Trance2MoveU

Very mellow indeed. When it's time to chill, but you still want a little more than beatless ambient this would do nicely. It's downtempo at times or trancey without being overloaded with goa melodies stacked on top of each other. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I love it, but sometimes you want to go in a different direction. Train of Thought brought back memories of Children by Robert Miles, but darker. Smooth and capable of letting my mind drift as I sit in the backseat of a car as street lights reflect off the window glass. No talking, let me think. Kyphi is positive and uplifting in a mid tempo way. I like the break down where he strips it all away. Afterglow is a classic of downtempo goa trance and the one that jumps off the track listing. Some fall flat of course and are relegated to the background noise category. Holy sh*t Symbiotic was boring. But of course it also had to be the longest track. Double nut punch. And Sea of Colours? What the hell is going on there? More nuts to punch. Overall though it was relaxing and enjoyable. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Goa Spirit - Hard Psychedelic Trance Label: Cyber Production Date: 1996 1. Encens - Infinite Image 2. Eat Static - Bony Incus (Man With No Name Mix) 3. Subcouds - Greenflow 4. Etnica - Fractal Gates 5. Miranda - Steps To The Stars 6. Har-El - Tower of Babylon 7. Moonweed - Telepath 8. Encens - Spiritual Transgression 9. OOOD - Silence "More than 25 millenia ago, man began his first tentative steps to the stars." Taking this CD with you would definitely pass the time. Every single track has appeared elsewhere, but if you are looking for maximum bang for your goa buck then look no further. How many times have we seen an attractive track listing only to be let down by the music? Not here my friend. Each one is gold, guaranteed to get the blood pumping. Spiraling melodies that capture the essence of a time gone by. Shimmering and spiritual this should come with a warning. Repeated listens will cause the non-stop urge to build a time machine and return to the glory days of goa trance. You son of a b*tch! Mdk

Artist: Hotep Title: Transformation of Light Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: June, 2013 1. And just a pinch of magic 2. Happyland 3. Nature and society 4. Loud Thoughts 5. Portal to the future (feat. Electyxeed) 6. Free Transform (Hotep rmx) - Wizack Twizack 7. Squiggly Lines (feat. Psilocybian) 8. Explore the universe 9. Ay Caramba 10. A joint and cup of coffee "Do we occupy a special place in the cosmos, or are we merely a celestial footnote? Is the universe welcoming or hostile? We can stand here forever wondering. Or we could leave home on the ultimate adventure." Hotep- an Egyptian word roughly meaning to be satisfied, to be at peace. Yeah that seems to be working out. I'm beginning to believe there is no word for peace in the Muslim world. And that's why they fight all the time...they're confused. We keep saying peace and maybe in Arabic that means Jihad. Meh, not for me to tell them how to live their lives. That's a job for the white man's government. So Egypt isn't at peace, but a young Croatian man seems to be. I tell you the Balkans has been erupting with talent in the electronic scene as it seems every citizen is putting out a quality album. We have government issued health care and they have government issued Cubase. Think I'm joking? This is Psilocybian's neighbor. His neighbor. I have two neighbors. One hates black people and the other one is a pasty middle aged white lady in coveralls that clearly don't cover all. Some things can't be unseen. Anyway a debut album from this part of the world is becoming rather unremarkable. What would be remarkable is if it sucked. Hello? Is this thing on? It's Psilocybian's neighbor?!? The first couple of tracks were to warm you up. Not bad, but nothing spectacular either. When Nature and Society arrive it's a bit thicker with more layers and a goa undercurrent that reminds me of some of the classics back in the day. Syb Unity to be exact. Loud Thoughts is darker with a complex evil sneer as if the forest was threatening to swallow me whole. And it is a dark album with echoing effects and layers of sinister synthesizers. His remix of Wizack's Free Transform takes an already great track and ratchets up the tension. Everything seems so shiny! Squiggly Lines is just a thumping good time from these psychedelic titans. Ay Caramba is an interesting combination of darkpsy textures and tech-trance mechanics. And he closes with a downtempo track that is quirky and weird yet enjoyable. This album showed me the range this guy has. First I will say it was a solid release. Not stellar, but solid. A showcase of his talent in the night time full-on sub genre, it also revealed how competent he was in other styles. Goa, downtempo, tech...he's got it. He seems to be on the right track and I imagine his future compositions will become more complex and detailed. Looking for ward to it. Beatport Psyshop Beatspace Goa Store Mdk

I'm of the opinion that this could've easily been a single CD release with the quality rising exponentially. None of the tracks are really bad (quite good actually), but if you take all the great ones it would make for one powerhouse CD. My tracklist would look something like this: Masters of the Universe Plastic Starchild (Total Eclipse Remix) Elektron Bender (Samsara Live Mix) Liquid Labyrinth Maian Dream Shakti Shakta Natural Born Killers Electronic Mdk

Holy crap making it through this was difficult. It's so boring it makes a colonoscopy seem exciting. It's only natural that the quality would dip after 6 sequels. But hey, just keep f*cking that chicken. You can only wring so much mileage out of the the classic tracks before it just gets tiring. And sad. Anything of value here is stuff that you've heard 872 times and have on other compilations. Mdk

Artist: Xervana Title: Unreleased Tracks 2001-2004 Label: Self Released Date: 2010 1. Falling Up 2. Another Universe 3. Part of Imagination 4. Boundless Energy 5. Angel of Death 6. Turn Home 7. Solitude 8. Human Stupidity 9. Fall of Mankind "Terror that has no name. Terror that must not be named." Samples From a Virtual Life was a great old school goa trance album and this is clearly not that. Times change. People change. According to Discogs he rarely makes electronic music anymore so this might be the last we hear of Olof. But releasing some stuff for free is a very nice gesture. The first four tracks are similar to the monotonous sounds of the early 2000's however. Progressive / psy stuff that seems to go on too long. Some have female wailing on them, but they don't come close to his debut album. Turn Home and Solitude were very melodic and had a pumping sound with a very trance like break. Ferry Corsten esque that makes me smile. Angel of Death and Human Stupidity clings to his former goa greatness as he messes around with some break beats. One thing I will say, he was very good at creating atmosphere with the breaks, even here. I can't tell if it was the time period and everyone sounded like this or he just said f*ck it. The website where you could get these tracks isn't responding so unless you know him or someone wants to share I don't know how you would get these. All of the tracks were uploaded in sub 320kbps quality so couple that with the fact that they are less than remarkable and you ain't missing much. You can find a couple of them on YouTube, but what was more striking was other tracks labeled as unreleased which sounded WAY better than what was on this release. Wicked Cosmos anyone? Perhaps a comeback in the making? Mdk

Artist: Front Line Assembly Title: Echogenetic Label: Metropolis Date: July, 2013 1.Resonance 2. Leveled 3. Killing Grounds 4. Blood 5. Deadened 6. Ghosts 7. Echogenetic 8. Exhale 9. Exo 10. Prototype 11. Heartquake "I don't know if it's my mind playing tricks on me, but every so often you look out these little windows...you get the sense that something might be looking back at you." Why? Why is the western world up in arms if this prepubescent boy screams for attention? Who gives a sh*t? Think the people in Syria care if that middle school child grinds on Beetlejuice? Extra extra, spoiled Hollywood brat sacrifices dignity and self respect. Is this really news. When the parents of that malnourished boy step up to spank that ass and put it on YouTube that will be news. You know Madonna masturbated in a wedding dress on stage in front of millions for the same network. Somehow life went on. I think the more depressing side of this was that "twerking" made it into Webster's dictionary and my kids cartoons. Disturbing. This takes me to a dark place I'm reluctant to tread. Which is where the revolving member door of FLA brings me. I used to hate this band and dismiss it due to the raspy, distorted vocals, but that changed. It changed when I realized how lush and atmospheric their synth programming was. Masterful. I came to tolerate the vocals and now for the most part I treat them as another synth preset. Their depiction of a cold and post apocalyptic work is a theme that runs through the FLA catalog. And what a catalog it is. What is this their 87th album? Bill Leeb is the mastermind behind the project and as supremely talented as he is I think it's just as remarkable that they've found a way to make the same album over and over again. First and foremost this project is EBM/Industrial music and is legendary in electronic music circles. Let's not forget they have a relationship with the psy community. Remember the Cydonia Remix of Colombian Necktie? Their last album was a soundtrack to a video game and I believe this to be their best since Implode back in 1999. It's a mix of the dreary instrumental death march of Hard Wired and the dance dance viability of Flavour of the Weak. All the while giving Skrillex the finger. They've taken dubstep and put their atmospheric stamp on it. Rich programming is the hallmark though as they've ditched the guitars and went all electronic. From the dramatic and jarring Resonance it moves into the throaty crawl of Leveled. The alien tendrils reach deep even providing an eerie moment of rest. Killing Grounds is their NIN Closer radio moment. It's poppy and infections and it might make you, umm... "Peggy I can't stop! What is happening!" Probably not. Blood is an eviscerated android slowly pulling itself along the metal floor and is thick with electronic regret. Deadened (dark enough for you?) will get you your cyber fix dance on. Which brings me to Ghosts. Most of the time I don't pay attention to lyrics of pop songs I like because it will reveal how stupid a song really is and then I'll be embarrassed to listen to it. Ghosts is a glitchy yet melodic suicide note. "I climb the stairs, don't want to leave a blood filled mess." Man I hope my kids don't take music so seriously. This has disturbed soul shooting up a school written all over it. The title track is another slow assault like a horde of zombies. Deliciously dark which had me waiting for Exhale. Crack is wack. And that's not what I meant. It's another of the more danceable tracks followed by Exo which has a haunting piano melody and deep layering. Prototype is the instrumental opus. Couple the cyber darkness of the Matrix with the gritty and dirty reality of Elysium and this is the machines time to conquer. Outstandingly visceral. They close with Heartquake and it is a combination of power and restraint. Great EBM. Like I said I believe this to be their best since Implode. Dark and twisted with the richness and full flavor I've come to expect. It's an epic release and I cannot stop listening to it. Metropolis Amazon (Holy sh*t I just linked to Amazon!) Mdk

Artist: Royal Dancing Mechanism Title: On the Edge of the Universe Label: Mystical Flashback Records Date: August, 2013 01 - Amazing Trip (120 BPM) 02 - Messier 74 (144 BPM) 03 - Farnham's Legend (146 BPM) 04 - Visionary Experience (146 BPM) 05 - Sliding On The Verges Of Unreality (150 BPM) 06 - Dive Into The Unknown (150 BPM) 07 - Timeless (150 BPM) 08 - The Galactic Race (150 BPM) 09 - Andromeda (148 BPM) I'm under the assumption that the vast majority of the internet users have a modicum of intelligence and don't spin in circles and spend the day drooling on themselves. Having said that I'm nor sure Ektoplazm members understand how the ratings system works. The better the music the higher the rating. Seems simple doesn't it? This release is bland and generic sounding without any of the complexities that would warrant such a high rating. Now musical taste is subjective so that is the wild card. What I like might be loathed by the next guy (Don't listen to that guy...he's a tool). But averages dictate that it would all balance out. We should be seeing the majority of releases in the 70-80% range. This is over 90%. I call bullsh*t. That would make the rating higher than established classics like aLive by OOOD. F*cking ridiculous. So the only explanations are lots of votes from friends and relatives, mercy votes, or a failure to understand the rating system. All of which make the system itself a complete waste of time. Clinging to positive results of an Ekto voting system is like thinking you're cool and popular because you have a lot of Facebook friends (so sad). Say what you will about Discogs, but for the most part at least their ratings have their feet planted in reality. Sigh, but arguing on the internet is pointless and best left to comic book store guys and adult me living in mommy's basement. Ektoplazm performs a service that is second to none. It's where I get the vast majority of my music and is invaluable in bringing free music to those who crave it. It help the artist get their name out there so it's win win for all parties. Bottom line the only way to be sure the music suits your taste is to give it a try. Doesn't cost you anything but time. I'm sure most people listen before they commit to buy and don't rely on a rating, but if I didn't bring it up I wouldn't have anything to write about today. If I had to give it a rating it would be half of what is listed. Nothing here that is memorable and it becomes just one more brick in the wall of mediocrity. Yeah, yeah Pink Floyd, pudding....yadda yadda yadda. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: XXL Label: Spun Records Date: September, 2004 1. 3rd Dimension (G.M.S. RMX) VOID 2. Decibal G.M.S. VS TORTURED BRAIN 3. Tweakers (Pixel Vs. Domestic RMX) G.M.S. 4. Tingling Sensations SHANTI 5. Insomniac BUSHMAN 6. Unknown WRECKED MACHINES, PIXEL, DOMESTIC 7. Reflections G.M.S. VS SOMA 8. Exit ALTERNATE VISION 9. XXL G.M.S. 10. Father and Son SOMA "I'm gonna take you to another dimension!" Could this be rock bottom? Please dear God let this be rock bottom. Yet another Spun compilation that might as well be a GMS album. What the hell was I thinking back then? I'm unloading my Spun stock faster than a stock broker before the recession. Weak, weak full-on which is clearly their calling card. I said extra cheese. And boy do they deliver. Music has to evolve and to do that it has to overcome certain hurdles. Apparently some hurdles are harder to clear than others. Back in 2003 though was full-on as much of a dirty word as it is today? I don't think so. At the time maybe this was just what the dance floor needed. Today though this is unlistenable. Bright spots? There are none. This is a black hole of creativity where nothing escapes. It sounds exactly like everything else that has come from Spun Records. They're f*cking releasing the same album over and over and like a dumb ass I bought it. If the choice was to make it all the way through this again or have a sh*t sandwich...what kind of bread is that? Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Zero-1 Label: Spun Records Date: August, 2003 1. Animatrix GMS 2. Multivitamin WIZZY NOISE 3. Biological Planet POLI VS CYRUS THE VIRUS 4. Lets Rock DYNAMIC 5. Flashback GMS 6. Hellsonic (juvenile rmx) DEEDRAH 7. Fractal Explorer SOUNDAHOLIX 8. Belladonna JOTI VS. ALTOM 9. Rubber BUSHMAN 10. Soma ZORBA "How do they know that the real world isn't just another simulation?" In a never ending quest to purge my hard drive of music that I'll never again listen to I find myself face to face with yet another Spun compilation. Surprise surprise. Want an even bigger surprise? It's filled with GMS style full on. The facepalm variety where you can't believe that you ever thought this was cool. Think of this as the height of 80's fashion. Sure you wore members only jackets, but the only club you belonged to resembled the high school chess team. Just go ahead and push those sleeves up to the elbow for the full feeling. 10 years ago I'm sure everyone had regrets and things they wish they could take back. This is mine. It's a who's who of full on and they all follow the exact same formula. Long moments of the kick and the hi-hat. Something that could be termed the Spun bass line. Yes ladies and gentlemen they're all here in their head shaking looking to the heavens glory. I'd say they learned their lesson, but they continue to release this type of unimaginative drivel. The real question is who keeps buying it? Psyshop...hurry up, only one left in stock! Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Zero Gravity Label: Spun Records Date: May, 2005 1. Mozart GMS AND JIMBO 2. Blizzard INTELABEAM 3. Haiku (rmx) WIZZY NOISE 4. Blue (Deedrah rmx) ALTOM 5. Alter ego SHANTI MATKIN 6. Fuel knock (alternative control rmx) POP STREAM 7. Dig music POLI, SPIRITUAL ENHANCER, DIZZY MIND 8. Music in u WRECKED MACHINES 9. Magnatism HUJABOY 10. The moon SOUNDAHOLIX Now I want you to keep kicking and punching if I ever listen to sh*t like this again. No matter how much I say, "Yeah, but..." Continue the beatdown. It's the only way I'll learn. Horrible, just horrible. Galloping bass lines, cheesy samples and a total lack of imagination. So much cheese. Spun Records widely recognized as one of the main contributors to the dumbing down of psytrance put a lot of the usual suspects on this sh*tfest. Sometimes you like to go back and listen to music that maybe started you out in the genre. Stepping stone albums I call them. Uh...no. Not in this case. Think the guy pulling down 6 figures goes back to his first job at McDonalds to reminisce? This is a time capsule of where psytrance unfortunately was. Good thing is we didn't have to wait 50 years to open it up and see what a f*cking disaster it had become. Maybe I'm being too harsh. Sure it's cheese intensive, but sometimes you like to just let your mind go and... Thank you. Thank you. I needed that. Psyshop (Still available! Now with more beatings!) Mdk P.S. No matter how many concussions I sustain, I still like the Alternative Control Remix of Fuel Knock.

Artist: Dark Matter Title: How Cold Is The Sun Label: Cryo Chamber Date: July, 2013 1. Be Yourself For Me 2. Creature Called Human 3. Obscured By Clouds 4. Something Like...Home 5. Reality Is Just An Illusion 6. Of Fractured Light and Void 7. Every Empty Evening 8. Psychomachine Picture a frozen landscape and unending solitude. Or a deserted space freighter that should be full of crew. Just you and the sound of your own breathing. Perhaps the crunch of snow underneath your boot. Oh you'll hear voices and see things. Things like a people torn open. Blood splattered all over million dollar hardware. Things like the frost forming on your fingertips and your breath coming in ever shortening gasps. But is it the bone chilling cold or the shocking isolation that has you hearing and seeing things? Is it real or just...something else? Dark ambient bordering on drone can affect people differently. Some love the dark atmosphere and some think it's boring as hell. There are no beats to be found here so effects in this situation can make all the difference. Cryo Chamber is Simon Heath's digital label and it has done it again. The sounds of alien feasting in Creature Called Human is creepy and visceral speaking of an ancient evil that has been awakened. It rises to a cacophony of tortured souls. Something Like...Home is a downright pants sh*tter that will bring to mind all types of terrifying horror imagery. Other tracks rely on the hypnotic wail of drones to push you farther down into the darkness. If you love horror movies and aren't afraid of the dark, get this. It's cold, hypnotic and rife with terror. I found myself holding my breath on several occasions. But be warned...there is no daylight. There is no way out. Whether it's the cold of deep space or a frozen installation lush pads and effects will quicken the heart rate. You'll be carried away. Mdk

I'm glad you guys liked that track. Good to have other opinions on it. Mdk

Artist: HelixNeubla Title: Trip To Infinity Label: Gliese 581C Date: December, 2011 01 - HelixNebula - Off The Ground (148 BPM) 02 - HelixNebula - Diving In Positive Energy (145 BPM) 03 - HelixNebula - Trip To Infinity (142 BPM) 04 - HelixNebula - Through Space, Through Time... (147 BPM) 05 - HelixNebula - Beyond Boundaries Of Human Imagination (145 BPM) 06 - HelixNebula - Helix Nebula (140 BPM) 07 - HelixNebula - Silicon Galaxy (145 BPM) 08 - HelixNebula - Dancing World (148 BPM) 09 - MentalImage - Mental Spores (115 BPM) "I hardly need to sleep anymore, I feel wonderful! It's like a drug, but a perfectly pure and benign drug!" Coffee. He's talking about coffee. Or ex. Maybe it's, no definitely ex. This is the rush I get when I watch women's tennis. That's not really true. I only watch it for the booty shorts and Serena's boobs. Don't judge me. I'm watching Serena play this chick from Kaz...Kazak...uz beki beki stan and she's ripping this poor chick apart like that pic of the baby obliterating a smurf. Look it up. It wasn't even close. I think she had 4 serves in a row where the chick didn't even make contact. Throw in the fact that if you compare physiques it's like Kate Moss vs. a linebacker and you've got a bona fide disaster movie in the making. Which leads me to one inexorable conclusion. I'm terrified of Serena Williams. HelixNebula is Russian Stanislav Tiptsov and you may be aware of his other project MentalImage (also one that doesn't believe in the use of the space bar). I downloaded this because Basilisk put Goa in the description. This is full on all the way. It's not bad, but I no longer have any patience for this type of music. It's very melodic so he scores points there. Especially at one in the morning. Most of it is competent full on except Silicon Galaxy which is truly an insult to horrible. Bright spot? The final track is a pretty good bit of psy business under his other alias. And holy sh*t did he use the Astral Projection spice sample? Yes he did. Dude. These days it's easy to pick on Astal and Lord knows I've done my fair share, but where the hell is your sample etiquette? This is his take on the Astral classic and it would fit in with the stuff on Ten. Remember what an unholy sacrilege that was? Many a virgin had to be sacrificed to atone for that blasphemy let me tell you. So if you like melodic full on then this is for you. Not for me. I have to build a bomb shelter capable of withstanding a level 5 Serena home invasion. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Progressive Request Label: Uxmal Records Date: August, 2011 1. First Days ABSTRACT SUNRISE 2. Kailash SUDUAYA 3. Remix Yourself BADBUG 4. From Human Blood CYKLONES 5. Ipanema NATURAL NOTES 6. New Mysteries MEANDER AND RIDDEN 7. Super Heroes SENSIFEEL 8. Orion Smoke SUBSISTENCE 9. Levitator STRATIL "Some individuals it's true are more special...this is natural selection." Very true. The cream rises to the top and that also holds true with music and the labels that release it. While Iono and TesseracT occupy the penthouse of progressive music, Uxmal is fighting with the balding security guard in the lobby. Nothing personal of course, but as of yet none of their releases have set my hair on fire. Well welcome to the east side cause you're movin' on up! Kinda. At least your rental application has been received. This label from Mexico has discovered the winning formula with drifting melodies and smooth atmosphere. The tracks are soft and comfortable perfectly content to act like warm blanket fresh from the dryer. Best track? The Suduaya effort is delicious. Now, this is not to say they are ready for the big time. In the past I found that a lot of tracks on Uxmal compilations droned on without much evolution. They'd find a melody and groove and ride it out to a mostly boring conclusion. From Human Blood is a let down while Super Heroes is signigicantly less super. So there are a few tracks that see the label slipping into old and unfortunately comfortable habits. Because of that I can't recommend this as there is better progressive out there. But at least they're trying right? Progressive Request? Ok, I request you make better progressive. Psyshop Goa Store Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Morphing Psyche Label: People of the Butterflies Date: December, 2009 01 :: Soladria - Bubblestorm (146 BPM) 02 :: Intriga - Awake (147 BPM) 03 :: Serotonot vs Tripteaser - Jazzmandroid (145 BPM) 04 :: Crystal Cris - Nightfish (149 BPM) 05 :: Cosmic Delusion - Party Animalz (150 BPM) 06 :: Captain Kirk - Werewolves (147 BPM) 07 :: Kelmi - Neuroelectric (150 BPM) 08 :: Efflorum - Tauceti (148 BPM) 09 :: Nebula Meltdown - Elemental Connector (150 BPM) 10 :: Scum Unit - ExistenZ (150 BPM) 11 :: Sienis - Superior (142 BPM) "I don't know what this is, but sometimes you've gotta go with your gut!" Preach brother Homer, preach. Here come the Finns. I think we can all agree that their musical contributions tend to be a little out there. Creative? Every single time, but like being a chubby chaser it's a bit of an acquired taste. Mine! She's mine!! I saw her first! Get the f*ck back! It's a free release from the People of the Butterflies (even their label name is out there) consisting of Finnish artists. I downloaded it for one reason and one reason only. The Intriga track. Having heard some splintering goa from that project I had hoped to find that here. Alas, it wasn't the case. He did make a pretty good psy track in the Infected Mushroom vein. Without the crappy singing or screaming I mean. The rest of it is chock full of crazy melodies and running bass lines. Funny vocal manipulations are of course here. And what would a Finnish compilation be without the sounds of a drunken Finn? It's highly psychedelic and inventive and like most Suomi stuff there are parts that I really liked and some that...I did not. How can an entire genre be so full of WTF moments? But any compilation that samples Homer SImpson gets the rubber stamp in my opinion. Some tracks are so predictable that you know how they're gonna end, but with the Suomi style you gotta listen to the very last minute. Know how I can tell they're f*cking with us? Their county's shaped like a dick. What's that now? Oh. That's Sweden. So what does Finland look like? Ah, that makes sense. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Lumen Title: Toffee In My Teeth / Vegetable Frequency Modulator EP Label: Transient Records Date: October, 1997 1. Toffee In My Teeth 2. Vegetable Frequency Modulator Getting toffee in your teeth is a pain in the ass. You'll be picking at that sh*t for an hour and consider yourself lucky if you don't lose a tooth while chewing it. But it's so good I can't help myself. This is Chris Conklin with a nice EP. The title track has an acidic lead that makes me think of the gooey stuff as he gets down to some serious knob twisting. Lots of energy to be found here. The vegetable track is a gritty piece of dirty bass lead manipulation and pure old school sound. There are moments when it roars like a lion and times when it can be a low growl. One thing I noticed is you can barely hear the hi-hats. Maybe he didn't even use any. Doesn't really bother me, just was aware of it. Mdk

Artist: Zebbler Encanti Experience Title: Psychic Projections Label: Gravitas Recordings Date: December, 2012 01 - Psychic Projections (feat. Dante Bucci) (140 BPM) 02 - Quetzalcoatl (101 BPM) 03 - Totem (140 BPM) 04 - Temple (feat. Jason Hann) (140 BPM) 05 - Data Mind (110 BPM) 06 - Prophetic Interlude (feat. Hannah Thiem) (140 BPM) 07 - Exploding Glowstick (110 BPM) 08 - Quetzalcoatl (Willy Whompa Remix) (150 BPM) 09 - ZEEDM (145 BPM) 10 - Quetzalcoatl (Woulg Remix) (137 BPM) 11 - Profit (140 BPM) 12 - Profit (Ishe Remix) (140 BPM) Don't let this slip by you without giving it a listen. Zebbler is a Boston based duo with their debut album and their style is slow and juicy. Well, sometimes. Taking elements of dub and glitch and marrying them with tribal like melodies in an unholy union of interesting stuff. Keeping the tracks brief is smart and doesn't let you get bored with what they're doing. Some of this sh*t is as funky as a Radioactive Sandwich. See what I did there? It can move at a snail's pace or it can be rapid fire, oftentimes in the same track. Quetzalcoatl sets you up with with some funky downtempo before it erupts in a gigantic crunchy electronic orgy. And then there's the dubstep. Oh the dubstep. And there is a lot of it. Dubstep has been called many things, but I describe it like putting a robot penis through a pencil sharpener. Because I don't listen to it regularly I don't mind the dubstep. I find it fairly fresh and unpredictable. But let's be honest...tracks like the Willy Whompa remix are a heading waiting to happen. Just know if you hat dubstep this release won't be for you. There is still way more to enjoy as it is a great mix of melancholic melodies as well as polar opposites in sonic texture. It comes off sounding rich and lush when they bend sounds to their will. The Woulg remix is like when the terminators legs break off and he has to move in slow and sometimes fast motion. Terminator 2 reference. Score. The harsh and abrasive sounds in Exploding Glowstick hide the gentle ambient like someone getting screamed over. And that's where I think they excel when they combine genres. A whole album of electronic gang rape is exhausting and painful. That's not for me. That's for India. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Lunar Asylum Title: Bubble & Tickle EP Label: Sirius Records Date: 1996 1. Bubble 2. Tickle "Until 2 days ago that sound had never been heard on this Earth." Have you had your funk today? You have if you listened to this EP. Well, the bubble side anyway. With a funky bass line and screeching leads bubble is old school goa with supreme danceability. Tickle seems like more of a throw in without much to offer. Heard the first minute? Yeah, save yourself some time and go do something constructive. I'm making BBQ Chicken in the crockpot. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Galactic Discovery Label: Goa Galaxy Date: July, 2013 01. Astralunka - Oniric Wild (8:15) 02. GoaAngel - Fallen Star (7:37) 03. Carbon - Enlightenment (9:08) 04. Structural Mind Engine - The Source (5:30) 05. GalaxyUnit - Dominators (7:39) 06. Shtrom - Electro Magnetic (7:54) 07. Somnus Inc. - In-Somnia (8:01) 08. Hybrid FX - Spirit Magic (8:13) 09. Cactus Arising - Our Destination (7:42) 10. OGO - Mystical Forest (6:17) Ahhh...Bulgaria. When not marveling at the pristine condition of their many excellent highways and majestic mountains this nation goes largely unnoticed. Why? Well, according to WikiHow: "It's famous for extremely beautiful girls who mostly act and dress like hookers." Clearly the minister of tourism's ad campaign savy outside the box thinking is meant to target the horny male demographic. Which means all men. Obviously being this close to Romania you'd think they could cash in on some of that Dracula money. But keep on walking with that bullsh*t says Romania. It ain't happening and I don't want to start a turf war. Well one third of the country is in the woods, they are big into wine (and yogurt for that matter) and you can get cheap property. What's not to like? Couple that with all the hookers and I can't help but think opportunity is passing us by. New Bulgarian netlabel Goa Galaxy is out with its first compilation (for free as well) bringing goa trance to the bagpipe playing masses. "Grease me up woman! These Bulgarians think they know how to play the pipes!" Like one would expect several styles are represented with varying degrees of quality. Got to crawl before you can walk. Ask DAT Records. No, don't ask Suntrip, those motherf*ckers came running out of the womb. While parts of it can sound less professional than the established labels, there is value to be found here. It sounds like a free compilation and some of the tracks sound amateurish, but don't let that deter you. Enlightenment is futuristic with great melodies and presence. It undergoes a change near the end that incorporates a folkish melody that works. Dominators is a solid old school goa trance track that captures the eerie quality of space (a theme the album is built around). And Spirit Magic is a churning descent into a black hole. So all in all it's not all bad. I just used all 3 times in a short sentence so mark the date and remember where you were. Anytime a label wants to release some goa trance I'm interested in hearing it if only to see where they try and take it. The fact that it was free was icing on the cake. There are some good moments here and I hope they keep at it. But don't do it for me. Do it for the hookers who travel those pristine roads. Goa Galaxy Mdk

A girl...swirling a stick in a puddle...creating ever widening ripples. A metaphor for tracks that go on. Cinematically stunning. Mdk

Artist: Protoculture Title: Refractions Label: Nano Records Date: October, 2003 1. Homeworld 2. Silicon Sunrise 3. Magnetik 4. Refractions 5. Halusignorita 6. More directions 7. Avalon 8. High Orbit 9. Melody Machine Wow is this already 10 years old? Hard to believe. I liked it then, but I really like it now. From the uplifting breakbeat of Homeworld to that infectious wobble of Silicon Sunrise this is an excellent release. It's very melodic and highly uplifting while leaving the cheese in the fridge. South African Nate Raubenheimer always straddled the progressive line and his debut is no different. Frequently lush and multi layered it doesn't travel large stretches with inactivity. Sure it ventures into commercial trance at times (a style he would explore on subsequent albums), but it's still an extremely well produced effort. This guy makes the melodic stuff look easy and it's persistent quality throughout. No lags or filler tracks, but a euphoric feeling that only brings smiles. If he was able to make good full on back in 03 it shows you the amount of talent he had and the lack thereof in many other full on producers. Classic full-on sounds like an oxymoron, but I would put this in that category. Mdk

Artist: Noble Savage Title: Freaks of Nature Label: Liquid Tune Records Date: June, 2011 01 - Razzia (147 BPM) 02 - Secondary Protocol (147 BPM) 03 - 7th Seal (142 BPM) 04 - King Of Fools (145 BPM) 05 - 2012 (147 BPM) "A significant event happened." Forest and goa? Is it possible to create an even smellier hippie? Yes. Yes it is. But this guy from Sweden also created a nice fusion between the genres that should appeal to both. Pandanandi's review was spot on with sounds and darkness that should keep the forest crowd from kidnapping children and eating them as well as melodies for the sun worshiping goa lovers. Liking both I was curious to see what he came up with. My favorite? 7th Seal is a straight up goa track peppered with the evil sounds of the deep woods. Released two years ago I wonder if he's still making this type of music. Hope so, he's got the knack for this mixture and would probably only get better. There is promise in this young paduan. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Chakra Green: A Psychedelic Trance Compilation Vol. 3 Label: Cameleon Date: 1999 01. 10'20" Children Of Paradise : El Nino 02. 10'25" Atmos : Drums Don't Stop 03. 06'54" Astral projection : Another World 04. 08'16" Bypass Unit : Nanosphere Courier 05. 07'10" Shakta : The Future Is Now 06. 12'35" Chi-ad : Pathfinder 07. 08'18" SUN Project : Zwork 08. 07'18" MOS : Lunar Church 09. 05'50" Ouija : I Don't Understand On to the green installment in the Chakra series. El nino- Love the break, the slow down and speed up underneath that melody makes for an eerie experience. The rest of the track is a thumping mud slinging escapade where they're throwing acid around like mashed potatoes in a food fight. I agree with Anoebis that this was the best track they ever made. Drums Don't Stop- Apparently neither does that sample. On what planet is this a brilliant track? There are some long stretches of monotony here. Another World- It seems like another world when this duo was relevant. They really used to be titans of the genre didn't they? Shimmering melodies and a thumping kick it's a great track that makes me wish they could get their sh*t together and release some super new goa trance. Nanosphere Courier- A blistering track with massive balls. This is hyper speed with growl and a cosmic feel. Hand down best track on the compilation and it isn't even close. The Future Is Now- We're into the meat of the compilation now and the hits keep coming. Seb delivers a futuristic tale with twirling melodies each one larger than the last. Kick ass! Pathfinder- I recall hating this track, but one late night listening session brought it into crystal clear focus. The thumping tribal drums and exotic chant make this a gritty aboriginal hallucinogen. Bold move to include this. Zwork- Anyone who's read my reviews knows my feelings on SUN Project. Their fusion of psy and guitars makes me want to throw up in my mouth. This one is a psy guitar all the way so if you don't like guitars in your psy hammer that FF button. Lunar Church- MOS has always been an enigma to me as a project that can have some superb tracks right next to those that are just...meh. This one is sneaky and lighter in weight. Clearly we are coming down and while rather boring this was meant to help you get ready to get kicked out of the club. I Don't Understand- This is probably what most people thought when they heard this. I'm one of them. Did Cameleon just say f*ck it and throw in the towel. That said, I liked it in a kind of funky way. So I would say 4 really good tracks and the rest is fairly mediocre. Still miles better than the yellow one. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Turlitava 2 Label: Neogoa Date: August, 2013 01 - Dimmat - Small Mountain (69 BPM) 02 - Ekaologik - Lake Travel (73 BPM) 03 - Deep In Mind - Nymphaea Alba (100 BPM) 04 - Alba - Arising And Passing Away (100 BPM) 05 - Scuba vs Yechidah - Beyond The Illusion Of Life (140 BPM) 06 - Menkalian - Tibetan Prayer (90 BPM) 07 - InnerSelf - Life Is Only A Dream (100 BPM) 08 - Spectrum Vision - Cutscape (90 BPM) 09 - Uth - Signals To Paradise (Chill Out Mix) (70 BPM) 10 - Osmose - If The Sky (133 BPM) Are we really talking about the 21st release from Neogoa? Take a bow Ivan Richpa for thou hast achieved longevity! The first Turlitava back in 2011 was one of my favorite compilations of all time and DJ Anub1s is back at the helm bringing together another bunch of tunes for the sequel. Small Mountain- The first track is short and gentle organic ambient intro with full pads and nature sounds. It's like glimpsing the Himalayas from a great distance. Lake Travel- Wow, what a track. So lush with deep lows and cloud shredding highs. Nymphaea Alba- Combining piano and melancholy guitar riffs this sounds like it could be...nay, should be played live. No knob twiddling just straight up musicianship. Arising and Passing Away- This one has it all. Delicate electronica, acoustic guitar, a full on monk chant, and someone swiped Raja Ram's flute. It even takes it to that mid tempo level. Dee-lishus. Beyond the Illusion of Life- The flute remains as a deep dubby bass hums. But it doesn't rest on its laurels as it gains strength and speed. Tibetan Prayer- Perhaps the most "goa" sounding of the tracks this ethnic beast wouldn't be out of place in a Ra set. Melodies swirl as this track comes from high in the heavens. Life is Only a Dream- Whenever I discuss this artist I always seem to confuse him with someone else. My apologies my friend, but if you keep making music like this that will no longer happen. More mid tempo goa that is layered beautifully. Cutscape- Continuing to keep it fresh is this track with the guttural sounds and glitchy percussion. Vocal manipulations reminiscent of Shpongle can also be found here. Signals To Paradise- Does this dip its toe in the pool of dubstep? Slightly, but it is so much more than that. Layers of synths oscillate and this track has some good old fashioned knob twiddlin'! Moody and lush it's pure awesomeness! If the Sky- Closing out the compilation is a slow dreamy outro. They play with the vocals a bit, but it's not bad and it fits with the theme. There seems to have been a conscious effort here to include tracks with more real world sounds. Actual instruments and a global feel permeate this album complete with mystical chants. At times it was eerie and oftentimes it had a spiritual and tribal component. Another plus was the changes in tempo. What began as a downtempo track didn't stay that way. Mainly though it was the very rich compositions. Sound quality was superb so great job Mr. Stryder. Congratulations to Neogoa yet again with another outstanding release. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk