Trance2MoveU

Martin Freeland certainly has a classic on his hands. His debut seems to have all the elements so why is there such a discussion on its merits? Normally I agree with almost everything that Jon Coco writes. He goes into detail that I could only wish for in an eloquent style that passed me by like a commuter train. But a C+? Allow me to take issue sir. I believe this to be a classic that is goa through and through, but yes it's not without its problems. For me, there is no subtlety. No...if you'll pardon the optometry reference...no stereopsis. The depth is lacking in spots. It seems that all the sounds are at the same volume. On the converse there are tracks that are so good in spots that you'll forgive some of its minor flaws. And some of those tracks are blistering. Moment of Truth reminds me of Transwave, and like most have said Floor-Essence is a dance floor bomb. It's some of the filler tracks that I think may be underestimated. Low Commotion shimmers with twinkling melodies and for me is one of the stand outs on this album. Subterfuge takes a bit to get going, but once it does its dark goa style becomes apparent. Evolution while a little sparse still has that deep goa vibe with some good churning layers. Skydiving with it's bubbling and drifting pads has the benefits of a downtempo number as well as a mid-tempo one. And Dawn Chorus sits in the shadows waiting to strike with it's pumping bass. The ones that I have the real problem with are the ones you gave B's. Sugar Rush? The commercial stink rising off this one is hard to stomach. Maybe he knew this and did it on purpose throwing the Creamfields crowd a bone. Cairo is a generic stumble through the mysterious Middle East complete with ethnic vocal. The funky house vibe on Cosmic Echoes whilst appealing seems glaringly out of place on this album. So we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. "I didn't agree to that!" "Shaddup!" Go get a classic. Mdk

Not really one of the classics you first think of from 97 right? And with good reason. Like a lot of EU albums it's a bit hit and miss. He opens real well with Alien Encounter (Part 2) and From the Heart (love that little acid lick), but then he doesn't do anything with it. Imagine finding out you have the winning lottery numbers and just shoving the ticket in the drawer. A friend of mine likes Radio S.P.A.C.E. but not me. It's another example of a track that could've been more. The Rising Sun floats with extended goa lines which is nice, but it isn't until we get to Online Information that he slaps yo momma. Its outer space melodies pick up where the previous track left off and they make this puppy a classic track. You can see where the shift occurred as now your into growly goa territory and I'm fully into involuntary twirl mode. "Yes I can't help dancing either, but stay the f*ck out of my Cheez-Its!!" But then like a boy band member with facial hair something just doesn't belong. After two great tracks why would you put the decidedly non-goa Technologic next? Face meet wall. Totally killed any momentum he was building. Astral Voyage tries to recover, but it's not of the same quality and it's only 4 and a half minutes long anyway. Then in another head scratcher he gives you the Sunset Skyline edit rather than the original found on this comp. Not cool Boris. The title track is cool; a bit slower, but still quality. Finally we come to Alien Encounter (Part 1) and that is a downtempo track. But I don't know why, it's not like we were coming downhill on skates. Still, this is where I believe him to excel with sinister sounds and clear break beats. Good closing. So like I said hit and miss. Maybe this just suffers from poor track order, but I couldn't melt into it like many other releases from 97. You can still get it here Mdk

"The idyllic, psychedelic, evangelic...hero." Wow, who's that good looking fella in the post above? Ok, it's now 2013 and I'm still waiting for that third album. What's the hold up gentlemen? Man this was a good one. Ripping acid lines, psychedelic samples, and just huff and puff blow down your door psytrance. Sure they went off the f*cking reservation with the ridiculous Deep Purple Haze and Computer Crash but the rest of the tracks make those sh*tstorms forgettable. Delicious acidic full-on. Mdk

Artist: Lyctum Title: Cinematic Perspective EP Label: Digital Freedom Records Date: January, 2013 Dejan is back with his latest EP release that does not disappoint. They Are Here - a massive track that has a progressive swagger but like the name of the EP a cinematic style. Like a battle that scorches the land this one reminds me of Xerox from the Battleship days. It's even got lasers. You like lasers. Forgotten Lifeforms- More soundtrack grandeur as he continues with his impressive break work. Catch that one? You might as well be in the forests in the Avatar movie. Sure he's still playing around with the galloping bass lines, but so what? The Catalyzer (KIN Remix)- This is one of his tracks getting remixed by KIN. An up and coming artist as they say. Never heard the original, but this track didn't move me. The predictable tempo change in the middle of the track did it in. This guy knows melodic and effect driven progressive. Right up there with Mr. E-Clip. Recommended. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Lyctum Title: Cassiopeia EP Label: Headroom Productions Date: December, 2011 1. Cassiopeia 2. Celebration 3. Digital Culture I'm gonna have to buy this guys album. This is the 3rd EP I've heard from Dejan Jovanovic and like all the others he displays a talent for progressive trance. Well, I suppose it depends on the type of progressive you like, but for me his music is spacious and rippled with depth. As I've mentioned before there is a mystical quality to his productions as if he's having dinner with a deity and instead of writing down what this deity says, he puts it to music. Melodies are grand (as if he were the AP of progressive trance) and the breaks are lush. If there was one drawback maybe it could be that he seems to be married to the galloping bass line, but when the other ingredients are this good that's a minor quip. Recommended. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Lyctum Title: Ancient Groove EP Label: Synergetic Records Date: September, 2012 1. Ancient Groove 2. Power of the Atmosphere This is the 2nd EP I've heard from Lyctum and I must say that I'm impressed. He's making his rounds with the progressive labels and continues to deliver smooth and floating music. It's pumping and the tracks have a mystical quality to them. Comparing this to the Exodus EP this has more of a "psy-gressive" attitude yet maintains his gift for melody and otherworldly breaks. Recommended. Beatport Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Lyctum Title: Exodus EP Label: TesseracTStudios Date: September, 2012 1. Crossover Mind 2. Exodus 3. Consciousness (Zyce Remix) 4. Nightfall Session (Lyctum Remix) - Odd Sequence Yet another Balkan individual stepping up to the plate and dominating the progressive trance genre. Ho hum. Don't you guys have anything else to do over there? Not that I'm complaining. This is Dejan Jovanovic and just like Flegma, Nerso, and E-Clip this guy brings steady beats, floating melodies and epic breaks. Two original tracks (of which Exodus was almost heavenly) a remix, and then from the guy who seems to be everywhere a remix by Zyce. The tracks are full to bursting with effects and melodies that one doesn't even mind the galloping bass line. Impressive and worth your progressive dollar. Psyshop Beatport Mdk

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Virtual Reality will rehabilitate your mind and eventually your body." This is the first thing that came up when I typed Limitlessness into Bing. Didn't wanna get, umm...scroogled. Ugh. What the f*ck? Seems rather cult like and very...out there. Or limitless...ness if you will. Awakening to the dream world? You and your oversoul? Transcending dimensions? Or my favorite: Opening your throat chakra. You know what... that fits in with every hippies wet dream of the entire spiritual warehouse that could be goa. At the very least you might get some useful track titles. I can only think of one word that could describe this compilation when comparing it to a lot of others out there. Underwhelming...ness. Miranda's Gnocchi (dumplings? how high were you) of course holds it down with its deliberate and sinister vibe and Time Slices is probably my favorite Hux Flux track. But the surprise could be Raia who fall into the one and done category, making a very spiral heavy goa track only to disappear. Encens at this time seemed to be in their experimental period yet still managed to deliver those liquid bass sounds. The rest is a lot of effects thrown over a bass line and percussive bangings. Not bad but not essential obviously. Mdk

According to Discogs it says he's Hungarian residing in Romania. But it wouldn't be the first time Discogs might not have had the most accurate information. Still couldn't do what I do without them. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Organic Vision Vol. 1 Label: Moonquest Records Date: April, 2009 1. The Ancestors ARTIFACT 303 2. Kundalini The Cosmic Anaconda PRIMAL SOURCE 3. Radiant Vision (Dome rmx) E-MANTRA 4. Influence your dreams ARTIFACT 303 5. Hidden World PRIMAL SOURCE 6. Consequences ARTIFACT 303 7. Telluric Waves E-MANTRA 8. Strada cu tramvaie HYPNO 9. Moon Walker E-MANTRA "Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory." I can't help it he's very talented. So this label pops up out of nowhere (Romania) with a one and done explosion that is now harder to find than an honest politician. It's a CD-r, but that doesn't make it any less valuable to those that search for it. Who do we know from Romania, who do we know...got it! E-mantra and Primal Source are from Romania and happen to be featured on more than 50% of this compilation. I'm not saying they created a phony label to make a very limited supply of 1 album then waited for it to shoot up in value to sell it under dummy names on Discogs at ridiculous prices to finance the rebels in the Sudan and hunt for Kony in hopes of bringing a wanted fugitive to justice. But I'm not not saying it. Know what I mean? If this is the case, then goa trance fights terrorism. You guys are heroes man, f*cking heroes. This is a great compilation full of all the melodies and effects and twisted movie samples that make goa trance what it is today. E-mantra fully presents his floating style that steals minutes and Artifact303 continues to make us utter the words, "Astral who?" The only WTF moment was the Hypno track. What the f*ck? Yes yes, that might be good in their circles, but how the f*ck did it end up on a goa compilation? Also it does seem like the bass is jacked up pretty high, but I'm not a mastering guy so maybe that's just the settings on my player. I know I'm not alone in wishing for an actual copy of this as it's like a Balkan goa trance party for over an hour. It's 2013...can we get a damn handle on mastering? There should be zero problems with this already. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Voyager: First Plateau Label: Hado Records Date: December, 2012 1. Order to chaos ALIENAPIA 2. Psychotria Viridis HYPNOTIC SIGNAL 3. Beyond the clouds CELESTIAL INTELLIGENCE 4. Cosmic Voyage ELEUSYN 5. Hyphneone SKARMA 6. Dansul Ielelor (Artifact303 rmx) E-MANTRA 7. Distorted Visions SOUL KONTAKT 8. Amnesia Reaction FILTERIA 9. Path to Sychelia ASIRION 10. Daydreamer ARTIFACT303 Who are you Hado Records? Who are you really? I think we need to get a close up look at what's going on here. Whoa Whoa! Too f*cking close! Yikes, I think a dentist is in order. Hado Records is a label that is quickly making a name for itself. Their first re-release was the highly underrated classic Lost in Time by Zirrex which is one of the all time classics in goa trance. But they didn't just re release it...oh no they gave it the 3 CD treatment with new mastering and some new tracks. Awesome stuff. So here is their second release: a compilation of some of the best new school goa artists the genre has to offer as well as some names you might not be familiar with. This is modern goa trance with an infinite number of melodic spirals. Bomb after bomb of pumping stuff beginning with the first we've heard from Alienapia since their blistering Goapoca...however the f*ck you spell it way back in 2010. You can always pick out the floating E-mantra style which continues to be awesome, but we also get the first release from Skarma who shows a lot of promise. Artifact303 is back with a real treat as he tackles Danseul Ielelor and makes it as massive as the original. Then the compilation takes a turn beginning with Distorted Visions towards a less aggressive posture. Filteria's track while beautiful is more sunshine and soft edges and less stacks of melody threatening to crush the life out of you (I like that by the way). Me thinks he's stretching his creative muscles and besides that when was the last time you heard a Filteria track that was just 6 and a half minutes? I'll tell you, never. Asirion delivers a progressive style goa effort that is beautiful and flowing as the Hungarian heavyweight closes things out as if to remind you that he's still a boss in this here goa thing. And he is. Beautiful melodies and bursting with layers and depth. You da man Zsolt. This one kinda got lost in the shuffle. You know Christmas time, life gets a little crazy. Another great goa trance release that gets more friendly for those who may find that goa can get too heavy and in your face. All the tracks were very good and I recommend this highly. Psyshop Beatspace Goastore Mdk

Artist: Ra Title: To Sirius Label: Nova Tekk...That's the one I have. Date: 2000 1. Prologue 2. Astral Flight 3. Universal Key 4. Beyond Control 5. Initiated 6. Sign of Life 7. R.O.M. 8. Paradox 9. Sirius 10. Outro "You know why I'm such a happy person? Cause I've got the greatest job in the solar system" I'm going to say something I didn't think I was going to ever say. I think Ronald takes this one in a landslide. Don't underestimate the crazy brutality of the clown. But about the music this isn't as great as his second release 9th for me. But it's really f*cking close. Oh it's still spectacular old school goa trance, but when you compare the two albums his evolution and skill as a producer has grown leaps and bounds. The melodies are beautiful and his adherence to the mystical, the spiritual is solid. This is walking through the pyramids and knowing that an advanced race was here thousands of years ago...a la the 5th Element. Call this an example of the sum greater than the parts. Take the tracks on their own and you've got very good stuff. Put it all together the way he does and...ticket to the heavens for one please. Some albums have tracks that remain my favorite throughout the years. On this album it changes. I used to love Universal Key, but now the sparkling mystery and power of Beyond Control and Initiated sends me twirling. The one constant I suppose is R.O.M. That track has it all. Classic and essential. Mdk

Review imminent. MDK

Artist: Om Title: Altona Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: November, 2011 1. Te Extrano 2. Lost Look 3. La Esperanza 4. Desesperacion 5. Revivir 6. Earthquake Feelings 7. Enjoy the meditation 8. La Duda 9. Hijos 10. Viene Ovnimoon must be a label with deep pockets because they seem to churn out an album every week. Hector Stuardo is the jefe there and his psy-gressive style usually yields positive results. But here he adopts a personality that moves in an entirely different direction. Slowly. Very slowly. Seems Hector decided to try his hand at the drone/ambient style of things. Now drone, at least for me, has a negative connotation. As in "My wife continued to drone on and on about nothing in particular." Words that you never say to your wife chapter 7. Anyways, the main thing this will do is relax you. Long and I do mean long pads float slowly by like cotton candy clouds and before you know it 5 minutes went by. Because a lot isn't happening with the music it allows your mind becomes the storyteller to weave a tale to which even you don't know the ending. Or at least think of all the sh*t you need to do today. Desesperacion was more dark ambient with a creepy feel, but even that one had him just turning the volume down in the middle and then turning it back up. I might not be the best person to review drone music. But because I don't normally travel in that genre maybe I am precisely what you need. There's music that is relaxing and engaging. Altona was a lot of the former and not enough of the latter. You know what this is...background noise. Meditation music. Hell, he even names one of his tracks Enjoy the meditation. If the mind is not challenged or stimulated then it shall wander. I expect to hear this music when I'm getting a hot stone massage by a nude Salma Hayek. A guy can dream can't he? "OMG Hector tried to kill the vice president!!!" Psyshop Beatspace Goastore Mdk

My son hates pigs. Hates. When reading one of his books if there is a pig on the page he will demand that I skip that page. When I ask my younger daughter what sounds animals make he tells me not to say pig. How can you not like pigs? It's where bacon comes from. And sausage. And ham. That's a tri-fecta of deliciousness. I hear what you're saying...maybe he's a vegetarian. You have to eat vegetables for that don't you? Pigs in Space is another project from Ofer Dikovsky that has a bit of a harder edge than his Delirious album or the Tandu project. After years of listening to it maybe I don't like pigs either. That's not fair...that's blasphemy. I f*cking love pigs. But the Pigs in Space album like a lot of others doesn't hit me immediately like his other work. It's good in spots, but not one that I would reach for on a regular basis. Because it takes some time to appreciate this. But once you do... Who is Feeling Normal is a good pumping track with swirling effects, but Solar is the one for me. Maybe because it's the most goa sounding of all the tracks. Some Mental Symptoms is right on its heels with some aggressive synth work and an industrial flair. It's cold and metallic, but somehow alive. Love that break. Evil, b*tches! Big Troubles sounds so sinister and was one of the first goa tracks I had ever heard. The rest I could take or leave. Mdk

I first heard this long ago and it's not hard to notice this is different than most goa trance. It came out when goa was basically finished and a new breed of psytrance was on the rise. Jon Coco hit the nail on the head. These are not the strongest of tracks and when you keep looping the same sounds over and over it becomes too repetitive and boring. Chop some minutes off and I think the quality increases dramatically. Of course I'm a better listener than I was 10 years ago and have come to appreciate little nuances that I might not have noticed previously. Alien Nation 2 is an acidic creature of the night lurking in the shadows. El Nino of course slays everything else here in an acidic whitewash for the entire ten minutes. Of course its chiral non super imposable mirror image is New Cop which was 10 and a half minutes of Zzzzz.... Bloodsuckers takes awhile to build up some steam, but it eventually gets there. Fairy in the Dragon Forest is one of the most "goa" tracks here. So it's not something I would go to frequently, but some of the tracks have appeal. Mdk

Illegal. As in it should be illegal to bore me in this manner. This came out in 1997? Someone seems to have missed the goa trance bus. Unless this duo were minimalists from the future who came back to 1997 to say: "Enjoy all the melodic goa trance while you can Earthlings, for we are the future." Which I suppose would make them prophets. It's very minimal sounding without any of the stuff that made goa trance great in the golden age. Mdk

Artist: Koxbox Title: Forever EP Label: Matsuri Productions Date: 1999 1. Insect & Insect Bite (Split Mix) 2. Space Interface 3. Loads of Flow (Molecular Mix) Like dancing bananas on the run after a prison break this EP is unnecessary. If you have the first album Forever After from Koxbox that is because these three tracks are all on it. The star of the show is Insect & Insect Bite with its downright evil and malicious intent. It's pumping and sinister and has a twirl factor of Avogadro's number. I don't like it when artists or labels put out an ep that gives the customer nothing new. Blatant cash grab and the practice should be outlawed. Although I'm sure God didn't say, "Whattya mean I gotta give him two testicles? You think nuts grow on trees?" Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Hocus Pocus Label: Mimoza Records Date: 1999 1. Goldenfingers - Let's Go Beitar 2. Goldfingers Vs. Kintaro - Tamegol 3. Kintaro - Chance To Trance 4. D-Zager - Burekas II 5. Kintaro Vs. Goldfingers - Yello Up 6. D-Zager - Vodka 7. Paranoize - x-Plode (Remix 99) 8. D-Zager - Aleira Sky My mother was Jewish and while I was raised Catholic I enjoyed some of the Jewish culture. Ok food. Ok let me stop right there. The only thing that could be considered Jewish about me is my love for bagels and let's be honest that ain't gonna get me into Heaven. Hardly a pillar of the Hebrew faith, you knew it was going mainstream when Food Lion was selling bagel six packs. In the South. But what other food could you enjoy that could be considered Jewish? Ever had matzos? Might as well eat the box it came in. Yuck. Lox? It's fish that is put on bagels, but fish for breakfast? No thanks. So with that weak minded spirit I decided to listen to a nitzhonot compilation and see if I could get into it. Ummm...no. Too much. Too frenetic. I think nitzhonot is an acquired taste (like Lox) and with all the Hebrew being spoken on this disc I felt like an outsider. Ok not that bad, but you get the point. All I could think of was a bunch of fist pumping rich trust fund kids at an all night rave in Brooklyn. But by Passover they had their yarmulkes and side burns and resumed their place at the wailing wall. Mdk

I'm not the guy that's going to sh*t all over the early work of such an important artist in goa trance. Not gonna be me. But this does sound dated in the year 2013. Sounds thin...like it needs more ingredients. But what they did was stick to a futuristic alien theme that is palpable. There are a few great tracks to be found here. Por ejemplo...Buddha Compation is a good old fashioned 303 beat down that screams the whole way through. 7eme has a dark eerieness in it that made me feel like I was lost in a foreign land. Lokayatikas is the star with that instantly recognizable section in the middle and the title track is also worth mentioning. Not their best output, but this project had yet to hit their stride. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Singularity Label: Flying Rhino Date: 1998 Track listing: 01. Sheyba : Ancient Lands 02. Slinky Wizard : Lunar Juice (Original) 03. Technossomy : Pyramid 04. Slinky Wizard : Slick Witch (Slink Rmx) 05. Unconscious Collective : Fluorostani Transcendance 06. Darshan : Accelerator 07. Green Nuns Of The Revolution : Ring Of Fire (Eat Static Rmx) 08. Process : Internal Horizon Rhino's should not be encouraged to fly. "I wash myself with a rag on a stick." But since I control nothing but my kids (how long's that gonna last) this rhino is going to fly. Goa trance compilations in 1998 started exploring new directions leaving behind the stacks of melodies for a more...psychedelic approach. Flying Rhino being one of those labels that led the charge. See what I did there? Rhino...charge...these are the jokes people. Ancient Lands- "I wish I could hand out world peace and unconditional love." Jean Borelli and the irritable Kristian Thinning make up the underrated project Sheyba with what I like to call the wolf track. Tribally goa at it's core it slinks in the shadows with native chants and doesn't get too melodic or fast. Like it? Yeah I do. But I have to be in the mood for it. Clocking in at almost 12 minutes is a f*cking investment. Lunar Juice (Original Version)- "Hang on boys it's all downhill from here!" I love juice! Bad OJ! Bad! Murder is not funny. The wizards are back at it with a clunky effort that let's be honest...not their greatest achievement. Still good though. And that lead synth...a throaty growl to be sure. Ever hear the Hallucinogen Moon Strudel mix? That's better. Seems Simon might've been holding back the good stuff from his boys. Pyramid- Yeah this track has been on a few compilations eh? But there's a reason for it. Now that's juicy! Hear those leads? It bounces and echoes through space as the liquid layers blend into each other. It doesn't have stacks of melodies, but it has a constant flow that doesn't let you get off the train. Calm down, calm down there will be another Starbucks in 2 minutes. Place is rotten with 'em. Slick Witch (Slink Remix)- What is it with these guys and that lead that gets you right in the throat? Lots of percussive diddlings and it's not your normal goa trance. Experimental and very techno heavy to my ears. Liked it, but not as the original I heard on Aliens Disco. Fluorostani Transcendance- This was on Aliens Disco as well. Hey Oood...don't think I don't see you. And I really have to be in the mood for this one but what mood that is I don't know. There are leads that go right through me like nails on a chalkboard and then there are parts I really like. Accelerator- Ok we've really left the goa reservation since Pyramid. This is just effects and noise with a psytrance undercurrent. Did.Not.Like. Hit the accelerator to...naked, oddly hairless Asian speed! Ring of Fire (Eat Static Remix)- "Prepare to hurtle through the cosmos!" I never could understand what the big deal was about Eat Static. But you know why I like this? Cause it sounds absolutely nothing like the original. Nothing. Their breakbeat and clanging lead sound good together. And I guess sometimes you need a little techno. Internal Horizon- We get back to the goa here, but it's still the dark experimental type of goa. Meh. I wouldn't buy this. Not my type of goa and with a few tracks it just descends into noise to my ears. But if you think 1998 had this sh*t on lock wait until you get a load of some of the stuff from 1999. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Cellar Door Remixes Label: NeoGoa Date: February, 2013 1. Cellar Door (Sunbeam Genesis Remix) 2. Cellar Door (Whirlin Merlin Remix) 3. Cellar Door (Imba Remix) 4. Cellar Door II "Do you know anything about time travel?" Um no, but I do know that people love the idea of remixes. Sure they may not all be improvements or even sound different than the original (my personal pet peeve), but the possibility of endless possibilities is very alluring. Who is going to take a great track and do something totally different and make people sit up and take notice? Take it in a unique direction that gets the posthumous thumbs up from senor Ebert. Cellar Door by PharaOm certainly appealed to a lot of people when it first appeared on the Dimensional Gateway compilation. Since then there has been the Nova Fractal Mix, the Nova Fractal Sun thingy mix, and I think Britney and Gaga did one also. So a lot of noise about a track has led Neogoa to invite artists to submit their remixes in hopes of appearing on this EP. There will be no money involved, but on their deathbed they will receive total consciousness. So they got that going for them. I'm glad they kept this to only a 4 track EP because by the time I got through it sufficiently I was pretty burned out on this track. The first one was a progressive track in the Iono mold with effects adding to its already outer space feel. Second was a little harder with feet in both the psytrance and progressive camps that was also quite good. Imba once again proves that you either go big or go home with an 11 and a half minute goa stormer that seemed to never end. And I mean that it a good way. Finally Cellar Door II sounded so similar to the original that it had me wishing for a downtempo version to keep things interesting. So the answer to my question in the opening paragraph was nobody. No remix here was totally unique. All in all some good versions, but when you offer the same track multiple times it tends to have a limited shelf life. Still, they all sound great (good job Stryder) and Neogoa continues to deliver treats for our ears at the deliciously low amount of zero. Not to mention the jaw droppingly good artwork by Ivan. Free!!!!! Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Chemical Playground Label: Chemical Crew Date: 2006 1. Attack SKAZI 2. Highway To Hell VOID 3. Vilderness EXAILE 4. Go Crazy TUBE VS KOX-BOX 5. Dangerous SKAZI VS TUBE 6. Time Split PSYCHOTIC MICRO 7. Psycreoes PARANORMAL ATTACK VS EXAILE 8. Be Real STAR-X 9. Gioto ROCKY 10. Breath MAFIA "Chemical Crew is back with a compilation of 10 unreleased bombs!"- quote from Psyshop promo. Toilet bombs maybe. That basketball goal hit the rocket boosters to leave post haste. I knew this was gonna blow meat chunks when I saw it. The track list confirmed it as Chemical Crew and their artists have a knack for...underachieving. Attack- I've never heard a Skazi track before, but man have I heard people sh*t all over his music. I'm here to tell you this is less psytrance with guitars and more hair metal masquerading as psytrance. And bad metal at that. Guitars have their place in psy like pig anus does in hot dogs. We know it's there we just try not to bring it up. And uh...I smell pig anus. Wheeeeeeee!!!!! Highway- This is very shiny and polished. But you can do that to a turd also Vilderness- More buildups and guitars. This is getting sad. Go Crazy- Tube has crafted some pretty good tracks in the past and we all know what Koxbox was capable of back in the day. I can't tell you that this is a solid return to the glory days, but so far it's the best track here. And that's not saying much. With some techy warbles it keeps with the futuristic vibe. But I dare you to keep an accurate count of how many times the word "crazy" is uttered. What an unfocused mess. Dangerous- Skazi and Tube? That's like g etting herpes and gonorrhea from the same chick. Guitars in 3...2...1. Galloping bass line? Yep. Buildups with more guitars? You KNOW it! If only there was an annoying repetitive sample...ah, there it is. Time Split- Dare I hope that we might get some twilight goodness amidst this sea of refuse? Don't throw away your Timecode CD's just yet. Somehow he managed to neuter any power this night full-on might've had. Ewww...it's got Chemical Crew stink all over it. Psycrepes- Choosing a more annoying sound is patently impossible. If a sinking ship is used to signify that things have gone awry, then this vessel started out underwater. Be Real- "What do I need to do?" "Be Real" Uh, Ok. This sucks. Gioto- Meh. Just more crap to throw on the junk heap. Breath- How I made it this far is beyond me and it didn't end well. Commercial nonsense that just has me shaking my head. Congratulations if you purchased this CD for you are now the proud owner of the worst collection of tracks I've heard in quite some time. A Discogs rating of over four? Not for long. Can someone please help Chemical Crew? They seem to have fallen and can't get up. Only if you want to punch your ears in the face. Mdk

Artist: Atrium Carceri Title: Void Label: Cryo Chamber Date: July, 2012 1. Dear Diary 2. Humanity's Cradle 3. A Curved Blade 4. Reselected 5. Victorian Meltdown 6. Passage 7. Endless Deep 8. Debt 9. Trembling 10. Slower 11. Ancient Past 12. Reap Simon Heath is back with another entry into the macabre. If you like the dark side of ambient and horror movies are your thing then this is for you. With eerie melodies and a heaping dose of serial killer mystique this is sinfully delicious. We love to be frightened and the effects used will conjure up every movie you've seen where the dumb b*tch trips and allows the monster to gain ground. Where Jack the Ripper paralyzes an entire city with fear. Most of the tracks are bite sized morsels which helps maintain the shiver quotient, but even the long ones drip with regret. He is the master and if you put this on at 3 am in the dark you will see some sh*t. *rubs arms and looks around nervously* I need to go wake up my kids and play some Candyland in this motherf*cker. Check out all this guy's scary releases. Mdk

Is there a project that receives more scrutiny than this one? It's easy to pile on with the criticism of Astral and have done so myself. Once the Led Zeppelin of goa trance, Astral has now become a parody of itself. With an album people think is going to be more mindless full on there have been more delays and postponements than my country coming up with a budget. They now have more in common with Limp Bizkit. You know back in the day you were doing it all for the nookie. Thing is, as uncool as it may be to like the tired sound of the Bizkit, at least they're still releasing music. I don't care what the excuse is after awhile it becomes tiresome and people stop caring. This is now 11 years old and to my ears is a great listen. Goa trance with a new coat of paint that while it doesn't have their once upon a time complexity and depth, it is still floaty and enjoyable. Maybe they're victims of unfortunate timing as only a year later the masses were ready for a goa trance resurgence. These were minimal times when this came out where you had to blow someone to get a melody. It remained totally within their style with shimmering synths and stratosphere reaching melodies. Anyone disappointed with this release may have had unrealistic expectations. Astral at their finest was a snapshot in time that was so mind altering that it could never be recreated. Like rap. I would love to go back to the time when rap was smart and edgy and relevant before this simple verbal diarrhea we get today with every schmuck pretending to be a gangsta banging away on a Casio. Times change and peoples tastes do as well for good or bad. How would you like to be stuck in the disco era? So take this for what it is...a good album that has all the Astral touches that made them great back in the day. Snag yourself a copy right here. Mdk