Templar

I apologize for being brutal, but waiting for an AP album = expecting a person to recover from Down's syndrome.

Didn't know where to drop this bomb, but sure seems to be the best place: http://soundcloud.com/artha_pl/hallucinogen-lsd-artha-remix 'nuff said

Maybe Richpa knows something...

^ Maturity in action.

Sundial Aeon - Wolfsberg Impact Studio Records, 2012 1. Wolfsberg (Original Mix) 2. Wolfsberg (Crankshaft Remix) 3. Wolfsberg (Remix feat. L-Wolf) 4. Wolfsberg (Kadasarva remix) 5. Wolfsber (Itoa Remix) 6. Wolfsberg (Lackluster Bodily Rigidity Remix) 7. Wolfsberg (Sonic Saturation Remix) 8. Iced-Melancholy Spectacle (X-Ceed Remix)* *bonus track Less than a year after the release of Mimesis album, Sundial Aeon has produced a concept album called Wolfsberg. The album contains the original version of the track Wolfsberg from the Mimesis release and remixes of the song. When making their new album, the band co-operated with: Crankshaft (Finland), Lackluster (Finland), Kadasarva (Ukraine), L-Wolf (Poland), Sonic Saturation (Poland), Itoa (Poland) and X-Ceed (Poland). This album is a unique selection of compositions varying from soothing and hushkit ambient, trance, through idm to atmospheric drum & bass... Link: http://beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.aspx?id=7202 Worldwide distribution: Beatspace Release date: September 2012 Format: CD-Digipack www.sundial.pl info@sundial.pl

Finally the album is released! http://beatspace.com/6998/Ashoka+Records/SWEN+%28DZONCY%29+STROOP/Forest+in+Peace/detail.aspx http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/aso/aso1cd001.html Enjoy!

Swen (Dzoncy) strOOp - Forest In Peace Ashoka Records, 2012 1. Brainsplitting 2. Forest In Peace 3. Psychocybine (Hubba Hubba) 4. Shortvolution 5. Pog Mo Thoin 6. Are You Gonna Kill Yourself? 7. Cromm Cruach 8. Dybuk Song 9. Thauron Info: Ashoka Records proundly presents Forest in Peace - the new Swen (Dzoncy) strOOp full-length essential album for psychedelic chillout explorations! The album is a unique trip into the higher states of your consciousness (and subconsciousness as well). Forest in Peace is an unforgettable journey into deep spacey ambient, floating soundscapes, organic and ethno tunes with lazy beats, dubby bass lines, shimmering melodies and shamanic atmospheres that is perfect for both dancing and chilling. Are you ready to come closer to the door of perception? We hope you are, so just open the gate and come into... Sun, Love, Peace and Chillout... Samples @ Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/ca2gh4t

We have checked everything before and after uploading/downloading. I even downloaded it now and everything is fine with track 5.

Stellar Magnitude - Outerglow Remixes Psytrance.pl, 2012 Tracklist: 1. Outerglow (144 BPM) 2. Outerglow (TLG Remix) (133 BPM) 3. Outerglow (Prot Remix) (138 BPM) 4. Outerglow (Space Element Remix) (144 BPM) 5. Outerglow (Alien Bug Remix) (145 BPM) Released in 2012 by Psytrance.pl Mastering & Photos: Space Element (Michał Dąbrowski / Psytrance.pl & Mystic Arts Event) Licensed under the Creative Commons for noncommercial usage. You are encouraged to share, copy, broadcast and perform this release. Some rights reserved. http://creativecommo...s/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Info: The dynamic duo called Stellar Magnitude (Michał Dąbrowski a.k.a. Space Element & Przemysław Ziółkowski a.k.a. Magnatec) hit the trancefloors with the "Outerglow Remixes" single. It includes the original version of the title track plus four stunning interpretations made by Alien Bug, TLG, Prot and Space Element himself. Most of the artists here already featured on the "Panta Deus" double compilation released by Psytrance.pl. Once again they show their true potential, delivering fine psytrance tracks of different psy-flavors. Space Element is also responsible for mastering and the graphic design. Download links: MP3 version: Link 1: http://depositfiles....files/1ge2rktz5 Link 2: http://www.mediafire...ek8m6t5bc7x2xc1 WAV version: Link 1: http://filepost.com/files/a944abad/ Link 2: http://depositfiles....files/5e7qaoqsm FLAC version: Link 1: http://depositfiles....files/3h6imhjxw Link 2: http://filepost.com/files/427mbcc5/ Additional links: http://www.psytrance.pl http://www.facebook.com/psytrancePL http://www.myspace.c...tellarmagnitude http://www.soundcloud.com/tlg-music http://www.myspace.com/hardyspp http://www.soundcloud.com/spaceelement http://www.soundcloud.com/alien-bug Also be sure to check out our "Panta Deus" double compilation: http://www.ektoplazm...usic/panta-deus

2011 was a good year indeed. Once again, a nice initiative.

Sundial Aeon - Mimesis Impact Studio Records, 2011 1. Secret Glory (Introduction Into The Riese Complex) 2. Wolfsberg (Lower Silesia Mountains Nostalgia) 3. The Vortex Incident (The Race Against Time) 4. Iced-Melancholy Spectacle (Kadasarva Remix) (Moving Frozen Voices) 5. Profundity Of Imagination (Waking Up Memories) 6. Stuck On You (Album Version) (Spiritual Energies) 7. Our Eternity (The Eternal Monument Of Our Venture) 8. The Universe (The New Age Directions) 9. Chronos (The Experiences From Far Away From Here) 10. Reflection Of The Past (Outro - Same Questions From The Past...) Poles also have their very own chillout music. After the "Metabasis" and "Apotheosis" albums, the time has come for "Mimesis" (I like a certain consistency of the people behind Sundial Aeon in the naming of their albums). The cover, the tracks' subtitles, the album's dedication - all of these details make up the greater and thought-out whole, because the theme (that's right!) revolves around the site, which had already managed to get covered with a thick layer of legends. The site's name is Riese: a secret military complex located close to Wałbrzych in the Owl Mountains, which was the main inspiration when creating the material for the album. One must admit that it is quite unusual, yet interesting at the same time. Therefore, the release shows that you can squeeze something interesting from the topic of conceptual albums. This project also reinforces my belief that electronic music continues to stand for something more than just serving releases with plain 8-9 tracks. Here the task was not only to throw in few calm tracks on the disc and that's all folks, but to give the whole thing a coherent whole form, marketed by the slogan: "Those who know do not speak, those who speak do not know..." Having already had a good few years in this business, four crew members (Revisq, Raiden, Dan & Scann-Tec) treat us with some fine music here. While listening to the album the good old magic comes back instantly. Sundial Aeon do not change their style - and why should they? They feel this style really well and continue certain traditions in an appropriate manner. Because the guys operate on patterns which are already very well known to us, one will encounter here many themes and elements which we have known already from their previous releases, either full albums or single tracks on various compilations. Fortunately, it is still good listening and in spite of everything the feeling of secondariness will be alien to us. Particularly because the disc is full of very diverse moods. Moreover, the albums creators showered it with samples recorded in places such as Struga, Szczawno-Zdrój, Wałbrzych, Walim, Głuszyca, Rzeczka and the Owl Mountains, which is in full harmony with the main concept behind the creation of the album. Despite the obvious chillout aspect of the disc, in large part this is a very dynamic album. The tracks "Wolfsberg", "The Incident Vortex", a remix of "Iced-Melancholy Spectacle", "Profundity Of Imagination," "Stuck On You," "The Universe" and "Chronos," thus so many as seven positions from the proposed dozen, constitute a paradise for those who want to bathe a chillout room in something more lively. The album gets to the listener from the very first track. And that is what it is all about. "Secret Glory" captures with its mysterious atmosphere and monumentality. A good album opening only pays off with the following tracks. One of my top positions on the album, the "Wolfsberg" track, instantly strikes with its space and aural pathos. Allow ourselves to immerse in it to the top of our heads so that it is hard to emerge later. I think that in this tune lies the essence of this album - a secret from the past enchanted in electronic sounds, which is enhanced by the solemnity of incredible execution and ethereal atmosphere. It is worth noting that the past associated with Aural Planet is not a stranger to this track, taking into account the fact that the sample used at the end was recorded by Jacek Dojwa a.k.a. Falcon, one of the members of this group. "The Vortex Incident" is known by anyone who has had previous contact with the "Panta Deus" compilation, where it existed under the name "Haunebu". It is more of an upbeat track that does not lack a UFO aftertaste and fits like a glove to the entire concept, especially when you consider its original title (I recommend to search for the name in Google). At number four we have a breakbeatish remix of "Iced-Melancholy Spectacle", a neat nod to the previous album called "Apotheosis". Also the trancey "Stuck On You" track managed to be presented in a new version. Supporters of the rehashed old ideas theory should know that bringing these two tracks again into the light and putting new clothes on them only enriched the album and helped to show the older tunes, with which we associate Sundial Aeon, from a different perspective. Particularly well presented in this case is the remix made by Alex Volkova (Kadasarva), whose work is for me one of the stronger competitors here. At times it smells of Shpongle at its best. "Profundity Of Imagination" relatively quickly reveals its dancing potential and a fairly positive attitude, which curiously coincides with a similarly paced "Our Eternity" and the more aggressive "The Universe" track. "Chronos" is another decent chunk of Sundial meat and it fits perfectly into the reflective releases straight from Ultimae Records. The album ends with the moody "Reflection Of The Past", which in a toned manner perfectly sums up the disc's content, at times reminding us of the great soundtracks like the one from the cult computer game called "Unreal". Although this is the third album already, and it would seem that the entrance of routine is almost certain, Sundial Aeon still maintain a high level. It is essential to appreciate the album's concept (let's add: an unconventional one) and that, despite the absence of changes in the group's sonic menu and strict continuing of their recognizable, somewhat schematic style, the music is still interesting. Although there are strongly rooted patterns that are more the hallmarks of this project, rather than signs of clichés, the material on the album is addictive and well executed, and after all this is the most important thing. How "Mimesis" will be accepted among the listeners? I think it will be appreciated quite well, just like the previous albums. The group's fans do not need any special recommendation to reach for this album. The album is not only a good complement to the world of sounds under the banner of Raiden and the crew, but also a decent start of Impact Records Studio, which I have high hopes for. Add to this an interesting and intriguing concept of the album and we are dealing with a release not only worth getting acquainted with, but which is also a must-have. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl / http://www.facebook.com/psytrancePL Links: http://www.sundial.pl http://www.nobient.pl/index.php?products=product&prod_id=2221 http://www.beatspace.com/6606/Impact+Studio+Records/SUNDIAL+AEON/Mimesis/detail.aspx http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/isr/isr1cd001.html

IT'S OUT! http://www.beatspace.com/6606/Impact+Studio+Records/SUNDIAL+AEON/Mimesis/detail.aspx http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/isr/isr1cd001.html

I downloaded mine some time ago and it worked ok. Very good material btw! I also liked the sublime artwork/photos - this is the atmosphere (vast natural landscapes) I also aimed at while creating the "Panta Deus" project. I shall provide a review when I have the time, as this one surely deserves it.

Allaby - Reform Nano Records, 2011 1. Glade (Zen Mechanics Remix) 2. Spiritually Corrected 3. Imaginarium (Burn in Noise Remix) 4. Glade ('06 Mix) Each track by Allaby I encountered so far left me with a good impression. The announcement of this release foreshadowed more tasty bits by Matthew. The four-track "Reform" single contains mostly remixes and new versions of know tracks. Two of them are by Zen Mechanics and Burn In Noise and they are connected with the original tracks entitled "Glade" and "Imaginarium". The first remix is a typical approach to full-on in the style of Zen Mechanics - a properly made track, unfortunately it is not very original as far as the primary version is concerned and I think it was thrown in here just to strengthen the whole line-up with a well-known name. "Spiritually Corrected" is a kind of remix of "Spiritually Correct", which was released years ago on the compilation called "Twisted Sessions vol. 1" (Twisted Records, 2002) and brought the creator himself a bit of deserved praise. Although the track's new clothes primarily manifest themselves with a more pumped-up bass, the background, which cleverly smuggles significant themes for the original version of the track (let me add: a great version), makes up for any deficiencies. Track number three takes "Imaginarium" into its mitts and as a result we obtain a well-tailored, sometimes rough full-on psytance intended for the trancefloors. It is a good track to play at a party's prime time, when the sun is burning one's back and neck. At the end of the tracklist we have the aforementioned "Glade", a track which derives its title from a British festival of the same name. The track finally saw daylight after 5 years of lying in the drawer and being exploited by Nano Records' DJs. Overall, this is not some spectacular music, but it makes one move as it supposed to and despite some routine, these 10 minutes of the track seem to be covered quite reasonably. The single itself whets the appetite for a full album by Allaby, which according to the announcement is to be released by the same label. I think it is worth waiting and I expect that the artist will show his edge, which was a bit lacking here. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.beatport.com/release/reform-ep/380407 http://www.nanorecords.co.uk/releases

Gaudium - Session Of Progression Iboga Records, 2011 1. Undercover 2. High On Life 3. I've Got Something 4. In Between 5. When The Sun Rises 6. Blue Lights 7. Searching 8. Tekknobonk 9. A Smile On Your Face Makes You More Beautiful 10. Chasing Shadows Finally some good progressive sounds from Iboga - I have to make peace with that label. I thought I gave up on it already, choosing a course for its Iboga Trance sublabel, where one can find more trancey trance when compared with the main label. On one hand it is a delicate album, on the other hand it can kick as it is supposed to. The first significant thing that throws one on his knees is the cover and the very accurate title, not to mention the slick layout of the disc itself, which was dressed in the image of an audio recording tape. Of course the music is the most important thing and the one we were given here is really good material intended for immediate and frequent consumption. In "Session Of Progression" Andreas Wennersköld treats us with a portion of great progressive psytrance in a fine packing. I admire the author that in the flood of overdone and stylized tracks, which do not have much in common with true psy-progrressive tunes and which dive freely in the depths of boring electro and mincing house, he did not forget about the most important thing - the sense of what it really is about. Simply listen to a track like "High On Life", where we have the essence of this music, with the emphasis on energy and rhythm. Gaudium does not copy himself in subsequent tracks, providing quite diverse vibes in each of them, thus making it easier to memorize the individual tunes. Anyhow, just compare the sunny beach anthem "When The Sun Rises" and the quite gloomy "Searching" - the conclusions will draw themselves. There are also various elements that seemingly relate to the early stages of Vibrasphere's output. There is nothing else to do but to listen to these tracks while driving a car, or have a total blast at a club/open air party or on a sandy beach with them as the sonic background. "Session Of Progression" is the perfect album for those who worry that the current progressive psytrance sank completely in the pool of house and electro, or is represented only by the secondary Zyce-Nerso-Flegma clique and the likes. Among progressive releases this album is undoubtedly a distinctive one, especially for all those who were waiting impatiently for some sort of boost as far as this genre is concerned. I am glad that someone finally woke regarding the weakened image of progressive psytrance. It is really worth having the session with this CD. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/ibo/ibo1cd073.html

Dynamic - The Remixes Fineplay Records, 2009 1. Scream (Bliss Remix) 2. Emotion Pulse (Black & White Remix) 3. Drop This (GMS Remix) 4. Make Me (Dynamic vs Space Cat Remix) 5. Acid Beat (220 Volt Remix) 6. Dynamic Sound (Switch Remix) 7. Buenas Noches (CPU Remix) 8. Unlimited (Dual Core Remix) 9. Rock The Body (Ananda Shake Remix) 10. Take Your Time (Sigma vs Dynamic Remix) Generally speaking this could be as well my shortest review ever, one which would contain only a single word: crap. Some other, somewhat more sophisticated variants of this statement would be: "utter crap" or "this is some crap". Maybe these are too vulgar and blunt comments, but, let's face it, nothing else comes to one's mind after contact with this release. But so as not to reach the level of this musical abomination I shall make an attempt to write something more rather than just this short and not very flattering phrase. Were it not for the fact that I received this album as a promo, I would have never looked at it, not to mention buying it. To download it from the Internet is not so much an act of piracy but one of wasting time, the connection and disc space. I remember Dynamic from their quite slick release from the past. This was the album entitled "Dynamix" (Phonokol, 2003), the tracks of which were a frequent addition to sets played by our DJs - thus memorable tunes like "DJs On Pills," "Genetic Engineers", "Happy Hippies (Remix)" and "Marju" plowed party trancefloors consistently on many occasions. In the case of those Israeli artists their later attempts only confirm the statement that it was just a one-time shot. After that it was only a downward sloping line, as evidenced by this collection of remixes here - tracks which do not add anything new to the genre of full-on psytrance. No matter how pompously announced this album was, the spirit of uncanny mediocrity and trash is towering over all of it. If there is anyone who is expecting some injection of freshness, the bubble is quick to burst. There is an injection of energy all right, but the same can be said of Justin Bieber's music thrown in among silly teenagers screaming and pissing their pants. One quickly forgets about it, because this kind of things should be forgotten. Some tracks have their moments and some potential, if not for the fact that all this is quickly destroyed by the trivial patents, cheesy melodies and vocals. The last track seems to be the ideal summary of the album's content. It is worth checking it up with one's own ears how far into the abyss of generic releases and trash did the people behind the promotion of such sound go. The scene which can boast about people like Hallucinogen, Astral Projection, Juno Reactor, Cosmosis, Jaia and others would probably cover its face in its hands if it could. "Dynamic - The Remixes" is a perfect example of the progressive McDonaldization of sounds represented by these types of projects. This disc, as well as many other similar to it, makes one think about what keeps people in contact with this type of music. In addition to effective hard drugs I do not find any other reason, unless someone is an extraordinary masochist without a bit of good taste. Of course some people can say that I am very wrong, because these tracks are just so excellent. Okay than, but at the same time he or she should think over this foolish statement, because it especially offends albums like "Suria - Logical Evolution", the debut of Sirius Isness, releases by the likes of Nano Records and Alchemy Records, or a bunch of other very good releases from the full-on stable. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/fin/fin1cd007.html

Lightsphere - Oneness Audioload Music, 2011 1. Slide Show 2. Natural Movement 3. Oneness 4. Feel 5. Hidden Harmony 6. Upside Down 7. Rise (Lightsphere Rmx) 8. Underwater Landscapes 9. And The Beat Goes On 10. Intersession On the 4th of July 1776 king George III of England wrote in his diary: "Nothing important happened today". It was the day of the Declaration of Independence by the United States. One can assign a similar comment to the date when this album was released. I would exchange its title "Oneness" for "Sameness". My impression after listening to the samples at one of the most popular online shops with psy-sounds was, lightly speaking, not among the good ones. I even allowed the thought that there was an enormous mistake going against the creators and their listeners, through which only one sample of a single track was presented as the samples of all tunes from this album. The situation was quickly verified by the authors - the album was supposed to sound like that from the very beginning. Unfortunately, the concept of this album does not defend in any way its substantially repetitive nature, because the "copy-paste" effect of the album is overwhelming. The debut album "Reflexion", which Lightsphere released in 2006, was not something revolutionary, but it was done in a very decent manner and the tracks were quite varied. When compared with the second album it appears to be a very complex release. Boredom is the leading factor here and listening to this CD is an experience of indifference. It's a shame because I had serious hopes connected with this release regarding not only a solid, but above all inventive and diverse progressive psytrance. Indeed, the tracks have the proverbial punch, which I was able to verify some months earlier during the duo's live act at a local trance party. It is certainly light, positive and quite sunny music, but in larger quantities and schematic form presented here it simply begins to make one bored to death. Although it can make one move at a party (it is hard to fall asleep at the trancefloor), listening to it individually is a sure case of involuntary yawning reflexes. The album is just begging to go along the concept contained in the word "progressive" and further develop the idea of the first track in more than only one way, which here is based on its copying practically throughout the whole album. "Oneness" is an album which could have achieved much more. His assessment would be better if not for the fact that nothing is happening throughout the whole CD. The first track starts, continues and extends for nine following tracks. The five year break between this album and the debut "Reflexion" is totally unjustified. A serious disappointment and a large scratch on the general image of very good releases by Polish artists. Pity. I hope that their next album will show Lightsphere in a better light. Meanwhile, I shall listen to "Reflection" once more. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/alm/alm1cd003.html

Circuit Breakers - Overload Nano Records, 2010 1. Circuit Breakers 2. Off Yer Head Brazil plus Britain is a very interesting combination of flavors, especially that the people behind the combination are Dick Trevor (Dickster, Green Nuns) and Gustavo Manfroni (Burn In Noise). With such a mixture the result could be none other than a good one. Indeed, after having a joint single entitled "Brazinglish" released a year ago under Nano Records, where the name of Circuit Breakers was still non-existent and the single displayed their separate pseudonyms, the duo struck with another portion of delicious, high octane psytrance. Both tracks are sure to make people overload, according to the single's title. Both "Circuit Breakers" and "Off Yer Head" are two well-crafted sonic blasters, in which the artists properly balanced elements of colorful psychedelia and the dynamic core of the tunes. Both make up for and excellent supplement of a psytrance diet. Moreover, they can also enrich a DJ-set in a proper way and make the people at a trancefloor go crazy. The whole thing leaves the impression as if the sounds represented by Dickster and Burn In Noise became friends with each other so that in the future we may expect something more. Of course I am counting on that, because in this case a full album is mandatory. Damn, this was goooood! Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.nanorecords.co.uk/releases

Tour De Trance Neurobiotic Records, 2011 1. Avalon, Waio & Cyrus The Virus - Transitions 2. Earthling & Touch Tone - Vasseyva (feat. Justin Chaos & Hemi Sync) 3. Silicon Sound & Sonic Species - Doomsday Hit 4. Sonic Species - Drums At Dawn (Zen Mechanics Rmx) 5. M-Theory - Woodbox 6. Dickster - One And Together 7. Screenagers - Take Control 8. Edoardo - Safe Landing 9. Silicon Sound feat. DJ Psychotrop - Unsophisticated I was very excited when I saw the announcement of the compilation at Psyshop, but soon my enthusiasm dropped when I remembered the poor form which Neurobiotic Records has been displaying for some time now. Also the disappointment connected with compilations like "Tokyo 5 am" was relatively fresh - compilations which looked impressive from the line-up side, but poorly as far as their musical content is concerned. However, seeing such a great team of people like Dickster and Silicon Sound I thought to myself that it might not be so bad. Indeed. Although the compilation is not some kind of an earthquake, one will find pretty decent tracks here and some of them are of very good quality. To this respectable group I may add the massive "Transitions" and "Vasseyva" tunes, a simple yet clever remix of "Drums At Dawn" and the slick "One and Together", which showed that despite falling into a routine, Dickster still delivers what you need: live, spontaneous, acidic and charming energy bombs. Of course there are also weak or bland tracks, which, apart from the pale "Woodbox", all belong to the compiler: the track by Screenagers (a co-production with Joti Sidhu) and "Safe Landing", which sounds as if Edoardo decided to publish his unfinished work from the studio. I should also mention about Johannes Regnier a.k.a. Silicon Sound. Although the guy released the "Reshape" single some time ago, other than that there is no sign of his flagship project, not to mention his new album, which was hinted at many years back and which has left fans of Silicon Sound mouth-watering and with their tongues out. His tracks presented here are a real treat and a decent reward for them. "Doomsday Hit", co-created with Sonic Species, is a solid proposition for fans of steady, pumping trance-punch underlined with spacious sonic background and a pinch of claustrophobic mystery. This tune reminds me of some productions by Stellar Magnitude. The last track is another co-production in the history of these two artists: once again Johannes teamed-up with DJ Psychotrop. "Unsophisticated", which appeared earlier on the aforementioned single remixed by The Antidote, puts strong emphasis on the percussion and show its original face, quite peculiar one I should add when compared with other tracks here, as well as contrasted with "typical", usually meatier tracks by the Frenchman. Interesting, different. In the end, banality and mediocrity, which have been constituting the foundations of Neurobiotic Records releases for some time now, seem to fade away into oblivion, along with increasingly better tunes, though perhaps it is too early to make such a verdict. Slowly the label is redeeming itself in my eyes and ears. Keep it up. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/neu/neu1cd032.html

Tokyo 5 a.m. Wakyo Records, 2011 1. Headroom - Menace To Sobriety 2. Zen Mechanics & Sonic Species - Air Knob 3. Tristan - Addicted 4. Dickster - Glader 5. Earthling - Tripping The Rift 6. Pan Papason & DJ Anarkick - No More Pickles 7. Ion vs Pause - Addicted To Bass 8. DuoTekk - The Fun Begins 9. Pan Papason - 2000 Years Ago (Ion Remix) Headroom, Tristan, Earthling, Zen Mechanics, Dickster, DuoTekk - wow. I immediately associate such a roster with something really promising and it makes me reach for this compilation without a moment's hesitation. Unfortunately it is not that good after hearing the material and one begins to regret a little the money or transfer, not to mention time. The whole thing is without the previously expected fireworks. It is a quite simple, let's say decent compilation. Compilations such as "God Save The Machine", "Wingmakers 2: Beyondwards & Upwards" and "Tales Of Heads" definitely have the upper hand here. The tracks that are quite satisfying are those provided by Headroom, Dickster, Earthling, Tristan and DuoTekk. With these fellows it is hard to stumble upon lousy music, although more than once I caught myself a bit bored while listening to the tunes here. The first one is particularly interesting: raw, mechanical, specific. The fat "Addicted" track and the acidic "Glader" are another blasters, but as far as the abilities of both their authors are concerned it is definitely far below a certain level. The situation is worse in case of the rest of the tracks, especially those by Mr. Papason, where one can hear that the compiler obviously could not lift the burden of this compilation and is playing second or even third fiddle, having the role of a standard CD-filler. The assumption behind the presence of these tracks was perhaps to somehow provide some balance in contrast to the more familiar names, but this is not the right material for the task and as a consequence one can encounter bland, sometimes mercilessly artificial tunes (the unnecessary disco-ish tracks like "No More Pickles" and "Addicted To Bass ") among the stronger tracks. Despite mouth-watering appearances, this compilation is proof of how large a role in selling the product play well-recognized artists. I recommend caution to avoid hasty decisions. Nothing groundbreaking here - and with such a team of names it should be. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/wky/wky1cd030.html

IsraTrance Free Compilation IsraTrance, 2008 1. OOOD - Alpha Relaxation 2. Aerospace feat. K-Pax - Drops 3. Kino Oko - Skillfully Oratory 4. N.A.S.A. - Addicted To Sin 5. Minimal Criminal - Mr. Miyagi 6. Sensient - 3rd Dimension 7. Hujaboy - Too Much Too Soon 8. E-Jekt - Commited 9. Mubali - Line Of Rationality 10. Filteria - The Snail Keeps Crawling... Practically everyone who has contact with psytrance and the Internet knows what IsraTrance is. For many years this website has been one of the most frequently visited websites as far as psychedelic music is concerned. Perhaps it's most important element is the IsraTrance forum, which attracts thousands of fans of this music from around the world, not to mention more or less active participation of the artists and representatives of various labels. December 2008 was the date of the IsraTrance forum 10th anniversary. On this occasion its hosts in cooperation with several artists have released a free online compilation, where can have a taste of 10 different tracks, ranging from chillout to progressive, full-on and dark, topped with goa trance. We begin with a track entitled "Alpha Relaxation." It is nothing else but a great ambient intro performed by the British OOOD project. Usually this name stands for excellent and true-to-the-core psytrance tunes with a high concentration of acid, humor and charm. This time we are dealing with a relaxed (after all, the title obliges) piece of music of the highest order. Next Aerospace (a.k.a. DJ Guy Youngman Guyshanti, one of the IsraTrance forum administrators) and K-Pax bring "Drops" to our ears. It is a cool, slightly fat progressive trance track. In the third place we have one of the most recognizable Polish projects: Kino Oko. In "Skillfully Oratory" Magnes shows again that he is no stranger to funk and light electronic approach. "Addicted To Sin" by N.A.S.A. is a serious track with the power of a thunder, embedded firmly in the progressive realm. Minimal Criminal with his "Mr. Miyagi" reminds me of times of the first Beat Bizarre tunes (for example the simple yet brilliant album "Lewd"). Fans of sonic twists and landscapes by Sensient may feel satisfied, because one of the most interesting tunes on this compilation belongs to him. "3rd Dimension" is a musical intrigue at the highest level, which is developing quite dynamically and basically I find no bad sides of this track. With Hujaboy we are entering the level of 140 BPM. "Too Much Too Soon" is a track like many other tracks we have already heard many times, but its message and power make one want to push the foot harder on the accelerator while driving and it will quickly turn out that one is inadvertently waving his index finger in the air to the track's rhythm. E-Ject, a project consisting of Uri Azene and Gad Vered a.k.a. Surrender (one of the IsraTrance editors and moderators), propose a continuation of the no-hold Isra-style drive in their "Committed" tune. A dark-trance track by Mubali is the only tune that is not among the ones I like that much. As it goes for me it is a bit of a letdown. Fortunately we have a real treat later on, especially for lovers of everything made by Filteria. The impressive and majestic "The Snail Keep Crawling ..." refers to the name and samples of another production entitled "The Snuggling Snail," which featured on the debut album by Jannis called "Sky Input". In addition to the traditional exceptional strength, my attention was attracted by the track's great dynamics. Good execution is something that Filteria already had accustomed us to. The cover of this compilation is, let's say, typical, representative and it does the job, telling us what it is about, but the cover itself is not important here. The most important element is hidden behind it, and it is, of course, the music. The music was presented here in its various forms, which, according to its designers concept, was supposed to reflect the diversity of people, cultures, opinions, comments and ideas which are the backbone and building blocks of the IsraTrance forum. If we add to this well-sounding tracks, additionally given a nice mastering by Colin Bennun (OOOD), as well as quite clever composition of the whole (an ambient intro and gradual progressing of the atmosphere and vibe in the following tracks), we get a really great compilation. The total rating is most positive. I would like to wish the forum and website of IsraTrance many more long years of activity. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://forum.isratrance.com/Compilation/

Ott - Mir Ottsonic, 2011 1. One Day I Wish To Have This Kind Of Time 2. Adrift In Hilbert Space 3. Owl Stretching Time 4. Squirrel And Biscuits 5. A Nice Little Place 6. Mouse Eating Cheese 7. The Aubergine Of The Sun Ladies and gentlemen - here's "Mir". The leading chillosaur of Twisted Records took a break from the twisted gang, which fell into the indie-band craze via the Younger Brother band, and decided to seek new paths on his sonic journey. The result is an album which appeared first in the Internet's realm thanks to the Bandcamp platform and only then in physical form as a CD. Everything was accomplished without the need for any label and with full control of the artist himself. And though the artist chose an experimental way of releasing this album, in terms of its content expect the familiar, trusty style a'la Ott, although it should be noted that this time the musician decided to add a few innovations to the menu which do not spoil the overall reception of the album and enhance its value in the ears of the listener. We begin with "One Day I Wish To Have This Kind Of Time," where we are accompanied by Alan Watts' voice and make contact with Ott's familiar musical territories. It has a nice mood, it is reflective and slightly melancholic, yet fun and psychedelic. Once again the artist allows himself to go with the flow and takes a relaxed approach towards the process of creating music, which results in his frivolous, light and generously bathed in sunshine style known from the first album "Blumenkraft", surrounding us from every side. The style is especially continued in the tracks entitled "A Nice Little Place" and "Mouse Eating Cheese". While "Skylon", the previous record by Ott, might seem a little bland, here the creator fully rehabilitated himself with a strong material; music that does not copy his earlier productions, borrowing only the best things from the musician's style, and building something new, interesting, adding new elements to Ott's world, such as glitch and dubstep, which were not previously a part of his earlier albums. Fans of these will be in heaven, while those who do not listen to such music on a daily basis will have no reasons to complain, because everything was done in an intelligent way. One can feel them very clearly in several tracks ("Adrift In Hilbert Space," "Owl Stretching Time" and "Squirrel And Biscuits") and it has to be added that they mix in a relatively non-invasive way with the sound represented by Ott. The fact that it is very easy to get addicted to his sound is known by anyone who has tasted this album. Needless to say, a replay of its content is a mandatory thing in this case. Ott earned himself a good brand a long time ago and has proved this once again with this highly likeable album. It is evident that we will not come in contact with any mediocre tracks here. "Mir" is a good choice in terms of lighter music, especially on a lazy, sunny day. I keep my fingers crossed that the next album will be as successful, the least imitative and the most creative. In conclusion, let me quote a phrase by my buddy: it makes you go out to a meadow and catch fistfuls of the sun. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/ott/ott1cd001.html

Thank you. I'm glad you like it, JonCrow. There's plenty more where that came from, stay tuned. On the side note: I hope that many other people will also join the review section with their reviews and opinions, as this part of the forum has been quite stagnant for some time now, except for a couple of people posting. Many hands make light work.

Younger Brother - Vaccine Twisted Records, 2011 1. Crystalline 2. Shine 3. Pound A Rhythm 4. Safety In Numbers 5. Night Lead Me Astray 6. Train 7. Spinning Into Place 8. System 700 9. Tetris Before "Vaccine" appeared on the market, the Younger Brother crew began their PledgeMusic action (for details please refer to the vast space of the Internet), which was to help them in releasing their newest album. Long story short: for some it is a modern form of e-begging, for others a clever way of getting funds for the release and an interesting form of promotion through the related bonus system for the people who pledge. An honorable thing, but in this particular case the result is miserable. As soon as the participants of this noble system heard the first tracks from the new album, the Internet was flooded with lots of comments like: "If I knew it would sound like that I would never have participated in this." or "I wish it was possible to un-pledge." Personally I must admit that I got the album when it leaked within the Web (by the way this is not the first time it happened in the case of Twisted Records - the problem popped up earlier with albums by Prometheus and Shpongle) out of sheer curiosity (later on I got myself the physical version). I gave it its "first flight" and that was it. I will not conceal the fact that it was a bit of a torment. There is as much of Simon Posford and Benji Vaughan in this one as there is of pig in guinea pig. Forget about "A Flock Of Bleeps", or even the second album. "Vaccine" makes an album such as "The Last Days Of Gravity" pale as far as its innovations and new influences regarding the Younger Brother sound are concerned. The third album in this project's (now a band) discography could be as well signed under an entirely different name. It's hard to me, someone who nevertheless is trying to find some good sides, make positive comments about anything in connection to this release. "Vaccine" (for what?) bears the mark (sic) of so many boring tracks in the style of indie pop-rock that one will not find here the genius we encountered on their debut album from 2003. Because of its similarity to lots and lots of other bands of this type (with Coldplay being at the forefront), the group has lost all its uniqueness and momentum, thus the dynamics and suspense go quickly to sleep, along with the listener. It seems that there is something going on for the whole time, but the whole thing just does not add up. Maybe if this farce lasting a little over 50 minutes was devoid of the unnecessary, boring vocals by Ruu, listening to it would be a more enjoyable experience. I have not heard such a characterless voice for a long time. In each of the tracks the listener is being treated with a spineless story taken from the pages of indie rock festivals, which makes the uniqueness of the artists involved in it non-credible. I felt shock and emptiness, especially since the album was created by two men who are responsible for timeless creations within the psychedelic scene (albums like "Twisted," "The Lone Deranger", "Robot-O-Chan", "Corridor Of Mirrors", the entire Shpongle discography and the brilliant debut of Younger Brother). The album quickly makes it way to be one of the biggest disappointments of this year and I doubt that anything else will able to threaten this position. Potentially interesting sonic topics and worlds one can explore were totally ruined and squandered. Eventually the Younger Brother sound is completely unrecognizable here and it gave place to yet another musical clone. All the fun fades away along the successive feats of dubious quality performed by Ruu. The famous words by Pablo Picasso say: "Good artists copy, great artists steal." I thought of Posford and Vaughan - especially the former one - as of great artists. According to the famous painter's saying I can label them in this particular case only as good artists, because all they could afford here was to copy others, in this case someone like Coldplay. A cool idea for the simultaneous promotion and accumulating money intended to help in releasing the album is the only thing I want to remember in connection to the "Vaccine" project. I have no doubt that Simon and Benji have put a lot heart, passion and persistence into this release. The problem is that they lost their individuality to become yet another band in the line of many other pop-rock bands. If I wanted to listen to Coldplay, I would have reached for something from their discography. If I want to listen to Younger Brother I have to go back in time. Hipsters are sure to be pissing their pants out of delight. To paraphrase the chorus in the song called "Shine": Shame, shame, shame... Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/ybr/ybr1cd002.html

Prometheus - Spike Twisted Records, 2010 1. Fast Train 2. Triplets 3. Blue Tubes 4. 2010 5. DarkStar 6. Rush 7. Rhythm, Circuit, Echo 8. Taylors Machine 9. Colt 10. Datcha Benji Vaughan is a very busy man. He got fully involved in Younger Brother with his friend Simon Posford, where he brought his creativity to a whole new level, plus also created the "The Zap - Big Bang" album with grampa Raja. However, he did not forget about his flagship project and after many significant delays he finally released another album as Prometheus. Originally it was supposed to be a purely chillout album, but with the passage of time Benji changed his whole concept and made some more faster tracks. This time he decided to experiment. Just this word is enough to make avid fans of a certain style shake in fear and if we add to this promotional statements before the album's release that there will be techno and electro influences - well then, then it is something to be feared by many. Fortunately, the devil is not so bad as he is painted, although we did not get another perfect album full of memorable bombastic tunes, but rather just a pale substitute of the great Prometheus sound we got used to so much throughout those years. After hearing the album I felt that Vaughan tried to bite off more than he could chew - of course in the eyes of his fans, including mine. First he seriously raised the bar with his previous albums, which are bursting with timeless tracks, just to get away from it later on. Eventually we got an album quite different from the earlier releases, which is obviously the most positive aspect, because in the end how long can you do the same thing over and over again. At the same time I have this irresistible feeling that he put emphasis on the wrong moments. Something is not right while listening to this CD, something does not fit. I am tempted to say that it sometimes smells like something cooked up by Kino Oko, which may surprise even more those who had frequent sessions with the albums "Robot-O-Chan" and "Corridor of Mirrors." People more accustomed to Prometheus' discography remember however that the author of the aforementioned album previously did not avoid this type of vibes, the evidence being his early works released on various compilations. The album is closer to another project of Benjamin, The Zap, rather than the previous albums, which at their time made a great impact on the psychedelic trance music. Either way, the beginning is very nice, because "Fast Train" is a psytrance track and most importantly a track with a theme alluding to the title. Vaughan's moving train reminded me of another, quite similar track called "Trancesylvania X-Press" by X-Dream, who also used the theme of this means of transport in the psytrance convention. "Triplets" firmly let his foot from the gas pedal. Throughout the whole track we are witnessing formidable sonic performances by Benji and Prometheus' trademark bass already, but as a whole thing it is somehow very sluggish. Same with "Blue Tubes" and "2010", which include several new attempts at the issue, but in reality they do not lead anywhere and seem pale in the face of other tracks by this artist. And that's almost half of the album already! The situation changes dramatically with the advent of "DarkStar", in which Prometheus seemingly recalled what all of this is all about and thought to himself that it would be good to throw in some real killer onto the scene. The track instantly gives the whole album a fantastic kick, so it is worth being tested on a good sound system with properly juiced up volume, as well as during a trance party. Benji with his innate elegance mixes the trancefloor edge, seemingly contradictory moods and different vibes, leading to the culminating moment and also boiling of the senses at the same time. Added to that we have a killer bassline. Yes, I definitely needed that right from the beginning and here we had to wait until the fifth track. The boring "Rush", where one can yawn a lot, is a major disappointment after its epic predecessor, while the happy and quite well-built "Rhythm, Circuit, Echo" might as well be something that Grzegorz Magnuszewski (Kino Oko) could pull off some time ago. The end of the album, specifically the last three tunes, strongly emphasize the primary idea behind this album regarding the creation of a purely chillout CD. Beautiful, atmospheric downtempo tracks, with emphasis on "Datacha" with its melancholic piano, fully demonstrate this artist's talent. There is room for sonic emotions, thoughts and reflections. It is a pity that these tracks are so short and were not given more space at the expense of the weaker ones from the earlier parts of the disc. It would be very bad if this was the last album under the flag of Prometheus, as the whole thing is too soaked by The Zap influences and lacks a serious edge to it, which is something I find untypical as far as Benji's brilliant music is concerned. It's hard to blame Benji that he wanted to try something new, but at the same time he fell pray to his own success he fully deserves due to his significant productions, underlined with a very thick line by his previous albums. I realize that this record will often be accompanied by comments like: "Who needed this album?","What is this?" etc. It is more for home listening at home, rather than a party album, although also in this case one can squeeze a little bit out of it, an example being an unconventional floor-burner entitled "DarkStar", which is probably something one cannot dislike. The album is good, I liked it despite its significant shortcomings, although bearing in mind previous efforts of Prometheus, it is quite pale. It is not a disappointment, but it certainly could have been much better. I emphasize: much better. Templar / http://www.psytrance.pl Links: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/twi/twi1cd038.html