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abasio

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Everything posted by abasio

  1. I'm hoping some poor Japanese otaku's mum to clear out his room & take his collection to a second hand store where I can pick it up dirt cheap.
  2. A bit early to judge isn't it? For sure this will be in my March order Been eagerly awaiting it since saiko teased me with the flyer in an order last year
  3. Yeah, that's preety good. About the price of new CDs in Japan! I'd pay that for Juno Reactor - Luciana Still hoping to get it dirt cheap somewhere though.
  4. Where did you order this from? Did you get a good price?
  5. Bonus disc? That Sounds tasty. Is it as good as the original here?
  6. Global Communication 76 14 Dedicated 1994 Tracklist 1. 4 02 (4:02) 2. 14 31 (14:31) 3. 9 25 (9:25) 4. 9 39 (9:39) 5. 7 39 (7:39) 6. 0 54 (0:54) 7. 8 07 (8:07) 8. 5 23 (5:23) 9. 4 14 (4:14) 10.12 18 (12:18) I came across this release in a second hand store & liked the cover & the fact that all the tracks were (probably I though & was right) named only after how long they were. I had no expectations of the album which probably helped me be completely blown away by it. Really cool journey like music that you can get really lost in. Use your imagination - Numbers are chosen to identify separate tracks because 'names' tend to bias the listener by pre-defining images, places and feelings. This gives the listener the freedom of imagination to derive whatever he/she wishes from the music. Hence track run-times are given in place of track titles. Little did I know how right this would turn out to be, as this is very descriptive music and without the distraction of a track title my mind conjures up it's own twisted vision of each track. 1. 4 02 A very soft but dark intro here, the atmosphere is instantly set in a dark medieval forest somewhere with a full moon slowly being obscured by the dark clouds overhead. Very moody stuff. 2. 14 31 Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock. the sound of a clock with waves in the background & sounds falling out of the sky lead into a melody on the piano. This is one of the most awe inspiring melodies out there. the simplicity of the sounds yet the depth of the composition is incredible. One of the best tracks I've heard in years. From 1996 yet I've just discovered this. It stays in my mind long after I've heard it. When I fall asleep listening to it, it gives me dreams of adventures that don't go anywhere. The progression of the track is like a walk through the woods, the day is new but the sun is not penetrating the tops of the trees. It's bright but dark at the same time & always moving. Avery story like track & at 14 minutes and 31 seconds I find it just too short. This could go on a lot longer & still be amazing. It draws you in and keeps you there. 3. 9 25 Soft muttering like that of many people at once inside my head, multiple personalities vying for attention. The ambient drone in the background builds into a spacey atmosphere & the melody is light & bright. There is a beat in this track. A good old 90's beat that just manages to trip along into itself & into the mind. Very intricate & well done, it doesn't dominate the track & it still manages to feel ambient in nature, just with more of a kick. 4. 9 39 Darker still, a cold intro full of menace, dark drones in the background & sounds of a cold wind breezing through the night air. Picture a cold dark estate at night with no activity, not even a light on. Just the dim outlines of the buildings and the park. The menace remains through the track but always stay in the periphery. 5. 7 39 Another percussive track. Quite heavy intricate beats again, shuffle nicely & trip along into the cerebral cortex. Very 90's as you'd expect from something in the nineties but like the rest of the album there is something that definitely seems like it was ahead of it's time. 6. 0 54 Static communication in a languages I don't speak! Very very trippy as a lot of the voices are put on echo. The Japanese one that I can understand is the trippiest of them all due to the weirdness of the sample. 7. 8 07 Beaty again, with such a huge bassline that is sinister & melancholic at the same time. Like hankering for your past life of sin. Like remembering your time in the trenches or medieval philanderings. When the melody comes in it really roots the feeling in the latter choice with the bassline making it feel like you are on the sharp end of the spear. 8. 5 23 Seamless into this track, it could easily be a continuation of the previous one. The melody is very similar & the beats have as much energy. There is a small roll of the beats though & the melody becomes a much more punchy one. Striking out each not with force. The overall feeling though is the same & the deep dark bassline is very much as sinister as the last track. This must be part 2 to whatever the last one was meant to be, or at least it is in my mind. I suppose that's what they wanted. Us to explore & define the music ourselves. 9. 4 14 A pretty minimal piece here, compared to the rest. There is no real melody just some half melody, half percussion sounds floating around. Other than that & some ambient background noise there is nothing else yet it is strangely compelling. Occasionally an oscillating sounds warps about & all in all it's a rather enjoyable track. 10. 12 18 We finish with a long deep track that you can get lost in. The lost soul voices, the long drones, the hint of melody all drags the mind down into the deep depths of the inner soul. Although that is it in terms of description, the track is not boring despite the 12 minutes this goes on for. The sound which to the casual listen my stay the same throughout does change bit by bit throughout the duration, building & dropping & building & dropping again. When the bass is powerful it seems so deep & when the bass leaves you feel the emptiness of the space it left behind. A great way to end a great album. This is a must have in any ambient lovers collection. It may be a milestone, I don't know. In 1994 I was only into the more upbeat side of Psychedelic music but I'm sure glad that I came across this gem many years later. The album is gripping, it involves the listener in the story. For each track you have to come up with your own image from scratch, not even a track title to help sway your thoughts so this album is exactly what YOU make of it. What I made of it (this review) may be completely different to what anyone else makes of it. But then isn't that the beauty of this kind of music?
  7. if you like acoustic elements in your chill (well done) then try Pan Electric - Conscious Pilot, I love this album It's Matt Coldrick from the Green Nuns Of The Revolution
  8. Various Artists Left Coast Liquid Vol.1 Native State Records 2005 Tracklist 1 Shulman - NN3 (8:59) 2 Sympath - Pond Life (7:26) 3 Bluetech - Leaving Winter Behind (7:56) 4 Rena Jones - Autumn (5:31) 5 Nalepa - Fresh (5:49) 6 Bluetech - Oleander (Phutureprimitive Symbiotic Remix) (7:38) 7 Shakatura - Baldocious Turp (5:28) 8 Shen - Stonehouse (5:22) 9 Desert Dwellers - Parabolic (5:10) 10 Adham Shaikh - The Garden (6:49) After hearing some of the great artist albums released on native State Records, namely Rena Jones - Driftwood & Krill.minima - Nautica, I thought that it was definitely time to pick up some of their compilations. The first on my list was their first, Left Coast Liquid Vol.1. It has an impressive tracklist ranging from my Sci Fi companion Shulman to Rena Jones, whose album is still one of my favourite ever. I had high hopes for this one. 1. Shulman - NN3 Shulman here, offers us a more ambient intro the I'm used to from this project. Soft voice like synths a few spacey & glitchy sounds mixed with a very focused bass sound. All the elements come together harmoniously as the beat kicks in with less than 3 minutes remaining. The sound though reminds me of Bluetech rather than Shulman. Although it reminds me of Bluetech's work it has a definite Shulman stamp making it not sound like an imitation but more like a coincidental coming together of styles. 2. Sympath - Pond Life Some hollow sounding tribal beats start this before these are joined by a steadier beat & underlying bass. A funky melody tries to emerge from beneath the bass but the beats are too much & it seems very subdued. The bass comes to dominate more & it seems to resonate through the mind like a small tremor. Behind it all, still very subtly is that funky feeling. The bass makes your body move 6 your mind vibrate, the synths make you feel lost & beats steady your feelings. All in all, this mixed back manages to balance out very well. 3. Bluetech - Leaving Winter Behind Also released on Bluetech's album Sines & Singularities, this is one of the most distinguishable Bluetech tracks I have. The rhythmic melody & the short light stabs mix into the steady beat in a dream like way & this track never fails to lift my spirits. Everything oozes class & this is probably one of my favourite Bluetech tracks ever. It's happy & cold at the same time, melancholic yet hopeful. Great stuff. 4. Rena Jones - Autumn A slightly more upbeat offering from Rena Jones than I'm used to but with just the same class & quality of her album on this same label. The cello work is very melancholic in it's feel but the quickness of the beat seems to bring the mood up. It's quite a peculiar feeling to have such melancholy & energy together but it works really well. 5. Nalepa - Fresh The slightly melancholic feel of Rena's track has completely left & we are presented with a very bright, glitchy piece of downbeat. The feeling isn't quite there though. Whereas the other tracks seem to have some ambience in the background giving them depth, this is shallow & unlayered. What you hear on first listen is basically what you get forever. Very basic & over time not overly engaging. 6. Bluetech - Oleander (Phutureprimitive Symbiotic Remix) You can instantly tell the difference in this track. Right from the start there is a lot of depth in the music. The bass, the ambience in the back, the long drawn out melody & the tight little sounds pinging through the music. All of it is such a trip, taking the mind away on sonic voyages. Dark, melancholic, beautiful, warm & cool at the same time and overall mysterious. This is a remix to behold. Even better than the original as not many remixes have done, Phutureprimitive have managed here) 7. Shakatura - Baldocious Turp A more breakbeat track here. The beats just shuffle nicely as the melody reverberates through the still air, visually displacing it into ripple before me. Well not literally I'm sure but that's synaesthesia for you. The bass drives it along & the shuffling feel of the music never leaves. It's not just in the beats either but in the whole rhythm of the track. Pretty cool stuff! 8. Shen - Stonehouse An interesting track from Shen, the style is much more punchy than previous tracks here, echoed in the length, this is much more to the point ideas rather than letting things grow. It's a nice track with a lot of very pleasant elements but it lacks depth & progression and ends up a bit pedestrian. 9. Desert Dwellers - Parabolic A much more poppish melody, here. Very instantly gratifying but does actually stand up well after repeated listens. The melody progresses very well throughout so as the lack of depth in the track is less noticeable. There are layers here, and some sounds fit snuggly under the main melody but it's like the name suggests it's very illustrative of what it wants to be. A plane of existence easily accessible to man. 10. Adham Shaikh - The Garden I do tend to get excited when I see the name Adham Shaikh. he has created some of the nicest & most versatile music I've heard & he doesn't disappoint here. Very different from what I was expecting but I have come to expect that from Adham Shaikh. This is more electronic than a lot of his very natural sounding stuff. As if it's been made just for this compilation, it fits in perfectly. Of course it has more natural elements, most noticeably the tribal beats & some muttered voices but all in all it's a lot more dubby than I've come to expect from him. Good stuff though & a nice way to round off the compilation. Well this is mostly amazing! It's slightly brought down by a couple of weak, shallow tracks, Nalepa - Fresh & Shen - Stonehouse but other than that the music is all must have. So in total this is a must have compilation. Even those two weak tracks don't ruin the mood or derail the comp. It ends up being a 66 minute ride through a lot of cool, deep downtempo music. Enjoy!
  9. Jairamji Kindred Spirits Dakini Records 2003 Tracklist 1 Chime (8:52) 2 Swaragami (8:33) 3 Breathing Space (12:56) 4 Pianissimo (10:47) 5 Mother Tongue (11:25) 6 Heal (11:05) 7 Celestial Reasoning (14:15) After hearing the Jairamji track Temple on Nada Masala Vol.3 I fell in love with Jairamji's sound. I went on to download the album Very few albums that I've downloaded have I ever given a chance to. I really loved the album so eventually bought it & I'm glad I did. I've given so much more attention to it now I own the physical product. Enough to write about 1. Chime We start with what sounds like a dive. The water splashing on impact briefly lingering until a warm summer air & some tribal beats take over. Little cords play recessively & a few strums of a guitar can be heard fading into the background. A dark heavy bass gives the hint of nighttime and the flute as well as the cello gives the feeling of floating through the warm atmosphere from the comfort of the ground. Natural sounds all about, water, birds singing & light vocal chants. The beat becomes more intense & intricate lending a more intense party/ceremony feeling. Great beginning. 2. Swaragami Swaragami continues with the tribal feeling but more of a routine ritualistic one than a special occasion. The ethnic vocal is that of an old man I'm sure & it gives a gentle nostalgia to the music that the soft violin strings really accentuate. I'm not overly impressed when the music breaks down & the violin gets all squeaky but all is brought back moments later when the percussion kicks back in a little more prominently & the string melody warms the heart. Nice stuff. 3. Breathing Space This track is a little more mystical than the opening two, the flute played reeks of importance & ceremony. Like it is calling through the veil to the spirits on the other side to grant a request of the player. As it is a pretty long track there is no sense of urgency to get underway & the sounds creep in almost unnoticed around the flute. The beat continues to increase in intensity from a few smatterings here & there to a fully incorporated one. The piano melody floats around very musically & before you realise it, the air is full of all different sounds. Very nicely done I must say. The track progresses lightly & it's worth it's length. Easy to drift off & get lost in this one. 4. Pianissimo As you can guess from the track title, this is a very piano orientated track. From just the piano melody by itself at the start & when the bass & tribal drums come in it just oozes class. Probably the best track on the album thus far, with rhythm, melody & a lot of feeling. The feeling is intensified by the beautiful vocals which drip with regret. The string melody in the latter half while light in manages to give a dark edge. Quite a melancholic track. Very nice as it comes full circle so although it progresses it goes back to the great start, so you enjoy but look forward at the same time. 5. Mother Tongue Flute & guitar in the intro, really soft & nice. This is more vocal than anything else on the album. The vocals are right in the foreground of the music but they don't dominate like they could. Maybe my inability to understand the words makes the voice sound like just another instrument. But the human voice can be such a wonderful instrument can't it? Without the distraction of crappy lyrics I can appreciate the voice without it distracting me from the quality musical elements behind it. The guitar is just about constant & creates a fantastic base for the rest of the sounds to amble along. At their peak, the vocals are a little too dominating but the peak is brief so doesn't still my enjoyment of the track too much. 6. Heal This starts of with what sounds like a very Spanish guitar so this instantly makes me feel warm & summery. Think about standing on a beach in midsummer, looking out over the sea to the deep blue and then back in land to the verdant greens. This is the feeling I get from the intro. The beat kicks in almost unnoticed until the flute draws my attention to it. A very nice mellow beat it is too, fitting very well with the relaxed summer vibe of the rest of the music. the flute & the strings take me away from the beach further inland but with the same mellow holiday feeling as before. 7. Celestial Reasoning Keeping with the warm feeling but a much more evening feel to the music in this track. Beautiful sounds played from the piano, the guitar & strings float effortlessly around the darkening air giving a sense of achievement & satisfaction to the atmosphere. When the tribal beats kick in, it really feels like the home stretch of a wonderful journey. The travelling has been great but the excitement of reaching the destination takes over. The flute & the vocals both ethereal in tone & let the mind drift away to an astral plane while the body rests among the tall grass. Although it's over 14 minutes long, this track seems to fly by. It's always changing slightly & progressively getting more intense. The sounds cloud the air in the final third before they are stripped away to leave only the guitar & soft distorted vocals before the end. If you like Dakini's sound then you really need this album. It is a must in any collection of a lover of good ethnic chill. As always with Dakini, the ethnic music manages to sound real & honest not overused sample ridden stuff but original, well constructed music. Whenever I listen to this album, I always smile reflexively. i just can't help myself with this infectiously warm happy music.
  10. Oh so many Omnimotion - Days of Silence Dreamfish - Hymn Hi-Fi Companions - Skyclad Intermix - Solar Temple Infected Mushroom - Dancing With Kadafi Enigma - The Child In Us Jairamji - Temple Puff Dragon - Qi Gong Global Communication - 14 31 Binah - Crescent Suns Western Rebel Alliance - Duke It Synaesthesia - Intelligence Dream Angel Tears - Dmaot Malach Prometheus - Sweet Tooth Nada - Earth Garden Mantra Man - Shivai Tripswitch - Deer Park Shpongle - Around the World In A Tea Daze Shpongle - Shpongleyes Carbon Based Lifeforms - MOS 6581 Carbon Based Lifeforms - Photosynthesis Also there are whole albums I can't get enough of Rena Jones - Driftwood Solar Fields - Leaving Home Solar Fields - Extended Jikkenteki - Revelations And Moments Of Clarity Secede - Tryshasla Evan Bartholomew - Caverns Of Time V/A - The Mystery of the Yeti V/A - The Mystery of the Yeti Part II Hallucinogen - In Dub The Infinity Project - Mystical Experiences Shpongle - Are You Shpongled There's probably loads I can't think of as I type but listen to a lot, too much in some people's eyes but not enough in my own. I wish I had more time
  11. Downloading it from your sig! That seems to work
  12. Although I am a culprit of writing far too long detailed reviews, I often don't have the patience for long reviews by others But the beauty of Psynews is that anyone can write a review so we have so many different kinds. There's always something for everyone
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