Blair Thaumic

Good mix for sure. 1 is I think Liasons D. - He Chilled Out 2 is a remix of Shamen - Possible Worlds @56:00 is LDC - Plasma @1:27:00 is Trance Trax - Gimme Some You might also want to check out these artists: Eden Transmission High Lonesome Sound System The Hypnotist Sequential Sunkings ABS FX Creators Exit 100 Trilithon Man Machine Stardiver Deltraxx The Overlords Bassrace Dance 2 Trance Space Trax Teknika The Mackenzie Quazar Kode IV Eskimos & Egypt Carlos Peron Inductor Zero Antico Psycho Team Voov Barbarella Astralasia Resistance D Time Modem Noise Control Negrosex

Is he still making music? His compilation tracks were so amazing, but nothing new since 2008. I need more! Also, Xenomorph thread? Xenomorph thread. Dig that bassline.

Devil's advocacy here... isn't that list a bit too specific? Is there really enough difference between, say, tech-trance, minimal, and zenonesque? Or between full-on and twilight? Or forest, darkpsy, and hi-tech? I don't know if it's garbage, but it puts me off to see music put in such narrow boxes, as though psychedelic trance and its various colours could be defined by formulae.

Solid album. Funny how Radical Distortion started with an almost nitzo sound. That phase is completely unrecogizable now. The only thing I'd add is that subtle music has a place on the dancefloor. Maybe not at 3AM. But I prefer being hypnotized to being bashed over the head by goa, so for me, this is perfect party music.

These guys knew how to master: http://www.discogs.com/artist/357287-Geoff-Pesche http://www.discogs.com/artist/261923-Kevin-Metcalfe I'm not an engineer, but listen to the Made On Earth compilation. Those tracks were recorded over 5 years with a lot of difference in production quality, and they all play nice with each other. That's good stuff. And breathing/dynamics are a good thing to have in music, whether in a party or at home.

"We do not love life because we are used to living, but because we are used to loving" - Friedrich Nietzsche

One of the best things about being a Goa fan today is how many old, obscure, and lost tracks (along with other documents of the scene) are now coming to light. Everyone can find out as much about the scene's history as they want to, and I encourage doing so! But in order for that history to have an impact, it has to be studied and applied. I'm not someone who believes that the past was always better, but there's always something to be learned from the past, and also from other, parallel developments happening contemporary to your own scene. In that spirit, here's a few recommendations for artists and DJs looking to broaden and deepen their musical understanding. Feel free to add your own. http://www.discogs.com/groups/topic/372528 Some tracks played by DJ Laurent in the 80s/early 90s that led to the creation of Goa trance. There's some interesting links and commentary in the thread, too. https://www.youtube.com/user/TheUAEcars/ Reconstructed Goa sets (some going all the way back to the 1970s!) with a story to tell about the parties and musical philosophy of their time. https://www.youtube.com/user/Whirlytunes/ Some astounding and rare mixes on this page, most from the early nineties. http://zyron.c64.org/index.php Midtempo mutant dance. Not trance, but definitely psychedelic, and indirectly related to the original Goa sound and vibe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_tympani_muscle Here's an odd bit of anatomy: a muscle in the middle ear that some people can flex at will, and that makes a booming/rumbling sound in the head. I've been able to use it for as long as I can remember; it's my own personal bassbin. Who else here is similarly 'talented'? Curious to see if it's common among psy/goa heads...

Haha, I might go the CD route in a few years. Or whatever's replaced the CD by then. Mars: do you think a profit-sharing model could work in the beginning? i.e. the artist gets 50-60% of the proceeds, with the rest going to mastering/artwork?

I'm planning to start a netlabel in the near future. The musical focus will be deep oldschool, with less emphasis on melodic climaxes and more on atmosphere; Goa in a proto-trance kinda way. I have a lot of passion and very little knowledge, so I'll put the question to you: what do you think makes a good label? If you're an artist, what do you look for in a label (keeping in mind that "mountains of cash" isn't an option right now )? And if you run a label, what do you wish you knew back when it was still just a twinkle in your eye?

Nice choice of samples. I need to listen to this again before I can comment on the music, but I enjoyed what I heard.

Arguments about musical taste are truly pointless, and I wouldn't flame anyone for expressing theirs. One man's trash, though, and just as there are much-loved goa tracks that I truly despise, there are much-loathed tracks that I think are wonderful and overlooked/misunderstood. Case in point. I really do love that first track. The chimes at the beginning are beautiful, and the tweaky acid lines do good things to my head. I especially like how reserved its atmosphere is compared to modern "bash you on the head" goa.

Hah! OP's track has been one of my favorites for years, actually. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VS2RBlKg7E The track at 1:53:00 is... special.

My tastes have changed a lot. Before I had a proper frame of reference for the music, I disliked the noisier/darker variety of goa. Now I love it. Both sides are correct. You need the right frame of reference, and you also need to have an interest in acquiring that frame in the first place. Where I have a problem -- and where I'd call a person closed minded -- is when someone isn't at all interested in (or at least curious about) things that fall outside their expectations, whether that's in music, movies, or any other kind of art. IMHO, habits of expectation exist to be unlearnt.

Very impressed by Mega Drive's new album. I like the whole "synth-" movement in general... I grew up as an arcade rat, chiptunes and eighties movie music are in my blood. But this is just good music regardless of nostalgia. Engaging melodies, a good variety of beats and tempos (not just stompy stompy), and even some psychedelic moments. It's my favorite synthwave album so far. I also like Actrazer, Bourgeoisie, Miami Nights 1984, Perturbator, and Protector 101. Anyone else follow this style?

I've been on a Qygen binge today. This guy is seriously talented. Love Glasseyes, Zen Dragon, Quantum Epiphany, Foreign Horizon... hell, pretty much all of his tracks. Goa DJs should consider playing a few of these... maybe at -8?

I've noticed a certain sound, mostly associated with the label 100% Silk, that I REALLY like and seems to defy easy classification... some sources tell me it's vaporwave, others say it's a kind of nu-disco or deep house. Maybe a little of all three? To me it sounds like the psychedelic aspects of eighties house and synth-pop, refined and brought to the front; hazy, dreamlike, dubbed out, midtempo grooves. Have a listen:

Drivel? Someone's taking the piss from Kavinsky. A lot of young artists are into an 80s movie/computer game aesthetic right now... some of it goes into cheese overload but I appreciate what they're trying to do. https://bandcamp.com/tag/synthwave

Wow! I couldn't have been more wrong. Many thanks for clearing that up.

http://bringthatbeachback.com/2013/11/29/redgloam-journey-to-goa/ I've had this mix for almost a year and could never ID the third track on it, the one with the sample from "Spaceballs". All that I know is that it's from no later than 2002, and sounds like Israeli full on... can anyone help?

The Guest. Pretty good thriller/slasher flick, almost more of a dark comedy than a horror film. Only the ending was a bit too silly. dat soundtrack tho

Oh wow, I completely forgot about Solar Plexus. Yeah, check them out if you haven't.

Blue Room, Koyote, and Polytox for traditional goa. For something a little different: Psy-Harmonics, Nephilim, and one you didn't mention, Exogenic.

I don't want to get into the loudness debate again, but Shakta - Silicon Trip and Green Nuns - Rock Bitch Mafia, really? I always thought those albums were examples of squeaky clean mastering.

Pharagonesia - Pharatropic http://www.discogs.com/Pharagonescia-Touch/release/176996 Mos Fet - Supersonic Wind http://www.discogs.com/Various-Tathata-II/release/36299 That's all I got as far as goa that sounds like Colorbox. Big fan of their style, as you say, it's slightly aggressive goa that stays on just the right side of cheese. Not close matches but old Asia 2001 has some of the same droning*, insistent quality as Train To Chroma City, and Miranda/Ominus' music has some similar sounding melodies. *I'm thinking of making a drone-goa set so you can hear more of what I mean - it's rare!