some of Miranda's stuff. I've always thought it was awesome. But! I had no idea it could sound like this. This perfectly remastered selection of her greats is to me like listening to them all again for the first time. I mean, just take the intro, ya'll know a good intro is sick, and this one is for sure. Don't even get me started on Gnocchi's wild ass bass line and wild zaps of energy. 'Their isn't a bad song here' is a statement that was true before the remaster. So it's hard to know what to say about it now. 'There are only 10/10 tracks presented here?' That'll do. Listen to the vibrancy of Step To The Stars for example. Listen to that punch. My goodness gracious. Wiiild Miranda likes Mars, we can take a hint. But if the planet of Mars was anything like Miranda's Planet of Mars track I'd be there in a heartbeat. Surely any Miranda fan would understand why I would think that Phenomena should be in their top 3 favourite tracks. Well this is better than you remember. Somewhere Out There, Awesome Mars Needs Woman, Eclectic with an ending like you have only kinda heard before. But not like this. Andalgalornis, Deep and electric. Magnetic Levitation, A favourite on top of a bunch of favourites. I mean what more could you want than deep rumbles, dark atmospheres, psychotic melodies and absolute layered distinction. https://spiraltrax.bandcamp.com/album/miranda-cosmic-treasure-vol-1-best-of-1995-2000-remastered-spitcd053-spiral-trax

Happy you're alive bro

Definitely one of the very best releases of last year, big props to this artist for not compromising his classic sound.

Thought you were gonna ask why does generic modern psytrance exist.

This album shows immensely the essence of Goa Trance. Anything is possible! Goa Trance is not supposed to follow a formula, not supposed to be generic, but innovative, different and just plain fun! Here we get massive amounts of fairies, angels, floating sounds, chord changes, bouncing basslines and much more. Yep, this is a euphoric, happy and pleasant album of music by Pete and Pan. I witnessed them live at Ohm Gathering in Belgium not so long ago and I remember it was the most outstanding revelation. Something different! Very trancy! The whole album breathes the same happy atmosphere. And if I have to pick a favorite: Tantric Tweak. Man that track is phenomenal. Just the right amount of happiness and heavy basswork. Really great great job you guys. I'm enjoying this enormously. Purchasing now.

Timeless Worlds Of Space is a beautiful masterpiece that should not be excluded from the 2nd volume. Let's hope..

I can not wait for round 2. Funk. Nasty, groovy, space-funk. Cosmic musicball dance party with melodic hors d'oeuvres and little hi-hat dental floss thingies to clean out your teeth in between bites. No, wait, make that mental floss. Go in hungry for musical caviar and come back sated. Seriously, these melodies are some earworms. Like others said, these are not your below-average, wandering, listless melodies, but actual melodic statements with intention and purpose. This is fun music. It has its corollaries to Space-era S>Range in the space-funk, Alien Protein-era Etnica in the theme-building, Dragon Tales-era Koxbox in the cosmic joker cameo, and more Koxbox in the melodic matrix everything unfolds within. The latter may be the best comparison I can come up with -- just updated. Not better, because that's really hard to do, but just with a chrome finish where Dragon Tales had 80s-era solid stainless construction. I'm not a party-goer, since I live in small-town America, but I can only imagine this BIG sick sound could only result in orgiastic, twirling, pulsating dancefloors. On headphones, it's got my neck bobbing up and down like a chicken at feeding time. Or a cheerleader after the big game. Buy it. You WILL need at least five hands to count the number of full listens you get out of it.

Being original in this genre today isn't a small task, but the two Piets definitely are! One is a member of Quantum Fantay and you can definitely hear that in parts, which is beautiful. The other one is easily one of the most creative persons I know and has evidently studied the music on dancefloors all over the world for a long time. There's so much knowledge and creativity in this album that even though it's still very early, I believe that it's one of the most authentic goa trance albums of the decade. Hats off, guys, honestly!

This album is a total success. Ten out of ten. One hundred percent. The melodies are very original and are taken to the extreme. Only the best bands can do this, Etnica, Mfg, Astral Projection.

First of all.....Thank you very Fairy much for these kind words! We have put our Heart & Soul in this Story... and Glad to hear it touched yours! Great writing skills too brother. You have chosen your words so elegantly. It reads very smooth ... You are a storyteller yourself! ;-) Blessings. Pieter <3

One of the few genuine Goa albums of 2019. What makes this album stand out for me is its elegant simplicity. It reminds me of Electric Universe's "One Love", for just one example, in its refusal of manic layering, the weakness in my view of much nu Goa, and goes for a relatively simple sound with plenty of space and time for each sound and idea to evolve. This encourages true trance and spaciness, inner and outer. Buddhas keep some of their signature darkness and roughness, evident here in some melancholic and sinister feelings, but this is a slower and more melodic album than much of their previous output. To put this same point another way, some of the melodies are of the Scando forest troll gonzo style, jaunty little pixilated motifs full of cheeky and playful Loki spirit; but the album as a whole is far from their heavier or rougher psytrance albums. The recording is also worth a mention I think: there's a deliciously velvety black background to the colourful sounds that are used which adds to the spacey effect. Finally, there are some really slick beats and percussion on this album, with nary a full on beat or bassline in sight. Recommended! ~*~

I've only heard great things about this album so I ordered it. Already have the digital files but waiting for the CD!

fuck, its missing Groom Lake, id honestly buy it otherwise : O anyway, so nice to see the oldies remastering their stuff, only wish more producers did that. Who wouldnt buy a remastered version of Astrals catalog? I would. From what I can gather from my research most mastering was done by Lior Perlmutter himself and honestly , he damn near ruined Amen for me, and i can think of dozens more albums that really would be excellent to get a modern master of. mastering quality has increased tenfold since the 90s/00s.

Haha. Na that's what I thought for ages. The track is 'step to the stars'. I'm guessing Miranda had one called 'second step...'

1. Gate to Happiness 08:45 2. Stormbringer 08:31 3. No Unexpected Errors 07:50 4. Homonculus 08:57 5. Gargantuan Tribes (Live) 08:24 6. Starbirth 08:26 7. Psychic Dissonance 08:30 8. Chosen By The Gods 08:36 9. Helios 09:01 I know very little about Triquetra other than these guys are two brothers who make Goa released by Suntrip. I enjoyed No Unexpected Errors, Gargantuan Tribes, Psychic Dissonance, and Helios right away. It took time for the other songs to grow on me (or settle) so here we go! 1. Gate to Happiness has a beautiful, atmospheric, Ambient-influenced (with feels!) introduction that developes until the beat drops at 1:48 (very cool). The distinct sound of Triquetra arrives-- a whirlwind of melodies. Harmonious ones fly above as deeper ones swims below among a key tune. The uplifting vibe is pleasant. The middle act though could have had more ingenuity, character, something to make it stand out and be more enjoyable. Act 2 is fairly bland and in that regard, the song could have benefited from being shorter. Fortunately, the last act is dynamic, exciting, and showcases beautiful sound/melody work. Here the song comes alive. Talk about a rebound! The last act is excellent. Good track! B+ 2. Stormbringer dives into its psychedelic rhythm early on, though the music sounds a bit too acidy, for me. Cool intro! The female voice accent is catchy. The first act is pretty good! It keeps building, keeping my attention and features a really nice melody at 2:00, and a tougher synth lead at 2:40. It's good. But at some point early into the third minute, the repetitive ACIDIC sound begins to grate on me. It's too acidic and makes the music feel more repetitive than it is. A healthier variety in sounds and direction would have been helpful. Act 2 allows us to breath (the song works best when it's less maximal IMO). Some nice new melodies enter. I enjoyed the forth minute, and the traveling melody in the fifth. These are good parts! Even 5:49 has an edgy Goa synth that works well, but at 6:04, things get too acidic (grating) and 'samey' for me. At 6:37 I can breathe again. It's not great but a relief. But that's not what sells the high energy song. The last act-- aside from a few tweaks and not being too in-my-face, lacked fresh ideas and inventiveness to make it stand out. To me, the song feels like one long extensive act, despite likely working better on dance floors considering it's full of energy and rhythm, but the artists are more intelligent and talented than this. They know how to make smart, visionary songs that are great for home-listening and dancing. The acidic emphasis and samey (in that regard) sound here just exhausted me out by the end. But damn, it has some really good elements and I'm sure some people will like this more than I did, but I'm not going to sugar coat how I felt. B- 3. No Unexpected Errors is so much more dynamic, interesting, and enjoyable compared to the previous track. This showcases tight and punchy synth work and direction. The flurry of nuances kept me hooked; I love accents. Take the one via 2:50, a brief one-note. It's so simply and catchy, and never overstays its welcome. There is a gripping lead. I mean leads! None are too in-my-face. Sure there are borderline moments, but they keep changing up, avoiding repetition. Moreover, a lot of sound/mixing work happens that supports the leads while preventing the song from feeling too acidic or repetitive. Act 2 allows us to catch our breath by reducing layers while maintaining the momentum. Engaging things keep popping up around every corner. The voice sample sounds cinematic, very Sci-Fi in origin. It shifts us to he most exciting part yet via the last act. I'd love to hear more elements that excite and surprise us (I don't mean this track but in general, thinking of the previous song). The mixing work is evident and impressive. Towards the end, I feel like the music could have incorporated a wider range of complimentary sounds via climax. The song's development is great, and I feel like it could have evolved a little more if that makes sense. That said, this is one of the best songs on the album and my first favorite track on Ecstatic Planet! No Unexpected Errors is smart, relentless, creative, and exciting from start to finish. Excellent track! A- / A 4. Homonculus seems to be the love/hate song on the album. I like it but have some criticism because I feel like some of it is very good, and some of it could have been so much better! The first few minutes are not interesting IMO despite some nice melody work. The music breaks for a transition at 2:27 and returns with (peeking our curiosity) touches of drum. The music falls to the background at 3:50 for an extended transition that would have been more welcome, had the first act been stronger. It doesn't help that the transition isn't very interesting. A sudden BOOM impact hits at 4:16 (I can't believe the song is half over already!). Fortunately this part is a lot catchier, followed by a more interesting, tighter transition with an intriguing Black Crystal sample. At 4:54 we get a strong, PURER FORM [bouncy Goa] melody arrives that's so good! What happened back there? Why did the song not its footing sooner? I feel like you could completely redo Act 1 (save the intro), tweak the finale, shave off 1-2 minutes, and the song would have benefitted. Act 3 remains animated, but lacks variety from Act 2. A memorable tune would have been nice. Act 3 is solid, but with so many layers via the acidic emphasis, it made me miss the fluid, cool groovy bounciness of Act 2. All in all, this is a pretty good song with a great second act, and a third act that's bound to keep the momentum going on the dancefloor. B- 5. Gargantuan Tribes (Live) integrates the use of an organic instrument. The result is something so creative and refreshingly organic sounding, that it's a wonder this approach hasn't been done before. I agree with everyone here. What a great way of using a didgeridoo! Man that's catchy! The track has a subtle hypnotic sound throughout. The organic sound is supported with good sound/melody work despite [the overall song] being fairly simple. It could have evolved more, as it got a little repetitive by the end. But the overall song and what the artists accomplished here is great! These guys have to do more creative stuff with incorporating organic instruments in Goa. It makes the music feel more alive! Well done. A- 6. Starbirth is a blast of danceable GOA bliss, though Act 1+2 could have showcased more sparkling gems, each act builds nicely on the former one. A request is to more catchy (interesting) opening acts since the tracks are quite gripping by the second half (the last track obviously grabbed me sooner). The growing energy and feels via ascension (like we're raising, uplifting) is terrific. Act 3 completely evolves into something wild and beautiful! I simply wish Act 1 was more interesting because the payoff is worth it! Starbirth has one of the best, most infectious climaxes I've heard all year! A- 7. Psychic Dissonance has a more arresting (decisive sounding) opening. The unique, morning (maybe influenced), but more psychedelic sound/melody work in Act 1 is unique! Something with the beat, baseline, and/or overall song makes the music feel more refreshing. Sometimes less is more! The energy (arrangement, notes) in Act 2 continues to develop like a story playing out. There's light and dark, beauty and danger. The electrical accent FX are catchy, like water droplets hitting a hot stove top (synthesized) as they skip across the beat. A transition smoothly evolves us into bouncy (infectiously danceable!) Goa terrain. It's excellent and so catchy! We reach another transition. The music falls to the back, save a few industrial FX, an interesting interlude of sorts. The tunes evolve and overall direction is so varied and engaging. What plays out can be described as ascensional-- like a magic elevator taking us to the higher dimensions. Gorgeous sound/melody work and direction! Like T2 or the FIRST Matrix film, the artist(s) seemed to go ALL OUT with the vision and finale. A- 8. Chosen By The Gods has a catchy female sample early on. The tingly melodies in the first act are really nice as soundscapes emerge. In the second or third minute though, I began to wonder where the song was going. It felt a bit indecisive and grew a little repetitive, idea wise. I like the clicking effect that doubles as an accent to the beat and/or note, and more development into more interesting terrain would have been nice. Though a bit more acidy than I prefer, Act 2 is much better. There is an elevating (for lack of better words) hypnotic effect in the second half that's interesting! I just wish there was more memorable aspects to hook us. The female voice re-appearing is catchy, and the last act is good, showcasing some elegant sound/melody work that feels different from anything we heard in the song beforehand. This is a solid song that could have been more memorable compared to the last three tracks, but it's growing on me. B 9. Helios has a nice, though it could have been more intriguing before the beat drop at 1:32. Gradually, the fantasy setting takes form. The atmospheric element is good. The storytelling arrangement work well, with each act complimenting and improving on the one before it. The shift into Act 2 via 4:25 grabbed my attention thanks fo juicier melodies, development, and key notes that compliment the storytelling aspect. The sound/melodies work continues to improve as if one if journeying deeper into a rich fantasy novel. We reach a transition (not too long) that develops and evolves us into something even more arresting. I love the gentle echoed melodies and nuances in the second half. Suddenly and at just the right time (in the last act), the artists push the envelope further, incorporating a completely unexpected, infectiously bouncy Goa lead that compliments the whole! It's such a fun, catchy OH WOW (satisfying) moment to top off an already harmoniously magical finale, adds sparkles to the icing on the already delicious organic cake. Wow... The song is full of feeling and emotion. It keeps getting better as it progresses, and then doesn't stop there. Other than it could have had a stronger (more visionary but complimentary) intro and first few minutes, I'd love to hear more magical tracks on the next album and future compilation tracks. Magic can be dark or light and I love the positive (light rather than dark) ascensional song here. Despite a bit of a slow start, Helios develops into a beautiful and memorable closing track. It's both my and my girlfriend's favourite song on the album, and brings FEELS !!! Actually at some point in the second half, I feel like we entered a fantasy (higher frequency) dimension. Excellent closing track! A- / A CONCLUSION Nitpicks aside, there is a ton of creativity on this album! The first two tracks simply do not do justice to how well done, complex, catchy, and distinct the sound/melody and overall mixing/production work is on this album. There are instruments that sound completely organic, excellent! Also a plus on having intros, be they decent or good. They lead listeners into the world of the music. The artists have their own distinct style and sound. Although I'm a fan of the variety of songs in the first half, the album showcases some of the artist's most beautiful work in the second half, e.g., Starbirth, Psychic Dissonance, Helios. To be constructive, a few songs could have had stronger first acts or first halves (1, 4, 9). A few tracks lacked variety and were a bit repetitive at times (2, 5), and in one or two cases, the last act could have been more refreshing (3, 4, 5). That said, I enjoy almost every song on the album. At least 3-4 are some of the best songs I've heard all year. I also felt that way about a couple songs on E-Mantra's 2018 album, Stapanii Timpului, as well as Morphic Resonance's 2018 album, Perplexity. Ecstatic Planet is a smart, articulative (no muddled sounds), psychedelic, and eclectic album, and it's one of the best [Goa Trance] albums of 2018. Favorite tracks: 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 ... and the last act in Track 1. 4/5 Order / Buy > https://www.suntriprecords.com/release/cat/SUNCD48/ Stream a full track

Artist: Ephedra Title: What The Future Brings Label: Goa Madness Records Release: May 18, 2018 Tracklist: - 1. In Search Of Flying Saucers 2. Flying Into The Night 3. Twisted Keys 4. Machiavellin? 5. Savannah Monk Trail (Ephedra & Imba) 6. Cosmic Collaboration (Proxeeus & Ephedra) 7. Return To the N Life 8. Deep inside Feelings 9. Floating Souls Ok whats going with you bunch? Triquetra, Morphic Resonance, Sab Kuch, Lectro Spectral, Geomagnetic/Timewarp comps and the rest of the 2018 release gang (you're all great) and now Ephedra. You graduate from middle school? Finally got yourselves real jobs? Get yourselves married? Have a couple of kids? Cause 2018 has been a year of mature music. A year of well thought out, technical bangers that have got me hitting puberty. Now Ephedra comes in to bring to add a little extra flavour. To show that the big boys know when to hold back till just the right point, when to build but not explode, when to reserve their tracks to create anticipation, when to just make nice sounds and not stress about all the hooha. 2018 got us all grown up. In search of Flying Saucers - UFO's. mystery. space. aliens. New Mexico the home of the Roadrunner. The kick Is hot the leads are perfectly reserved coming in and out but never to insane. This is the patience Im talking about. A really really good track. Flying Into The Night - a little break beat introduces us into spacier and faster feeling track. The leads twirl and slice away in the back, being brought forward at perfect moments as the rest of the track balances out. The melody is infectious as its shot at you over and over again. The track is pure hyperspace listening material, put it on and before you know it you’ve reached galaxy NGC 7320 All Aboard Twisted Keys - we don’t slow down here, a short moody intro keeps the journey rolling. Little tribal drum taps in the background are beat out with the lightest of fingers before leads takes centre stage & zip us away. Once again Ephedra balances the elements and layers out with exquisite grace. Nothing in this song is monotoned & just as you think the frenzy has ended Ephedra takes it up a notch and finishes with some great knob fiddles. Machiavellian - Ah señor Niccolò, the espouser of the old greek and roman value systems as well as the man that had the personality trait of deceit, self interest and manipulation named after him. The only manipulation in this song is that of Ephedra’s tools over your brain. Ephedra darkens things up a bit while keeping a coherent flow throughout the song. A perfect track for workplace craftiness, backstabbing a trusted confidant and dancing in any dark location of your picking. Epehdra & Imba - Savannah Monk Trail - Love the choral vocals and the drums in the intro. Another cool baseline and kick combo then takes us off to a happier place where elastic leads extend in and out. More squelches, an elephant and tribal chants set this track apart from the others. Imba and Ephedra’s mojo works in fine balance with each other, proven as the track increases in intensity from start to finish. A fav Ephedra and Proxeeus, Cosmic Collaboration - I gotta say I was excited when I saw these two together on a track, even more so the the title suggested that these two came up with some sweet sweet hallucinogenic Himalayan Cliff Bee Mad honey for us all to sip on. They did, much more melodic than I expected while still completely psychedelic and of course totally banging, another welcome and successful combination of talent. Return to the N Life - A title that would also work well for an Ice Cube album, Return to the N life takes us back into the land of classic ephedra. Another mature track that despite not really standing out I would still play at any party, yea even my nephews 6th birthday party. Once again Ephedra shows a lot of skill with his instruments and thought in production. Deep Inside Feelings - Ephedra gets all sentimental and opens up his electrifying feelings to us. I love when he strips the baseline away, a metaphor for his struggle to balance an minimalist life with the pressure to succeed (I don’t know, sounds cool though). The song is hot hot hot but nothing prepares you for whats next. Floating souls - The closing track. What's it gonna be? Which way will he take this? Many questions and only one answer. Ecstasy. Ephedra takes us away from all earthly feelings and into a land of the beyond. I don’t know exactly what it is….Yes I do, the intensity, leads, melody, dreamy floatiness and all the other things that make Goa trance just so incredible. This goes up there with Experiments into some of my favourite Goa trance tracks of all time. That’s that, what I will call a perfectly balanced album. This is by far my favourite Ephedra album, the patience in the track development all the way to the actual track development really stand out here. It’s a skill that comes with experience and with 3 albums under his belt it seems like Ephedra is getting plenty of that. Like all good middle school graduations, Ephedra has matured his sound into something completely delightful for the ears. Big shout out to Goa Madness for their support of great artists and 3 big blasting Ephedra albums. https://goamadnessrecords.bandcamp.com

Thanks for nice feedback. Regarding our track, well it's done after my last gig in Belgium and visit to Ephedra studio which became routine, everytime I come to Belgium I visit him for studio sessions. We wanted something a bit different from our usual styles and we joked a lot. We said let's make Vini Vici triplets and chants but in Goa way, so we did that. Ephedra himself recorded chants, he used vocoder for effect, we sampled elephants, gongs, buddhist chants, tribal drums, random stuff. He got some new hardware so we used it, most of track is actualy hardware: TB-03, Virus Ti, Microbrute, Nord Lead, JP8000 and some more... it was really funny and we enjoyed a lot! Here is video from the making of... with our stupid tired faces

This was one of the most highly anticipated albums I can remember (maybe Morphic Resonance was right up there) and it's a good one by this pair of brothers. One thing I've noticed is that most of the tracks lull you into what you think will be the same old same old modern goa trance, but they all seem to explode in their second half. It's like they save the best acidic tricks for last while the 303's just go crazy in a tsunami wave of sound! Certainly old school sounding and I believe it gets better each time I hear it. Recommended!

Nitzhonot: VA - Over The Sunrise was the compilation that started the big interest in Nitzhonot in late 1997 - early 1998, quickly followed by Eyal Barkan - Good Morning Israel (1998), which caused a hype that no other kind of psychedelic trance had ever reached before (in Israel) up til late 1999 - early 2000. Uplifting: In Greece, both the Transistance series and the Shiva Space Technology Israel series took of in 1998 and had a lasting success until 2002-2003. These should be considered the cornerstones of the Uplifting trance movement that dominated a good batch of the scene back in the heydays of Uplifting Trance, mainly in and around Athens.

It's a nice book IMO, and well done for a scene that not very cohesive globally. I enjoy the art in it, the articles are ok but nothing mind blowing. It'll sit nicely in my book collection, and many will no doubt look or ask questions. I'd definitely like my son to read it when he grows, as I want him to have an interest in areas outside of everyday society.

I bought the English version of the book (and DVD) and must admit, I liked it a lot. I think the fact that many of the chapters are by different authors is good, in as much as it gives several different viewpoints on the complex and contradictory Goa / psytrance scene. It's not an in depth study, but then it's not just a lightweight "isn't trance great" advert either. Some of the authors' standpoints I side with, other's less so. Overall I think it gives a reasonable overview of the scene and is a worthwhile celebration of the music, visual arts, people and major psytrance festivals. It makes no claims to be comprehensive. I'd say it's well worth getting for the photos alone. They are really stunning. The DVD is good too IMHO. Mainly a montage of festival and outdoor parties set to music, but with a few snippets of interviews dropped in at opportune moments. Only part I didn't like was the Spacetribe "Deep Purple Haze" track towards the end, but that's just personal taste - it's not a style of psytrance that I enjoy. The package is quite expensive, enough to put a lot of people off maybe, but considering it's going to appeal to a pretty limited market, I don't reckon it's too bad. Certainly Waterstones have similar size and quality books at the same kind of money.