Leaderboard

1. Luminescence 05:28 2. Walking on a wire 08:36 3. B Movie 06:34 4. Into the mist 07:20 5. The moon rises 09:40 6. Shaped caterpillar 07:58 7. We have arrived 07:16 8. The moorish trail 08:16 9. Flashback 09:39 Ankrosado is André Rosado from Portugal, he was known to me after I listened to this compilation https://www.discogs.com/fr/Various-Celestial-Transvibrations/master/805350 and his track was one of my favorites so I was curious to listen to this album. The music is simply goa trance: melodies supported most of the time by a soft bassline, some twisted sounds here and there and climaxes coming at the right time. Track #1 is slow and short, in my opinion it is a little empty and dull, but you should not get turned off by this track, it is almost like an intro and the following tracks get more interesting. Track #2 and #3 speed up nicely and have more ideas but still lack direction, so we are not quite there yet. With track #4 we are granted a cleaner sound with better energy, the music is very morning oriented and I enjoyed the beautiful key changes. The highlights come from track #5 to pretty much the end of the album. Ankrosado's style remains very humble in an elegant way and it keeps floating. The attention to detail is good, sounds are nicely delivered and the more variation the more pleasure. Some parts immediately reminded me Blue Planet Corporation, with synths floating and swirling, that put a smile on your face. We have some slower sequences, built in an euphorically melancholic way that please my ears. My opinion: the first half of this release is decent but sometimes boring, the second half delivers something uplifting, I can certify that this album sounds very old school and yet fresh, melodic and passionate. You will not have to go through these big walls of arpeggios or aggressive spirited sounds, so if you like your goa trance soft and laid back you should definitely give it a try. Favorite tracks: #5, #6, #7, #9. Rating: 7/10. Listen / buy: https://ankrosado.bandcamp.com/album/luminescence

There are some good ideas here and there (like the second half of B-Movie), but it is too bland and disorganized, and some melodies do not seem to work. Ankrosado seems to be looking for their own style and experimenting, and the whole album gives an unfinished impression. However, there's some good effort on creativity, as he tries not to copy paste existing formulas and to come up with something new. He also masters the basics of Goa trance. Indeed, the oldschool feeling is nicely emulated. The Moorish trail has some interesting folk atmospheres. I do not think that this album is a success, but Ankrosado deserves our attention. Maybe that he shall come up with a more precise artistic concept and focus on a more humble project like an EP instead of an album. So, don't let criticism be an obstacle and keep it up.