Basilisk

For the listeners: Zen Mechanics V/A - Little Worlds (if you call that full-on) For the DJs: V/A - Midnight Storm 3 V/A - Sprite Sadly that's all I seem to have in the way of full releases I would recommend. I was surprised!

Don't confuse production quality with the mastering job. Sometimes there isn't really any way to know what is what--other times it can be inferred. For example, Sensient usually has very high production quality, so when you hear Inhuman on the release I mentioned earlier, you just know something is up with the mastering. Tristan's Chemisphere is an interesting release to consider. I've heard some people cite it as an example of good mastering. Opinions may differ...

One that really bothers me is Soundscapes Part 1 from Crotus Records. There are some great tracks on this release but they all sound so thin. I really hope Inhuman is re-released one day...

We had a thread about this recently. Personally I find Youtube very educational for the very reasons you describe. Here's what I stumbled upon today... Voov - It's Anything You Want It To Be, And It's A Gas (1992): http://youtube.com/watch?v=4-3RHw5CX6g

This is great news! I am very much looking forward to this release...

True alien music. Not everyone is going to understand. Of his early unreleased I still really like Gonno Troppo. Jazzy, tribal, mega-psychedelic techtrance--what a combination! If I had the funding I'd release it even though it is about six years old now.

Agreed. In a sense, it is kind of cheesy... but it really hooks people on the dance floor--I always notice a huge reaction when I play this tune. It works nicely with some Tranan and Goasia.

I supported the cause but I think I may have received a bad CD... the first disc doesn't read properly--it's riddled with errors. Damn. :drama:

Uforica has a new promo album out, available here: http://forum.isratrance.com/uforica-under-...2008/63-133575/ Old school fans will be interested in the Overbloody Flood remix in part 2...

Sundance made a huge splash with the original Vibraspirit compilation and Talpa's debut album The Art Of Being Non. Since then I haven't heard too much about them (although they have continued to release all sorts of new material). What do you all think of their newer releases, or what oldies might be worth another listen? Here is the current Sundance Records discography: [sUNDCD023] Various - Vibraspirit 23 [sUNDCD024] Various - SunDaze [sUNDCD025] Talpa - The Art Of Being Non [sUNDCD026] Various - Vibraspirit 11 [sUNDCD027] Nystagmus - The Immaculate Perception [sUNDCD028] Various - Vibraspirit Vol. 23.11 [sUNDCD029] Planum - Elaborate [sUNDCD030] Various - Vibraspirit 11.23 [sUNDCD031] ITP - Lose Your Illusion [sUNDCD032] Planum - Spying Imagination [sUNDCD033] Various - Vibraspirit 23.23 [sUNDCD034] RAZ - Twisted Fairytale

I am in the thick of it...

I agree with you on this one but it might be difficult for some Psynews members to make the connection.

I guess I like this a little more than most people! http://www.ektoplazm.com/reviews/shift-byte-me/

With a little effort someone could write a script that interfaces with the Discogs API to pull release data out as needed... in fact, it wouldn't be too much work to replicate relevant parts of the Discogs database and then build something new from it (i.e. a more casual reviews area). Still, there are faster ways to inject some life into the reviews area... but I think one of the main problems is simply that a lot of Psynews members are focused on the music of the past--not whatever might be cutting edge. Incidentally, does Psynews have a chat room anywhere that I don't know about? Trading off-hand impressions of new releases in a casual context is much better in an unlogged chat area. I know one of the reasons I don't come out and write a line or two on every release I listen to is simply that everything here ends up indexed by Google for all eternity. The permanency of words is sometimes counterproductive to their formation.

"I think that my concept can fit with every culture because it draws inspiration and direction from a time of humanity when, no matter where you went, people were in touch with the Earth and the spirits of nature, the sun and the Moon, and all of the elements... and so, we're delving to the same place and trying to bring the same thing forth--but with the technology of the 21st century, and in a way to appeal to the youth of the 21st century... so, I think that it fits." -- From 'An Awakening,' Alien Mental

http://www.last.fm/ has all sorts of stuff but coverage is patchy (mostly lots of 30 second clips). Hmm, come to think of it--Saikosounds has a very extensive database of 4 minute samples. The quality still isn't any good though. Part of the problem here is that a clip doesn't always inform you of whether a song is really good. The quality of trance is hugely dependent on the big picture; the overall feel... you don't get that in a sample--but maybe you get enough? Hard to say...

Here's some stuff that Youtube coughed up... BLT & Danny Makov - The Calling: Entheogenic - Pagan Dream Machine (Vibrasphere Remix): Nuclear Ramjet - The Missing Moon: Nuclear Ramjet - Mission To Sedna (Preface): * be sure to click through the remaining chapters...

01 :: Pharoelidae - Entheognosis (7:23) 02 :: Anahata - Vishnu (Doktor J Mix) (6:59) 03 :: Kaminanda - 5th Force (6:00) 04 :: Echopilot - Blissdrift (4:21) 05 :: Adham Shaikh - Rabbit Hole Raga (Spore Mix) (6:31) 06 :: Shen - Theos (11:10) 07 :: Osiris Indriya - Gifted (8:37) 08 :: Akhentek - Piksee (8:01) 09 :: Neto - Sage Day (8:45) 10 :: Spire - Helical Scan (7:53) Entheos Audio Archive 1.0 features a blissful assortment of intelligent psychedelic downtempo and visionary ambient electronica from the west coast of Canada and the United States. It was originally compiled by Akhentek of the Entheogenetic Label Group and released on CD as a free gift for all attendees of the inaugural Entheos summer solstice festival and conference in 2007. The high-resolution artwork included in each package doubles as the festival map and stage schedule; this should give you a feel for the event. Be sure to check out the Entheos web site for information on this year’s gathering, to be held on the Sunshine Coast, B.C. Download it here in MP3 or WAV: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/entheo...dio-archive-10/

Thanks reger! Well, you don't need to be a professional musician to contribute, but we are looking for professional or "release" quality Sure do! Check out the N.Division Media profile for a list of all of Andy's releases: http://www.ektoplazm.com/profiles/ndivision-media/ We've been talking about a joint N.Division Media/Ektoplazm collaboration for the summer (but nothing is set in stone just yet). And of course there will be more releases on Ektoplazm coming soon. I'm just finishing up exams and hope to get the next three releases out before mid-June... so, stay tuned

I think we all recognize that talking about where you can download the latest albums in MP3 just isn't kosher... but what about Youtube? I notice a lot of people post up old songs in order to make them accessible to people on the web... but this is, in a strict sense, about as legal as what the MP3 groups are doing. Nevertheless, the social conventions surrounding Youtube postings are undoubtedly different. What do you think--is it OK to post up links to songs on Youtube or is that just as bad as posting a link to The Pirate Bay? I'd say it isn't the same at all. Critically, potential listeners aren't likely to use a bunch of Youtube links as a substitute for buying the real thing (assuming it is even available--many Youtube postings focus on the oldies). Because the quality is low (I don't know what the bitrate is but it can't be all that great) the availability of songs on Youtube probably serves more of an educational and informative purpose than anything else. Why am I interested in this? Well, one of the main things we do here on Psynews is recommend music to each other. It is standard to simply write down a track or album name and leave it up to potential listeners to sort out how to find it. I can tell you that absolutely no one who hears about Etnica's Juggling Alchemists album is going to run out and pay $200 for a copy on the strength of a recommendation alone! Obviously people are taking recommendations and searching for MP3s to hear... and should they like something, perhaps they will go out and buy more from an artist. Well, if it isn't frowned upon to post links to songs on Youtube this whole process could be greatly streamlined. For example, I was in a discussion recently about good old classic trance tunes on another forum and people were posting up Youtube links. I thought--this is great! You can immediately hear what it is they're talking about--there is no need to budget time to go and scour some dodgy P2P network or whatever. Not bad! Is there a good argument against this practise? I'm still trying to sort it out...

Here are some albums to try out (links are to a few of my reviews): Antix - Twin Coast Discovery BLT & Danny Makov - Anything U Want Decoy - Not Responding To Light Eat Static - In The Nude! Entheogenic - Spontaneous Illumination Etnoscope - Drums From The Dawn Of Time ITP - Lose Your Illusion Jaia - Fiction Juno Reactor - Labyrinth Kaya Project - Walking Through Kiwa - Dreamtime Enhancer Lunaspice - Reflexion Magnetrixx - Wired ManMadeMan - Free To Listen Nuclear Ramjet - Mission To Sedna Ott - Blumenkraft Pitch Black - Rude Mechanicals Principles Of Flight - Nighttime Melodies Shulman - In Search Of A Meaningful Moment Sound Field - Audio Surfin' System 7 - Phoenix Tegma - Around The World In 80 Minutes Torakka - Far Out Express Tranan - Restarter Uni - Venus Vishnudata - Dreamforce These releases represent many different approaches to psytrance... if you like any of these come back and let us know (feedback will help others craft recommendations for your benefit)... one other thing to keep in mind is that exposure to new music often requires some time--plenty of music I enjoy now I didn't care for at all when I first heard it... so don't forget to return to highly recommended stuff once in a while--perhaps you'll "get it" later...

I like the Land Of Freedom remix...

"The Prophecy" isn't new school Goa trance?

You can buy it on most download shops... Beatport for sure, but also check TrackItDown. Personally I think this remix is very faithful to the original... quality stuff!

I just ran across a GMS remix but there's no real need to add it to the list... I doubt anyone would care for it. Aside from the use of the famous melody in the break it has almost nothing to do with Etnica's original. No classic track is safe from Riktam and Bansi!