DeathPosture

V/A – Street Art Hi-res cover: front Artist: Various Title: Street Art Format: CD (jewel case w/ 16 p. colour booklet + DJ case insert) Label: Tribal Vision Records (Czech Republic) Cat. #: TVRCD006 Distribution: Psyshop.net Date: December 2005 Track listing: 01. 08’25”Absolut & Greed – The Other Side 02. 07’32” Rai – Let’s Dance 03. 08’21” D-Nox & Beckers – Jet Lag Slave 04. 09’25” Minilouge - Spam 05. 08’20” Sonify - Sonifunk 06. 09’20” SAN & Sebastian Moore - Interceptor 07. 08’13” Sonic Cube – Cloud Buster (André Absolut Remix) 08. 08’54” Flowjob – Life Extensions 09. 07’30” Vibrasphere – Manzanilla (Jaïa Remix) Review: Streetwise knack! Czech label Tribal Vision was recently voted ‘best new label of 2005’ by the Isratrance forum community… And I totally agree on that! Slater & Co. have fast become major league players in the progressive world, releasing high quality albums + compilations… This is the 6th release, and once again the track list looks very impressive… Let’s head downtown and check out the high street performers… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Absolut & Greed – The Other Side [132 BPM] Swiss producers André Abt (Absolute) and Tobi Wirz (Greed) have teamed up on this intro track… Whereas Greed is not a project I know too well, Mr. Abt has indeed impressed me with his aggressive progressive style… And yeah, I guess aggressive progressive is also the keywords here… The track doesn’t waste time with boring intros, and the first sound is a kick-drum, which immediately gives the track a raw edge… After about a minute, more FX are added, like a nifty little melody and some tweaked synths thrown in to add to the groove… A very nice track, but I could have wished for a climax or two – and what’s up with the long boring ending? But still – a fine opening track! #02: Rai – Let’s Dance [129 BPM] Rai is Roman Horinek from the Czech capital Prague and he had a well-polished (subsequently a little too clubby) track on the Lime Light compilation released earlier this year…And whereas his previous tracks were maybe a little too Balearic, this track digs deeper into electro/progressive house territory… Synth galore with über-smooth sequencing and a tight rhythm section… I’m still not a big fan of the cheesy vocals, but in this track they don’t bother me as much as they could have… So IMO, a step in the right direction for Rai – the future looks promising… #03: D-Nox & Beckers – Jet Lag Slave [128 BPM] This German power house duo consists of Christian Wedekind (D-Nox) and Frank Beckers - and they’ve been all over the place recently… To be honest, I never really got Becker’s mega-hit Switch, but combined these guys have made some absolute corkers… This track was already released on wax by Baroque Records, but now it’s available on CD too. Anyway, the track itself is a sure-fit progressive little beast… Somewhat minimal in structure, but with enough depth and warmth to satisfy progressive elitists… The middle bridge part is nothing short of impressive, and reminds me a great deal of the latest Son Kite album… Sweet tune! #04: Minilouge – Spam [130 BPM] “She was kneeling beside him and gently lifting the tearstained face from his arms. I’ve got something to show you. She removed the pencils, one at a time, and placed them on his desk. Do you love yourself? You may think that you do, but do you really? There is only one way to find out – by taking a closer look at what you think, say and do. You might not like some of what you find, but if you’re serious about really loving yourself, then take a closer look!” And hey, I was just talking about Son Kite… Minilouge is of course a Son Kite alias, and the Swedish wizards Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson have seldom let me down… As with the previous track, this was also released on wax by Frosty Music in November 2005... It’s great to be able to listen to it on CD also… Anyway, this sounds just like I’d hoped… Son Kite-like progression and break, Kooler-like rhythm section and Minilouge groove… So fucking sweet! Disable your spam filter people – you do not want to miss out on this funky number! Stellar! #05: Sonify – Sonifunk [130 BPM] Israeli sensation Andy Yakovlev really, really impressed me with his ProSect track Sonified released on the Inner Circle compilation in September… One of the best progressive tunes of 2005! And whereas this is a very mature, experimental track, I’m afraid it doesn’t live up to my expectations… It’s not that I don’t like the electro/trance outfit – not at all… I like genre bending stuff, but it just seems so oddly out of place here… Also, I’m not too impressed with the ragamuffin vox – they suck! Anyway, the track is not bad at all; in fact I’m sure it would be a real stomper without the vocals… But - it’s just positioned wrongly on the CD...And that’s a shame! #06: SAN & Sebastian Moore – Interceptor [128 BPM] This is my first encounter with the music of Dutch producers SAN (Sander Jongerius) and Sebastian Moore, but apparently they’ve gained massive playtime amongst some of the biggest DJs in the club scene… Despite the low bpm, this seems like one of the fastest tracks here, mainly because of the pounding bass/kick session… Later the track takes a clubbier detour into more housy realms – complete with a break down, reverbs and floating, uplifting melodies… I like it for the most part, and especially the final tribal run is pretty nice… A nice little tune! #07: Sonic Cube – Cloud Buster (André Absolut Remix) [128 BPM] Sonic Cube are Swiss producers Daniel Müller & Ueli Schill perhaps better known as Sonnenvakuum, and their Cloudbuster EP was the first vinyl release by Tribal Vision… From that we get another visit from André Absolut with this, his remix… And what a remix! Oh my, this has ‘funky’ written ALL OVER IT… From the minimal tribal intro, to the huuuuuuge groovy pads, to the uplifting melodies and so on… A huge, epic progressive hit – with enough depth and edge to keep me entertained! Fantastic! #08: Flowjob – Life Extensions [129 BPM] “Life Extension, or LE as we like to refer to it, is a glimpse of the future. It's a ticket. Not in the juvenile sense, but in the deeply meaningful sense. […] The dream of peace!” Danish producer duo Flowjob (Joakim Hjørne & Mads Tinggaard) has also had a successful year, with stand-out tracks on both Lime Light (Tribal Vision) and Set/5 - Summer Collection (Iboga Records)… And here’s another trademark Flowjob choon – rich in floating, well-polished, feel-good progressive trance with well-fitting samples from Vanilla Sky… This is funky as hell and definitely sexier than anything else on this compilation! I for one cannot wait for the debut album coming soon on Iboga Records… Another fine tune! #09: Vibrasphere – Manzanilla (Jaïa Remix) [135 BPM] Behold the battle of the giants! When I first read the track list to this compilation, this track was the biggest piece of eye candy… I mean, come on – the classic downbeat track by Vibrasphere remixed and tranced-up by another legendary producer - Jaïa! And the track sure doesn’t disappoint – this is fast-paced, edgy progressive house with more than a few excursions into uplifting, twisted morning trance… And what is that strange sound – a cello perhaps? Whatever it is, this is a mighty fine, uplifting tune that crosses well over into different genres… A brilliant hybrid track and a fine way to end the compilation… With Street Art Tribal Vision removes the last shred of doubt in my mind – this is one of the best labels within progressive trance! Right up there with Iboga Records and Digical Structures! Damn, I’m impressed by these visionary Czechs… By looking at my indication of favourite tracks below, it should come as no surprise that this is indeed one of the very best progressive trance compilations of 2005 – and it will remain a fav’e well into 2006 too! With only a few minor glitches, everything on this CD is solid gold… As always, we get the full package here – stylish artwork by Quapim, and a phat color booklet with info on all artists + a handy DJ slip… Stuff like that always sends my thumbs in the air! Well done Slater & Schwa! So, to conclude – this is a very solid compilation, that will appeal both to progressive dancers, sofa trancers and groove connoisseurs… An essential purchase! Enjoy! Favourites: 1, 3(!), 4(!!), 6, 7(!!), 8(!), 9(!) DeathPosture External links: Tribal Vision: http://www.tribalvision.cz Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/588552 Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/9329c Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/9w85d Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/dgvmh Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/8lfrs

I tend to agree on that... As sad as it is to see someone pass away, this whole charity thing seems tasteless... Anyway, I'm sorry to see him go - he made some real fucking great music... I played some Parasense last night when I heard the tragic news - my way of paying last respects... /DP

Play has the double DVD for £7.99 including shipping... But only English subtitles of course...

* The Overlords - God's Eye (Arista 1994) http://www.discogs.com/release/142459 * V/A - Revolutions (Sony/BMG 2005) Not yet on Discogs... + one double DVD: Hot Shots 1 + 2 (Classic spoofs - on sale @ Play.com) /DP

Chill out you freak!! Hehe... He's sending them tomorrow, so you can relax for a couple of days at least...

Well, "normal" music might be stretching it a bit... Whereas I listen to most music, I don't purchase much outside of rock/indie and psytrance/goa/progressive... But of the album of 2005 I've really enjoyed and purchased, these would be on my list: * The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan * Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better With... * Rammstein - Rosenrot * Keiser Cheifs - Employment * System Of A Down - Mezmerize/Hypnotize * Audioslave - Out Of Exile * Foo Fighters - In Your Honour + of course * Sigur Rós - Takk /DP

DeathPosture picks for 2005... Albums: 1. Voice Of Cod - We Are Free (Organic Records) 2. Derango - TuMuLT (Inpsyde Media) 3. Kemic-Al - Twisted Parameters (Butterfly Records) 4. Tegma - 002: Avant.Garde (Candyflip Records) 5. Meller - Rockable (Tribal Vision Records) Compilations: 01. V/A - Set/5 (Summer Collection) (Iboga Records) 02. V/A - Schlabbaduerst 007 (Schlabbaduerst ReKkords) 03. V/A - Psy Stories (Parvati Records) 04. V/A - Wild Rumpus (Wild Things Records) 05. V/A - Hyperspatial Chrysalis (Ketuh Records) Chill-out: 01. Solar Fields - Leaving Home (Ultimae Records) 02. V/A - Quality Relaxation (Chill Tribe Records) 03. V/A - Albedo (Ultimae Records) 04. Shpongle - Nothing Lasts... But Nothing Is Lost (Twisted) 05. Capsula - Synthesis Of Reality (Ajana Records) If you don't like my categories, well sue me! I wanted to do it even more specific, and go into genres like melodic, progressive, dark-psy, etc... So I think you got off easy with only three categories from me... /DP Moderator's note: this post has been edited at page 9, with post #171.

Come on people, you heard the man... It's a free copy of this brilliant CD (links to my review!)... An offer too good to miss! /DP

Bluetech – Sines And Singularities Hi-res cover: front Artist: Bluetech (US) Title: Sines And Singularities Format: CD Label: AlephZero (Israel) Cat. #: AlephZ04 Date: 5 December 2005 Track listing: 01. 08’10” Bluetech - Enter The Lovely 02. 06’08” Bluetech - Condensation 03. 07’56” Bluetech - Leaving Winter Behind 04. 07’54” Bluetech - Forgiveness 05. 08’17” Shulman – First Came The Stars (Bluetech Remix) 06. 07’19” Pitch Black – Ape To Angel (Bluetech’s Evolution Remix) 07. 07’06” Bluetech - Airstream 08. 07’34” Bluetech – Dreamtime Lullaby 09. 07’29” Bluetech - Shimmer 10. 07’11” Bluetech – Wilderness 11. 03’05” Bluetech – A Garland Of Stars .m3u-playlist: http://tinyurl.com/8zdbh (all tracks!) Review: Mercurial downbeat… American producer Evan ‘Bluetech’ Marc has gained worldwide recognition for his atmospheric, eclectic downtempo creations… His first two albums were widely praised – and for the most part I liked both of them… That being said, I must also say, that I don’t like everything this guy has released… Certain stuff seems to lack depth and sometimes I’ve found myself more than just a little bored when listening to Bluetech ambient… But hey, as I say, I like most of his stuff, and I’ve eagerly been awaiting this third album… After all, this is released on AlephZero which has fast become one of the leading outlets for high quality downbeat music… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Bluetech - Enter The Lovely Enter the pleasure dome! This album starts exactly where Elementary Particles left off, with slow progressing, floating downbeat… Starts as ambient, but soon evolves into faster, trippier chill-out… The trademark Bluetech ‘digital singing’ is also present here… Lovely indeed! #02: Bluetech – Condensation Condensation means a billion different things… In physics it’s the process by which a vapour changes to a liquid… Or in psychology, the process by which a single symbol or word is associated with the emotional content of several, not necessarily related, ideas, feelings, memories, or impulses… Like when you’re dreaming! And I chose to interpret this, as the soundtrack to a lucid dream… Fragmented, dubby beats are accompanied by syncopated, high-pitched synth stabs, creating an epic, yet head-bounce friendly melody… It may sound simple at first, but give this some time to sink in, and you’re in for a treat… Sweet track! #03: Bluetech – Leaving Winter Behind I’m sure philosophers would have a field day trying to decipher the meaning behind the track title here, but I choose simply to see it as an ode to the spring… And oh my, what an ode! This is quite simply beautifully constructed music… On one hand it reminds me of the great works of Eno or Schulze and on the other hand, it reminds me of Aes Dana or Solar Fields… Soothing, floating, beautiful ambient… Amazing track! #04: Bluetech – Forgiveness Whereas the previous track was all about leaving the cold winter behind, this track feels much more winter-like… Arctic even! Icy-cold ambient – with the chill factor approaching minus 30 degrees Celsius… And this is where I start to loose interest – I mean, it’s not bad at all, but the lack of depth gets to me… #05: Shulman – First Came The Stars (Bluetech Remix) This track was originally on the first Shulman album Soundscapes And Modern Tales… A magnificent track and I’m happy to say that Bluetech treats it with the respect it deserves... A harmonic piece which pays tribute to the original, but still adding enough new flavour… I like the distinct psychedelic edge here… The original is a timeless masterpiece, and this remix is also pretty sweet, though it seems to loose a little direction towards the end… But nicey nice nevertheless! #06: Pitch Black – Ape To Angel (Bluetech’s Evolution Remix) Another remix here… This time the original was made by the Kiwi duo Pitch Black… I haven’t heard that one, so I can’t really tell you what was changed… What I can tell you though, is that this track is more on the experimental side of things – with rich electro and dub influences – and even some cut breakz&beats… Reminiscent of the latest Solar Field’s album in some parts… A very mature and somewhat introvert track that requires a lot of listens before really sinking in… Pretty good, but I don’t consider it, a stand-out track… #07: Bluetech – Airstream This track is easily more upbeat, though still with an edgy, mature held-back feel to it… Experimental to say the least – downtempo music with EDM influences all over the place… Spacy at times, inner city-street wise at others… Fragmented and complex – joyous and melancholy… All at the same time! Descriptions that would normally be contradictory, but it’s a different story with Bluetech… As with the previous track, this took me quite a while to feel comfortable with, but when it finally dissolves it’s really powerful… I wouldn’t mind if it was twice as long though! #08: Bluetech – Dreamtime Lullaby And now it’s time for a lullaby… A deep, dubby Bluetech lullaby! Progressing at an impressive pace, this track is essentially up-tempo ambient with a dreamy touch… Too fast for sleeping though, but for wake walking through lucid dreams, I’m sure this is a welcome companion… #09: Bluetech – Shimmer And now we’re digging even deeper… This is maybe the deepest track here, with ultra low frequencies and a very ganja-friendly bite… Multilayered and rich in texture, this is easily one of the most complex tracks here, but despite repeated listens I cannot seem to fully connect to it… It has amazing parts, but also too many muzak parts… What a shame! #10: Bluetech – Wilderness But I do not disappear, as Wilderness is another masterpiece! Oh yes, gone are the grimmest, introvert excursions – and we’re left with an uplifting, majestic piece of soothing, melodic ambient…Just the way I like it… Trademark Bluetech – in all its glory! One of the best tracks here… #11: Bluetech – A Garland Of Stars On the closing outro track, Evan is joined by Rena Jones on cello… And oh my, what wonderful music this is – sounds like a psychedelic version of something off the LOTR-soundtrack… Simply beautiful… It’s a shame is so short! The hype surrounding this album was immense… And to some extend, I understand that – this is indeed a wonderful, unique album… Evan Bluetech’s music is as inimitable as it is unparalleled… And that’s really rare in this kind of music! Also, it’s very refreshing to experience a downbeat album that isn’t riddled with voice-samples… So in that sense, this album is indeed one of the most original released in 2005 – but that’s not the same as saying it’s among the best! It’s not! Some reviewers have dubbed this the album of the year – and called it the best thing since sliced bread... I’m going to have to disagree with that… It’s good, it’s even very good – but not *that* good… I’m fully aware, that this is a mature album that requires several listens to really sink in… Very much so, and the listener is instantly rewarded after doing so, but I still think parts of this are too much like elevator music… Dare I say the b-word – boring? Yes, I dared… I know, this might be sacrilege to some people, but that’s how I feel… That being said let me also stress that the good tracks here are VERY good… And I’ve even rated half the tracks as favourites! I just wish the whole album was like that… The artwork is top drawer as always with AlephZero – and the mastering by Shulman sounds absolutely top notch to me too… The whole package! Anyway, a very mature album by Bluetech here – that’s guaranteed to suit the taste of a wide array of people within ambient/downtempo circles… Enjoy! Favourites: 2, 3(!), 5, 7, 10(!), 11 DeathPosture External links: Bluetech: http://www.bluetechonline.com Aleph Zero: http://www.aleph-zero.info Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/576739 Saiko Sounds: http://tinyurl.com/dl5tv Amboworld: http://tinyurl.com/8v5k3 TranceShop: http://tinyurl.com/a8uul Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/7d3zq Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/8b3kp CD Baby: http://tinyurl.com/d6jfe Juno: http://tinyurl.com/7kd9z

Yeah, what happened? It re-directs to Trance-Shop now!?

Yeah, and a very nice guy too... I met him in 2001 when he'd just released the album... He signed it for me... Anyway, I just dusted off the album - for minimal it's real fucking good... Not as dark as say Spirallianz or Midi Miliz, just pure sterile tech-trance with psychedelic influences... Nice!

XV Kilist - XV Kilist album... ^ One of the best minimal albums released in the pre-millenium tech-trance craze...

[This is not a review - thread moved to general] Anyway, I was a little puzzled by this, but apparently it's the real deal ^ So, it's a cell-phone track - hence the 96 kbps quality... I guess the cause is cool enough, but I'm not too puzzled by the track itself.... /DP

* V/A - Over Identity (Xilium 2005) http://www.discogs.com/release/585995 * V/A - Duality (Glowing Flame Records 2005) http://www.discogs.com/release/542614 * Braincell - Universal Language (Glowing Flame Records 2005) http://www.discogs.com/release/580691 /DP

Ding ding! ... Sorry! I have way too many fav'e artists to mention...

I voted for: ^ Self-explanatory!

2005 was a great year - just as 2004 was... So, in the immortal words of ProSect: Music was never this exciting!!

V/A – Trauma Trance Hi-res cover: front + back Artist: Various Title: Trauma Trance Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Mistress Of Evil (USA) Cat. #: MOE 66602 Distribution: Wirikuta Date: December 2005 Track listing: 01. 08’15” Tsabeat & Optical Human - Madbeat 02. 06’59” Quasar – Brief Psychotic Disorder 03. 08’21” Alien Mental - SychoShift 04. 09’18” Amanda - Meltdown Sequence Initiation 05. 09’36” Horror Place – Children Of The Night 06. 09’14” Xyla – Cyrene’s Ghost 07. 08’57” Ghreg On Earth – Unrealized Reality 08. 10’38” Mandrugorrah – Lulla-Bye .m3u-playlist: http://tinyurl.com/a6svo (all tracks!) Review: Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly… Falalalalalalaallaah! Trauma Trance is the second release from San Fransisco based label Mistress Of Evil following the successful Lhiannon Sidhe: A Forest Faerie With A Fatal Touch released in 2004… The promotional text defines trauma trance as ‘music meant to shake you up mentally, meant to stir up emotions and meant to push you forward to new perceptions and ways about thinking’… Rrrrright! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dig deeper into the music… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: Tsabeat & Optical Human – Madbeat I have absolutely no idea who these people are, but AFAIK this is their first released track… Anyway, it should come as no surprise that we’re dealing with acid-ridden darkpsy here – with an alleged mad beat… And mad it is indeed… The first couple of minutes are pretty standard, but luckily the track opens up into Babylonian mayhem of heavily syncopated acid-lines laid on top of some mean ass drill&bass… Pretty good track, but I’m not too impressed with that final demented rundown… #02: Quasar – Brief Psychotic Disorder “Brief psychotic disorder!” Ahh – good old Quasar! The fractal cowboy who has yet to let me down with his unique, contrast-filled hypertrance… And sure enough – this is an impressive track too… Bursting with raw energy from the very first second and onwards… And not too dark and pretentious – just the way I like it… Reminds me of Kemic-Al, Penta or oCeLot… Top drawer psychedelic night trance with enough variation and funny bits to keep me entertained… Kick ass track! #03: Alien Mental – SychoShift Alien Mental is a young dude from India and this is his debut release… The intro is pretty smooth, but I’m not too impressed by the initial bland bassline which sounds like something even Goa Gil would write off as too dark… Anyway, as the track progresses more FX are added and things lighten up a bit… Acid always helps and the break-down is pretty nice… Halfway through there are a couple of minutes when everything gets a little too boring - And what’s up with recycling samples already used by other artists? Anyway, luckily things picks up towards the end and all in all this is a pretty decent track… #04: Amanda - Meltdown Sequence Initiation Amanda Wright is one of the co-founders of M.O.E. and also had a track featured on the first release… And holy shit, what a track this is… I haven’t got software to count BPMs, but this must be among the fastest here… Shit, that bassline is indeed hypnotizing and those creepy sounds in the background don’t exactly make things less spooky… So yeah, this is as close to nightmare trance as you can go within psytrance – kinda like Xenomorph meets The Delta meets Cannibal Corpse… Unfortunately the ultra fast-slash-über dark profile of this track doubles as a depressor… I mean, I’m all for darkpsy, but this is really pushing the limits… It’s getting too damn dark! Anyway, whatever you do make sure not to play this track to kids, pets or mentally unstable persons… It might trigger something! Yikes! #05: Horror Place – Children Of The Night I have no info on Horror Place whatsoever, but from what I can gather this is another debutant… An aptly named one too, as this is indeed horror-trance… A high-pitched synth stab completely penetrates your eardrums – and leaves you confused and breathless… Holy shit, this is downright evil stuff… Definitely not for the faint-hearted – and I imagine dogs will have a hard time digesting this one too… Repulsive in the most psychopathic of ways… I fear to watch, yet I cannot look away… Blimey! #06: Xyla – Cyrene’s Ghost “I was just trying to give it some colour, it seemed so awfully dark! Well, you have to convince people that you’re me, and I like dark!” Xyla is another female producer from the San Francisco underground… And well, yeah, we’re still exploring traumatic trance crossing well over into noise, but where the previous tracks were quite simply too fucked up for my taste, this one sits better with me… Don’t get me wrong, this is still some repulsive shit that would make Squaremeat run up a tree – and that’s meant as a compliment, mind you! Evil, dark, twisted, pounding psytrance – relentless to the core… Biiiatch! Wikkid track! #07: Ghreg On Earth – Unrealized Reality Greg Carson from the US is gaining increased respect within darkpsy circles – most recently with the release of his debut album Sigilweaver released by Wirikuta… As usual, Ghreg shows us his industrial take on dark psytrance – avoiding the most obvious noize pitfalls... What we get here is a mixture between dark melodic psytrance/tekKnoid tech-trance and industrial… And no-one does that better than this guy… This easily sounds like something that could have been on the recent AuraQuake compilation Seismic Moods… Something extremely raw, but yet totally well-polished… Hypnotic too! This also doubles as a great tool for setting up your speakers – if they can play this, they can play anything! It took me a while to get into this, but now I totally dig it! #08: Mandrugorrah – Lulla-Bye Once again, I have no info on this artist – but who cares; it’s time for a lullaby… The track starts with some soulful singing which is soon brutally interrupted by the meanest bassline this side of the Atlantic… Approaching the two-minute mark, it’s gone completely gabba… Gabba? That’s right; the BPM must be well over 160 on this one, and frankly that where I start to loose interest… The promotional info refers to this track as a ‘sound experiment’ and yeah, I believe that… As such, it’s fun listening to this, but that’s all… I get no aural pleasure from this at all… But I’m sure some freaks will find this entertaining… Sweet mother of Ghandi! Not since the Overlap album have my ears hurt as much after listening to a CD in my headphones… And this time, I don’t think the compression is off – the music is just so fucking hardcore, that your ears will hate after listening to this at a high volume… My ears are still ringing from that last track… Yikes! But hey, I’m sure there’s someone perverted enough out there to actually find pleasure in those deviant tracks… Hell, I’m one of ‘em! But, I have to admit that there were a couple of tracks that I didn’t like at all… I never thought, I’d hear myself say this, but a couple of tracks here are simply too hardcore for my taste… Taste is the keyword, and as I mentioned earlier, I’m sure even those perverted tracks will find their audience among fans of hardcore nightmare trance…It doesn’t come any harder than this! So yeah, fans of the darker side of psytrance will most likely also take well to this, but for anyone else I must advice you to sample the tracks before purchase… Whatever rocks your boat – enjoy! Favourites: 2(!), 3, 6(!), 7 DeathPosture External links: Mistress Of Evil: http://www.mistressofevil.com Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/574428 Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/b6n6l Wirikuta: http://tinyurl.com/chfh6 Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/cl3t2 Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/9wj7w Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/aahak Ajuca: http://tinyurl.com/dvt6k Juno: http://tinyurl.com/d2naj

I wish he would answer all his threads though... In stead of starting new ones... Could be fun!

Full Moon Paradise compilation ^ I finally found the original recently... And rightfully so, this is a fucking amazing compilation... One blasting track after another... Brilliant!

V/A - Utopeak Hi-res cover: front + back Artist: Various Title: Utopeak Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Peak Records (Switzerland) Cat. #: PR007 Distribution: Arabesque Date: December 2005 Track listing: 01. 01’13” The Peaking Goddess Collective - Arcadia 02. 08’04” Yab-Yum – Tits On A Bwwwarhog 03. 07’48” Shotu vs. Suddha - Osiris 04. 07’35” Hyper Frequencies – 4 Peak 05. 07’40” Naked N3xu5 - Maschinen 06. 05’55” Electrypnose - Defasoul 07. 07’28” Phonic Request & Akhoa – Speed Freak Battle (Rmx) 08. 06’17” Drumatik – Vampire Empire 09. 07’04” Digitalist - Jackpot 10. 07’38” Phobium – Touched By The Glitch 11. 07’35” Yab-Yum – Yabyumski 12. 02’36” Master Margherita – Life (Utopian Rmx) .m3u-playlist: http://tinyurl.com/7jat2 (all tracks!) Review: Utopian trance dance fest! Utopeak is the 7th instalment released by the Swiss hippie collective Peak Records… So far, these guys have excelled in releasing high-quality psytrance and downtempo compilations… Everything reeks quality and I’ve yet to be disappointed by their releases… As with the previous dance compilations, this baby is compiled by the competent DJ Gaspard – and I pretty must trust his taste blindly… So let’s begin the next trip courtesy of the Peaksters… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: The Peaking Goddess Collective – Arcadia “Travelling dreamscapes with open eyes, catching fragments of potential, behind glitch of programmed consciousness. Non-ordinary reality illuminates the path to understanding. Utopia. Waking to the unchanged. Still believing. Life is more than an illusion!” As usual, the voyage starts with an intro track by the PGC – this time narrated by P. Van Der Merwe talking about Utopia… Spacy ambient with the emphasis on the spoken word… Gets you in the mood… As usual with Peak Records, the tracks are gently mixed (transition cuts) so we drift seamlessly into the next track… #02: Yab-Yum – Tits On A Bwwwarhog [147 BPM] Yab-Yum (Gaspard & Ajja S.F.Leu) has become like a very comfortable sweater to me… You know, the kind that never fails, always gives you that familiar, cosy feeling… Damn, did I just compare Yab-Yum to a sweater? I guess I did – but what I’m trying to say is, that these guys always delivers the goods with their high-quality, acid-ridden, trippy-as-fuck psytrance… And this track is no exception… I have no idea what the hell a bwwwarhog is, but I know that it has amazing titties… Nuff said, this is a brilliant track… Driving, evolving and trippy as hell… Quality track! #03: Shotu vs. Suddha – Osiris [146 BPM] Here’s a couple of Peak debutants: David Marmin & Nicolas Pineau… They’ve released a track made with Jahbo on the Hadracadabra compilation released by Hadra Records last year, but this is my first encounter with their music… This is evidently dark, twisted hyper trance – with a hypnotizing melodic little devilfish lurking just below the surface… I’m amazed as to how something so simple, can be so effective… There’s nothing too spectacular going on here - it’s actually pretty basic, but oh my – this is tasty nevertheless! #04: Hyper Frequencies – 4 Peak [145 BPM] French producer Gilles Béraud has released two albums and loads of compilation tracks, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard his stuff… This track starts pretty slow and fragmented, but soon turns into a belching night tune complete with acid-ridden peaks and tweaks… A nice track, but there’s nothing overly exciting here and the last run down sounds a little too random to me… Still a solid track though! #05: Naked N3xu5 – Maschinen [147 BPM] This track is made by Naked Tourist (Martin/Z-Neo & Björn /DJ Iguana) and N3xu5 (Luis Miguel Lopes) in cahoots… N3xu5 has made some really fine tracks, and especially Naked Tourist has really impressed me with their tracks on the two latest Psychedelically Yours compilations on Parvati Records… I’m really, really looking forward to their debut album Mad Different Methods coming in February 2006… Anyway, that’s beside the point – let’s focus on this track… Take the raging mad druggy night trance of Naked Tourist and mate it with the flaring, yet subtle acid-riffs and synth melodies from N3xu5 – and you’ve got the formula for this track… The German samples have a certain rawness that fits the track well, and the acid-level is just right… Another great track! #06: Electrypnose – Defasoul [147 BPM] Swiss sound wizard Vince Le Barde has been all over the place in 2005 with his very unique, trippy underground sound… Both the album and all the compilation tracks have been great, and it seems there’s no stopping this man… Style wise, this track ‘breaks’ the flow of the compilation, as Vince is not exactly a conformist… He’s got his own, very special ‘deeper underground’ style – which I’ve come to treasure greatly… It’s eerie, dark and totally mesmerizing… The second album Le Tireur De Ficelles is supposed to be out soon – I can’t wait… Best track so far! #07: Phonic Request & Akhoa – Speed Freak Battle (Rmx) [146 BPM] Phonic Request (Wilfried Decaesteker) & Akhoa (Olivier Charpier) collaborate on this track, as they did on a couple of other tracks this year… I really liked their humorous take on psytrance released on the Ketuh compilation Hyperspatial Chrysalis earlier this year… And sure enough, this track has funny bits and pieces too… I like that – it kinda takes the edge of the music, which can often come across as a little pretentious with all the darkness and acid all over the place… Anyway, this is basically acid-ridden night trance with a pinch of tech-trance thrown in to confuse you… Simple, yet effective… Nice! #08: Drumatik – Vampire Empire [148 BPM] Benjamin Klingemann is another Peak regular whose tracks have been featured on most of their trancefloor compilations… So far, I’ve been very impressed with his tracks, and this is no exception… As usual, Drumatik samples like a madman, switching back and forth between genres… Like flipping through radio-stations, but with a steady bassline… I like oddball trance like this, and this is by far the most original track on this compilation… It’s also among the fastest, but the pace is really irrelevant – this is phat! #09: Digitalist – Jackpot [148 BPM] “You sound surprised? No, it’s just not what I expected!” AFAIK this is the debut release from Dropout Productions artist Thomas Franske from Switzerland… Loads more are in the pipelines though… Anyway, we’re still in über-fast night trance territory, and we’re really pushing the boundaries to Halloween trance now… As with the previous track, the experimentation level is high here, and there’s never a dull moment… We slip back and forth between styles there’s an influx of weird samples and crazy twists… Tasty oddball trance! #10: Phobium – Touched By The Glitch [146 BPM] Henning Helland Ottesen from Oslo, Norway has released a handful of tracks on different compilations, but this is the first time I listen to his stuff… But not the last I hope, as this is really interesting… Really intense, driving night trance with high-pitched acid stabs and synth explorations… I really like the old-school sound here - highly fragmented and much more multi-layered than any of the other tracks on this compilation… A big, phat wall of psychedelic sounds – spacy, trippy and powerful… Kick ass track! #11: Yab-Yum – Yabyumski [146 BPM] Another track by Gaspard & Ajja S.F.Leu which closes the compilation in regards to dancefloor material… And yes – it’s another stormer! After a brief, naturist intro and a lengthy minimal bridge part, we’re soon right in the middle of a frenetic dancefloor stomp-fest of tribal proportions – unlike anything else we’ve heard on this compilation... Once again this track shows the sheer magnitude of talent possessed by these guys… I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Release an album already!! That’s an order! Brilliant track! #12: Master Margherita – Life (Utopian Rmx) Master Margherita (Moreno Antognini) is the chill boss of Peak Records… He has released some excellent chill music and has compiled all the downtempo compilations… So he’s the natural choice for the outro track here… This is windy ambient – soothing, relaxing and pretty much a pleasure ride which will assist you in coming down off the Utopeak trip… Ahh! Another fine Peak Records compilation draws to a close – and once again, I’m impressed by the level of quality… Consistency all the way has fast become a trademark for this brilliant label… There are no bad tracks here at all, and I like pretty much everything on this piece of plastic… Style wise, we’re still within acid-ridden night-trance – though with a few excursions into darkpsy and tribal… And of course the downtempo intro and outro tracks… A fine package if you ask me! Speaking of packaging, I also like the seemingly simple, yet beautiful artwork made by Ajja S.F. Leu & Tanina Munchkina which will henceforth be known as ‘the purple album’... If you liked previous Peak Records releases you’ll love this… I hereby stamp this with the ‘DeathPosture seal of approval’… It’s quality all the way and a no-brainer purchase… Enjoy! Favourites: 2, 5, 6(!), 7, 8(!), 9, 10(!), 11 DeathPosture External links: Peak Records: http://www.peaking-goddess.com Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/585215 TranceShop: http://tinyurl.com/8wuys Discobole: http://tinyurl.com/8em8f Wirikuta: http://tinyurl.com/bagka Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/cfqdy Sanity: http://tinyurl.com/be4w6 Ajuca: http://tinyurl.com/87chn Juno: http://tinyurl.com/e2mk9 Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/9t2ut Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/dscth

Sounds nice... Didn't know about it, but Discogs users rates it really high... There's also a couple of short reviews... Looks interesting for sure!

* V/A - Soul Glider (Aqua Recordings 2005) http://www.discogs.com/release/591631 * OMB - Flying Over Tokyo (Aqua Recordings 2005) http://www.discogs.com/release/591642 * Procs - Stuck In The Oven With Me (Trishula Records 2005) http://www.discogs.com/release/574060 * James Reipas - Uwaga (Freakdance Records 2005) http://www.discogs.com/release/575266 /DP

I think you're wrong... I traced his IP to Korea - and he's pretty persistant in his ways... Well, I guess it could be a really elaborate scam, but still...

Ecliptic – A Fissure In Silence Hi-res cover: front + back Artist: Ecliptic (Mexico) Title: A Fissure In Silence Format: CD (jewel case) Label: Maia Records (Mexico) Cat. #: MRCD07 Distribution: Arabesque Date: 12 December 2005 Track listing: 01. 07’52” The Oompa Loops 02. 07’32” A Fissure In Silence 03. 08’34” Illegal Frequency 04. 07’20” Think Funky (Remix) 05. 08’26” Oversoul 06. 07’30” Equilibrio 07. 07’20” To Pass Over Thoughts 08. 08’12” Reveillon 09. 08’16” Mascarade 10. 05’31” Zero Point (Lunar Sound Remix) .m3u-playlist: http://tinyurl.com/9ytk2 (all tracks!) Review: The great circle representing the apparent annual path of the sun… The eclipse! Mexican full-on label Maia Records is out with the debut album by Ecliptic. This Mexican duo consists of Raul Mejia and Juan Carlos Navarro and they’ve been producing music since 1999… I’ve only recently become aware of their talent - and I really liked their track on the Build Your Own Reactor compilation released on Liquid Records in 2005… I dubbed that track the Zombie Nation of psytrance with its unique, edgy, futuristic morning trance appeal… Interesting stuff and I hope this album will be too… Let me take you thru the tracks… #01: The Oompa Loops [143 BPM] “Oompa-Loompas! Well, they can’t be real people. Of course they are real people!” Forget about cacao beans, these are Oompa Loops – not Loompas… Anyway, what we get here is a very fragmented full-on morning track with a pretty solid kick-drum… Riddled with all kinds of samples – both familiar and fresh ones… And it really works; this is high-quality full-on… I totally dig it! #02: A Fissure In Silence [141 BPM] “We can affect the future!” The title track continues in the uplifting morning full-on style… The basslines are pretty bland and kinda boring, but luckily there’s enough other interesting stuff to make up for it… Like the hard-core tweaking and morphing going on… Also the metallic kick is sweet… Well, we’re not exactly re-inventing the wheel but for full-on, this is still pretty nice… #03: Illegal Frequency [145 BPM] Whereas the two previous tracks featured edgy full-on, I’m afraid this is more like formulated full-on… Predictable, standard basslines and rolling synths... Also the samples seem to annoy me… Sad really! I tend to skip this track – there are better things ahead! #04: Think Funky (Remix) [144 BPM] We’re still in full-on morning territory, but I like this track better than the previous one… Somehow they’ve upped the ante, cranked up the groove-meter and improved the kicks… The break-down part and following climax are pretty sweet, but still, there’s not much new under the sun here… But still a nice little track… #05: Oversoul [144 BPM] Despite the same BPM count, this track seems less funky, and more upbeat than its predecessor… And I’m afraid, that’s a turn for the worse – this is as standard as it gets… Fast-paced, formulated full-on with a bland bassline and some kind of guitar incorporated into the kick… It would be really awesome if we hadn’t heard it 10,000 times before… #06: Equilibrio [145 BPM] This track takes on a slightly darker approach to full-on trance… Gone are the most obvious cheese pitfalls, and we’re left with a pretty trance-inducing piece of music… Reminds me of newer Tristan, with razor-sharp synth stabs and a well-defined rhythm-section… Pumping like crazy and with enough twirling acid-lines to keep me interested… Also the sampling is particularly nicely done here – and the break/build-up part/break is sweet! A nice tune! #07: To Pass Over Thoughts [138 BPM] As you can tell, the BPM drops here – only to be rise again for the next track… So flow-wise, I’m not sure how well-placed this track is… Anyway it looks worse on paper, and this track also has a slightly darkish feel (which validates the placement I guess…). This has a lazier beat than the predecessor though, and I’m happy to say, that this is also a pretty nice tune… Reminds me of recent Dragonfly stuff, with ultra-tight production value and huge soundscapes… Like a darker version of Mr. Peculiar… Groovy! #08: Reveillon [145 BPM] And here’s another solid full-on track – less dark, but still very much a night time tune… The bassline is deep and rolling and the vocal work is spooky… The guys also manage to incorporate an old-school melody into the frenzy that is this track… Hectic to say the least, but instantly dancefloor friendly… Ecliptic full-on indeed! #09: Mascarade [140 BPM] This track was made by the Ecliptic guys in corporation with good old Michele Adamson – who shouldn’t need further introduction… Her vocal work is indeed impressive, and it really fits this hard-hitting track… The bassline is crisper than ever here, and the production is absolutely tight … The melodies form a nice base and the surrounding twists and turns are all nicely done… Another winner! #10: Zero Point (Lunar Sound Remix) [105 BPM] We finish things off with a chilled tune… Lunar Sound is an alias for Ecliptic, so the guys are remixing themselves here… What we get, is an exotic downbeat tune with all kinds of sunny elements – tribal drums alongside playful synths… Pretty nice, but not my fav’e here… This album was better than I expected – I had my doubts with Maia Records releasing it, but then again, the track I already knew by the Ecliptic guys was pretty damn fine… And for the most part, this album surprised me positively… Well – apart from the boring full-on tracks in the middle part of the album… But overlooking those three tracks, the rest of the album is pretty damn sweet… The first track rocks – and those last four dancefloor tracks are real sweet… High-quality edgy Mexican full-on! Nice! I’m not too impressed with the cover-art, but most of the music speaks for itself… So, in conclusion this was a full-on album that surprised me in a positive way… Full-on yes, but with enough edgy choons to keep me interested.... Check it out; you might be in for a surprise! Enjoy! Favourites: 1(!), 2, 6, 7, 8(!), 9 DeathPosture External links: Maia Records: http://www.maia.com.mx Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/587882 Maia Online Shop: http://tinyurl.com/cgaym Saiko Sounds: http://tinyurl.com/arjlg Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/dcfun Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/dn2nw Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/dg49j Juno: http://tinyurl.com/dr2c7