Trance2MoveU

"You are a most unusual traveler my friend." Why can't I stop looking at the cover? It's like watching the results of a train wreck. I don't want to see, but I cannot turn away. This is the 3rd album of the Danish duo (René Gundel Nielsen & Martin Spanner Zimmermann) but it might as well be their first because I didn't hear the other two. The type of progressive trance here is smooth and delicate. By that I mean, effects and little melodies are present, but don't lean too hard on them, they will break. Never too heavy, but enough to guide you where they want to take you. Sterorganic jumped out with it's great kick and bass combo as well as chopped up voice used as a melody. The detail in Ding Dong Dynamo sounded good and I enjoyed the latter bit of Snowflake Shake. Overall though it was a bit too light for my tastes. Maybe it wouldn't have been, but each track is like 9 minutes long. It's hard to maintain the level of "like" when you don't get new goodies to ooh and ahh at. You gotta put more stuff in there to keep me focused. Again, that might just be my inability to focus on anything for extended periods of time. It's tough to go from layers of melodies as big as the outdoors to subtle ones. No matter how clever they may be. Mdk

"Your darkest fears will soon be realized as your soul burns in hell!" The tactics of the girl scouts during cookie sweeps has gotten downright aggressive. I've been reviewing a lot of goa trance lately so I feel it's time for something different. Pack some extra trail mix and patchouli we're firing up the old VW bus (it runs on the dreams of hippies and vegetable oil). Wave goodbye to the light and positive vibes. Boy it sure did get dark all of a sudden. I hope I went the right way. The guidebook is this big red thing that looks really old written by Valentino Trencev from Macedonia. Look at those track names...someone didn't get enough hugs as a child. It's chock full of scratchy darkpsy leads and evil distorted samples. The scary effects are thick and not very welcoming to someone not within the darkpsy coven. That said it is still less intense than some other artists in the genre. This is now 6 years old and while he shows competence with some layers he's still working with a limited arsenal. It's like watching an older movie that is in need of a reboot. If goa can sound samey at times, this might as well be a group of nonuplets. Look it up it's a real thing. How many times can you tell me what I seek shall never be found or I'm going to hell? Pfft, I knew that already from my masturbatory frequency. For me this is just another darkpsy album that lacks depth or appeal. I appreciate what he was trying to do, but ultimately it was too thin and lacked the storytelling atmosphere that would've made it work. Time to turn the bus around and get the hell outta here. Got any extra hippie dreams? Mdk

"In the beginning the universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry and was widely regarded as a bad move." Get ready for more irony and snarkiness. I've never heard of Benza ( Ben Rynderman) so how in the world did it end up on my hard drive? Who knows (that's my story and I'm sticking to it), but here is something funky and funny. Has to be, the first track samples the hell out of James Brown and his funky drumming self. The disco hi-hat of Flinch adds to the funk truck and the way he weaves that lead this sounds more like studio musicians at a jam session rather than sequencers and midi cables. Full-on basslines need not apply here. The tracks are very quirky not in a Suomi way, but in a guessing where all these samples come from kinda way. The Wolf with it's waltz sample is quite pleasing. Sense a theme do ya? Real drum sounds mixed with electronica and clever samples are always welcome. Think of it as a lighthearted romp intent on bringing a smile to your face when life gets too heavy. It's over a decade old now so technically it is rather sparse, but musically it is appreciated. Not the kind of thing I would listen to on a regular basis, but maybe I should. Light and airy this is certainly smile inducing. Mdk

I haven't even heard the second one yet... Mdk

Artist: Mindsphere Title: Patience For Heaven Label: Suntrip Date: October, 2012 1. Shape Of Imagination 2. World Is Yours 3. Cosmos Evolution 4. All Alone 5. Ornamentation 6. In To Reality 7. Spirits Of Devotion 8. Patience For Heaven 9. Circled Inner Cyclone Remastered 10. Painful Stories 11. Mindrama 12. We Have A Dream 13. Wasted Years 14. Operation Side 15. To Infinity 16. Inner Cyclone 17. Fusion "Suddenly I see the doors open. I have the keys." What is patience? Sitting at the dinner table waiting for your toddler to finish a dinner you knew he didn't like in the first place. What? No, Kit-Kat is not a vegetable. Watching that elderly lady who can barely see over the steering wheel begin to realize you can't make a left turn from the far right lane It isn't a stereotype if it's true. This lady decided that today's episode of Murder She Wrote was not to be missed. And before you say she shoulda just recorded it on the DVR, may I remind you she just drove her car onto the roof of a house. Methinks the DVR might be a little too...ahem, astrophysicy for her. Listening to your friend attempt to make his point about that thing he saw that was so ironic that you knew he was going for before he got dressed this morning. "Yeah I get it, the car with flames...on fire. No no, it's great, I just don't think it's that...Oh cmon, get off the floor, you're embarrassing yourself. This is Ali Akgun with his 2nd album. I have just recently attached the front door to my house he blew off with his release Inner Cyclone waaaay back in 2007. Yeah I know it was almost 6 years ago, whattya want I'm not handy with a screwdriver. Jesus was a carpenter, but do we even know if he was a good one? How many kitchen tables are falling over because he said, "Nah...I'm just gonna eyeball it." "Connect slat B with foldout FG before attaching washer to bolt F....I hate you Ikea. The fine folks at Suntrip who never seem to rest have really done it this time. At a time when releasing a CD in a niche market is a risky proposition at best they drop a double CD on you. The first CD as you know is new material from the Turkish Typhoon and the 2nd is an eagerly awaited remaster of Inner Cyclone. One of the reasons I love goa trance so much is the varied amount of styles these artists create. Dark, spiritual, outer space...Sometimes all three. What we have here is a true talent, and I mean no disrespect to other artists. This is music for the horizon, a journey to that seemingly unreachable destination that you swear is just within your grasp. Every note, every chord and every sequence seemed to come together to help you arrive at that special place. Never rushed, but precisely on time. Ali alone knew where he was going to take this music and I suppose you could argue he had to exhibit the greatest patience of all. Patience For Heaven is a marvelous experience that is deeply spiritual and wonderfully atmospheric. Everyone who loves goa trance should enjoy the manner in which this tale unfolds because it enables you to be the pilot of your own vessel of imagination. As others have correctly stated this epic masterpiece is loaded with sounds and layers, but never to the point of bursting. You've left solid ground long ago so step cautiously upon the billowy trail of clouds. It's a long way down. Intensely melodic with lush sound scapes that beckon you to become lost in the events of your own existence with this as the soundtrack. You'll wonder where the time went. With regards to Inner Cyclone what can be said? When it first appeared on the scene (for free I might add) it was like finding a Picasso in Grandma's attic only to discover it was painted by your sister in third grade. The poor sound quality tarnished what was otherwise a superb effort. It can only be attributed to human error. Will if I get a treat like ice cream and then poor chocolate sauce on it that forms a delicious hard shell, my dessert has just ascended to the next level. And that's what happened here. Already potent with unanimous praise for its originality the mastering by Tim Schuldt catapulted Cyclone into the top echelon of goa trance releases in my opinion. What's even more remarkable is that while the album was released in 2007 most if not all the tracks were made long before that. Congratulations to Ali for penning a modern day masterpiece, it really is spectacular. I would also like to thank Suntrip not just for this release but for all they have done. One day either due to market forces or fatigue and possibly lack of desire, they will no longer be the driving force behind goa trance. I hope that day never comes, but as in life all things must come to an end. Their body of work has resurrected an entire genre of music and enabled other labels to form and grow so that more of this glorious music can be shared. I believe this to be the pinnacle of Suntrip's catalogue and perhaps the greatest goa trance release of the modern era. Suntrip Records Psyshop Beatspace Saikosounds Goastore Mdk

Artist: Alienn Title: Unlimited Force EP Label: Kaos Krew Date: September, 2012 1. Unlimited Force 2. Destruction "Go get the sandwiches we're hungry." Looking to stay one step ahead of Subway, Quiznos begins experimenting in non-traditional markets. This is Patrik Ferreira from Switzerland and I would be fall over shocked if you didn't already know that. His album Cosmic Matter was an intense experiment in acid management. Good news people, he shows no signs of relenting. If the dance floors were a raging forest fire his solution is to throw a bucket of acid on it. It'll sort itself out either way. Big beats and a rapid pace are the backbone for the two tracks with more acid per measure than I have ever heard. This is adrenaline fueled mayhem that is not to be taken lightly. Unlimited Force has a little hitch in its giddy up as if he wanted to let you know he started the fire. Destruction proceeds to then fight that fire with a grenade as it pounds with concussive force. His shows must trigger earthquakes. He continues to impress with his all out balls to the wall style and this is a must have if you are a fan of the acid based twilight genre. Juno Download Mdk

I have to bump this for lovers of melodic progressive trance on a grand stage. It really is stunning. Mdk

I hear Wizzy Noise is no more. Shame. So I thought I would go back to their debut and have a listen. Reading some of the reviews here describe this as minimal. Ugh. I suppose that's true, but there is something else here. It's very dark and atmospheric while retaining it's pumping sound. I like the way they place there samples in this album keeping the mood going. Boring at times? Maybe, but the effects make me think of a futuristic wasteland where you have to bundle up against the wind. The squirty bass and acid in Plastic Mold and Hybrid Model One is very nice. Like anything else that is almost 13 years old, it's tough to stay relevant. If you compare it to the sometimes over the top melodies and acid today it would be like wearing white after labor day. You just don't do it. Oversexed Succubus and Infernal Pod are two reasons I hate minimal. I will also say this...the album for me takes a nose dive in the second half, because they seem to have forgotten what made the first have so tangible. Not a classic by any stretch, but they've got such a good groove going a lot of the tracks still work for me. If I was driving at night, this would be so sweet. Mdk

Artist: PharaOm Title: Tesseract Label: UAF Records Date: June, 2012 01 - Two Parallel Worlds (138 BPM) 02 - Psychic Vampires (with Baron Samdi) (138 BPM) 03 - Psychokinesis (138 BPM) 04 - Awakening Bodhisattva (Part 2) (138 BPM) 05 - Starseeds (138 BPM) 06 - Tesseract (138 BPM) 07 - Cellar Door (Nova Fractal Timeless Remix) (138 BPM) 08 - Clvmns (Genesis Addict Remix) (138 BPM) "Everything...emotion, feeling, fear has drained out. And now I'm a cold shell. I'm conscious of things around me now." Oswald pictured below He sure does love his weenie! is releasing his debut full length album on UAF for free. Should be no surprise this partnership continues as he released his first EP Awakening Boddis..Bhodist...Awakening on UAF along with his "alter ego" Baron Samdi EP as well. Now I didn't go to some fancy pants business school, but I do know that your profit margin has to be very low when you give your music away. Maybe the Euro is some magical currency that operates on principles I can't begin to understand. The more likely scenario is that most blue octopi I have cone into contact with don't give a sh*t. Especially the French ones. Not that I'm complaining. He is quite talented to be sure and most likely does this because he loves creating music. Which is how it should be (and unfortunately in this genre has to be). Great for us, but bad for rent. Two paralell worlds- "I remember reading it somewhere. Each of us has a twin in another world. An identical twin...maybe that woman I saw!" What an opener! Holy f*ck is it deep and groovy That bass and kick are thunderous! This track has a chip on its shoulder with exaggerated bounce and great sample placement. It undergoes welcome changes but never strays far from its shimmering style. While I wasn't crazy about the key change near the end, that is a minor quibble when the rest of it was so good. Psychic Vampires- "My teacher left me to my darkest lesson. That in the end we are alone. And there is nothing but the cold dark wasteland of eternity." See, that's the kind of sh*t you get at community college. This is a track with his Baron Samdi alter ego which is kinda silly cause it's the same guy. Sorry, but it is. He didn't collaborate with him, he is him. Now I didn't care for his Cursed Bloodline EP mainly due to the sound, but this tells a pretty good tale. It's symphonic in a 19th century London gothic horror way with piano riffs and choir pads. Very dark and eerie. Psychokinesis- This is a thumping good track characterized by a wobbly 303. Tasty! He gets all euphoric with an airy lead and re-introduces that 303 to make sure you didn't forget he makes goa. Damn fine goa. Awakening Bodhisattva (Part Two)- This is obviously part two of a track from his first EP. It's a fine track with nice melodies, but it didn't stick with me. There seemed to be a lack of depth that was evident in the previous tracks. Starseeds is light and airy, ideal for those afternoons in the sun. Not intense, just reflective. The sample is somewhat unnerving, but fits well with the track. Cellar Door (Nova Fractal Timeless Remix)- "Do you know anything about time travel?" Mother pus bucket this track seems to be everywhere. Call Me Maybe doesn't get these kind of spins. Ah, but there is a reason for that young Paduan. It thumps and at the same time wraps you in a satiny body harness. Unfolding before you with sonic booms and future possibilities. It then kicks into high gear with the shimmery lead treatment. A good tale that flies by. Tesseract- "There is no God!" Gonna have to call bullsh*t on that one, miss. The pace is picked up and the melodies are thrust forward. It rages after the sample above picking up some 303 sounds along the way. New leads come in and I'm fully on board. Hear that? That bass is astoundingly clear giving the track a nice bottom end. And I do love a good bottom. "You promise me you'll erase this, right Freddie?" Clvmns- With a mid tempo track to wrap up he hits me with a cheesy melody that I'm happy to skip. This one is not gonna find itself in the album closing hall of fame and it does cause me to roll my eyes a bit. I think a moody downtempo track would've been the cherry on a chocolate cake of an album. But he gave you his hard work for free so beggars can't be choosers. The sounds in this album are very crisp with the leads twinkling nicely above warm basses. Power was not sacrificed in any way so kudos to you Keamia for a fine mastering job. The cover art is beautiful in every aspect so congrats to Oswald and Ivan. What you get is another goa trance album that was very enjoyable to listen to. For free. While not being in the upper echelon of goa trance albums, my hat is off to you Oswald for making a pretty good one. Good stuff sir. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Adrenalin Drum Title: The Israel EP Label: Spirit Zone Recordings Date: 1995 1. Harddome 2. The Hypnotiser 3. Harddome "I can hear myself. I feel so exposed." I came across this and it piqued my interest because I recently reviewed a couple of Adrenalin Drum releases in an effort to clean out my hard drive. X-perimental Goa was kept , but alas Engine had to go. So this is Har-El Prussky in his prime I suppose with three tracks. Harddome on Side A bored me, but things got better with the Hypnotiser. The full length mix of Harddome is easily the best on the EP. While not mad with melodic spirals, it's dark and pumping and thoroughly old school sounding. I could see people tripping to this. So, not bad. Mdk

Artist: Zamurai & Apatheya Title: Goa With Attitude EP Label: ACP Records Date: July, 2012 1. Who Knew - Apatheya 2. Everybody's A DJ - Zamurai By now (if not years earlier) people should know who Filipe Santos is and that he seems to make quality goa trance so effortlessly that it bores him. Maybe it does. Maybe we are just sheep and he's a good sheep herder. But his label pumps out EP's that I cannot help scooping up. Here he is with Simon Palmieri who himself released and EP earlier this summer called At Full Goa Force - Chapter One (review here). So guess what you get here? Goa head, I'll wait. So bad. No guesses needed as I'm sure you figured out it's goa trance. Simon crafts a racy (settle down) track that has leads that move like your sister's pet hamster that hit the jogging wheel cause he felt fat. Filipe's Everybody is a DJ (I'm guessing that is his shot at all the producers of unoriginal new school goa trance) is another quality production that just has lead after lead to make you dance. So for whatever passes for money these days on that sheep pasture across the Atlantic it only costs one of them. Well spent people. ACP Records Mdk

Artist: UX Title: Ultimate Experience Reloaded Label: KissTheSound Records Date: September, 2012 01 - Reloaded (Part 1 Reloaded) (144 BPM) 02 - Life Support Technology (Reloaded) (146 BPM) 03 - Chameleon (Reloaded) (146 BPM) 04 - Mind Over Gravity (Reloaded) (142 BPM) 05 - Alien Earth Activity (Reloaded) (120 BPM) 06 - Pure Intellect (Reloaded) (146 BPM) 07 - Dominion (Reloaded) (144 BPM) 08 - Space Puppy (Mix II feat. Syb Unity Nettwerk Reloaded) (148 BPM) 09 - Millennium Generation (Reloaded) (144 BPM) 10 - Master Of The Universe (Epic Mix Reloaded) (146 BPM) 11 - Chrysalis (Reloaded) (97 BPM) 12 - Dominion (Digital Frontier Live Remix Reloaded) (144 BPM) 13 - Children Of The Night (feat. Jan Rechberger) (145 BPM) 14 - Reloaded (Part 2 Reloaded) (146 BPM) "The future is one world...one thought...one mind." I used to be into comic books "Worst. Reviewer. Ever." Bet you don't say that to my face. Girl look at this body...I work out. Sure today it's cool with all the graphic novels and movies but that is a recent development. If you're into it now you're dark and mysterious. Not sad and lonely with a snacking problem. Hell these days everyone and their grandmother plays video games. It wasn't too long ago this was your champion. Not so funny when it hits close to home is it Poindexter? What's the point? Keep your shirt on Nancy I'll get there. This is Krys Kylven and if you are on this forum then you probably already know who he is. The beautiful mind behind some of the most twisted and dark goa trance ever made. If goa trance was a penis (I don't like where this is going) then it was at it's hardest in 1997. That was when the original Ultimate Experience was released assuming its rightful position next to the other greats of the genre. So what has Kris done to top it? How about remastered versions as well as some unreleased tracks? But wait...there's more. It's free. I know right? For those of us who missed the outer space carnival ride that was goa trance in the mid nineties and all the vets screaming for a remaster it's Christmas come early. 14 tracks including an intro and an outro as well as previously unreleased versions. If I could ask Kris a question, I guess it would be this. Did it hurt? Did it hurt being ripped away from your family only to be probed by your alien abductors only to be inseminated with their musical ability? Because normal humans can't make music like this. If this album was a superhero it would have the bludgeoning power of Thor's hammer and the uncontrollable rage of the big green guy combined with the intelligence of Mr. Fantastic and the alien quality of the Silver Surfer. I realize my inner nerd has become my outer nerd, but what music! We've all heard the classics many times, but never have they sounded so crisp. Driving and screaming it felt like you were in my living room. I could hear every nuance and contributing layer heightening the experience. There is just change after change making each track so lush and vivid. And it's one pumping futuristic cyber beat down after another. There is a reason this is a classic and with this fresh coat of paint its brilliance takes on an even brighter shine. Alien at its core with effects crawling in between dark melodies it's like listening to new tracks. Speaking of new or unreleased tracks (outside of the very ambient Matrix-esque intro and outro) say hello to Space Puppy II with Syb Unity Nettwerk (yeah still him) as it shreds meninges and fits perfectly on this album. Millenium Generation produced from an old DAT tape is more electronic chaos that maintains the sci-fi feel with eerie melodies and metallic textures. The Epic Mix of Master of the Universe is fine, but I prefer the original. Dominion ( Digital Frontier Live Remix Reloaded) is another mix I have never heard and I don't know if it is recent or one of the tracks they had lying around. Regardless it is another punishing addition to this man's legacy with its heavy industrial leanings. The final extra is a track called Children of the Night feat. Jan Rechberger who is the drummer of a metal band Amorphis. It's less goa and more industrial psytrance that makes me think of FLA or Front 242. That's a lot of praise heaped upon an album. It's worth it and then some as this is one of the most original works in the genre. Powerful, atmospheric, and melodic it doesn't get old. The fact that he offered this for free is a true gift to anybody who hasn't heard it. Is there anything that would take away from this outstanding work? There are some who argued that the cover is a mess (and I would've preferred the original), but with content that is this superlative you could've put a pile of dogsh*t on the front and it wouldn't deter me in the slightest. No brainer. Get this. Now. Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Liquid Flow Title: Cosmic Ascension EP Label: Spacedock Records Date: September, 2012 1. Cosmic Ascension 2. A New World 3. 2012 "Great moments are born from great opportunities." Nothing like a sample from Miracle on Ice. Right now it would be a miracle if the millionaires would stop acting like self-important pricks and get back on the f*cking ice. Don't make me watch basketball. Don't make me. Tomislav Savic is yet another Croatian in the seemingly dominant wave of artists erupting from the Balkans. Having released a successful Ep (Goa Terminal), album (Presence) and who knows how many compilation tracks he presents you with his latest EP release. It's on Spacedock Records and I tell you this fledgeling label is making me sit up and take notice. The Alien Humanity EP by Vox was one of the most impressive contributions to goa trance IMO and even had Jesus chiming in. Check the review, you'll see. Not to mention the great Unvisited Galaxies EP by Goasia and we might be seeing the rise of another goa trance label. One can hope. See that cover? Pretty ain't it? This digital release is exactly what you would expect from that cover. It is a ride through space with lofty melodies and high technology power. Bubbly effects and 303's boil like a cauldron threatening to overflow. A New World is a stormer with nothing necessarily new to offer, but it's power and layers had me twirling nonetheless. The closer 2012 has deep goa roots with floaty trance melodies. So while some may say we've seen this movie before I say true, but Event Horizon was a good f*cking movie. Recommended. Psyshop Bandcamp Mdk

Artist: Sylica-X Title: Research EP Label: ACP Records Date: October, 2012 1. Re-Search 2. Hypoxis Talking sh*t is an art form. There are plenty of people who talk a good game but don't or won't back it up. Take this heifer for example. If we ignore the fact that she could be distracted by a box of twinkies I'd still be willing to bet that you could unwrap that gun and it would be made of chocolate. Bang bang. You've got diabetes. I'm not sure if this artist is Filipe Santos (can you blame me, he seems to have a new project monthly), but even if it isn't him, it's being put out on his label. He has been releasing quality original goa trance for what seems like a decade and a lot of that for free. He charges for some of it, but you know what...he's earned it. I have never listened to his music and said this sucks. Never happened. I won't go into all his aliases (go to Discogs), but his projects are different than a lot of the goa around today. He consistently tells artists to take risks and not follow the same mold. And he backs it up. But mistake his originality for poor quality at your own peril. He has an old school sound that few can duplicate. Re-Search swings the 303 like Thor's hammer and settles into a good groove instead of coming out with guns blazing. Instead of force feeding you melodies he introduces them until you attain a comfort level and then it's on to the next one. Now don't get me wrong(ly). I love melodies and stacks of them. But when you get a Filipe Santos production it's always something to look forward to. So if he talks a little smack about doing something different it's ok to listen to him. He knows what he's talking about. And he doesn't need a chocolate gun to back it up. ACP Records Mdk

Moderators are like referees. You shouldn't even notice them, but should feel confident that if there is a problem it will get solved quickly and correctly. Mdk

This could be the funniest thing I've ever read. Rabbitf*cking. Pure Genius. Awesome Mdk

Artist: Bamboo Forest Title: Bamboo Forest Label: Vision Quest Date: June, 2003 01 Dump 02 Random Future 03 Xperience 04 Breath 05 Caramba 06 Voyager 07 Cliché 08 Melting Pot 09 Joystick 10 The Walk "I am fluent in over 6 million forms of communication." Is one of the Jawa f*ck toy cause that's where you're headed. Now here is a gem of a release not just based on its content, but the time it was produced. Early 2000's were the dark time for me. Minimal ruled the realm with an iron fist shackling melodies in chains with nary a hope of escape. Track times continued to lengthen and sequencers went unchecked. Dark days indeed. And then there was this. Yann Henaff and Stephane Dureisseix with their 2nd release struck a blow for sunshine and excitement bringing power and melody back to psytrance. They were surfing the crest of this new style called full-on and what a glorious time it was. Combining effects, thumping bass lines and well placed samples they made me want to dance again. No longer was psytrance held hostage on the minimal prison bus. "Sit down Satan! Sit down! I swear I'll turn this thing around!" Random Future crackles with electric energy reminding me of what Braincell has been doing lately. Pumping beats and swirling leads make this one a standout. Xperience teaches me that 7 minutes without much evolution makes for a good nap. Breath- "Too much queso...I can't breave!" Caramba and Voyager are both extremely similar tracks. The former has a delicious dark opening and the latter continues the use of acidic bass sounds. Jew gonna here lot of dat bebe! Cliche is anything but as it pumps like it has a chip on its shoulder. Feel like I should have a dance crew behind me. Nobody smile! This is f*cking serious! "Do we have to do this every f*cking time? We're just going to Taco Bell?!?" Melting Pot reminds us that we are all one and to prove it they break out the sitar. You cannot be angry when you hear a sitar. Not possible. Joystick is less aggressive, but no less funky and rhythmic. Only thing is that it's kinda sparse compared to the last several tracks. Aka...the atari 2600 of the album. They shut it down with a walk, an ominous downtempo tune with some dubby bass. Good way to close. First thing I gotta say is the phrase "track x is worth the money alone." is ridiculous. Maybe in 2003 when Richie Rich was throwing money around like he was at a strip club. "Seal Team Six we have found Mitt Romney. I repeat we have found Mitt Romney!" But take a look around. Europe is a mouse fart away from financial collapse and we on the other side of the pond keep kicking the can down the road. "Won't happen to us...not us." We are in a recession people, so throwing money down for a disc that has one good track on it is not good business. I do however understand the enthusiasm. Like I said a lot of these tracks hold up well almost a decade later. It must've been like breaking through the ice just before you ran out of oxygen. There is power, frothy leads, and bubbly bass. I don't know where you could get it now, but if you do come across it don't be shy about picking it up. Mdk

Artist: Adrenalinn Drum Title: X-Perimental Goa (A Higher State of Trance) Label: Unnatural Recordings Date: 1997 1. Behind The Hills 2. God Mountain 3. Pulstatic 4. Shadowland 5. Desert Fly 6. Acid Dog 7. The Electric Sheep 8. Trip To Zagreb 9. Terbulance "All the people on this Earth are truly one." Hey! What's with the f*cking rhino? Har-El Prussky again with his first album as Adrenalinn Drum. The extra N is for nephew I got this. "Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike!" 1997 was an awesome year for goa trance with some of the greatest releases of the genre coming out during this time. Layers of melodies tumbling down the spiritual mountainside engulfing you in a warm state of trance. If you were expecting more of the same than you've obviously not been working on your reading skills. It says right there in the title, X-Perimental Goa. And that's what it is. Yeah it's goa, but maybe a little outside the box. Now I have been very critical of Har-El and the California Sunshine project because for me he makes bad, derivative, generic music. But back in 97? He was one of the many lords of the realm. Even CS was hitting on all cylinders. Behind the Hills opens with rather sparse production compared to other goa (Etnica, Pleiadians, Transwave...pretty much everybody) but it opens the door to God Mountain which is pretty good with a more expected type of goa feel. The quasi insect sound echoes throughout which I thought was a nice touch. After that he starts to experiment with sounds and phrases you will either love or hate. Like the sliced scream on Pulstatic. Shadowland is a 10 minute progressive goa rambler that hits in all the right places and he knows how to wield a 303. Desert Fly has a little hitch in its giddy up that makes it funky, but it gets a little boring. Not bad though. On the other side of the coin is the most boring track Acid Dog. Virtually no change with its bleeps and bloops. It's like aural Ambien. The Electric Sheep comes in second as the most boring. It uses I believe the Neil Armstrong moon sample as it drones on endlessly. Now everyone loves a Trip to Zagreb. Not the track, the destination as I hear it's lovely this time of year. The track is another without variation, but mercifully it is half the length as the previous two. Closing things out with the downtempo Terbulence it borrows the sample from Zagreb and is very futuristic with loads of cold computer sounds against warm pads. Clear glass with colorful liquids come to mind as the dr. tells me to relax. While I don't think this can crack the top 50 goa albums of all time, I don't believe it to be a throwaway either. There are some good tracks here, but not enough to make this a must have. Too many tracks travel with blinders on and don't deviate from the straight and narrow. Mdk

Artist: Aural Planet Title: 5 EX Engine Label: Vivo Date: 2002 1. Paleo 2. Stimulation Part 3 3. Subtropolis 10893 4. Subtropolis 10893 (Crankshaft Blossmx) 5. Subtropolis 10893 (Auralp rmx) 6. Necrodelica 7. Upsilon 8. Phoebus 9. Costa Del Nymphos 10. Gene 11. Subtropolis 10893 (Nemezis Rmx) I'm sorry what the f*ck? This is Jacek Dojwa, Konrad Gmurek, Radosław Kochman, and Adam Skorupa from Poland who later became Sundial Aeon. They no longer release music as this project, but they have to be one of the most varied acts I have ever heard. Other than the train wreck that continues to call itself Infected Mushroom of course. Their first album Lightflow was a downtempo and ambient gem followed up by Part: Seconde which was some awesome goa trance. This is their 3rd full length release and they have officially left the reservation and gone rogue. "You betcha! Pew! Pew!" Nothing wrong with trying to stretch the creative legs right? Paleo- What begins as a slow industrial moody sumb*tch turns into a drum n bass/Jungle rocker that is heavy on the distortion. It's like Mario just said f*ck it and started banging on pipes. Throw in an airy female cry and all of a sudden I'm looking over my shoulder. Very futuristic and awesome Dance with me sprocket! Stimulation (part Three)- "I keep thinking that what we need is a new language. A language of the heart." This is Aural Planet correct? Heavy technoid beats and farty bass pound one out while a sample tells me not to move. Kinda hard though because this is funky sh*t. DnB and jungle riffs join the party and I am really wondering what I've just stepped in. Subtropolis 10893- This is the first of four versions of the same track. Usually I don't like where that's going, but let's see what happens. With a futuristic and industrial sounding breakbeat we are off. It begins to get a little cluttered even though the very hard hitting bass slam is present thoughout. And when the hell did Blade Runner get here? Saxophone? Interesting. Subtropolis 10893 (Crankshaft Blossmx)- There are more melodies here and he upped the glitch factor as well. The break slinks like it's trying not to be noticed and there is a whole eerie presence. I'm picturing liquid silver rolling on black marble and I have no idea why. I liked it better than the original until it sounded like my tape just got ate up. Remember cassetes? No. You probably don't. Subtropolis 10893 (Auralp rmx)- With some clunky loops a dubby beat forms the foundation. Now these guys know how to do remixes. If I didn't have the tracklist there is no way I would know these were remixes. It's noiser in a non melodic way with effects banging away like he was in a factory somewhere. Meh. Necrodelica- "There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission." No but there is something wrong with my player. It's making these harsh, shrill sounds that me no likey. That sample? Hope you like it because they beat you over the head with it. Upsilon- Like the rest of the tracks it sounds very electronic and cold with a heavy techno beat. Phoebus- The funky electro breakbeat has some appeal as electronic effects that sound like the whales song hum throughout. But it didn't stay with me. Like Arby's. Costa Del Nymphos- More breakbeat electro all up in your earhole. And just like that...it's forgotten. Gene- Floaty downtempo with a hammond organ I believe. Very trippy, and actually warm. Probably my favorite along with Paleo. Subtropolis 10893 (Nemezis Rmx)- The last remix of this track and it sounds nothing like the original so good stuff there. The saxophone is distorted and scratchy as other electronic sounds are strangled over top. Sounds of bottle being knocked over, birds chirping, One thing I will say is that this is very different from any of their previous releases. It's very electronic with a futuristic feel. It's also all over the genre map. Techno, industrial, breakbeat, DnB,...everything but trance. Nice to listen to something that isn't in 4/4 time and hi-hats blazing. Most of the tracks are fairly short compared to psychedelic styles as only 2 are over 7 minutes. There wasn't a standout track for me, but the journey was enjoyable. I would recommend it for a listen, but it wouldn't be something that I would listen to regularly. Mdk

I've never heard Headcleaner. I see Atmos and see the early years of the millennium and I think it will be the style I don't want to hear. Very close minded. Well that ends now. Normally if I saw repetitively boring minimal walking down the street I would run to the other side and tell my kids not to look. I don't want them learning any bad habits. More bad habits I mean. And I still feel that way. In my opinion this is an album of contradictions and balance. Yes it is repetitive, but I like the little touches he puts in there on some of the tracks. It adds to the dark atmosphere like the bass riff in Al Bummer. KNS has a progressive house vibe shedding some nice light on a post rainy afternoon that lends itself to bouncing. But it also has some ridiculous vocal sample that I really cannot tolerate. See, contradictions. There is some very generic progressive filler like Metro Deluxe and Umbau that adds nothing to the conversation While Scent of a Tunnel had floating pads that comfort it's also the same thing. For 9 minutes. When I start playing with belly button lint it's time to move on. Even the track which is the consensus standout, Transmission in Vain while nice doesn't really hold up well. Truth be told I liked Ordinary Weekend as much if not more. It's not minimal trance but more of a progressive feel. There were parts in some tracks that I really liked, but too much repetitive filler. When this came out over 8 years ago it was probably just what the doctor ordered, but nothing essential today. Mdk

Artist: Electric Universe Title: Psystep EP Label: Electric Universe Records Date: October, 2012 1. Psystep 2. Under The Surface "Lying just beneath the surface of the everyday, is a world we hardly recognize." Boris Blenn is one of the greatest names in out genre. Jupiter 8000, Paradise Connection, Galaxy, Rainbow Spirit...all him. If there was ever a godfather, he could be it. Like a lot of masters that started out in the goa genre he has long since left that arena and now is firmly mired in the full-on swamp. That's not to say all he has released is pablum and forgettable. Remember Cosmic Experience? Superb stuff. His pairing with fellow old schooler Space Tribe as EsP has yielded quality results. But in a business that is what have you done for me lately his last effort Higher Modes was an impotent mess that had me wondering if aliens actually abducted the real Boris and replaced him with cucumber suffering from Down's Syndrome. I mean really you have to work hard to make music that bad. So while I was doing a little EP shopping I came across this and dove in. He's earned that type of blind buy status from me and really, what are the odds that he would sh*t the bed again? Not one to miss the latest trend he hops right on the step wagon (dub, psy, whatever) and that's how Psystep opens. But like all he does, it's grander and I think sounds pretty good. It's not long before he moves headlong into what he does best and that's create acidic mayhem. Pretty good mix of the two styles me thinks. Under the Surface is pure EU power with acid storms and a bruising straight ahead demeanor. He's got a slightly annoying buildup, but it's mainly back to where he excels. So I think this EP is validation that my theory on alien abduction is valid. While this still isn't Cosmic Universe, it's light years away from Lower Modes. Not essential, but it is good to know that he hasn't completely lost his ability to create upbeat music. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Asia 2001 Title: Anti's Trax Label: Trans'Pact Productions Date: 1994 1. Planet JX 2. Cosmic Shamanish Like a lot of you I am always on the hunt for undiscovered goa trance and long forgotten EP's. So when I came across this 2 tracker from the legendary Asia 2001 (Gilbert Thevenet) I scooped it up immediately. Have you seen all the aliases he used? He was either on the run or Filipe Santos two decades earlier. Now you can also find these on a compilation called The Spirit of Goa Trance Vol. 1 also released by Trans'Pact. And...like a lot of music that is 20 years old it sounds like it. Planet JX sounds extremely primitive and raw and I don't mean that in a good way. It's nice to go back in time and see how it was, but sometimes it ain't pretty. Cosmic Shamanish is clearly the more accessible of the two and drips with that old school flavor. This is red one room Little House on the Prarie old school. His cutoff knob gets a workout as he wrings the sound of the 303 for all it's worth. And while not as polished as the stuff today (how did your cell phone look 20 years ago) it's still got the character that made old school so cool. Can you get Fruit Ninja on this thing? Mdk

Is this any good? Is this young man's mother missing her halter top? Yes. Yes she is. E-Clip (Marko Radovanovic) is part of the Balkan wave that is taking sh*t over. His style is as big as all outside soaking every sound in reverb like it was a car wash for your tween's cheer leading camp. Prog4all is right on the money with his review as E-clip sets the table with thumping bass lines and floating melodies. He creates progressive on a grand scale and broke the sh*t out of the delay knob on his hardware a long time ago. I liked both tracks with the slight edge going to Troublemaker as it kicked the door in an commanded your attention. But if you love smooth melodic progressive going wrong is not an option. Mdk

Fully agree this is definitely a must have. Mdk

I see your point of view. You seem to have a good grasp of the music so if it is technically unappealing to you I can see why you didn't enjoy it. We agree that this is not the most psychedelic of musics, and I believe you yourself stated that this is not a bad release. So it seems that the only sticking point between us is the Nazi comment. Please understand it was not directed at you, but at the masses who continue to offer the same criticisms of the new brand of artists. It seems that lately every thread I opened was critical of these guys. The same complaints over and over. It's just music. Enjoy it for what it is. But please continue to comment as I'm sure every artist loves feedback good or bad. Mdk