Trance2MoveU

This forum has been an absolute wealth of information. The reviews section while dominated by goa is still full of other releases. This site helped me navigate genres and reading reviews inspired me to pen a lot of reviews. Sure I would love it if people commented on every review I made, but that's not why I write them. I consider it giving back to a site dedicated to the music which has given me so much over the last decade. Don't see a review for an album that you like or may interest you? Here's an idea...write one. More reviewers would help generate more discussion and increase the scope of the review section itself. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Vision of the Future Label: Apocalypse Records Date: January, 2006 1. Fungus Funk - Cause & Effect 2. Xenomorph - Fate of Alderaan 3. sHiFt Vs. Abomination - Burn 4. CPU - Stupid Play 5. Digital Talk - Rush 6. Seroxat - New Vision of the Future 7. Combat - No Way Out 8. Azax Syndrom - Chucky 9. Para Hulu - Stack Over Flow Rmx Grand opening, grand closing. Man that was a short ride wasn't it fellas? I'm guessing this label is no longer of this Earth based on the choice of web domains I was offered when I went to their site. Ah, such is life. Before the fine souls at Apocalypse left us they, well...they left us only two releases. I don't know about the first, but this sophomore (and unfortunately final) effort is a mix between darkpsy and twilight. It's on the darker side of things naturally with hammering bass lines and squelchy, acidic sounds. The first two tracks were appetizers that really didn't offer much in the way of depth. At this point I was almost ready fire up eBay and get into list mode. But before I could put my crash helmet away on things got a little dangerous. Burn is a groovy acidic shower of a track with some Saw samples. Stupid Play shined a light on the poppy direction towards which Sammy would unfortunately turn, but it's still danceable. One could argue that nobody has done more with just a bass line than the Digital Talk guys so I'll be that one. This track is fil...wait for it...errrrrr. The Seroxat and Combat (Seroxat + Winter Demon) tracks fall into that not bad, but not great purgatory of twilight commercialism. Seems like neither projects have made any tunes in a while so I'm guessing they went into military service. They have that over in Israel I hear. Regev follows suit with an uninspiring homage to a foul mouthed doll and then Para Halu does whatever the hell he does. When I got this years ago I loved it. Unfortunately it doesn't really hold up very well. Aside from the 2nd track I could take this comp or leave it. And based on the longevity of the label..other people felt the same way. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

A bit all over the place isn't it? Some tracks are minimal sounding and some are powerful with some good goa licks. But like others have said they're pretty much a one trick pony. The tracks sound similar with a few good parts, but they don't evolve. Just stagnate. Broken Spirals, Psi-lock, Klangwelt, and Annunaki are most appealing to me as well as the booming last track on CD2. That bass will rattle some windows. Mdk

Finally the mix cd no-one was asking for. Oh Astral. .. Mdk

"I also have some telepathic powers." Then you probably knew this compilation wasn't going to hold up well. I had kept it for the first two tracks, but after that I could take it or leave it. Mostly leave it. I'm sure back in 2002 when the psytrance scene basically went into hibernation this was dark and powerful, but nowadays it is unremarkable full-on. The worst track for me was the final one Excalibur where the artists tried to fit a movies worth of samples into 10 minutes. Also of note...it was 10 f*cking minutes. Really terrible. Made me want to cold cock some British people. However the worst part of the track was the "give me the power" sample. It was repeated 86 times. In succession. Eighty. F*cking. Six. Their software should've kicked them in the nuts and walked out of the room. Inexcusable. Mdk

Artist: Space Cat Title: Space Cat - 20 Year Anniversary Label: Trancelucent Productions Date: September, 2014 1. Cat On Mushroom - The Fly (Loud and Space Cat Remake) 2. Space Cat & Simon Posford - Invasion (Space Cat 2014 Mix) 3. Space Cat & Shanti - Toki Doki (Coming Soon Remix) 4. Space Cat - Mind Shoker (Bliss Remix) 5. Space Cat - Snorkel Blaster (Burn In Noise Remix) 6. Space Cat - Armageddon (Outsiders & Avalon Remix) 7. Space Cat - The Gate (Electric Universe Remix) 8. Space Cat - Power Up (Space Cat & Audiotec Remix) 9. Space Cat - Exposed (Lish & Space Cat Remix) "I tried to free your mind...but I can only show you the door." *Looks at door. Smiles. Bolts through that motherf*cker with middle fingers blazing* FREEDOM!!!!! Yeah it was this painful. We all know what this is. Avi Algranati has been around for a long time and has had some good tracks. Let's face it when you're in the business for two decades you're either a big part of it or you just didn't know when to leave. But really...was anybody asking for this? I know now it's his 20th anniversary, but he did this four years ago delivering the full-on remixes of his full-on that nobody was craving. At some point you have to admit you have a problem so you can get help. Look I'm not gonna lie to you some of the tracks had moments where I was bouncing. But it's Halloween candy in late November. Yeah you'll eat it, but soon you'll look in the mirror and descend into a self hating shame spiral and buy a gym membership that you can't afford and that you won't use. Maybe it's time to stop trotting the old whore out front and trying to make a buck on how she used to do reverse cowgirl. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Optokoppler Title: Bugfix Label: Yellow Sunshine Explosion Date: June, 2003 1. Backspace 2. Take A Look 3. Animation 4. Massive 5. Halftime 6. Hamburg City 7. Ghostbuster 8. Sequence 9. Northern Virus Optokoppler? Any more German and there would be a bratwurst with lederhosen and a mustache on the cover. I decided to go back and listen to this the 2nd release from the German project Optokoppler. I know I own it and the picture is fresh in my mind, but the cure for cancer could be in there and I wouldn't know it. *Just so you know I checked and uh, that uh, cure thing...well, it ain't in there. Pays to be thorough.* But this is the problem I have with a lot of stuff that's released today and especially with full-on. It's not the deepest subgenre to begin with and when the technology to make this music became more accessible well...let's just say that I'm waiting for the Isis EP from YSE. Oh and you better believe they'd probably release it. Point is all artists aren't created equal of course so when you're inundated with average stuff it all gets lost in one giant homogenous waste of time. I don't even think this album is terrible, but neither do I believe it to have enough fresh ideas to make it memorable. So it becomes background noise. A suitable title could be, "Non-Abrasive Soundtrack While You're Doing Sh*t." But Bugfix is probably cheaper from a printing angle. Now I want to be clear...I've heard much worse full-on than this just like you have. Ultimately though the music is what matters and this is just another album I don't need. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Human Hyperactivation Label: Metaphysic Records Date: August 2007 01. Pan Psychic – In Suspend 02. Mindsphere - Perception 03. Subra - Snel Hest 04. Artifact303 - Trip To The Sun 05. Pandemonium - Pandemonium 06. Liquid Flow - Overdose 07. Alienxxs - Infected Creature 08. Brain Technology - Jungle Hippie 09. Nolax - Pareidolia "I'm your partner if you go down on this I go down on this!" See ladies it's not that hard to compromise. We can both get what we want. Damnit. I love Kate Upton, but that gif doesn't work. She seems like she's being bad by sneaking some Toll House cookies while on her employer mandated diet. I didn't wanna do this, but sometimes you have to go with an oldie... Damn you Olivia Newton John... Before Metaphysic disintegrated into a fiery blaze of glory they had some outstanding releases. To this day there's little argument that this was one of the greatest goa trance compilations ever. The tracklist is bursting with star power and boy do they deliver. Every track is a shining example of what goa trance could be with countless layers of mind transforming melody. Pan Psychic wasn't the most prolific project, but man if they didn't set the world on fire with the extremely fast paced In Suspend. Perception is particularly impressive and what we've now come to expect from Mindsphere. Snel Hest which is next is a quality track in its own right, but it's dwarfed by how massive Perception was. Ali really scorched the Earth with that one. Another artist who would ascend to the top of Goa Mountain is Artifact303 and his track makes it easy to see why. Deep and lush it rips a hole in the sky to force God to take notice. Which brings us to the enigmatic and maddening Filipe Santos. Forget all the other stuff the man was a wizard when it came to goa trance. And he comes out with some high energy. If we stopped right there you'd be happy to have this compilation. But it doesn't stop. Liquid Flow blows the doors off with double barrel 303s! Growling like it's 1997. The only gripe any sane man can have is that it was all too short. Infected Creature keeps the classic vibes rolling and the Jungle Hippie unwinds a long melody with exotic pads. Whatever happened to that guy anyway? The final track is a long one and probably Nolax's best track until he released his album Turning Point. I'm not lying when I tell you that I'd punch my grandma for this to be re-released on CD. Wait, that's insensitive...my grandmothers are all dead. I'd punch your grandma. Stop giving out that hard candy at Halloween! Nobody likes that sh*t! Yeah, that's better. Track after track of brilliance. Pretty sure even I could blow up a goa party if I put this on and just hit play. And if you've seen my FB video than you know I play to a very discerning audience.

Nail meet head. MDK

Artist: Elgiva Title: Mysticism Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: May, 2014 1. Izolan (Elgiva Rmx) - Ovnimoon & Middle Mode 2. Unrevealed Secrets 3. Source of Power 4. The Prophet 5. Mysticism 6. Strange Thoughts 7. Forest of Fairies 8. Morning Sun 9. Adrenaline Rush How does Hector do it? Is he an international drug kingpin? A massively successful pimp with hoes in different area codes? Perhaps a lawyer who has made a small fortune defending kingpins and pimps? However it comes to be his label has released about 50 kilos of albums. Like the tides of the ocean they just keep coming. And it's not like he just throws some sh*t against the wall to see what sticks. Most everything I've heard has been of pretty good quality. And this without much publicity. Which goes to show you how important word of mouth is. Elgiva is Bojan Stojiljkovic (Ascent) and Milan Rakic from Serbia. Of course why wouldn't they be? This duo has assembled a brilliant album. Like Hector himself they combine progressive trance with hard hitting psy and then add some goa flavor. Basically a trifecta of awesome. Melodic and powerful they also don't forget to pay attention to the details. Timely and descriptive breaks really allow the tracks to flourish. It strikes a good balance between being aggressive and dreamy. Serbians man, it looks like they actually read the manual for their software. Your move Israel. When you're purchasing Ovnimoon's Trancemutation of the Mind make sure you slide this into your basket for a potent one two punch. I think whatever Hector actually does to make so many good albums happen he's probably gonna need bail money. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Laughing Buddha Title: Illusions & Collusions Label: Nano Records Date: June, 2014 1. Laughing Buddha feat. Eat Static - Razorback 2. Laughing Buddha feat. Lucas - Neutrino Storm 3. Laughing Buddha feat. Dickster - Stepping Stoned 4. Laughing Buddha feat. Master Blasters - High Right Now 5. Laughing Buddha feat. Space Tribe - Mind Altering Technology 6. Laughing Buddha feat. Groove Addict - Something Out There 7. Laughing Buddha feat. Tristan - Back In The Game 8. Laughing Buddha feat. Electric Universe - Stargate 9. Laughing Buddha feat. Avalon - Bring It "Yeah I'm gonna go find myself in the mountains." Said every white chick in a horror movie. That sh*t doesn't turn out so well. Ever. It's no wonder black people make fun of us. Anyway...half of Cosmosis is better than nothing I always say. Jeremy is back with his second album and I guess he had a lot of free beer at his house cause all his friends showed up to drink it. While they were pretending not to hit on his sister and puking in the pool they also helped him out in the studio. What could go wrong? Razorback- What the f*ck does this have to do with Arkansas football? Besides being disappointing and making little kids cry? Yeah Merv I'm gonna need you to step away from the keg and give me a little more. I know it's just the first track, but seriously I'm about sixteen bars away from a nap. Neutrino Storm- Ok Lucas made it a little better. We're now one notch above uninspired full-on. *sees Jeremy's sister in a tight tube top* 'Scuse me. Gotta go before she sees Clooney! Stepping Stoned- So all we had to do was add a little weed to the party? *Hi-fives Dickster* My man throws a slight bit of dubstep in the break. Pretty good. High Right Now- Me too. But not because of drugs. It's cause I'm crowd surfing. *swings foot and knocks over a statue. Watches it break into a million pieces.* My bad. Mind Altering Technologies- Olli whassup? I knew I could count on you to mess with my mind. Still cranking out those drug samples huh? Ummm...Olli? Olli! Dude, your headphones aren't even plugged in! By the way you dropped this. *Hands him dozens of tabs of acid that were trailing behind him like bread crumbs.* So that's how he does it? Something Out There- What's your name? *shouting over music* Oh, nice to meet you Sanjay. Don't take this the wrong way, but your track seems to be on autopilot. Aren't you gonna twist some knobs or something? Back in the Game- Tristan! Yo man are you ok? *Track plays water droplet sounds* Shake the dew off that lily and get the hell outta the john! Jeremy really needs you, he's dyin' out there! Stargate- Boris, what the f*ck man why are you touching my face? Nah it's cool man, I just...you know it's a little awkward that's all. Me standing here and umm...you with ah, I mean where are your...you know, your...pants? Man I gotta get the f*ck outta here. Bring it- Yeah Leon I was just leaving. Nah man you're cool. You had the best track, but this party's lame. I gotta work tomorrow, the keg is tapped, and I think I saw Ari take a dump in the living room. I mean, who does that? Good luck with your next album and tell Jeremy thanks for the invite. I don't know what went wrong here, but this album completely underwhelmed. Like going to a party with the cool crowd and finding out how weird they really are. Which is sad because there are a lot of really talented artists here. All of whom have done better work than this. This album is an example of what could've been. Most of the tracks sound the same and have that Nano sound. Normally that's a good thing, but I believe an opportunity was missed here to give these tracks some depth. It just comes off as thin full on. I've been to that party too many times and I just wanna go home. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

What the hell is that? I've spent about 15 minutes trying to come up with a curse word that starts with ru and eventually realized what you were talking about. If it is what I think it is I wouldn't begin to know how to use that service. Now it wouldn't be polite to turn down a gift if someone out there wants to send me something. Mdk

"Give me an alternative." Ummm...anything else? Why are most of their track titles centered around food? Their 2nd album is even more so. Oh well. This meal now 10 years old and even though it was released by one of my all time favorite labels I gotta tell ya I'm still starving after listening to it. It does tend to favor a more minimal sound like psydmt said with a prominent kick and bassline with random sounds all around it. But that's what you get from a combo of Scorb and NRS. I liked the dark atmosphere of course and some of the eerie melodies (Onion Rings, Beer Nuts, Dreamcatcher), but for God's sake use a different bass patch. And while we're discussing the bass how about avoiding that galloping sh*t? If you're gonna reference food so much may I suggest super sizing it? There's just not enough here to get that full belly feeling. You sons o b*tches now you got me talking in food puns! This album is screaming for a remix from the stable of Nexus Media artists. Mdk

I understand how it is when you make a connection with an album. It's a soundtrack that captures a period in your life and you reflect on it fondly. And it's different for everyone. That said, with the improvements in technology, software, and production I find his stuff unlistenable. Just a different time. Mdk

Tim's productions were always a little out there weren't they? Dark and futuristic this debut album from Four Carry Nuts is a powerful one indeed. Loads of industrial age sounds and atmosphere. For some reason I picture the cover of Depeche Mode's Construction Time again, don't ask me why. As other posters mentioned the duo more than flirt with guitars on a few tracks, but it avoids the cheesy pitfalls that were so common back then. They shake things up with The System, a track that could very easily have come from Front Line Assembly with it's aggressive guitars and thunderous percussion. Ten years old and still sounds fresh and relevant. How many releases can you say that about from 2004? Solid release. Even with the 4 minutes of dead air on the last track. And what did you waste it for? Non-nonsensical chopped up speech that offers no musical value whatsoever. Makes hulk angry! Mdk

Artist: Gangnia Title: Vol. 2 Label: GoWest Date: 1997 1. Helicoop 2. Chayot 3. Aural Eye 4. Red Moon 5. Tripolis 6. Ironic Eyes 7. Starburn 8. Atomic Angel 9. Static - X S 2 albums of mind melting goa trance in the same year by the same artist? Yep, the project that would later become X.I.S. delivered just that back in 1997. If I'm DAT Records, Zion604, Anjuna, Suntrip, or any other label worth my salt I track these hombres down like I'm searching for Bin Laden. If you released a double album with fresh remasters you'd break the internet. Seriously, we're talking a Kim Kardashian naked oiled up booty level of carnage. The goa trance is furious, face damaging old school that had my kids dancing like they just got back from a three day sleepover at Willy Wonkas. It's a relentless volcano of erupting energy that will force you to twirl. This music should come with an attorney to represent you in court because there will be lots of speeding tickets if this is pumping in your deck. How is this project not talked about? There's 47 different threads about how Shpongle's testicles are so shiny, but nothing on these guys? Travesty. I mentioned earlier I'm not that guy that drops $100 on an album, but if you had both of these and are willing to sell...well, that's a discussion I'll entertain. Mdk

Artist: Gangnia Title: It Came From The 4th Dimension Label: Napoli Records Date: 1997 1. Human Evolution 2. Satellite One 3. Delaney's World 4. Cubic People 5. Monological 6. Visuals 7. Wheel Of Words 8. Wide Eyes Open One of the most underrated goa trance albums of all time. Why isn't this consistently put on you're top ten list? Is it because they're Austrian? Hitler was Austrian. Are you saying these guys are like Hitler? Oh...no? Just checking. Holger Buchholtz and Thorstern Jannert are Gangnia an outstanding goa trance project that would later become X.I.S. Their first album is a lesson in dark, hypnotic goa trance. Their palette of sounds isn't the greatest, but it's a great listen all the way though. Until the bizarre, dubby downtempo track that I could do without. Aside from that each track is a pretty storming affair. But don't think you're gonna hop on the net and get it at Amazon, this thing is ultra rare. 1st issue of Superman rare. I'm not one of those guys that would fork over $100 for an album so it's outta my price range. But maybe if you've got some extra lottery winnings or Grandma's birthday dough stashed away you could get it off Discogs. Mdk

You guys seem to have more discerning tastes than I. Perhaps more refined. I would say for the greater part of a decade psy/goa is the lion's share of music I listen to. I recently did a huge cull of old full-on releases and purchased a ton of twilight music that still gets the blood pumping. Always loved the old days of goa and still love and collect the newer stuff. While it may not be groundbreaking (some are) the detail and increased production values allow me to get deep into music. But ultimately it really depends on what you're in the mood for doesn't it? Know what I was listening to yesterday? Earth Wind and Fire - September. That song is probably older than everyone on this forum except me. And it's a classic feel good song. That was followed by some gospel song that I can't name, but because my wife sung the hell out of it (she's really good) I listened to it. And then to top it off I'm learning how to play Easy by Lionel Richie on the piano. And right now? Gangnia It Came From the 4th Dimension. Album is bad-ass yo. I guess what I would say is that there is so much music out there, current and classic, to fulfill everyone's mood. Don't really know how psy could change, but albums like Kiriyama's, Ianuaria's, Tryon, and comps like Temple of One really invite repeated listens and appreciation. Whew. Did I write anything...anything at all relevant to the topic? Mdk

Those two releases were absolutely blistering if you like that type of psy. Acidic blasters. I live in Virginia and have never attended a party or a festival for psytrance. Other than reviewing releases (which I just picked up and began writing) I have absolutely no connection to psy or goa trance. Something about the music stuck with me though, and I'm glad it did. It's been about a decade now and there have been so many great releases that have taken me places and had me dancing. Mdk

I feel the need to bump this so it catches your attention. This is an unbelievably deep forest/goa release. So many layers and so engrossing. Alex has outdone himself with this release. If you find it pick it up. Your hypothalamus will thank you. Mdk

Very similar for sure. But every CD was $3.99. No matter how much you bought. Tell you what I'm looking for twilight wise. Most of the Yabai catalogue without getting gouged. MDK

Thank you sir, but the artists who make this incredible music deserve to be compensated for their time and effort and I am blessed to be able to do so. I also collect goa trance and am close to placing a sizable order. Not as big as this one, but c'mon...I don't make stripper money. MDK

Artist: Kamainanda Title: Ancestors & Guardians Label: Merkaba Music Date: January, 2013 01 - Alchemy Resonance (88 BPM) 02 - The Portal (107 BPM) 03 - Panther Dreams (100 BPM) 04 - Moonlight Tango (100 BPM) 05 - Liberation (97 BPM) 06 - Time Travellers (97 BPM) 07 - Liquid Sunrise (85 BPM) 08 - Sadhu (85 BPM) 09 - Optimal Trajectstasy (83 BPM) 10 - Guardians Of Virtue (78 BPM) 11 - The Great Alignment (0 BPM) "We release...and let go. And something seems to take place." California Love! This guy based on the left coast invites you to shake your groove thing with his 2013 effort that is a mix of hip-hop beats, downtempo glitch, and dub. It's head nodding fun that manages to be smooth as an afternoon at the beach with an infinite amount of twists and turns. Gangster...yet stoner. The beats take center stage, but the melodies are nothing to sleep on either on tracks like Moonlight Tango. He closes with an epic ambient journey in The Great Alignment; full of tribal sounds, long pads, mysterious vocals and real world instruments. The production is so superbly clear it feels like your own private concert. After listening to trance music so intently it's good to shift gears and get a little funky. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

I'm a fan of Swede Dag Wallin, but with his chill attempt he served me a steaming bowl of...ambivalence. Mmm...dreamy? Maybe for the first thirty seconds, but the lack of evolution left the tracks on autopilot. No depth also made the album feel very two dimensional. Think of this like Chinese food. Nice, but you'll be cruising the drive thru in twenty minutes to replace that still f*cking hungry feeling. There is far better chill out there. Mdk

Artist: Ascent Title: Colored Reality EP Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: April, 2013 1. Happiness 2. Lights 3. Imagination 4. Progressive Dream This is my second experience with this artist and it just keeps getting better. Or maintains it's current level of awesomeness. His brand of psy-gressive is glorious and fits well with the Ovnimoon style. If you're a fan of the layered melodic progressive trance that's floating around these days then you'll love this. The atmospheric value is off the charts and it's loaded with sounds to give it depth. Iono? Nope. Ovnimoon. I hope you're paying attention to this label because they are releasing top quality music at a rapid pace. This is no exception. Think of them like Mcdonald's except they're serving up real meat. Beatport Mdk