Blair Thaumic

Thaumaturgy. If you've ever played D&D or read a Terry Pratchett novel or watched a certain cartoon with surprising popularity among twentysomething males, you know the word. You might regret knowing it, but you do. And yeah, it's basically a spookier way of saying 'magic.' Magic is associated with ritual. Dancing to psy trance has been called a ritual, and whether or not you subscribe to that line of thinking, it can't be denied that with the right music in the right kind of space, something like a magical experience can happen. Thaumic. Possessing some quality of magic. As in, psy/Goa trance, at least when it doesn't suck. At Thaumic Records, we aim to not suck. Our 1st album, 'Island of Misfit Grooves', is being compiled now. It'll be in the eclectic spirit of compilations from the late nineties, back when multiple different styles were featured under the umbrella of psychedelic trance. Music that doesn't quite fit in a box, and that takes you somewhere you weren't expecting it to. We still need a few more magicians in our roster; if you want to play with us, send a demo-track! http://thaumaticdisco.org * Any style is allowed, as long as it's not too fast or aggressive. This is more of an 'evening trance' compilation, meant to be groovy, not killarrrgh. Worst. Merlin. Ever. That was a kids movie? * Tracks should be submitted no later than November 15th. * To accommodate a low budget and hopefully do some good, the album will be a benefit release, with all proceeds (after mastering) going to the vegan food charity A Well Fed World. http://awfw.org/ * All tracks remain the property of their respective artists and will not be resold, licensed to a third party, or used for any other purpose (barring promotional clips for the album) by Thaumic Records. That's all I can think of right now. Oh, and I actually do have magic in my bloodline. Close-up card magic. Hey, it could be worse. Might want to get that checked out.

Sounds like the guitar intro from this version. http://www.discogs.com/Various-Technophobiac/release/382739

Ed Wynne Brian Dougans Graham Wood Rick Smith Ian Ion

I agree with Celaripo here. Experimental = music that defies genre and makes up its own rules. Ju Ju Space Jazz, Shaolin Wooden Men, Ubar Tmar, Rip Van Hippy, Sunkings = Experimental. MWNN, (early) Juno Reactor, Cydonia, Koxbox, TIP = Goa. All the Goa artists I named created their own sound, but they stay within the borders of Trance/Techno/Acid. The Experimental artists don't conform to those borders at all.

Ozric Tentacles belongs because of the influence the band had on Goa Trance. I would have picked Strangeitude over Arborescence, though; it's both earlier and a better known Goa influence. Goa always had tracks that crossed over into mainstream Trance, MWNN in particular being supported by Oakenfold. I don't think of that as Experimental, it's rather that the line between Goa and Melodic or Club Trance could be blurred sometimes. If we count all artists who incorporate other scenes and styles of music then technically all Oldschool Goa is Experimental or Uncategorized since it's always a mix of different musical influences. Better to say that Goa could incorporate elements of Melodic Trance (or Industrial, Hard Trance, ect.) (This works the other way around, too. For instance Section X is a Hard Trance/Techno act that was played a lot by Goa Trance DJs)

A few corrections: Delirium - Spheres 2 isn't Proto-Goa. It's mid-nineties Ambient. A better choice for Proto-Goa would be something like The Infinity Project - Hyperactive, or Trilithon - Trance Dance 128. Masa - Just Inside isn't Nitzhonot but Oldschool Goa. The high pitched sounds are typical of Japanese Goa artists. I'd question the inclusion of several albums under 'Experimental.' Man With No Name has never been Experimental, he's one of the most traditional acts of Goa Trance. Juno Reactor - Beyond The Infinite isn't Experimental either, though it incorporates some Proto-Goa influences. Same with Cydonia - In Fear Of A Red Planet, which is a darker Oldschool Goa album, but not particularly Experimental.

This is where Electric Universe peaked as far as I'm concerned. It may not have the strong emphasis on acid lines that his first few albums had, but the melodies, hypnotic grooves, and cosmic sounds that I like from Boris are all present and correct. Blue Planet had some good tracks but tried too hard to sound like Der Dritte Raum in a few places, while Unify was far too clubby for my taste. This one is just right. 9/10

More CDs sold: Yamabikaya, Bonky, Alienated, Blissful Moments, Psy-Fi 604, Unknown Object At Six Zero Four. Also, be careful if ordering from the Ukraine... right now it seems like mail sent from the US is being returned because of the territory dispute over Crimea. I just had that happen to me the other day, and sanctions were the reason given on the form. I don't think this affects mail sent to the Russian Federation; I'll edit this post if that situation changes. Anyway, if you live in Ukraine and want to order internationally, consider having a friend act as a proxy for you.

Juno Reactor's sophomore effort, 'Beyond The Infinite', is one of a kind. It's maybe the one Goa album that hews closest to its synth-pop and EBM roots, while taking it to that next level with acid-trance lines, techno strings and pads, and tribal/ethnic sounds. 'Guardian Angel' begins with ominous pads and a sample of Burt Lancaster from 'The Swimmer.' Immediately afterwards, we're whipped into a frenzy by a Front 242-esque bassline. Percussive electronic noises and frantic riffs that arc and spark keep the tension high. A little simple and straightforward, but that's what makes it a perfect introduction. 'Magnetic' is cool and seductive by comparison, with low chants sampled from the movie 'Baraka', a bubbling acid groove, and Spanish guitar-like melodies. Electronic bird calls echo and synth bleeps swim by like a school of fish, as though we were hearing the field recordings of a zoologist on a robot planet. 'Ice Cube' simmers in Yello-esque ambience before launching into a blisteringly intense run, proving that you can make a low tempo track (120, IIRC) without sacrificing ferocity. 'Feel The Universe' has an utterly gorgeous intro, with one of my favorite synth lines of all time. Some people prefer the 'Otto edit' of this track that dispenses with most of the introduction; I will never understand those people. It's like cutting the first movement of a Beethoven symphony. After the track has gathered momentum, it reaches escape velocity... industrial, found-sound percussion (SPK much?) combines with tribal drumming, alien sound effects, and Eastern European-sounding riffs in a cosmic cacophony of noise. I'd love to know where the inspiration for this track came from, it's so rich with ideas. 'Razorback', only available on the US version, is far from a filler. Cool, glassy synth lines bob and weave through pounding beats, punctuated by the occasional tribal yell. Aggression and subtlety are perfectly paired throughout. 'Samurai' is a slightly updated mix of a 1993 single by Jungle High (Ben Watkins and Johann Bley.) Juno by any other name is still Juno; this version has a little less acid-trance feel than the original and more of an industrial rock quality, which is probably Johann's sensibilities coming to the fore. Spoken-word vocals with a message of love and devotion provide the calm at the eye of the storm. 'Silver', the sole downtempo track, weaves contemplative futuristic atmospheres. More Baraka samples, monk's voices cut up and stitched together into a future-funk rhythm. 'Rotorblade' is maybe the most beloved track here, and it deserves all the praise it gets. Effervescent bass and percussion undergird gated synths, whooshing and breathing noises, and a bluesy electric guitar. All this is led by poignant electronic strings that hit you right in the feels. Powerful, mature, and complex. It mixes seamlessly into the final track, 'Mars', which takes the power, spaciness, and emotion of the previous tracks and somehow manages to sum them all up. Can you tell I like this album? Due to its storytelling nature, 'Beyond' is an album that works in multiple contexts, from armchair voyages and night drives to the most frenetic of dancefloors. Some tracks are a bit 'ravey' and unsubtle ('Guardian Angel', 'Samurai'), but they're balanced out by the deeper tracks, and lend their energy to the whole. Most of all, though, I love the album for its sound design. Nothing is harsh, mechanical, or overly 'synth' sounding here. Instead, these tracks come alive, yielding up a synaesthetic fruit salad of flavors and textures that doesn't sound like anything before it or since. There are a very few Goa releases that transcend the "Goa" or "trance" label. TIP's 'Mystical Experiences' is one of them. This is another, and deserves to be inducted into the canon of great synthesized popular music. 'Bible of Dreams' may be the album that brought Juno mainstream attention, but this remains their most accomplished and complete work. A masterpiece that sets the bar for what a psychedelic trance album could be. 10/10

Musical taste aside, I don't agree that the older albums sound dated. Dragon Tales is still one of the most complex psy/goa releases, and the mixing/production comes off better than most albums today. I see a lot of comments about producing for the modern dancefloor. But AFAIK, we haven't made a giant leap in production quality since the 1990s, it's just much more convenient/less expensive now that computers can take the place of a big studio. But feel free to correct me on that.

Sold Space Tribe - Ultraviolet Catastrophe, TIP 3D, Midrange Freedom Fighters, Masaray - Cosmic Trancer.

Sold Androcell, Asura, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Children Of The Bong, Derango, Transwave, and UX.

Cool story bro.

Some oldschool for sale, a bit of older darkpsy, and a few chillout CDs. I need to de-clutter and raise a little money for my new label; everything helps. Shipping from the US can get expensive; keeping that in mind, I'll price my merch reasonably. A Taste Of Transient Absolum - Inside The Sphere Acid Mutants Acidlab - Route 303 After 10 Years Of Japanese Trance Agneton - Wizards From The Future Ajuca Records - States Of Awareness Apsara Asia 2001 - Strange World (no booklet) Astral Projection - Another World Astral Projection - Dancing Galaxy Atom Smasher Auricular Baal, Mephisto, & Diablo - Lords Of Destruction Baphomet Engine & Datakult - Psytrance Is Dead! Banco De Gaia - Maya Benza - Retrofuturism Biot - Saturation Biot - Synthetic Organic COP - Urban Alien Cosmic Theatre Crazy Goblins And Wicked Pixies Creamcrop Records - A Deeper View Cydonia - In Fear Of A Red Planet Deedrah - Self Oscillation Deep Mental Trauma Deviant Species - The Quest For Balojax Devil's Mind Records - Refused Digitalis - The Third State Dimension 5 - TransAddendum Dimension 5 - Transdimensional (re-issue) Dimension 5 - TransStellar Dirty South Distortion Orchestra - The Shape Of Things To Come Dragonfly Classix Dream Creation - The Sound Of Freedom Dreams Like Deserts Eat Static - B-World Eat Static - Back To Earth Eat Static - The Alien EPs Edgecore - Free As Electric Universe - Divine Design Electric Universe - Stardiver Electric Universe - Waves Electroslide - Near Life Experience Electrypnose - Le Tireur De Ficelles Encephalopaticys - Psychothermic Meditation Enertopia - Face Adaptor Eon Project - Brain Filter EvsY - Lords Of The Liverdance Exogenic Records - Custom File Exotic Matter - Astral Attache Exploring Another Reality Far East Technology Fill Your Head With Phantasm 2 Filteria - Sky Input Flying Rhino Freestyle - Eclipse Forever Psychedelic Four Carry Nuts - Mechanical Age Funf D - No Promises GAD - Apollo 3D Germinator - Alosakum Ghreg On Earth - Sigilweaver Goa Inside 3 Great Leap Forward - Cinkofa Haltya - Electric Help Elves Hammering The Gates Of Soul Hate Human Blue - Diskovery Channel I Won't Dance In R Voice - The Scent Of Russian Dreams Indoor - Progressive Trance (re-issue) Infernal Intuition Israel's Psychedelic Trance 3 Jean Borelli - Planet Maya Jikooha - Revolution Spaceship Jocid Joker's Files Juno Reactor - Labyrinth Jupiter 8000 - Twisted Bliss Kalyug - Digital Chamatkar Kiss The Future: Procyon Kode 4 - Near To The Divine EP Kode 4 - Silicon Civilization Kuro - Revolution Language Of Light Let It Rip Lhiannon Sidhe Logic Bomb - Headware Loopus In Fabula Lotus Omega - Quantum Rabbit Hole Lumukanda - That Was Zen, This Is Tao Lunar Asylum Mandalavandalz - Hong Kong Knightlife Masa - Just Inside Matipo Pyramid Megalopsy - The Abstract Machine Menis - Temporary Insanity Mere Mortals - Universal Code MFG - Project Genesis Mind Games Montauk P - Def=Lim Mood Deluxe - The Tangent Universe Multiple Personalities Musica Psychedelica Scandinavica Nam Shub Of Enki - Fuck Piece Nataraja 1 Nephilim Records - Black Hole New World 01 Not My Cup Of Tea Nowhereland Ololiuqui - Valves 148 OOOD - Free Range Otherworld - Dance Trance And Magic Plants Peace Therapy 2 Pelinpala - My CD Has Landed On The Next Door Neighbor's Dog Phenix Phi - Phinalizer Portal Of Perceptions Process - One Drop Or Two? Process - Superior Technology Procs - Stuck In The Oven With Me Prodigal Sun - Twisted Harmonics Psy Phy 6 - Metaphysical Psyburbia - Groove Invaders Psychedelic Electronica Psychedelic Krembo 2 Psychedelic Krembo 3 Psychiatric Hospital Ahead! Psychic Deli Volume 1 Psychoactive Scandosounds 3 Qube One Quirk - Machina Electrica And Fornax Chemica Ra - 9th Resonance Mood Resonoise Records - Eskimo Retrodelic Vibes 3 (no booklet) Rip Van Hippy - Waking Up Is Hard To Do Saikopod - Phutures And Options Salakavala - Fractal Fishing Sattel Battle - Sounds Cool Segment - 01 Seventh Flight: Elevation Shakta - Out Of Sight Shakta - The Enlightened Ape Shlabbaduerst 4 Shift - Excession Shiva Chandra - Change Of Air Sixth Flight: Nightvision Slide - Unstable Solar Flares Somaton - Future Memories Soular Records - Awakening Space Cat - Beam Me Up Space Cat - Shapes Of Sound Space Tribe - Heart Beat Sri Hari - Rising Sign Strong Sun Moon Subconsciousmind - Gfuhlsweld Sunkings - Before We Die Surreal Audio - Open Tea Chairs The Holotropic Mind The Meaning Of Life The Invisible Hand Third Eye - Ancient Future Third Eye - Dance Of Creation TIP Singles 2 Tod Aquarium 1 Torakka - Far Out Express Trance Mix 7 Trance Mix 8 Tranced Out And Dreaming Trancentral 4: A Trip To Goa Transient 5 Transient 6 Trauma Trance Tri-Force - Entrance To Reality Twist Dreams Unidentified Forms Of Sound Urban Awakening Voice Of Cod - Gone Fission Voice Of Cod - We Are Free X-Dream - Panic In Paradise XIS - Electric Rites Younger Brother - A Flock Of Bleeps Youth - Calibrate Your Intuition Zubzub - The Powers That Beep My rating on Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/sell/buyer_feedback/ur3shii

Juno Reactor - Beyond The Infinite Total Eclipse - Delta Aquarids The Infinity Project - Mystical Experiences Prana - Cyclone Morphem - Out Of Focus Koxbox - Dragon Tales Tarsis - Vacuum Chi A.D. - Anno Domini Spectral - Diffuse Squaremeat - Wave Soup Uni - Venus (my list goes to 11 )

It's pretty hard to get away from full-on cheese with UK releases (Nervasystem is a rare - and welcome - exception.) I'm guessing that Merv did a few tracks for that audience, a few for the dubstep kiddies, and then some for himself. Whatever the promo text says.

The first time I heard the 'nobody buys CDs anymore' argument was in 2003. Obviously they're doing something right to survive 12 years of undeath

I have two 'proper' CD shelves, with about 100 albums in total. Most are Digipaks and things that look nice on a shelf. The rest had to go in CD wallets inside a cabinet, since I don't have anywhere to put 1000+ jewel cases. For vinyl, I have the typical 'milk crates'. I keep them arranged so that I have just enough room to get out of bed.

You can also argue that states ramp up human aggression, since organized armies, police, and prisons don't exist outside of a state. I expect we'll disagree on this, but I don't think that any social arrangement is fixed by our biology. Pre-state society is all over the map; I could point to examples of cooperation and say that humans are naturally cooperative, and I'd be equally wrong. Tribal warfare... nah, I'm not letting Belgium off the hook that easily. The colonialists played up tribal differences that otherwise would not have led to a civil war. "It's human nature" is dodging responsibility. Also it lets the Rwandans who led the genocide dodge responsibility. I don't think they were just reverting to a pre-civilized state. I think they had agency and political goals and were consciously evil. About anarchism: there are types of anarchism that don't involve abandoning society. Anarchosocialism is one. Many anarchists want to abolish the aspects of government they see as oppressive, not every aspect of government. Yes, some do want to abolish all government. But I know someone who identifies strongly with anarchism who is a physicist at a university, votes, and supports a social safety net. I agree that a lot of anarchists have a knee-jerk distrust of/opposition to society, and if everybody followed that, it would fuck over a lot of people (including disabled people for sure.) But it'd be wrong to say that anarchism is opposed to things like public roads or hospitals, when that describes an extreme kind of individualist or primitivist anarchism.

Civil war is a different situation from anarchy. And I'd argue that the problems in the DRC have more to do with global capitalism and geopolitics than with any variety of anarchism.

I'd heard 'Quantum Conundrum' before, but I prefer the direction that these new tracks take. They remind me a little of Doof, in the sense that they groove at a consistent energy level without becoming repetitive or doing anything to break the flow. 'Warp' in particular is one of the bounciest goa tracks I've had the pleasure of listening to. Keep it up!

Thanks all. I'm currently scouting tracks for the first compilation. The format will most likely be digital; I still might do a CD run, but only if a significant number of people demand it. I have a number of mastering studios bookmarked, and will be shopping around when the time comes. This will be a nonprofit release: all proceeds after expenses will be donated to A Well-Fed World. (ETA: changed a few details)

Not really.

This thread needs more Suomi.

I don't like everything on this album but some of it is amazing dark goa trance: http://rajasrecords.bandcamp.com/album/v-a-integration-in-the-cave