Trance2MoveU

Artist: Xenofish Title: Encoder Label: Self Released Date: May, 2013 01 - Xenofish - Sigma (146 BPM) 02 - Xenofish - Leviathan (145 BPM) 03 - Xenofish - Discharge (176 BPM) 04 - Xenofish - Ziggurat (146 BPM) 05 - Xenofish - Mashiro's Dream (155 BPM) 06 - Xenofish - Logfile (97 BPM) 07 - Cybernetika - Pulsar (feat. Xenofish) (141 BPM) 08 - Xenofish - Blurred Matrix (83 BPM) This is the debut album from Christian Becker and it is an offering of different styles while running with a sci-fi/technology theme. It sounds very clear and I will tell you it is fairly intense. He eases us into things with the benign Sigma, a track with a nice breakbeat, but pretty forgettable. Leviathan is a somewhat harder full-on track with a very nice break that becomes more lush the longer it goes on. Discharge brings us our first taste of drum n bass and it is massive. Walls of electronic sound puncture the atmosphere with the high tempo calling card of this style. Again, Christian's break work is a highlight of the track with the dynamic give and take of all the elements. The track is constantly evolving, even slowing down to a mid tempo swagger briefly before erupting. Easily my favorite. Ziggurat is a lush, cosmic journey feeling warm and cold at the same time. The electronics vibrate as if alive and it instantly draws me in. Same with the beginning of Mashiro's Dream as he has fun with the cut-off knob. Decent, but not as cool as the previous two. Logfile is interesting because it's glitchy, noisy, nonsense sound is how I believe a computer would create music without instruction. Even though it is itself amusical, it fits right in with the theme. The team-up with Cybernetika is a treat and his influence is readily visible with a more melodic flair. Perhaps the machines last gasp, their final attempt to subvert the humans. The final track is an atmospheric ambient aftermath as docile as the previous tracks were unyielding. The battle is over and all that remains is to rebuild. It's a wonderful debut album. Full of varied styles with electronic fire and storytelling breaks. Very futuristic with excellent production. Highly recommended! Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: SubConsciousMind Title: Symphonies of Life Label: Self-Released Date: March, 2018 1. Patience 2. Truth 3. Consciousness 4. Destruction 5. Love 6. Creation 7. Beauty 8. Humility 9. Trust Raphael Huber's latest release is a remarkably produced piece of work. The dynamics here are superb forcing the listener to concentrate on the subtleties all the way through the tracks. Very psychedelic at times with my favorite track being the blistering Creation. The 303s were going crazy! Also big honorable mentions go the final bits of Destruction. Very intense. Some of the tracks however don't evolve as well as others and maybe take too long to get where they're going. Still, that's a minor gripe and while not as explosive as Intermezzo Extended, it is a solid album. Free at Ektoplazm

Abasio Lives!

Artist: Various Title: Into This Wired Abyss Vol. 3 Label: Self Released Date: March, 2014 01 - EurythmY - Liquid Wonderment (90 BPM) 02 - Sixis - Mycolinguistic (Sigil Remix) (154 BPM) 03 - Atman Construct - Coming Up In The Elevator (100 BPM) 04 - False Identity - Crystalline Refinement (106 BPM) 05 - Soulular - Apparition (88 BPM) 06 - Master Minded - Trio Break Space Zone (128 BPM) 07 - 3lines - Hipstrap (72 BPM) 08 - JP Illusion vs Waveform - Tilt (90 BPM) 09 - Mindex - Inner Flame (86 BPM) 10 - Cactus Bath - Exobiology (100 BPM) 11 - Wolfen Technologies - External Encounters (90 BPM) 12 - Xenomma - Nootropic Stack (143 BPM) 13 - Arcturian Soul & Dash - Konduit (101 BPM) 14 - Zar - Serpantine (72 BPM) Sometimes I like to go back to the free well for releases I might not have come across otherwise. One of the reasons Ekto has always been such a great resource. This compilation was compiled by Atman Construct (that name seems familiar...ah here's why) and is the third installment of the series. Sometimes one needs to take a break from 4/4 trance and delve into something a little different. This is full of big, downtempo beats and glitch tsunamis. Plenty of liquid basses and thumping kicks with somewhat smaller track times to keep things from getting stale. Some of it was weird (Trio Break Space Zone, Hipstrap), sometimes a dark, evil slog (Inner Flame- Loved it) but I enjoyed listening to the many electronic effects. Nice work. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Consept Lightwork Title: Basics of Consciousness Ep Label: Timewarp Records Date: December, 2017 1. For Wisdom And Truth 2. Galactic Special Forces 3. Ancient Magnetic Crystals This was our first introduction to Israeli artist Avihai Tsroya with his debut Ep. I'm not going to blow smoke up your ass and tell you that he reinvented the wheel. He didn't, but this is a very competent beginning to a goa trance career. The production is good, there is power and melody, and plenty of danceable moments. It's less a goa EP and more of some psychedelic music that draws from the goa pool. This was done in 2017 so I am looking forward to giving his album from 2018 Moments of Magic a listen to see if he progressed. Timewarp Bandcamp

Artist: Painters of Thoughts Title: Trilogy of Chaos Label: Parabola Music Date: November, 2019 1. Magical Saturdays 2. Trilogy of Chaos 3. Angels of Dreams 4. Megatron Secret 5. Big Boss 6. Divine Mission 7. Count Seven 8. Media 9. Night Shift 10. Cosmic String 11. Imaginary World 12. Psychic Modulation 13. Dream Particle 14. Hypnotic Program 15. Back To Reality 16. Immortal Shadow 17. Bicycle Tune (Wonderboy Edit) 18. Getafix 550 19. Survival 20. Zuckerberg Painters of Thoughts are the California Sunshine of Goa Trance. Mostly meh, but a few good tracks. Spread out over an album you can deal with it. But a 20 tack digital compilation? C'mon guys you know there is more than one bass preset right? Track after track of cheese and low bar music that reached its expiration date more than a decade ago. Like galloping bass lines? They got you. Need corny samples? They got you. Tired of layers creating depth and interest? Yeah, apparently they got you. If I could sum this up in one word: Tedious. It's the same formula with each track. Take forever to get where you're going, stumble upon an interesting segment, and then do nothing with it. I'm sorry to be negative, but life is too short to waste vast amounts of time on mediocre music. Parabola Music Bandcamp

Artist: Eguana Title: Invisible Civilization Vol. 2 Label: Cosmicleaf Records Date: September, 2018 1. Deep Space 2. Birth of the Atom 3. Cleavage of Matter 4. Vacuum Gardens 5. Extraterrestrial Intelligence 6. Tentacles of Alien Organism 7. Internal Processes 8. Structure of the Invisible World 9. Beautiful Creatures There is ambient and then there's...well, um... "Dude, cmon...you're turn to do dishes." If you're angry or upset about something and you're spiraling and don't know what to do, then I highly recommend two things. First and most importantly seek the help you need. There are people out there that specialize in whatever is causing you pain. Second, begin listening to this extremely chill album. It's slow motion underwater floating amidst bubbles and majestic sea creatures. It's comatose observation of simple objects...for 72 hours. Track times are utterly irrelevant as each one melts into the next, yet there is the thinnest of melody lifelines with which to grasp. And you're gonna need it to come out the other side. The first time I became aware of a kick drum was track 7. To be honest I don't know how he completed this album without hard scheduling to regular nap times. So smooth and sublime. Really enjoyed it. When all that hardcore dance music has gotten to be a little bit out of control. This is what I imagine the soundtrack to exploring the depths of the ocean would be. Cosmicleaf Records Bandcamp

Artist: Maan Title: Floral Cortex Label: Neogoa Records Date: May, 2020 1. Prelude: Havenless 2. Mother Moss 3. Instant Equilibrium 4. Re/Bells 5. Gardens With Flowers of Crazy Colors 6. The Wednesday Pond 7. Red Relic 8. Interstate Insects 9. Maven 10. Postlude: Antiquity Maan is Frode Ungar from Norway and this is his debut album. His Orbiter Ep from 2017 was very good as were his compilation tracks. Neogoa consistently releases quality goa trance and this is no exception. While not being exceptional at anything, it is extremely solid at everything. Ten tracks with the intro and outro being short sketches that had me wanting more. The goa gets started with Mother Moss and as the title insinuates this is more of a forest track with a goa feel. Loses its way a bit in the middle, but finishes strongly. Instant Equilibrium is an immediate stormer that feels very old school. Sounds like old X-Dream. It hardly deviates from its opening structure, but it's so bouncy and infectious I don't mind. I liked the metallic synth banging right out of the gate with Re/Bells and it maintains the goa flavor. The crystal clear sound and punchy bass of Garden With Flowers hits me immediately and the groove is similar to M-Run efforts. Most interesting track goes to The Wednesday Pond, sounding downtempo and progressive at the same time. Really a very zen experience. Red Relic combines a hammering bass and a frenetic synthline, but not a whole lot else. Insects is very high intensity with screeching synth leads and never fully takes a break, but keeps evolving. Maven closes it out with a super crisp sound and bouncy rhythms. Really liked the understated layers in this one. Like I said, not exceptional at anything, but great at everything. It's a solid goa album that I felt could've been better, but with numerous dalliances in other genres. I look forward to the next one. Neogoa Records Bandcamp

Artist: Various Title: Goagilde (Norways Got Goa Trance) Label: Kali Earth Records Date: December 28, 2019 Tracklist 1. Maan - Reed Voyage 06:46 2. Phreak By Nature - Lit the Fuse 08:14 3. Clementz - Voltage Control 06:23 4. Excitaxory - Silver Spoon 08:22 5. Armakuni - Descend Upon 07:00 6. Microcosm - When We All Come Together (edit) 08:37 7. Phobium - Shape is Everything 09:17 8. Material Music - Omhu 11:53 9. Clementz - Tøffere enn Toget (1977 edit) 08:11 10. Vimana Shastra - Tura 07:28 11. Clementz - Inside the Craft 08:57 12. Homegrown Lifeform - Terraforming 07:45 13. Angry Dwarf - Baobab (Echoes from Hamarr) 10:33 14. Clementz - Distorted Angel 06:40 15. Material Music - Shaktas 10:54 16. Drum Pets - Melt the Walls (Strangepork Remix) 09:07 17. Phreak By Nature - Reaching Out To Another Dimension 18. Trold - Torus Fields 10:18 19. Psyolopher - Aphorism 07:36 20. Protostar One - Quantum Energy 08:34 21. Aion - Synergetic 08:24 22. Ra - Escaping Gravity 09:35 23. Goalien - Ayahuasca 09:31 24. Material Music - A Noble Prize 08:32 25. Clementz - Surrender to the Universe 08:20 26. Microcosm - Right on Time and on Another Place in Outer Space (Phreak By Nature Mix) 08:01 27. Lemurians - Not Expected 07:18 28. Ion Vader - Harmonic Defiance (Bonus Track) 3 Cds is a challenge to review. Especially for someone with attention span problems and two kids. That's a lot of music and it's easy to lose focus and write coherently about what you've been listening to for almost 4 hours. So much you could do in that amount of time. You could watch It Chapter Two and still have enough time left over for a sit down dinner. I've already upped my ukulele game. Hey look, bears do more than just, ah...you know. You could eat off my bathroom floor. Is what I'd be saying if I was demented enough to spend four hours cleaning the bathroom. Who f*cking does that? Anyway, this limited to 300 copies 3-CD monster dropped just before the closing bell of 2019 and it features Norwegian artists. And they've got goa trance. No longer is it left to Ra to hold the mantle of the only goa trance artist from the icy north. Waitaminute...Goalien is Serbian. Ok, some currently reside in Norway or have some other connection. Cool. *Important update* It has been brought to my attention that Aion is actually Norwegian. His discogs page was apparently hacked. Sorry for that misunderstanding. So for this review I cannot (and will not) go through every track. Too much and nobody wants to read a wall of text. I'll break it down in 3 parts corresponding to each CD. You know highlights and such. Up first is CD 1 Analogue Fjords Of Norway. Maan (new album Floral Cortex out now) starts things off with his 303 dogs barking and Phreak By Nature delivers a bouncy track. Clementz (album Kretsløp still fresh) has two tracks on the first disc and they are both high intensity. Two things...the goa is good here (if a little on the light, whimsical side) with my favorite being the Material Music offering Shaktas. This is how you do a long track. Shimmery sounds, breakdowns and reorganizations, and maintains momentum throughout its entire length. And two...how did Silver Spoon end up here? It doesn't fit at all, standing out in a negative way. CD 2 Norwegian Aural Borealis It gets a little deeper now. A little chunkier. A little more full-on. Clementz with another 2 tracks (Distorted Angel is on his album) on this disc leads the way. Baobab is a bass heavy monster with screeching 303s and a bruising climax. Omhu is a twirling track with sunshine melodies and quality breaks. Melt the Walls is very psychedelic sounding bearing more than a passing resemblance to Hallucinogen, but the track I was most looking forward to hearing was from Trold. Perhaps a mind melting merging of forest and goa trance that just continued to gain strength until its final cacophony. Well that didn't happen, but it was still pretty good. CD 3 Yah-hey Tru Norvegr Ah the final disc. Aphorism is a competent downtempo goa track and Quantum Energy sounds like it just came off the Ovnimoon assembly line. A Noble Prize by Material Music is the winner on this disc, combining power and mysticism in an elegant stew. Not Expected from Lemurians reminds me why I never liked their previous work. Closing things out the bonus track is a strong one by Ion Vader with dark overtones and a rapid tempo. SO there you have it. It's certainly worth picking up. To my ears the filler was kept to a bare minimum. There is some very good goa trance tracks to be found here and some artists I will be keeping an eye on. I can't comment on what is on the inside of the 3-Cd package as I have been listening to the FLAC. GET SOME!

Still a great album that differs from their holy trinity. Dark, psychedelic, and finishes very strongly.

Artist: Nervasystem Title: 3 Label: Voodoo Voltage Date: January, 2015 Track list with random track titles. Is...is that true? If so, then Mr. Dressler might want to check up on his ancestry DNA profile, cause...well, there might be a surprise for him. Just checking, but this is the Time Travel guy, right? A downtempo album then? Ok, he's not the first psy artist who went that route. Let's see what we got here... Like a close talker at the office this album has no boundaries. None. Zero. Boundaries. I defy you to classify this. It's all over the place. The opening track is a liquid downtempo number that is NOT indicative what you will find in this album. Prolexdrocon sounds like a noodling glitch session with everything but the kitchen sink. How do you go about doing a 43 second remix? Two tracks in a row each under a minute with very little musicality? I swear L.I.A.S. was your cat walking across the keyboard. I can't decide if this is an artist flexing his creative muscles of a f*ck you to the psytrance crowd. Maybe both. Just like one doesn't just walk into Mordor one doesn't just pop this on the hi-fi and say, "Know what I'm in the mood for?" "Sound salad." Like breakbeat with glitch? He's got you. 60's guitar riffs in a smoky room? He's got you. Dreamy short snippet of ambient to get high to? He's got you. He wrote that this was his most favorite album to make. You don't say? Of course it is, there are no rules and no boundaries. If I tell my 8 year old to paint me a picture, but stay in the lines she gives me the wicked side eye, but tell her go nuts... Bottom line this is a very interesting album in the sense that he throws a f*ckton of random sounds together in a creative (I suppose) mish mash. There is very little musicality or structure to be found here and for this listener very little enjoyment. I liked Time Travel a lot. This...is certainly not that. The only reason I gave it a listen is that he is offering his digital discography for a stupid low price so don't hesitate to pick it all up. Nervasystem Bandcamp

Artist: Zeta Reticuli Title: Superbright Ep Label: Kali Earth Records Date: February, 2020 1. Blue Archangel 2. UY Scuti 3. Pleiadians Well this was a pleasant surprise. This is Alexander Prokopchik with a very good debut EP. He had a track on the VA Gamayun Tale that was pretty decent, but other than that there isn't much out there. This ep has three tracks that all have many twists and turns with very enjoyable goa melodies, but it's unlike most stuff out there. Perhaps it's a mix of psytrance and goa trance, but he doesn't stay married to just one avenue. As soon as you're comfortable with a measure it's off on the next tangent. Keeps it fresh for sure. YU Scuit is my fave. It's a very promising start and I look forward to seeing where he goes from here. Kali Earth Bandcamp

Still a great album though I feel his previous two were more detailed and lush. The more I listen to this it's like speed nitzhogoa if I were to try and pinpoint the style within the style. Damn is it danceable though.

I found the album pretty good, but aside from the first track and Drugstar 137 there wasn't anything to set it apart from numerous other releases. The remix of the Sienis track is just pure unadulterated cheese. Definitely has that late 2000's feel, but it's pretty harmless.

Not the strongest release in the Psionic series, but some good stuff that holds up. Love me some Scorby Snacks! And that groovy bass line from Xatrik is too filthy. I'm still waiting for Dark Nebula to make a great track all the way through.

The above reviewer pretty much nailed it and IMO was actually generous. The artist at this point is seven (now 8!) albums in and I'm not hearing a lot of growth. Don't get me wrong it's decent with plenty of melodies, but after 7 albums shouldn't the bar be a little higher than that? Where's the power? Where's the depth and dynamics? None of the tracks were memorable and it sounds rather generic. Instead of producing the same album almost yearly, take some chances and start experimenting because this music doesn't sound fresh at all. I'm sorry if this critique sounds harsh (and know that I have purchased all of Somnesia's albums), but the talent of this artist is evident and I'm waiting for him to put it all together. Right now it's a bunch of unfulfilled potential.

Since I've got a lot of free time I decided to give this album another listen. Still grimy and old school. Fantastic album that should get more notoriety than it does.

Artist: Clementz Title: Kretslop Label: Suntrip Date: May, 2020 1. Æ-Re-Stu 2. Big Rip 3. Inner Core 4. Spirit Dance 5. Voices of Helium 6. Distorted Angel 7. Rise and Shine 8. Outside This World 9. Music Machines Shall Inherit The Earth 10. Easter Hymn Actual footage of Hans getting coffee in the morning after releasing album. Clementz is Hans Henrik Clementz and he's from *checks notes* Norway? Really? I know during this global pandemic we've been quarantined away (well, most of the world because the dumb ass Americans apparently think the virus just disappeared because they wanted a f*cking haircut), but Norway is kind of on quarantine all the time isn't it? Tucked away in a corner of the world you don't really hear what's going on over there. What are they known for other than beautiful scenery, polar bears, and the northern lights? Actually that's enough. Well add goa trance excellence to the list because it ain't just Ra form the snowy north anymore. Kretslop (how come I can't make that f*cking o with the damn line through it!?!) means circuit in Norwegian I believe. This first half of this album is extremely intense. Acid, layers, and big booming kicks. Æ-Re-Stu is a fantastic opener illuminating how vast and potent this music is going to be. Big Rip is certainly has all of that. Huge and powerful it also has its delicate touches making this the ultimate banger. Inner Core harnesses the same energy and is relentless, and even though Spirit Dance allows you to catch your breath in spots, it has a very danceable melody. Infectious really. But if you thought you were going to have a break, well that myth is shattered by the absolutely bombastic Voices of Helium. Even though it's the shortest track on the album it's got layers of spirals and power to make this an instant anthem. Like the Suntrip promo says they focus more on the melody side of things during the second half. Outside This World feels like a bit of a let down. Remember in junior high dancing to the jam and then the dj plays a slow song and the people mostly leave the floor? Kinda like that. Well, Music Machines and Easter Hymn brings them back with their very bouncy melodies. Congratulations to Hans for a very good debut album and one of my favorites this year. Highly recommended! Suntrip Bandcamp

I hate to be that guy (no I don't), but this Ep is not great. It's good, but if the above reviewer found it, ahem...BitCHiN' well then good for him. It sounds a lot like most other goa trance produced these days. 4/4 time with a galloping bass line that isn't very deep. He's been doing this a long time and you can tell his production has gotten better, but none of the tracks here made me want to hit the repeat button. It filled my goa jones for a few seconds and then I was fiending again. I found his album to be better, and I look forward to his next one.

Current goa trance music: This album: This album is most certainly different. This is the Unikitty of goa trance. SUPER POSITIVE. Elysian Fields sounded like it had samples from Cotton Eyed Joe and then took a darker turn! Sirs, you aren't following the rules. Passing Spirits and it's key changes put me off, but The Fool and Tantric Tweak got things back on track. You know what else it is? All over the f*cking place. It's like a toddler running on pixie sticks six deep with a can of silly string. There is certainly something to be said about not creating paint by numbers goa trance, but to me this seems like...well, kinda like, uh... Do I like it? I don't really know. I love when things are different than the norm whether it's movies, music, or other art. There should never be boundaries on creativity. Keep pushing, keep exploring. I will say this: For me it's not instantly digestible. It's not the style of goa trance I normally embrace. It certainly will take many listens to appreciate (more than what I have currently given) which is a task I will may undertake. Nothing good comes easy, but on the other hand listening to music is a leisure activity. Do I want to work hard to enjoy music? This is certainly not your run of the mill goa. And it is definitely like nothing I've ever heard before.

Artist: Xprompt Title: Generator Label: Pureuphoria Records Date: April, 2018 1. Intergalactic 2. Pole Position 3. Silent Prophecy 4. Hypnotic Bridge 5. Birth of Impulse I've got a lot of music on the hard drive from Ekto before they took a powder and just picked this at random. Well, that's not true. I really liked the cover art. This is the side project of a project called Neon. Which means nothing to me because I haven't heard of them either. What I like about this is its straight ahead nature. But it's also what makes all the tracks sound so similar. It is dark and rumbly, high tempo trance that doesn't deviate much from what you hear in the beginning of the track. Scary sounds and thumping beats abound without it devolving into noise. Melodies are just a light touch, but it's enough to pull it together. Can't say I would reach for this over and over, but hell, I enjoyed it. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Pleiadians Title: Pyramid Label: EtnicaNet Date: November, 2019 1. New Dimension 2. Virtual Reality 3. Pyramid 4. Alien Artifact 5. X-Files (Pleiadians Remix) 6. Magnetic Fields 7. Spacecrafts 8. Cosmic Trigger Oh come on. Why would you do this? Why? You guys are f*cking legends of old school goa trance. There's you at the top and then... the rest. You could spend your life playing the old stuff for hippie burn outs at any club you want. Knee deep in 20 year old girls with daddy issues and an insatiable will to please. Live on the beach and be drunk all day and eventually become a shaman. I mean I get it. You're artists. You like to create and you still feel you have more to offer. So who the hell am I to tell you to stop making new stuff. Just because I don't like it I'm sure there are some psytrance fans can look past the tepid full-on bass lines and weak melodies. Surely there will be people out there that will buy it just cause you slapped your moniker on it. Legendary artists like these are always in a sh*tty no win position. Keep doing what made you a sensation and they'll say you can't evolve. Do something different and people will say, "Damnit, the old stuff was better." But...wasn't the old stuff better than this? It's like you jumped in a time machine and instead of going back to 1997 you said, "Aw f*ck it, 2004 had the Incredibles and Martha Stewart went to jail, it was lit!" I even tried to pretend it wasn't you. Like maybe if I take them out of the equation the music could stand on its own mer- F*CK NO IT CAN"T! This is snoozetown. Simple, uninteresting full-on. But hey, I will never stop thanking you for IFO. 15E for a digital album. You're joking right?

Artist: Menog Title: Party Animal Farm Label: Nano Records Date: October, 2019 1. Party Animal Farm 2. Kikkarapyllyt 3. Time Travel (With Mad Maxx) 4. Drunk On Milk 5. Heartbeat 6. Shakahama (feat. Sonic Species and KIN) 7. Computer Simulation 8. Radio 9. Mimosa Dosa (Menog Remix) "You're going on a trip now. It's going to be rough. It's gonna feel like it's going on for a long time, so it's going to be hard to stay alert. It's going to be even harder to stay quiet. But you have to do both." If you keep including samples that describe your CD there isn't going to be a lot of work left for me. I have always been a fan of Daniel Bernardo's work, but unfortunately it is no longer 2010. Back in its heyday night-time full-on was a beast combining minor key eerieness with full power. Labels like Timecode, Nexus Media, and Yabai brought some serious heat. The music was so intense you had to catch your breath. I even remember some crackers from Nano Records. But times change. People's tastes in music change. It is inevitable. I still love this type of music, but if you're going to do it, you have to be all in. While I enjoyed the power in some of these tracks, there isn't anything I haven't heard 10 years ago. From Daniel himself. Gone are the symphonic vastness, the storytelling, the industrial bent...The days of a kick and a galloping bassline for 32 measures are over. I'm routing for you Daniel. I am. But you gotta come harder than this. Psyshop Menog Bandcamp

Artist: M-Run Title: Live Session Album Label: Cronomi Records Date: March, 2020 1. Live Session 1 - A Trip to Andromeda 2. Live Session 2 - Technosonic 3. Live Session 3 - Spiral Cloud 4. Live Session 4 - Chronos (Live Version) 5. Live Session 5 - The Magic Mug 6. Live Session 6 - The Redeemer 7. Live Session 7 - Hexagon 8. Live Session 8 - Oxigenated Seal What's this? A new M-run album? Sure, I'll dig into this. Let me get a cup of coffee first to keep focused. Hold my calls. Ahhh...that's the stuff. Now let's see...M-run for those that don't know is Mario Matakovic from Croatia and this is his second album. His first Some Run Just For Fun was a revelation in the goa trance scene. Easily a classic chock full of butt shaking grooves that took goa into directions never before seen. If you're a fan of goa trance it is mandatory listening. So with his second album for the Cronomi label he embarked on a very ambitious project, giving us a behind the scene look how he creates his music in the studio. So he created his tracks, practiced and rehearsed shooting for a recording in one take. Do you realize how difficult and extraordinary that is? Easy? Sure, maybe for an octopus. But to control an entire track and play it flawlessly in one take? And each track had a different hardware setup? I wonder how much F word was uttered during those takes. How many cats were kicked because he messed up one little bit and had to start all over again? I wouldn't be surprised if he was sick to death of playing these tracks. If I were you Mario I would be looking over my shoulder for PETA. They don't take kindly to cat kicking. "Ok Mario...take 76. F*cking hell." So what's the music like? First I'll say this is not Some Run II. Yes there are plenty of grooves and his production is second to none. Each track is its own tale and it is super easy to get lost inside. While his first album was an atom bomb with one jaw dropping moment after another this one is more laid back. It's not so much a "get on the dancefloor album" (although you could certainly dance to it), but more of a cerebral relaxed vibe. There are plenty of head bobbing beats and space age sound effects and even some times where it is powerful (Spiral Cloud, Hexagon). His production is second to none (love me some kicks without hi-hats to start a track) and I can honestly say it grows on me with each repeated listen. The all important first track sets the tone, bringing an organic and mysterious allure. Technosonic with its vocoded speech brings a down and dirty groove. The Magic Mug is like sitting in a groovy cauldron during an Egyptian summer. The Redeemer carries such a funky swagger while continuously building on its foundation that it is instantly one of my favorites. I would say this is another triumph for Mario. His two albums are distinctly different, but share equally impressive music. I heartily recommend this album. Cronomi Bandcamp

Artist: Lifeforms Title: Into The Wild Label: Iboga Records Date: September, 2019 1. Into The WIld 2. Eden 3. Mellow 4. Ahead of Us 5. Lost Behind 6. Raw 7. One of A Kind 8. Away From Here Man I had forgotten about this Israeli project! They made the type of music that refused to be shoe horned into a box. Psytrance, progressive, goa...all with delicate and symphonic touches. It's deep music and is great for those looking for more than just 4/4 beats. And they jump right in with the title track that is a combination of all three. Starts of with a growing progressive vibe, slowly morphs into a psytrance track and then BAM!!...goa trance. What I really like about the tracks is the way they seamlessly slip into a break and expand in a new direction. They go in like a lamb and out like a lion. Also impressed with their samples and the sample placement. When done correctly it really adds to the track. It's not a perfect album and sometimes it falls prey to the cliche's of trance music, but those moments are few. While not as heavily layered as the Nertum album (by far my favorite) this is still a solid offering for those who still want to love psytrance. Psyshop