Jon Cocco

I am done with this group after their last album, Army of Mushrooms. When the new generation you make music for doesn't find your music good, you know you're in trouble. Sometimes it's better to quit while you're ahead. My guess is they'll keep releasing albums as long as they make money. It's all about the money after their last album. I'm wasting my time writing more.

Electric Universe - Cosmic Experience 2004 01. The Prayer 02. Journey Into The Subconscious 03. Acidance 04. Gaijinrocker 05. See The Light (Blue Beat Mix) 06. You Decide 07. Nova 3 08. Morning Star 09. Meteor 2004 10. Return To Source I like this album and find it pretty good. There are some stand out psy/goa influenced tracks and work that's good/great! Also some formulaic, generic tracks where Boris seems to be playing-it-safe, appealing to the general psy/club (full on?) sound. That said, the full on bass line works well at times, and actually compliments some of the tracks (for all you goa enthusiasts, I'm one of them). This is the last album I bought by Electric Universe to date; there are numerous songs I enjoy to this day. 1. The Prayer begins harmonious, beautiful in the first minute. The arriving beat is decent, but the overall sounds grow tired. It isn't until around 3:46 (more so around the forth minute) that I start to feel interested again. The harmonious middle segment could produce a beautiful track on their own, and could have comprised the closing, downtempo track on this album. The music's return at 8:07 is noticeably catchier. The overall song sounds pretty standard to me. B- 2. Journey Into The Subconscious I find repetitive and generic. This is my least favorite uptempo song on the album. B- 3. Acidance - I love the first minute = great buildup, inspirational sound! The rest of the track is solid too and I love the ending part. The wonderful tune from the first minute could have reprised in the uptempo work though. ! 4. Gaijinrocker is solid for psy/goa guitar-influenced trance. I'm glad he didn't overdo the guitar on this album; it's most prominent here, and on Meteor 2004. B 5. See The Light (Blue Beat Mix) is pretty catchy, a nice switch up in bass line and beat. The synth from 1:44 to 2:10 works well; there's numerous, catchy sounds throughout. Good album sound variety so far. B 6. You Decide starts well. I'm not a fan of the bass line at 1:06; it sounds similar to a pop song I've heard before. I'm not in love with the female sample, though it adds character. The second half is decent for what it is, somewhat similar to the first half. I feel that the song's playing-it-safe and therefore less imaginative (more predictable) approach is geared towards the masses. It's not bad though. B- 7. Nova 3 is more aggressive, psychedelic, driving, dynamic, catchy, and goa-influenced. This is more what I like! The song occasionally grabs a memorable melody, and the rhythm, synth, and sound work is tasty throughout. Well done! B+ 8. Morning Star changes up the beat, improves the album's sound variety. This has a more structured approach, like tracks 2 and 6. I find this more appealing and love the part from 3:25 to when the beat gets energized! The ending doesn't do much for me (recycle ideas?), but overall the song's pretty good. B 9. Meteor 2004 is more goa-influenced, plus guitar. Add psychedelic, driving, electric; the influence I really like on this album! Again, this sounds different from all of the other tracks. There's a solid climax too that ignites around 3:58; I'm not a big fan of guitar in electronic music but it works insanely well here, especially in combination with the synth work. Great track. B+ 10. Return To Source is gentle, peaceful, downtempo; it's okay. I've heard catchier closing numbers by this artist. The chill out elements in The Prayer could have had (or one day have) potential for a tremendous chill out or closing track. B- CONCLUSION - If you want Stardiver, go listen to Stardiver. There's some great work on this album. I don't need to eat around crappy bits either. There's enough solid work to keep my interest through the less-than-stellar, or what I consider more generic numbers. Favorite tracks - 3, 5, 7, 9. B

*Filteria - Daze of Our Lives is on my list of Top 10 Goatrance Albums 1. Pleiadians - I.F.O. - A 2. Hallucinogen - Twisted - A . . Filteria - Daze of Our Lives - A Edited to ensure these are Goa albums.

I'm a HUGE martial arts fan, though hundreds are too cheesy for my taste. Here's my list (just to name some) that I highly recommend if you're into martial arts films! Fist of Legend (Jet Li) -100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The end fight via Lee Vs. General is one of the best on film. Fearless (Jet Li) The Protector aka Tom Yum Goong (Tony Jaa) Ong-Bak ... (first one, skip the sequels) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Kill Zone aka SPL ... (Donnie Yen) The Raid: Redemption The Raid 2 ... (worth seeing for the last half hour which is AMAZING, numerous cool moments before too) Once Upon A Time In China II ... (the best of the trilogy) 13 Assassins Unleashed Kung-Fu Hustle The Man From Nowhere The (FIRST) Matrix District B-13 ... (Pakour and Martial Arts combined, sequel was decent, first is better) Kiss of the Dragon Azumi (avoid the sequel) Princess Blade Enter the Dragon Return of the Dragon ... (for the end with Lee Vs. Chuck Norris) Kill Bill: Vol. 1 Flash Point ... (prequel to Kill Zone which is far better IMO, but the ending to Flash Point is impressive) Chocolate... (martial arts version; worth seeing for the ending) IP Man (Parts 1 and 2 with Donnie Yen) Rumble In the Bronx House of Flying Daggers ... (I wish the ending was better) Equilibrium ... (not your typical martial arts film, this utilizes "Gunkata") The Karate Kid ... (remake was surprisingly good and improved in some ways on the original) Rambo (just kidding )

Anime Akira Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Grave of the Fireflies Spirited Away Berserk ………………………………… Re-imagined from 2012 to 2013 Princess Mononoke Vampire Hunter D Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Porco Rosso Drama Goodfellas Silver Lining's Playbook Django: Unchained Casino Sci Fi Terminator 2 The Matrix (FIRST ONE) Starwars (Original trilogy) Avatar Gravity District 9 Star Trek (2009) Action / Fantasy LOTR (Trilogy) The Dark Knight Fight Club Comedy Beverly Hills Cop Office Space Austin Powers Zack and Miri Make A Porno Wedding Crashers Shaun of the Dead

Many people with open minds are claiming to be aware of something taking place that's both bigger and beyond themselves, a shift in consciousness. December 2012 is not the end of the world. It is the end of one time and the beginning of the next as reflected on the Mayan calendar. Focus on the bigger picture, what's best for mankind and the planet. Focus and put "out there" what you want. Be open to change, go through positive affirmations, and plant seeds for consciousness to grow and develop within. This relates to greater abilities, insight, depth, clarity, connection, and more. We are often told growing up that Creation or Creationism ends with man. That's like saying that there is no other life in the Universe, in my opinion. It's close-minded and so much has yet to be revealed. If man has evolved from apes, than he will continue to evolve. Furthermore, science continues to reveal existence. Often times phenomenons, or such beliefs as an "awakening" taking place in this case (much like a collected consciousness) are conveniently tossed into the "pseudoscience" category to compensate for not having enough evidence to support it. And that's okay. No one's forcing religion down anyone's throat here. I simply keep an open mind, and believe that what has already begun will continue. It is important in my opinion, at least for quality of life to Stay Whole: Worthy, Happy/Healthy, Optimistic, Loving, Empowered. Be good to others and goodness be done to you. I made a few related videos below including my current "sig" one for those curious. http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3938uEkzUSk

Did Transwave release two albums in 1996 ?

Give it a chance. The book is quite popular. This has potential to be good.

So now I have to ask 4 years later...what's the status of a follow up album to this one? It received a lot of positive feedback. I hope he makes another.

InnerSpace - Inner Space (self-titled) Suntrip Records 2012 1. Mental Stream 2. Rising 3. DeepFlight 4. The Ground 5. Below 6. Surface 7. InnerSpace 8. Lost City For starters, the intros are solid. Mental Stream, The Ground, InnerSpace, and Lost City are all great tracks IMO. Below, Surface, and Rising are solid too. I like the ambient notes in Rising; they add character and help distinguish the song from the others. Surface starts out dark, intriguing, and unique. One of my gripes is that the same synth lead in The Ground appears to be the same sounding lead in Surface. Just listen to it. They're VERY similar sounding. A wider range and usage of sounds would be helpful. Filteria's work really evolved for the better once Jannis transcended his general/similar sound starting with the album, Daze of Our Lives (2009). Also I'm not a fan of Deepflight. Not much happens until 7:00 forward. But then it gets really good! I just wish that it was less monotonous (more engaging) before the infectious evolution. The others tracks hold my attention throughout. This is good debut that has some great tracks. I don't care for Deepflight as said above, though it gets better in the end. If an album sounds drastically different each time you hear it, you probably need to hear to it more. That is the case with this album for me. It's a zippy, fun, occasionally intense/edgy, and energetic, sleek vehicle. It's not really uplifting or down lifting, but determined which is one of my favorite things in Goatrance. I like how it's not all sunshine and pretty colors. The album has a strong and driving nighttime feel to it if that makes sense. It's nearly perfect to hear at night! Hopefully the artist(s) expands the sounds in the sequel and makes it even more enigmatic and wondrous. I really like this album overall. Well done! Favorite tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. B+

Mindsphere: Patience For Heaven (Double Album) 2012 Suntrip Records Update - Patience for Heaven (CD 1) - February, 2016 Patience For Heaven (CD1) 1. Shape Of Imagination 2. World Is Yours 3. Cosmos Evolution 4. All Alone 5. Ornamentation 6. In To Reality 7. Spirits Of Devotion 8. Patience For Heaven 9. Circled Inner Cyclone Re-Mastered (CD2) 1. Painful Stories 2. Mindrama 3. We Have A Dream 4. Wasted Years 5. Operation Side 6. To Infinity 7. Inner Cyclone 8. Fusion This is a double Goatrance album; the first is Patience For Heaven. The second is a Re-Mastered version of the debut Inner Cyclone that i was so impressed with back when it released in 2007 that I started a review thread. CD1 1. Shape Of Imagination begins with eastern-influence, ambient and atmosphere. There are many nice, crisp sounds and melodies braiding together along with a catchy fast paced "clicking" effect that enhances the song. I like the sounds selected, but I feel that more memorable arrangement and synth leads could be present. The first and second act sound fairly similar to me regardless that many nice sounds come and go. I'd love to feel more hooked by "something". I love being surprised and didn't find much that surprised here. Fortunately, the last act from 6:25 forward develops some very nice melody work. Prior to that, I was worried because my memory of the debut's opening was so fantastic. I can't help having expectations up considering how imaginative this artist is and his debut is. I'll chalk it up to this being a colorful albeit simple opening to wet the palate before the more imaginative numbers arrives. It's okay I suppose, fairly good but nice but nothing out of the ordinary. B- 2. World Is Yours is a tasty treat, like a sparkling rocket zipping across the universe. Unlike the first track which was nice but not very impressive, this has more attractive, articulative, and creatively composed synths and mixing. Add power (more dynamic structure/direction) and energy (movement, excitement). The ambient-esque interlude halfway through is very nice! The continued synth work returns and it's better than ever before. The song grabs my attention and gets catchier as it progresses!. Those complimentary, ambient notes are beautiful. There's some fantastic work present. The only thing holding it back (for me maybe) is that theres synth lead that gets stuck in my head, that lifts me even higher though the song is beautifully composed and involving. Key changes are added later along with other ingredient that adds variety to character, subtle sample fx, and more. This is a far more interesting and engaging track than the opening and the first to really grab and excite me on this follow up. Well done! A- 3. Cosmos Evolution begins with an intriguing, ambient-influenced opening that makes me feel as if we're among galaxies in space. The first third of the song builds nicely, though the approach is soft and I'm not yet hooked. I reach a point in the third minute when I'm hoping for change, something to add variety to the song. Fortunately, at around 3:48, a beautiful ambient segment arrives, bringing feeling and warmth, adding depth. Additional melodies soon arrive, more catchy. Some braid seamlessly as another less elegant, seems to bounce, literally, somewhat complimenting the harmony. The second third's elements make me feel more emotionally involved. Whereas the previous song was more energetic, elaborate, and dynamic, this is more harmonious, floating, and contemplative, with a gentle cosmic feel. Overall this is a very nice song with some very nice sound/melody work, primarily in the second half. I feel like the first act could have been shorter/tighter, and the last could have had another layer -- something to elevate the song further., but it's solid throughout, albeit softer than usual from Mindsphere B+ 4. All Alone is another softer track. faster in nature and well supported with complimentary ambient notes. At this point, I want to encourage more risk-taking, unpredictable parts to tracks. As with the previous song, by the halfway point here, the song starts to sound a little repetitive to me. There is a brief transition at around 4:40, and something happens. Suddenly the track grows catchy, grabbing my attention (thankfully). New layers arrive. Everything suddenly feels more lively, interesting, involving, and varied. In producing traveling songs, I think the artist tends to drag out the first act (at times). The sixth minute forward is very melodic, engaging. I really like the ambient notes and how, the second half, the approach to the melody/sound work that helps to tell the story. I would have trimmed a minute off the beginning. Otherwise, the song rewards patience and as with the previous, builds up to one of my favorite tracks on the album. B+ 5. Ornamentation is the first track I fell in love with. Jjust wait until you hear Patience for Heaven. I love the ascensional element and the melodies are beautiful. The song is like a beacon of radiating divine light, flowering mother Earth with photons of higher truth to increase awareness and thus decrease destructive, less conscious behavior (and influences) from destroying and attempting to control the planet and overall species. Numerous albums like Pleiadians' I.F.O. and Hallucinogen's Twisted (among others) pulled innovative gems off. Each was vastly different. I think it's rare and not always intended that an artist produces a super song. Maybe he heard this and new it would be loved. Maybe he wasn't sure due to experimentation, hearing it so many times in perfecting it. I don't know. But I will say that Ornamentation is fantastic. This is an instant classic and as often in Goa-trance, numbers this beautiful are not always discovered right away unless your debut was famous. Keep producing super songs though; if you build it, they will come. The ascending/descending sound throughout is beautifully utilized and imaginative. I would describe it as beautiful, heavenly, and divine. Sometimes I think the song could have benefited from an ascensional climax towards the end, but overall I'm satisfied. This is a beautiful song. A 6. In To Reality is another fluid number filled with crisp sounds and arresting melody work most noticeable in the second act. Again, the accents, or little tune enhancements and the ambient work well. The song changes up at around 5:30 and becomes more interesting. Those swirling sounds are so catchy. This is another great track. Ever since Track 5, I feel that the overall album has become more melodically interesting. The arrangement here develops and establishes a euphoric tune in the second act that arrests my attention. An Ambient/Goa interlude arrives with some very nice Egyptian(?) chimes before the last act. The last act though, while full of floating melody/sound work, doesn't provide me with the same captivating tunes that were present on the second act, and I feel like more could have been added to elevate the last act here, though what we have is very nice. B+ 7. Spirits Of Devotion showcases some of the catchiest work by the artist yet. A chunk of that is in the first, second, and third act. You can hear a sample of what I'm talking about after the brief build up in the first two minutes. This sonic, quickly repeating tune ends up supporting a terrific part in the second act that is infectious and involving. Beautiful ambient notes arrive roughly halfway through and it suddenly arrives. This is such a good part, showcasing old and new-school elements combined. The result is a perfect match. I love it. That section eventually leaves and the song, to me, starts to dip a little in that nothing half as catch replaces it. It isn't long before similar sounds melt back into the song, new arrangement, and creativity. The last involves bouncing, dynamic goa tunes around a backdrop of ambient, coupled with that catchy/repeating tune from the first act. What would be ideal to me is if the fantastic segment returned with the bouncing goa tunes, with greater oomph, energy, and texture/excitement than ever before. Think To Infinity on the debut where the perfect part returned like a chorus. A missed opportunity maybe, but parts of this song sound so magical and nostalgic, capturing the golden era of goa. I can't complain too much since even the last act stands out. Great track! A- 8. Patience For Heaven is another wondrous, vibrationally raising song. This is yet another example how talented this artist is. Some of this album got a little too soft for me, but tracks like Ornamentation, Patients for Heaven, and Spirits of Devotion are like bursts of light energy around the other, healthy organic numbers that are more or less memorable. This song is so fluid, flowing, and harmonious. It moves with such ease and grace and its melodies are so lush and delectable. The part after 4:00 is wonderful. Finally a tune that I can recite for days. I feel like another layer could have complimented the main lead at around 5:30 forward. The song rides its winning horse nonetheless and stays pretty close to absolute perfection from start to finish. This is a vibrationally raising song. It's beautiful and one of the artist's best work to date. Well done! A 9. Circled is a very nice ambient-influenced down/mid-tempo closing. It's so strange. I did not like this song very much the first several times I heard it. Listening to this again in 2016 I REALLY like it. It;s a beautiful closing track and much more engaging than the closing one Circled IMO on the debut (which was/is nice too, being ambient). A- BONUS TRACK is short, but not too short for me to say A Favorite tracks: 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 A- CD2 1. Painful story is a powerful, immersive, dynamic, infectious, and imaginative opening. If this doesn't excite you, I don't know what will because those adjectives are how I'd describe a super song on Pleiadians' I.F.O., as inventive and visionary (not as intergalactic but more chaotic in relation to the planet here). From varying tempos to wicked kick drum manipulations, and an infectious tornado effect that everything seems to bottle through, there appears no moment of the song that is not affected by greatness. The dynamic beat adds dimension to the song, changing up the feel and thus affecting the music and mood. The emphasis is dark, somewhat intense, provocative, a bit sad even. There's so much creativity. The artist passionately takes risks with monster results. The result: He succeeds doing things I've never heard in Goa before. I love the tornado sound as the music shifts across the debris and peril. I'm hooked by the differing speeds of the kick drum and how they affect my mood, the tunes, atmosphere, and confident (but I can't predict) direction. None of these would matter so much if they weren't so engaging. The re-mastered version is super and I'm sorry if my review appears more like praise. This is an outstanding track. Well done. A 2. Mindrama has good voice samples, tribal influences, and quiet moments around the beat. The melodies skip, manipulated to varying speeds. They're fun. The leads are nice but less than stellar The song's less epic, innovative, and dynamic than the opening. The ambient notes are great though, and the traveling, less intense approach works well. I especially enjoy from 7:50 forward, but by then the song's almost over. This is a good track, but not as exciting or as eventful as the first that set the bar pretty high. B 3. We have a dream is more driving, energetic than the last track. The tornado (album) is collecting more strength, debris, as it moves forward. The chill element in the second half is very catchy, unexpected breaks too. From 5:24 to around 6:40 is fantastic! The melody work, small clicking/echoed sounds, and ambient notes is great. The "clicking" details add definition to an already attractive, swirling, and intangible presence. This is a much stronger song than the previous number because the sounds and melodies here are more engaging, attractive. A- 4. Wasted years is less driving, more emotive than the previous song. The change up around 2:08 is sweet. This may be the more contemplative part of the tornado. This is less intense. The melody to harmonizes with an emotive ambient segment. In doing so, a strong melody at 3:12 enhances the ambient-influenced trance part until 4:54. The kick drum returns, igniting an ambient metamorphesis and back into the metaphysical, supernatural realm of Goatrance. The alteration in the main beat towards the end is great too. A- 5. Operation side incorporates ambient notes that work well with the melodies of the first half. The interlude of sorts at around 3:55 collects various streams of well orchestrated sounds, and pick up speed as the middle act approaches, becoming quicker, more aggressive. The details are great. The song evolves into a more developed, ascending character just before the seventh minute. These elements are creative and interesting. I love how this song develops as it moves forward; it's filled with beauty, changes of scenery, strong melodies, atmosphere, and complexity. Another well done song. B+ 6. To infinity is excellent, one of the best songs I've heard all year, and in years. It's a rush, bursting with infectious sounds, contagious rhythms, atmosphere, and a gripping lead melody. The middle isn't as powerful, but still grips, fronting the fantastic last third's reprisal. Overall, this song appears to be the peek of the tornado, where all of its powers are at their strongest and most surreal. This song has edge, intensity, infectious. Fantastic song. A 7. Inner cyclone has a darker edge that works to its benefit. The aggressive sounds create an intensity at times that are more intense than most songs here. It's creative. Unfortunately there lacks a gripping lead, something that the previous song had. Towards the last third, a powerful melody arrives around the high pitched melodies. The infectious band of sounds is interesting. Fortunately, the song becomes quite strong as it progresses, especially in the last third that's great. B+ 8. Fusion is an ambient piece. The end of the journey is slow. Maybe to represent the death of this potentially mystical tornado. The sounds are light, soft, and without beat, a spiritual contemplation possibly. I feel like something or someone's spirt is moving to the light heaven, or returning back to nature and/or the universe through an opening of light in the clouds. Maybe that's a sunny sky behind it. This final number is emotive and peaceful. Unfortunately it becomes more repetitive as it progresses, and therefore less gripping. The song could have been more memorable, even without the beat. The journey is over, though it could have ended better. B Favorite tracks: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 B+ Conclusion to both albums - Patience For Heaven (Disc 1) is a solid follow up to the debut. Don't judge it on the first track since the debut's opening stood out more. For those who thought Patience for Heaven was too soft and light, I think you may be generalizing the album due to tracks 1, 3, and 4, as the second half is really great. The follow up is more traveling, floating, elegant, and spiritual. It's less dark and intense than Inner Cyclone. That may have been the point, to compliment the darkness with light. With the sequel, songs such as: World Is Yours, Ornamentation, and Patience For Heaven are excellent. They're great and everything around them is solid, even if two tracks are pretty light and softer in the sequel's first half than what may be expected. Inner Cyclone had more ingenuity I think, rather the album was based around the tornado concept, but what stood out most to me on the debut was the opening in that regard, followed by To Infinity. The re-mastering of Inner Cyclone here is fantastic, a new-school classic in Goa-Trance. Patience For Heaven took more time to grow on me, though I fell in love with tracks 5 and 8 right away. Songs I didn't care like Circled I enjoy so much more today (in 2016 forward). Each album is so different and well done. The closing track on the sequel, Circled is such an improvement over Fusion on the debut. There's also a magical little bonus at the end of Patience For Heaven. This double album is a treat. It's crammed with lush sounds and melodies that will ignite your censors and feed your ears with juicy, splashy colors of delight many times. It's also easily one of the best double albums and one of the best albums of 2012 and in Suntrip's growing arsonal. But I also have to credit Metapsychic Records for releasing Inner Cyclone back in 2007 because we may have never got these re-mastered and new albums today without them to be fair. Double Album Overall: A- Suntrip https://www.suntriprecords.com/release/cat/SUNCD26/ Psyshop http://www.psyshop.c.../sut2cd026.html Beatspace http://www.beatspace...ven/detail.aspx Goastore http://www.goastore....heaven-2cd.html

RA - Unearthly Altar Records 2012 1. Floating Shrine of Inanna 2. Rain No Water 3. Ascend 4. Shift 5. Lifethread (Serene Mix) 6. Lightspark 7. Unearthly 8. Celestial Slice RA is one of the leading pioneers of Goa-Trance. Christer Borge-Lunde of RA is also known for producing some of the best chill tracks in the past few years, mainly on elemental compilations by Altar Records. Unearthly is the latter with all new songs. It's the first downtempo album by RA and one of 2012's best albums! 1. Floating Shrine of Inanna is a beautifully optimistic, harmonious piece with catchy female hymns. Initially I thought it could have developed a little more. On return listens, I find it just right, a song that gets better with repeat listens. The strings in the second half are creatively utilized and reduce the sense of repetition. The warm mood and atmosphere, violin, and various other instrumental sounds add to the immersive, downtempo feel. This is a great opening track. A- 2. Rain No Water is an ambient driven epic that's floating, contemplative, dreamy, and evocative. The first half to two thirds is pure gold, magic. Sometimes I feel like it goes on for several minutes longer than necessary; that it could have ended at around 7:47. In the end, that's probably a nitpick. The song oozes with passion and beauty. It's like a masterful opera track for ambient. Overall, this is a wonderful song filled with love and light. I could easily see it complimenting a great scene in a film. A / A 3. Ascend begins with a sample of living in the present, NOW. I love the opening sounds; they fit the track title perfectly. The mid if not uptempo song reminds me a little of those upbeat, infectious tunes from those futuristic F-Zero racing games for Nintendo. The overall track sounds eons apart, more natural, harmonious, and well orchestrated. The ambient support is fantastic, and oozes life into the digital body. My hesitation to give a solid A relates to how engaged I am from beginning to end. I love how optimistic and positive these tracks are. A- 4. Shift is more Egypt/RA-influenced. This is more psychedelic and combines creative, tasty sound/melody combinations. At least one layer music is manipulated to create an energy-like, skipping (I don't know what I'd call it) wormhole (?) effect. It's very catchy! The Goa influence (touches?) work extremely well. The song keeps moving, developing. It's arresting throughout. Excellent work. A 5. Lifethread (Serene Mix) is a chill version of Lifethread on the Shaltu compilation. The song has an intriguing opening and some beautiful ambient to boot. I like it a lot more than the uptempo version that felt too safe to me. I simply find the synth work catchier on the other tracks, comparatively speaking. Nonetheless, the warm, emotive touches stand out. The lighter approach brings balance to the less light numbers (before and after this one). I can't help but find the other songs catchier, but this adds variety, has some great elements, and is a welcome song to the canon. The last third develops nicely too. B+ 6. Lightspark has more energy than the previous tracks. It's more dynamic too! Once again, the ambient is different and supports the catchy synths. I love the first half of this song; it's refreshingly gripping. I like how the song develops, growing catchier as it moves forward. Unfortunately I find that it begins to feel a little repetitive around the fifth (to 5:50) minute, just before the interlude. The song felt more zippy and tight leading up to the 5th minute. The interlude is very good as well as the beat's return. To me, the last act could have stood out more and incorporated greater development, as it grows a little repetitive to me (again) by the seventh minute. The song's homogenous though; it's very nicely composed and some may prefer the song this way. I love the tempo and the accents on and around the beat. This is another solid number. I simply expected more based on the first half. B+ 7. Unearthly is another Chill-esque number that's fairly upbeat. The kick drum produces more of a dance-friendly feel and atmosphere. The ambient notes and harmonies are pleasant and catchy. The key changes are nice too and support the piano. Towards the end, an almost mini-climax or rush takes place. I wonder if this was intentional. The rising sound effect of a particular sound enhances the track, as it leads up to new ground and as the horse continuously gallops. I'm a huge fan of the melodies too; they're emotive and contemplative, beautiful and gripping. They develop in arrangement which is one of the artist's many talents. To me this has more variety than the previous two tracks; it keeps my attention more, due to a greater sense of development. Great track. A- 8. Celestial Slice is another beautiful gem. The song begins with a magical and floating opening. The ambient produced has a surreal feel that for me, enters the realm of fantasy. I love the melody/sound work throughout this song. The interlude is seamless and gripping, connecting a gentle flute to the fluid whole. The song has a feel to it, as if its been crafted to near perfection. It's full of emotion and harmony, and makes me feel hopeful, optimistic and loving. The flute segments, and the song's progression and development is beautiful. This is a terrific song from beginning to end. Well done! A Unearthly is beautiful, engaging, imaginative, and magical downtempo album. This is easily one of the best downtempo (chill) releases of 2012 along with Akshan's The Tree of Life, and few others from the ones I heard. Unearthly has some wondrous, magical numbers. The songs develop in ways similar in spirit to Goa-Trance. Some evolve more than others. Some of the evolutions I find catchier than others, but everyone will have their favorites. It's a rare treat from some of the most talented artists, a downtempo album full of catchy, innovative numbers. At times, melodies comes across like feelings oozing into the songs. Furthermore, the album has soul. There's even a few infectious mid-tempo tracks to boot. If I were to be more critical, constructively speaking, I'd say that Lifethread (Serena Mix) and Lightspark, though good, are the least strong (magical, memorable) tracks on the album, to me anyway. They're more or less interesting and add variety. All in all, Unearthly is a gem. Highly recommended. Favorite tracks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 A- Sample / Order http://www.altar-records.com/ra.html http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ra+unearthly

InnerSpace is THE track for me on this compilation. Update: Review coming...

WOW for two reasons... 1. This song is gorgeous, alive, filled with love, beautiful. 2. RA made an Ambient/Goa/Chill-influenced album?!?! Way to go RA and Altar Records! I have "liked" your track on youtube and shared it on facebook. IMO better titles for this song are: "Divine Love" , "Universal Love" , "Expanding Consciousness" , "Peace and Love" , "Balance and Harmony" ...as opposed to "Rain no Water." Just my thoughts.

Why not just make a Psychedelic Goatrance follow-up to Ultimate Experience and have (or see if) Suntrip, Kagdilla, or whoever is releasing this will release it? To UX: Expand the imagination guys; you have thousands of fans 10-15 years later. Imagine how amazing a release you can produce with everything you know now. It would be sweet, catchy, fun stuff.

Update: Finally saw it. Entertaining but when it came to Cabin/Woods horror... no where near EVIL DEAD 1+2. The ending however was unexpectedly over-the-top and imaginative. I rather liked it. I also liked the clever twist in the end that changes the entire perspective of the film that many people missed . You can read about this at Wikipedia for the film. I won't spoil it here! If I were to pick ONE modern horror film anyway, it would be Martyrs. Do not go by the mixed reviews. See it and decide for yourself what you think. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/martyrs/

Looks like pure style and art direction over substance (from the trailer). Still looks psychedelic and interesting. I'm curious to see it. Update: Finally saw it. Too slow, drawn-out and ambiguous for my taste. Story was very confusing and odd. Some cool, artistic shots, but overall I did not like or enjoy this film at all. With better pacing and a stronger (catcher) script, this could have been amazing.

We saw The Raid. It was at RedBox. Good action film with great fighting (martial arts) choreography. The weapon combat was especially impressive, the intensity, realism, and the boss (or sub boss, the main boss doesn't fight per say but the sub boss) fight towards the end is memorable. I'm a big martial arts fan. My only gripe is it seemed almost everyone in the film knew how to do martial arts almost a little too well. What are all these great fighters doing shacked up in some run down building, I wondered. I realize it's a gang but still. If they're disciplined enough to train in martial arts their whole life to fight as good as they (the antagonists) do, you'd think maybe their lifestyle would be a little different, less being lived in some rundown building. I just wondered, that's all. For those into intense, Rated-R martial arts action, I highly recommend SPL / Kill Zone (Donnie Yen, Sammu Hung)... that gets better as it progresses, with some of the best one-on-one (Donnie Yen Vs. villain) boss fights I have ever seen in a film. Oh, and The Protector with Tony Jaa and for the amazing Pakour I recommend District B-13. It's impressive what can be accomplished on a reasonable budget with talent and creativity!

I just found out about this album in September, 2012. Is there a review thread for it here? I searched but couldn't find. Considering Juno Reactor's so popular here, I was a little surprised (unless I missed it?). The full songs are on Youtube; I just searched, "Juno Reactor inside the reactor" http://www.youtube.c...ide the reactor That's where I heard the first Navras track and was really impressed. It seems the artists did justice to these visionary tracks unlike the Astral Projections TEN a while back. I have to get a copy of this album! That's ashame. I would have liked to hear it. Do you know the status of SP's remix of this track now? Was it ever released? Will it be on the next remixes album by Juno Reactor?

Crossing Mind - Innershift 2012 1. The Unenlightened Perspectives 2. Solarium 3. Modulated Self Reminders 4. Magnetic Fields of Life 5. Elastic Harmonies 6. No Way Wrong (2011 rmx) 7. Plutonia 8. Optronic Circles (Inner Shift mix) 1. The Unenlightened Perspectives is whimsical. The first several minutes release a melody so pure and catchy. I love the melodies, sounds, mixing, direction, and arrangement throughout. Stylish and substantial change ups are plenty. The song is splashed with innovation. It reaches a section where the tempo slows before reigniting to further bliss. This is such a fun, magnetic, infectious, and arresting number. Fantastic work. I love it. A 2. Solarium is a strong follow up to the opening. It's a little quicker, more edgy than the previous. A tasty melody enters before the two minute mark. Another solid section begins around 2:51. The beat changes up around 4:00 as the vehicle adopts atmospheric moves, very nice! The melody at 5:34 is worth noting too and more. This is a strong track, though I found the first one more enjoyable in comparison. I feel as if I'm rating levels of excellence actually. Great number! A- 3. Modulated Self Reminders has a gripping, psychedelic first third. Melodies emerge around 4:00. The middle act switches up the feel of the song and a new wave of creativity is emerges. Another stand out part is from 7:20 to 7:45, and again until 8:00. Around these melodic islands are healthy oceans that connect these lands masterfully. Why the artist didn't develop the euphoric segment at 8:00 a bit more I wonder? The overall song is very well done. B+ 4. Magnetic Fields of Life has my favorite melody work on the album since the opening. They're so catchy! Listen from 3:00 to 3:54. I also love the melody around 4:30 forward, and the complimentary sounds. I'm a sucker when it comes to great melodies and find them delicious. Also smart is the crunchy, psychedelic undercurrent. The song doesn't stop there either, and remains strong throughout. Another excellent track. A- 5. Elastic Harmonies I find it less intoxicating than the previous tracks until the shift around 7:14. From 7:38, things improve. The song becomes more melodic as it approaches in some ways. This track is like a solid transition between two bigger, melodic giants. B+ 6. No Way Wrong (2011 rmx) continues the gripping storytelling that involves more of the dynamic elements and infectious melody/sound work that I love on this album. It stands out more than the previous one, at least to me. Excellent track! A- 7. Plutonia is one of the most unique songs here due to a radically different approach in direction, tempo, and sound. It's slower, more chilled than the other tracks. Surprisingly it begins like a Ra track. Was this necessary? I don't know (probably not). Nonetheless, it's introduction flows nicely into the bigger world that awaits. Furthermore, it develops atmospherically, elegantly. There's a melody in the middle that reminds me of old-school Infected Mushroom. Whether inspired or not, it sounds great. I'm satisfied by this point. After this IM-esque (I call it) part however, I don't feel as gripped. Nothing extraordinary is introduced. The song peeks in other words, in the second third, and that's unfortunate because the first two-thirds are a solid A from me. The last 1-2 minutes aren't so fresh, though homogenous and well done. Plutonia adds diversity to the album and is an imaginative, memorable number. Excellent work. A- 8. Optronic Circles (Inner Shift mix) begins beautifully; I love the melody work in the first 1:25. Another approach to this song could have developed the gorgeous sound earlier on more. Nonetheless, more euphoria enters around 2:30 as the world becomes more psychedelic and delectible. A second transition appears around 4:00; the song evolves further with gripping sound fusions until another floating area from 5:38 to 5:54. A layered backbeat enters at 6:11 that is fantastic! Both the beginning 1:20 and from 6:11 to 7:17 comprise the strongest parts of the song. I would have simply liked a tad more of such strength so spectacular. In addition, it would be interesting to hear a version, possibly mid or downtempo, that develops the euphoric elements throughout the entire song a la Younger Brother's Psychic Gibbon. It almost seems like the idea for two different songs are in this one. I got hooked in the beginning and had hoped that that emotional direction would have been more prevalent. Seeing where this goes though, it works extremely well. I just feel that the artist left a heavenly element hanging earlier on to compensate for the psychedelic and tasty evolution. Overall, I was hoping for something more emotional in the final moments. Nonetheless, this is a great track! The little bonus song afterwards is good too. A- Conclusion: Numerous, new-school goa albums seem to lack something from the classic (1996-1998) golden era with few exceptions. Innershift ignites the spirit and sound of Goa on a deeper level than many releases I've heard in the past decade. The style is crisp, tasty. The album has some of the most delicious sound/melody work I've heard by a main artist since Filteria's Daze of Our Lives in 2009. I like how the artist took the time to really shape, develop, and evolve the tracks as they progress; this approach keeps my interest throughout. My only gripe is few times the artist will break from an amazing background ambient and/or atmospheric sound: i.e: around 7:50 in track 3 and track 8 early on... as opposed to developing these beautiful sounds further. Maybe in the future he'll produce some beautiful, heavenly down and/or mid-tempo numbers as E-Mantra has. Optronic Circles could have worked as a mid or down-tempo track anyway, and I like how he pulled it off here. It simply shows further potential for a gorgeous, ambient-influenced, Goa-esque number. The bonus track is sweet too, albeit short. Overall, InnerShift (or The Inner Shift) is one of the best Psychedelic Goa-Trance albums ever released. Highly recommended. Favorite Tracks - 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8. A-

Akshan - The Tree of Life Altar Records, 2012 Psy-Chill, Psy-Ambient, Trible-influenced Trance, etc 1.Aborigen's Dream09:17 2.Adagio for the Braves10:00 3.Angels Never Cry08:37 4.Symphonic Tendencies12:02 5.Eternity07:52 6.Back to the Origin09:11 7.Jungle Fever12:11 8.Waiting For You10:20 The Tree of Life is an awesome release. How often do I say that? You must hear this album. You must! 1. Aborigen's Dream begins with an ethereal, ambient introduction. It's relaxing and meditative. A beat soon arrives along with a downtempo, Goa-esque melody at around 1:20. Feelings emerge from the second minute forward though. The middle act involves the beat going mid-tempo, enticing a batch of catchy, new spices. The beat later changes up at around 5:55, a clever move, and the last third incorporates tribal influence that elevate the song even further. A- 2. Adagio for the Braves has more energy than the previous number. It's like out of a movie. Very beautiful and contemplative. After a voice sample in the middle act, it breaks out wonderfully, soaring above the clouds in the final act. This is a strong song with a wonderful ending. A 3. Angels Never Cry begins darker than the previous two numbers (quite catchy). Piano notes mix in with the provocative atmosphere nicely. The beat soon arrives, coupled with chilling atmosphere. The song becomes more psychedelic and arresting, though the middle third evolves a little less than the previous two songs. The final third is like clouds parting as light emerges, a wonderful surprise. Well done! B+ 4. Symphonic Tendencies has more oomph in the beat, strong ambient work, soundscapes, and a gripping buildup coupled with female hymns that enhance the driving rhythms. This is another solid number. A- 5. Eternity is more ambient-influenced, coupled with haunting echoes, delectable psy work, and an increase in energy later on. Excellent track. A- 6. Back to the Origin is another psychill-influenced track. A trekking tribal sound early on grabs my attention with another tune before the floating interlude. A sample soon arrives that sounds like Morpheus from The Matrix. After this, the feel of the song changes up; there's an echoed, clunking industrial sound (very catchy!). Suddenly at around 5:20 the entire beat switches up, producing a more electronic sounds. A psychedelic synth/sound emerges. The cool thing about this song is that it incorporates gentle with more energetic elements. The results are great. There even seems to be a touch of opera here around the beat. Very nice! A- 7. Jungle Fever is more goa influenced to me than any of the songs here due to a tasty layer in the last third, another great track! A- 8. Waiting For You reminds me of Asura a little in the opening before blosseming into its own. There are some really nice psy/skipping sounds, melodies, and relaxing/contemplative parts, the latter two further accentuated in the final moments. This is a beautiful closing track. I cannot find a single, negative thing to say about this album surprisingly. A- Conclusion Every track is strong on this album IMO. It's a rarity. Every song... numerous songs are excellent, wonderful! You must hear this album. It's an comprises a strong and engaging mixture of ambient, psy-chill, tribal, psy, even touches of Goa influence IMO! It's packed with harmony, feeling. It's evocative, provocative, contemplative. We need albums like these filled with heart and soul. Tracks comprise substantial chapters in a thoughtful and developed story loaded with creativity, catchy sound/melody work, atmosphere, and more. The songs develop and evolve throughout. There are no fillers. Some of the BEST songs I have heard IN YEARS are on this album. I love the last act of track 2, numerous others, and the strong variety throughout. Every song is different, distinct, unique, and memorable. This album deserves more people to be aware of its existence, hear and enjoy. Thank you Akshan and Altar Records for this passionately produced and imaginative release. Highly Recommended! Favorite tracks - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8... oh, that's all of them. A- Sample / Order http://www.altar-rec...com/akshan.html http://altar.bandcam...he-tree-of-life

Writing my thoughts on this album was challenging as well. Some songs develop so gradually. At first listen I found myself skipping to the next track which I rarely I do with Goa. This example is mostly felt with the opening track. It's too repetitive IMO. The changes are too subtle. I would have replaced it with a friendlier opening track. Black Kahva is pretty monotonous for a while. It becomes more interesting at around 5:57 forward and gets good. How Deep Is Your Trip is very well done, more gripping throughout. Can we have more tracks that are interesting and exciting throughout, please? Dancing With the Blue Spirit has a nice, euphoric, old-school morning sound. It sounds a little out of place with the other tracks, like a water song for dolphins. It's a bit repetitive. Still it's nice, relaxing, gentle, and peaceful. I like it. Avatar starts out good, very distinct in sound selection, mixing. The first few minutes are quite good! Things change up a bit keeping the unique sound intact. Aside from many little FX and alterations, the overall song grows fairly redundant in ideas past its characteristic opening act however. It never seems to recover or revive itself with new and opening terrain. After a while, it all sounds too same to me, regardless of the newly introduced sounds and other layers. The bass line is attractive at least. Etnic City is unique, catchy early on. More imaginative work could have taken place as it progressed though. With Visitors, the middle evolutionary part is great, but that's the high point around the otherwise solid work. The overall song is pretty good/great, one of the most solid on the album. Sabotage starts out great, but soon recycles sounds and ideas from early on. Without being overdone, the ethnic/Irish folklore melodies work to some degree, though I'm not a big fan. They work in Transonic Fields, another pretty good track, though less to no folk influence would have been nice. When this happens, the song sounds less other worldly. It's strangely distracting and a bit questioning. Why is this here? It doesn't elevate the song to me. Overall, there are many pleasant sounds, touches, and feelings on this album. I find however the song's lack depth, atmosphere, and elements of surprise. Additionally, some songs take a while to really develop into something worth recommending. When some of them do, it's great. I would love to see more creative energy, events, development and surprises. The songs have nice introductions and at times magical moments of old-school nostalgia , melody bliss. I love these parts and wish there was more of them throughout the song. More develop of melodies (arrangement) would be good and less folk (more cosmic) influence. I find a handful of Goasia's previous tracks catchier than numerous songs on this album. Depending on the mood, you may find it a bit bland (around it's good moments) or really great considering its melodic Goa appeal. B-

This is a HUGE improvement from their previous album. Magical, fantasy Goa storytelling. Well done.

Tim Schuldt Single Collection (album) ... Wow. This album involves strong, dark goa-influenced Psytrance with numerous good & great songs. The track Cascara is surprisingly not dark but beautiful, well done! Then there's Orange Acid... ! Psysex - Expressions of Rage

Is The Path the new Talpa album? Musically well done and creative! This track is poignant and mature. I cannot believe its been 7 years since he released The Art of Being Non. I was just listening to that the other day. Fun, imaginative album! It's time for a serious follow up to that one (not the second album).