DeathPosture

Denmark

Here's a collection of nice psychedelic art links: http://www.psydb.net/links_002.html DP

I can confirm that Jannis/Filteria is indeed at the Etnica-studios on Ibiza right now... If he doesn't check the forum from down there, I'm sure he'll let us know what happened down there once he gets back... He's there for at least a week! =D DeathPosture

Kemic-Al – Twisted Parameters Artist: Kemic-Al (Malta) Title: Twisted Parameters Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Butterfly Records (Malta) Cat. #: BTF CD 01 Distribution: Wirikuta Date: 13 January 2005 Track listing: 01. 08’52” 1888 A.C. Train to Madness 02. 09’02” What Lies in the Shadows 03. 08’21” Piskumany 04. 07’50” Wake Up Call 05. 08’45” Peace on Earth Remix 06. 08’23” Batidas Por Minuto 07. 07’47” Twisted Parameters 08. 09’23” Klassic-Al 09. 05’42” Z.Zora Review: Feast on this: Mediterranean chemicals! Meet Al – a 37 year old psychedelic trance-head from Malta. That’s right – Malta! This is the first Maltese psy-release ever – released on the first Maltese psy-label. Thus Butterfly Records may not sound like a very original name for a new record label, the background is tragic: the death of Sharyn ‘the butterfly girl’ – hence the name Butterfly Records. Aldo is a veteran in the trance trade, formerly known as Zaldonite. His biggest inspiration for creating music is his girlfriend Marie Clarie… Music wise the biggest source for inspiration is psychedelic rock and the masters Pink Floyd in particularly… Let’s find out what Malta has to offer… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: 1888 A.C. Train to Madness [138 BPM] All aboard this psycho-train heading for madness! The dark, gloomy industrial intro is soon brutally shredded by the meanest bassline this side of the Mediterranean… Holy shit – this has got to be among the meanest, darkest teKk-trance I’ve heard since the Spirallianz/Midi Miliz era… Crude Boskhe-fodder… The ‘lazy’ bpm just adds to the horror-atmosphere along with the undecipherable monster-samples… Anti-melodic, minimalist terror-trance for the darkest moments of the night… Sweet! =D #02: What Lies in the Shadows [138 BPM] “I am not who you think I am!” We get off the train now, and find out what’s lurking in the shadows… Another techy, deeply industrial-sounding noisy night-tune… Repetitive, dirty, gritty, dark – and funky as hell… Check out the spooky wolf-howling samples…! Make sure you have a proper sound system – this tune will challenge your set-up! Raw and wriggling – like Gollum’s taste in fish! #03: Piskumany [146 BPM] “At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Umbrella Corporation had become the largest commercial entity in the United States. Nine out of every ten homes contain its products. It's political and financial influence is felt everywhere. In public, it is the worlds leading supplier of: Computer Technology, Medical Products, and Healthcare. Unknown to even its own employees, its massive profits are generated by: Military Technology, Genetic Experimentation and Viral Weaponry.” After a lengthy Resident Evil sample, we’re shifting into faster territory now – as the bpm indicator suggests… Apparently Piskumany is a word the daughter of Aldo’s girlfriends’ sister (!) made up, and used to furiously shout out when she was angry… And now, that word has been immortalized as a track-name… ;o) This is night-time hyper-trance… Digital farts, electronic burps, tweaking acid-lines and subtle guitars – alongside a twisted bassline! What else can you ask for? Reminds me a little of Rinkadink, only darker… Very cool track! #04: Wake Up Call [146 BPM] Good morning! Someone’s drinking coffee in the intro here… And the courtesy “ahhh” is sampled and used several times + some genuine yawning… Hehe – nice one Aldo! Time to wake up - this track incorporates the call-back message from the local Maltese phone company wake-up service… @ 4’20 everyone should be awake – this stuff will kick you right out of bed! Twisted, shifting, bubbling, vibrant psy-trance here… Like a cross between the Timecode & Parvati sound – with bastard influences from Ørebro, Australia and the Ruhr-district! Brilliant! #05: Peace on Earth Remix [145 BPM] “The universe grows smaller every day…Join us – life in peace!” Peace on Earth – now there’s a topic everyone can relate to… Parts of this track showcase the slightly more melodic side of Aldo’s talents… Not melodic in a melodic kinda way – just a tad more melodic compared to the previous tracks… This is still very much dark, deep night-trance – with the Maltese touch! Come to think of it, this is not peaceful at all – this is some severely fucked-up brutal shit! … And that’s meant as superlatives! The track draws to a close with the voice of Kevin Spacey in K-Pax “You humans – sometimes it’s hard to imagine how you’ve made it this far” Another sweet track! #06: Batidas Por Minuto [148 BPM] Skazi – this is how you use a guitar in creative way! Batidas Por Minuto translates into ‘beats per minute’ – and this track has 148 of those, so yeah, it’s another brutal noise attack... Aldo is playing around with filters here – slowly adding layers with different psychedelic FX… Guitars, percussion, stomping bass and some mean-ass synths… This track has an interesting composition – the beats are cut and it’s like constantly something is lurking under the surface waiting to be unleashed… That ‘held-back’ technique is very effective in creating a mesmerizing track… I like all the nifty little FX that are sprinkled around the track: Acid galore, digital birds, etc… Highly psychedelic trance here… Very tasty! #07: Twisted Parameters [148 BPM] “Do you like to watch? … Come and find out!” Yeah baby, don’t we all? Some horny chick is trying to mess with your emotions here… Don’t let her get to you! Aldo does his best to save us here – with sharp, metallic hisses and haunting, scary pads creating an overall spooky atmosphere… Again! This track has a certain drive that I really like – it’s kinda purposive… The flow here is very focussed, and at 148 beats per minute, it’s done at an incredible rate… But beware, there is something disturbing about this… Slightly perverted even! Aaargh, I fear to watch, yet I cannot look away… She got to me! #08: Klassic-Al [148 BPM] “You don’t like it; you can kiss my furry little butt!” Ahh, the odd-ball track… Check out the very cool piano-intro – brutally interrupted by one of the most twisted basslines I’ve heard in a long time… This is soo repulsive – it almost has a physical effect on me when played loud… I love it! ;o) Soon it’s time for some fun - This is obviously a piss-take on Aldo’s behalf… Trumpets, jazzy atmosphere, etc… We’re really exposed to this guy’s immense talent now – he intelligently incorporates the familiar melody from Mozart’s Für Elise – creating a no less than AMAZING track… Hands down, the best track here! Magical! #09: Z.Zora [90 BPM] And finally it’s time for some chilling… This reminds me of the chill-track of the Digital Talk album – which is spooky chill! This is deep, heavy, dubby chill… Created to let you catch your breath again, but still puzzle you – leave you with a ‘what-the-fuck-just-hit-me?’ goodbye greeting… Very nicely done – very well-fitting outro-track for a truly impressive album! The track finished off with another lengthy Resident Evil sample: “The Hive has its own defence mechanisms... all computer-controlled. A nerve gas was released into the house. Primary effect of the gas: complete unconsciousness, lasting anything up to four hours. Secondary effects are varied but can include acute memory loss. For how long? Subjective. An hour, day, week. So you're saying this place was attacked? I'm afraid things area little more complicated than that… Sir! We've breached the Hive.” Well, this album was definitely a big surprise for me… A big positive surprise! Judging by the name Kemic-al, I was afraid this was another boring Skazi-clone… But luckily I was proven wrong… Very wrong! This is among the finest darkish night-time trance I’ve heard for some time… I’m no technical buff, but to me the production and mastering sounds like a lot of effort has gone into it… And I’m even more impressed that this is a debut album! The sound spectre is very impressive here – though mostly dark hyper-trance, we get hints of other styles ranging from full-on to dub, and from tech-trance to melodic goa in the good old sense… Diversity rules! Also this has it’s own, unique sound – one of the many cool features is the way Aldo ends his tracks – it’s usually 10-20 seconds of added value fun… Playing around… Nice! Aldo is a busy man, and the second album is already in the pipeline – along with upcoming compilation tracks on Alkaloid Rec., Golden Dawn Rec., Temple Twister Rec., Trishula Rec. & Disco Valley Rec… Fans of these labels have something to look forward too – as do anyone else interested in intelligent night-time music… This album rocks! Highly recommended! Favourites: 1, 3(!), 4, 6, 7, 8(!!!) DeathPosture External links: Kemic-Al: www.kemic-al.com Wirikuta: http://www.wirikuta.at/web66/product_detai...howDetail=67823 Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4551 Beatspace: http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.asp?id=1497 Should also be available @ Psyshop.com and ChaosUnlimited.co.uk shortly!

I'm afraid it's real.. Or rather, it was released as an Atomic white label... Tortured Brain - Sweet Dreams or something smiliar... But I agree, it sucks beyond words! DP

Well, I wouldn't go as far as calling it the best intro to a track ever, but it's definitely good... The entire album is extremely psychedelic! Good stuff! DeathPosture

Space Tribe - Collaborations High-res: artwork Artist: Space Tribe (Australia) & collaborators (US, Ibiza, Germany, etc) Title: Collaborations Format: CD (digipack) Label: Space Tribe Music (Australia) + Solstice (Japan) Cat. #: STM001 + SOLMC-042 (Solstice version) Distribution: Arabesque Date: 17.11.2004 (Japan) 29.11.2004 (worldwide) Track listing: 01. 07’42” Space Tribe / GMS – 3rd Eye (Spacebase Mix) 02. 07’33” Space Tribe / CPU – Single Dose 03. 07’39” Space Tribe / Electric Universe – The Acid Test 04. 07’14” Space Tribe / Psywalker – Twitch!!! 05. 07’01” Space Tribe / Safi Connection – Dinner with God (Remix) 06. 07’18” Space Tribe / CPU - Wacko 07. 07’50” Space Tribe / GMS – Alternate Future 08. 07’24” Space Tribe / Psywalker – Tall Poppy Syndrome 09. 07’59” Space Tribe / X-Dream – Turn On/Turn Off Playlist: http://www.juno.co.uk/playlists/m3u/160424-01.m3u (all tracks) Review: Best of Byron Bay collaborations… Everyone even remotely associated with the wonderful world of psychedelic trance knows about Space Tribe… The sonic sound wizard Olli Wisdom has been in the game since day one – his first album Sonic Mandala was released almost nine years ago back in 1996… And Olli is still very much active – he’s released one album each year since his debut… Collaborations is his 9th album, and as the title hints, this is a collection of tracks made in collaboration with friends and co-conspirators… I’m a big fan of the Space Tribe sound, and especially the older stuff coming out of the Rainforest Space Base studios in Mullumbimby, Australia really kicked ass… This time it’s not Spirit Zone releasing SP-albums - this is the debut-release of Space Tribe Music… It was released back in November 2004 amidst limited attention, but I think it deserves a proper review. So here we go: Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Space Tribe / GMS – 3rd Eye (Spacebase Mix) [142 BPM] This is the remix to the ‘Third Eye’ track released on the 2003 Third Eye Records compilation Digital Eyes… I haven’t heard the original, so I can’t tell you how much was changed – what I can tell you though, is that this sounds way better than the usual GMS formulated trance that usually floods the market… The flute-ridden retro-intro is cool and the overall organic groove is pretty cool… Floating, building melodies and ripping acid-lines… Nothing revolutionary, but for a neo full-on track this is pretty damn nice! #02: Space Tribe / CPU – Single Dose [145 BPM] This track was already released on the 2004 3DVision compilation The Sound Syndicate… This is my first encounter with it however, so I can’t tell if it differs from the alternate version which was released as a collaboration-track under the moniker CP Tribe… Samy Guediche was pretty successful with his 2003 debut album Central Processing Unit, and this track is pretty much in the same vein – intelligent neo full-on avoiding the obvious stand-still pitfalls… CPU’s sound is pretty close to newer Space Tribe, so the guys balance each other out – creating a nice full on track with a tasty groove… #03: Space Tribe / Electric Universe – The Acid Test [145 BPM] This is probably the most well-known Space Tribe collaboration track… Released back in 2002, this track enjoyed massive support throughout the trance-communities worldwide… And how can you go wrong when dinosaurs Boris & Olli sit down together to create magic? And yeah, despite its age, I still like this track… Multi-riffed, complex melodies and fun bits and pieces… This is how I like my full-on to sound… I don’t care if it’s old; it’s still a stellar track! #04: Space Tribe / Psywalker – Twitch!!! [145 BPM] “Are you a dreamer?” Yeah, I’m a dreamer… On this track Olli collaborates with Digital Psionics label boss Luke Psywalker… It’s a great combo – we get Olli’s light, fluffy, melodic full on mated with the harder, wicked input from Psywalker… So this track is among the darkest here – riddled with flaring acid-lines and a deeper bass than usual… Kick-ass stuff! #05: Space Tribe / Safi Connection – Dinner with God (Remix) [145 BPM] “What if you thought a drug could sit you at the table with God?” The original to this remix was released on the 2004 Spliff Music compilation Digination's vol 01… As most full-on compilations, I haven’t heard it, so I can’t comment on what was changed in this remix. But Mishel Bitton & Olli has created a decent full-on track here… Pretty simple, but very effective… Uplifting, melodic, well-produced full-on… ;o/ #06: Space Tribe / CPU – Wacko [148 BPM] Second collaboration with Samy Guediche/Central Processing Unit… Although this track is faster than the first one, it’s a tad cheesier and pretty formulated for the most part… However, there are good parts that prevent me from lighting the cheese beacon… I actually like the extremely psychedelic twirling acid-parts here… The rest is so-so… Decent track! #07: Space Tribe / GMS – Alternate Future [148 BPM] Another Bansi, Riktam & Olli collaboration… This was previously released on the 2003 Crystal Matrix compilation Awakening Soul and on the 2003 Spun Records compilation Pressure… A remix of it was also featured on Space Tribe’s last album Time S-T-R-E-T-C-H… And frankly – this track has been released enough now… As you’ve probably already guessed, this is fast-paced in-yer-face formulated full-on… A pretty standard bassline + synths + fluffy melodies… The only thing that stands out here is the climax part which is pretty entertaining… I would have much preferred the Space Tribe & Psywalker collaboration ‘Gathering of the Tribes’ instead of this… #08: Space Tribe / Psywalker – Tall Poppy Syndrome [148 BPM] Speak of the devil… Or rather, the combined forces of Luke & Olli… Ahh, this is much better… Again, Luke brings forth his dark approach to melodic full-on psy-trance… I will never get tired of the unique Digital Psionics sound – and when it’s mated with the classic sound of Space Tribe, you cannot go wrong… This is great! #09: Space Tribe / X-Dream – Turn On/Turn Off [110 BPM] Now this is interesting… Two psy-trance mammoths cooperating on a downtempo tune… You can really hear Jan Müller & Marcus C. Maichel’s thick influences on this deep, eerie, industrial-sounding intro with metallic hisses and cut beats ‘n breakz… Yeah, this is very different from the rest of the album, but a very interesting track nonetheless… More reminiscent of the gritty on X-Dream’s Irritant album, than of their newest We Interface… Frankly I can’t hear much of Olli’s input here though!? A very dark, gritty industrial, experimental track … I like it! =D Right, as you may have noticed the majority of these tracks were already released in some form – so this is more like a compilation of Space Tribe collaboration tracks… Purists will most likely criticise that, but I for one, welcome an opportunity to own all these tracks without buying stacks of compilations… And you do get a handful of new, mostly brilliant full-on tracks + one very interesting, experimental X-Dream downbeat creation… I’m not the biggest full-on buff around, but with a few exceptions, Olli have picked some of the very best neo full-on producers and the result is indeed nice… I wouldn’t go as far as calling this album an essential purchase, but fans of intelligent full-on should definitely check it out… If I had to nitpick I would have included some of the older collaborations with Simon Posford and Avi Algranati on this album also. I mean – when The Acid Test is featured here, why not go all the way an include some of the older collaboration-tracks? Also, the obvious +50 bpm mistakes on the back-cover could’ve easily been avoided by an extra proof-reading before going into press… We do however get a handy DJ case insert – and an overall nice album… Looking forward to future releases from Space Tribe Music… Enjoy! Favourites: 3(!!), 4(!!), 5, 8(!!), 9 DeathPosture External links: Space Tribe Music: http://www.spacetribe.com Solstice 23: http://www.solstice23.com/newreleases/solmc-042.html Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/stm/stm1cd001.html Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4417 Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr....asp?LR=STMCD01 Juno Records: http://www.juno.co.uk/products/160424-01.htm

Do you mean a chilled track that uses Son Kite's "On Air" sample? It must be the MIDIval PunditZ remix released on the Son Kite On Air Remixes EP... Also released on Aleph Zero's brilliant compilation Natural Born Chillers ... DeathPosture

I did a "what's your fav'e poll" poll thread a couple of months ago... But I cannot seem to find it... It has vanished from the face of the earth...!? DP

DeathPosture picks for 2004 Crossover: Juno Reactor - Labyrinth (Metropolis) Kukan Dub-lagan - Life Is Nice (Candyflip) Luomuhappo - Pog-o-Matic Pogomen 3000000 (Freakdance) 12 Moons - Solid State (Candyflip) V/A - Schizm (Gi'iwa Productions) Full-on: The Misted Muppet - From The Legend (Trancelucent) Filteria - Sky Input (Suntrip Records) Phi - Phinalizer (ELF Music) Rinkadink - Rabbit From Darkside (Alchemy Records) Xatrik - Project A (Digial Psionics) Prometheus - Robot-O-Chan (Twisted) Setherian - Multiverse (Glowing Flame) V/A - After Ten Years Of Japanese Trance (ELF Music) V/A - All Systems Go (Exposure Productions) V/A - Psionic Storm (Digital Psionics) V/A - Psyonic Earth (Digital Psionics) V/A - UK Trance (Transient) Dark-psy: Charasmatix - Abracadabra (Candyflip) Digital Talk - New Age Surf (Acidance) Grapes Of Wrath & Meteloids - Tits On Fire (Parvati) Overlap - 6th Sense (ZMA) V/A - Ignis Fatuus (Trishula Records) V/A - Peacemaker (Ketuh Records) V/A - Sonic Pantomime (Ketuh Records) V/A - Peaking In Tongues (Peak Records) V/A - Psychedelically Yours Vol. 2 (Parvarti) Progressive: FREq - Strange Attractors (Iboga) Kooler - Open (Kamaflage) Son Kite - Colours (Digital Structures) Krüger & Coyle - Randy Expander (ACDC) Saiko Pod + Phutureremixes (ACDC) Buzzmonx - Toms'n'Jerry (Plusquam) Atmos - 2nd. Brigade (Spiral Trax) Sensifeel - Vision of Life (Domo Records) Etic - Touchups (Trancelucent) Chill-out: Aes Dana - Memory Shell (Ultimae) H.U.V.A. Network - Distances (Ultimae) Kaya Project - Walking Through (Interchill) Healer - Higher Grounds (Candyflip) V/A - Natural Born Chillers (Aleph Zero) V/A - Schlabbaduerst 006 (Schlabbaduerst ReKkords) EPs: Son Kite - On Air Remixes (Digital Structures) Son Kite - Colours Remixes (Digital Structures) Wizzy Noise - The Time Lime Remixes (Candyflip) Frogacult - All Seasons Remixes (Iboga) DeathPosture

DeathPosture picks for 2004 Crossover: Juno Reactor - Labyrinth (Metropolis) Kukan Dub-lagan - Life Is Nice (Candyflip) Luomuhappo - Pog-o-Matic Pogomen 3000000 (Freakdance) 12 Moons - Solid State (Candyflip) V/A - Schizm (Gi'iwa Productions) Full-on: The Misted Muppet - From The Legend (Trancelucent) Filteria - Sky Input (Suntrip Records) Phi - Phinalizer (ELF Music) Rinkadink - Rabbit From Darkside (Alchemy Records) Xatrik - Project A (Digial Psionics) Prometheus - Robot-O-Chan (Twisted) Setherian - Multiverse (Glowing Flame) V/A - After Ten Years Of Japanese Trance (ELF Music) V/A - All Systems Go (Exposure Productions) V/A - Psionic Storm (Digital Psionics) V/A - Psyonic Earth (Digital Psionics) V/A - UK Trance (Transient) Dark-psy: Charasmatix - Abracadabra (Candyflip) Digital Talk - New Age Surf (Acidance) Grapes Of Wrath & Meteloids - Tits On Fire (Parvati) Overlap - 6th Sense (ZMA) V/A - Ignis Fatuus (Trishula Records) V/A - Peacemaker (Ketuh Records) V/A - Sonic Pantomime (Ketuh Records) V/A - Peaking In Tongues (Peak Records) V/A - Psychedelically Yours Vol. 2 (Parvarti) Progressive: FREq - Strange Attractors (Iboga) Kooler - Open (Kamaflage) Son Kite - Colours (Digital Structures) Krüger & Coyle - Randy Expander (ACDC) Saiko Pod + Phutureremixes (ACDC) Buzzmonx - Toms'n'Jerry (Plusquam) Atmos - 2nd. Brigade (Spiral Trax) Sensifeel - Vision of Life (Domo Records) Etic - Touchups (Trancelucent) Chill-out: Aes Dana - Memory Shell (Ultimae) H.U.V.A. Network - Distances (Ultimae) Kaya Project - Walking Through (Interchill) Healer - Higher Grounds (Candyflip) V/A - Natural Born Chillers (Aleph Zero) V/A - Schlabbaduerst 006 (Schlabbaduerst ReKkords) EPs: Son Kite - On Air Remixes (Digital Structures) Son Kite - Colours Remixes (Digital Structures) Wizzy Noise - The Time Lime Remixes (Candyflip) Frogacult - All Seasons Remixes (Iboga) DeathPosture

V/A – Chill On Ice Artist: Various Title: Chill On Ice - A warm sound environment for the cold winter moments Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Cosmic Leaf Records (Greece) Cat. #: CLCD01 Distribution: Unicorn Music Date: late 2004 Track listing: 01. 05’58” MLT - Sardonia 02. 05’56” D.Batistatos – In the Bottom of the Ocean 03. 07’46” Zero Cult - If 04. 05’11” Del & Gen - Whisper 05. 05’42” Random Designers vs. Arcane Trickster – Golden Triangle 06. 06’11” Side Liner – Next Page 07. 06’47” Zero Cult – P-Ray 08. 08’32” Omegahertz – Nostos (Vocal Edition) 09. 08’16” Goasia – Nature 10. 07’59” Outer Heaven – Undo the Future Review: A warm sound environment for the cold winter moments This is the debut release by the Greek chill-out label Cosmic Leaf… A quick look at the tracklist reveals only a couple of vaguely familiar names – to put it short, most of the artists you’ll find here are chill-rookies… let’s check ‘em out… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: MLT – Sardonia This is a project by Mitiades Shimatariotis from Greece… Organic chill here… Soothing ambient with chilled, dubby beats…Some piano, xylophone and maybe even a harpsichord? Yeah, this is winter chill indeed… Nice! #02: D.Batistatos – In the Bottom of the Ocean Next up is Dimitris Batistatos also from Greece… I can see where got the inspiration for the name – this is underwater ambient… Mellow organic chill – lazy percussion, harp and subtle female vocals… All very nice and relaxing… =D #03: Zero Cult – If Zero Cult is Israeli chill producer Emil Ilyayev and we get a more dubby approach to winter chill here… Even some breaks and cut up beats and percussion… Intelligent elevator music! #04: Del & Gen – Whisper More Greeks – this time the George Deliginannis & Nick Stratigos… Here we get all kinds of cool synth FX and deep dubby beats… We even get some vocals here (whispering, duh) on this very melodic and head-bop friendly downbeat tune… #05: Random Designers vs. Arcane Trickster – Golden Triangle Both Random Designers and Arcane Trickster have had several releases on mostly Australian labels like Green Ant and Tempest Recordings… So they are not rookies like most of the rest… This tune is mix of tribal percussion, dubby kicks and world beats… A big old downbeat electronica melting pot… Reminds me of some of the Kukan-Dub-Lagan stuff… #06: Side Liner – Next Page Side Liner is Cosmic Leaf label manager Nick Miamis from Greece – and this is actually the track with the highest psy cross-over potential… IMO at least… Synths, strings, subtle percussion, lazy dub beats – and just a hint of psychedelia… Nice combo… #07: Zero Cult – P-Ray Second track by Israeli Zero Cult... To begin with, this one is a little faster than the first one… Deep slow beats, standard hi-hat and subtle percussion… The main attraction of this tune is the naïve Vangelis-esque piano melody… It sounds very familiar – and very nice… Sweet track! #08: Omegahertz – Nostos (Vocal Edition) We’re back in Greece with this track by Demitris Pouranis… Very chilled ambient here with Eastern influences – harmonic pads and some delicate string action… This track slowly builds and different FX are added… Like twisted synths, electro bits, orchestral pads, flutes and a fitting bassline… Chilled ambient with worldbeat influences and vocals – as the title suggests… A very nice track indeed! #09: Goasia – Nature Goasia is Balint Tihamer from Serbia & Montenegro… He already released three tracks on the Kagdila compilation Pure Planet… This tune is very organic, though with thick electro parts… Digital birds, choir singing, loads of synths and dub beats… You can’t help but crack a smile when listening to this… #10: Outer Heaven – Undo the Future The last track is also of Greek origin. This time it’s Aggelos Kechagias & Michael Babedakis… Again a very natural sounding track – organic, with slooooooow deep beats…Pitch-changes, etc… A little experimentation as the compilation draws to a close… Alright, so what do we have here? A bunch of chilled ambient tunes done mostly by debuting artists… There is nothing that really stands out here. Neither super-awesome – nor super-awful… This is pretty standard. Actually most of the tunes here are nice. Not outstanding – just nice… The flow is very good for a compilation – I’d swear this could have been by a single artist… So journey-wise this compilation is great… I’ve listened to it quite a lot over the last month, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this works best as background music for chilling out or sleeping, etc. You don’t sit down and listen to this intense as you would with an Ultimae or Aleph Zero release… It needs more stand-out tracks to be compared with the heavyweights… But for a debut release this is not bad at all… I’m looking forward to future Cosmic Leaf releases… Die hard chill fans will enjoy this for sure – check it out… It’ll help keep you warm in the coldest of winter times…. Enjoy! DeathPosture External links: Cosmic Leaf Records: http://www.cosmicleaf.com Unicorn Music: http://www.unicorn-music.net (Greek distribution) World Music Trax: http://www.worldmusictrax.com (US & Canadian distribution) Tempest Recordings: http://www.tempestrecordings.com.au (Australian distribution) Ultimae: http://www.ultimae.com (Europe & worldwide distribution) Amboworld: http://www.amboworld.com/cgi-bin/product.asp?LR=clcd01 SaikoSounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4521

V/A – Ignis Fatuus Artist: Various Title: Ignis Fatuus Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Trishula Records (Germany) Cat. #: TRISHCD001 Distribution: Arabesque Date: 06 December 2004 Track listing: 01. 08’53” Zebra-N - Slek 02. 06’59” Megalopsy - Zacatlocozipitl 03. 06’25” Sungirl – Exiter (Final Version) 04. 08’00” Vegetal - Manhunt 05. 08’47” Mussy Moody - Disconnected 06. 07’06” Dronebixie – Volentary Intoxications 07. 07’37” Derango – Glo So 08. 07’39” Psyfactor – Walking Demon 09. 08’03” PhasePhour – 3 2 1 Fly… Review: Ignis Fatuus - A wide variety of spectral lights, whose alleged purpose is either to herald death or to play tricks on travellers at night. Yikes! Trishula Records is a new visionary label from Germany dedicated to bring forth energetic, spooky night time music from the underground… We’ve seen a big rise in darker night time music in 2004 and I for one cannot get enough of this spooky, demented style – so Trishula, I bid thee welcome on the Halloween trance scene…play some tricks on me! Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Zebra-N – Slek First up is Dutch producer Paul Elferich… My first encounter with his music was the very cool track Mad Cow Disaster of the Peacemaker compilation released by Ketuh last month… That track had a very raw, gritty sound with haunting, spooky elements… And sure enough, this track is evil! Crackling, buzzing and crawling with eerie sounds… Oh yes… But Elferich hasn’t forgotten the comic relief bit – as with the-scary-moo track, this track has a funny organ melody that pops up from out of nowhere… As a striking contrast to the grim, dark soundscapes that make up the rest of this track… I like when music is deep, dark and spooky – and I like this! =D #02: Megalopsy – Zacatlocozipitl “Go back in there, chill them niggers out and wait for the Wolf who should be coming directly… Feel better, motherfucker?” Megalopsy is an Argentinean trio and they have their debut album coming out on Trishula Records very soon… The guys have diverse musical backgrounds, ranging from metal over industrial to grunge… But don’t expect cheesy Skazi metal-cheese here… This is very much psytrance… Dark, deep and pounding… I really like the subtle acid-bits, but I could have wished for it to be even more psychedelic… It has its bland and monotonous moments, but they are few, and overall this isn’t a bad track… It’s just very dark… Thumbs up for the cool Marcellus Wallace quote too… #03: Sungirl – Exiter (Final Version) “I think... you're afraid of letting go. I think you're afraid of happiness. And this is starting to excite me.” Sungirl is Yana from Russia… Some may know her from the project Natural Brain Killers… You may think that a lady will be dropping a smooth, fluffy choon – well you’re in for a surprise… This is hardcore night trance with raging acid-lines, static hiss and deep metallic beats… The bizarre AI quote just adds to the madness of this highly intoxicating tune… This rocks! #04: Vegetal – Manhunt “What’s going to happen? … Something wonderful!” Oh yes, this is full-scale Ørebro madness! Vegetal is Swedish forest troll Peter Ebkar Themizian. Hailing from a metal background, his heritage is very much present in this track… But again the obvious Skazi-pitfall is cunningly avoided here… There is so much stuff going on here: Highly intense dark melodies, flaring acid riffs, tweaked synths that sound like guitars, etc… Chainsaw bonanza! Great stuff! #05: Mussy Moody – Disconnected Next up is another female producer: Thy Thung from Denmark. She also had a track featured on the Mistress of Evil compilation Lhiannon Sidhe. This is another piece of dark, eerie night-terror psytrance… Sharp metallic noises that’ll cut through bone, and a thick rolling bass and an overall bleak industrial Parvati atmosphere… I dunno what the hell is in the water-supply in Århus, but they sure know how to create demented music for nocturnal ghost-dancers… #06: Dronebixie – Volentary Intoxications Ahh, voluntary intoxications… Yup, we’ve all been there repeated times… Chrisitan Kaas is also Danish, and he picks up right where MM left us… Or almost, I mean the scary-as-hell atmosphere is still here and even emphasized… This is pure banshee-fodder – high pitched, eerie crackling bleeps and blops designed to scare the living shit out of you… Holy phuck, this is not for the faint-hearted… Halloween trance at its best! #07: Derango – Glo So Derango is a Swedish project cooked up by Jens Eriksson & Ola Eriksson. I vividly remember their brilliant track off the Gi’iwa compilation Schizm released earlier this year…. That track showcased some fucked-up, relentlessly retarded, trance-inducing, dark, gritty, stone-age night-trance with the most demented melodies I’d heard in a long time… And sure enough, this track has the very same demented melodies… This is a Swedish as it gets – highly psychedelic trance from the deep, dark forests of Sweden… Shroom-a-delic! #08: Psyfactor – Walking Demon Psyfactor is Dimitri from Russia and he had his debut release on Inpsyde Media’s apocalyptic compilation There Is No Tomorrow… Well, it turned out there was – and that’s great ‘cause this is a kick-ass track… The spooky influences are very much present here of course… With long, atmospheric pads, evil mood and a brutal bass lead… The synth-action here is simply outstanding, and helps create a truly demonic track… Another fav’e here! #09: PhasePhour – 3 2 1 Fly… “Are you a relative? No! I’m sorry sir; we’re a mental health facility. Our records are permanent! She’s been dead 24 years – I don’t think she minds…” Last up is PhasePhour which is something as rare as a Norwegian psytrance project… The guys behind the moniker are Eldar van Essen and John Robert Egeland and they released their debut album ...Boiing & Zipp on Freetransform Records earlier this year… Though this track is eerie and spooky, it’s still lighter than it predecessors. The melodies here are demented – the synths are bouncing and there is an overall hectic feel to it… I was kinda hoping for the closing to kick me right in the nuts with musical insanity – but this is merely a swift jab with a pillow… But hey – it still hurts! Ok track… Great stuff here… Overall this is a nice compilation with a consistent flow and a coherent theme… It’s dark, gritty, hardhitting, twisted hyper psytrance destined to scare kids, animals, neighbours and grandparents… Style wise, this is nocturnal horror-trance similar to stuff released by Parvati, Inpsyde Media, StoneAge and the likes… But also with hints to even weirder Finnish and Australian stuff… To put it short, this is deviant music – anti cheddar! Trishula has done a great job of digging out some true talent from the underground. I for one embrace this opportunity to sample up and coming stars… The talent mass is huge, and I can’t wait for more… Not all tracks are instant classics here, but generally speaking the quality level is above average and I will not hesitate to recommend this for fans of the darker realms… Enjoy! Favourites: 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 DeathPosture External links: Trishula Records: http://www.trishula-records.com Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/trr/trr1cd001.html Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display....asp?id=4401%20 Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...sp?LR=TRISHCD01 Trance-shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/prod...roducts_id=4201 Beatspace: http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.asp?id=1699

Oh no it isn't... Not the original Blue Room anyway! DP

Good for you... Hope you didn't pay too much for the excellent Shpongle Remixes? It's been on sale for ages @ Psyshop.com... DP

Hey thx for the info bklynpsy... Much obliged... I will definitely check that out... Thx! DP

Son Kite – Colours Remixes EP High-res: cover Artist: Various Title: Colours Remixes Format: CD5" Label: Digital Structures (Sweden) Cat. #: DIGCDS 004 Distribution: Cosmophilia Date: November 2004 Track listing: 01. 09’45” Son Kite – Colours (Luke Chable Remix) 02. 08’26” Son Kite – Let Us Be (Vibrasphere Remix) 03. 07’41” Son Kite – Focus (NOS Remix) 04. 07’10” Son Kite – The Stars Within Us (Dino Psaras Remix) 05. 06’44” Son Kite – Let Us Be (Aztech Remix) 06. 09’29” Son Kite – Focus (Shiloh Remix) Review: Step four in a four-stage rocket… With this, the Colours Remixes EP, Son Kite’s ambitious Colours quadrilogy comes to an end. Following the critically acclaimed On Air EP, the Colours album and the Live in Tokyo DVD this is the final step in the ambitious project. I’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time, and after an unfortunate delay, it’s finally here… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Son Kite – Colours (Luke Chable Remix) Auzzie producer Luke Chable is a big star in proggy-world and he did a remix on YSE records earlier this year. On this remix he adds a big phat wall of reverb-bass that strikes a notable contrast to the light-as-a-feather melodies that are kept from the original tune… Well-polished – yet deep crude in the deepest way… Very tasty! #02: Son Kite – Let Us Be (Vibrasphere Remix) Ahh Vibrasphere! Berglöf & Elster are responsible for some of the smoothest, grooviest progressive trance ever to come out of Sweden. And now they are remixing Son Kite – oh happy day! The vocals from the original are still here, and so are the melodies – though they’ve been cleaned up a little… Vibrasphere has rebuilt this track into a rich, groovy progressive gem of Balearic descent… Fits right into the crossover theme of this EP… Very nice track! #03: Son Kite – Focus (NOS Remix) Well this is interesting… Frederik Holm a.k.a. NOS is a very sought-after deco artist in most of northern Europe, and I never knew he also made music… I knew his backdrops were very impressive, but that his music was this good, I had no idea… Great surprise! I really dig the techy bassline here – it keeps growing on me. Focus was one of my fav’e tracks from Colours, and with this brilliant Son-Kite-electro-meets-tech-meets-melodies-meets-prog-meets-NOS remix this track is immortalized… NOS stays true to the original, but puts his own distinct touch on it – that’s the way to do it! Nice work! #04: Son Kite – The Stars Within Us (Dino Psaras Remix) Another personal fav’e from Colours mixed by none other than the tortured brain himself: Mr. Psaras… The old school kitschy computer sounds and classic robot voice box from the original is still here – combined with massive progressive rhythm patterns – creating a voluminous groove. Psaras also adds psychedelic FX into the mix for a harder, tougher tune with cross-over psy appeal… And it works… Great track! #05: Son Kite – Let Us Be (Aztech Remix) Second remix of Let Us Be is the downtempo remix by chill-artist Ron Allen. Distinct elements from the original – like the phat, lazy groovy - are kept, but besides that, Aztech has given this a big old downtempo, dubby, crispy chill-overhaul… Very nice indeed, though the soft nature of this track BPM-wise kinda breaks the flow. This should have been bumped down as the last track of the EP… But stellar track nevertheless! #06: Son Kite – Focus (Shiloh Remix) Shiloh is a proggy-breakz project by Canadian brothers Colin & Justin Moreh, and they’ve enjoyed widespread commercial throughout the scene both as DJ’s and remixers. So it’s yet another cross-over potential remix we’re dealing with here, and I’m almost certain this will hit it big. As with the NOS remix, Shiloh stays true to vital elements from the original track – it’s just different elements. This is much softer, more uplifting and with thick Balearic appeal like the Vibrasphere rmx – and extremely well-polished as the Luke Chable rmx. Huge cross-over dancefloor fodder here… Brilliant remix. As with the On Air Remixes EP, I would’ve changed the order of the tracks her into: 01, 02, 06, 03, 04 and finally 05 to get an ever smoother flow… But that’s nitpicking – this EP is no less than outstanding and all tracks are very well put together… The cross-over potential is omnipresent in all tracks, and this should appeal to most fans of high quality electronic music… Digital Structures has done a remarkable effort in their quest to distance themselves from the vast majority of trance labels… The Son Kite project is the spearhead for that, and as the Colours project draws to a close, I for one am looking very much forward to future releases from these visionary sound magicians. They’ve passed the exam with distinction. Highly recommended - enjoy! DeathPosture External links: Son Kite: http://www.sonkite.com Digital Structures: http://www.mpdqx.com/digitalstructures Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dig/dig1cd904.html Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...asp?LR=DIGCDS04 Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4494 --- For info on the 2x12” Colours Remixes vinyl single check out the Digital Structures site…

I'm travelling to the US on 24 January 2005 as part of my studies. It'll be my first time there, and despite my experiences with travels in Europe and my life-long upbringing with American movies and TV-shows, I still have a few questions that I'd like to get sorted before I venture off... First and foremost: Cheap accommodation in New York (3-5 days) Before doing anything "serious" we (nine marketing economist students) are going to hang out in New York for about 3-5 days. For this purpose we need to find some relatively cheap accommodation – like a hotel, hostel or whatever. As long as it’s not too expensive, and we’d prefer to be close to the city… Is that even possible? Tips, links, experiences, etc. would be much obliged. YMCA is pretty cheap isn’t it – but also pretty basic? I’ve seen some pretty lousy hostels when I lived in London – they were too cheap, so I hope to find something nicer. Secondly: What tourist-traps should I check out – and what else should I check out? Whilst in New York I’d personally like to do the old tourist-thing and see the sights… Ground Zero, Times Square, Empire State Building, Fifth Avenue, etc. Hopefully all the big ones shouldn’t take too long, and I should have time to check out something else… I hear that Manhattan south of 14th street is more interesting for exploring – the same with Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Can anyone confirm this? Any recommendation of interesting stuff I should check out? Any record shops that sell hard-to-find CDs? Any magical restaurants? (I believe it’s Restaurant Week 2005 while we’re there…) Other funny/interesting stuff I absolutely have to check out? Again, pointers, hints, tips and experiences are much obliged… After New York, I’m off to Athens, Ohio where I’ll be staying throughout February. Anything worth checking out in and around Ohio? I hear the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is pretty cool… How about the prison used for filming Shawshank Redemption – is that worth a visit? As you can tell, I’m pretty clueless… *sS* How is the psy-scene in and around Ohio – any parties around February next year? Well, that’s it for now… I guess more questions will arise, but I don’t want to bore you with an endless post, so I’ll stop here… Any help would be much appreciated… Thx in advance. DeathPosture

Agreed - progressive trance is AWESOME! Check out these albums for more proggy stuff: Kooler - Open (Sebastian Muellert side project) FREq - Strange Attractor (Amazing album - mastered at Son Kite's High Hat studios) Krüger & Coyle - Randy Expander (Smooth proggy gem from Spiral Trax) Sensifeel - Vision Of Love (French prog from Domo) Buzzmonx - Toms 'n Jerry (Groovy prog from Germany) Atmos - 2nd Brigade (Brilliant album by the master himself) Enjoy! DeathPosture

Son Kite – Live in Tokyo Hi-res: cover Artist: Son Kite (Sweden) Title: Live In Tokyo Format: 2xDVD Label: Digital Structures (Sweden) Cat. #: DIGDVD01 Distribution: Cosmophilia Date: November 2004 Review: Step three in a four-stage rocket! Right, so this is the much anticipated and heavily delayed Son Kite DVD. This was scheduled to be released back in May 2004, but due to some technical problems it got pushed back to ultimo November. But it was definitely worth the wait – once you’ve experienced this, you’ll know why… Let me take you thru the… ehh… DVDs! DVD #1: (5.1 surround/2.0 Dolby Digital, bitrate 3.40Mbps, aspect ratio 4:3, coding: NTSC) 91 minutes. Chapters: 01. Son Kite - Intro 02. Son Kite - Other Side 03. Son Kite - Poolop 04. Son Kite - Receive 05. Son Kite - Colours 06. Son Kite - Airplay 07. Son Kite - Receive Pt. II 08. Son Kite - Jukebox 09. Vibrasphere - Newport (Son Kite Rmx) 10. Son Kite - Massive 11. Son Kite - The Stars Within Us 12. Son Kite - Live Loop 13. Son Kite - On Air 14. Cosma - Out Of Range (Son Kite Rmx) 15. Vernon - Wonderer (Son Kite Rmx) First and foremost – these DVDs are NTSC encoded, but will play on most region free players. However, the output is still NTSC, so it will not work on PAL-only displays. But most modern equipment accepts both nowadays… Secondly - have you ever used the “angle button” on you DVD-remote for anything else than porn? Well, here’s your chance to put is to some good use, ‘cause this entire first DVD disc has linear duel footage you can switch between whist watching. The live performance and graphics on angle one, and trippy VJ visuals on angle two. The soundtrack is the same – you decide on the visuals! ;o) This is the Son Kite live performance on Halloween night 2003 @ the Venusfort venue in Tokyo Japan. The venue is beautiful in its majestic appearance; most of the crowd is dressed up in imaginative costumes and Son Kite has teamed up with highly professional video jockeys to ensure the Japanese will get a breathtaking experience for all senses. And thanks to modern technology we can now get almost the same experiences at home in our living rooms. First part of show is mainly footage of the guys twisting knobs and people dancing their asses off. Towards the latter part, the producers start incorporating more stock footage into the mix + all kinds of filters and twisted effects – increasing the visual bombardment for maximum enjoyment… It’s a visual tour de force as much as it is a rendition of Son Kite’s greatest dancefloor bombshells. In this live performance we go beyond the Colours album – some of our fav’e tracks and remixes from the back-catalogue are delivered in smashing live-versions. Furthermore it’s also a welcomed opportunity to get up-close and personal with these sound wizards as they twist and turn their knobs. A cornucopia of close-up knob adjustment – beautifully carried out by Seb & Marcus with immediate response from the audience… It’s almost like being there yourself… Almost! My personal highlights are definitely On Air, Other Side and The Stars Within Us. But as the Colours album, this DVD should really be enjoyed as a journey… I’m sure it was meant this way…91 minutes of pure joy! DVD #2: (Dolby digital 2.0. bitrate 448 kbps, aspect ratio 4:3, coding: NTSC) 60 minutes Documentaries: ‘Backstage Tokyo’ (17 minutes) Join gorgeous Japanese hostess Junko Niwa as she interviews Son Kite setting up their equipment before the show. We really get an in-depth, close-up feeling on how the guys are mentally preparing and goofing around in the nerve wrecking hours before going on stage. We also get interviews with Masa the organizer, Emok from Iboga Records and Tuff Little Unit (the visual designers). After the live performance, we met the guys again backstage where they are chilling out and drinking champagne. ‘A day at work – a return ticket to New York’ (12 minutes) Another interesting documentary, where we follow Seb wake up early in the morning, leave his flat and ride his bicycle to High Hat Studios in Malmö where he hooks up with Marcus. They get on a train to Copenhagen airport, and then fly to New York for a live performance. After the live performance they do it all in reverse… All shot by the guys themselves… ‘On the road – dropping down on a few continents’ (11 minutes) Titbits from Son Kite gigs in Finland, Japan, Germany, Mexico and Greece. The crowd at the Samothraki Dance Festival is going absolutely ballistic at the sound of On Air… Damn, looking at that footage sends shivers down my spine… Why oh why, wasn’t I there? Music videos: The Stars Within Us (5 minutes) Very classy video by Jim Studt. It’s a mixture of urban architecture/graffiti footage and trippy fractal visuals and computer graphics. Jukebox (4 minutes) Another classy video – this time by Jonas Gustavsson. It’s pretty simplistic, although it’s riddled with visual trickery. Naïve, yet rich… Kinda art deco really! And we see Son Kite flying kites… Cool! On Air (4 minutes) Impressive video put together by David Nord. This whole vid is compiled old stock footage from carnivals, parades, rodeos, rollercoasters, etc. What’s so special about this video is how Nord manages to synchronize audio and visuals – even with the slightest of details done just right… It’s a feast for the eyes watching and listening how everything falls into place… There is not even a hint of computer graphics here – it’s all editing. Very original! Conclusion: Phew! These two DVDs are nothing less than brilliant… We get a smashing live performance with stunning visuals and amazing sound + loads of extra goodies… Make sure to check out the different angles on the concert DVD for added value trippy visuals… As always with Son Kite, this whole package reeks quality. From the nice booklet + sticker to the 5.1 surround sound audio-track… I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Seb & Marcus after a fantastic live-gig in Denmark, and they were super nice down-to-earth guys. Respect! I loved the Colours album, and I absolutely love this DVD too… As I’ve said before they continue to distance themselves from the vast majority of trance labels – both production-wise and concept-wise! And you need this DVD in your collection – it gets my highest recommendations! Enjoy! DeathPosture External links: Son Kite: http://www.sonkite.com Digital Structures: http://www.mpdqx.com/digitalstructures Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/DVDs/dig/dig1dv001.html Juno Records : http://www.juno.co.uk/products/163499-01.htm Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...asp?LR=DIGDVD01 Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=3974 Discobole: http://www.discobole.gr/en/product.asp?pid=76973 Beatspace: http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.asp?id=1760 More goodies: Clip from gig: http://downloads.mpdqx.com/movie/son_kite-live_clip.mov Screen captures (thumbnails): http://tinyurl.com/5ym7b (Thx to Jikkenteki for hosting the thread that holds these)

Sensifeel – Vision of Life High-res cover: artwork Artist: Sensifeel (France) Title: Vision of Life Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Domo Records (Israel/Germany) Cat. #: DOMOCD 005 Distribution: Sigomus Date: 6 December 2004 Track listing: 01. 07’42” A Breath 02. 07’33” Extremely Good 03. 06’34” Back to the Future (FREq Remix) 04. 07’40” Dirty Beach 05. 07’27” Dance for Peace 06. 06’49” Who’s Going? 07. 07’57” Open Air 08. 07’48” Explorer (Rmx) 09. 08’43” Kim Sam Review: Progressive croissant… Vision of Life is the debut album by 26 year old French proggy producer Philippe Sancier, and to be brutally honest, my knowledge about his stuff was limited to that one track of the Widescreen compilation released on Plusquam last year… But that was a pretty good track… When this album was first announced it was scheduled to contain both a Yumade rmx of a Sensifeel track & a Sensifeel rmx of a Hilight Tribe track, but for undisclosed reasons neither are included on the album… However my eye immediately stumbled upon the magic word ‘FREq Remix’ on the tracklisting - So here’s hoping for some smooth progressive trance… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: A Breath Oriental atmosphere in the intro… Static hisses and slowly evolving percussion combined with a deep, digital bassline… The chanting is a good touch and steadily the bass level deepens and this turns into a rich, smooth progressive track… Not bad at all! #02: Extremely Good ‘Tall puppy syndrome’ is unbeknownst to Sensifeel, but sure, why not toot one’s own horn… ;o) Though I wouldn’t go as far as calling this extremely good – but it’s definitely not bad… It’s groovy progressive trance with tight percussion including bongos, nifty little synth-lines and a steady pace carried by the deep bassline… Nice track! #03: Back to the Future (FREq Remix) The original version of this track was releases on the Domo compilation The Swiss Connection earlier this year… I haven’t heard the original though, so I cannot compare it to this FREq remix… Ahhh… FREq! ;o) Aran Gallagher’s debut album Strange Attractors released on Iboga was one of the best progressive albums of 2004… So as always when it’s FREq my expectations are high… And yes, I’m happy to report that FREq delivers once again… I dunno how the hell he does it, but somehow he manages to totally soak this track in big, phat grooviness… Another rich, driving, trademark FREq progressive stomper … Excellent! #04: Dirty Beach This on the other hand is a very aptly named track… On one hand its progressive trance with crude, unpolished beats – and on the other it’s smooth beach house trance… Unfortunately it suffers a little from stand-still syndrome for the first part of the track… Second half is better and the strings really lift it… Ok track! #05: Dance for Peace Forget about your inhibitions and dance for peace! This is one of the fastest tracks here… Jumping for joy, this is a very well-polished track – and sadly a little too well-polished… I could’ve used some edge here – something to erect this from the vast, endless pool of mainstream progressive house… #06: Who’s Going? Now this is more like it! Interesting intro with cool voice samples – sounds like a conversation between someone… After that a very interesting beat and pretty smooth groove… Metallic sounds, melodic pads and nice twisted bleeps & blops… Much better now Philippe! Parts of this remind me of the Atmos album 2nd Brigade ~ though this is different altogether… This track is kinda mysterious, yet funky… I like that! Nicey nice! #07: Open Air And now we dig deeper… The phat proggy bassline is introduced immediately, creating the foundation for one hell of a funky track… Ahh, what depth…Great use of strings and other downtempo elements alongside the funny voice samples… Overall, at nice little track! #08: Explorer (Rmx) The cover doesn’t go into details about this remix, so I can’t really tell you about who did what – so I’m guessing it’s just Sensifeel remixing Sensifeel… What I can tell you though, is that this is blechdrummel-like progressive trance…Great use of filters and some pretty twisted FX… Groove-a-licious! #09: Kim Sam Last track is Kim Sam which is a downtempo, experimental tune… The acoustic piano is really effective – it could easily be the soundtrack to a sad scene in a movie… Also the percussion work here is impressive – very well constructed… Overall, this is damn nice tune… Great way to finish the album! Besides the FREq-remix the second half of this album is really where the gems are hidden… From a general viewpoint, this album isn’t bad at all – there are at least a handful of very nice tracks, but unfortunately there are also a couple of mediocre tracks… But at least the less-good tracks are easily outnumbered by the good tracks… Progressive trance with housey elements have had an amazing year in 2004, and my appetite is virtually endless when it comes to smooth, funky, groovy tunes – and we’re treated to more than a few of those on this album… It doesn’t reach FREq, Kooler or Son Kite heights, but there are definitely parts that would mix well with those… Seen in that light, this would be a handy DJ-tool… I’d also like to accentuate the cover artwork, which I didn’t really like at first glance… It looked way to cliché and the colours were tacky – but it has actually grown on me (first time a cover has done that I think…) After I studied it more closely, I’ve come to like it. Great paintings by Mae & Moe… Anyway, I encourage fans of groovy progressive trance to sample this album… Out 6 December 2004. Enjoy! Favourites: 3(!!), 6, 7, 8, 9 DeathPosture External links: Sensifeel: http://sensifeel.online.fr Domo Records: http://www.domorecords.com Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dom/dom1cd005.html Beatspace: http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.asp?id=1772 And most other well-known online shops soon…

V/A – Natural Born Chillers Artist: Various Title: Natural Born Chillers Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Aleph Zero Records (Israel) Cat. #: AlephZ03 Date: 30 November 2004 Track listing: 01. 11’13” Ishq - Alaya 02. 07’10” Anahata - Shakti 03. 11’19” Zen Mechanics – A New Philosophy 04. 08’28” Jirah - Disconnect 05. 09’10” Agalactia – Monochrome Rainbow Pixie 06. 06’31” Cosmic Fools – Be Yourself 07. 05’09” J.Viewz - Estha 08. 06’11” Son Kite – On Air (MIDIval PunditZ Remix) 09. 07’00” Omar Faruk Tekbilek & Steve Shehan – Ya Bouy (Shulman Remix) 10. 06’29” Eastern Spirit – Under Water (Part One) Review: Complete enjoyment for ears and mind… Though this is only the third release by the Israeli chill label Aleph Zero, Yaniv Shulman & Shahar Bar-Itzhak have already gained massive respect and admiration throughout the world wide trance community for the two outstanding album releases by Shulman and Bluetech. I’m proud to own both, and I consider them highly valuable parts of my chill-out collection… With such a high quality level, my expectation for this, the first Aleph Zero compilation, were high… Let’s find out if they were met… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Ishq – Alaya Alright – prepare to chill out… And I mean reeeeeally chill out! Frozen really! Ishq is the ambient collective from Cornwall (U.K.) headed by Matt Hillier, and after the critically acclaimed and re-released album Orchid, here’s another quality tune… This is active meditation – virtually beatless, soothing ambient… The sound of the elements: Wind & water… Birds in the background… Subtle choir work… - All ingredients in a very nice, very mellow, breathtaking journey of a track… #02: Anahata – Shakti This compilation is a continuous mix, so we slip seamlessly into the next track by Anahata known from some of the old R.T.T.S. Ambient Meditation compilations… We dig a little deeper now, adding more percussion, electro bits and hints of dub… But definitely still downtempo… Check out the characteristic reverb effect used throughout the track… Nice little track! #03: Zen Mechanics – A New Philosophy “You start thinking as a new person, and a new philosophy grows inside. You don’t just watch the earth; you start thinking about its problems...” Next up is Zen Mechanics a.k.a. Wouter Thomassen delivering a lengthy track with long organic, floating pads & deep tribal/ritual influences… Subtle synths and dubby beats… I like how this track constantly evolves, yet it maintains its overall spacey feeling… Sweet! #04: Jirah - Disconnect Jirah released his melodic full-on debut album last year on USTA, but here we’re treated to a more mellow side of his production skills… Nice guitar-action, electro-dub, subtle percussion and distinct ethnic influences… This is high quality downtempo psy-electronica… #05: Agalactia – Monochrome Rainbow Pixie Remember the Agalactia track from the Psychedelic Sparks compilation that was conceived as a result of a track contest @ psynews.org a couple of years back? I haven’t heard anything from Philip Khripkov since then, but he sure hasn’t lost his touch… This track is a palette of dub, electro, chill, electronica, ethnic beats, etc… The pace has quickened and we’re exposed to loads of different genres here, though the focus is still on downtempo… That’s one hell of a flute… And those Irish influences towards the end are very uplifting – it has me smiling! ;o) #06: Cosmic Fools – Be Yourself “A wizard is never late. He arrives precisely when he means to.” AFAIK this is the debut for Cosmic Fools… I have no idea who’s behind that moniker, but what I do know is that is one hell of a debut… The first part of the track is something as rare as darkish, yet uplifting downtempo… I really like the soft, gentle melodies on top a very deep, groovy foundation… The female singing is also a nice touch – and even the LOTR samples are pretty cool. Nice track for sure – and remember to “be yourself, let your conscious lead you and follow your heart…” #07: J.Viewz – Estha J.Viewz is the alter-ego of Jonathan Dagan from critically acclaimed Israeli downbeat sensation Violet Vision… Everything I’ve heard that he’s been involved in was great and so is this… More string-action here, flute, thick Eastern influences and female, ethnic vocals… Nice – though way too short! #08: Son Kite – On Air (MIDIval PunditZ Remix) Son Kite’s On Air is on of my fav’e progressive tunes from 2004 – and this mix by US breaks-n-ambient duo MIDIval PunditZ was included on the single released prior to the album… I immediately fell in love with the remix back then, and kudos to Aleph Zero for including it on this compilation… It fits perfectly! This is nice blend of all kinds of stuff… Dubby breaks, Oriental chanting, Raja flute, sitar, mellow tribal percussion… With the added-value nostalgic Son Kite groove intact! Very nice track! #09: Omar Faruk Tekbilek & Steve Shehan – Ya Bouy (Shulman Remix) To my knowledge Turkish ney master Mr. Tekbilek is pretty well-know in the Arab world-music scene and has had tracks featured on well-known ambient compilations like Buddha Bar and Back To Mine… And now, here’s a Shulman remix – and what a track! This is ambient world music with thick, thick Eastern influences and an overall phat ethnic groove… Reminds me of Asura or Kaya Project at times… Very good! According to Shulman, the instrument played here is some kind of Turkish wind instrument similar to the Indian shenhai… Amazing track! #10: Eastern Spirit – Under Water (Part One) Last up is Eastern Spirit which also is an up-and-coming act… We’re doing aquatic acrobatics here and the sound of the wet element is indeed present here… As the first track, this is soothing, relaxing, and beautiful ambient… The flute, the deep groove and the long floating pads create a very harmonic platform and underlines the closing statements of a dynamic, stunning journey… Aleph Zero has done it again… Released the third consecutive masterpiece… That’s a pretty damn good statistic, and there is no doubt in my mind that this compilation will enjoy immediate success throughout the world wide chill-out community – it really deserves it! I will not hesitate to call this compilation essential for any fan of intelligent, soothing, downtempo journey-music and I’m thrilled to give this my highest recommendation… Go get it! Favourites: 1, 3, 4, 5(!), 6, 8(!), 9(!), 10 DeathPosture External links: Aleph Zero Records: http://www.aleph-zero.info/NBCeflyer.htm (e-flyer) Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/ale/ale1cd003.html Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4473 Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...sp?LR=ALEPHCD03 Amboworld: http://www.amboworld.com/cgi-bin/product.asp?LR=ALEPHCD03 Trance Shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/prod...roducts_id=4222 Ultimae: http://www.ultimae.com/imports/index.html?skeud=128 Wirikuta: http://www.wirikuta.at/web66/product_detai...howDetail=66158

Filteria – Sky Input High-res cover: Front + Back Artist: Filteria (Sweden) Title: Sky Input Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Suntrip Records (France/Belgium) Cat. #: SUNCD01 Distribution: Arabesque Date: 22 November 2004 Track listing: 01. 10’35” Operation Pulse 02. 09’43” Stars (Starstuff Remix) 03. 08’26” Navigate 04. 09’01” The Snuggling Snail 05. 09’05” Domestic Modulator 06. 11’04” Ultimator! 07. 09’14” Galactic Rays 08. 07’46” Sky Input Review: Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in… Meet Jannis Tzikas a.k.a. Filteria: Originally from Greece but now residing in Stockholm, Sweden. He’s a 21 year old music producer and basically the personification of goa trance anno 2004. He’s been lurking under the surface for some time now, developing musical skills in the art of melodic goa trance. His love affair with classic goatrance has now materialized in this debut album, released on Suntrip Records – a fresh label, recently started by psynews.org godfathers Mars & Anoebis -dedicated to bringing melodic, psychedelic trance back into the scene… After months of hype following his much acclaimed live-performances throughout Europe, the much anticipated album is finally here – before I pop it in my stereo, let me just take a second to comment on the very lovely artwork cooked up by Ukiro… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Operation Pulse [144 BPM] First up is Operation Pulse which kicks things off with an eerie Twin Peak like intro… But it’s not long before a couple of Filteria-acid lines pop up… At first they’re playing around merrily, hinting what’s about to unfold… And the prophecy was right – before you know it, you’re in the middle of a multilayered, complex, highly melodic morning stomper… And that really encompasses what I love about Filteria’s style… Trippy, spacey, magical! #02: Stars (Starstuff Remix) [146 BPM] Holy fuck – this one makes the soft hairn on my arms become punkies… *g* This is a full-blow, climax-ridden, melodic morning tune in the true goa-sense with heavy Eastern influences and wall-to-wall psychedelia… I can’t believe how many layers this has – and how Jannis continues to amaze me with the endless amount of melodies he pulls of out his sleeve… Thick, strong, Pleiadians influences - beautifully crafted… Get stoned and watch the stars – and let this be your soundtrack! #03: Navigate [148 BPM] Try navigating through this… This is the fastest track here - goatrance with a distinct darker flavour… Twirling acidlines, stiff kicks, Jupitor6 distortion and hardcore tweak-o-rama… Check out the digital birds – that hummingbird must’ve slurped some acid instead of nectar... Pheew – this track is so intense… Brace yourself! #04: The Snuggling Snail [144 BPM] “I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a chocolate declare. That's my dream. That's my nightmare” Jannis samples the Apocalypse Now spoof on Celebrity Deathmatch… The snail-track is also a little darker than the most melodic parts of the album… It has a bouncy feel to it – the pads are somewhat raw, and the melodies highly trance-inducing… I really dig the breaks and build-ups – and the tons and tons of melodies put forth here…By real analogue synths mind you! Klonk (the sound of my jaw dropping…) #05: Domestic Modulator [144 BPM] Return of the melodies: extended edition… Now I’m guessing the title is a subtle, friendly nod to the kings of the past: Pleiadians… Again, we’re treated to some of the most complex, multilayered, deeply melodic stuff I’ve listened to for ages… Twirling, catapulting, perplexing, gut-hitting, intoxicating – strong words, but still no where near describing how good this is… #06: Ultimator! [146 BPM] Prepare for eleven minutes of ultimate bliss! This actually kinda reminds me of that climax part from X-Dream’s track Eleven… Interknitted layers of sonic sound manipulation constructed of blazing synth galore and psychedelic trickery… I’ve always been a sucker for flaring acid riffs, and here I get more than I bargained for… I mean – just listen from 6’20 and onwards… Sheer excellence! #07: Galactic Rays [147 BPM] Digital drops, acid farts and electronic burps make out the intro here – and after about a minute, we’re hit by analogue lightning - IFO-style… Old school with nu-school production techniques… Another highly intense piece, that sends shivers down an old trancer’s spine… This will teleport you back to 1996 faster than you can say ‘space cadet’ – and what a trip down memory lane this is… Check out the climax @ 8’03 – bom bolibompa! Amazing! #08: Sky Input [146 BPM] “If you do not know the present, how can you claim to know the future?” Right on – The title track wraps things up very nicely with a softer kick, atmospheric pads and the ever-present twirling acid-lines… Very well-constructed, constantly building and evolving and an overall very nice ending to a truly magical album… Holy mushroom! Listening to this album is a breathtaking experience – a sonic blast that’ll catapult you well into space… Prepare to be totally blown away – it’s one of those freak occurrences where you’re just completely sucked in by the magnitude of the music… And damn, I like those occurrences… This album encapsulates the original essence of highly melodic, multilayered, climaxing, uplifting, epic, trance-inducing goa trance… Just like the pioneers did back in the nineties – though with modern production techniques… The Pleiadians-link is evident, but this is far from plagiarism – this is a musical testament paying reverential tribute to an era long lost… And damn, it’s been ages since there was a goa trance release, but now it’s here… ;o) As stated above, listening to this is a very intense experience, and personally I sometimes feel like Ricky Fitts in American Beauty, when he says: Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in… What I’m trying to say by quoting that is that occasionally the intensity level can be intimidating … My senses are bombarded and I feel overwhelmed at times… But that’s a good thing right? It's just not very often that new music does that to me… On a related note, I could also wish for some of the many build-ups to be just a little longer for extended pleasure – but hey, I’m only nitpicking here! This album is among the best I’ve listened to in a long time! I give this my highest recommendation – and encourage any fan of melodic goatrance to check it out! Rest assured, this is an instant classic – you do not want to be without this! Enjoy! Favourites: All DeathPosture External links: Filteria: http://www.filteria.com Suntrip Records: http://www.suntriprecords.com Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/sut/sut1cd001.html (Audio samples available!) Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4400 Juno Records: http://www.juno.co.uk/IP/IF162632-01.htm Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...?LR=SUNTRIPCD01 Trance Shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/prod...roducts_id=4196 Beatspace: http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.asp?id=1697 Discobole: http://www.discobole.gr/product.asp?pid=75061

Yeah, Ebay is your best bet... I was in your shoes up until earlier this year when I bought it from a collector who had bought it off Ebay... So don't give up - you'll find it eventually! DP

Also check out Kukan Dub Lagan's new album "Life Is Nice" ... There are at least a couple of tracks with heavy reggae influences... DeathPosture