Bill

Good catch! It's "Open The Stargate," 100% correct, what happened was some editing and the Faxi Nadu album title got pasted in the wrong place. Oops! "Arcanum Arcanorum" gets my vote as his best track, different direction changes, crazy good energy, awesome vision. BTW - I reviewed "Open The Stargate" here: https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/68546-galactivation-open-the-stargate/?hl=galactivation

He seems to have the same sort of style, same sort of atmosphere, to his sound as Lectro Spektral Daze, just with less goa influence. Something about both of them just sweeps me off to a different place, wonderful music, really glad you're enjoying him.

Thanks mate, that makes a lot more sense. I went out looking for Via Axis on the night he was scheduled to play and that 2/3am timeslot had some monstrous hi-tech going on. As these things go, guess I was a couple hours early but back in bed by the time he went on. Probably ended up with the times mixed up or some changes happened, you know, the usual. After watching the vid I figured they had moved him up to the evening hours, sunrise would be a wonderful time to catch his set, hope you were there to enjoy it!

Artist: Qiujan Album: Ritual To The Light Label: Self-Released Released: January 2015 Qiujan's "Ritual To The Light" debut (indeed, debut) is a huge and successful artistic goa endeavor. Even Basilisk, curator of Ektoplazm.com, seems to think so as this album has been the featured main-page release for nearly a month as of this writing. And if you cannot take the recommend of a gent who listens to hundreds of submitted releases each year, well, then, who can you take tips from? Ambitious is the first characteristic that stands out about "Ritual To The Light." None of the six tracks dip below 10-minutes in length and none pander to subscribed modern trends. The album feels similar in flavor and approach to another Ektoplazm darling in Jikkenteki who, too, put together monstrously long tracks without giving the listener a wasted second. It should be said about Jikkenteki that the producer was a true artist, projecting forth artistic psytrance that always felt like it was presented from an honest point-of-view. Cut-and-paste the name Qiujan into those last few sentences if you'd like - the same compliments should be echoed onto his work. The ten-and-a-half minute "Ancestors Presence" opener is by turns funky, compelling and wholly accessible. Beyond that point, however, a little extra work is required to get the pay-off and that is not to say that some elements of every track are not immediately rewarding. This is some pretty heady stuff in parts,though, a lot of swirling, twirling goa euphoria, layers-upon-layers of fascinating effects and a drive forward that never seems to stop for breath. The follow-up in "Old Truth" is relentless sensory overload, a wicked good goa overdose of dancefloor-ready beats and mind-expanding hallucinogenic appeal. "New Era" is a high-quality stomp-fest, "Vibrating In The Stars" is part outer-limits space story and part driving, full-on physical workout and the 16-minute, hyper-active "Light Truth" conclusion is the ultimate climax to a superb and demanding journey. Things zip by pretty quickly in this "Ritual To The Light" despite how long many of the tracks stick around and one thing Qiujan does extremely well is direction change, sometimes quite dramatically, midway through many of these offerings so where you begin each journey is never where you will end up. Repeat listens, or repeat journeys on this cosmic roller coaster of sound, are a must. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/qiujan-ritual-to-the-light

Artist: Via Axis Album: Expressions Of One Label: Ovnimoon Records Released: August 2011 There is an 11-minute video on YouTube of Via Axis performing a sundown live set at Boom Festival 2012, the crowd energy is good, the beach-side locale is perfect, the deco and lights are beautifully psychedelic and the moon peeking out while the sun is still up is just majestic. This is the time of day when "Expressions Of One" works best, at the beginning of the dark hours, probably an earlier set in the night before the peak-hour performers hit the stage. Certainly, "Expressions Of One" would be more a full-on album, an excellent and masterful one at that, but it has many understated, subtle qualities to it. Via Axis has created a grower with this one. The attentive listener will probably identify the magic immediately, for others this is an album that grows and grows greater with every single listen. Captivating soundscapes bring true trance to these productions, the energy of the tempo assures that this one will work well with a live crowd but all the beautiful details of these creations make this a wonderland on a set of headphones. Naturally, the work by this Brazilian producer comes courtesy of Ovnimoon Records and if Via Axis is familiar to some outside of this album it is likely because of the co-production on "Galactic Mantra" with Ovnimoon that many in the psy scene revered. There happens to be much to this talented producer all on his own, though. The persistent energy of "Vilca Spirit," brain-candy psychedelia of "Melt Into The Green" and floor-filling and heavily Goa-influenced "The Beyond Within" are highlights though there is not a single track on this album that would fall short by any measure. "Expressions Of One" is a masterpiece and it is a shame if it happened to fly under many people's radars. Not only should this one be heard, it should be felt, it is a soaring journey to the stars, it is an adventurous expedition into the metaphysical, it is pure, high quality psytrance. If lucky enough to dance to this under both the sun and the moon at the same time "Expressions Of One" is receiving exactly the respect it deserves, for it should receive nothing less than such a beautiful celestial occurrence enhanced by beautifully in-tune participants - it deserves nothing less than the attention and appreciation of the educated psy listener who knows how to handle, interpret and accentuate such magical moments.

Artist: Opsy Album: New Kind Of Radiation Label: Soundmute Recordings Released: June 2013 For the last year-and-a-half I was convinced that "New Kind Of Radiation" was a great psychedelic techno album. When it came time a couple days ago to put some positive things together to say about it... I came up blank. The words should come easy, phrasing the different pieces of the album should not be difficult, everything should flow well if I'm expressing things honestly. And that's where the snag happened. I gave the album a few more listens over the past few days and, yes, it is a good album, sometimes a very good album, but it is not the great album I kept thinking it was. Unfortunately for psychedelic techno artists, the style is not highly respected within the psytrance community (unless you are Perfect Stranger and place heaps of progressive in with your techno or unless you are A. Balter or Boris Brejcha who do straight techno but curiously get lumped in with the psychedelic crowd) and the style is even less respected, much less known, by the pure techno crowd. One who dabbles in this style cannot be blamed for trying to draw in a larger audience which is what I believe Opsy is doing here and where my misgivings lie with the album. Starting with the album cover that graffiti scarred alleyway feels more like a spot for thugs and bad vibes than for anything mind-expanding or psychedelic. It feels like the sort of alleyway one might venture down to get to an underground locale with a big sound system, where the electronic music is more a scene than a culture, which is exactly what the first two tracks of this album seem to be made for. The sample-heavy "Growing Iceberg" is big-room psychedelic techno made for mass appeal while "Death At The Discotheque" sounds primed-and-ready for the Beatport crowd. Neither are horrible tracks, by any means, but in a psychedelic techno scene where the sounds are often raw and heavy these two feel annoyingly polished. Three of the ten tracks here are remixes and those included here draw from some interesting source material. While the remix of Alic's addictive "Proper Language" fits in perfectly with what one expects from psychedelic techno, the remixes of progressive acts Man Machine and Ectima again feel like an appeal to a broader fan base. Again, neither of these are horrible, and while I am of the opinion that Ectima has as much in common with tech-trance as they do with dark progressive, it cannot be denied that the Ectima duo have a healthy following to their name. The Man Machine remix definitely feels like progressive meets psychedelic techno and the results are passable, it would probably have worked better by remixing the Man Machine side project Excizen instead as it lies directly in line with this style. However, understood, an artist who does not take chances is an artist that will not grow. Perhaps, also, this is the Opsy that has been around long before "New Kind Of Radiation" was released but this much material in one place only shed light on his true nature. I can't help but feel that an album full of work similar to the later tracks and the sheer dark, thumping creativity contained in "Dig A Hole," "Dungeon," "Control Tower" and the ridiculously well-executed "Rubber Duck" would have made this album undeniably great. The rest, though, well, it is a lot of colorful graffiti on dingy walls and in psychedelic techno, dingy walls, so to speak, are a badge of honor.

Artist: Various Album: Resonant Heart Label: Merkaba Music Released: February 2013 In most ordinary circumstances, and just by the strictest definition of the genre name itself, one probably should not be able to have a torrid affair with down tempo. And, yet, Kalya Scintilla makes that possible quite regularly with his releases and with the “Resonant Heart” compilation he introduces the listener to several other like-minded, dirty-minded producers in the same style of sound. This glitchy, wompy, bass-heavy down tempo funk asks far more in terms of groove from the listener and keeps a very safe distance away from most anything that can be considered chill-out. The bass alone in nearly all of these tracks gets inappropriately dirty for a genre that is traditionally known more for relaxation, yet, here it is and it could not be of any higher quality. Birds of Paradise, Desert Dwellers and the exceptionally great “Akuna Marana” by Biolumigen do hit those chill moments without the griminess but those are by far a minority in this wild bunch. The wicked womp of Whitebear, Bardo River and Soulacybin are excellent offerings but even these dim by comparison to the nearly untouchable greatness of Kalya Scintilla, whose clean, smoothly delivered yet deliciously decadent “Abundance” stands as a major highlight here. Interestingly, off nearly any Kalya Scintilla EP or even when compared to the tracks from his outstanding “Dance The Spiral Never Ending” full-length, this track is common-fare for the Australian producer. That such typical work from him towers so tall over his peers on this compilation speaks volumes about his ridiculous level of talent. Still, recognition is owed to “Forever Shining Soul” by Shwex who competes with Scintilla for top track on this compilation. While not as ethnically diverse in sound or even as technologically savvy in the structure department, Shwex delivers a gem that drips with mood and makes the most of its tantalizing female sample. It is difficult to choose the better of these two tracks. However, choosing top dog in this collection is relatively simple, with honors going to the nearly inimitable Mr. Squatch on the addictive “The Squatch Expands Life.” After just one listen it is fascinating how certain elements remain memorable moments after the track has ended, however, repeat listens makes it instantly recognizable after just a few seconds. By any standard, that is a testament to its overall greatness and staying power, as “The Squatch” does not feel like a track that will lose much luster over the course of time. “Resonant Heart” is that rare down tempo treat that craves as much attention on a dancefloor as it does for the comfort of at-home listening. It is also that rare treat where relaxing music does some unspeakably sexy things to the listener. This may not be Infinity Project introspection though it does have some rather breathtaking beautiful moments of its own. Instead, it is a different breed of down tempo, a new strain of down tempo, one that regularly tantalizes the mind while continuously groping for the button on your jeans.

Artist: Various Album: Resonant Mind - Compiled by Kalya Scintilla Label: Merkaba Music Released: May 2014 For Australian down tempo producer Kalya Scintilla 2014 was a hit-and-miss year. His eagerly awaited second full-length album, "Open Ancient Eyes," was a disappointment, taking many of his trademark womp-and-glitch sounds and making them sound like recycled ideas while vocals galore went on with spirituality invocations and poems. Based on a 2013 interview, the producer said "Open Ancient Eyes" was the album that he would be making with his fiancee, perhaps based on her written work. No offense to his soon-to-be but her spoken word (a very large focus of the release) is not the talent he deserves to be working with at this point of his career. The Resonant Mind compilation and its stunning array of gifted artists, however, suits his reputation and talents exceedingly well. This is the best Kalya Scintilla music not made by Kalya Scintilla and, rather surprisingly, not a single one of his tracks made it into this collection. While bearing his name as compiler, it seems his aim here is to focus on the other ridiculously good artists on his Merkaba Music label and assorted friends that share in his taste for quality down tempo. Little known but broadly talented artists Mr. Squatch, Mindex, Subaqueous and Ecometric all dazzle with their contributions. In other places on the album, non-Merkaba artists Globular, Seamoon, Somatoast and Bogtrotter add dub, moodiness, dreaminess and even more womp, respectively. My only complaint is the omission of Kaminanda from these proceedings. Though Resonant Mind is the second in this series, following the equally superb Resonant Heart compilation from 2013, the excellence of Kaminanda is nowhere to be found despite two full-length releases available through the Merkaba label. Even if the Kalya artist album of 2014 was disappointing, this compilation is the polar opposite. In a way, that's for the better, it allows more quality time with these tracks and opens several doors for the adventurous listener looking to dive into more sounds from this impressive cast of producers.

10: V.A.- Blue Sangoma Sounds (Blue Hour Sounds / Sangoma Records) Very pleasant surprise here, saw this on your list and since it was not familiar I checked it out. I have "Green EP" by Peyo from this label and it is superb! Forgot about this label until reading your post. The tracklist for this comp looks monstrous, a lot of great artists, Peyo, Virtual Light remixing Electrypnose, Psilocybian remixing Braincell, Hotep, Flooting Grooves, Via Axis. Anyway, the point is, thanks for posting this, I am anxious to jump in to this collection, looking forward to finding some gems.

Artist: Act One Album: Brain Snakes Label: Digital Shamans Records Released: December 2014 I'm not sure what is going on over in the UK but some of the best twilight psytrance in my collection is coming out of England and it is destroying my impression of the English as prim-and-proper. At 20 years of age, Act One has created a four-track monster of a masterpiece. Looking at the title of the tracks ("Bal Ache," "Diddely Squit" and "Nucking Futs") it would be easy to believe that this chap is only mucking about but rest assured he does take his music very, very, very seriously! Perhaps best compared to the dynamic duo that is Dirty Saffi (also his fellow countrymen,) Act One makes dark, full-on, intense, completely mad psytrance, a whole lot of careening chaos with mind-erasing levels of energy, all intricately created and masterfully controlled by the producer at hand. Energy blasts, absolutely, but also a quality amount of trippy, drippy psychedelic effects in all the right places. For the majority of its moments, Act One avoids all the annoying kitsch of most full-on and all the spooky and weird pit-falls of dark psy, things are very well thought out and expertly executed. None of these tracks stand above each other, they are all equals in top-notch quality and to think this young lad has only barely entered his twenties makes his future deliciously prospective. For those annoyed by the frustrating amount of sub-par full-on that typically floods the market or the un-charming seances of most dark psy one need only turn to this monstrous juggernaut. Chances are, these "Brain Snakes" will confound you in the best way possible and drive you "Nucking Futs"! Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/act-one-brain-snakes

Artist: Alpha & Omega Album: The Half That's Never Been Told Label: Steppas Records Released: 2014 For those uninitiated to the sounds of Alpha & Omega, "The Half That's Never Been Told" could prove to be revelatory, a lush secret of the most divine order. On the other hand, for those familiar with the duo and any of the great albums they have released over their 25-plus year career, you have heard the untold half before, there will be no surprises here, you know exactly what to expect - subtle, non-intrusive, warm dub of the absolute highest quality. When dusk has begun to fall at the finest festivals, when the forest begins to come alive with the buzz of the oncoming night, when the hippies begin to leave their camps in search of friendly acquaintances, this is the soundtrack of those moments. "The Half That's Never Been Told" is above all else background dub, it does not clamor for attention or recognition, it sits behind you at all times and when you do acknowledge the music it is like an old friend placing a hand warmly on your shoulder. Paying attention to the music, studying it closely, it is stunning how rich and detailed these sounds are, very much heart-achingly beautiful at times, it is mind-boggling to think that such an unobtrusive piece of music so well made can sit in the background so contently. Just let it play and go about your business and you will find an album that accentuates everything you do, there are no bad tracks here and their are no highlights as it is one-hour of smooth, warm dub mastery. Not surprising, Alpha & Omega are masters at their craft, sure-handed professionals and "The Half That's Never Been Told" is certainly the most complete and accomplished down tempo album that I heard in 2014. If you're very lucky, indeed, this soundtrack might just pop up a second time at your favorite festival. When the madness and explosion of the evening has roared into the morning and led you into the early afternoon where you may feel the adventure is not quite ready to be over, when the hippies leave the trees and enter the sunny field with shining faces upturned to catch the sun's rays, when blankets get laid out and people kick back to rest their weary limbs, no finer music could hope to be played. In my location, here in icy and frigid New York State at the beginning of February, when I say that "The Half That's Never Been Told" transports me to warmer and more fulfilling places I sincerely hope that I am conveying the very finest compliment I am able to bestow upon this music. The CD release features three bonus tracks - be sure to pick up this version, all three tracks are as blissful and warm as anything else on the album. Chances are, you won't mind spending the extra time with this one.

After further listening, Ankrosado makes my ass bounce, awesome track!

Artist: Electric Universe Album: Journeys Into Outer Space Label: Dacru Records Released: 2014 "Journeys Into Outer Space" contains some of the best full-on productions that Electric Universe has ever produced. That said, and I'm sure many on this forum would agree, some of the best psychedelic music Boris Blenn or Electric Universe has ever produced has never come from his full-on period. Inside "Journeys Into Outer Space" you will not find a 20-minute Boris Blenn down tempo masterpiece, nor will you find any Electric Universe gems like the psychedelic wonderland of "Journey Into The Subconscious" or the transcendental beauty of "The Prayer" or the goa madness of "Online Information." What you'll find instead is some pretty raucous, loud and fierce, well-produced full-on madness - in short, one very good party album. If not looked at too critically, "Journeys Into Outer Space" is a very good album, in fact, for the energy blasts it so potently serves up, it's almost a great one. However, if you go in looking for flaws it's not very hard to spot them. The same sort of techniques, tricks and effects used in many other full-on releases are utilized here (that dramatic silence in the middle of a track then the bass rising, beating like a drum, it works well on a live crowd but I swear the last time I saw Zen Mechanics he had that same effect in every goddamn track he played!) That's the point, I suppose, this is not an artistic endeavor even if you can look at this album and admire how well it is produced and composed. It is not made for you the at-home listener, these are 2am tracks where the party crowd is already 2 or 3 artists deep into the event, the energy is already primed up and everyone is high as a kite and ecstatic that there are so many familiar faces in the same place - at that point in the night, so long as it's loud and good it will sound majestic. "Active Galaxy" would my pick for the best of this bunch. Other tracks definitely have their moments but I find myself judging Mr. Blenn a bit harshly throughout most of these tracks. On one hand, on a gloomy day, "Journeys Into Outer Space" could be an awesome energetic boost to break through any funk, on the other hand, even if it is very well-produced and composed, after 20 years in the psytrance and goa game, I don't think it's unfair to expect a little bit more from Electric Universe. My final verdict is that Boris Blenn is saying the same things that a lot of other full-on producers are saying these days by making analbum that conforms to the party crowd. However, even if Electric Universe is saying the same things as all those other guys, I can't help but feel that he says it just a little bit better.

Excellent release! Spot-on review, Jon.

Smorgasbord - Compiled by Jeremy's Aura Label: Maia Brasil Records & Omnitropic Released: December 2014 01 - Globular - Playing For Rain 02 - TRD - Derive And Detach 03 - Radioactive Sandwich - Everything Is Awesome 04 - Jeremy's Aura - Drinking Cornish Clouds 05 - Easily Embarrassed - The Capital 06 - Shantam - Fiddle Sticks 07 - Spacey Koala - My Cat Is A Dragon 08 - Tron Sepia - Salamander 09 - Supersillyus - Enigmagician 10 - Ekoplex - Nama 11 - Zoungla - Flower Sun “Smorgasbord” is a feast of delicious down tempo treats. Not chill-out treats, mind you, but groovy, high-quality, deeply interesting down tempo productions that more times than not look to shake the hips rather than lull into a blissed state of relaxation. The supporting cast of artists here are superb – the always-dependable Globular, TRD’s cerebral grooves in “Deride and Detach,” the Shpongle-y “Flower Sun” from Zoungla and the fun funk of Shantam’s “Fiddle Sticks.” They make this collection great and do a fine job of support as perfect lead-ins to the marquee tracks. The three excellent productions on “Smorgasbord” deserve to be in one’s permanent collection – that special playlist or folder you have containing the very best tracks that are better than the thousands-upon-thousands of ok-to-great ones you’ve accumulated over the years. Radioactive Sandwich, not at all surprising, causes the first of the truly great ones. “Everything Is Awesome” lives up to its name providing great atmosphere and tasty grooves from the get-go and then slow-burning the track into something simple yet oh-so complex by its end. It is rich, detailed, full-of-depth and even better over repeat listens. Easily Embarrassed offer up plenty of surprises on “The Capital” where they out-dub the great dubbiness of Globular for a track that proceeds seamlessly and flawlessly into a Vangelis space odyssey. Not a thing Easily Embarrassed has done since their amazing album “Tales of the Coin Spinner” has been this good and complete. Ekoplex’s “Nama” stands as a highlight due to how well-produced and executed it is but also because stylistically it stands apart from everything else in the collection. The BPMs of the track would put it more into a progressive psy realm but with mood and style more fitting to its down tempo partners. The female vocal samples are engaging, the grooves are dark and yummy, the melodies are infectious. The track works because so much of this collection grooves in much the same way. This is a hell of a compilation, and, dismissing a couple of the faster tracks in the middle, this a hell of a good job compiling by Jeremy's Aura. To borrow a Radioactive Sandwich phrase, in here, almost “Everything Is Awesome.” Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/smorgasbord

Basilisk posted this on the Ektoplazm Facebook page: "Tired of the highly-polished but same-sounding stuff cluttering the Beatport charts? Turn back time and lose yourself in the unconventional debut album from Qiujan. Here we find a pure expression of trance music with a very personal touch. It sounds like the artist locked himself in a room somewhere and totally ignored all the trends of the last several years to create something closer to the heart. Let's show a little love!"

Artist: Cybered Album: Forget Your Past Label: Sun Station Records Released: January 2013 Edward Cybered is a great producer but he’s that much better when he’s selfish and not playing at all with the other children. I’m not suggesting that Cybered is bad when he’s co-producing or remixing, in fact, there are some great tracks that have come from his collaborations, but in a lot of cases, just based on the Cybered blueprint for making tracks, most times it feels like he is being held back. Originally one-half of the full-on duo Manifold, one of the albums they released was great while one was not. Even the great “Mental Suggestion” had its shortcomings and it certainly has not aged as well as some of its peers. However, in the Cybered story it’s easy to see where his progression occurred and just how much better comparatively he is at his craft while going it alone. Here on his full-length “Forget Your Past” debut (though maybe not technically a debut so much as a collection of tracks from his previously released EPs), a couple of notable collaborations occur. A remix of Excizen’s “Kneebender” is quite good but woefully out-of-place next to the bombastic, engine-running-in-the-red style that Cybered executes on his own. Excizen has a raw focus on techno with his style so the Cybered sound comes across as stifled, suffocating under the slower BPMs of the track. The co-production with Opsy fares much better on the excellent “Termites”. Cybered’s militant tech-trance is mixed cleverly with Opsy’s fierce psychedelic techno and the results are dark and invigorating. Most definitely a memorable effort but nothing at all compared to Cybered working independently. “Wrong Game,” “Drone” and “Tuned Reference” are fierce, octane-powered psytrance that seeks not only to fill a dancefloor but also to utterly drain every last ounce of energy from it. Fierce fodder, indeed, and the marquee track of this bunch on “Dark Athena (Part 2)” solidifies the album’s greatness. The Delta and Nuclear Ramjet came up with excellent results when they turned their tech-trance into cinematic monsters but they sound somewhat tame compared to the explosion of this one. The gigantic bass lines feel like they’ll rip a hole in the wall if the volume is up too loud and the orchestra samples build to a crazy crescendo that Cybered delivers to an explosive pay-off. Without question, “Forget Your Past” would be one of my top picks among album releases for 2013. Kudos to Edward Cybered, also, for delivering the follow-up “Acid Box” that I feel is one of the best of 2014. Truly gifted, this guy is a great producer, groovy and powerful with a penchant for over-the-top energy that is never lacking a keen eye for detail. He’s that much better, though, when he’s going it alone. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/cybered-forget-your-past

Artist: Cybered Album: Acid Box Label: Horns & Hoofs Release: July 2014 I was at a festival just outside of Montreal a couple summers back and the performing DJ dropped a tech-trance set. When the familiar chords of Cybered’s “Dark Athena” started up I simply lost it, dancing around frantically, working up a very healthy sweat and as the set wore on a burst of energy was needed so I looked to my peers for a boost…except no one else was moving. It’s not surprising, I suppose. Tech-trance has always been a niche style and I’ve known this since first falling in love with Midi Miliz’ 2002 album, “Passages”. For those who love tech-trance will quickly find themself surrounded by many more who just do not know what to do with it. Interestingly, when popular progressive producers Nerso & Tyce got together for their Ectima project the resulting two albums were well received and acclaimed. Certainly, the pitched-down BPMs define it as dark progressive but the moods and militant bass lines strongly suggest tech-trance. I suppose it all depends on who is delivering the message. Here, then, Cybered’s “Acid Box” could be Ectima for the full-on crowd. Without question, the influences of Midi Miliz, The Delta and X-Dream run rampant through Cybered’s style. With everything that Cybered accomplished with his 2013 full-length debut on “Forget Your Past” he continues here. Both albums are full of deep, full-bodied, percussive bass lines (turn it up and bask in the rumble!) and wildly cinematic compositions. On both albums, Cybered defines himself as an awesome producer whose details in all of his tracks are crisp, interesting, darkly beautiful. There’s no way for me to pick a favorite between the two albums. “Forget Your Past” is the wild, raucous original and “Acid Box” is its equally bombastic sequel – a continuation of the same ideas and themes without anything sounding similar or recycled. In fact, the original was so damn good it deserved a follow-up of this magnitude and similarity. Here, “Wild Tuba” is a gem (very much a twin to Forget Your Past’s “Dark Athena”) with so much cinematic flair that it seems to be begging for a wild sci-fi film soundtrack to be a part of. “Kraken” is a techno tyrant. “I’m Bad,” “Nobody” and “Acid Box” growl and menace in the most delightful ways possible. “Anolog ID” and a remix of Quite K’s “Vasya Exhale” crackle with raw power. There’s a reason this tops my list for best release of 2014. Nothing else I have heard this year even comes close to the power and precision of this album. Now, the question is, will anyone else know what to do with this thing?

I'm pretty stingy on giving a release a 10-out-of-10. It needs time to culminate, become legend over time, stand up to repeat listens, etc. Most times, a 10-out-of-10 album has to have its tracks pop up at random on my iPod and be instantly recognizable. Now, for an electronic artist working with no spoken words to have a style instantly recognizable, to me, that's the cream of the crop. That's a level reserved for Kalya Scintilla, Blue Planet Corporation, E-Mantra (though Eleusyn has been known to throw me off from time-to-time), Oxia, Braincell, Electrypnose and Globular. This album is great stuff, exciting stuff, and that is a pretty exciting thing to be able to say about any down tempo work. Kalya Scintilla has released a lengthy amount of excellent EPs and compilations (do yourself a favor, check out the "Resonant Mind" and "Resonant Heart" compilations) through his Merkaba Music label but "Dance The Spiral Never Ending" is the best because it takes so much of his work and makes it available in one awesome package. "Womp Shanti," "The Sands of Grime" and the title track are the stand-outs but if there's one thing to be learned about Kalya Scintilla it's that many of his tracks have a habit of sounding the same. Glitchy, wompy, grimy, ultra-bass-y; now you either like that or you don't but if you're in the former group having 11-tracks of identical rich awesomeness is a very awesome thing to have. Definitely, no question whatsoever, 10-out-of-10.

Thanks Blubber, I appreciate that, man. Hey, come back to it another time, maybe it'll sound even better the second time through.

Have you tried Merkaba Music? Glitchy, wompy, techy and cerebral. Bogtrotter: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/bogtrotter-catawompus Kalya Scintilla: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/kalya-scintilla-dance-the-spiral-never-ending Resonant Heart compilation: http://www.discogs.com/Kalya-Scintilla-Resonant-Heart/release/4294865 Resonant Mind compilation: http://www.discogs.com/Kalya-Scintilla-Resonant-Mind/release/5766089 Paul, I'm digging "Conundrum Concoction" so far and it's only through the crappy quality of YouTube. Great recommend, can't wait to get this in good quality and hear it through a good system.

Artist: Faxi Nadu Album: The Dangling Thread Label: Sun Station Records Date: October 2014 "The Dangling Thread" is a special type of goa. With an artist's hand drawing up an intricate illustration with what could be several blank pages left to fill in with color and imagination ahead in the book cracked before them, the cover art is wonderfully fitting. Faxi Nadu spins an aural tale of wonder and excitement, a true artist's rendition of a world til now undiscovered but one vividly explained in loving and understandable detail. On the opposite end of the spectrum of this type of imaginative goa, Filteria deftly creates worlds within his compositions, however, whereas one can imagine an alien landscape flying by at hyper-speed beneath their spacecraft, "The Dangling Thread" is more earth-based and has more a feel of wisdom and patience. The music within this collection is a warm invitation to study and savor all of its beautiful intricacies. While not Tolkien-esque in its imagination (that distinction would go to E-Mantra's "Nemesis" where the cover art is complete with a menacing and obviously agitated Ent), this does hit some very exciting and adventurous terrain where the heroes of the tale sound primed and ready to battle the dark magical forces that threaten them. Or, perhaps, it's more philosophical and learned as the album bio suggests, where this could be "that spot on the horizon where Aristotle meets Plato for a chat." Certainly, though, "The Dangling Thread" deserves comparison to the other story-telling masterpiece of 2014 that E-Mantra released on "Nemesis" where wonderful worlds are created with sound, but, true to the suggestions of its bio, the moods here would be more comparable to Khetzal's gorgeous and introspective 2005 release, "Corolle". When released on Ektoplazm, curator Basilisk made some lofty comparisons between this release and the work of goa legend Blue Planet Corporation. He's on to something there! The 11-minute "Consonant Resolution", the 14-minute "Disturbed Skating Silhouette" and the 14-minute title track are the highlights and despite their lengthy run times never fell like they've stuck around too long. These tales are just told too well for impatience to be an option. Crack this one open and let the adventure begin... Available for free play or download at http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/faxi-nadu-the-dangling-thread

Looking forward to hearing this, I have this next up in my queue. Basilisk had some good things to say about the album and he's on point with his recommendations more times than not.

The Amethystium cover is stunning, my imagination took off immediately!

What's the top art from? I like that design quite a bit.