DeathPosture

Aes Dana – Memory Shell ^ Click-able thumbnail ^ Artist: Aes Dana (France) Title: Memory Shell Format: CD (digipack w/ 16 page booklet) Label: Ultimae Records (France) Cat. #: INRE 014 Distribution: Ultimae Date: 22 September 2004 Track listing: 01. 03’25” Chernozem 02. 06’20” Iris Rotation 03. 07’15” Dusts 04. 07’11” Opalin 05. 08’49” Memory Shell (Lost Radio E-dit) 06. 07’42” Haze 07. 04’51” Shouting Valley 08. 05’53” Cities Update 09. 05’50” Sub Morphing 10. 04’09” Grounds Around 11. 06’28” Exposure (Aes Dana Rmx) 12. 03’08” Chernozem (Closing) Review: Sound corals and vast hypnotic beaches… Ultimae – the number one ambient label, is now releasing its 14th album, and this time it’s by none other than big cheese label boss Vincent Villuis in co-orperation with Sunbeam, under the Aes Dana moniker… It’s the third full album by Aes Dana which was responsible for half of the brilliant H.U.V.A. Network album released earlier this year on Ultimae… That album was absolutely stunning, so my expectations for this are sky-high… Let’s see if they are met! Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: ‘It was raining in Vargö when we met the sandmen on the boarder of the ocean…’ Smooth organic intro – beatless, only soft, floating ambient soundscapes and the beautiful voice of Mahiane… Let the journey begin… #02: The CD is mixed, so we drift seamlessly into ‘Iris Rotation’ which is another little ambient gem, though more focused, and up-beat… Carried by simple, familiar melodies… Dubby in nature, with a thick underlying groove… Lovely! #03: And then it’s time for ‘Dusts’… Somehow Vince manages to take electro-sounds and make them sound organic – check out the beautiful mood he manages to set, just by some digital birds and what sounds like a human choir far, far away in the background… Add some subtle percussion, and you’ve got yourself an amazing, trance-inducing tune… This is psychedelic ambient at its best! #04: And the groove gets even phatter now… This is the ‘fastest’ track on the album, and I don’t know quite how to label it - progressive ambient? Whatever it is, it sure rocks…Sweet, sweet track with a funky, downbeat groove and the lovely voice of Pascale Auffret… I really, really like this… Yummy! #05: Time for the beach track ‘Memory Shell’ which was already released in a special Mindgames Festival Live Version last year on Fahrenheit Project Pt. 4… This track intelligently incorporates the sound of some of nature’s elements – wind and water… When you close your eyes and listen, your mind instantly takes you to the beach… Mahiane does more storytelling here, and we also get a subtle, fitting bassline to set the mood… Magic! #06: A long, peaceful intro… And then the soothing, beautiful voice of Pascale Auffret … Oh my, this is stunning… So simple, yet so beautiful… The subtle, dubby percussion only adds to the flavour… Enough said – listen, and enjoy! ;o) #07: This track is about the Shouting Valley of the Golan Heights in Syria where people have been communicating with family and friends across the border thru megaphones for the last 35 years… A bizarre situation indeed… The track itself consists of a bunch of elements… More sweet Pascale singing, walkie-talkie static, panpipes and long floating organic pads… A calm track – much calmer than the Shouting Valley, I reckon… Nice track! #08: Straight from the Shouting Valley of Syria, to the sound of a hectic, pulsating, vibrant city – as portrayed by Vince himself… We get a lot more layers than in the previous tracks – beats, percussion, synths, etc… But don’t get me wrong, it’s still very much a chill track… The percussion here isn’t really my cup of chai though – somehow, they are a tad too ‘noisy’… It’s not bad; it’s just not as great as the rest… Decent track! #09: Time for the aptly named ‘Sub Morphing’ which incorporates various industrial & electro sounds into an otherwise ‘normal’ downbeat track… We get hints of metallic hisses, tribal percussion and all kinds of indecipherable lyrics… And all that makes a very interesting combo… Nice little track! #10: If ‘Memory Shell’ was the summer-track, then this definitely is the winter track… This is a stripped down, ‘dark ambient’ piece… Marching sounds, cutting sounds, radio static and an overall melancholy, eerie and cold atmosphere… Very interesting track – if only it was a little longer… #11: This track was originally made by a dude called Konrad Gmurek – and this is the Aes Dana remix… I’ve never heard the original, so I can’t tell you what was changed… What I can tell you though, is that this kinda has the same ‘dark ambient’ feel as its predecessor… This is slightly faster though – and has a bassline… Subtle, but a bassline nevertheless… This is the soundtrack to a dark, peaceful winter-forest lit by the moonlight… Nordic exposure – you’ll love it! ;o) #12: And finally the closing part of ‘Chernozem’ with Vince on hanging shells and kalimba… It picks up where track #1 left off … Virtually beatless, the sweet voice of Mahiane – and perfectly knitted bits and pieces for a sweet, floating ambient piece… I cannot think of a better way, to end this CD… Superb! Where my expectations met? Yes – very much so… With only a few minor glitches, this album is absolutely brilliant… This album was a year in the making – and it shows! Or sounds rather: Everything just oozes quality – from the rich, extremely well-polished production to the beautiful packaging and the very impressive booklet… Every track has its own page with credits and stunning, art-photoes… I’m impressed! ;o) If you’re looking for some of the finest, most well-produced and soothing ambient and subtle downbeat morning trance – look no further… This is an ambient/downbeat journey, that will stick with you for years to come… 2004 have already brought some amazing chill-out releases, and this is another strong Ultimae-contender for ambient release of the year… Enjoy! DeathPosture External links: Ultimae Records: http://www.ultimae.com (Audio samples available!) Virtual ‘e-flyer’: http://www.ultimae.com/memoryshell Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/inr/inr1cd014.html [Look out for this release in more online shops very soon!]

Oh, I see... Nice to meet you here mate.. ;o) DeathPosture

Thanks for all the feedback guys... Keep it coming! Agreed, that is a very nice track! Btw - Nice nick dude... Frontier Psychiatrist is a brilliant track by The Avalances! ;o) DeathPosture

So, did you all see the artwork for the upcoming USTA compilation? ^Click-able thumbnail^ What do you all think about mixing trance and politics? I know that Zoo-B is prolly taking the piss, but will everyone get it? Opinions? (And please, let's keep it sober - no fighting!) DeathPosture

Gone... V/A – Dance, Trance & Magic Plants (Transient 1997) http://www.discogs.com/release/52155 More stuff going soon... DP

UPDATE • Psyko Disko – Psycho Disco (199?) • http://www.discogs.com/release/3722 • Sonic Fusion – Confused (Hadshot 1999) • http://www.discogs.com/release/262094 Are gone... The rest I still have... Plus I have some additions - both CD and vinyl... Vinyl: Green Nuns Of the Revolution – Conflict/Cor (TIP Records 1995) http://www.discogs.com/release/144941 Total Eclipse - Can't Do That (TIP Records 1995) http://www.discogs.com/release/94047 *Reserved* Sheyba – Sheyba EP (Flying Rhino 1995) http://www.discogs.com/release/94055 The Infinity Project – Alien Airport (TIP Records 1995) http://www.discogs.com/release/12904 *Reserved* Miranda – Real Rush (Substance 1997) http://www.discogs.com/release/144947 *Reserved* Syb Unity Nettwerk - Cosmo Shiva / Lost World (Transient 1995) http://www.discogs.com/release/103623 Etnica – Starship 101/Full On (Blue Room Released 1996) http://www.discogs.com/release/86467 Psychaos – Science Fiction/They Tried To Grab Me (Blue Room Released 1995) http://www.discogs.com/release/73315 Total Eclipse – Le Lotus Bleu (Remix)/The Cruncible (Blue Room Released 1995) http://www.discogs.com/release/94036 Total Eclipse – Waiting For A New Life (Smart Records Copenhagen) http://www.discogs.com/pendingdetails?id=49186 The Infinity Project – Stimuli (Smart Records Copenhagen) http://www.discogs.com/release/302802 More CDs for trade (used, but near mint condition): DNA Productions – Virtual Jungle (Phonokol 1997) http://www.discogs.com/release/239942 V/A – Dance, Trance & Magic Plants (Transient 1997) http://www.discogs.com/release/52155 Power Source – Cosmic Waves (Melodia 1999) http://www.discogs.com/release/112591 *Incoming* Same conditions as above apply for these... Get in touch! DeathPosture

Hello psy-collectors… As often before, I have a bunch of stuff lying around that would like to find new friendly homes… Some new CDs, some used - but all in mint/near mint condition... New CDs: Mint or near mint: • Distance to Goa Volumes 1-3 pack (Distance 200?) • http://www.discogs.com/release/283330 • Distance to Goa Vol. 8 (Distance 2000) • http://www.discogs.com/release/50967 • Distance to Goa Vol. 9 (Distance 2000) • http://www.discogs.com/release/86194 • Psyko Disko – Psycho Disco (199?) • http://www.discogs.com/release/3722 • V/A – Singularity (Flying Rhino 1998) • http://www.discogs.com/release/3723 • Gen6 – Genesis (Creon Records 2002) • http://www.discogs.com/release/69098 • Haldolium – Be Real (Free Form 2002) • http://www.discogs.com/release/84054 • Sonic Fusion – Confused (Hadshot 1999) • http://www.discogs.com/release/262094 • Feuerhake – Excess All Areas (Free Form 2001) • http://www.discogs.com/release/70355 • Quadra – Digital Stimulant (Boom Records 2000) • http://www.psynews.net/reviews/digitals.htm Used – near mint condition: • Natural Born Techno Vol. 5 – Psychedelic Trance (Nova Zembla 1997) • http://www.discogs.com/release/76333 • Sri Hari – Rising Sign (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust 1995) • http://www.discogs.com/release/238797 • Future Prophecy – Freak (Balloonia 2000) • http://www.discogs.com/release/116712 • Future Prophecy – Shadows (Balloonia 1999) • http://www.discogs.com/release/116678 • V/A – A Taste Of Dragonfly Vol. 3 (Nova Tekk 1999) • http://www.discogs.com/release/121849 • V/A – A Taste Of Dragonfly Vol. 4 (Nova Tekk 2000) • http://www.discogs.com/release/139565 • V/A – Order Odonata Vol. 4 (Dragonfly 2000) • http://www.discogs.com/release/34821 • V/A – Distance @ Tower: The Future Sound Of America (Distance 1997) • http://www.discogs.com/release/102678 • V/A – Reborn (Bionics Records 2001) • http://www.discogs.com/release/102198 • V/A – Trancelucent 2000 (Transient Records 2000) • http://www.discogs.com/release/108166 • Haldolium – Degau (Free Form Records 1999) • http://www.psynews.org/reviews/deague.htm • Noosphere – Radiated (Twisted 1999) • http://www.discogs.com/release/35972 + I still have a few copies left of the VERY RARE: * Elysium - Celestial Sounds and Neurotic Tribal Beats [Nova Zembla 1997: http://www.discogs.com/release/116779] (CD - mint condition - still shrink-wrapped) --- I’ve made quite a few successful trades over the years – and I guess I’m pretty well-known on various psy/goa sites… But if you want to do a background-check on me you’re more than welcome to ask some of the people I’ve traded with: Stormbringer, Basilisk, PKS, Full Lotus, Mars, Damion/Psyreviews – or just ask around on public forums for my credibility… ;o) I prefer to trade these with equally old, rare, ORIGINAL goa-CDs... [Wantlist: http://www.discogs.com/user/DeathPosture ] But I could also use some new stuff from your fav'e online shop (Psyshop, Saiko Sounds, etc...)... Or if you want to offer me vast amounts of cash for these, you might be able to persuade me... But trading is my preferred business! Also bear in mind, that at least a few of these CDz are RARE, timeless classics, so if you're buying me new CDs from psyshop, I might want more than one ... But let's talk about that if you e-mail me! Also, if you have dupes in your collection - rare or not, I might be interested in some kind of trade! ;o) If you are interested, please do not hesitate to get in touch and we can talk about what stuff you want, and what you can offer in return... Send me a list of what stuff you'd like to exchange - or give me an estimate on how many new CDz you can buy me @ psyshop, saikosounds, etc in exchange for these CDz... My want-list is here: www.discogs.com/user/DeathPosture– and just because something is not on my wantlist, does not mean I don’t want it… ;o) I prefer to trade within Europe as my shipping costs would be low (I'm in Denmark), but for the right offer I'll ship anywhere in the world... Alright, that's it I guess... Please get in touch if you are interested: deathposture [at] hotmail.com DeathPosture

Good job Mars... Been looking forward to this for a long time... DeathPosture

I reviewed this a couple of months back in this threard... But hey, here's my review again... ;o) -------- V/A – Schlabb 006 Format: CDr Artist: Various Artists Title: Schlabbaduerst 006 Label: Schlabbaduerst ReKkords, Sweden Cat. #: Schlabb 006 Year: 2004 Track listing: 01. 04’55” Zooboreal – Intodub 02. 09’22” Battle of the Future Buddhas – Leprechaun War Dub 03. 07’09” Dropout – Mushroom Groovers Easter Dub 04. 06’36” Death By Water – Those Are Pearls That Were In His Eyes 05. 07’37” Zooboreal – Taunt Your Life into the Universe 06. 04’59” Zooboreal – Moon Kitten String 07. 09’31” Skomm – The Adventures of Metatubbs 08. 06’44” Nocturnal - Sjögräs 09. 02’42” Zooboreal - Voxtri 10. 09’00” Gone Fishing – Dweamer 11. 08’43” Silent Mind – The Art of Science Review: Ambient Uppsala… Schlabbaduerst – the collective of freaks hailing from the deepest recesses of Sweden’s Uppsala forests… They are nihilist - They answer to no-one – and they release great, great music… The previous releases have all been packed with dance-floor friendly music – but this one is for chilling out afterwards… As the promotional text states: “[…] for your convenience we have made an ambient compilation for the lazy end of the party when no one can stand on his/her feet anymore...” Schlabb 6 was announced ages ago, but D-Dave had problems finding just the right tracks – so fans like me have been waiting impatiently… But now it’s finally here – the sixth Schlabb instalment: Ambient Schlabb! Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: The first of 4 Zooboreal tracks kick off the ambient journey in a smooth way… Dubby, lazy percussion and floating, organic melodies… “Meditation, spiritualism and love”… Remember the classic sample from the Wax Trax track? Ahh, pure nostalgia… “There are many things that even the wisest of us don’t know”… Very true – but I know that this is a great track… #02: And now for the Buddha’s sweet downbeat tune… This is the original version to the (-1% Edit) version that appeared on the Demonoizer album (BooM! 2002)… As the name implies, this is dub – just about as dubby as it can get… Slowly, repetitive, lazy beats accompanied by simple melodies played on piano, synth and sitar… Well, that’s what it sounds like at least… This is exceptionally simple, yet highly effective – this is the stuff I want to listen to when lying on my back in the woods watching the leaves fall of the trees… The track gains a little more tempo in the second half and overall it’s a great piece of ambient work! #03: The plot thickens, and the bass deepens… More dub by the usual suspects… This time it’s more psychedelic – even weirder! The guys are messing around with synths, filters, tribal percussion and random FX – and one of the deepest basses I’ve heard in a dub-track… But the combo works out well – this is a track that has grown on me – first it bugged me, but I’m starting to like it more after repeated listens… The only gripe is that I think it’s a little too fast for an ambient compilation… #04: Death by Water is D-Dave on his own… The track starts out with some kind of echo-filter-pitched-down-Hoover-resonance-sound which in parts sounds like a weird version of The Horrorist/Front Line Assembly… This has dub-elements, but not enough to qualify as dub… This is more like experimental down-tempo – with psychedelic elements…There is an Angelo Badalamenti feel towards the end and into the next track… Nice! #05: This track has a more tribal approach… It’s more universal than “just” Swedish – hence the title… Very floating, organic down-beat track… Beautiful soothing melodies… Percussion, synths and samples in the same vein as in the previous Zooboreal track… #06: We float almost unnoticeable into the next Zooboreal track which starts out as another silky-smooth ambient piece…. Lovely acoustic guitars on top of a slow, drifting ambient soundscapes… Later on subtle some subtle percussion and mind-relaxing FX are added… Gorgeous track – but too short! #07: Again, Skomm appears on a Schlabb release – just to piss everyone off! *sS* But again, Skomm works wonders – this track is sweet… Tribal at first, but changes direction into a more spacey chill-out track… Only to shift back to tribal/world beats… Loads of keyboard/organ experimentation going on here… I like the organic/electro clash feel of this track! #08: And now: The sound of seaweed… Again, the bassline is pretty brutal for an ambient tune, and there is an overall kinda monotonous feel – but somehow it works out ok… I have a problem with some of the bizarre annoying high-pitched sounds though… Decent track! #09: Last Zooboreal track is the way too short Voxtri – I really dig the mood in this – the singing of birds, female singing and acoustic strings makes a great combo… Why, oh why is this track so short? #10: Dweam on dweamer… Now we’re really chilling out… Gone fishing is Lulle from Ka-Sol – and this is some REALLY minimal ambient… Loads of impressive effects are used to create this piece of stripped down electronica… Dubby, mega-slow bassline and modest synth-melodies… This is stuff I want to listen to before I venture into dreamland… Simple, yet beautiful! #11: Silent Mind (Henrik Skott) is a new rising Uppsala star… He continues in the same style as Dweam with virtually beat-less ambient… Just mellow, relaxing, floating ambient… The soundtrack of dreams… Outstanding – ‘nuff said! The tracks are mixed into each other, to ensure one continuous voyage… The CD starts off slow – gets kinda upbeat and then fades into two almost beat-less tracks… A truly wonderful journey… Schlabbaduerst RekKords have once again proven that they call pull off releasing stuff, which does not compromise their anarchistic vision… This was made by a bunch of guys who doesn’t really care about image – they just love electronic music… Hats off! I’d recommend this both to hardened Schlabb fans, but also to open-minded people looking for a different approach to chill-out music… You get all sorts on this compilation… In my opinion a few of the tracks miss a certain something to be perfect (and some of the best are just too short) – but in contrast, the rest of the tracks are just wonderful… I encourage you to visit Schlabb OfFline and order this … Don’t download it – it’s really cheap! Support a small independent label, so that we can get more fresh releases like this in the future! Enjoy! 8.5/10 Favourites: 2, 4, 6(!), 7, 9(!), 10, 11 DeathPosture External links: Schlabbaduerst OfFline: http://listen.to/Schlab --- [Note: This is not the actual cover – just something I made in Windows Paint to give an indication of what it looks like…In the true Schlabb spirit!]

I sincerely hope that this thread isn't followed by similar threads in the future... Would hate to see this forum turn into a haven for traders.... Please, take your pirate talk elsewhere people! DP

Well there you go then... Support the artists and buy originals! DP

Yeah man, it exists, though VERY rare... It's still pending @ discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/296174 Check out the VERY nice artwork... ;o) DeathPosture

Hey Brotha! Well, either you press "Add reply" and then press "Quote" Or the other way around... DeathPosture

Oh yes it is.. Very intoxicating... Trance-inducing even... ;o) I'm glad that I'm not the only one noticing it... DP

We all have a bunch of tracks that we love, but for some reason no-one else does... So do we have bad taste, or do everyone else? Here's a list of some of my fav'e tracks that no-one else seem to dig... * Holy Ghost - "Zombie Assassin" From the brilliant Baluns compilation 'Otherwise' released back in 2001 http://www.discogs.com/release/219726 This was pretty much the track that got me into progressive trance in the first place - The first three minutes are kinda lame, but then all hell brakes loose with the most twisted, shifting, floating progressive sounds... I will NEVER get tired of this track, and to this day it remains one of my all time fav'e proggy tunes... I really dig that stereo-effect this track has... If I become a DJ one day, THIS will be my signature-track! Chekkit! * Deflo - "Tio Mate" From the old-school Matsuri compilation 'Resonance Mood' from 1997 http://www.discogs.com/release/146499 Oh fuck, that acid-squelch-o-rama bit that starts @ 3'39 is just pure bliss... Sends shivers down my spine! * Electric Universe - "Spectral Blue" From the otherwise kinda crappy EU album 'Waves' from 1998 http://www.discogs.com/release/66790 This has nostalgic value to me... I was living in London in 1999 and had an amazing girlfriend, Sara, and she bought me this album just because of one little thing I really liked... The KICK-ASS break @ 4'27!... Funky! * Shiva Sidpao - "Shiva Devotional" From the lo-fi, pre-Infected album 'Shiva Sidpao - The Album' http://www.discogs.com/release/48858 I've heard it's all put together in Impulse Tracker - and admittedly, it's a pretty simple track, but DAMN there's just something too it... Those twisted build-up/breaks... Yummy! It's also my on/off goa-head friends fav'e track, so I must have listened to this well over a hundred times... * Tim Schuldt - "Orange Acid" From Tim's greatest hits compilation 'Singles Collection' released in 2000 http://www.discogs.com/release/66705 Highly melodic, this is pretty much a departure from Tim's usual, darker approach to psy-trance... But I really dig this - although it's so simple, it always leaves a big old smile on my face when I listen to it... * The Infinity Project - Hyperspaced From the EXCELLENT album 'Feeling Weird' from 1995 http://www.discogs.com/release/36142 Calling this over-looked is perhaps an overstatement, but my experience tells me, that when people have to mention best tracks by TIP, this is rarely mentioned... Well, it's my fav'e track - I luv the sample in the intro 'Yes, the world at large is fascinated with so called flying saucers. However, they do not fly, they oscilate in between dimensions.' - and then the flaring acid-riff... Sweet! * X-Dream - "Eleven" (Original mix mind you, not the 11 PM mix) From the album 'We Created Our Own Happiness' released in 1997 http://www.discogs.com/release/71702 The track itself is fairly boring 'cept from that smashing part @ 7'53 - when played at high volume, it'll knock you off your feet... * Zodiac Youth - "Cartographers Of The Universe" From the bashed Dragonfly compilation 'Order Odonata 5' from 2000 http://www.discogs.com/release/34821 Again, it's one little thing that makes me really like this track... And that's the voice-sample that is among the best I've ever heard in a psy-track: 'The cartographers of the universe. They're (...). They're star-charged. How far does it go? Does time have an end? My personal theory is that everything is happening all the time. We're just not smart enough to see it, that's all!' ... Very well-crafted sample and very well-fitting for the track! * Scatterbrain - "Mexican Jesus" From the brilliant 2003 album 'Infernal Angel' released by Digital Psionics http://www.discogs.com/release/215319 I cannot praise this track enough... Here's what I wrote earlier this year when I reviewed 'Infernal Angel': This was the first track I heard from the album in the autumn of 2003, and I was completely awestruck back then – and I still am… A psy track that focussed mainly on voice-samples. In fact, half of the track is a guy talking about drugs. Smells like cheddar? Well, you’re wrong. This track is amazing – the long bits of dialog carries the track to a higher level, and this baby will stay with you for a long time! This is a story track. About a guy blown away on ayahuasca who meets the Mexican Jesus, butt naked in the middle of the Yellowstone National Park. Here’s a transcript of some of the lyrics: ”Genetic material getting changed before your eyes. Man, people think they know about drugs, but... That ain't a drug, it's a sacrament. It's just a portal to another world. It's realities that are always there. A key to other dimensions […] That we live with them all the time. Thankfully our awareness never touches... […] How would I describe it? Terrifying. Enlightening. But utterly terrifying. You swear you'll never go back. Ever. And the next thing you know, you're taking it again. You're going down that tunnel.” Yes, I keep going down that tunnel again… I can’t stop listening to this track. It’s just so damn hypnotizing! I love it! [For a full transcript, check Psychedelic Mind Expander – I’ve submitted the full lyrics there!] That's it for now... I have more tracks, but frankly I can't be bothered writing any more... But comment on these tracks are more than welcome... Perhaps, I'm not the only one who likes them? And what are YOUR top 3-5-10-50 overlooked tracks? DeathPosture

Setherian - Multiverse Artist: Setherian (Brazil) Title: Multiverse Format: CD (digipack) Label: Glowing Flame Records (Macedonia) Cat. #: GFRCD-02 Distribution: Wirikuta Date: July 2004 Track listing: 01. 08’10” Vectra In Bedrock 02. 08’46” Hard Drives 03. 09’33” Runner Blade 04. 08’43” Evil Drug 05. 08’10” Multiverse 06. 07’12” From Time To Time 07. 08’15” Ribbon Crying 08. 08’49” Trust Me 09. 08’10” Retro Sequence Review: Setherian is DJ Seth aka Christian Zahn from Sao Paulo, Brazil… Though he’s in his early twenties, he’s been in the business for several years as both a DJ and producer. He describes his style as “a mix between progressive, clubby elements and energetic full-on”, and under his Setherian moniker he has already had releases on labels such as YSE, Com.pact and Ajuca Productions… Glowing Flame Records from Macedonia (previously located in the U.K.) released his debut album in July, and why don’t we have a closer listen to it… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: [138 BPM] We kick off with a slowish tune… Spacey intro – organic, floating pads… All very harmonic… Soon we are greeted by a very nice, FREq-like synth melody – oh, I’m a sucker for those proggy tunes with twisted analogue synths… Also, Seth makes an effort here to use stereo-effects and he does it pretty good… Not as good as FREq, but nice try… This is a full-on track with rich, progressive elements… Nice track, very promising for the rest of the album! #02: [140 BPM] As this CD is mixed, we seamlessly float into track 2… Another organic intro, soon interrupted by a pretty hollow, banging bass… Later on a tribal percussion arrangement kicks in, but that doesn’t do more than lift this track a tad above average standard… Decent track! #03: [141 BPM] Electro sounds and a phat bassline… Yummy! This is pretty straight-forward melodic full-on without many surprises… Sure it’s well-polished; it’s just not very original… Dare I say copy/paste? …I did! Well, that’s true for the middle part of the track at least – it picks up for the last couple of minutes… Ok track! #04: [143 BPM] Let’s try some evil drugs!... As the title suggest, this is darker, more evil than the first 3 tracks… But not evil as in Parvati-evil… It’s just less fluffy… Seth does his best to spook us with horror samples, darkish bassline, industrial-sounding effects and an overall gloomy atmosphere… This is night-time trance, and actually it’s not bad… I could have wished for even more darkness, but for what it is, it’s pretty good… Sweet track! #05: [143 BPM] Time for the title track Multiverse… This is a pretty hectic track with all kinds of stuff going on… Acid-riffs, phazers, fast-paced bassline, tribal-like percussion, ethno voice samples and an overall spacey, metallic groove… It’s like a big mix-up of stuff you don’t normally find in the same track – I like that idea! Fairly good track! #06: [143 BPM] What is that – a sample from a Yello-track? A weird, but nice mixture of tribal percussion, electronic birds and light-hearted acid-riffs… Unusual combo, but it works! Later on we get some nice floating Twin-Peaks-theme-like part, with the Yello-sample and something that sounds like the old Chi-chi-chi-chi-Chiquita banana whispering… Well, it’s a nice and melodic, floating, drifting, fluffy morning tune… And only the original elements mentioned, lifts it above average standard… Nice track! #07: [144 BPM] Fastest track on the album…Starts with a Son Kite “On Air” like take-off sample… Though faster, and toned down so it’s not plagiarism… Standard full-on bassline, floating atmospheric pads, hi-hats, oil-drums and cheesy Nord Lead synth… Oh, and that On Air-like take-off is used again a couple of time later on in the track for climax purposes… Nice, but Son Kite does it better… All in all, this is a pretty nice track! #08: [143 BPM] “Trust no-one!” Another track with many different styles in one… Organic, yet spacey at times… Voice samples, both normal and pitched up… I like the bassline here, it’s tweaked somehow – or run thru a filter or something – it has a nice kick to it, and it’s kinda funky! This is melodic full-on with bits and pieces thrown in… Not bad at all… #09: [138 BPM] Time to chill out for the last track… Well, it’s not chilling per se, it’s just a little slower and time for some experimentation… Though still very well-polished, this is a little more off-key, with the odd irregular key… But overall, this is another melodic piece of music with a bunch of psychedelic bits sprinkled around… Nice ending! This is one of those albums that are really hard to grade… So I won’t! It’s like this: It’s all very well-produced, well-polished and have many great moments… But on the other hand, nothing really sticks out… There are not obvious “killers” on this album. I mean, it’s all pretty good, but nothing is fantastic either… Hope you catch my drift here? When interviewed by PsyMag.com, Seth said that “Multiverse means the "space" where many Universes are located including ours (one of the top theories amongst physicians and cosmologists) ... and it makes a lot of sense to call my debut album that name because this album is like a compendium of ideas and styles, it has many faces in one.” Well, that’s true – we get both morning and night trance here – and full-on and progressive… And that’s a concept I like – that way it doesn’t get too boring too quickly… Oh, and the cover-art is pretty nice too! Overall, this album isn’t essential – however, if you’re looking for a well-produced, well-polished album by an artist somewhere in between full-on and progressive – and in between night and morning trance, you should give this a try… Favourites: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8 DeathPosture External links: Glowing Flame Records: http://www.glowingflame.com Wirikuta: http://www.wirikuta.at/web66/product_detai...howDetail=50971 Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/gfr/gfr1cd002.html (Audio samples available!) Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4206 Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr....asp?LR=GFRCD02

V/A – Suspended Reality Artist: Various Title: Suspended Reality Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Ketuh Records (Portugal) Cat. #: KTH004 Distribution: Wirikuta Date: February 2004 Track listing: 01. 07’34” Phyx – Psycho Grooves 02. 08’04” Shrink – Planet-X 03. 07’22” Azax Syndrom – Circles of Hipocrasy 04. 07’15” Audialize - Neurologic 05. 08’16” N3XU5 – Ghost in the Shell 06. 06’38” Killer Buds – Another World 07. 06’16” Transdriver - Denge 08. 07’16” The Zealator vs. Texas Faggot – Toilet Trees 09. 08’16” Kluster – CPU 500% Rmx 10. Review: “Mortality as home entertainment? This can not be the future – can it!?” I know my review is extremely late on this compilation – it was released back in February 2004, and prior to that it had been announced for at least 6 months… But after a couple of changes to the track list, it was finally released… This compilation was the 4th from Ketuh Records in Portugul… Right now, they are prolly rigging up their shit for the upcoming Boom Festival which starts in only a couple of days… Oh how I wish I could be there… Anyway, this compilation has some sweet tracks on it, and I think it deserves a full review while we wait for upcoming comps from Ketuh… Let’s see what DJ P_Mac has compiled for us… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: First up is Phyx from South Africa – Mr. Ian Summs have had tracks on pretty much all of Timecode’s compilations, but this was his first on Ketuh… This track pretty much sets the mood for the rest of the compilation… Thick, dark, distorted, acid-driven night-trance… Harsh, gloomy and with hints of gritty, industrial sounds – definitely not for the faint-hearted… And you’ll need a proper stereo to enjoy this to the fullest – damn, this is some hardcore shit… I could’ve wished for a more melodic approach, but I’m sure this track appeals to the dunkel-trance army… Decent track! #02: “If you do not know the present, how can you claim to know the future?” Next up is Shrink from Portugal… An artist I’ve never heard about before, but this continues in the same vein, only slightly lighter, with more emphasis on synths… I dig the percussion here, the stiff kicks, the acid-riffs and the cool voice-samples… I think there is a guitar lurking around somewhere in the background too… This is definitely not bad for a debut release – OK track! #03: Azax Syndrom from Israel shouldn’t need any further introduction… After a creepy voice-sample spoken by a child, the usual madness brakes loose – a phat wall of sound: Haunting, horror atmosphere, driving acid-lines and a dark, repetitive bassline… I’m impressed how massive this track sounds – I mean no mp3 will ever do this justice; I’ll bet the frequency band is packed… Massive track, so to speak… #04: Next up is Portuguese Audialize, known for his “Wanted” album released on Ketuh last year… And DAMN, I need to get my hands on that album, ‘cause this is an absolute fucking corker of a track! Slick, chilled intro… Groovy compositions, Posford-like voice samples, trippy synth leads, haunting melodies and background pads and a subtle kick… A perfect combination! That climax part @ 4,19 sends chills down my spine… Awesome track! #05: N3ux5 is another Portuguese dude… I was particularly impressed with Mr. Lopez’ track on the Parvati compilation “Psychedelically Yours Vol. 2” – and though this technically was released first, it continues in the same vein as XXX… Extremely fast-paced, hard-hitting bassline and raging acid-fest… Clever use of stereo-FX here and some heavily modified tribal drums… Perfect for those dark nights on the trance-floor Sweet, sweet track! #06: “Sometimes the mind behaves as if it were a dream...”. Killer Buds is another unknown project to me – all I know is that they are from Brazil. They launch straight into a fast-paced, acid-ridden, stomping track… Despite some short monotonous moments, this track has a very phat groove to it… It has the very funny sample: “Mortality as home entertainment? This can not be the future – can it!?” *sS* Squealch-o-rama Brazilian style… I dig! #07: Next up is Transdriver from Russia … with love! This is lighter than the majority here, though not light as in ‘fluffy’ – oh no, this is still very much night trance… I like the variation here – always evolving and constant building and generally more psychedelic that the rest… Beware; it can mess with your head… Sweet! Very cool break-down @ 1’30… And check out the downright bizarre children’s choir… Funny track! #08: Never heard of The Zealator before, but they are Australian – and I’m guessing they have something to do with The Faggot’s refuge down under… Texas Faggot should need no introduction – those insane, sauna-trance Finns now residing in Australia… This is typical Thixx Thick/Penti Slayer style with random noises, irregular beats and all kinds of fucked up ingredients… Not bad at all, I just don’t understand what the hell this track is doing on this compilation!?… It sticks out – for the wrong reason – it seems strangely out of place… What gives? #09: Last up is Kluster from Sweden, who normally releases their stuff on Digital Psionics and Stoneage Records… But this is their second release on Ketuh… A nice, organic floating intro with lighter, fluffier elements… And wasps! Auch, they freak me out! This track has the unique Kluster-trademark sound: The synthetic melody… Nice! Though this track is lighter and more stripped down than some of the other tracks, I find it kinda boring at places… But I guess it’s cool for chilling out after those massive-wall-of-sound tracks to come before it… Decent track! For some reason, this compilation didn’t really get much attention when it was released back in February – but I guess this year have had so many great releases that it kinda drowned in the masses… But let me just stress that there are at least 4 really, really good tracks here… Tracks that deserves attention, and would justify anyone giving this some extra attention… Especially fans of darker, Pavarti/Ørebro-style-night-trance should not miss this one… I for one will not hesitate to recommend this compilation while we wait for upcoming Ketuh compilations: ‘Sonic Pantomime’ out in the end of August and the ‘Peacemaker’ compilation coming in October… Both of which will share many of the artists found on this compilation. Chekkit! Favourites: 4 (!!), 5 (!), 6, 7 DeathPosture External links: Ketuh Records: http://www.ketuhrecords.com Wirikuta: http://www.wirikuta.at/web66/product_detai...howDetail=38092 Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/kth/kth1cd004.html (Audio samples available!) Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=3834 Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr....asp?LR=KTHCD04 [NB: Sold out @ Saiko Sounds & Psyshop… But Chaos & Wirikuta has it!]

Super... Welcome back psynews... We missed you! DP

Very cool skin.. It looks AWESOME... My only gripe is, that it's not very functional... It takes a lot of getting used to at least... But stylewise, it's smashing! DP

Updated, with HTML... ----- V/A – Speed Of Light Artist: Various Title: Speed Of Light Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Magma Records (Italy) Cat. #: MGMCD 002 Distribution: Ajuca Productions (U.K.) Date: June 2004 Track listing: 01. 06’30” Flashback vs. Virus – Chemical Brain 02. 07’53” Golikem - Patafrax 03. 06’31” Vik On Injection – R2D2 04. 06’52” Insect Sun - Inertia 05. 07’35” Parasense – Animal Turn 06. 08’11” Suria – Sky Stone 07. 07’21” Parasense – Amnezing Tango 08. 07’25” The Misted Muppet - Odessey 09. 08’57” Noga - Precious Review: Lasagne trance! Magma Records (based in Italy) is out with their second compilation called “Speed Of Light”. Just like the first compilation; “Spaghetti, Pizza And Psychedelic” this CD was released without much publicity – well, at least I didn’t hear much about it when it came out a couple of months ago… But on this compilation, Magma line up some pretty impressive names, so I think it’s worth a review (though the cover-art is an eye-soar… Yuk!)… Let’s see what the Italians are up to… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: First up is a track by Flashback & Virus – An Italian dude and a Greek dude… I have no idea whether they are upcoming producers or veterans!?… But this is night trance – stripped down to the basics, and with a minimal structure with hints of full-on sprinkled lightly on top… Loads of industrial sounds and your typical darkish FX… It’s not a bad track per se – I just can’t find anything memorable about it… Run of the mill track! #02: Golikem is the moniker of Italian producer Paolo Passerni, and this track is a preview of his upcoming album (actually it might already be released – I dunno!)... We start out in breaks-territory and it soon evolves into a percussion driven, odd-ball track… Very stripped down, and rid of all ‘unnecessary bleeps and acid squelches’ – you wouldn’t want to confuse this with a psy-track, right? With all fairness, let me stress that this is not a bad track – it’s just not very psy, and this is supposed to be a psy-trance compilation right? #03: Viktan + Cyber Cartel = Vik On Injection... I’m not sure I would have used the word ‘on’ here… ‘Featuring’ sounds less fruity, but that’s a whole different story… Anyway, this is the Star Wars track complete with both voice samples and the sound of light-sabres and tie-fighters … And as the title suggests, R2 is also present… This is a full-spectre night-time trance track with loads of different ideas – not hugely original, but effective none the less…Oh, and Sebulba from Phantom Menace makes an appearance or two here as well… “Slimo!” Great track, I like it! #04: Next track is by Insect Sun from Israel who released an album on Balloonia a couple of years ago… This track is also best enjoyed at night – it’s pretty basic in structure… A dark and simple, yet stomping bassline + some synth effects, a little percussion and the occasional acid-riff… This is a little too stripped down for my taste… Average track! #05: Parasense, the infamous Russian trance duo is up next… Alex & Victor have experience massive success the last couple of years with their 3 albums and numerous tracks on compilations… And thanks to that, this track helps lift this compilation to higher grounds… Animal Turn has a dark, eerie feel to it – the trademark of Parasense… I dunno how they incorporate all those demented FX into their tracks… It must be something in their vodka-supply. Water? It’s gritty, it’s improper, it’s even vulgar – and I like it… Sweet track! #06: Portuguese producer Suria has released two albums already, and is best known for his uplifting full-on style… ‘Sky Stone’ is of a somewhat darker nature though - but I think it will work wonders on the trance floors at night…For home listening it’s a little to anonymous for my taste though… Average track! #07: More Russian delights on this amnezing tango! Remember some of the really weird polka stuff on the ‘Past Present Future’ album? – Well, this could easily have been on that album… Also, I hear a little Wizzy Noise in this track – and that’s not bad at all… It’s weird, it’s dark, it’s bizarre – it’s good! Very, very twisted, complete with digital drops, tribal’esque percussion and an evil, haunting bassline… Me gustas mucho! #08: And now for the highlight of this compilation… The Misted Muppet! They’ve just released their outstanding debut album on Trancelucent Productions, and here’s is more stuff in the same vein… This track has that “what-Infected-could’ve-sounded-like-if-they-didn’t-changed-direction” sound – without being plagiarism… This is multilayered, night time full-on with raging acid-lines, rapid melodies and dark, pumping bass and percussion… To top it of the build-up/climax parts are excellent… Perfect track! #09: “My preeeeecious!” Last up is another Israeli, Noga! … As you might have guessed from the title, this track has Gollum-samples, but they are very well-fitting… This is not as dark as the rest of the compilation… I guess the sun is setting after a dark night, and Noga brings us some lighter melodies - but still with a distinctive, dark edge… The bassline is subtle and good, and the overall feel is happy… I really dig the spacey part from 3’20 to 3’47 + the take-off near the end – that shit can mess with your brain…Beware! Very nice ending to this compilation… After a weak start, this compilation really picks up for the second half of the disc… Right, so we have 3 excellent tracks – 2 nice tracks and 4 not-so-good tracks… If DJ Nicholas (who compiled the thing) had thrown in just a couple more good tracks, this could easily have been a top-notch, essential compilation… However, the tracks that ARE good are in fact so good, that I would seriously encourage anyone with a taste for darkish, twisted, psychedelic night trance to check out this compilation… It deserves more attention than it has gotten! Favourites: 3, 5, 7(!), 8(!!), 9(!) DeathPosture External links: Magma Records: http://www.magmarecords.it/ Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/mgm/mgm1cd004.html (Audio samples available!) Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4079 Discobole: http://www.discobole.gr/product.asp?pid=69919

V/A - Schizm Artist: Various Title: Schizm Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Gi’iwa Productions (Australia) Cat. #: GPCD 001 Distribution: Wirikuta Date: July 2004 Track listing: 01. 07’24” PimperKnuckle – Size 8 02. 05’54” Sattel Battle - Dotman 03. 08’53” Tamlin - Fjaqek 04. 07’50” Patrask – Captain Insano 05. 07’20” Alrune – Monkey Combat 06. 09’13” Neuron Compost – iZiLoP PoP 07. 08’49” Derango – Secret Surroundings 08. 05’06” The Vicious Spiral – Noize in da Hood 09. 06’04” Weird Alchemy – Fucking System + Hidden track after a bit of silence: 00. 08’00” Neuron Compost - Supergrrlz Review: Super-edgy, kool, psycho-punkadelic fungus trance! Gi’iwa Productions from Australia are on a trance-mission… They aim to “provide a platform for truly innovative artists who strive to push the boundaries of acceptable psychedelic trance-floor music”… Right, so chances are that these tracks will not sound like full-on Astrix clones, but will be of a more deviant nature… A quick look on the track list reveals only a couple of well-known names to me, but from what I can tell, this is most likely to be a compilation of tracks with strong references to bizarre Finnish & Australian stuff… Let’s find out… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: [144 BPM] 1st up is PimperKnuckle from Mejiho… The promotional text claims this is “electro-jazz fuelled venture into freakdom”… Ha ha… Oh yes, this is the dark side of jazz… Mushroom jazz… This is darkish, yet not as dark as some of the stuff about to come… So we’re actually chilling out now… Is that so hard to comprehend? I like the fusion between electro, jazz and psy – very funkadelic! Nice groovy opener! #02: [136 BPM] We fly halfway around the globe for the next track – namely to Israel, which is not exactly renowned for trance music with Finnish/Australian sound… But who the hell cares, this is such a happy track – reminds A LOT of Squaremeat/Texas Faggott… Very well structured, packed with all kinds of funny samples, and happy bits of melodies… All laid on top of a pounding bassline… Very sweet track! #03: [143/50 BPM] Prepare to be blown away by this insane tune… We’re in Sweden now, and in this track Tamlin presents us with some crazy, fucked-up pitch-changes over a severely retarded bassline… Aaaargh, this messes with my head… Weird off-key beats, cut melodies, dark, eerie atmosphere…Very cool! Not for the fainthearted – beware! Sweet track! #04: [150 BPM] “Speed? Yeah! What do you know about it? You just pass the stuff out. I take it!” Oh fuck, this is one Insaaaaano track… I can’t help but trip to this – Ulf & Erik, I dunno what kind of mushrooms you guys stumbled across in those deep, dark Swedish forests, but you better pass them around… I want in! One of the best tracks on this compilation! #05: [150 BPM] Time for Denmark’s Alrune to showcase some monkey combat… ”So, I see you are trained in the art of monkey combat?” A demented mish-mash of percussion and haunting melodies mixed with your random animal noises and downright bizarro madness… Oh that bass, oh my, oh my…! Hardcore pop-music for the anti-pop consortium! #06: [145 BPM] This track was forged by the mighty Reece himself in the deep Australian recesses… Highly psychedelic, acid-driven and somewhat more dance friendly than some of the other tracks here… From 3’05 and onwards, you can just close your eyes and fly away to another dimension… Beautiful structure – the perfect mix of well-structured morning melodies and twisted psychedelia! #07: [150 BPM] Back to the deep, dark forests of Sweden, this is Derango with a hard-hitting sensory attack…I mean, play this anywhere and I’ll guarantee you that you walls will be dripping with sweat… This is some fucked-up, relentlessly retarded, trance-inducing, dark, gritty, stone-age night-trance with the most demented melodies I’ve heard in a long time… Would fit in perfectly with most StoneAge/Schlabbaduerst stuff… Dudedudelidedelidoooo! #08: [151 BPM] We cross the North Sea back into Denmark with the first track to be released by Brian Møller a.k.a. The Vicious Spiral… And he’s not lying – vicious it is… It’s dark, it’s spooky and gritty… Haunting even… Sometimes a little to gritty and off-key for my taste, but I’m looking forward to hearing more from my fellow Dane… Decent track! #09: [148 BPM] And for the “official” last track, we get a track by Greek veterans Weird Alchemy – supposedly their last ever!? Starts out with various robotized voices pitched up and down…”funky weirdness” – Yeah, to say the least… This has epic, even floating melodies laid on top of trippy, fast-paced, acid driven grooves… Tasty, yet not as tasty as what’s about to come… #Hidden track: [?? BPM] Ahh, we’re treated to a FULL hidden track… Not just a short, boring ambient piece like you usually get as a hidden track… This is a track by Neuron Compost called “Supergrrlz” … And what a fine track it is… After a slow couple of minutes, it really picks up and reveals itself to the Jedi…Though fasted-paced and highly psychedelic in nature, this track maintains a natural funky groove and I can’t help smiling when listening to this… Those funny kiddy samples along with “techno music is dope” are hilarious… Great track! I had a difficult time, coping with the last couple of “Finnish-Sauna-insane-psy-trance” CDs I’ve reviewed… But this is different. I don’t know quite how to explain it, but is somewhat more varied. Don’t get me wrong, most sauna-trance is VERY varied; this is just varied in a different way – a way that enables me to listen through the whole CD without loosing interest… And that’s pretty much the best recommendation I can give a CD… This is not for everyone though… Purists, be it full-on or progressive should looks elsewhere, whereas fans of truly innovative, highly experimental and deeply psychedelic fungus trance will love every minute of this… Recommended! Bounce motherfuckers! =D Favourites: 1, 2(!), 3, 4(!!), 6(!), 7 + the hidden track (!) DeathPosture External links: Gi’iwa Productions: http://www.giiwa.com (Down ATM!) Wirikuta Distribution: http://www.wirikuta.at/web66/product_detai...howDetail=53935 Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/gii/gii1cd001.html (Audio samples available!) Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4175 Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr...t.asp?LR=GPCD01 Trance-shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/prod...roducts_id=3933

That sample is used in several tracks already... There is a couple of threads on the Isratrance board that deals with it, and they list the following possibilities: sesto sento vs paradigma - heads off Sesto Sento Vs. Tony - Nonotony azax syndrom - shinjitzu And it's most likely the top one... DP

Saiko-Pod + Phutureremixes Format: CD (jewel case) Artist: Saiko-Pod (Denmark) Title: Phutureremixes Label: Acid Casualties (Sweden) Cat. #: ACDCD 001 Distribution: Cosmophilia (worldwide), Unique (UK) Date: June 11th, 2004 Track listing: 01. 07’37” Wednesday (Okyo Remix) 02. 07’16” Groove Moderator (Miro Remix) 03. 08’47” Magnetic Force (Krüger & Coyle Remix) 04. 08’07” Phutures (Atmos Remix) 05. 11’04” Two Dots (Jokke Remix) 06. 06’53” Silent Running (True To Nature Remix) 07. 07’11” Tron (Air Bureau Remix) 08. 07’53” P ‘n O (Souzz Remix) 09. 08’49” Back To Belgium (Ionizer Version) Review: Saikodelic… Highly acclaimed Danish duo Koxbox/Psychopod/Saiko-Pod has been among the true psy-trance pioneers and under their different monikers they have released some of the best stuff ever to hit the trance-floors. Hands down! In the last couple of years though, it became obvious that the two veterans had different musical visions for the future – and the intelligibly consequence of that lead to the final split of Koxbox and Saiko-Pod. They are two different entities now: Frank’e continues as Koxbox (psychedelic trance) and Ian Ion continues as Saiko-Pod (progressive trance). Supposedly the release plans for a remix-album of Saiko-Pod tracks go back a couple of years – and now it’s finally here, released on visionary Swedish label Acid Casualties (sub-label of Spiral Trax). All the original Saiko-Pod tracks can all be found on the superb album “Phutures & Options” released on Spiral Trax in 2002. And back on Spiral Trax, here are the remixes… So let’s see what people have done with these precious gems. Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: [125 bpm] First up is the remix of Wednesday by Danish DJ Nicka a.k.a. Okyo and he delivers a very deep, housy version here… Pace-wise, this is about 15 beats per minute faster than the original… Though this is almost pure house, it has those progressive elements from the original… I dig the cool singing and the impressive percussion work… Nice track! #02: [128 bpm] Miro are pretty much ‘standard’ Koxbox/Saiko-Pod remixers… They also did a remix of Koxbox’ “A Major Problem in Australia” and of course this well-known remix of Groove Moderator released last year. Since its initial release, it has been on quite a few compilation CDs – and that’s understandable ‘cause this is a damn good track! Again, this is very sexy, beach-house progressive trance – slightly slower than the original, but even groovier… So smooth, so nice… Damn, this shit ROCKS! Stellar track! #03: [130 bpm] “Go ahead George, light it up!” … Sebastian Krüger shouldn’t need much introduction… He’s the very productive German progressive trance producer behind critically acclaimed acts such as Tarsis, SBK and Disco Slickers. Greg Coyle is the man behind London Sewer Tour, and whilst he was A&R @ Transient, he conceived the Mashed Mellow Grooves series… So it’s a couple of heavy-weights remixing Magnetic Force…Maaaagnetic Foooooooorce! (Damn, I wish they’d kept the voice sample…) This re-worked version is less progressive than the original, but easily as funky… Beach-house grooves with an epic, uplifting nature… I like the original better though! Ok track! #04: [128 bpm] This Atmos remix was released on the Phutures 12” last year along with the True To Nature mix, and it has already been featured on a couple of compilations, so there is a chance you’ve already heard it… Anyway, Atmos a.k.a. Thomasz Balicki is one of the most well-respected progressive trance producers in the scene, and I for only thoroughly enjoyed his album 2nd. Brigade released a couple of months ago on Spiral Trax… Again, this mix is slower than the original, creating a very laid-back, funky progressive/house cross-over tune… The groove in this track is very subtle – almost introvert, but still it works wonders… Crank this baby up and mellow out! Sweet track! #05: [130 bpm] Two Dots was one of the most pumping tracks on Phutures And Options, and surely that pumping feel is sorta intact in Jokke’s mix… I don’t know much about Jokke, ‘cept that he’s Danish and he’s one half of progressive/house duo True To Nature… Although, maintaining the sexy, beach-house summer-feel, this track seems to be somewhat grittier with a darker, more monotonous nature… Also, I think it’s a tad too long… I do like however, that Jokke kept the original sample “Cycles are boring, spirals are fun”… Yeah, that’s what it’s all about… Decent track! #06: [130 bpm] Silent Running has been one of my all-time fav’e Saiko-Pod track since it’s initial release in 2001 – so anyone messing with the crown-jewels (!) better do a good job!... As mentioned earlier, True To Nature consists of Danish DJ Jokke and his counterpart is Tom Von Rosen, also Danish… And luckily they pay homage to the original, though with a hefty re-worked percussion part… This is another fine, pumping tune… Great, great percussion – and staying true to the original, this progressive gem is a walk down memory lane… Great track! #07: [130 bpm] Air Bureau is perhaps better know in the psy-scene as Aircrash Bureau (Did a remix of Ticon’s Lo Mi Hi) but they also enjoy great success on the more commercial house scene… This version of Tron bears very little resemblance to the fast-paced original – I like the overall housey grooves and the acid-wannabe demented melody that is present throughout the track… Oh, and the ping-pong sounds of course… ;o) But the original is much, much better… Decent track! #08: [128 bpm] Souzz is Steen Thøttrup from Miro – and his agenda is to “remix tracks into the more underground style of trance and tribal house inspired by the sound of Madrid”… Right, so let’s hear what Madrid can do for the tracks Phutures and Options (two different tracks, mind you)… We kick off with a smooth tribal opening… And we’re definitely in house territory… Great percussion work and the mysterious voice samples add to the overall melancholy, techy feel this track possesses… The last two minutes is pure, pure bliss… Nice track! #09: [128 bpm] And finally Ian Ion himself… Straight outta his Star Command Studio… I’m not sure I’ve ever heard the original Back To Belgium – but it’s a track made by Ian himself… Though still progressive in nature, this is one of the trippiest tracks on this CD… The promotional text describes this as a track that “mixes new Balearic beats and 80’s techno” and that’s a fitting description… I dig the old-school electro-techno bits and the familiar melodies sprinkled throughout the track… It’s style-clash really, but when it’s done this good I have no reservations… Sweet track! This album and most of the tracks are already hitting it big with many well-know DJs around the world… The list of well-respected ppl giving this the thumbs up is impressive: J00f, Oakie, Paul van Dyk, Digweed, Seb Fontaine, Armin van Buuren, Sander Kleinenberg and many more. As mentioned earlier, quite a few of these tracks have already been released, so there’s a good chance you’ve heard some of them… But for CD-only-people like me, this is a welcomed chance to own them all on one CD – and they’re nicely mixed into each other, so you’ll not experience any interruptions while listening through the CD… I like most of it – there are a couple of tracks that are not exactly my cup of java, but the majority is good, clean, healthy progressive/house cross-over material… The artwork is also nice, and fits the style… And for a change, you actually get an informative booklet… Nice! This is not for everyone however… Purists should look elsewhere, ‘cause this is highly barrier-braking material… But for open-minded fans of good electronic music, this is ear-candy! Recommended! 7.5/10 Favourites: 1, 2(!), 4, 6(!), 9 DeathPosture External links: Saiko-Pod: http://www.saiko-pod.com Acid Casualties: http://www.spiraltrax.com/acdc Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/acd/acd1cd001.html (Audio samples available!) Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4166 Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr....asp?LR=acdcd01 Trance-shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/prod...roducts_id=3832 Conzzept Records: http://www.conzzept.dk/product.asp?product=1084

Yes, they're working hard on it... Beta-testing is about to begin... Though I'm pretty sure Mars is out doing some festival thing in Sweden at the moment... DP

Updated formatting 09.03.2006 Xatrik – Project A Format: CD (jewel case) Artist: Xatrik Title: Project A Label: Digital Psionics, Australia Cat. #: DPSI009 Distribution: Wirikuta (Europe), Cisco (Japan) Date: July 2004 Track listing: 01. 02’51” Initialize 02. 07’43” The Scary Door 03. 07’59” Crank This Shit Up! 04. 07’38” Particle Flux 05. 08’41” Specify Procedure 06. 08’06” In Viro Mental 07. 07’06” The Cleaner 08. 08’09” A Little No 09. 08’10” Phatism Review: Come on now, crank this motherfucker up! After a couple of compilation tracks, South African Xatrik (Greg Hamber) is out with his debut album, on Australian quality label Digital Psionics. To be honest, my knowledge of Xatrik was extremely limited before receiving this CD – so my high expectations were based solely on the label releasing it. In my opinion Digital Psionics have released some of the most innovative stuff in the scene – with the Scatterbrain album as the absolute spearhead. So, let’s see what gems Psywalker & Co. chunks out this time… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Just to get things going and get you in the mood, we’re exposed to this weird little tune… All kinds of spacey FX are thrown around seasoned with irregular beats, digital farts and electronic burps… And so it begins… #02: “You’re entering a realm with is unusual. Maybe it’s magic. It contains some kind of […voice sample run backwards TwinPeaks-style…]. The second one – prepare to enter the scary door!”… This full-on, night-time track has an extensive range of layers, brilliantly incorporating all kinds of twisted FX: Dark, driving bassline and some serious hardcore acid-tweaking… Hundreds of psychedelic bleeps and bleeps and squealing 303’s… Oh, and I think I hear a pitched up foghorn too… Oh yes, this is some seriously trippy stuff… Nice track! #03: 8 seconds to catch your breath and we’re straight into a similar mayhem of sound as where the last track left off… The beats are somewhat darker and faster now, and the surrounding melodies/acid-twirls are of a more haunting nature… I wouldn’t go as far as calling this Halloween-trance, but we’re definitely heading in that direction… The track has an overall zombie-feel to it… Very fast, spooky night-trance… Should satisfy any Parvati-fan… I can’t get enough of that break/climax-part @ 5,03… “Ok men, are you ready to go? I’m ready to go! Come on now, crank this motherfucker up!” – After that sample, all hell breaks loose and it’s time to just let loose and go ballistic… Those last 3 minutes are pure bliss! ;o) #04: More of the same madness in Particle Flux…Some high-pitched ear-drum torture noises kick off the track, and soon the gritty bassline is back alongside some space-craft voice-samples… As you might have guessed by now, Xatrik is very generous with the psychedelic effects, so once again we are treated to all kinds of fucked-up, trippy effects… Spacey synth melodies, laser-beams, acid-lines – and more acid lines than I can count… Sooooo intense, almost too intense for the last couple of minutes… But still a nice track! #05: "Please specify how you would like to proceed!?”… First part of this track is more stripped down, but not stripped-down in the usual sense… There is still a lot of stuff going on… A banging, irregular bass and different percussion + some kind of chant in the distant background… Further into the track, the first acid line is introduced accompanying some wicked pads… Slowly the track builds, gaining energy… @ 4’53 there is a break, but soon enough the groove is back, with recharged batteries… This is a funky number – less intense… Ok track… #06: ZA meets Finland… With the sound of a laser beam, this track is in full FX… I dunno what’s environmental about it though!? All kinds of technological sounds are weaved in between a crisp, sharp bassline… Talented use of percussion – both organic and metallic… Undecipherable drug-samples… As much as this is dark, fast-paced night-time trance, we also get a couple of naïve melodies – mentally tweaked almost beyond recognition… I can vividly imagine tripping to this tune – beware! Extremely psychedelic… #07: And now The Cleaner… Hard, pounding, repetitive bassline – yet, this is lighter, fluffier and more melodic than some of the other trax… And fluffy is used as a positive adjective here… Acid-lines - Knob-adjustment – tweaking… Constant changes in pitch, trippy synths and some really sweet soundscapes in the background, helps create a hectic, yet pleasant feeling… Tasty track! #08: Gloomy acid-ridden intro… “This should be played at high volume”… It’s hard to grasp, but this track seems even more psychedelic than its predecessors… Driving bassline, and extremely trippy groove… Wicked percussion, guitars, irregular cut beats and the likes… Very cool build-up part @ 4’55…And @ 5’20 all hell brakes loose… Damn, what the hell was that? I like the odd-ball approach, though it can get a little too weird for even my taste at places… #09: Last track co-produced by The Slug (as a couple of other tracks on compilations)… Echoing intro, and then some haunting, irregular bassline… The demented Sauna-feel continues here, and this is some severely demented stuff… Frantic even… I can’t even begin to count the layers… So much stuff going on, but somehow focus is never lost… Phew, that was quite a ride… This is some seriously wild shit… I mean, multilayered, highly complex and very, very intense… Hard-core sensory attack! It’s like all your senses are being bombarded – by countless psychedelic elves throwing resonance-bricks at you… Until you’re left with a big-ass wall of sound – can you cope? Well, generally I like it and yes, I can cope… But on the other hand, I need to take this in smaller doses… At certain parts it gets too intense even for my taste… Perhaps I need to listen to this while on shrooms? … Could be… But hey, there is no doubt in my mind that a very large portion of time and production skills have gone into making this… And that does not go unnoticed… Well done Xatrik (and The Slug) – your debut album is impressive! Recommended to anyone who likes multi-layered, crazy-ass, in-yer-face, twisted, highly psychedelic trance… 8/10 Favourites: 2, 3(!), 4, 7, DeathPosture External links: Digital Psionics: http://www.digitalpsionics.com Wirikuta Distribution: http://www.wirikuta.at/web66/product_detai...howDetail=55695 Psyshop: http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dps/dps1cd009.html (Audio samples available!) Saiko Sounds: http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=4207 Chaos Unlimited: http://www.chaosunlimited.co.uk/cgi-bin/pr....asp?LR=DPSCD09 Trance Shop: http://www.trance-shop.com/de/catalog/prod...roducts_id=3941