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Trance2MoveU

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  1. Artist: Dimension 5 Title: TransAddendum Label: Suntrip Records Date: February, 2013 1. Altair 2. Zarkon 3. Strange Phenomena 4. Return To The Source 5. Caprica 6. Symphonic Switch 7. Alpha Particles 8. Deep Space 5D (Thai Remix) de·vi·ant - deviating especially from some accepted norm : characterized by deviation (as from a standard of conduct) <socially deviant behavior> I think I'm a deviant. Me peeking into Joske's window seeing what he's got up his sleeve. I mean, what he's listening to. Yeah, what he's listening to. What did you think I meant? Whoa, whoa hold on...he's way older than me. It's not like I comb the elementary schools for unsuspecting prepubescent boys in hopes to lure them away from the twisty slide and ask them if they will fart on this sandwich I've got in my bag. That's messed up. And a waste of a perfectly good sandwich. Suntrip: "What the f*ck? We asked him for this?" Ok, so I'm not a deviant, not even close. But you will see why I might be exhibiting deviant behavior. Here we have a release by one of if not the greatest Goa Trance acts in history full of stuff you've never heard before. Their album Transdimensional was one of the most superb goa trance albums of all time with more melodies than you can shake a stick at. All wrapped up in some thick deep space atmosphere. Now I'm still not over my man crush on the Mindsphere and Etnica releases and Suntrip goes and drops this gem on me? Oh well, like a dutiful Mormon I just smile and say the more the merrier. But carrying on a relationship with three people may cause some to label me a deviant. Moving on from one album to the next like the goa whores we are can be signs of deviant behavior. Or the greatest party of all time. Said every single guy ever. Now I believe that with Patience From Heaven and Live in Athens 1996 the bar has been set in the modern era. Again. Ok first things first the artwork (by Fabián Arturo Jiménez Gally) is light and beautiful. Nice enough in fact that I would love a poster of it on my wall. Except my wife would probably tell me to take my hippy sh*t to the basement cause it clashes with whatever motif she's currently got going on. I swear all my sh*t is down there, it looks like a hoarder lives there. Secondly there are going to be comparisons to Etnica's Live in Athens 1996 and that's understandable. Both artists are legends and two great labels are releasing tracks that have never been heard or are ridiculously rare. The difference is that this is a single disc of unreleased tracks. To be followed by another disc of rare tracks that were only on obscure vinyls. Pretty smart too cause the minds at Suntrip know that some people already have those tracks so why jack them for some stuff they don't need and make 'em buy a double album? But you know you're gonna get it, so just set aside the 20 euro from your part time job as a fluffer and don't think about it. Look it up. So how is it? The most important label in today's goa trance has an incredible track record consistently releasing quality album after quality album. For some perspective, in the big leagues if a player hits .400 he is phenomenal. I think only one player in the history of baseball (not sure, I hate baseball...so f*cking boring) has ever had a batting average like that during his career. Well this player averages near 1000 over their 9 year run. Melodic goa trance is what they do and they do it better than anyone else. Now I could be the fanboy that I am and just tell you that this is their greatest release to date, and everything else pales in comparison. But that's not how I write. This is a great album with 8 tracks that you've never heard before. Melodic and old school to the bone with more of their trademarked atmosphere you crave. At times it hits hard and during others track lengths are measured in trippy light years not minutes. It sounds great which is another feather in the cap of Tim Schuldt. And there is no question that if you're a fan of D5 or goa trance than you should most definitely buy this. Maybe I got spoiled by the Etnica release, but I missed having an insert detailing what the story was behind the tracks. But that has nothing to do with the quality music so who cares? But it's not Transdimensional 2. How could it be? When you've reached the mountain top how much higher can you go? There's a reason these were unreleased and the ones on Transdimensional made it to the album. That album is an absolute classic. So much so that Suntrip (damn these guys are good) already re-released it. They knew. But they also knew that we as fans of goa trance have a hunger for unreleased stuff. If there is a possibility of good tunes out there that we haven't experienced then why not let them see the light of day? But please don't call these b-sides, because I think that title demeans what they are. Whether they made it on the album or not, we wanted them. We needed them. Good on you Suntrip, this is a fantastic release. Suntrip Psyshop Beatspace GoaStore Mdk
  2. Artist: Various Title: Party Outlaw Trance Label: Black Flame Date: 1997 1. Neurobic - KoxBox 2. Zoa (Remix) - K.U.R.O. 3. Full On - Etnica 4. Levitation - Mr. Beam 5. Shape The Future - MFG 6. Space Train - Phoenix 7. Gecko Ecko - Psy Phy 6 8. Flight of The Phoenix - Phoenix Once I handle my responsibilities, I'll review whatever catches my fancy. All over the map sometimes. I look at this track list and say, "All right, MFG, KURO, KoxBox, and Etnica...that's pretty good." Black Flame is a division of Blue Flame which I assume is just 2 guys lighting their farts on fire. If you know of a better way to light a candle I'm listening... I don't really know, but I do know that they are also all over the map with what they release. From downtempo and chill to Euro House. If you study the cover one will notice is the word I-B-I-Z-A on the cover. No matter how "outlaw" you portend to be, it's kinda like riding a motorcycle with Hello Kitty on it. Bad Ass! 127 more payments and it's all mine. You probably didn't need me to tell you that this is pretty benign as far as goa goes. The tracks by the well known names are good, but you probably already have those. On top of that it's mixed and poorly at that. Abrupt transitions like over enthusiastic dancing guy keeps hitting my f*cking table. The rest of the tracks are subpar. I tell you whom I am most disappointed by. Draeke. Etnica unreleaseds? Whatever. Where the hell were you with the lost tracks from Phoenix? Talk about dropping the ball... Mdk
  3. That is exactly what I did the fourth time I listened to it. And I fell asleep. So if that was his objective, mission accomplished. Mdk
  4. Artist: Jupiter 8000 Title: Twisted Bliss Label: Avatar Records Date: February, 2004 1. Cylent Storm 2. 101 And Still Alive 3. Dust to Dawn 4. Atem rmx 5. The Memory 6. Inside 7. Break The Law 8. Bit Fire 9. New Moon 10. Rubber Dub "The purpose of this hearing is to determine if you are likely to break the law again." I am very surprised that this has not been reviewed. 2004 was a time when this place was crowded like an Indian commuter train. This is the second album from the Boris Blenn project Jupiter 8000 and I like it a whole lot better than his first one. It's straight psytrance, but before we were sick to death of full-on and it's maudlin predictability. Never one to go against the way the wind blows, Boris hopped right on this full-on wave, but he also dropped a little goa flavor in there. If I were to say a few words... Cylent Storm is innovative and solid. Know why? Cause since it came out I've heard this melody lifted numerous times by other artists. Part goa and part psy it's all good. 101 and Still Alive has some good acid lines as he twists that filter cutoff. Dust to Dawn bubbles like a hot cauldron of mismatched goa wear, but also growls with ferocity. Oh he knows how to party. "Where da white women at?" Atem Remix has the goa ripples as well along with the acid that apparently never left him. He's just gonna let that lead keep playing isn't he?. Don't wanna any interruptions when your trying to nail that chick with the nice ta-ta's. Got a sister you say? The Memory is darker with some of that Indian? vocal that screams exotic to a kid from New Jersey. You know once you leave the turnpike it's f*cking Deliverance out there. Inside thumps along and makes me remember when I first discovered psytrance. With a nice break and a rising lead that surges like a phoenix I'm all smiles. Break the Law? C'mon Boris. Won't someone please think of the children? Sure this track has the liquid bass and danceable lead, but it always leads to sitting on a curb with your hands behind your back in some tired Nikes and a Santa suit. Always. Bit Fire is creative and chunky. Once the low growl subsides he scorches with a guitar riff that we've all heard before. Some say guitars and psy don't mix and that somethings don't really belong together. Sounds like making the most of an opportunity to me. I dunno, I really liked it. It f*cking rocked. New Moon is progressive filler and Rubber Dub makes me think of one thing: Hooray beer! I know it's not Red Stripe, but f*ck that chick for not wanting to hook up on kiss cam. Man back then he really could craft a track. I mean he can still do it, but now he needs a wingman (aka Space Tribe). I like his albums and he is a true legend, but he's been putting out the same album for half a decade now. This one is quality psytrance. Is there a way we can go back in time and bring this Boris back? Imagine two Boris-es! While one is being uber creative he can also act as the shut down relay when the other starts to go in a silly direction. Win win I say. Avatar Records Mdk
  5. Trance2MoveU

    Ishq - Bloom

    Artist: Ishq Title: Bloom Label: Virtual Date: October, 2012 1. Blue Wave 2. Evergreen 3. Iao 4. Ancient Lands 5. Opal Aqua 6. Bioluminessence 7. Clover 8. Amaryllis Dreams 9. Summerland Beatless Ambient is an acquired taste. You have to hold the listener's attention in other ways when you treat the kick drum as if it were a pedophile otherwise you stray into drone territory. And that is a whole nother level of catatonia. Ishq is Matt Hillier and this is one of his numerous albums. Very prolific he is. This one is kind of like a compilation of some of the tracks he made from 2001 to 2012. Are they unreleased? I dunno, it's not like I would remember if they were. The title is perfect as it moves slowly (sometimes excruciatingly) like the opening of a spring flower. It is extremely relaxing with slow attack rates and long pads amidst the sounds of nature. Stop me if you've heard him do that before. As someone who is go go all the time this forces me to slow down and let it unfold at it's own pace. Iao is 15 minutes of said beatless ambient that had me contemplating the universe as well as hurry the f*ck up I gotta make dinner for my kids. So I'm of two minds with this release. Obviously it can be super relaxing as he keeps to the theme with slow moving textures and makes you feel at one with the planet. On the other hand do you know how much I can get done in 15 minutes? I often found myself trying to get behind the track and push it along. Maybe I cannot relax or get that deep into meditation to delve into a track that takes forever to get where it's going. Then there are a few tracks of very short length that are just a pad with a slow attack and a long delay. That's not a song...that's a note. I suppose if you've finished your honey do list and needed something to help you to sleep, this would work. Mdk
  6. Artist: Transwave Title: Backfire Label: 3D Vision Date: January, 2007 1. Adoration To The Aum 2. Hypersphere 3. Anahata 4. Arsonik 5. Cycles Of Life 6. Code S9 7. Flamicogyre 8. Bombay Night 9. Ulysse Voyage 2 Is there anything that can put a smile on the faces of Goa Heads than masters back in the day releasing unreleased stuff or super hard to find tracks? Well, maybe a gallon of patchouli and incense. And free food. Transwave are Absolum (Christophe Drouillet) and Deedrah (Frederic Holyszewski) and they put out 3 great albums before this one so there was great anticipation for this release. Believe the hype. It's chock full of shimmery layered goa true to their style. Take a step back to the middle of the 90's when these tracks were created. Storming they are and a worthy addition to any collection. Good luck finding the disc though. With a quick net search I found it, but the price ranged from 30 bucks all the way up to $150! That better come with a string of young and busty groupies. Meh I wouldn't trust either seller as far as I could throw them. And with my bad back I shouldn't be throwing anyone. Mdk
  7. Trance2MoveU

    Cosmosis - Synergy

    Artist: Cosmosis Title: Synergy Label: Transient Records Date: 1998 01. 08'51" The Ultimate Sin 02. 07'43" Intergalactic Fluoro Funkster 03. 09'34" Spores From Space? (A Microscopic Trace) 04. 09'31" Moonshine 05. 10'06" Higher Access 06. 09'25" Turn On, Tune In... 07. 09'06" Down At The Crossroad 08. 09'23" The Big Bang Boogie Their first album Cosmology is unarguably one of the greatest goa trance albums of all time. So is I.F.O. So is Trans Dimensional. This is their 2nd effort and like a lot of other artists it suffers from a slight sophomore slump. Family of Light, Second Phaze, and Synergy while super albums in their own right don't shine as brightly as their predecessors. Part of that is due to changing times, the first album being so mind blowingly superb, as well as the artists wanting to explore. Please don't think I'm saying this isn't a great album. It most surely is, but it's different and those expecting Cosmology 2 will be disappointed. Rather than say what it isn't, I'll say what it is. Acidic as hell with layers stacked higher than my wedding cake. Soaked in psychedelia with a wonderful crunchy appeal. It's taken a turn from pure melodic goa to a form that is deeper and more psychedelic in feel. Man is it deep. Moonshine is my favorite, but Spores From Space, Higher Access, and Turn On make for a delightful trip and I think they knew that because they are all in a row. The only thing keeping me from giving it that classic status are the last two tracks. You will either love their experimental side or drive your fingernails into your temples and rip the skin from your skull. That's how Down At The Crossroad affects me. If I wanted to hear a bad hillbilly southern accent I would walk down the street. I don't associate psychedelic music with the toothless ramble of a redneck. Big Bang Boogie has a throaty growl coupled with some metallic leads that is good, but maybe just a wee bit too long. So, for me a great album that I wouldn't hesitate to buy. But when I compare it with their first... Mdk
  8. Trance2MoveU

    Cyan - Braindance

    Artist: Cyan Title: Braindance Label: Discobole Records Date: November, 1999 01. 07'57" Menace 02. 07'37" Freeze 03. 07'46" A New Galaxy 04. 09'34" CQ 05. 06'36" Toxic Threat 06. 08'22" Macedonia 07. 09'06" Hinou 08. 09'03" Thriller 09. 09'08" Alien (Peaceful Mix) "Do you think there's people on other planets?" "I don't know Sparks. But I'd guess I'd say...if it is just us...it seems like an awful waste of space." *doof doof doof* Did you hear something? *doof doof doof* What the f*ck was that? Did you fart? *DOOF DOOF DOOF* It's baaaaaaaack! Cyan is Mike Dee and Nikos Chrisoulakis and they were one of the projects who took Nitzhonot out of the cheese factory and created something more formidable that Goa heads like me can chew on. It still has that Nitzho sound that artists like Agneton and Goalien produce today with high speed frenetic melodies along with the darker vibe. Kinda like a Terminator 2 thing where the machines will kill you if you let them, but don't be too scared because a kid is the star of the movie and Hollywood doesn't kill kids. It thumps to be sure with some driving beats and melodies so even if you're not a fan of nitzho you could still find some joy in this. And that's where I find myself. Sometimes I love the way they combine the two genres and other times that lead annoys me and I have to shut it off. There are portions where it gets a little too hmmm....upliftey. Plenty of changes of direction, but also some cornball moments. I bet Elias loves it. Mdk
  9. Artist: Various Title: Suncokreti Label: Ultiva Records Date: May, 2009 1. Where Have We Been - California Sunshine 2. Icon - Ra 3. Metempsychosis - E-Mantra 4. Serbia - Chemical Products 5. Sunrise Zone - Radical Distortion 6. Abandoned Souls - California Sunshine 7. Tesla - Travma 8. Bruxism - Amanians 9. Rumble Fish - Jikooha Ultiva Records came out with this very attractive lineup in 2009. Never heard of this lavel, but even Suntrip had to start somewhere right? I guess they're legit, they have a FB page and everything. "Hey f*cknut, my dog has a FB page it's no big deal." My answer to that is you need to get laid because I'm pretty sure that your dog didn't agree to the terms of service. There wasn't a review only info in the label announcement forum on this site. And it uh, well...it wasn't very kind. The cover is beautiful (who doesn't like sunflowers?) but if you read that thread apparently Suncokreti which was written in cyrillic means get your sh*t together and fix that mastering problem. This point having been driven home by RA himself (calling his track unrecognizable) and one of the gents from Radical Distortion gave his own account. Not a good sign if the artists on the comp don't have very flattering things to say. Or to put it another way. After completing his masterpiece the Venus De Milo the museum curator says, "Yeah that's great, but where are the f*cking arms you hack? Nah don't worry about it, I'll get my guy to finish it. Beat it." Where Have We Been- Ah the answer to the question nobody has been asking. This is a horribly boring track that only sever as a placeholder. Why would you start with this weak sh*t? The object is to draw the audience in. "I found him! Yeah that won't get the stink off, you knew it was weak." Icon- This one gets regular plays from me today. It's massively powerful, melodic and the essence of a big track. Metempsychosis- The Polish Prince delivers one of his signature dreamy and trippy tracks. Picture the cosmic ballet unfolding all around you as you attempt to take it all in. Even with the sh*tty mastering this is spectacular and a window into what he had in store. Serbia- I think you have had enough chemical products. While not terrible the leads themselves were annoying like the buzz of a mosquito. Still not as bad as California Sunshine. Sunrise Zone- This project was so pissed off at the lack of mastering quality that they put their track on the net for free download. Good on them. Fairly standard as far as new school goes, but it'll get your heart moving. Abandoned Souls- CS again? Fear not this is much better. It's amazing how good a track can be when you plug your equipment in. There is some real bite with the leads here. Like a 303 food fight. He's dead. Tesla- This is a bruising track from the Turkish mastermind. Loud leads and an unrelenting pace characterize this bomb. You sort it out. Bruxism- "Hey babe you won't believe who I bumped into today. My ex girlfriend of 6 years! I know right? We're going to the movies later to catch up. What's that grinding noise?" Bruxism- habitual grinding of teeth usually during sleep. Something must've pissed this guy off to name the track like this. Cell phone company? Girlfriend? Ending of the Office? All acceptable. Not the most complex, but stunningly effective and moving with its growly lead taking center stage. Rumblefish- Have you checked out his new album Sirius Rising? Me neither, but I will. Ultiva obviously couldn't figure out the math of mastering so what do you do? You get an Asian. Problem solved. That's such a bullsh*t stereotype. I had an Asian friend in Calculus class in college and all he wanted to do was get high. This was a good one to end on. Not overly powerful or full of twirling melodies just sturdy goa. And since I'm already on the fast track to hell... It's painful to see a Serbian label have such a problem mastering tracks. A sh*tload of today's goa artists are from the Balkans so it would make sense to figure this out. I haven't gotten any of their other releases so I can't say whether they've handled this issue. But it doesn't sound great. Shame because there are several good tracks here. Mdk I don't feel right linking to it.
  10. One of the best releases for goa trance in the modern age. It's a chunky acid ridden stormer that brings a smile to my face each time I listen to it. Get it while you can for it surely will be a classic. Mdk
  11. I had to bump this because right now I'm seriously bumping this. If you haven't purchased this quit being a b*tch and get it. It'll change your life. I'm gonna try and see if I can get my wife to have sex to this. Mdk
  12. Artist: Hiyarant Title: This is Only A Game Label: Disasterpeace Records Date: August, 2011 1. Osaka Remix 2. Something Else 3. Chaos Resolved 4. Last Possible Solution 5. Yojimbo (Hiyarant Remix) - Frozen Ghost 6. Hall of The Mountain Clown (Hiyarant Remix) - Rubix Qube 7. In Hindsight 8. Power To The People 9. Triple 7 "You people have been chosen...to reveal our existence to the world!" Whew. This is intense. Hiyarant is Stuart Vermaak from South Africa and he drops a migraine inducing blend of hard bass lines, ominous samples, and ear piercing leads right into your living room. As you would expect from the artist behind Collision the mood is dark and unrelenting. One does not just sit and listen to this. Oh no, you put this on right before your first Muay Thai fight. It's brick hurling twilight madness that people not familiar with our music might associate with animal cruelty. Severely detuned leads that sound like they're weeping are everywhere and there is a lo-fi rawness to its production. The low end rumbles and the highs screech like an eagle. It might be a lot to take in one sitting, but if you need a blast of energy before you go all hostel on someone...have I got something for you. "Let's get to work..." Beatport Mdk
  13. Artist: Jupiter 8000 Title: Jupiter 8000 Label: Liquid audio Sounds Date: September, 1999 01. Technon 02. Saturn 03. Jupiter 8000 04. Orbit 05. Shuffle 06. Tahi 07. Vocoderflash 08. Kryptone Square 09. Music Junk 10. Aural Spacelift 11. Way Out One of the aliases of psy-goa legend Boris Blenn, this is his debut as Jupiter 8000. And man is it different. Different like that creepy uncle your parents never left you alone with. "No, no, no, don't worry about it. Really I don't want to bother you with watching our kids. We'll just take them with us on the skydiving trip." "Dad why can't I stay with Uncle Fester?" "Trust me, you're much safer plummeting from 15,000 feet than being around creepy uncle wrinkle sac." We all know what Boris made back in the goa days and for good or bad we know what he produces today. Goa trance was well on its way out at this time and scaled back production was about to take hold. This sounds quite minimal with an almost absence of melodic layering that made goa so enjoyable. Minimalistic production can be effective when used sparingly, but when you get 7 or 8 minutes of the same phrase I wanna punch grandmas. As previously mentioned there is a heavy techno presence and I think of this album as him exploring other areas and just rolling with the times. His next album is totally different than this. Some good beats, but kinda like what I'm doing right now this was his notepad to throw some sh*t against the wall and see what stuck. BTW, Boris was never in the Oh Yeah Yellow Project. That was Boris Blank. Did you know that Tom Cruise is also the CEO of Hoveround? Yeah, not the same guy. Mdk
  14. Artist: Cosmic Tone Title: Uniting Forces Label: Planet B.E.N. Records Date: August, 2011 1. Dance Time (with Noga) 2. Are u ready 3. Pink (with Noga) 4. Modulator (Edit) 5. Toxic 6. Rhythm is the power 7. Open your mind 8. Give me sound 9. Maniac Yep, that's an E that is literally attempting to jump off the keyboard in protest. Roei Nissan is out with the 6th album from Cosmic Tone and you'll never guess what style he pursues. That's right Pancake Trance. Fluffy light and oh so easily digestible. I'm thinking about sending him the bill from my dentist because after hearing this sugary sweet confection I collected 3 cavities. Full on is his game and boy has he become mediocre at it. Boring and predictable this is just like all the rest with a different project name. And oh the buildups...Once again the always reliable Discogs score is right on the money with a solid 4/5. Sigh. Another quality artist swallowed up by the voracious commercial full-on monster. Some of you may be wondering why I subject myself to subpar music and then spend colossal amounts of time writing a review. Hey I have to live up to my Family of Light title, but think of it like this. I do it...so you don't have to. Psyshop Beatspace Goastore Mdk
  15. Artist: Atma Title: Music Revolution Label: BMSS Records Date: November, 2011 1. The outer limits 2. Freedom 3. Forbidden Paradise 4. Music Revolution 5. Disturbing Silence 6. Into the void 7. Space Conquest 8. It's time 9. When we dream 10. The Guide "You have been propelled into the void." Shame on you Atma. Shame on you for entitling your album Music Revolution when it's barely music and shall cause no revolution. Revulsion surely, but no revolution for you! This is full-on to.the.bone. Absolutely nothing to write home about. 6 years ago I would've rolled my eyes at such cheese. The album takes on a darker tone with the 4th track and gets better but once the whole is dug it's very difficult to climb out of it. Shame on Atma's friends who certainly voted 5/5 on Discogs to give this the ridiculously unwarranted score of 4.89. We stop friend s from driving drunk all the time. Couldn't someone maybe pull him aside and talk to him? That's higher than Etnica's Live in Athens for God's sake. Really? Can anyone say with a straight face that this is in the same class? "Smells like my dead husband!" Yes, it smells that badly. Adverbs motherf*cker...they're making a comeback. BTW, is that doubly racist, putting and Asian cartoon face on a black guy? Shame on promo guy who wrote this gem without even listening to the CD: "Atma leads us into a completely new perspective of electronic music." How the f*ck do you figure that? What happened bro? Who hurt you? Hurt you so bad that with this release you are potentially undoing any good that your previous albums have done. It's not Audiotec or DNA bad, but he is definitely running in the same race. Life is too short for mediocrity. Think of this as a cautionary tale to people who might not know any better. Put the Atma down and walk away. Walk away. Not linking to disappointment. Mdk
  16. Artist: Audiomatic Title: Weekend Society Label: Spintwist Records Date: March, 2011 1. Asprovalta Calling 2. Windows of our soul 3. Give them free (Audiomatic rmx) - NEELIX 4. Deep and pumping sound 5. Exchange - AUDIOMATIC AND VAISHIYAS 6. Flipping Switches 7. The city in the city - AUDIOMATIC AND PHAXE 8. Twin Peak (Audiomatic rmx) - DAY.DIN AND ALFREDO GARCIA 9. Synthesized 10. Q-Factor I've seen some dumb sh*t in my time. Wow, that's pretty stupid. Thought you were gonna win a million instead of going home with a year's supply of Kraft Mac and Cheese. There's tax on that you know. "Dreams...are windows of our soul. Every human being dreams. If you think you're not dreaming, you just forgot your dreams." Say hello to the dumbest sample I've ever heard. This was in the second track and with it's modulated sound during a break which I assume was meant to be poignant and deep, came off as some moldy cheese. Oy, give me a break. The real shame is that the track itself was pretty awesome until that verbal diarrhea splattered my ear canal. The third album from Benjamin Halfmann has some pretty good moments in it. Smooth progressive textures are easily found and a lot of the melodies are quite dreamy. The Twin Peak Remix is a fine example. Good floaty music. Unfortunately it seems to be relegated to a bench player only coming on in extra time when the game is well in hand. There are stretches where it could've used some more sounds to thicken things up a bit. I've heard all this before and there ain't nothing new under the hood. This could just be the "Spintwist" style, but compared to a lot of other progressive out there this gets boring rather quickly. Bright spot? The final track Q-Factor is a liquid space downtempo effort with some real world instruments that sounds very nice. Psyshop Beatspace Goastore Mdk
  17. For 2006 I suppose this wasn't bad. It's full-on ish, and is best listened to in a vacuum, because it's nowhere representative of their past. But now that Etnica, Dimension 5, and Crop Circles have all released old school tracks that never saw the light of day, expectations have been raised. The next time I want to hear from this project is when Draeke tells us that he has an old-school double album of stuff that needs to be heard. Mdk
  18. Artist: Fractal Glider Title: Digital Mandala Label: BooM! Records Date: 2003 1. Tabla trek 2. Megatonne 3. Titanium walls 4. Striker 5. Things that go bump 6. My world 7. 6 degrees 8. Mezmorized (rmx) 9. The stem cell "Anyone who isn't dead or from another plane of existence would do well to cover their ears right about now!" Oh boy that was your warning, not mine. Time Bandits...was there a movie that kicked more ass? It had it all. Magic, sci-fi, and all the midgets you could want. Fractal Glider is Aussie Paul McCosh and this is his 2nd album. His last track according to Discogs was 2008 so the project appears to be on hiatus. Maybe he got married and had kids. That'll f*ck with your plans let me tell you. I love goa trance as well, but if it's a choice between making music and taking care of the fam, y'all can suck it. You probably just downloaded my sh*t anyway. His first album Parasite was psychedelic goa trance and I shall review it shortly. This however leaves goa in the rear view for the most part. And that makes me sad. He still spins tales of psychedelia, but something is lacking. Nothing here sticks with me. Usually there are tracks I'm just waiting to repeat, but not here. The beginning of Tabla Trek? Great, but then it's just full-on nonsense. What's with the 1980's electric boogaloo scratch sound effects precisely on beat? Megatonne sounds like he made his hardware cry. I liked the groove of Stem Cell, but not a lot else. With Titanium Walls he shoulda built around the funky bit instead of the rambling mess it became. Striker strikes out on a slow full-on pitch and Things That Go Bump struggles to implement its good ideas. My World suffers greatly from a cornball sample while bright spot 6 Degrees shined with its throaty leads and wild intensity. The Mesmerized remix is chock full of darkpsy scratchiness and a goa vibe so that's cool. Probably my favorite here even though it becomes quite noisy at the end. And that's the story here for me. Too many, 'Cool, but..." tracks A lot of times with an album there will be parts in every track I like. But here I disliked parts of all the tracks. It's an also ran for me, an album that will get lost in the untold amount of releases I'll hear. It is now a decade old and while not terrible by any means it unfortunately doesn't distinguish itself and therefore cannot hold up. Mdk
  19. Are we sure the tracklist from Fractalglider.com is the correct one? I made the change at discogs. Mdk
  20. This is another great EP (they only had 2) from this 5 member project. I had to download it because I live in the Southeast US. Goa trance in Roanoke? I'd have a better chance of finding out all the ingredients of the McRib. True Freedom really is a cracker of a track and their most famous. The Drone is a good rumbler in its own right, but lacks the mystique of the former. German trance has a reputation for being so clinical and precise, but these guys brought a liquid, alive feeling to their music. Mdk
  21. Artist: Hiscore Xor Title: Identify / Tracker EP Label: Polytox Records Date: 1997 1. Identify 2. Tacker The last time I saw this many Germans they were goosestepping. A 5 member project? How do you fit all those egos in one room? Usually that's reserved for boy bands. You've got the shy cute one, the bad boy, the young gun, the older but more mature guy, and then the guy nobody gives a sh*t about, but he put up the money for the demo and used his mom's basement to practice your steps, so he's gotta be in the band. These guys produced a couple of cracking tunes. Identify has the goods with sounds that confirm that loving goa trance is a good thing. Piercing leads come to mind. Tacker has a bit more sway and even though it's not as striking it still has the rumbly 303 quality. The detail in this was really good with little touches right up to the end of the tracks. Thank God for the internet because otherwise I would have zero chance of getting my hands on this little gem. I don't condone downloading stuff that's readily available, but out of print stuff that is super hard to find (or that is ridiculously expensive) should be shared. Mdk
  22. Artist: Prometheus / Hallucinogen Title: Clarity From Deep Fog / Spiritual Antiseptic EP Label: Twisted Records Date: February, 1997 1. Clarity From Deep Fog - Prometheus Process 2. Spiritual Antiseptic - Hallucinogen We know Benji Vaughn was part of Prometheus Process and Simon Posford needs no introduction. They later teamed up for some Younger Brother action. Ewww. Back in 97 they released this ep which consisted of the beautifully entrancing ambient piece Clarity from Deep Fog as well as the more well known Spiritual Antiseptic. In this case I liked the ambient one better my only gripe being that it was too short. The first time I heard it was on Tantrance 6 and it was 7 minutes or so long, so maybe they shortened it for the EP. Simon's track is typical Simon, with a thumping vibe, the smearing of sound manipulation, and loud. He certainly packs a lot in there. Good as always, but if we're being honest he's done better. Right? Mdk
  23. Artist: Loud / Loud & Domestic Title: Pipeworm / 303 Tool EP Label: TIP Records Date: January, 2013 1. Pipeworm (Loud &Domestic Remix) 2. 303 Tool - Loud "The words mana from heaven actually means mushrooms from heaven." Mushrooms make everything better. Ahh...the first review of a new year. It's like virgin snow or, well...a virgin. Thanks to the Artist News and Labels Announcements forum this caught my attention. And what we have here is something quite psychedelic. Loud (Israeli duo Eitan Reiter & Kobi Toledano) & Domestic (Ido Ophir) take on a track from the legendary Simon Posford that first appeared on the 2006 compilation God Save the Machine. Beatport says it was made in 2009, but how could that be if it's on a compilation from 3 years earlier? Unless they were on some Marty McFly sh*t. It's pumping with deep bass drops and oscillating synth waves. Sonic manipulation and tempo changes that makes you question just what was in that teacup that guy with the stupid f*cking hat gave you. 303 Tool features the revered instrument of the Gods, growling to life with a house like hi-hat and soul clap. It scratches that itch that seems to be just out of reach. Nice EP to start off the year. Beatport Mdk
  24. Artist: Anopheles Title: Deep Moon EP Label: Polytox Records Date: 1995 1. Deep Moon 2. Gothic Elevator 3. Experience Magic This obscure EP was reviewed by Draeke himself on Discogs almost 6 and a half years ago and while I wasn't as taken with it as he was, I can appreciate it. Anopheles was Frank Meyer and Sam Tyson and they each continued to make music separately, but this was their only release as a project. 95 is almost 20 years ago and this shows it's age a bit. Of course trance 2 decades ago was much different than it is now. It's tribal in nature (regardless of speed) and the percussive touches in Gothic Elevator are appealing. Very entrancing. The midtempo Experience Magic is also a smooth track with soft flute melodies that float above sharp goa stabs. Not bad. Mdk
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