Trance2MoveU

Artist: Ioon Title: The Ioonfinite Loop Label: Psyderweb Records Date: January, 2013 01 - Totally Let It Go (100 BPM) 02 - Ayamm (Innuendo Number 104) (104 BPM) 03 - Change The Nadi Flow (Guitars by DvZ) (100 BPM) 04 - Aes Drama (95 BPM) 05 - The Ioonfinite Loop (100 BPM) What a crazy name. On my screen it looks like Loon. How do you even pronounce it? Maybe you don't. Maybe it's like Prince and that stupid f*cking symbol. Probably not as flamboyantly gay as that. This is Johnny Gallucio from Italy with a deep trance EP. It's not downtempo or ambient and it isn't progressive, but simply music that does all those things without being put in box. While the title track was Ioonfinitely annoying, I really enjoyed Aes Drama? History here? Rejected demo? Stolen girlfriend? Tricked into going to a timeshare presentation? All we (and by we I mean me) can do is speculate. Nonetheless I liked the track with it's dreamy vibe and unfurling synths. If you told me Aes Dana did it I would easily believe you. He even has the tempo increase later in the track. Change the Nadi Flow is another track that makes you take notice as it unwinds layers of electronica amidst guitar riffs. Peaceful and reflective. For some reason it makes me think of Miami Vice where dramatic music was inserted with slow motion video for the most mundane actions. Definitely worth a listen. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Atman Construction Title: Elysian Terraform Label: Liquid Seed Recordings Date: December, 2012 01 - Aventurescence (143 BPM) 02 - Parallax View (143 BPM) 03 - Solipsysm (135 BPM) Three things I know: One, the striking artwork is done by Paul Sargent Two, it's mastered by Colin Oood Bennun. And three, I have no idea who is the mind behind this project. So I can only assume it is aliens who are not ready to reveal themselves to us as of yet. And it sounds like what aliens might make. They take everything that they hear and put it into a track. Downtempo with glitchy effects as well as sounds that aren't from this planet. It can be aggressive and relaxing often within the same track. But don't think you're gonna take a nap with this one. It is outstandingly lush with layers of sonic goodness that can be noisy and then float worthy. Recommended. What the hell you got going over there Basilisk? Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Wolfen Technologies Title: Foreign Frequencies EP Label: None Date: January, 2013 1. Ancient Feelings 2. Keep on Flowing 3. Senses Because I'm voluntarily throwing money at Elias Gits, Anoebis, Psyshop, and Avatar I'm taking a look at our good friends over at Ektoplazm. Add to that my wife has discovered that bras from England fit better than from the US, I'm trying to save a few bucks. I decided to check this out because aside from the very interesting cover art this guy (Tom Chant) is from Wales. I spent a year attending the College of Swansea in which studying was not a priority. I mean it was, just not for me. This is a downtempo glitch menagerie that seems to move a lot faster than the bpm's dictate. Soft melodies over cool breakbeats while effects wreck shop as the beat goes on. The bass is deep and makes a chest shudder, but the synths are light and airy. Because the tracks are fairly short it is a nice digestible piece of electronica. Recommended. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Goodfellas Label: Medium Records Date: 1999 01. 09'30" Amorphus : Return Of Shalam 02. 07'42" Vapour : Sneeky Spasm 03. 08'06" Tim Schuldt : Pretty Poison (Oforia Rmx) 04. 07'19" Tim Schuldt Vs Space Cat : Something Weird 05. 08'39" Chi-ad : Machine Brain 06. 08'40" Evolution : The Experience Of Taking A Step Into Someone's Dream (Johann Bley Mix) 07. 08'36" Mark Woods : The Prince Of Transformation 08. 08'16" M-Sphere : Spacecam "Pancakes b*tches." 1999 wasn't just the year of Prince's post apocalyptic partypalooza, but also a time when minimal trance was worming it's way into the brains of goa heads. This of it as the beach being swallowed by a black hole. And aside from the obvious end of everything music changes. It evolves or devolves, but it's always fluid. As much as I bash minimal it was also a very creative period where trance music was taken in new directions. I just didn't like where it was going. Return of Shalam- What an awesome track full of creepy crawly things slithering about in the darkness. It vibrates with electrical dread as you wander around this medieval castle hopelessly lost. Watch out, your torch is on its last legs. I don't know who Shalam is, but he's pissed. Sneaky Spasm- This is another effects driven track that treats melodies like someone with AIDS. Not that I'm complaining. More dark whispers over a one note bass line, but less vivid than the previous track. Oforia's remix of Pretty Poizon is a cross between a haunted house and a Tim Burton movie. Scary to a point, but it won't make you sh*t your pants. Inventive and fun to listen to with some guitar licks included at no extra charge. This poizon is not pretty. "Hey those chicks have got like, no tits." Something Weird- Like this? This clunky track had dark moments, but also threw a snare hit in there that killed the mood for me. Like someone banging on your door you just wanted to tell them to knock it off. It erupts at the end into some cool industrial sound waves. Kinda like old Gravity Kills. Remember them? Machine Brain- Bubbling with tension. Not sure what's around the corner tension. Vile liquids drip slowly from black surfaces. Eerie sounds set the mood and goa makes a resurgence! After almost zero melodies in this comp this cuts like a white hot scalpel. Shoved into your eye. Glorious! Easily the best track here. Now I wouldn't mind a double album of unreleased Chi- A.D. stuff. The Experience of Taking a Step Into Someone's Dream (Johann Bley mix)- Not thie biggest Johann fan here, but this was interesting in places. It changed frequently with some nice melodies and effects with a techno thickness. Not bad. The Prince of Transformation- Ummm....no. Filler alert. Spacecam- This was a nice bit of goa lite. But you'll be hungry again in 20 minutes. Well this compilation kinda sucked. Aside from the opener and Chi-A.D. track it was tumbleweed city. Unless you like that period where goa was winding down and minimal was creeping in. Mdk

Artist: Deedrah Title: Out of Control Label: Hom-Mega Productions Date: October, 2012 1. Step by Step 2. Pendulum 3. Out of Control 4. Cycles of Life 2012 5. Purple Unicorn (Hard Mix) 6. Over Bloody Flood (Old School Mix) 7. Soul Motherf*ckers 8. Motel Lover 9. Ananda (Morning Mix) 10. Half of Me (Mickey Noise Remix) 11. Gayatri (Deedrah Remix) 12. Over Bloody Flood (Tech Mix) 13. Half of Me I don't know about you, but there are certain labels I avoid. It comes with experience and getting burned a couple of times. Hom-Mega is one of them. They are notorious for putting out the creme de la creme of crap. Uninspired, lazy, unimaginative drivel. But people keep buying this stuff so on they go. I knew this was going to blow, but that little goa head inside of me said that he would probably would do justice to a couple of goa classics. After all Dado was himself a goa artist (part of Transwave) at one time so surely he would be understanding when it came to remixing tracks of this stature. Right? Step By Step- This was an awesome progressive track. Really thumping with an extra helping of sexy shake. Remember this because Pendulum- "I want everyone on the floor...NOW!" Out of Control- Now that is some wicked bass. Funky as hell and totally out of control. And that's just the half of it. The middle of the track slows to a semi reggae crawl halfway to dubstep before returning to its funky ways. Gott in Himmel I liked it. But you just couldn't resist the cliched snare roll, could you? Cycles of Life 2012- You sonofab*tch... I bid you good day sir. Purple Unicorn (Hard Mix)- Ok let's just forget that last track ever happened. I'm a forgiving guy. See, you've recovered. The bass is punchy and yes...I see you brought your epic house pianos...good for you. Oh and that's a nice build up. Well they can't all be smash hits can they? Over Bloody Flood (Old School Mix)- There is nothing old school about this mix. Unless you equate it to a lifetime of detention. Excruciating. I haven't heard sh*t this bad since the MFG Remix of that Rhianna track going around on Facebook. Really dude, that's two classic tracks that you've managed to sully like a stopped up toilet. What happened to you? Soul Motherf*ckers- Holy sh*t was that a Madonna sample? Motel Lovers- This was pretty good full-on. If it was 2002. Ananda (Morning Mix)- The lead sounded pretty good with some progressive backing and the ending was a gentle touch, but all I'm thinking of is I have 4 tracks left to go. Half of Me (Mickey Noise Remix)- More generic full-on with some awful vocal tacets. Good God and you had help with this one? How bad must the original must've been? Be patient, you'll get to find out soon enough. Gayatri (Deedrah Remix)- The original was on the Stars on 35 EP by Astrix so I guess this is Dado's take. You know I don't really give a f*ck anymore. I would've shut this down long ago, but what if there is a track that really restores our faith in.... what? Yeah I know. Over Bloody Flood (Tech Mix)- He's already cornholed this track once. Two times and you have to register as a sex offender. Half of Me- If you order this you might as well go punch Blue Planet Corporation in the nuts if they haven't already rolled over in their grave. Beatport Mdk

Maybe Mr. Zero Hour isn't too happy. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Infinity Hz 2 Label: Matsuri Productions Tokyo Date: 1997 1. Transwave – Trashish (Brixton Remix) 9:54 2. Satori – Normal Existence? 8:34 3. Prana – Boundless (Black Cat Mix) 8:43 4. Tim Schuldt – Animatronic 9:57 5. Nervasystem – Stardust 10:48 6. Shaolin Wooden Men – Local Spider 5:39 7. The Visitors – Capt’n Good Vibes 7:15 "With that kind of technology you could convince me of almost anything." Look at that cover. LOOK AT IT!!!!! With your eyes, your mind, and your soul. This compilation is what you think it is. Put a couple of ringers on a team of role players and you've got a little something for everyone. Trashish (Brixton Remix)- What better way to rope listeners in than to start with Transwave? This remix is one of their more playful tracks. Oh c'mon, it even has the Personal Jesus percussive riff in it. For those that love the melodic side of goa this is your final stop. Short trip ain't it? Normal Existence- Crackling with bristling sounds it's like a toddler went apesh*t with the bubble wrap. Trust me I know of what I speak. Not overpowering, but sinister enough to let you know that you are not alone. Plenty of juicy changes to keep it fresh. Boundless (Black Cat Remix)- Found on their Geomantik album this is one of my favorites here. Goa with some experimental elements that has some growl and heft to it. After Tom's unfortunate stroke, Jerry had the run of the place and well...things took a strange turn. Animatronic- Tim doesn't make your nice tidy goa does he? He's always had a harder industrial edge to his sound and that trend continues. Full and throaty like a plus sized hooker it's similar to other tracks on this compilation. Straight ahead without much subtlety , but there are places where it gets a little deeper. Stardust- Bubbling with some snap crackle and pop this is a long meandering track. It takes awhile to get going and when it finally gets there I wish there was more to it. 11 minutes is a lot to ask without a payoff. Locale Spider- The Wooden Men...yeah this ought to be normal. A lot of adjectives can be used to describe their, uh music. But I'm partial to what the f*ck. I think this answers the question how high is too f*cking high? Woke up in a high school classroom. Not a teacher. Captain Good Vibes- Picture taking a bat to your hardware. Repeatedly. While the electronic soul imprisoned within attempts to flee in in the hope of finding a better life outside of your control. Electronic date rape, that's what this is. Abuse. Pure and simple. This is for those who don't want their goa in a pre defined box. If the shortest distance between two points is a straight line this comp is getting there in a f*cking circle. Even the stuff by the heavyweights is a tad left of center. But by any definition it's still pretty entertaining. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Luna Nova Label: Moontrip Records Date: February, 2013 1 - Goamora - Bouncing Between Realms 2 - Jayex - United Sound Experience 3 - San-Kari - Muladhara 4 - PharaOm - Mastaba 5 - Sleeping Buddha - Acid Pyramidian 6 - Laughing Skull - Golgolet Beats Shiva 7 - Jayex - Jupiter 8 - Galactic Mantra - Temple of Cosmic Sun 9 - Faxi Nadu - Cry Life Moontrip. Any other name in any other language and nobody bats an eye. Nobody gives a f*ck if you call your new label smelly wet dog or half inch penis pump or Fat Buddha records. But Moontrip? You're not fooling anyone. Wunderkind and compulsive Facebook poster Filipe Santos decided to chose the above label name to be the antithesis to established and well respected goa trance label Suntrip. Where they are light he offers the other side of the coin. Obviously there is history here, but I cannot hear any of that because I'm too busy listening to all the stellar music he makes. Can ignore a lot when you have a track record like Filipe does. Whether it's as Lost Buddha or Amithaba Buddha or Transgendered Buddha his music is always superb so let's ignore the dubious label name choice. We're all on the same side right? The more labels releasing goa trance the better things will be for the entire community. So without further ado here is Filipe's debut compilation under his new label. Some projects you know and some you don't. Bouncing Between Realms- Sinister with its feet sloshing through dark waters. Kind of minimal to begin with until that synth line grows in volume and intensity. United Sound Experience- Another darkish track more focused on the journey with every sound easily heard. The break fosters a delicate arpeggio that floats on a moonbeam smoothly dodging the creatures of the night. Melodic and drifting. Thumbs up! Muladhara- Not bad, there is a bubbling quality to it. A little thin, but not bad. Mastaba- Mr. Tesseract releases an older track of his that has a twisting lead. It also has this annoying scratching sound. Take the good with the bad I guess. Do you not spit game to a chick with big boobs if she has a lazy eye? Let's not be so shallow. Acid Pyramidian- Man you can see a Filipe track a mile away can't you. Well maybe if you're that chick with the lazy eye you can't. Bubbling layers of delicious goa goodness. Well done sir! Golgolet Beats Shiva- Laughing Skull? Never heard of him, but when you bring a smash like this to the table who cares? He delivers and absolute buttery Ritz cracker with a racing tempo and thick melodic lead. Shimmering and reflective, Golgolet didn't just beat Shiva...f*cking smoked him. Or her. I'm, I'm not sure which... Jupiter- Jayex is back with an organic track that is a bit on the light side. I loved the sitar melody and breakbeat. Smoldering with good alien sounds it was ultimately disappointing. Jupiter is big. Like a planet full of blond nymphomaniac Amazonian women. This was more along the lines of Uranus. Which is not a commentary on the planet of blond nymphomaniac Amazonian women. But it could be. I would need a step ladder to shave that chicks legs. Temple of the Cosmic Sun- While not impressed with his Wings of Time EP I'm not ready to shut the door on this artist. Maybe. It's a brighter track than all of the rest and doesn't seem to fit. Very melodic. Fluffy? Like a goose down comforter. Cry Life- With the final track Moontrip turns to Israeli Faxi Nadu for a mid tempo bit of moodiness. It's like wandering through a fog of images that holds onto that dark theme. Not bad. It wasn't long after Filipe announced the creation of Moontrip that this compilation was trotted out. And it shows. Some of the tracks were really good with the standouts being the new Buddha incarnation Acid Pyramidian as well as the shiny Laughing Skull track. Others like Bouncing Between Realms showed some lush and descriptive properties. But too many others were of the meh variety. Ok, but nothing to write home about. So for me the first compilation of Moontrip Records was decent, but not essential. I look forward to what Filipe can do with more time under his belt. When artists feel he's serious about this label and not just creating something on the net at the drop of a hat. No question I will follow his releases because all he does is make great tracks. Regardless of history or questionable label name choices the man has earned my respect as a goa trance producer. All that matters to me is the music. Lead the way sir. Get it at a good price here! Mdk

Will you hurry the hell up and take my money? Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Broken Label: Timecode Records Date: July, 2004 1. Broken Toy - The _Zine Family (Z-Dorm Remix) 2. MPI Project vs Korrupt - Symbiosis 3. Phyx - Wasteland 4. Tone Deaf Junkies - Noxious 5. Artifakt - Broken 6. Tone Deaf Junkies - Veil of Tears 7. Shift - U Can't Say 8. Elektroboii - One Day in Brighton 9. Humanizer - Before The Beach 10. Spindle Sect vs Artifakt - Numnema 11. Seven Ark - Separation Device Mix one part brooding Depeche Mode pads, one part British aggro Prodigy electronic beats, a dash of alien operatic performance, and just smidge of disaffected youth and place it all under the masterful eye of South African label Timecode Records. Got yourself quite a package there big boy. Proving that this label refuses to be forced into one genre Timecode punches you in the face with a dark break beat assault that has a little something for everyone. Well, except trance that is. This is nod your head goodness with brutal beats and a futuristic theme. It makes you wanna wreck sh*t. It makes you wanna hang out with the kids that your parents said had no future. You know those guys, smoking cigarettes with black leather jackets and scuffed up Doc Martens and pointy orange mohawks that made them look like a f*cking rooster. There certainly is an anarchy screw you undercurrent to it. Juicy basses and slamming snares form the chassis for rampaging electronica. The rapid fire rap even works. Don't know how, but it does. While it isn't something I would listen to everyday, it is a fresh change of pace that is made for big speakers. And judging from the awesome cover they could use a fresh set. Looks like the pair I got bumping in the 96 Grand Cherokee. Psyshop - 12 bucks? Beatspace - You gonna charge me $14.53? Are you high? Saikosounds - Under 9 dollars? Now you're speaking my language. Mdk

Artist: Wanderlust Title: Two Epoches, Before...and After Label: UAF Date: December, 2011 01 - Greek Kochairi 02 - Gusi-Lebedi 03 - Poltergeist 04 - Shelaho 05 - Whirlwinds 06 - Manager's Syndrome 07 - Tales Of Power 08 - Decameron 09 - Loki I'd be very, very careful who you talk to about that, because the person who wrote that is very dangerous." An Indian Terminator? Where the hell was this version?!? Suck it Arnold...you've been outdone. This is a free release from Imba over at UAF and while he has released a bunch of great stuff this ain't one of them. I like the Middle Eastern or Indian vibe in my goa trance as much as I like chocolate in my peanut butter. But this is reeeeealllly ethnic sounding. Think dude in a turban playing a shanai on the street trying to make a cobra come out of a basket. The leads annoyed the crap out of me just like Indian music does. Simple melodies and very repetitive. It had it's weird moments too. Like the medieval melody in Wirlwind? Interesting. Compared to a lot of stuff out there it sounds very amateurish. By the way... We got this forum up to 300 topics!!!! Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Zero Hour Title: Dementia Label: One Foot Groove Date: April, 2010 1. Reborn 2. Nuclear 3. Psyonic Emanations 4. Prototype 5. Code 138 6. Inferno 7. Dementia 8. Transformer 9. Overmind "Whenever I see a world untouched by war...a world of innocence. A world of lush forests and clear rivers...I really just want to nuke the crap out of it. They'll never know what hit 'em." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Oh sh*t I think I just peed myself! Hold up, I'll get it together... Sorry, that last one just got out. Ok that is an actual sample from one of the tracks here. I couldn't tell you which one because they all sounded exactly the same. I know hardware synths come with loads of presets, so why this guy decided to use just three is beyond me. It's night time full on that isn't that bad, but it's just the same track over and over. Not to mention the same stuff we have heard year in and year out. Same sounds thrown together with dark movie samples. I like the premise, but the execution is lacking. Nothing stands out with this release. Well, the above sample is funny as sh*t and for those who cannot get enough build ups you've got plenty here. Oh and for f*ck's sake what's with the Transformers sample? Some movies should be off limits. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Cosmopolite: The Second Step Label: Com.Pact Date: 2001 1. Ice glass - VISUAL PARADOX VS. PERPLEX 2. The unpleasent surprise - CONTACT 3. Confused - DOOPER DOOPLER 4. Grabber - BITMONX 5. Daylight - NASA 6. Waverider - HERBAL ESSENCES 7. Smooth - SESTO SENTO VS. INTERGALACTIC 8. Vojage - MATENDA 9. Human B - NISSIMYANI Wow, 2001. I had just met my wife so there were still vestiges of bachelorhood hanging on. Still got pickled when I went out (sometimes incapable of speech drunk) there was the obligatory porn stash, and the house...why the f*ck do I need carpet fresh? And what the hell are you putting on my windows? Blinds? I don't even know who you are anymore. Ice Glass- I liked the percussion in the beginning and the panning effect, but my rule is if you have a sample saying, "Bass" you're dead to me. An Unpleasant Surprise- The title is a tad misleading. Because this in no way was a surprise. It's a slow progressive groover that has a clunky shake to it. Slightly appealing, but I need more. An unpleasant surprise is when your kid sh*ts in the bathtub, or your wife figures out how to view your browsing history. Nope, I'd say this was par for the course. Confused- Usually there has to be numerous factors thrown together to get one confused. Unless simple things confuse you and if they do I don't know how you managed to get on the internet. This another smooth progressive track that doesn't bog you down with all those pesky layers and melody. It does have awesome fart sounds though. Nice. Grabber- Immediately the deep bass grabs you like a perv on the subway. I've seen too much hentai to know that doesn't end well. What's the matter with the Japanese anyway? Tentacle porn? People are into some weird sh*t. More smooth progressive in the minimal style that was so popular back then. Don't make us bring democracy to you. Oh, you already have it? Daylight- See above. Not the tentacle porn. That's not up there you freakshow. WaveRider- Really? Herbal Essence? Like the shampoo and conditioner? He should've trademarked that sh*t. More progressive that's good for the first 5 or 6 minutes with distant sounding pads. And for those having trouble with the English language there is a sample telling you what words begin with the letter E. Education...it's everyone's responsibility. Damn...chick loves her some progressive. Smooth- It's just that smooth progressive. Very nice and relaxing. As close to floating as you can get without dropping the kick drum. Boy did you guys undergo a transformation. Voyage- Another nice progressive tune with delicate synth touches. Floating pads and gentle breezes. Human B- Not bad progressive. Better than the full-on diarrhea they ended up producing. I knew this was going into the recycle bin before I gave it the monocled scrutiny. At least I thought it was. Damnit, it really isn't that bad. Quiet, smooth minimal progressive that is very relaxing and good for headphones. It was 2001 and that was a bit of a dark period for psytrance, but this was fairly well done and it holds up well today. So for those clamoring for the days of simple non-complicated music then hurry thyself to Beatspace cause the physical copy is still available. Beatspace Mdk

First of all...did you read the above review? What the hell man? I know I like to go off on tangents, but...wow. Artist: Various Title: Cipher Label: Timecode Records Date: May, 2003 01. Artifakt : Instant Gratification 02. Phyx : Twitch 03. Rabdom : Dr No 04. Shift : Flex 05. Xatrik And The Slug : Sic Science 06. Twisted System : Twisted Syster 07. Hydraglyph : Precognition 08. Broken Toy : Rockstar This is the 3rd compilation from legendary Timecode Records with the usual cast of characters assembled for your night time full-on pleasure. Like the cover this was back in 2003 so they were still finding their sea legs. But they're getting closer. Something that I felt was noticeable with this release is the attention to atmosphere and melody. The darkness is still festering and the acid component is beginning to surface. Scratchy sounds and filter knob twiddling is becoming more prevalent as they were discovering their sound. The standout? sHiFt for my money. Flex is just a pulsating blast of acid that was a preview of the massive type of tracks he would later produce. They've still got a ways to go before the quality of their later releases, but the foundation is in the ground. Psyshop Beatspace (Download) Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Orbis Tertius Label: Timecode Records Date: 2002 1. In Void Plate (Intro) 2. Light of Madness - Wizzy Noise 3. Trouble on Tlon - NRS 4. Secret Syntheses - Phyx 5. 9 Coins - Artifakt 6. Absolution - sHiFt 7. Echoes of Madness - Lemurians 8. Kill Switch - Rabdom L 9. IS.EA.ED. - Artifakt 10. File 2 - Xatrik Before Timecode became one of the pre eminent labels for night time full-on they were producers of...I guess you would call it melodic, atonal darkpsy. Minimal at times with descriptive textures yet always remaining stuff of the shadows. You will see a lot of the artists that have been the stable of their label for many years. This was their 2nd compilation and well...you've got to crawl before you can walk. Light of Madness- Wow, wow, Wizzy. This is a lot different than the Wizzy we know today. An unchanging clanking of a track that shows me that they left the sequencer running. No melodies and full-on beats? Say it ain't so Wizzy! Trouble on Tlon- This darkpsy act actually used more melodies than Wizzy. It's like it's 2002 up in here. Minimal sounding with evil effects pretty much sums it up. This is the supernatural demon that's trying to escape from the basement. Secret Syntheses- This is some old early Phyx! Dark and acidic like the first album from Twisted System. But rather than be minimal and mindless, it's chock full of electronic screeches and sinister things that crawl in the dark. 9 Coins- Label head Matthew De Nobrega is nothing if not consistent. This is the same dark, techno inspired psy that he still produces today. It's full of bleeps and scrapes with a very long break that gives it a deep feel. Noisy? Sure. But that's what he does. Don't piss on my leg and call it rainwater. And he doesn't. Absolution- Chris Hoy is a legend in the South African psytrance scene. You know you've made it when you can produce dubstep with a straight face (he does this as a side project). But back in 2002 he scraped concrete on concrete with aggressive leads, acid bursts and big beats. Like Walt Disney the darkness was always within him and he lays it out for all to see right here. Who knew that speech impediment kept the evil locked away. Echoes of Madness- I used to think that the Lemurians made the same type of music as the Pleiadians. My bad. Ah being a newbie in the scene was so innocent. With a nice break and punchy bass line I have come to appreciate this more now. Dark and twisted it's pretty damn psychedelic. Guitar crunch at no extra charge. Kill Switch- You know what always bothered me about this project? That motherf*cking b. Craig's gone on to have a very prolific career, but this isn't his best work. Stick figure thin in the production department it annoys me like the buzzing of a mosquito. IS.EA.ED.- When you're the head of the label you can put two of your tracks on a compilation. If you like weird noises that sound like a change of underpants is in order then step right up. He's ahh...gotten a lot more detailed in his production. I'm working on being nicer. File 2- One of my favorite twilight music producers Gregory Hamber consistently knocks it out of the park with his tracks. This one...foul ball. I mean this is 11 years ago, what was he 15? One thing sticks out and that is the window vibrating bass. He's got the evil in him, with slow creeping pads that seem to be watching you from a distance. I think it's fair to say that all the artists have gone on to make superior tracks and the label itself has grown by leaps and bounds. But listening to this was a function of the time it was released. It was before the full-on wave and the minimal era was on the way out. Dark at it's core you could just make out the direction they were going to lead psytrance. I know I'm trying to make room on the hard drive, but I just can't seem to get rid of this. Beatspace (Digital Download) Mdk

Artist: Various Title: As Hard As It Gets Label: Boa Group Records Date: July, 2009 1. U on acid A-TEAM 2. New Reality PUNCHLINE 3. Puzzle (Bliss rmx) PSY SEX 4. Chilakillers PAINKILLER VS BIO GENESIS 5. Search and destroy AZAX SYNDROM 6. Overdose TOXIC 7. Synthetic SLUG VS LOST AND FOUND 8. One (A-team rmx) ASTRAL PROJECTION As Hard as it gets. If you type that into Google Image search you'll see enough dong to put you out of your comfort zone. Unless you're one of these guys. Compiled by the ahem, A-Team (Painkiller + Bliss) the track list seems promising. But we have been down this road before havent we? If you like deep and twisting night time full-on then as Obi-Wan said: This is not the compilation you're looking for. U On Acid- "You can dream a whole adventure in your sleep in a split second." It's always a bad sign when instead of spelling the track name, letter abbreviations are used. Usually we are heading for disappointment. Not my rule, it just works out that way. The ahem, A-Team (and I use that term with as much irony as I can muster) start things off with a very loud track overflowing with sounds and textures. It's pumping full-on with some techno influences and interesting changes of pace. Not bad, but with so many stops and starts it gets tiring to listen to. Good for the mosh pit I suppose. New Reality- "Experience is the new reality." Oy the buildups. Migraine inducing leads that go way past 11. My new reality is taking a few extra strength aspirin. Thanks a lot you sonofab*tch. Puzzle (Bliss Rmx)- I've had beef with Bliss since he released the atrocious Looney Bin Fiasco which coincidentally went straight to the garbage bin. Keep hoping against hope that he will return to his Rhythmus Gene ways, but it ain't gonna be here. More of the same weak sh*t he's been making. Don't recall if the original was craptacular, but Bliss didn't help. R.I.P. buddy. Chilakillers- This is what it sounds like...when doves cry. Pure assembly line music. Stop making the same repetitive bullsh*t over and over again. Search and Destroy- We all know that Regev hasn't been right for damn near a decade, but every now and then he gives us a glimpse of the talented producer he is. A lot have already began to shovel dirt on this guy and uh...well this track didn't help. It's more loud and uninspired full on. What happened to you Regev? Did you lose your acid preset? You need an intervention. Overdose- "Oh no, you shouldn't hallucinate alone!" I don't normally try to hurt people, but when I do, this could be my theme music. Take everything that you hate about full on and now put it on repeat. Overdosing is not a laughing matter. Unless your this guy. "F*ck you girl scouts. F*ck you and the cute little outfits you wore to knock on my door." Synthetic- "Maybe there never was a real me in the first place and I'm completely synthetic." This is the lone bright spot on this compilation. This combo just put the pedal down and threw it out there. Alas, one track does not a compilation make. Sad face. On (A-Team Remix)- The ahem, A-Team close it out with a remix of an Astral track. Meh, by this point I'm already beaten down by your wall of suck. If this had the winning lottery numbers in it I wouldn't have known it. P.S. I listened to it again. It didn't have the numbers. Thanks for nothing assholes! Ok, I think you know how this turned out. This was like being subjected to a Nutek compilation. Artists making music in the grey area of commercial full-on under the guise of twilight music. As mentioned it's loud, unimaginative, and chock full of stops and starts. Buildups that haven't caused me this much pain since my last kidney stone. I think I go for a drive, maybe it'll sound better in the car. Nope. Sh*t should come with a warning label. Psyshop Beatspace GoaStore Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Are You Connected? Label: Spectral Moon Records Date: September, 2005 1. Tsunami destroyer WINTER DEMON 2. Survive the festival MATTER OF BEAT 3. Dance or die NEUROMOTOR 4. Will smoke you TOXIC 5. Getting closer DIGITAL OUTLAWS 6. Organic noise NEUROMTOR VS ATMAAH 7. Use it for evil (edit version) PSYCHOTIC DEMON 8. Mindover MECHANIX 9. Crazy sense rmx HYPER FREQUENCIES "You mean I have to live the rest of my life in this body? No f*cking way!" Who doesn't love a good Chucky sample? Waitaminute, is he even relevant anymore? I actually saw the first one in the movie theater and it scared the crap out of me. I was so high. So high I could kiss the sky. Anyway...Are you connected? I already know the question you're gonna ask? And the answer is I don't know. I have so many questions and not one of them couldn't make me sound like a dick. Is there a worse track than Dance or Die? I'm sure there is, but hearing that is like having a raging case of hemorrhoids at a seminar and the only place to sit is on a cactus. As if wanting to answer my question, Will Smoke you by Toxic forced me to throw up in my mouth a little bit. The chopped up sample in Getting Closer is dreadful and I'm wondering if I was on auto-f*cking pilot when I bought this. One bright spot it would be Organic Noise. It's a fast paced pummeling of a track that sounded like a continuous growl from a hungry lion. Wait, maybe that's not such a good thing...The other nice track was Uze It For Evil...dark and spooky. This one left a foul smell after I rapidly deleted it. You sonofab*tch. Beatspace Psyshop GoaStore Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Antenna Vol. 1 Label: Stargate Recordings Date: December, 2004 1. Ice Flow VIBRASPHERE 2. Twin Soul KAYA PROJECT 3. Iris Rotation AES DANA 4. Shimmer (piano version) PUFF DRAGON 5. Unhold from a renegade UNEXPLODED 6. Forest Bump DIGITAL MYSTERY TOUR 7. Observer OMNIMOTION 8. DevaBhanda (Tantric Laswell rmx) MAKYO 9. Velvet reptile SOLAR FIELDS Don't let the sh*tty and unimaginative cover fool you. Talk about mailing it in. There are some quality tracks here. Of course a few have been released before. For example Ice Flow by Vibrasphere was released on Selected Downbeats Vol. 1. I can't believe that project is no more. But I suppose they did about all you could do with their music. Iris Rotation by Aes Dana is of course on the Memory Shell album. But I knew I already had those. I wanted to see what the other tracks were like. Seb Taylor's Kaya Project had a female Indian vocal all the way through that annoyed the crap outta me. Puff Dragon is Steve Good also known as Double Dragon who gave us the Continuum album (as well as compiling this one). Shimmer is a slow dreamy crawl with piano because this is the piano version. It hums and oscillates so good luck getting me off this cloud. De-licious! Untold From a Renegade has a lengthy eerie opening before switching to a break beat style. It's smooth with long pads and a dark undercurrent. Nice Forest Bump was a bit of a clanky mess. Observer has a haunting guitar over a mid tempo beat. Just wish there was a little bit more to it. Still not bad. Devabhanda has all the world instruments you would expect with a nice break beat. Soothing for sure. A wonderful exotic combination. Like traveling to the Himalayas without leaving the house. This was a Solar Fields track I had never heard. There's a soft and gentle quality to the Ambient style dub that sounds very organic. Obviously not essential because the well known tracks are elsewhere, but there are plenty of really good ones here to suit your ambient/downtempo needs. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Spectrum Analyzer: Analyzed by DJ Dede Label: Spectrum Music Date: May, 2002 1. Cakes & Pieces - Echotek 2. Activity - Atomic Pulse 3. Made Contact - Spectrum 4. Shaffeling - Shift 5. I'm Real - Atomic Pulse Vs. DJ Dede 6. Monster DNA (Remix) - Safi Connection 7. Gringos - Shift 8. Ilucid Dream - Atomic Pulse 9. Enable To Construct - Spectrum I paid for this. I actually paid money for it. Back when I was just discovering psytrance and gobbled up all the stuff I could find. I was routinely spending $300 bucks a month at Saikosounds for at least a year. So much so that with each $100 spent they let me have a free CD of my choice. Listening to this right now is like comparing XBox Live with...f*ck I dunno...pong. This was when minimal was king and the full-on wave had yet to crest. There is just nothing here. Nothing. It's a desert devoid of changes in direction and layers. Recall back to a time when over 32 measures there were just incremental changes. A hi-hat there. A slight synth riff there. Maybe a small drum pattern change. Sure there's a cool K-Pax sample in Made Contact, but how long is that gonna hold you? Maybe to the Vanilla Sky sample in I'm Real? The stuttering Stanley sample from the Sixth Sense featured in Safi's Monster DNA remix? The fun back then was trying to remember what movie the sample was from. And most of the tracks have movie samples in them and they're used very well. But musically? All of the artists have grown in 11 years as you would expect and have composed much more detailed and interesting tracks. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Amarasya Vol. 2 Label: Blue Tunes Recordings Date: February, 2006 1. Run away ODISEO VS JAKA 2. Tane (XV Killist Rmx) ANTIX VS BITMONX 3. Laughing guys with titts HUMAN TRAFFIC 4. Confused LIQUID SOUL 5. Rebirth ACE VENTURA 6. Born in a new world (Symphonix rmx) LIQUID SOUL 7. Electro express FABIO AND DAY-DIN 8. Default TRUE LIES "Listen to me...what are we talking about really? We're talking about a journey...a subconscious safari." Let's get ready to rumbleeeeeeee!!!!! You guessed it! In the quest to go through music I haven't listened to in awhile, we have the next installment of Montagu Vs. Golkonda in the Amarasya series. And immediately I attempted to run away from the first track. Boring with a house feel. Spirits dashed I'm then dragged kicking and screaming into an 11 minute XV Kilist remix. Hold up...this is gonna take a little medication. Nope...need more drugs. Oy. The same loop over and over and I wasn't even halfway through. Laughing Guys With Tits is a great title but all I remember is the sample of Vincent Price laughing. Yep, the same one in Michael Jackson's Thriller. Jeez, what a snoozefest so far. The Liquid Soul track was a little better. Subtle with good effects, yet still managed to be boring. Ace Ventura wields a pretty cool sample and aside from a few boring bits it was by far the best yet. Good usage of effects I must say. Symphonix (which includes Mr. Golkonda) slows things down with a track that makes me feel I'm in a far away dream. It's atmospheric with a less is more take on progressive. Effective. With Electro Express you can actually sing YMCA to its rhythm. It totally works. Electro hits give it a percussive funkiness that has some appeal. "Young man...there's no need to feel down..." It got better as it went along, but it felt like work. Like I had to work to get into it and really like it. There is too much good music out there where that isn't necessary. And never forget...I'm pretty lazy. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

I've dumped on Wild Things Records before because they don't seem to think that any melody is needed. Not this time. Going through a lot of my old stuff I came across this and while not melodic in the usual sense, Antic was right...there is a melodic quality to their musicality. There will be no twirling here, but that's not what they do. This is pumping take over your body rhythms that set the mood with some dark atmosphere. I didn't even notice track one ended and track two began because they are ridiculously similar. That's not to say I didn't like it cause I just kept on grooving. Acid squelches and thumping bass lines are their trademark. Throw in the cyber heavy feeling during the breaks and we've got something good going here. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Advanced Options Label: YoYo Records Date: July, 2006 1. Fluffy Puppy ATOMIC CULTURE 2. Basic BASIC 3. Insight ONYX, PTX 4. TNT TIMELOCK 5. Droid save da queen (X-Noize rmx) SUB6 6. Iron Man ECHOTEK 7. Limit Air DOUBLE IMPACT 8. Breakdown QUANTUM 9. 2nd episode FATALI 10. Shellshocks BWICKED If you had to pick a compilation that encompassed total full-on immersion in its hey day this would be it. Look at that track list. It's like the FBI most wanted list. Every artist on there screams full-on. Now it's easy for me to sit here and snipe them seven years later, but in 2006 this was the state of psytrance. Ibiza wave your hands in the air give me a glow stick trance. Like the dark times of minimal the sunny happy times of full-on didn't leave much for trancers to chew on. Sorta like a pop tart for dinner. The title of the compilation is a misnomer. It is neither advanced nor is it an option. From the awful vocoded vocals of Sync to the repetitive and unimaginative bass lines of...well, all of the tracks this is a rocket ship to the bottom of a port a potty. Only it's not the bottom apparently because they made parts 2 and 3. I'll link to it, but only because I'm supposed to. Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Trancelvania Label: Pukka Music Date: 2005 1. No Complication Z MACHINE 2. Out of the Chaos BLISS 3. Harlequin's Guard PARRKET 4. New Mecca UNNATURAL 5. The other Side of the Scale ALTERNATIVE CONTROL feat. DJ AQUAPIPE 6. Alcohol 220V VS INTERACTIVE 7. Restricted Files INNER ACTION 8. Ambush ELEC3 9. After Hours ESKIMO First off I love the artwork. Very beautiful that has me finding new stuff in it the longer I stare at it. Second I know what you're gonna say. So much music and you choose to review something right smack dab in the middle of the full on tsunami? Yes, because I'm trying to clean out the hard drive. But news flash this ain't going. After you get through the disappointing Z-machine and Eskimo effort, this compilation takes a ride on an all black bullet train. Eerie atmosphere and twilight textures rule as movie samples tumble down causing me to smile in recognition. There is good layering here with punchy bass lines and rhythmic leads. A few buildups but nothing like the crap that comes out today. Very enjoyable and holds up well some 8 years later. I have it in sh*tty quality and a part of me wants to buy it again. But another part of me says if I do, it should come with a punch in the face. GoaStore Mdk

Artist: Radical Distortion / Mendark Title: Purple Energy Label: Unicorn Music Date: November, 2005 1. Equilibrium - Radical Distortion 2. 3 On A Tree - Mendark Vs. Sunhize 3. Skunk Pack - Radical Distortion 4. It Came Up The Mind - Mendark 5. Purple Energy - Radical Distortion Vs. Mendark 6. The Halloween Project - Radical Distortion 7. The Only Way - Mendark 8. Inspiration - Radical Distortion 9. Psycho Filler - Mendark "Sometimes you have to close one door to open another..." HA HA HA HA!!! I hate cats. Looks like the Greeks saddled up a poor stable boy and rode that kid to the recording studio. Radical Distortion are Nikolaos Politaridis & Spanos Ioannis and their success has been well documented culminating with but not being limited to their 2009 release Psychedelic Dreams on Suntrip Records. Of course I'm overlooking the uber disappointing Re-Genesis that started off gangbusters and then promptly crashed quicker than a drunk pilot. Mendark? Not so much, but his Side Liner project is going strong. Equilibrium- "Now let's play basketball, shirts versus skins...the winner gets pancakes!" I don't think this would have flown at Suntrip. Except right out the window. Not their finest work. 3 On A Tree- This was a fairly decent progressive trance track with nice effects. Ahead of its time I would say, but the ending was a little weak. Skunk Pack- "It's bad Mikey, real bad! They wanna kill me...if they catch me." Yep, it's pretty bad. A full-on track that beats that poor sample into the ground. I used to like this? What the f*ck was wrong with me? It Came Up The Mind- Annnnnnd....it came out the other end. That's not fair...I would've also accepted Purple Energy- So far this was the best one. While that isn't saying a whole lot, it had some very nice goa moments. The Halloween Project- Is nothing sacred? Nothing? How much lower can humanity go? This was one of the two tracks that made me keep the disc. Goa through and through. Why couldn't you do this on the whole album? The Only Way- This was the best track from Mendark for me. It was a good mix of goa and progressive atmosphere with a thumping beat. Sparkling synths and dark tone...the whole nine yards. Sinister even. For some reason when I first heard it I didn't like it, but now it's f*cking kick ass. Inspiration- And this was the other one. Pure stomping goa that unfurls at its leisure. So that makes 3 quality goa tracks. Psycho Filler- He did put filler in the title didn't he? It wasn't bad though. People said that the first four tracks were solid and then the album took a nosedive after that. I disagree. For me the strongest tracks were the final four. I think this album shows just how starved we were as a people clamoring for goa. Even with the hint of melodies from the golden age we we only too willing to accept this. It's subpar and cannot even get mentioned in the same breath as the stuff we have today. It's not really fair for me to criticize and judge so harshly something from almost 7 years ago I suppose. I'm sure I did some things 7 years ago that I wouldn't be very proud of. Then I think of course it is, otherwise what the hell am I doing here? But I'm sure if you asked the fine gents of Radical Distortion if this holds up today I'm sure they would tell you to tell me to go f*ck myself. I mean...I still bought it when it came out because I'm a collector and I throw money around like Asian businessmen at a strip club. If I had money I mean. Favorites: 6,7,8. Psyshop Goastore Mdk

Artist: Eternal Bliss Title: Pyramids Label: Clubware Date: 1996 1. Hallucinate 2. Indiamagic 3. I Am I 4. Get Wired (Album Remix) 5. Pyramids 6. Phoenix 7. The Doors of Perception "Yeah baby, you are the new star. The new "it" project. We're gonna knock those amateurs from Etnica and Dimension 5 right outta the charts. All the elements are here for a classic album. Let's see, we've got a spir itual artist name with equally otherworldly track names. Multicolored cover that hints at previous alien visitation. The music? Why you gotta bring that up?" "Skip the first track, it's pure filler. If you're gonna title the track Hallucinate you might wanna, I dunno, make the listener hallucinate. Aw f*ck it leave it in there, it costs too much to clean it up. It shows that you're edgy. Besides I spent your studio money at the track. How the hell a dog named Flash could finish last is beyond me. Don't worry, don't worry...Trust me bubbala, I know what I'm doing." Indiamagic- "This is a delightful tribal goa romp with long evolving pads that seem so exotic to the gullible American audience. Can you just picture the Indian non union equivalent of Eddie Van Halen tearing it up on guitar with ridiculous faces for the camera? The kids'll eat it up I tell ya! I'm sorry did I say guitar? How stupid...I meant sitar!" "So whattya think the teacher's gonna look like this year?" I Am I- "Hey...make sure you get that monotonous I AM I chant in there. Nah, I don't give a f*ck how many times the sheeple will eat it up. C'mon they're so whacked out on drugs they won't care. Almost 12 minutes? Perfect! It'll be like a personal conversation with Vishnu or Allah or whoever the f*ck they pray to." God help me I didn't hate it. I should've. Really should've...but I didn't. Get Wired (Album Remix)- "I've got this riff I've been working on." "Can you milk it for 8 minutes?" "What? I mean...I guess I could...sure I'll try." This was a remix? How f*cking bad was the original? Pyramids- The intro and the breaks are vivid symphonic phrases that are in constant motion. Almost makes you forget that nothing else is going on. At all. Zero. Although the Top-Gun esque guitar made me smile. Phoenix- "I said relax, I didn't say stop producing. Bad news...I blew the rest of your per diem on a new venture. Grandmasluts.com...it's gonna be big...HUGE! And wipe that white sh*t off your nose you're gonna get us both arrested. No problem...we'll clean it up in post production. Oh for f*cks sake don't give me the sad puppy dog eyes...everyone does it. How do you think we made Kesha a star? You better start wising up.." It's more lower tier goa with some very good string work. And that's what keeps happening with this release. On the whole the tracks aren't very good or interesting, but there are parts that are nice that make it easier to overlook the obvious deficiencies. Doors of Perception- "I dunno what you should call the last one. Who gives a f*ck? They all sound the same anyway. Call it wrinkly ball sac for all I care. Here, let's go to the net. Here's a good one...Doors of Perception. Ha! I knew it, gold! Cosmosis already has this track name so we can just piggy back off of them! Hippies are stupid, all you gotta do is throw them a carrot and they'll follow it." Aside from the juicy bass line, this track is just wandering around the desert. I was poised to rip this a new one, but the more I listened to it, the more I found some actual musicality here. It's still goa on that lower level , but as I mentioned before there were instances in the tracks that were very appealing. Essential? Far, far from it. Unless you really like colorful triangles. But I think it's better than a lot of the generic psy coming out these days. Which brings me to their next album released a mere 15 years later called...wait for it...Full Om. Where the hell were you on this one Draeke. Huh? Where.Were.You. Could've had unreleased Eternal Bliss for probably a tenth of what it cost to release Etnica. You need to speak to my promoter. Mdk