Basilisk

I wish I could get copies of Gus Till's Best of the Rhino Years without the terrible mastering job. Still not sure what went wrong here, everything sounds like mud. https://www.discogs.com/Gus-Till-Best-Of-The-Rhino-Years-Vol-1/release/987060 https://www.discogs.com/Gus-Till-Best-Of-The-Rhino-Years-Vol-2/release/1138541

This is an interesting channel. I really should get around to doing something similar to demonstrate my approach to mixing; YouTube has a lot of potential for DJs these days, especially if you want to make a spectacle of yourself

Several aesthetic features of the genre (e.g. ambient intros/outros, ending with a bang, non-standard track structure) probably originate with the use of cassette and DAT tapes in the earliest years of the scene. In some sense, the emphasis on access to obscure or unreleased material and programming/storytelling over technical mixing ability is a matter of tradition, but it doesn't have to be that way. Personally I really enjoy mixing psytrance as if it were house or techno, finding different ways to layer, blend, and combine source material. Plenty of my mixes involve 2 to 4 minute-long transitions between tracks, and occasionally 3 or 4 deck mixing. But I will admit to being less enthusiastic about mixing modern upbeat psytrance in this fashion; there's often way too much going on for aggressive mixing to yield satisfying results.

Psy-Harmonics has many experiments with punk-psychedelic fusion in their catalogue. Experience is a good starting point, especially the opening track (which isn't on YouTube, unfortunately): https://www.discogs.com/Various-Experience-Psy-Harmonics-Volume-5/release/150829

Cheeky fun from a former psytrancer

I'm looking forward to what comes of this

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MFG? Awesome I'd also love to see a remastered/unmixed/BPM fixed edition of a few MFG classics like Psychic Resonator and much of Project Genesis.

Something for the early 1990s techno/trance crate-diggers: https://humanbeings.bandcamp.com/

I'm curious if anyone knows the dates of production for the tracks on this album... or at least which two tracks are the new ones (Dancing Shiva and Fluid Dynamics are my guess)?

Sounds interesting! I also hope to see a remastered version of The Best of the Rhino Years some of what's on those CDs is borderline unlistenable...

I quickly skimmed some samples and don't understand the negativity. The last album was fantastic and this sounds really cool too.

I am constantly impressed with the amount of effort that goes into these excellent re-releases. Some mistakes when dealing with such old source material is entirely understandable IMO. Sorry for the drama and hate you gotta put up with, but keep doing this wonderful thing you do

Just stumbled upon this without reading the promo and was impressed with how well the producers nailed that proto-Goa vibe... this is what I've been hoping newer artists would try! And then I read the rest now I'm burning with curiosity...

Thanks for sharing this here... I should emphasize one point that seems to have gotten lost in translation: although the label in question ripped plenty of tunes from Ektoplazm many commercial labels were also affected. I've seen some people sharing this status framing it as a problem with Ektoplazm, Creative Commons, or free distribution, but it's not exactly the case. Major labels register tracks with third-party services that scan sites for copyright violations, something that Ektoplazm presently doesn't have the resources to do, but the same goes for anyone else. Anyway, I'm always going to do what I can to fight for the rights of the labels and artists I help with distribution but we'll all have to remain vigilant for shameless operators like the "label" responsible for this mess.

Thanks and here's another one for the pile... PROTOTYPES 2 Zen Lemonade - Zodiac Guns (2002) Bedrock - Voices (Freelance Icebreakers Remix) (2000) Ballroom - Passenger (Steve Porter Remix) (2001) James Benitez - Star Chaser (2003) Medway - Release (Lexicon Avenue Remix) (2001) Krüger & Coyle - Prock Rock (2004) Paris & Sharp - Aphrodite (2001) Pete Lazonby - Sacred Cycles (Quivver Remix) (2000) Vision & Canedy - Aeroplane (2004) Blakstone - Superfrill (2002) Chab - Matica (Matrix Mix) (2000) Nathan Fake - Outhouse (Main Mix) (2003) Holden & Thompson - Nothing ('93 Returning Mix) (2003) https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-prototypes-2/

Hi everyone! It's been a little while since I shared any mixes here so I'm going to catch up by posting four at once. Two of these mixes feature modern psychedelic techno sounds whereas the other two explore different facets of classic electronic dance music. All are live recordings from shows I've played in Taiwan and none were planned in advance. EARTHFEST 2015 Der Interpret - Landfall [Traum Schallplatten] Spektre - Reverion [Toolroom Records] Flembaz - Lichen [blind Arc] Trilingo - Kalix [Digital Diamonds] Trilingo - Luzoba (Ben Rama Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Ark-E-Tech & Mecca - Look At Yourself [bassic Records] Zentrix - Dust (Mydä Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Boris Brejcha - Spacecraft To Mars [Harthouse Mannheim] Stephan Bodzin - Ix [Herzblut Recordings] Flembaz - Lubrsune [Digital Diamonds] Stoertebeker - Artificial Structures [Techgnosis Records] Ben Rama - Emergent [Digital Diamonds] Mydä - Offtopic [Digital Diamonds] Beat Bizarre - Amplifucked [iboga Records] Alic - Ma Soul [Digital Diamonds] Oliver Lieb - Altiplano [Fris!] Flembaz - Orobas (Ken Zo Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Stoertebeker - Setzt Die Segel [Techgnosis Records] Daäna - Absentia [Digital Diamonds] Extrawelt & Dominik Eulberg - A Little Further (Not On A Map) [Cocoon Recordings] https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-earthfest-2015/ * CONCRETE DREAMS Ben Rama - VALIS [Digital Diamonds] Progus - Arus [blind Arc] Luis M - Interferenz [Digital Diamonds] Alic - Ostkreuz [Techgnosis Records] MYDÄ - Wawawikked [Techgnosis Records] Bratenschneider - Destiny [Digital Diamonds] Spektre - The Grudge [Phobiq Recordings] Quite K - Visya Exhale (Excizen Remix) [Horns And Hoofs Entertainment] Snok - The Placescape [blind Arc] Jitter - Acida [Digital Diamonds] Sensient - There Will Be Mud [Zenon Records] Flembaz - Dungeons & Dragons [ADN Music] Triforce - Misty Moon (Doppel Remix) [bassic Records] Luis M - Chang3 [blind Arc] Stoertebeker - Setzt Die Segel (Terrakroma Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Ben Rama - Initiate (Trilingo Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Ken Zo - Gordon Dawat [Techgnosis Records] https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-concrete-dreams/ * FREETEKNO FAKTORY MX Experiments - Neutralizing Agent [solstice Music International] (2006) K.U.R.O. - ReCALL [Maniac I.Q. Records] (2004) Authentik - Solid [d.Drum] (2001) Boo Reka - In Hell X Hell [Agitato Records] (2002) The Delta - Warp [solstice Music International] (2006) Chris Liebing - String Theory (Picotto & Ferri Remix) [Evolution] (2004) Spirallianz - Soulprint [spirit Zone Records] (2003) Wizzy Noise - Demented Drum (Part 1) [Candyflip Records] (2003) DJ Exanimo - Fear & Loathing [Neurobiotic Records] (2002) Vibrasphere - Out Of My System [Digital Structures] (2001) Psychaos - Mad Lane [Atomic Records] (1999) Cydonia - Funky Monkey [Vision Quest] (2003) Nerve - Nervous (Etnica Remix) [Pinwheel Records] (2002) BLT & Danny Makov - The Rain Song [Tokyo Dance] (2004) Logic Bomb - Melogic [booM! Records] (2000) S>Range - Boom [Acid Casualties] (2000) Cosma - People On Hold [HOM-Mega Productions] (2003) https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-freetekno-faktory/ * PROTOTYPES The MFA - Two Billion Year Journey (Dirty Fours Mix) (2004) Krüger & Coyle - Space Boy (2004) Vision & Canedy - Check The Sound (2005) Mainline - Narcotic (2000) Minilogue - In A Deeper Motion (2002) Dub Disaster - Sausage Dip (Philo Remix) (2004) Katai - Turn Of Time (Dub Mix) (2002) True To Nature - In My Room (2007) Shmuel Flash - Chilling Moments (Bedrock Dub) (2002) Circulation - Turquoise (Different Gear Remix) (2001) Amber - Anyway (Steve Porter's Mix 2) (2003) Atlas - Compass Error (Tarrentella & Redanka Remake) (2002) Perry O'Neil - Numb (2005) Medway - Resurrection (Chris & Kai Remix) (2005) Guy J - Lamur (Henry Saiz Remix) (2009) https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-prototypes/ * I've got a bunch more on my Mixcloud profile if you enjoy these: https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/

I previously ran a crowdfunding campaign and hesitate to do another for several reasons. It is a huge amount of work, for starters, and it means I'll probably spend months working on the campaign and fulfilling all the perks/rewards rather than, you know, actually working on Ektoplazm. Moreover, I feel a little uncomfortable running another campaign given what was promised last time (a new web site) versus what I have been able to deliver (2+ years of new releases on the current site, which isn't something that would have otherwise been possible). I'll have more to say in a future blog post but for now I am relying on community support in the form of donations.

Ektoplazm isn't dead. It's hibernating Sorry to have to close the doors to new applications but the situation won't last forever. Keep an eye on the blog for updates, use Bandcamp in the meantime, and feel free to submit your release when things open up again; I don't discriminate against previously released music! I should also mention that I don't mean to ignore anyone, I'm just really burnt out (and broke) and have hundreds of email inquiries and release applications backed up in my inbox. Thanks for your patience

No, it is not too specific. Consider why we classify music in the first place: to help us understand musical diversity and find more of what we like (or avoid what we don't). Classifying music is tough work if you're trying to jam something into the proverbial pigeonhole of a genre (a mutually exclusive category) but much easier if you think in terms of style (a nuanced non-exclusive description with differing degrees of specificity). I follow the principle of parsimony in determining what styles are a part of the musical taxonomy at Ektoplazm, which is to say, I am interested in the least complex taxonomy that most accurately describes the music on the site with respect to the actual topography of music taste and listening habits in the wild, which is always changing. I believe this approach has value, particularly for anyone new to the culture and overwhelmed by its musical diversity, but it certainly isn't meant to be definitive. The purpose of Ektoplazm's taxonomy is mostly to point people in the direction of more music they might like, something known as signposting. I welcome dialogue about whether or not the existing system achieves this aim or not. Actually, I've had a lot of fun posing questions to Ektoplazm's 130,000+ followers on Facebook any time questions of style come up. The original taxonomy mostly reflected my own personal understanding of psytrance but in recent years it's been shaped by the community.

Come at me bro

Hey everyone, sorry I've been a bit disconnected from the community and haven't been around to answer questions. There's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes and I've been struggling to come up with the right words to explain the situation... but hope to have an official announcement up on the blog sometime soon. I really regret the delay in getting that posted; I don't like to leave anyone wondering what's going on. The update copied above explains some of what's been going on with my web host (and why I'm not leaving them just yet). Nothing more to say about that except that bandwidth itself is not something I pay for. I also alluded to some financial trouble that shouldn't surprise anyone. Do the math: I work on Ektoplazm full-time, don't have any other regular sources of income, incur at least $500 in expenses every month (from the site itself, never mind my cost of living), and almost always take in less than that in donations. This isn't sustainable... and it's reached the point where I have to focus my time elsewhere for a while. In any case, I'll be back to work when I have the means to do so and actually, if I have the opportunity to process a few releases I'll do so, just to keep things moving. I'm just not in a good position to do so at this exact moment. Often when I mention these things people chime in with advice and suggestions. I really appreciate this (and indeed, without strong community support I wouldn't have spent the last few years continuing the project) but would like to emphasize that I've been living this project for a decade. I have had very good reasons for not using BitTorrent, lowering hosting expenses, increasing advertising revenue, introducing nag screens, getting someone else to manage the current site, starting another crowdfunding campaign, charging for something that is already free, making incremental improvements to the design, chasing venture capital funding, open sourcing the redevelopment code, etc. There are only a few things that will truly help right now: donations (cash or bitcoin), moral support, and patience and understanding. I'll say more on that blog post. In the meantime, I'm committed to at least keeping the current site online and I encourage everyone to rummage around the archives in search of something you may have overlooked

This is the first studio mix from my Synaptic FX alter-ego. If you don't mind exploring musical territory with some parallels to psytrance (in that it is often atmospheric and hypnotizing) give this mix a spin https://www.mixcloud.com/SynapticFX/synaptic-fx-reunion/

In case you missed it... an interview with the man behind DAT Records: http://goatrance.hu/en/dat-records-int/

I used to think that almost all the good stuff had been released but changed my mind in recent years. Turns out there's a lof great stuff that never made the cut for whatever reason (probably because we're not exactly talking about the most straight-laced of people on the business end of things). Personally I feel like it's amazing that we're still adding great tunes to the Goa trance canon (even if they're not all winners). Depends on how you look at it. Five years ago I would have agreed with you, more or less. Nowadays I think differently. For starters, new school Goa trance as a movement has been around longer than the "golden age" (94 to 98 or thereabouts). There's been more of an opportunity for artists to really hone their sound and get at what they're trying to achieve. Most of the old school greats burnt out before they had the chance to reach the same level of artistic development. Yes, the new stuff isn't quite so wild and untamed but there's a lot of it... and some of it is pretty good. Another point: the common usage of the term "new school Goa trance" is nowhere near as broad and inclusive as how we defined old school Goa trance. Nowadays we're usually talking about music that exhibits a particular melodic approach derived from Etnica, Dimension 5, Shakta, etc. To say that the entire movement has less range than the old school greats isn't exactly true... I'd argue that it's our more precise use of the term that gives this illusion. A few practical examples: while we can all name some modern-day equivalents to many of the old school greats... what about groups like Koxbox, Orichalcum & The Deviant, Ka-Sol, Quirk, Sandman, Metal Spark and the rest of the Dutch break-trance squad, etc.? If we expand the field to include acts like Amygdala, Kadasarva, Exelization, Fuzzonaut, and some of the weird stuff on this compilation, suddenly it doesn't look like the movement is quite so limited. Some do, some don't. I don't think it's universal... but it would be nice if the big organizers paid more attention to the quality of the sets played by some of the old giants.