Lemmiwinks

hehe yeah but it's not just any YSE CD, this one's actually good

CD1 1 Tegma - In All Ears (8:31) 2 Vibrasphere - Waveguide (8:27) 3 Maelstrom - The Bomb (8:31) 4 Anton Chernikov - Nightmare (8:34) 5 Liquid Soul - Sweet Things (8:29) 6 Ritree - The Cycle (7:30) 7 John '00' Fleming - Nervous Breakdown (9:25) 8 Ace Ventura - M.A.R.S. (Gaudium Remix) (6:14) 9 Slider & Sub6 - Subslider (6:39) CD 2 1 Astral Projection - One (9:18) 2 Fatali - Thoughts (7:04) 3 Ovnimoon - U R God (8:46) 4 Tristan - Depends On You (AMD Remix) (8:30) 5 Wizzy Noise & Domi Pastor - Wizzdom (7:54) 6 X-Noize - Gangster (7:35) 7 Mad Maxxvs. Voyager - Boogie Woogie (7:51) 8 Electric Universe - Psycho Acoustic (6:22) 9 Atma - The Tomes Of Power (7:43) 10 Chakra Feat. Liquid Metal - Resurrection (Chakra & Krunch Feat. Guy Salama Remix) (7:17) YSE are following their tradition of selling misbranded music (mostly progressive that they abusively call "goa" for reasons that I have yet to discover). Anyway, normally speaking I'd steer clear of their stuff except that this time around the comp was compiled by none other than THE John 00 Fleming who I really apreciated a while ago with his Mahadeva remix, and of course, a quick look through the tracklist will show you that these are all very well-known names featured (Astral Projection!! - I thought these guys retired?, Chakra, Electric Universe, Dick Trevor (of GNOTR), Wizzy Noise, Vibrasphere...), so it's one of those "this has so many big names that it can't go wrong" kind of things. And indeed it doesn't The 1st CD is mostly progressive, which I usually deem as too boring to keep me interested for more than 15 minutes, however this particular mix is quite good. I don't know if it's the track choice, or the fact that this genre has matured over the years, or that my ears grew used to it (I suspect it's a mix of all 3) but this is actually pretty damn good! Tegma starts the comp with their laid-back style but also a very interesting and catchy melody, a very good choice for an album opener IMO, it definately makes you want to hear more. Then on to Vibrasphere, who gives us a very interesting progressive/ acid techno crossblend. Although 303s have been making somewhat of a comebak lately, they are usually not really used in the same way as they used to, but that's NOT the case here: Vibrasphere plays basically the same small loop over and over, slightly opening and closing the filters, just the way acid techno artists used to do it in the mid 90s (Hardfloor's Acpierience comes to mind...). The raw 303 sound is accompanied by some nice dreamy pads, just enough to accentuate the atmosphere, this track is SUPERB!!! More please!! Maelstrom up next with some sort of melodic progressive, it starts out pretty dull but then there's a nice melody that takes over. Nice, but compared to the first 2 tracks, it's a bit of a letdown. Anton Chernikov up next with some darkish progressive, the melodies nicely build on top of eachother, although the end result is good, but not great. Liquid Soul up next, with some very nice laid-back sounds which eventually turn into a very uplifting melody, which is too uplifting to my ears, it sounds a bit commercial, a bit like the background music of some automotive commercial. Then comes my favorite track from this side: Retiree - Cycles!! It starts out pretty dull but gradually builds up to finish with an oldschoolish melody. The end result is superb, it really feels like this music explored the psytrance sounds from the last decade to come back on an oldschool feeling, that feels "modern" at the same time: a cycle, just as the name suggests My biggest problem is that the melody doesn't last much, I would've prefered that last part to last longer. Still, this is a VERY good tune! John 00 Fleming up next with one of his own creations. This one is kindof halfway between progressive and full-on, and it also gives an obvious wink to one of his role-models, Astral Projection. The end result is pretty good. Ace Ventura up next also with some 303s, although much less convincing than Vibrasphere's attempt a bit earlier. I don't really like this one, it's too generic to my ears. Slider & Sub 6 up next with a full-on track that picks up the tempo and puts us in the mood for the 2nd CD. Some interesting ideas explored here, although not really A-class material IMO. CD2 is a collection of faster-paced full-on. It starts with nothing less than a new track from former gods of goatrance, Astral Projection!! A bit of the typical AP sounds and tricks, the same "astronaut voice" as in Time Began with the Universe, giving it a bit of a nostalgic feeling. Then it turns pretty commercial. It breaks my heart to say this but I must admit that I have heard better tracks from the masters. I'm not saying it's a bad track, but it's definately miles away from their works from a decade ago. Fatali up next with their typical full-on, although there a bit of an oldschool touch (but not much)... not really my cup of tea this one... Ovnimoon next which impressed me a while ago with their stuff. Although this time around they deliver some pretty generic full-on, a bit of a dissapointement. Then an AMD remix of Tristan. BTW in case you didn't know this, AMD is a project by none other than Dick Trevor of former Green Nuns of the Revolution fame. There is a slight Trevor touch in there with some acid-drenched loops, although a bit too calm for me, I would've expected some killer climax in there somewhere and a melody change, which never came. A collaboration between Domi Pastor and Wizzy Noise up next. Considering the great names involved I would've expected something great but the end result is some very generic full-on. X-Noize blends some 303 sounds with some full-on. Definately one of the better tracks here. Maxx and Voyager up next with more generic full-on, although there are some very nice melodies near the end. I can imagine this track will rip some dancefloors apart this summer Electric Universe (another one of Fleming's role models) comes next with a track that has already been released on his Sonic Extacy album last year. Nice if you're into EU's new (full-on) style, although personaly I would've prefered Silence in Action instead of this track. Then comes THEEE best melody on this comp IMO, from Romanian artist Atma. It starts out as some pretty generic full-on, but if you're patient you'll hear one of the best climaxes of the year around 4:00. OMG this is a real stormer!! It is basically the only track I've listened to in a while which fully deserves my DANCEFLOOR KILLA™ seal of aproval My only problem with this track is that it lacks a bit in complexity which makes me believe that it will become old pretty fast since there aren't enough layers to keep you interested for a long time. Still, it is by FAR the best dance tune I've listened to in a few months. Then the comp closes with a comeback from another oldschool legend, Chakra. This track nicely fills in the role of a comp (or set) closer: it's still full-on but at a slower pace. It starts out nicely but turns into über-cheesy full-on near the end. Exactly the kind of stuff that Brüno would listen to THE GOOD: Some of the very best names of psytrance (old and new) are featured here, so if you haven't been into the scene lately and want to know how some of your favorite artists' sound evolved, this is definately the place to start. THE BAD: Typically from YSE, this is a blatant missbranding of music, not ONE single track here can be named "goatrance" IMO, even if they were made by some former oldschool glories or have some obvious goa influences. CONCLUSION: I can't say that I like all the tracks here, but it has become a habit to skip through half the tracks (even more) on a comp to find some gems. And from a gems point of view, this comp truly delivers, only that most of the times they aren't delivered by the names you'd expect most. And for this, I give it a solid 4/5.

well back in the days (when psy parties actually meant something besides having a gathering of high teenagers...) it used to be dark in the night hours and melodic in the morning. I never really understood the concept for parties that played the same genre at any hour...

haha that's funny, you both basically say the same thing all while disagreeing with eachother... priceless

hmm interesting finds, I admit that I didn't think much of earlier South African full-on but aparently the style has matured nicely since. Thanks

who said anything about forcing?? Maybe they simply wanted to make sure that they still have a wide fanbase before making a comeback? BTW it was the green nuns themselves who made the initial comment, not the fans...

yep I know that one too... didn't you notice that I proclaimed Psykovsky's Debut as best dark trance album of 2005 back in the days? ha that one is nice indeed. More please!

hmmm... I highly doubt that Croatia had a vibrant goa scene in the mid 90s...

BTW since we're talking old releases here, what do you guys think of this: . Add a roling bassline to that and you have like the perfect dark trance track

haha it's that time of the year again Well the short answer is that isn't one... since goa trance picked elements from other genres, it's impossible to draw the line between "something else with goa influences" and "something else-influenced goa". And if you dig the rabbit hole deeper you'll find that the whole concept of trance (multi-layered electronic music wtih arpeggios that induces a hypnotic state of mind) was already discovered in the 60s, just that "modern" trance simply took the same formula and added a 4/4 kick to it. That said, if you insist on having some names: (1974!! yes that is no typo...) KLF - What Time is Love (Pure Trance) (1988 - also the first time ever that the word "trance" was specifically used to describe this type of music) Amnesia - Ibiza (1988) Konzept - Hypnautic Beats (1990)

ha well that's a bit different since, depending on what place you're living in, goa parties where VERY difficult to find, if not outright inexistant in those parts. Back then you had to know a friend of a friend of a friend just to know that such an event was taking place. Thank god for internet, it makes things a lot easyier...

yes but you must be carefull... most of those very early releases where mostly acid house, EBM or whatnot and not especially enjoyable. Most of the time this type of releases are only good for their historical value but not really good for the listening experience. If you want to have a feeling of how the scene evolved into trance, you can watch various youtube channels with old trance, they are quite informative and don't require you to spend thousands of euros on obscure releases...

hehe you have a point there.. although through the years I've always found that after straying a while through other genres I end up coming back to psytrance again. And psytrance parties and festivals are still high above all other music styles (even if I don't necessarily like the music played).

hehe for those who have to wake up early on monday mornings:

umm... those were released like 10 years ago, I was speaking about new stuff (I already know my classics by heart )

whatever you do, stay away from 7even SisterZ...

OK, after almost losing all faith in psytrance (basically NOTHING did it for me anymore, not even albums that everyone agreed to call very good), I finally stumbled on some decent tracks: Atma - The Tomes Of Power (basically the ONLY track I've listened to in the past 5 months that got my DANCEFLOOR KILLA™ seal of aproval ) also some that didn't make me want to jump out of my chair and dance but still found pretty damn good: Tripy - Trip Out C-Jay - Chemical Illusion Ritree - The Cycle SBK - Ying Is Wech So if anyone else has recomendations on stuff like these I'd apreciate it

ah yes Paprika has absolutely nothing to do with the pepper (or spice), it's simply the main carachter's name (or alias, depending on how you see it). And yes I agree that they could've chosen a more interesting title

discogs link A Alcyone / Orbital Walk (Multi Rhythmic V.1.) B1 Hyperion / Protesting Nature (Beat Version) B2 Alcyone / Orbital Walk (Spatial V.2.) Very rare and obscure early trance project (from Belgium nonetheless!). Keeping in mind that this was made in 1992, it's VERY ahead of its time since you can clearly hear the goatrance sound (as opposed to the "normal" trance sound), and you also have the clear referal to celestial objects which was like the trademark of early goatrance. Alcyone, although a little slower than more "modern" (by that I mean post-1994) goatrance, it has all the carachteristic elements. Hyperion on the other hand has a more tribal nature feeling to it, it's also a lot more repetitive. Well if you can find a copy I'd definately recommend it since it's truly one of the pioneers of the goa sound. 4/5 PS in case you were wondering, no this has nothing to do with Pleiadians/ Etnica...

ah I finally saw it today... Indeed, the visual part is great, although I always have problems with all these "trademark" anime elements like tentacles, or japanese with caucasian traits and so on. The whole concept of waking up only to realize that you're still in a dream is pretty freaky, I remember that I've had that a few times and it can be very disturbing. However the ending was really stupid IMO, kindof like the anime crew was saying "ah well, this shit has been running for 1 hour and 30 minutes, now let's just end it here". Anyway, it was one of the better movies I've seen lately

hehe so many different views in this thread that I don't even know what to think anymore I do agree with Basilisk in a way, indeed it takes some time to appreciate something for a classic, just while reading his comment I thought of The Delta. I remember I didn't like it one bit when I first listened to them but today looking in restrospective I love that dark mechanical feeling, and even come to regret the fact that "dark trance" moved on to 160+BPMs with screechy sounds thrown on top. That said, just like bwhale, I remember that back in the days it was instant love with the music, I didn't need time for it to grow on me, I remember I had this tape recorded in the mid 90s from a french underground radio show (so you see, after all this kind of music wasn't THAT hard to get back then, at least not in these parts...) with stuff like Prana - Scarab, MWNN - Teleport, Hallucinogen - Space Pussy and so on. I must've listened to that tape for YEARS, most of the time not even knowing the name of the artists/ tracks until many years later. And it just so happens that it's those very tracks that I still hold close to my heart today...

interesting thoughts... or it could also be that good minimal techno is easier to make than good psytrance... Also I'd like to point out that softsynths aren't really that new, Propellerheads released the RB338 (303, 808 and 909 emulator) in 1997. I remember that already then people would say that just about anyone could make electronic music and that it was no longer necessary to invest in proper studio equipment to be a producer.

yep I totally agree! Somehow it seems that all these "post-2000 styles" matured in 2005 and have been continuously going downhill since (at least IMO). Still, even the best releases from 2005 aren't quite on par with the ones released 10 years before IMO.

discogs link A Alcatraz (7:02) B I Will Fight No More (7:47) Just going through my old record stash and I realized that noone put a review of this masterpiece! Peyote is another project from Rolf Ellmer and Dag Lerner, aka Dance 2 Trance. Both tracks have a lot of native american influences (after all, let's not forget that these guys hit it big with Power of American Natives...), but unlike their commercial hit, the influences used here are a lot more underground. People who went out in Belgium in the early 90s might already be familiar with Alcatraz since it was quite a hit in these parts (and is still played regularly at "retro parties"). It is a nice classic trance track with some native american chanting samples, nice, calm and hypnotic, which seemed to be the norm in trance back then. That said, my personal favorite is the B-side, it is absolutely superb slow-paced trance with great atmospheric pads, a little native american-influenced melody and a sample going "I will fight no more forever". It's a very simple melody but it works miracles. IMO it still would have its place in a chill-out set today. 4,5/5

I agree... but at the same time, I found that even the spontaneous approaches don't quite reach "classic" status, even if I enjoy them. I mean it's almost been a decade since the turn of the century, and many many different and original approaches to trance music have been tried (progressive, dark trance, techtrance, suomi, etc.), yet they all fall short IMO.