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Katedra We Are Not Alone 2019 The MoonShip (mix 2019) 7:57 First Contact 10:41 Ring of Fire 8:58 Nagual 10:40 You Are Not Alone 9:15 Alienated Hallucination 10:20 Radiointerference (mix 2019) 9:50 The Edge Of Spaces 9:05 Drone Trance - Chthonic Swampdelica Was I sleeping or in a trance? Why did someone not tell me that there was a new genre when I woke up? Did anyone else notice that drone trance somehow slipped in under the radar and became a thing. Along with all things slo-core like drone metal (Sunn 0 and Bong), dark ambient (Lustmord et al), and drone jazz (Neptunian Maximalism), there is now drone trance, and I name Katedra's We Are Not Alone as a foundational album in this new genre. I don't know which mix I am listening to, but this is interesting and original music. This is Sloa Goa with a relatively slow, measured, unhurried pace. The rhythms tend to the industrial and have a grinding quality to them, which at times seems a bit linear and monotonous; I occasionally wanted more syncopation and percussive drama and different drum and cymbal sounds. However, the simple rhythm section avoids the plasticky psytrance sound completely and does tend to create hypnosis in the listener. Moreover, the simple pounding drums and pulsating bass are well balanced by rotating and whirling Goa melodies full of reverb and echo, often quite quiet and subtle, and most of which do not build to climaxes. This is the opposite of extroverted full on psytrance with its plastic rhythm section and bold shiny leads. Further, the bass is heavy and the sound is quite soft and muddy, almost lo-fi. The overall effect is entrancing - sucking the listener into a deep, dark vortex of murky chthonic intrigue. This album is all about the subconscious, that reptilian soup of instincts, repressions, desires, illegalities, unacceptabilities. Whilst this album reaches out to the stars, it also reaches deep within. So whilst all the ingredients are familiar, the way they are mixed together is unusual enough that a strange new dish is created: introspective swampdelica. Original! Just goes to show that there's more to this genre than we often think; imagination is the main limitation. ~*~ PS - beautiful cover art!