Basilisk

Most Smart records aren't worth anything more than a common used price... that one wasn't replicated from another vinyl however, so it may be worth slightly more. If there are any crazy A.P. fans out there you might get $20 for it, or more. Reasonable guess: $15.

R.I.P. - hope those guys find a good path for their lives now... it must have been a lot of work over the last decade! For Cosmosis, Laughing Buddha, Slide, Astral Projection, Dance Trance + Magic Plants, the Wizardry of Oz, the Sound of Freedom, A Progress in Trance, and great singles from Psychaos, Human Blue, Power Source, MFG, Yahel, Spies, Quirk, and Space Cat - thank you.

Really? Just got musica this weekend (on sale on ebay for cheap, why not?) but found it a little dull...

Sounded like just another full-on compilation to me as well. This is the release that used the runner up cover from the 2nd psynews contest right? So many releases for DJs... not so many for psytrance fans in general though!

I think they're working on it... and yes, very unique style and great productions.

Try asking them through their web site I am also hunting for Phase Shift, on CD... went out of stock everywhere very quick!

First off, I thought about the main question here, and wasn't really able to come up with much of an answer. Any big name that I've seen has not impressed me with their DJ work (live sets are another matter). Then again, haven't seen too many DJs noted for their technical skill - unfortunatlly I've suffered through the "2-for-1" deal that some promoters jump at, where they book a live act and get them to DJ as well (even though they don't DJ well and basically just play songs from their friends that all sound the same). Ooof. Now I'm going to reply to krelm... agreed on the first and last paragraph, thoughts on the second: One thing I would note here is that musical styles other than psytrance do lend themselves to the application of technique, or as I refer to it: fuckery. The techno side of psytrance can be manipulated in similar ways to make it sound more interesting - and there's the key, for a psytrance listener anyway. DJs weave three records together because just playing them through can sound boring. Same with some other genres. The music is more exciting when the DJ is actively becoming a part of the composition by selectively layering loops and what-not. Respectable and enjoyable to hear when done with some skill. Psytrance is a bit of a different deal, as it is delivered as a pre-packaged whole. I mean, I hate to use full-on as an example, but look at how many songs through in DJ-like manipulation effects so mixing them requires absolutely no effort (thanks to a standard BPM). Of course this lowers the bar. With all the compression, and all that tweaking already provided, it begins to grow difficult for the DJ to add anything to the sound without it becoming way overgrown. Now, I've been DJing for some years, initially starting out on vinyl with old school Goa trance. I still consider that style amongst the hardest to mix nicely, and developing a way to present the music was quite a challenge when I was starting out. Then I got better, learned CDs, started to play a wider variety of music, and gained some skill in "fuckery". Dropping beats, layering sounds, providing teasing hints and faux build-ups, learning to use effects, etc. Slowly, as I accumulated skills of this nature, I began to speculate on whether this actually improves the listening experience for the audience. With regards to mixes, I began to drift towards the notion of primarily smooth mixing, and fewer tricks, for the simple reason that I wouldn't want to hear the same thing done over and over again if I am to find it a mix to listen to often. Out at the parties is only slightly different for me now... if you're there with an empty room and trying to get people involved, I think fucking around is somewhat akin to masturbation. It's somewhat different when there's a crowd and they're getting into it - a little fuckery can get people shouting and jumping up and down, so in that context it works. I suppose I find that it works somewhat well as a feedback loop, which requires an active audience, and mixes or an empty room don't quite fit for the application of technique. I suppose that, in essence, the conclusion I came to was that skills beyond beat-matching have a place and time, and can easily be overdone... and often, psytrance (and substyles) are better served without much in the way of fuckery. We're dealing with a musical style that strives for completeness, not something forged with the idea of integration in mind. Tracks ideally stand on their own, and consequently are liable to clash if there is too much input from the DJ, in many cases. In any case, I don't think there is ANY excuse for beat-matching poorly when you're playing out. It's really not that hard, especially given what people play these days (ugh). I'm simply not certain that many DJs are challenging themselves to improve their skills, and no one on the dancefloor is making much of a statement either. Give them drugs and they'll enjoy the sound of bricks in a dryer for hours on end. Yay!

Haha, sweet. I also heard there is a Gus Till album called Dub Shadows... this true? Any trance on either of these albums or just ambient? I'm still waiting for a solid Bus album... Zen Lemonade just didn't do it for me (not enough anyhow).

I've had it on to go to sleep many nights in recent times... and I'm convinced! Now I've got to find it in stock somewhere. I think Boris Blenn has done a nice thing this year, releasing three solid albums!

Hello again... I think it is a difficult topic you raise. There certainly is some kind of an effect music can have on the ear that grows with time and experience, but I'm not always certain that the word maturity is used without bias. What is the logical end point, at which one is fully mature? Uh, deep house music? Ambient? Total silence? I think the effect is more of a personal development - as one experiences music the mind becomes more acclimated to a particular sound, influenced highly by that person's own experience of life. I find it tough to figure, because when I got started in this scene I really enjoyed some artists that I now loathe, and contrarywise did not appreciate classic artists like Etnica until further listening had somehow opened up my mind to sounds I had previously found lacking, and sealed the fate of music I was to rapidly discard in that early time of rapid acclimatization to psychedelic sounds. Perhaps this maturity manifests as my current taste, which ranges rather far and wide within the psychedelic trance genre, and tends to shift in ponderous steps rather than grand epiphanies and shocking realizations that used to overcome me when something broke through to my center. In essence, I consider growth of musical taste as individual as the taste itself - a mirror of the self that grows as you do.

Oh Lemmi... Next year's trend: regressive trance... made by real musicians!

On the topic of ratings, here's my schema: 10 incredible 9 excellent 8 great 7 good 6 above average 5 average 4 below average 3 bad 2 awful 1 terrible This is a bit different than usual I think, where most albums score 6 to 10 on personal rating scales... 6 isn't a bad rating - it's still better than average. Hope that clears that up Glad you ppl liked the review... it sure took a lot of listening to arrive at it Peace.

My subjectivity can beat up your subjectivity.

That's a mighty wide question you ask... any idea what sort of goa/psy you'd like to try your hand at mixing? Generally I find all modern full-on to be a total piece of cake hardly worth troubling one's own grey matter to spit any kind of datum from one neuron to the next... the older stuff - therein lies the challenge. Years have taught me that not everything will mix together - a careful process of experimentation is what best leads to frew-it-ful results. At times one must accept that certain tracks are nearly unmixable, or you'll have to do the mad crossfader dash to bring it over in time (Hux Flux makes stumpers that require this treatment for example)... it all goes back to one simple, beautiful concept: know thy music.

Loopus in Fabula · Astrofunk Fabula 2003 (CD Album) 01 :: I Can’t Wait 02 :: Old Vibes, New Money? 03 :: THX (Decoder Mix) 04 :: Telekinetic Hammo Player 05 :: Papoola 06 :: Bombay Nights 07 :: Barrel of Gain 08 :: Makelovenotwar 09 :: Funkytown 2003 Review: http://www.ektoplazm.com/reviews/loopus-in-fabula-astrofunk/

V/A - Trance Scandinavian Express [Turbo Trance 2004] CD Alternate Vision vs Z-Man - Back to Reality Andromeda - Hynotic Meeting [Remix] Artax - Mysterious Virus Son Kite - On Air [Deedrah Remix] Tranan vs Z-Man - Who's Who Chromosome - Big Fat Giant Phantom S>Range - Hyper Mental Logic Bomb - Tales From The Basement S>Range - Test Tones [Chromosome Remix] Review: http://www.ektoplazm.com/reviews/trance-sc...navian-express/

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Protoculture · Refractions Nano 2003 (CD Album) 01 :: Homeworld 02 :: Silicon Sunrise 03 :: Magnetik 04 :: Refractions 05 :: Hallusignorita 06 :: More Directions 07 :: Avalon 08 :: High Orbit 09 :: Melody Machine Bonus :: Peekaboo [...]

Hey there... ebay is your best bet for most oldies, but expect to pay a lot - and naturally, the better releases only get put up for sale once in a while. To address some questions in your first post - earlier Astral Projection albums are certainly better for your interests than Ten and Amen. California Sunshine's best is probably Nasha, but I also have an appreciation for Flying Eye Land. Everything else by them is overrated imho. Check saikosounds for some of the classics listed on this site... go to Goa reviews and check out the years 1995 through 1998 for anything listed with a red highlight - read some reviews and see if it sounds good to you. I think saiko will have some nice oldies on Phonokol if you check them out. MFG's New Kind of World is in stock and that is a certifiable classic. As for full-on... I guess that is this scene's equivalent to UK hard house or nu-nrg... kinda vacuous dance music with big obnoxious bass lines and a cookie cutter set of effects/"melodies"... not really for home listening or really trancing out. Good luck on the quest...

It's an album I rapidly grew sick of after buying it... hmm. Think I'll have to return to it for another try sometime (or maybe I'm just not so much in the mood for something like this in the midst of winter).

Well Ola, you know I'm with you on that page. Here in Toronto I shut down the local community I was running, stopped taking most gigs, and generally stepped out of the "scene" here to enjoy music my own way... even if that meant just listening at home and never really experiencing that amazing feeling out on the dancefloor (or behind the booth for that matter) when things really matter... my process sounds nearly identical to yours, with weeks of careful lead-up to an event, a very selective choice of records brought out, and the all-too-common disappointment when the show turns out to be another stupid circus. I've tried to travel around the path somewhat more than you have, having freshly made this resolution (mine was made this summer), and my goal has simply been to relax, recuperate from the spiritual harm I suffered putting so much of myself into the record craft, and just try to enjoy whatever music hit the right vibes with me for the wintertime. Oh, and produce, which I still need to get around to doing have you thought of dedicating some of your efforts towards the goal of making your own sounds? You're lucky on at least one point... it sounds as if Sweden's scene is vast enough that you can round up enough people for the true trance dance experience... here in Toronto I don't think there are enough people still interested in much more than the cliquey back-scratching schmoozathons with booze or drugs involved. Who knows really. I might be missing something, having skipped almost all of the events here for the past 6 months... however the one I did go to that everyone praised so highly was quite a disappointment, and as per usual I'd probably be crucified if I were to express a dissenting view about it... oh well. So I step back. I stay at home. I listen to music I like, when I want to, and let it carry me through my days. At some point I'm going to get the itch to get active, but for now recognize that merely listening is doing my soul some good. Maybe you can find some solace in a break as well, as there isn't much one can do about the sidetracked issues you describe well in your write-up. Good luck on your travels... Oh and I guess the thing to remember is - there is still good music coming out... and timeless music never ages

Well, hmm. As much as I'd like to complain I still find about 5 CDs a month to buy, and never seem to get my spending down. Old school fans may have slim pickings but if your tastes go beyond that into at least a few other realms then there's always something to explore... if all else fails, try Finland The scene sure is suffering from a terrible lack of creativity in many releases but this can't last, and anyhow, 95% of any music is crap isn't it? Digging for the 5% that is excellent is what makes this all worth it. Some quality releases from 2004: 12 Moons - Solid State (pure trance) BLT & Danni Makov - Anything U Want (a triumph of psychedelic trance) Electric Universe - Cosmic Experience (who said Goa is dead?) Filteria - Sky Input (amen) FREq - Strange Attractors (progressive maybe but very psychedelic!) Haltya - Electric Help Elves (sick of everything? try this) Hydrophonic - Aquabatics (better full-on) Lemurians - Secret Message (dark and psychedelic) Lunaspice - Reflexion (layered psychedelic progressive) Matenda - Tunnel Vision (some glorious morning trance) Phi - Phinalizer (dancefloor-ready old school influenced full-on madness) Prometheus - Robot-o-chan (interesting psychedelic offering) Talpa - The Art of Being Non (low sound quality but high creativity in melodies) Torakka - Far Out Express (very psychedelic and old school influenced) The Misted Muppet - From the Legend (Infected goes back in time) Of course there are plenty more compilations and excellent progressive releases. 2004 wasn't bad at all! And despite the 99 billion crap releases there are still at least 25 that I will cherish greatly from this past year. All things considered we're doing ok, now hopefully Filteria and others can usher in a new age renaissance with true old school influences for 2005! Then the picture would have more balance to it... good luck in the quest for fine beats and bytes! peace.

There's too much of it that sounds the damn same imho. Too much of a good thing is actually a bit boring. That being said, anytime I am able to skim off a "representative" best title, I am always quite pleased. The Shift & Slug collaborative album is excellent, and I'm looking forward to The Turning for that absolutely nutso Artifakt track... DROP... BY DROP... what a dark anthem!!

Here's the question I have... there are plenty of great old school Goa songs that suffer from poor mastering. Is there any way to do something about this in the here and now, to make an improvement? Does anyone dabbling in mastering with an appreciation of old school want to give it a shot? or has anyone already? On the other side, have any of the new "remastered" editions of old classics (such as the ones on Avatar and Inpsyde) sounded different to your ears?

This isn't a review, since I'm not ready with that yet... more of a - stunned - reaction to the fabulous debut album from Torakka, and resulting thoughts. I had the group's debut EP from a long time ago which included Plastic Spliff Up Boogie and Blue Oxygen, but damn - what a journey the album itself turns out to be! Since there's a heap of old school fans here I think you've all got to give it some time to check out... my initial connection relates this to the work of Uni (a somewhat obscure Japanese act which all fans of Goa should certainly acquaint themselves with!). The style is not simply a replica of the old school sound, but rather - an extension and progression of it. Let me make this point clear however - this is not an "evolution" into sterilised grooves aimed at the dancefloor with a trickle of the old school feeling left, which is often what Goa fans are left with these days (excepting some obvious gems like Filteria!)... no, there are no cut corners, and it is clear the audience is universal. Why is it, after all, that psychedelic trance is aimed almost exclusively at the party listening context with dancefloor killers, when most of the listening goes on at home? Here we have a return to the all-round listening experience... and I for one have always had far more fun dancing to stuff that is, above all else, GOOD music in all contexts (not just on the dancefloor). Full review, coming much much later... it is clear this one needs to be processed for a while first. Thoughts, anyone? If you needed a push to check it out, consider this it...