Trance2MoveU

She made a mistake and as an adult (and a parent) I understand that these things happen. It was all straightened out so no harm no foul. 20 year old me wanted to shoot lasers out of my eyes like in Superman 2 (complete with the goofy look on the face of the big silent one), but the significantly older one didn't say a word. I thought a lot of words, but I didn't say 'em. Mdk

Artist: Toi Doi Title: The Search For The Key Label: Dimensional Records Date: May, 2012 1. The Search For The Key 2. Darth Vad On The Moon 3. Nebuleuse 4. Semaphore 5. Aranda 6. Up Days 7. Uranie 8. Transduction 9. E-Tium I don't know much about Toi Doi other than what his Discogs profile tells me. I reviewed the Mother Pitch EP which I found delightfully dark, but I gotta ask. Is he goa or psytrance? Dimensional Records released the Space Elves album (great) as well as other goa albums so I'm thinking goa, but we'll have to wait and see. Everyone talks about the Technologic album as if it were a goa masterpiece and after that he might have been writing children's books for all I know. Then I come to find out that some of these tracks aren't new at all. So what's going on here? Is he back or just trying to hold me upside down and shake the money out of me? I think a little of both. What we have here is a psychedelic album with full on bass lines. This review was very difficult to write because nothing stood out to me. Nothing awesome to attach gifs to and nothing terrible to ridicule. It's solid, but I would have to say disappointing. There were parts in each track that were bubbling over and thick with layers keeping me glued. But there were also tracks I kept falling asleep to. Not because they weren't good, but because twists and turns are not his thing. My hopes were up that this would be a bridge to the past and incorporate some of that old school sound. Nope. And then when I found out that half of the tracks aren't even new....well, me have sad face. Psyshop Beatspace Saiko Sounds Goa Store Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Feelings Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: January, 2012 1. Sonoric Depth Psychophysical Transcripts 2. Static (2011 rmx) Solar Spectrum 3. Once upon a time (Liquid Sound rmx) Monolock 4. I am you Ovnimoon & Elegy 5. Mini Big Solar Spectrum 6. Trip inside yourself Mind Paradise 7. Beer Lovers Kyma 8. In motion to the ocean Liquid Sound 9. Unique (Side Winder rmx) Hi Profile 10. Open the gate Lyctum "I want to tell you a story about dreams...." But I don't have one of those...so I'll tell you what happened to me Sunday. The wife had me out looking for furniture at a consignment shop and she found a table that she liked so we give the old lady the credit card and she swipes it. Then I hear her swipe it again. This is then followed by her saying, "This isn't how the machine at my other job works." I immediately hopped the counter and well, just did what we all want to do. So a table that costs 60 dollars and 90 cents has given my account a titanic like sideswipe of $609.00! Twice. Doing the math, that's $1218 for a piece of sh*t table that someone was only too happy to get rid of. Look I want to help, but I cannot get the country out of a recession all by myself. Can't do it. It's now Wednesday and it is still not resolved thereby setting my financial house in chaos, as I have scheduled bill payments weeks in advance. I know it was an accident. I know mistakes happen. But this is why I have long been an advocate of sending all the elderly to an island where it's warm (they like that) for further study. Sh*t don't work right after a certain number of years. Anyway... Feelings...nothing more than feelings...Hector Stuardo is at it again with his label's 21st release. I was actually lucky to catch him at a festival here in the states so I was pretty excited. He was a...he was a lot shorter than I expected. But good things come in small packages. And if you are a fan of progressive trance than this will probably be good for your fix. Bouncy and bubbly beats with a healthy dose of dark atmosphere. It's ideal for melting away into a hallucination of your choosing with great effects and sky spanning washes Sonoric Depth is a perfect example of a track being melodic without a real melody to hold on to. Just creepy sounds echoing over your shoulder. Static (2011 Remix)- It begins slowly, maybe sounding like every other progressive track you have ever heard. Two and a half minutes in and I'm thinking, "Wow how about picking up the pace a little bit?" And he does albeit slowly. Unremarkable for sure, but somehow it fits within the scope of this compilation. Geared to a feeling or a vibe rather than a dance floor smasher. Once Upon A Time (Liquid Sound Remix)- "No matter what he does, every person on Earth plays a central role in the history of the world. Normally he doesn't know it." Following the same formula as the last track, it builds slowly but the sample at least gives me something to hold on to. But that's the problem with a 9 minute track, you gotta fill it up. It's not bad, but too often I found myself glazing over like I stayed up past my bedtime. I Am You- The boss is here to right this ship and he brings along Daniel Mair who I first became aware of with his Sleeping Giant EP. More of the same slow start, but once the chant arrives it's a little bit darker. The final melody helps thicken things up a bit, saving it from coasting down the hill into disappointment lake. Mini Big X- If the name Ralph Knobloch seems familiar it's because he is also behind the project Braincell. Here he operates on a slightly minimal scale with eerie melodies above a galloping bass line. I see he has 3 albums to his credit with this project, but this track isn't making me want to explore them. Is this intermission music? The groove is there, but it feels empty. Another coaster to the finish. What are you, the Chinese badminton team, trying to throw the compilation? "This make chairman Mao most unhappy!" Trip Inside Yourself- Riding a wave of indifference brings me to this track and things begin to turn around. Dark, bubbly, and thumping with spooky effects sums this puppy up. An awesome break cements its place as one of the winners of this comp. It seems funny that one of the best tracks leaves me with the least to say. Just get lost in this one. Beer Lovers- Oh boy another long one. *gets carving knives out* Nah, you know what? I don't have the energy for this. Bruce, you got this? "The dragon laughs at your attempt to keep me awake!" In Motion To The Ocean- "It's like you come onto this planet with a crayon box. Now you may get the 8-pack, you may get the 16 pack...but it's all in what you do with the crayons, the colors that you're given. And don't worry about drawing within the lines or coloring outside the lines I say color outside the lines, you know what I mean? Color wildly color right off the page, hey...don't box me in. We're in motion to the ocean." "Yeah, how do you like it motherf*cker!?! Oops, missed a spot. Stay in the lines b*tch!" After that wonderful Waking Life sample it's a smooth ride all the way through. Soft and drifting breaks with melodies coming and going like the tide. Very entertaining. Unique (Side Winder Remix)- "Strange watching these film fragments...like looking through binoculars.." I never heard the original, but this maintains the eerie vibe on this compilation. It churns through it's rotation in the beginning, but then after the break melodies fire out like a sprinkler on an August afternoon. Unique? Nah, but not bad at all. Open The Gate- We close out the compilation with relative newcomer Dejan Jovanovic from Serbia and he delivers a dark bomb! Very aggressive and pretty damn hard for a progressive track. Synths ripple with undercurrents of dread as leads that sound like a whale fight roar in anger. More of this please. Conclusion? A bunch of mediocre tracks book-ended by some really powerful ones. Honorable mention goes to Mind Paradise and Liquid Sound for a very engrossing effort. None of the tracks are bad however there were too many that went on too long without much happening. This is a compilation from which I would digitally cherry pick. If I had to put a number on it? 3.5 or 3.75 out of 5. Psyshop Beatspace Goa Store Mdk

Love that the search is on the left. Mdk

Missed the opening ceremony. Have to YouTube it I guess. But London is in a tough spot...with the recession in full swing and countries going bankrupt, how do justify throwing money down the dumper in an attempt to top Beijing? As far as the events, I've watched some. Just not feelin' it this time though. I find all the controversies way more interesting. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Declare Remixes EP Label: Plusquam Records Date: May, 2011 1. Declare - Ritmo 2. Declare (Ovnimoon Remix) 3. Declare (Atomic Pulse Remix) 4. Declare (Elecdruids Remix) It's good to be king Don't be bitter Ronald. Get some f*cking bacon on your sh*t and maybe your burgers will sell better. The Ritmo project used to be the duo of Dubi Dagan and Eitan Morganstern until Dubi kicked him out for being too Jewish. I cannot verify that, but we have video of the final festival of the project as a duo. Oy vey, check out the yenta's in the front row...watch out for those panties! Regardless of what the truth may be, Dubi is one of the rulers of the progressive trance genre. He's made like a million tracks and the vast majority of them have been stellar. His corner of the genre is the melodic and atmospheric stuff that goes down super smooth. Disharmonic Silence in 2008 and Archive 9 are both must haves as far as I'm concerned. So here he is with a remix EP. Everybody's doin' em, but 4 remixes of the same song? I think we can all see the potential danger here. Ovnimoon, Elecdruids (who?) and... what the f*ck is Atomic Pulse doing here? Someone tell him that Fineplay is down the block. Right off the bat the original is everything you think it would be. A beautiful atmospheric journey. Ovnimoon (another uber talented producer) creates an equally super track that on it's own would be great. Problem is it followed the original so it sounds a lot like the movie we just saw. I know Vanilla Ice said it goes ding ding ding da-da-ding ding, but we all know it's Under Pressure. To be fair, it sounds more ominous with a darker edge so I shall give him the benefit of the doubt. I guess they thought there wasn't enough uninspired boring full on, so now we got that in there with the Atomic Pulse remix. After the first two great tracks this one had to be a letdown didn't it? Who didn't see it coming? I reviewed their last album hereif you want a chuckle, but makes you wonder who they blew to get on this EP. "Boom...boom. Get out." And then the Elecdruids ZZZzzzzz..... The danger of doing a remix EP of one track is that they will all sound the same. Points awarded for putting the original first, which makes it a helluva lot easier to compare tracks. But that didn't happen. The problem was half the tracks sucked. Atomic Pulse and whoever the last guys were just mailed it in. And Ritmo I don't know how it works choosing who gets to be on your EP, but I imagine that you have something to do with it. Some of the blame has to fall on your shoulders for letting that weak sh*t on something that bears your name. All in all, the first two tracks are worthwhile and I declare the final two are...not. Beatport Juno Download Mdk

Artist: RHot Title: Intellectual Mind EP Label: ACP Records Date: January, 2012 1. Intellectual Mind 2. Bitboxin 3.Kung Fu Kernel 4. Gigs and Ghosts "I imagine...that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole." Anytime a new release drops from Filipe's label I cannot wait to hear it. Can never have too much goa I always say. Besides I know a good deal when I see one. Have you seen the price of gold these days? In all seriousness (whatever) Filipe is very consistent in bringing slamming goa trance to the masses, whether it's as an artist or a label head. So homie's got credit with me. This is Simon Palmieri from the good ol' US of A (who is also Apatheya) with another EP and after several listens I popped a silicone tittie. This EP starts off well. A great opener with a screaming 303 and a breakbeat downtempo track that isn't half bad. Then he goes on to nut punch you with an 8-bit Legend of Zelda vs Galaga battle that had me scratching my head. I don't get that type of music. Don't think you can dance to it, and who would pump this out of their car stereo? So...why? Meh, the price is right (free) and you get at least 1 useful track out of it. Still love you Filipe. Even though you nut punched me. Nut puncher. Get it here! Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Special Places Label: Sentimony Records Date: February, 2012 1. Alpae-3717 - K.D. Expression 2. Camaras De Lamento - CYGNA 3. Dandelions As Memory - CHRONOS 4. Out From Little Box (Astropilot Edit) - IRUKANJI 5. Via Lactea (Astropilot Edit) - AMBIENT INTELLIGENT APPLICATION 6. Port - RABITZA 7. Svoboda - ASTROPILOT 8. Aug - ACCESS TO ARASAKA 9. Disappear - FIELD ROTATION 10. Jewel (Astropilot Edit) - NEXAR 11. A Final Thought - 36 12. A Moment Of Madness - EGUANA What is that....a hockey skate? Or a bunny ridding a sled? Sentimony Records is a label that specializes in psy-ambient and downtempo music that is very relaxing. Based in the Ukraine, they are run by Irukanji and NeiRula. This was compiled by Astropilot and he offers 3 remixes and a track of his own. It's a mix of known artists and newbies, but if it's anything like the dreamy cover I'm all in. Alpae-3717- Lock up your daughters cause here come the Russians! Sergey Yakimov opens things up with a massive soundscape as seen through a huge starship window. The solar atmosphere is well in place as he adds some metallic clanking, but make no mistake, the pads are the star here. With a smooth string and echoing melody we are arriving at our destination. Cameras De Lamento- Been meaning to check out homie's debut in detail, but life has only allowed me to give it cursory listens. It is right in his wheelhouse with a medieval folk vibe complete with big drums and sad melodies big as the Scottish mountains. If you cannot picture Braveheart in this, you haven't seen enough movies. It never gets dull as it switches direction frequently enough to keep you glued. He's even got some guitar that he somehow manages to make it belong. Super. Dandelions as Memory- If you follow downtempo music this man needs no introduction. It's the longest track here and quite easy to get lost in. Smooth for sure and would be perfect for a rainy day as the faraway synth undulates over tumbling water and birdsong. Another one that undergoes several changes so take your time and drink it all in. Out From Little Box (AstroPilot Edit)- Like Dmitry? Well not only did he compile this album, but as I mentioned he delivers a track and three remixes. This is the first remix. Having never heard the original the thing that stands out is the flute which gives it a very Buddhist quality as if I were in Nepal staring at the Himalayas. Goes by quickly even if there ain't much to it. Via Lactea (AstroPilot Edit)- Remix number two please report for duty. It does a great job bringing smooth, floating pads over a chugging percussive set as if the engine of an old tractor was growling to life. Picture time lapse video of a farmer plowing his fields under an overcast sky. Probably has zero to do with the track, but that's what I'm gettin. Who cares, as long as I enjoy it. Port- This duo craft a slowly oscillating track that comes in like waves on the shore as thunder crackles and the rain begins to fall. It hums and droplets fall and create ripples in the sea. Where the f*ck is my hammock when I need it. Svoboda- Glad he decided to add a track of his own. Melancholy piano is just made for a thunderstorm. Not a lot to say about this one. AUG- Rob Lioy (sole American on this compilation) offers up drifting pads along with great effects. All of this = a track that is delicious to the ears. Short though it may be, it is the perfect bridge to Field Rotation's track. Disappear- What did I walk into a funeral? Is this where I lean on the casket for a closer look and it falls to the floor, dislodging the body into a compromising position? Cause that would totally happen to me. This is easily the most mellow track on the compilation. Slow beatless ambient that is suited for looking up at the clouds while so incredibly stoned that they couldn't make enough Funions. "Excuse me young man can you blow me where the pampers is?" Yeah, that high. Jewel (AstroPilot Edit)- This is Nazar Nikolaev and as far as I know this is the only track he released under this project. Never heard the original, but Astropilot gives it his third remix. BTW, he also has a project called Crackle Creations which makes IDM according to Discogs. Very soft and sad piano and strings that conjure up images of Rena Jones. The female vocal is nice, but I'm so fixated on the music I have no idea what she said. It picks up a slow beat and then floats away. Soothing. A Final Thought- Dennis Huddleston from the UK and he has made a short drone track. On it's own I think it would bore me, but in this compilation it fits the pensive mood perfectly. A Moment of Madness- This is Sergey Severin from Russia, but according to his FB page he spent some time in Kentucky. Ah....I come for the education, but I stay...for the Colonel's secret recipe. I have never heard of this individual, but he has composed a track so full of melancholy and sadness that one cannot help but find time for reflection. Was a loved one lost? Beautiful piano piece that would fit right in as the soundtrack to The Ring. Truly special and my favorite one on here. I'm going to have to pay closer attention to this label if they keep releasing stuff this good. It is a drifting and floating parade of sorrowful melodies sad atmosphere. Each track would hold up on its own, but together it creates a aural tapestry. Highly recommended. Beatspace Psyshop Saiko Sounds Goa Store Juno Download Mdk

I think by looking at your signature I have discovered the key to the universe. And it wants me to make a sandwich. Thank you for your comment, nice to know some people are reading. And by the way...9 out of 10 mental patients find me hilarious.

Artist: Various Title: Super Cereal Label: Disasterpeace Records Date: March, 2012 1. Hiyamyzo - Soaring 2. Wired Vs. Zinx - The World is At War 3. Dirty Motion - Schyzophrantic (Sinful Reactions Rmx) 4. Hiyarant - Express 5. Ironstein - Absolut Carnage 6. Mr. Jack - Alter Ego 7. Frozen Ghost - Global Thermonuclear War 8. Orca - Spaceships 9. Tryambaka - Acherion Orchid 10. Hysteria - Deviant 11. Critical Mass - 16 Volt "Truth is for pussies." Yeah, this might hurt. Ever been overlooked? "Yeah I really like the direction Timecode is going." "What about Disasterpeace?" "Oh! And that new joint from Nexus Media is the sh*t!" "It's like you don't even hear me. By the way, does your Mom and Dad know you came out?" Disasterpeace is that other South African label. Timecode and Nexus Media are king, but these guys somehow get overlooked. Which is a shame because they have delivered the goods. Whether it's Frozen Ghost's Sin for Dinner, Ulterior Motives by Rubix Qube or Badass by Xatrik, this digital label offers up the most intense hyper trance around. Pounding rhythms, bass lines with a mind of their own and usually enough of the sticky icky to satisfy your neighborhood whore. Compiled by Myzo it says for twilight goodness all you have to do is just add milk. I have milk. Haven't checked the date on it, but it's probably still good. And it's gluten free for all your unfortunate digestive requirements, so you got that going for you. "Same sh*t...different day." Hey you said it I didn't. I love the twilight stuff. And fairly or unfairly I compare everything to the Midnight Storm series because for me that is the pinnacle of the twilight genre. Bombastic and epic. Sorry Ben, this is not that. Hiyarant, Dirty Motion, Tryambaka, Orca, Frozen Ghost...a lot of major players are represented here. All have made awesome tracks. They just decided not to put them on this compilation. Look at the cover. Even the superhero has a disappointed and disapproving look. Not feeling so super are you? Gone is the thick and brooding atmosphere and acid for acid's sake is easy to spot. There were parts of each track I liked, but none of them brought the heat or was memorable. It seemed a little more geared for the commercial crowd with frequent stops and starts and too many samples. That said it is thumping and in spots it will quench your thirst for aggressive hyper trance. Middle of the road I think. Seems like there is a reason Timecode and Nexus Media are top dogs. Beatport Juno Download Mdk

Maybe you're not reading enough reviews. I can only speak for myself, but I can think of several things I've put out there that are negative just recently. So much so that the artist feels the need to respond and question why I would do such a thing. Reviews are opinions and everyone has them. Actually the more I think about it, the more you should add your two cents. Don't agree with what was written? Say so. Instead of starting a thread, reply to a review. I know as a reviewer I would love for people to comment on what they think about the music or what I reviewed or how I reviewed it. Sometimes it seems like I'm talking to an empty room. So please reply and tell me what you think. I won't get mad. I don't care if you agree or disagree. I just want the interaction. And maybe if you do it, more people will do it and we can get some traffic in here. Mdk

Artist: Alienn Title: Unlock EP Label: Profound Records Date: June, 2012 1. Unlock 2. Fight (feat Neo Genetic) Sometimes less is more. Or...if you get some extra stuff on top of what you wanted is it still worth it? Let me see if I can illustrate. What if you hooked up with a hot chick with big jubblies. Awesome right? Now what if she were a hermaphrodite? Maybe a little less awesome. Maybe, I don't know what you're into. If I ordered a Big Mac and it came with an extra patty that's pretty good right? But if that same big mac came back with a lump of cat sh*t you probably would send it back. It's called seasoning in Louisiana. Point? This is Patrik Ferreira from Switzerland with a short two track EP. If you are a lover of the hyper twilight trance then you are already familiar with his work. His bombastic 2009 release Cosmic Matter was all you could want. And what you get is more of the same. Double helpings of acid mayhem over thumping beats. So where's the problem? I dunno, might not even be one. I liked it's storming nature and it was super intense, but there were some buildups in there (especially in Fight) that grated on my nerves. Minor to be sure and easily overlooked. So please allow me to change my analogy. Hooking up with the same young lady but this time she's not a hermaphrodite. She has an extra boob like that chick in Total Recall. I think we're all winners here. Beatport Juno Download Audiojelly Mdk

Artist: Kick Bong Title: Remixed Label: Cosmic Leaf Records Date: September, 2011 1. Way of Life Remix 2. Little Fairy Remix 3. Logical Life Remix 4. Darkeion Remix 5. Voice of Resurrection Remix 6. Progress In Happiness Remix 7. Spain is Pain (Kick Bong Remix) - Swordxl 8. Strange Feeling (Swordxl Remix) - Kick Bong 9. Once Upon a Time (Kick Bong Remix) - Side Liner 10. Sensation Remix 11. Blissfull Remix Kick Bong. Sounds like a gay sport that it's participants are attempting to get into the Olympics thereby justifying it's legitimacy. Still not this gay though... And what the f*ck is this happy horsesh*t? I cannot think of anything more embarrassing than telling someone I play a...ahem, "sport" from a children's book. See white people, this is why minorities laugh at you. That is, until you get out of school and then hoard your wealth in international tax havens because that's the way the family has been doing it for generations. But I digress. This is Frank (with a c) Jousselin from France with his 4th album. I was a little late on the train, but I liked his Flower Power album with it's varied styles. In a refreshing change of pace instead of inviting people to remix your tracks and eat all your food and then inevitably clog the toilet, he decides to get off his ass and do it himself. Way of Life Remix- From the Mountain High 2 compilation originally. It had a nasty breakbeat and tribal chants with a sledgehammer dubby bass. A perfect melange between natural sounds and electronica. The remix is uber soft like that first 5 minutes post coitus. You know right when she falls asleep and I'm calling Pizza Hut. Most of the groove is taken out and the vocal is much more prominent. It moves along slowly as if in a dream state. Did I just sleep with my wife's best friend? Oh man...I've got some splaining to do.... Little Fairy Remix- Having never heard the original this one goes from soothing to a rather frenetic pace. I'm chill in the beginning and then I'm agitated. Like when I'm talking to the insurance company. You know you owe me f*cking money, why you gotta lie? Like a good neighbor, give me my f*cking lawnmower back fat sac. Logical Life Remix- Originally from his Flower Power album. It had this nice bass that hovered over the breakbeat that felt real good. Bills are paid and still got 5 days of my week vacation ahead of me good. The only thing that kept me from giving it stellar marks was his penchant for talking over his tracks. Frank with a c... zip it. So on the remix it's another breakbeat and that good feeling is still there. But so is the talking. Shhhh. bag of shush and sh*t. Darkeion Remix- This is some funky sh*t! Groovy as hell with a swagger like you own the room. Mid tempo with a catchy bass line and even you could rap to this. Slide up to the females in my white linen suit, hit 'em with a little blah blah blah and I'm ordering breakfast for three, baby! Voice of Resurrection Remix- "We do not attend to have achieved perfection. But we do have a system, and it works. Your choice is to join us and live in peace or pursue your present course and face obliteration. We await your answer. The decision rests with you." That is exactly what was said to me before they kicked me out of Optometry school. Was he in the room? Frank with a c can get percussively funky as he demonstrates here. The groove caught me up and the only thing he didn't bang a beat out on might've been my ass cheeks. The break is smooth and dreamy filling you with a good feeling. Nicely done sir. Progress In Happiness Remix- The captain has turned on the clothing optional sign so please feel free to get down and comfortable because he's still bringing the groove. His breakbeats are unparalleled and weaving it with an operatic falsetto type vocal? Clever. I don't know what part of France he's from, but he's got beats like the Neptunes. And that eerie melody line? Tell me you didn't do this... Spain is Pain (Kick Bong Remix)- This is the first of two tracks he remixes that weren't his. Other than his breakbeats though (surprise surprise) I didn't care for this. It's a drum n bass style that is quite fast. Knocked me out of my comfort groove zone. Strange Feeling (Swordxl Remix)- Not to be outdone, Mr. Swordxl takes a swipe at a Kick Bong track. It's smooth and melancholy and fits better in this album than the previous track. I like the balance of the percussion with the smooth tones that float above. Good stuff. Once Upon A Time (Kick Bong Remix)- Here Frank with a C takes on a Side Liner track from the album with rocks in the water, whatever it's called. Once Upon a Time, that was it. The original gave me a glacial feeling with cold pads and forlorn flute like sounds. That's all still here and he told the story in about 2 less minutes. It also comes off with a smoother feel to me. Now that's a remix sir. Sensation Remix- Loved this one. His glitchy percussive style suits me, and it's so soft that it could be Doug E. Fresh beat boxing. It's a crawl, but a crawl on goose down pillows. Blissfull Remix- Disco + late afternoon at the beach with friends + smooth melody = Pretty good remixes in different styles on this release. He does it right, keeping elements of the original while not making a carbon copy of it. I enjoyed it. Now please excuse me, I have an ultimate frisbee game to get to. What? That sport is cool. Juno Mdk

Artist: Osher Title: Groove Box Label: Blue Tunes Records Date: March, 2012 1. Groove Box 2. Beautiful Destination This is Osher Swissa from Israel who has long been part of the full-on project known as Ananda Shake. While their first album was pretty good, the quality seemed to dip with each successive release until they were trying to get blood from a stone. Then something miraculous happened. He began to make progressive trance. His debut album as simply Osher called Twilight was a revelation. Combining eerie melodies and funktastic grooves it was greatly received by this reviewer. Which is why I felt like this after I heard this little two track EP: Oooh, sorry. Wrong gif. I was interviewing housekeepers earlier and she...uh, she really was enthusiastic. Ahhh...there it is. Please don't get me wrong. This wasn't bad. Solid 4 out of 5. Unfortunately when you set the bar so high expectations rise right along with it. This EP is what you expect when you want to hear progressive trance, but that's just it. Been there, done that. Other artists have done this millions of times before and it doesn't come close to the originality he produced with Twilight. I imagine rent was due or he really wanted that hair transplant so he had a few rough drafts lying around and shopped them to Blue Tunes. "Hey man I delivered with the album, why don't you help a brother out?" I don't know, I wasn't there. But while competent and solid it left me wanting. Stretches of a kick and bass line went on too long without anything else happening. Gone were the twists and turns. I still bought it because I'm a fan, but I've heard him do better than this. Psyshop Beatport Audiojelly Juno Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Bio Hazard Xplorationz Label: ACP Records Date: February, 2012 1. Intoxication - Chemic Lab 2. Ooze Formula - Doc Von Ooze 3. Obey Ur Superiors - D-Oxide 4. Positronic Reactions - Env Mod-Z 5. Apostasy - Relica 6. Test Tubes - Kyro 7. Indu - Mandir 8. Power Up - Water Plant Workers 9. Non Potable - Non Potable 10. Liquid 8 - Env Mod-Z 11. Bio Hazard - Chemic Lab "No, no, no!! Bad robot! We do not do that! We do not eat test tubes!" Filipe Santos is one of the most important names in the revival of goa trance today in my book. Not only is he an accomplished producer of the stuff (never afraid to test the boundaries), but he started a couple of labels that aim to promote new artists and new styles within the genre. This is his current net-label and Bio Hazard Xplorationz is the first full length release after numerous delicious EP's. As I mentioned, his style is all over the place, but lately he's targeted his focus in the acid realm. Always with a goa slant, the sound is bubbly, relentless, and always melodic. With this release he's gathered up a few of the artists in his stable for exactly that. Most of the artists represented here are probably unknown, but that's half the fun ain't it? What you get is 11 tracks embedded with an acid foundation and goa flare. Right out of the gate Intoxication seethes with that acidic bubbling that I haven't seen since chemistry lab. Searing 303's blaze in Positronic Reactions with nicely placed layers that allow it to seethe before boiling. Apostasy is a track that builds momentum and then just mashes its foot on the accelerator. Great stuff, but the absolute stormer for me is Indu. Acidic mayhem with goa power. Trying to catch this will leave you with third degree burns. Non Potable is solid 303 fire starting and the final track is a slow downtempo bit of acid and goa. Very atmospheric as bubbles rise from the surface and pop a few feet above. Great way to end. If you like goa and acid or are a fan of Filipe's work like me, then this is a winner. Good job ACP. ACP Records Mdk

Artist: Deimos Title: We Have Forgotten Label: Goa Records Date: July, 2012 01. Disobey 02. Modus Operandi 03. Na Rubu Horizonta 04. Our Benefactors 05. The Raid (v.2) 06. Seishin - Deimos feat. Subscale 07. Breaking Point - Deimos vs. PsiloCybian 08. We Have Forgotten 09. Blood Magic 10. The Fallout "Our projections show that by the year 2025 ,not only America but the entire planet will be under the protection and the dominion of this power alliance." Proving to be the vengeful God that he is, Jesus is obviously paying me back for the Vox review. Seems he didn't care for my blasphemous tone. Fine Jesus, you control the weather. You're lord of the thermostat. It's stickier than sweaty donkey balls out here. I'll save you the trouble of asking me how I know that. Your mom told me. My wife had a friend in med school from Ghana who would get so pissed off when Americans would say "It's Africa hot out here." She would remind us that the level of humidity in the Southeast United States cannot be found in Africa. I don't know if that's true, but I took her word for it. She also had a gardener, housekeeper, and a butler. Totally shattered my conceptions about the standard of living in Africa. Well, Ghana anyway. So...what else have I been wrong about? Maybe blondes really aren't that dumb? Don't...f*cking...care... Maybe female bodybuilders look perfectly natural I bet my 401k that he-she pees standing up. Maybe Smithers wasn't gay, he was just well dressed. Still not as gay as Glee. This is Igor Čeranic from Zagreb, Croatia. You might recognize the name because not only is he behind the Perfect Blind Project (great downtempo stuff) but he is also half of Dual Barrell. Couple that with being part of two metal bands and I would say this is one busy motherf*cker. But check a lot of releases because he also masters a ton of them. Ironically, he didn't do the mastering on his own release. So like a fat kid at the state fair he's got his fingers in a lot of pies. Deimos is a psytrance project with a darker and harder edge to it. Know how I know that? Promo told me. And this is not hyperbole. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's begin with the cover. Love it. It gives us a glimpse into a post apocalyptic future where we didn't seem to learn our lesson. He tackles a lot of the same issues that Front Line Assembly would and you can tell they had a huge influence on his music. Identical track names and of course samples. Minus the laryngitis inducing vocals of course. The cover itself reminds me of a release by Rush in the mid 70's called Farewell to Kings that he wouldn't know anything about because f**ck him. Young bastard. What have we forgotten? That there used to not be anything called remote control. That I would have to to get up from my TV Tray that shakily supported my Hungry Man dinner and change the channel, only to knock over said tray and thereby kick the dog in anger and resume my position as public enemy number one on PETA's sh*tlist? Still love the cover. Disobey- It's a short intro track that sets the stage for what happened to us as a society. Living underground, very matrix like, broadcasting from a hidden location imploring the human race to please wake the f*ck up. Modus Operandi- Thumping and in a bad mood he takes apocolyptic inspiration from Frontline Assembly and mixes psychedelic sounds with changes in tempo. It ends on a fast note and is a further introduction into a world where man vs. machine had devastating consequences. She can't hear you scotty, you're talking into the garage door opener. Na Rubu Horizonta- More driving rhythms as the intensity increases. The break is a hollow echo in the shell of a warehouse where a few lucky survivors were able to find refuge. From a relatively safe area they are treated to more of the air combat that leveled their society in the first place. Our Benefactors- A sinister lead moves with blinding speed as it enforces discipline on the vanquished humans. It's fast, deliberate and very atmospheric. Think of Dark City, The Terminator, and Blade Runner all combined into one monumental defeat for us. The break is rich in mechanical fear as prisoners are kept at bay with a searing 303. Very powerful. The Raid (v2)- He ain't letting up for a second with that bass line as the effects ripple in the background. If the title says the Raid, I'm thinking of the machines infiltrating home base of the humans deep underground. The break has danger lurking around every corner with synth stabs soaked in reverb. He takes this music, sets the scene, and then rams it down your throat. Seishin- I'm not Japanese and only know what I see in Godzilla movies, but does that word mean sperm? Mario Tomašković of Subscale (one of the heavy metal bands of which he is a member) on guitars. Now normally I like guitars in my psytrance about as much as I like drinking from the toilet. But here, it's forceful and melancholy at times. He doesn't half ass it and the guitar adds to the vibe instead of screaming "Hey asshole, look at me!" In the beginning. The break like all the other breaks is brief but descriptive and where it solidifies itself as a trance track, but then the guitar begins to really take over and I don't care for hair metal in my psytrance. The Breakout- Here he teams up with his Psilocybian buddy and this is one of the most psychedelic tracks on the album. Throbbing with great percussion and juicy electronics that get you in the back of the throat. Leads that leave a mark and are unrelenting just spill over the banks and it makes me whip my bear back and forth. What? Hair? No, I'm pretty sure it's bear. See? Bear. Where did you get hair from? Whatever. Doesn't even make sense. We Have Forgotten- Another driving track with acid licks, but I didn't connect with it too well until the sort of break which started getting my attention. Apart from that though, not as powerful as the last track or as intricate as some of the others. Blood Magic- I get the sense that he's slowing it down without decreasing velocity. Gone is the hard exterior and in its place is a more pensive thought process. Psy-gressive would be a great way to describe this. His effects are on point and the darkness still reigns. Think of coming from underground and looking upon the devastation of the war between man and machine for the first time. It's a holy sh*t moment. The Fallout- This one is quite interesting. The title and the beginning suggest that that war is over as the track creeps along at a mid-tempo shuffle. It's still dark and eerie and the good guys have won, but will they have learned their lesson? You know there's one asshole who keeps some alien dna or something because he things that he can tame the creature. The influences jump right out at you. FLA, science fiction movies, heavy metal...all with a dark overtone. And for the vast majority he doesn't miss a step with full power rhythms and superb atmosphere creation. This is an example of an album you have to listen to all the way through to allow yourself to get swallowed up. There is no sunshine here, no winners, only the cold reality of high tech warfare and the toll it takes on all involved. If you like your psytrance powerful and dark this is something that you will enjoy. Coming Soon Mdk

Artist: Wylhelm Title: Wakeful Chill EP Label: Gliese 581C Records Date: April, 2012 01 - Trip Again (93 BPM) 02 - Mushi (90 BPM) 03 - Ecnart (95 BPM) 04 - Bem Sol (110 BPM) 05 - Violint (93 BPM) 06 - The Cells (100 BPM) 07 - Trip Complete (Re Edited) (103 BPM) Gliese 581C is a netlabel that has produced numerous great offerings for free. Somnesia's Mystic Moon comes to mind, but they don't put all their eggs in one basket. They skip around genres and put their .02 in. Full-on, darkpsy and forest, goa...you name it, they deliver it. Unfortunately they can't all be mind-blowing orgasms and this one left me wanting more. It's a little thin and slightly boring, but all of that is sandwiched between two downtempo goa tracks that made me smile. The first track had a nice crawl to it with some effective layers. The final one had more of a space feel with a progressive tempo. The break in particular had an awakening, almost growling quality. Really liked it. I don't know who this is, but there is an ability to craft and atmospheric track. So, it's free and therefore costs you nothing to check out. Ektoplazm Mdk

That black cat strikes again! Just to let you know what was going through my head...First I thought that it was blocked due to possible offensive blasphemous content, but so was the Abakus one and that just had to do with plant sex, so that couldn't be it. Then I had a dream in the night that woke me up. Jesus was sending me a message that he wasn't pleased that I was making jokes at his expense. The dream consisted of me having a heart attack in a high school I have never been, resuscitated by a girl I have never met. I was this close to deleting the entire review because Jesus was displeased. When the big guy talks you listen. So...yeah, glad to see it was just a glitch. It was right? Mdk

Same thing here. I posted it a while ago and nobody has even peeked at it? It shows no views on my screen, but so did the Abakus reviews. Then when I posted it immediately jumped to 49. Did I break the internet? Mdk

No views? None? Am I being boycotted? Mdk

Artist: Vox Title: Alien Humanity EP Label: SpaceDock Records Date: June, 2012 1. Alien Humanity 2. Desired Piece 3. Inner Polarity (Year of Prophecy Mix) *Picks up phone and punches numbers* "Hey Tawana, how are ya? Kids doing ok? Glad to hear it. Mind patching me through to the big guy? Yeah, no problem I'll hold." *Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?* "Mike is that you?" "JC!!! Whassup brother?" "Oh, it's been stressful. What are they thinking taking my rules for humanity out of public schools?" "I was gonna ask you about that." "Do they need more proof I exist, what do I gotta do? Did they think Katrina just happened? They're like children...give them an inch....Sounds like they need a refresher. What city don't you like?" "Whoa man, appreciate the offer, but I don't need that kind of pressure." "And the whole men lying down with men thing? How much clearer do I have to be? "What passage was that?" "Ah, man I don't remember. Somewhere in the back I think. That book is like two thousand pages and you know what it's like when you contract out. Never know what you're gonna get. Take Moses...I know he wasn't my first choice, but 40 f*cking years? Dumb ass kept making left turns. Let you in on a little secret. That was my inspiration for Nascar." "No sh*t? Yeah it's hard to find good help. Remember that time you said you were gonna make a new creature to scare people and make them realize that there were consequences for their actions? Whatever happened to that?" "Oh yeah the Snooki project. Those a-holes at Comedy Central leaked my plan and put it on TV. That They ended up giving her a TV show. Your race is so screwed." "Sounds like you need to relax." "That's another thing. Why did you people make pot illegal? I put it there for a reason. You didn't see the hobbits making a law against it." "I don't have an answer for you. How are your investments?" "Church on every corner brother, I'm making bank." "Well look I just called to say thank you for that Vox EP. It's gotta be some of the most slamming goa I've heard in a while. Dark and atmospheric with brain melting melodies. Absolutely hypnotic. I knew you had to have a hand in this. Love the cover how each letter has upper and lower case." "Cool right? Yeah, I had a moment." "So when are you coming back?" "I dunno, I got some stuff I gotta take care of up here. Tawana's asking for a raise, telling me her kid needs braces...I gotta ticket the other day...the AC went out...." "Keep your head up man and we'll try to keep it together down here." "All right sounds good....oh and Mike? Lay off the porn." "Yeesh...you saw that?" Psyshop Juno Download Mdk

Artist: Apatheya Title: At Full Goa Force - Chapter One EP Label: ACP Records Date: June, 2012 1. Getafish 2. The Toppest Another EP release from Filipe's digital label has found it's way into my hard drive and I shall make no apologies for it. This was mixed and produced by Simon Palmieri who is no doubt suckling at the teat of this goa master. I'm sure everyone will be pleased with that image. Too late, can't unthink it. So having listened to these two tracks 10 times in a row I come to the conclusion that they are beholden to the old school sound. As usual they sound great with racing melodies with which you will find yourself entangled. You're not overloaded with sounds, but the ones that are there feel nice and warm. My favorite is The Toppest which sounds just like MFG would with layers and spiraling melodies that have no expiration date. Can't ever have too much goa so great job Simon and Filipe. Highly recommended. ACP Records Mdk

Artist: A-Mush Title: Behind The Dark Label: LAD Records Date: May, 2008 1. Another Place 2. Behind The Dark 3. Dyabolyk Toy 4. Hell Boy 5. Hidraulic System 6. Jigsaw Is Dead 7. Kill Freddy 8. LSD Trip 9. Resident Of Gods 10. Sin City Supposedly wine gets better with age. I haven't drunk enough wine that I couldn't get at the supermarket to know this. Some people become more attractive as they age. Look at George Clooney. What is he...in his 50's? He's still pulling some hot tail. Better example...Sean Connery. He's 75 if I'm a day old and he can melt chicks just by talking to them. I usually have to have my kidnapping rope and duct tape. We all have our own recipes for success. My point is that this was released back in 2008 and just like the above examples it has gotten better with age. No it hasn't. But let's be fair. It wasn't that good to begin with. I mean, look who they had to work with. "Needs more bananas!" "You've said that about every f*cking track!!" At times darkspy at times night-full on its monotonous bass line and acid deluge seem thrown together like a trancers wardrobe. Buildups galore, cheesy samples, and I don't think this project knew there were more than 3 presets on a synthesizer. This is the music I'm pumping when I'm driving down the road and the windows are open so you can't really hear it anyway. If you dropped me in the middle of Bombay and gathered up 10 Indians I would be pretty easy to spot right? Well, these tracks are Indians 1,2,3,4...you get the idea. The only thing separating the tracks are the track names and last I checked people don't dance at a poetry slam. But I'm sure there'd be a lot of finger snapping. But there is a bright side. As it was released in 2008 they have only gotten better and better. Their track Quarantine on MMD's Digital Manipulation Device? Awesome. Hunab Ku's Mind Disastour? Hella awesome. And round it out with Psycho Slut from Malfunktion Part 2 and this project is on the train to twilight players. So yes, their first album was weak, but I say better to come out weak and finish strong than Pleaidians. There I said it. So skip it, but know that these guys are on the rise. Juno Download Beatport Mdk

Artist: Abakus Title: Reworks Volume I & II Label: Modus Recordings Date: August, 2011 Vol. 1 1. California Sunshine 2. Igmatik 3. Night Walker 4. Lux Boutique 5. Under The Stars Pt. 1 Vol. 2 1. Lux Boutique (Greg Hunter Remix) 2. Cruise Control (Bluetech Remix) 3. Beyond the Fields (Jong Remix) 4. Igmatik (Tripswitch Remix) 5. Wasted Feeling (Solar Fields Remix) Good God it is f*cking hot out here. I think I saw the thermometer hit 100 degrees Celsius. This is my wife's plant that I have somehow managed to keep alive for the better part of 5 years. I moved it outside a few weeks ago because it wasn't getting enough sun. Now look at it. Pitiful. I don't claim to be able to speak with animals or plants; hell I can just barely hold it together speaking to people without wanting to punch them in the face. But here's how I imagine it would go if my plant could talk to me. Plant: Jesus F*cking Christ, what the hell are you doing to me!?! You left me out here during a tornado! A Tornado!! Look at my leaves! At least get me some water you uncaring bastard! Me: I just watered you yesterday. Plant: So what motherf*cker, did you just have one drink yesterday? Why'd you move me out here anyway? Look, just take me back inside. It's cooler in there...I can't take this heat. Me: No. Plant: CMONNN!!!!!!! The f*cking ants are eating me alive and you tied me to a stake in the blazing sun like I was Jesus, show a little compassion!! Me: No. Plant: I'll suck your dick.... Me: What did you just say? Plant: I'll...I'll suck...your...dick... Me: How is that even possible? You don't even have a...No! No, you know what...this conversation is over! *closes door* Plant: Cmon, shoot one right in the pot! It'll be the best one you ever had....you limp dicked asshole. "Go ahead George...light it up." Abakus is Russel Davies son of Dave Davies founder of the Kinks. Wow, he took a left turn at his father's music didn't he? Actually he didn't, because daddy makes music with him in the ambient/progressive rock genre. His style is a little all over the place. Equally fluent in downtempo and ambient, he can also craft some electro and progressive type stuff. As a matter of fact he has a side project called Cinnamon Chasers which does exactly that. First album That Much Closer to the Sun was really good and his second wasn't bad either. Prisms (his third) continued his mish mash of styles, but I felt it was his weakest effort. He has a new album called Futurism Pt. 1 that came out this year, but this pair of digital EP's came out first. Reworks Vol. 1 are his own remixes of some of his older tracks and Vol. 2 are done by other artists. You might know some of them. Vol. I The original California Sunshine was a mellow downtempo magic carpet ride where there wasn't a cloud in the sky, but the new one sees the bpm's get raised with an 80's synthpop feel. The chants are still there and the beat is good, so he seemed to do a remix right. Igmatik- Probably my favorite track by Abakus. It had it all. Funk, groove, mystery...just a smooth piece of music. The newer version sports a fatter bass, big beats and funky rhythms. And there's some Miami Vice appeal as well for old bastards like me. Jan Hammer might be upset you stole his keytar, but you know...f*ck him. Nightwalker is another of his smooth, dubby brand of electro tracks that has a real lounge component. Like it could've been played in a smoky jazz club. Gone is the quiet funk of the original with another nod to a more synth riff based type of track. Noisier, synthier, and more anger by Jan Hammer. "I don't care...Black people can do a lot of things, but even they cannot make the keytar cool." Lux Boutique was a soft ambient track with glitchy tendencies. Mellow for sure. Well, he electro synthed the crap out of the remix with enough autotune that makes Kanye blush. It's happy and reminds me of Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani and generic rapper. Under the Stars Part 1 was from an Ep of the same name and it was a dreamy type of ambient floating with a trance background. Like all the tracks before in this first volume it seems shinier with a heavier electro influence. If you told me it was an instrumental by the Thompson Twins or Erasure I wouldn't slap the taste out of your momma's mouth. "What did the five fingers say to the face?" Vol. II Lux Boutique (Greg Hunter Remix)- Slowest. Track. Ever. This is music heroin addicts use to overdose. Where the world is flying by, but your perception is in super slo mo. Arizona State University takes its admittance qualifications seriously, believing it's never to young to start preparing. Cruise Control (Bluetech Remix)- Never heard the original. Another slow (not suicidal) dubby tune that combines the warm beach vibe with sun shinning through icicles without melting them. It's got some wobble and seems to freeze time. Let's just say that if I still got high, you would be able to find me by the trail of empty Dorito bags. Beyond The Fields (Jong Remix)- Another track that I haven't heard, but this is a smooth and happy electro tune. Sunny and warm it goes down like an afternoon at the beach. Floaty and comforting. Igmatik- Brennan. Nick Brennan. Responsible for the most epic of the remixes on this series of Reworks, it has huge scope. Layers of running synths fly you to outer space as deep dubby bass rumbles on the bottom end. Massively soothing it's like when my kid releases the string of balloons he was holding. There is no crying...you just watch it go. Bee Yoo Tee Full. "We'll uh...we'll just tell your mother she got kidnapped by some Mexicans." "Dad, that's racist." "It is? Shaddup...want some ice cream?" Wasted Feeling (Solar Fields Remix)- Not to be outdone Mr. Magnus gives you a 10 minute track that combines the boredom of staring at a wall with the excitement of wasting time. Sorry Magnus, you have the midas touch, but would it kill you to give me something to focus on? As it stands, you have given me the soundtrack to me coming out of the bathroom. So that's what you get with these two Reworks. A mixed bag really, but there is plenty of variety so points scored. Most of the tracks are good with the Tripswitch remix being spectacular. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to ah...water the plants. One plant in particular is gonna get so f*cking wet... Beatport - Reworks Vol. I Beatport - Reworks Vol. II Mdk

thank you very much for your kind words. It's nice to know the reviews are appreciated