Trance2MoveU

Artist: Battle of the Future Buddhas Title: Digging Mud Label: Self Released Date: September, 2011 1. Babes And Babas 2. Solenoid Leprechaun Driver 3. One More For M.A.D. v2 4. This Side Up / Unicorny 5. Filoti 6. Emission 7. Here Comes The Sun! 8. Wicked Work Of A Wrenched Witch 9. Life In The Trenches Of Hyperspace (Into The Brain Remix) 10. Enlil 11. Elevated 12. One More For M.A.D. 13. Here Comes The Sun! v3 14. You're A Moonlander Mate Check out that sweet boat. See it? Do you see it? Yeah, well that's me missing it. Holy crap this is awesome! How far must my head must've been up my ass to let this slip by? As the reviewer above mentioned this is a digital collection of tunes from 95-97 (pre Twin Sharkfins) where the first 8 tracks are the Digging Mud album proper and the rest are a bonus. Style? This project makes music that sounds like LSD. Very vivid, almost as if the goa is shedding tears. And make no mistake it's goa through and through. The tracks are mastered or re-mastered and this is raw, unpolished in your face stuff. Old school goa trance in every sense of the word. But with a Swedish forest twist. A dark forest where everyone has an upside down face and communicating is a series of awkward and rapid head tilts. The beaches of goa are miles away as the black eyed denizens shuffle cautiously towards me. Their pale skin and oversized orbital cavities send a shudder to my very core. And it's not just the cold which has penetrated the forest it's the way they..."see" me. Perpetual night seems to have taken hold yet these remarkable creatures have an ominous glow about them. Why do they walk on all fours? And backwards to boot? Bones bent and twisted at unnatural angles. Jaws detach and their mouths open impossibly wide baring rows of plaque encrusted teeth. Is this a show of dominance or something else? The series of chittering clicks echoes off the dark trunks in a symphony of anticipation. "Get back!" I scream as I swing my double bladed ax in wide circles. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I just wanted some overtime at the lumber yard. One comes very close and I felt its fetid breath. Was it...smelling me? As more come to join the anticipated frenzy I'm hypnotized by their strange ritualistic movements. A hierarchy forms as they begin to surround me. I'm backed against the trunk of a massive oak. There's going to be a fight and blood will be shed. Theirs. What was I saying? Oh, this album f*cking blows. I can't picture anything. Talk about imagination stuck in neutral. Ummm...physical release? Yes please. Get it here! Mdk

Artist: Asia 2001 Title: Amnesia Label: Avatar Records Date: July, 2005 1. Orion 2 (Corcovado mix) 2. Vertige (Goa Gil Burningman mix) 3. Rakshas 4. Psychadelia 5. Bengali 6. Eolis 7. Caribbean Night 8. Reykjavik 9. Sherkan 2 10. Dreamland (Space Cat mix) 11. Nomads of the future 12. Dawn to dusk 13. Strange world 14. Life storm 15. Lokayatikas 16. Hallu practical 17. 303 keops 18. Juno transportation 19. Lunar attraction 20. Ra 21. Epilogue (Asia 2001 vs Toires) "You call us monsters, but when you dream you dream of flying...and changing. And living without death. You envy us. And what you envy..." "We destroy." This cover has always confused me. Is that a f*cking dung beetle pushing a sh*tball? And what the hell does that have to do with Amnesia? Quirky. Speaking of quirky this album is quirky. On its face you think a remastered 2 CD compilation of the greatest hits of Asia 2001 and his other projects is a no brainer. And it is, but reading some of the album's idiosyncrasies you have to scratch your head. Identical tracks with different names, track times cut short...housekeeping crap. Nothing to write your congressmen about. Like he would give two f*cks anyway. And if he's anything like that Toronto mayor, well... "HOLY SH*T THAT'S A LOTTA CRACK!!" That dude is the 2nd coming of Chris Farley. It's uncanny. Where was I? It's not until you read further that some of the first discs will not play or skips like hell on a cd player. O...k? Not a big deal, because who listens to music on a CD player these days other than your parents. Which leads me to the nut punch. Some of those discs won't let you rip the tracks to your computer. The reason given for this is the total duration exceeds red book standards. What the hell do they have to do with anything? And what's a non-b*tch doing on the cover. Hold up...sex quiz. Find out my real... Back on topic, while most of the tracks are classic Asia 2001 there are some that could have (read should have) been left out. But how do you choose between your children? *rolls eyes* Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before. Start with the dreadfully boring full-on Space Cat remix. Yeah I know you mastered the CD, but I also seem to recall you being competent at goa trance. And the two plus minute outro was unnecessary. Still, not being able to rip tracks seems like a huge deal. How do you let that leave the factory with a defect like that? Most of the tracks (Caribbean Night and Psychadelia are unreleased) are on his albums or on compilations under a different project name. So if you want his best goa tracks in one tidy package and don't want to get ass raped for Psykedelia then you can't lose. Unless you happen to get one of those quirky discs. In which case let me know so I can take my kid out of school before you shoot up the place. Beatspace Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Avalon - The Remixes Volume One Label: Nano Records Date: October, 2012 1. Final Transmission (Zen Mechanics rmx) 2. Funky Voodoo (Captain Hook rmx) 3. Stinkin Warehouse (Loud rmx) 4. Aggressive Progressive (Burn In Noise rmx) 5. Destiny Awaits (Cosmosis rmx) 6. Teleporter (Laughing Buddha rmx) 7. Out There (Tristan rmx) 8. Swamp Funk (Master Blasters rmx) 9. Distant Futures (Dickster rmx) 10. Into The New World (Sonic Species rmx) "Insanity is wasting your life as a nothing. Insanity is being sh*t on...beat down. Coasting through life on a miserable existence when you have a caged lion locked inside and the key to release it." This is Leon Kane from the land of soccer hooligans and tasteless food and he was kind enough to let a bunch of full-on producers have his way with his tracks like Michael Jackson did with Corey Feldman. It's ok kid. It's not your fault. But the sooner you come clean the sooner you can put away the zipper jackets and stop moonwalking. It's over, he's gone. He can't hurt you anymore. The results are predictable. Most of the tracks originate from Leon's terrific debut album Distant Futures. Normally I hate remix albums because I have to round up all the original tracks and see if they actually did a remix. Which inevitably leads to way more f word than my wife is comfortable with these days. But not this time. Nope, from now on I'll treat it as just another compilation. So if a track blows it just blows. Own it. Let's start with the bad. The Captain Hook remix is annoyingly terrible. Loud takes a track from the great Tales of Heads compilation and deconstructs it, turning it into a disjointed and unfocused mess. The Cosmosis remix uses a great sample and does nothing with it relegating this track to autopilot. Destination...generic full-on town. While you're there say hello to Chromatone for me. Whew, what happened there? And your ears do not deceive you, that was a Matrix sample on the Sonic Species remix. Was it in the original? I don't know I told you I wasn't going back. He left it in there so now he owns it. Look I love that movie too, but how long are we gonna beat that horse? But lo, there were beacons of hope. Lucas does what Lucas does and delivers a layered and flashy gurgler a la God Save The Machine. The Burn In Noise remix shines bright in the goa sun. A definite scorcher. The Tristan and Laughing Buddha remixes were solid full-on stuff that didn't flatten the house, but some windows were smashed and the dog bowl was knocked over. I liked the debut album from Avalon as I previously mentioned. It was complex and ever evolving. The Nano Records feel is with this. The power, the sounds, and the mechanical mayhem at a rapid pace. But for the most part it falls short and is just a collection of slightly better than mediocre full-on remixes. One thing I wanted to mention because it confused me. You could by the CD from Psyshop and get 10 tracks or you could buy the digital download from Nano cheaper and get 13 tracks. On what planet does that make sense? Shouldn't you reward someone who actually purchases the CD? Now maybe it's one of those things where you get a key to the extra tracks once you get the CD, I dunno. But I haven't been able to confirm that. Still the way that album went, you might wanna tell them to keep the extra three tracks. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Astral Waves Title: Magique Label: Altar Records Date: July, 2011 1. Momenta 2. Across the universe 3. I'll be there 4. Between life and death 5. Memories Maze 6. Erosion 7. Rainbow Streams 8. Magic Species "You'll be amazed at what you could do." Dj Zen (Gabriel Descoutieras) has really become a fixture in this convoluted scene of ours. Head of Altar Records he has been putting out quality chill and downtempo music for years. This Frenchman who now lives in Quebec is also a painter and a 3D graphic designer. Lots of hats. As the project Astral Waves his debut album Mystique was good, but not great to my ears. Clearly he has become more accomplished with age. Or is it the fact that this is a remix album of the work of other artists? Whichever, this album has more layers, more feeling, more...life. It speaks of a power larger than ourselves with massive pads and lush imagery. The track I'll Be There is certainly epic, but unlike the previous two reviewers I felt it went on a little too long. Between Life and Death had moments where it sounded like the track was actually breathing, but again when the ambient trance kicked in it went on too long. Perhaps the most disappointing remix was for Memories Maze. It was just boring. Erosion picks up the pace to an almost uplifting level and is a nice listen where he seems to chop everything up. Very trancey, but it'll make you feel good. Rainbow Streams keeps the pace, but it's much more relaxed progressive trance. He closes with a dub track full of very busy tribal sounds. The break beat really caught my attention. A definite improvement over his debut and for lovers of detailed mid tempo electronica you really cannot go wrong. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Radioactive Sandwich & Globular Title: Sorbet For the Soul EP Label: Omnitropic Date: March, 2013 01 - Globular - Lemon (97 BPM) 02 - Radioactive Sandwich - Lengo (97 BPM) 03 - Radioactive Sandwich - Mango (95 BPM) 04 - Globular - Mamon (91 BPM) Mix dubby beats, glitch, reggae vibes, and a healthy dose of vocals chopped and manipulated behind turntables and you've got an ep that can out Shpongle Shpongle. It certainly is a busy digital ep with lots of sounds thrust upon the ears at a frenetic pace. An interesting concept where both artists began with the same sounds and built their tracks. Globular did Lemon and The Sandwich created Mango. They then traded tracks and made their reinterpretations. The tracks are good and if you like that style then you will love this. The combination of an ethnic feel and funky rhythms is infectious. My favorite tracks are Lemon and Lengo with their slow downs that don't lose any smooth appeal. Sometimes it can get garbled as they attempt to sonically wring all they can out of the vocals, but that's minor. Get to downloading, you won't be disappointed. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Lifeforms Title: Reanimation EP Label: Iono Music Date: July, 2013 1. Reanimation 2. Dream Catcher 3. Equinox "Careful when you hit it...it kicks like a twelve gauge when it comes on." Man this looks familiar. I don't even know why Iono has different artist names. I think the label is really just a master computer with an Artist Name Generator app (now available on iPhone.) Reason I say this is because no matter which artist releases an album or EP it's always the same type of homogenous, wide open, melodic progressive trance. Beautiful stuff to be certain and this is no exception. Floating melodies, great effects, and futuristic atmospheres are the hallmarks of this release. Well, all their releases really. The only complaint I suppose could be that it's the same great sounding stuff over and over again. But that's silly. Let me know when you get tired of staring at these. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Outer Signal Title: Bit It EP Label: Sonic Motion Records Date: June, 2013 1. Bit It 2. Doubts 3. Resolution feat. Atyss *sigh* How to describe this, how to describe this... It's my own fault, the music was described to the T in the promo. Yet another previously competent and promising twilight artist deciding that the commercial route was the way to go. Who can argue with him, we all got bills. But this is full of corny buidups and way too many guitars that do not rock or roll. If you told me this was the new EU album I would've believed you. Double artist slam! Oh yeah! I can still hear his ability in the music, so they haven't crushed all the creative life out of him yet. However that creativity is suffocating under an avalanche of tired full on and cheese. This bites. His words not mine. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Compression Session EP Label: Replicant Records Date: September, 2013 1. Rabdom L - Inside the Dollhouse (2013 Remix) 2. X-Side - Undermind (remix) 3. Rubix Qube - Dead Still Dance 4. Iliuchina - Imagination Vs. Hallucination Replicant Records is back. How do I know this? Because they've been blowing up my newsfeed for a couple months now. Is it the rapture? Is my house on fire? Is my wife on her way home and I still have coked up hookers (yep, plural) passed out in the marital bed? These are the only situations I can see needing that kind of advance notice. So...the music. I'll let you read the review. But I will say this...the first time I gave this a listen I had to turn it off and go take a sh*t. Dollhouse- "Did you really think you could just walk into the dollhouse...when everyone knows it doesn't exist?" Look at what you did. You know Keanu is fragile. Packed tighter than an Indian commuter train this track has a very high ssi (samples per square inch). Which unfortunately leaves very little room for anything else including creativity. FYI, I've been to the Dollhouse in South Carolina (it exists) and their dancers really make you feel welcome. But ah...stay away from the shrimp cocktail. Undermind- Now we're getting somewhere. Punchy bass and a high acid content make this a mover and a shaker. Very intense. Dead Still Dance- We can all rest easy now that the Qube is on the case. Is what I would be saying if that were true. He's got a funky groove and makes a big acid splash, but somehow he worked an element of cheese in the mix. After several listens I thought I could ignore it, but...nope. I can take it or leave it. The good parts are really good, but the not so good parts...yikes. Imagination- "We see with the eyes...but we see with the brain as well." You know they are actually connected right? You see the eyes have a nerve (cranial nerve #2 to be exact) called the optic nerve...ah, you don't wanna hear this. From the "first lady of night full-on." Not bad. Not great, but I didn't cringe. So...2 out of 4. That's 50% and a failing grade in any school I've ever attended. Meh, still miles better than the Obamacare rollout. It's dark and moody with enough acid to get a good sticky shower, but it definitely straddles that commercial line. Take the two tracks and run. There's much better twilight out there. And stop blowing up my newsfeed! Beatport Mdk

Artist: ManMadeMan Title: Gold Dust / Karahana EP Label: Phantasm Records Date: 1999 1. Gold Dust 2. Karahana I'm beginning to change my opinion of this project. Used to hate them, but that was because I had only heard their most recent music. Their older tracks really show off their versatility. Sure Karahana still bores me, but Gold Dust is very psychedelic and appealing with it's noisy, clanky style. Not goa by any stretch, but not a whole lot was back in 99. Interesting though. Mdk

This is what happens when you take a vacation. can we get a little thread merging going on here? Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Art From The Heart Label: Old Is Gold Date: September, 2009 1. Adrenalin Drum - Tribute To Irvin Prusky 2. NK 47 & The Wonderboy - VVCephei 3. Project Cosmonaut - Over The Sun 4. The Wonderboy - Dedication To God 5. Jikooha - Spirit of Fire 6. Afgin - Apollo 11 (The Eagle Has Landed) 7. Har-El & The Wonderboy - L.S.DRise 8. NK 47 - Yatush Katan 9. Har-El - Vacation In Paradise 10. Apis - Le Voyage Dans Ce Qui Existe Old is Gold is a digital label that was in front of the new school goa trance wave. They had some really good success with the Golden Vibes compilations so they decided to launch another series. Mostly Israeli artists this has some new stuff and some older unreleased material. Tribute To Irvin Prusky- "What are you doing? We don't stop here?" Har-El crafts a floating, melancholy track which I'm guessing he's dedicating to a relative. Good opener. VV Cephei- "It's very addictive...there's nothing that feels like that." Said every bored kid in the back of English class with a low clearance desk ever. In the artists who fell off the face of the planet segment I bring you NK-47. After a promising EP my boy has had his picture posted at all Wal-Mart entrances. What happened to him? This is layered wobbly goa goodness. He goes from minimalistic to Indian melody scales and everywhere in between. Do we need to hold a candlelight vigil? Over the Sun- Ok, two minutes in and I was bored. Dedication To God- "You know, I was like you. But the first thing I learned about emotions...is that it has its price. Complete paradox. But without restraint, without control..." Wow give us a chance to miss you Har-El it's only been two tracks. There are a lot of hippie samples in this one attempting to be enlightening. Artists need to treat them like ice cream. I like a lot of flavors too, but not at the same time. Show a little restraint. The melodies are very simple and patchwork, bordering on been there, done that. Spirit of Fire- So stereotypical. Bring in the Asian when you have a difficult problem you can't solve. Or when there is a need for tentacle porn. But back to the problem. The problem was that this compilation was in real danger of tanking, so Jikooha flies in to save the day. His style is to hammer away with a discordant and incessant melody while building around it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I don't know if he saved it, but he bought some valuable time and kept it afloat. Apollo 11 (The Eagle Has Landed)- Even back in 2009 you could see where Afgin was taking his brand of melodic goa trance. This might even be an old track. Very tight production and the class of the compilation. L.S.DRise- Light and airy it's easily my favorite Har-El track here. Not very complex (I think he likes to keep it simple) just gentle and warming. I know I haven't been kind to Mr. Prusky, but credit where credit is due. Yatush Katan- Beginning with what simply must be called Indian wailing I get that smile on my face as Nadav proceeds to go layer crazy. I swear Bollywood singers have a permanent vibrato. This track has melodies that tumble over each other to be heard. Vacation In Paradise- "The DJ's take pills to stay awake for seven days." And don't forget the ones for high blood pressure and cholesterol. Oh and that little blue one. Another Har-El effort with a very housey sample. repeated over. And over. Yes I get it. It's your house. And enough about the DJ's and their prescription drug habit. How the hell can a six minute track feel like 12? This track saved this compilation from being woefully average the same way you would save a drowning man by throwing him a piano. Le Voyage Dans Ce Qui Existe- Part two of whatever happened to that guy with a solid closer. It bubbles and makes for some good head nodding. So why does it end abruptly like someone pulled the plug? Let's call it what it is. A very average compilation. A couple of great tracks, a few good ones and then a f*ckton of filler. At least the cover for this one wasn't as bad as the sequel. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: The Infinity Project Title: Feeling Very Weird EP (Astral Projection Remixes) Label: TIP Records Date: October, 20013 1. The Infinity Project - Feeling Very Weird 2. The Infinity Project - Feeling Very Weird (Astral Projection Remix feat Raja Ram) 3. The Infinity Project - Feeling Very Weird (Astral Projection High Freakage Cut feat Raja Ram) OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!! If an old school melody plays in the forest and no hippies are there to hear it does anyone actually give a sh*t? At long last there are signs of life from goa trance icons Astral Projection. True it's just a pair of almost identical remixes, but for those of us who are won't to close the door on this project it offers a glimmer of hope. It still sounds full ony to me, but it's also the most old school sounding stuff we've heard from them in over a decade. The High Freakage Cut is a 10 minute trip down memory lane reminding us we've reached the age of science friction. I'm feeling very weird. I think it's called optimism. Almost as if there might actually be an album in the future. The near future. But let's not put the cart before the horse. Just like the ones who preceded it this is still just an ep of remixes. Maybe the euphoria is merely the presence of anything from Astral. The true test will be of course if they decide to come out with any new material. But you gotta crawl before you can walk. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Phyx Title: Kiss The Blade Label: Timecode Records Date: 2006 1. The Initiation 2. Conundrum 3. Serotonine 4. The Wall 5. 7th Sword 6. Soulkeeper 7. Electromagnetic 8. Rumors Of War 9. Tribe We've come to expect such great things from Timecode. This one didn't connect right away, but it's grown on me. Not the best the label has to offer, but like DP said there is some value here. The South African eerie style is well represented which is dark and brooding with a healthy dose of acid. I think the main issue I have with it is the lack of pure bombast. After The Dealers I expected each subsequent release to match the barely contained chaos. To unleash raw energy and fury from every direction. At the same time. This was more laid back and even minimalistic at times in its approach. Once the car got going it moved at a good clip. Just be prepared to let it idle a few times. Still a good album, just different. Best? 7th Sword. Pure madness. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Absolum Title: Inside the Sphere Label: 3D Vision Date: January, 2004 1. The Stomper 2. Virus 3. Off beat 4. Inside the sphere 5. Extreme circumstances 6. The race (pole position rmx) 7. OB 1 8. Salam 9. That is final "The company was hoping to solve this problem without involving a civilian, but obviously these are extreme circumstances." Raw. Gritty. Razor sharp. Overwhelming. Now. We are playing. With power. Christof Drouillet has worn a lot of hats. Probably not that one. Half of goa legends Transwave, owner and founder of the 3D Vision label, and lawyer. How do you make that transition? And wouldn't you love it if you could do it? This was his second album and it will make your forget about his debut. Wild? More like...mild. Thank you I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress. Remember when full-on wasn't a four letter word? It's hard I know, but back when we weren't overloaded with every 18 year old from the holy land with a bootleg copy of cubase. Well before the life was strangled out of that style, Christof blew the f*cking doors off. He put full on on the map and also became one of the godfathers of the twilight sub genre. Hell he was South African before South Africa was South African psytrance. Wicked acid eruptions explode all over this thing before we even knew what that was. This is music with a chip on its shoulder. Music that punches your grandma in the face and skips away with here social security check. At almost 10 years old this will still leave blisters with its combination of future technology atmosphere, acidic napalm, and in your face power. If the goal of psytrance is to be psychedelic and transport you to another world where we do naught but dance, well...For me this is one of the greatest psytrance releases. Ever. Mdk

"Suddenly I saw myself...like from above looking down. And I started to float into this tunnel, towards this light. And it was the most beautiful light I ever saw." My opinion on this hasn't changed much. At times it growls, but mostly it's a slow churn of futuristic sounds. The samples depict a dark time for the human condition. No more grass or trees or picnics in the suburbs. Only twisted metal husks remain on a barren landscape. Mad Max meets the Matrix. When I listen to this album I dream of what might've been. How great the tracks could've been with more evolution. But then it wouldn't be Darshan. It's not comparable with the absolute titans of the genre, but it is very solid in it's own right. Mdk

Artist: Reflection Title: Box of Chocolates Label: Fish n Trips Records Date: October, 2013 01 - Box Of Chocolates (137 BPM) 02 - Chocolate Bells (137 BPM) 03 - Tribal Chocolate (137 BPM) 04 - Chocolate Spiral (137 BPM) 05 - Chocolate Swamp (135 BPM) 06 - Dark Chocolate (140 BPM) 07 - Bouncy Chocolate (136 BPM) 08 - Chocolate Swirl (135 BPM) 09 - Liquid Chocolate (138 BPM) Saying I like chocolate is like saying Gollum likes rings. I f*cking love chocolate. And now Ekto offers me an entire album based on chocolate. If I could tongue kiss it through my monitor I would. You know those movies that take an ordinary childhood theme and turn it into something scary? That's this with a bass line. This is Gibb Tartaris from down under with some nice progressive trance that leans toward the darker side of things. Juicy basses abound as this groove fest makes good use of those eerie bells. The layering is well done and it makes it seem as if the music takes an actual breath. The multitude of effects don't hurt either. Yeah it's very samey and the tracks go on too long sometimes, but only evil vegans and the cursed lactose intolerant don't like chocolate. Go grab yourself a box. Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Sideform - Web of Life Remixes Label: TesseracT Studio Date: December, 2011 1. Web of Life (Float Remix) 2. Web of Life (Original) 3. Web of Life (Relativ Remix) 4. Web of Life (Flegma Remix) 5. Web of Life (Lyctum Remix) 6. Web of Life (Ovnimoon Remix) NSFW Image Ok maybe that's a little too far. But...you did f*ck up though...right? Do you even know what the word remix means? Galloping bass line or machine gun bass line it's the same.fucking.track. It's disposable...you chew it up and spit it out ready to devour the next clone. I realize that the artists doing the remixing are progressive artists, but show a little backbone and think outside the 4/4 box. The tracks themselves are good progressive tunes (Flegma and Ovnimoon especially so), but it sounds like they just rearranged the order of the patches on their software. That is the definition of samey. And when you string together 6 tracks that all sound the same I'm staking out my position on that clock tower and taking aim. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic didn't save anybody. Beatport Mdk

Artist: ManMadeMan Title: Down On Earth Ep Label: Flying Rhino Records Date: 1999 1. Down On Earth 2. Desire (Bumbling Loons Remix) By this time ManMadeMan (and most other artists) had put goa trance in the rear view and embraced a more techno inspired psytrance sound. Gone were the melodies replaced with samples and sharp sounds. Side A is a noisy clunky mess that is rather boring. The Bumbling Loons remix of Desire is more goa flavored, but it isn't a strong track as it drives monotonously off into the distance. One of those if you've heard the first minute... What puzzles me is how a member of Technossomy and a member of GNOTR make such a lifeless track to nowhere? Sign of the times I suppose. Not the shining star of the ManMadeMan catalog. Mdk

Yeah I'm gonna have to go the other way on this one. Maybe it was ok in 2001, but in 2013 this sounds very dated in terms of production. The melodies are very simple and hardly challenging. The end was a bit more engaging on the title track, but it took forever to get there. We Know Nothing has a cool sample floating over something a little more promising. I liked the break beat, nice touch. Better than the Planet X Ep though. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Sideform - The Remixes EP Label: YSE Date: September, 2012 1. Psychedelic Future (Phaxe Remix) 2. Chameleon (Nerso Remix) 3. 7th Sense (Side Effects Remix) 4. Eastern Fantasy (Lyctum Remix) No chair can contain this! Way to go YSE! You know I didn't think you had it in ya, but there you are delivering a 4 track ep of danceable progressive remixes. At least it's four different tracks remixed instead of the nightmarish Way of Life remix album. But that's a story for another time. The creme de la creme of progressive trance put their best foot forward with uplifting melodies, floating breaks and chair leaving dance grooves. Layers get stacked as the reverberating tales unfold. It's a darker and more wide open style of melodic progressive trance that I can't get enough of. None of the original tracks are here so these artists no own the results. I've gone back and forth on whether the originals should be included, but I think it's best that they aren't. Like melodic progressive? Get this. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Lunar Asylum with Sid Shanti Title: Planet X / Another Planet Ep Label: Celtic Records Date: 1996 1. Planet X 2. Another Planet 3. Another Planet (remix) This is a bit of a warbling mess. There. I said it. A fine line exists when one wants to use repetition for the purpose of hypnotism or delivering a message. It entrances, or rather it can entrance. Sometimes it's just annoying. "Are you f*cking kidding me? Stop with the f*cking cherubs Paul! And put some pants on them!! Why don't I just drive you to prison?" Lunar Asylum is Chris Stevenson and Paul Greendale and let's be honest. This...well, uh this ain't their best work. It's noisy and repetitive without a trace of depth. Like a car with no steering wheel it just goes straight. I read Draeke's review on Discogs and he labeled this acid trance. If that's what this is then thank you sir for saving me the time exploring yet another genre. I suppose not everything from 1996 can be gold. Mdk

The original. The joke was that MWNN made that track and their version was so popular that it was on MANY compilations. So much so that perhaps the highest court in the land would rule that MWNN was now the rightful owner of that track. Sure there would be appeals and the defense would attempt to try the court in the media, but it would ultimately be unsuccessful. Liberties taken! Mdk

Artist: Atmos Title: 604 Label: Iboga Records Date: November, 2012 CD1: 1. Resign Riot 2. Soundglider 3. Began as another 4. South will rise again 5. Ensemble of the Eclipse Bunker 6. Where do I belong 7. Only for you 8. Horizon of the pickled coffin 9. One you need 10. Twin Reaction (So Italo mix) CD2: 11. Only for you (Phaxe rmx) 12. Horizon of the pickled coffin (S-Range rmx) 13. South will rise again (Phony Orphants rmx) 14. Transport Another (Yotopia rmx) 15. South will rise again (Gaudium rmx) 16. Human Element - Subsequent Connection (Atmos rmx) 17. A whores divorce (Dominic Thomas rmx) 18. One you need (Dominic Thomas rmx) 19. Soundglider (Human Element rmx) 20. Where do I belong (Martin Roth rmx) I had a big review all typed up for this and now it seems redundant. Feel like I'm standing next to Shaq in the locker room and my towel just fell off. I haz shame. The first disc was some solid progressive trance with strong beats. He's good with the effects and the little sounds that take you deeper. It's not as deep or grandiose as say, E-Clip or Time In Motion, but it is involving. I like his break work and he delivers some floaty passages. If I had one gripe it would be that he grabs one sequence and stretches it out without much change. Not quite minimal of course, but a few more layers wouldn't hurt. But that's his style and I'm sure there are plenty of people who like it the way it is. The second disc is more of the same, although I would say it is more varied in style than the first. It is a disc of remixes after all. It wasn't spectacular and no track stood head and shoulders above the rest, but particular recognition goes to the Gaudium remix for its aggressive stance and searing 303 work. Definitely more bang for your buck especially if you're an Atmos fan. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Pan Psychic Title: We Are Not Who We Are Label: Sun Station Records Date: January, 2008 1 We Are Not Who We Are (8:42) 2. Bioware (6:27) 3. Vishnu Avatars (8:57) 4. Night Vision (8:42) 5. In Suspend (7:05) 6. Moscow (6:04) 7. Pan Psychic & Shytan - Picnic On A Roadside (6:34) 8. Pan Psychic & Shytan - Ozone Cloud (6:02) 9. The Last Reality (5:55) 10. Moscow (Remix) (6:57) 11. Zemliane - Trava U Doma (Pan Psychic Remix) (5:20) I love free stuff. Really? Just...right up your dress there? I used to think that you get what you pay for, but Ektoplazm has shattered that myth. That site offers so many gold nuggets for the price of belly button lint that it has become dare I say invaluable. I don't always have the dough I want to spend on CDs so he has become a daily stop along my internet travels. This is the debut of Pan Psychic, but really more of a best of their tracks from 2002 - 2007. Never heard of them except for In Suspend which was on the glorious Human Hyperactivation back in the early days of new school goa trance. They hold the distinction of being the first trance act outta St. Petersburg and I don't mean the one in Florida. The Russian one has standards. Unfortunately this also appears to be their last release. They either decided to pack it in or Putin heard them talking about gay sex. There is something for everyone here from acidic goa trance to the darky darky stuff. Not only that, but they switch styles in the same track. Bioware is soaked with delicious detail and has a little bit of darkpsy and twilight. The title track and In Suspend are quality goa tracks while Ozone Cloud has a drum n bass feel. The Last Reality is a slow churning downtempo piece. Now I'm not gonna piss on your leg and tell you they are all stellar tracks because they're not (please keep your Russian folk music outta my psy thank you). But this project does showcase their versatility. Also it came at a time where goa wasn't released with the frequency that it is today, so the excitement was there 5 years ago. Still it's worth a listen. So what are you waiting for? Scrape all of that belly button lint outta there and head over to Ektoplazm. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Go to any beach on the Jersey shore in the summertime and you'll hear the always threatening phrase ,"Do you know who I am?!?" through ridiculously puckered lips and a mouth bloated with cheese ball. This is the war cry of the hyper muscled neanderthal who thinks he's a member of a tribe because he got a tattoo. If that's the type of "tribal" you're looking for then I'm sorry but I can't help you. But if you're on the hunt for booming tribal drums then this will be perfect. I've never heard of this project and to be honest I cared much more for the review than the actual music. Talk about thorough! But the release itself was boring for me as I was waiting for interesting changes that never came. Some tracks though felt epic, like Kaijko with those aforementioned drums and floating break. Some were funky & danceable like Might and Magic. But too much filler took away from those cool drums on tracks like Freedom. So whilst the drums and feel give this that hidden tribe in the jungle feel, I'm afraid it's an opportunity lost. Mdk