Bill

That was my thought. IM did a lot of shows in the jam-band/Phish circles about 10 years ago which have huge droves of fans throughout the States and it led to them getting kind of big with the college crowd (incidentally, I remember Ott. being a part of many of the same festivals at that time but ended up with a smaller following in the long run, probably because he does not have a vocalist and guitarist). The jam band kids still follow IM to this day. They also had the benefit of being accessible and not very complex psytrance so they were a hit in the bigger clubs (I saw them at Toronto's biggest club with five thousand other people. Hated it, wanted to dance not be at a crappy rock concert). That's my understanding of their following, at least in these parts.

It makes more sense in festival terms than at-home listening terms. Just about any festival in the world will put the more raging sounds (the nighttime music) on during the night when the energy is at its peak with the more groove-oriented sounds taking place under the sun (the daylight music). I'm not sure if there's any official definition for the terms but this has always made the most sense to me when differentiating the two.

Declaration Of Unity Luminescent Revolution Goa Records Tracklist: 1. Obliteracion 2. Hypnotic Awakening 3. Luminescent Territory 4. Urban Jewel 5. Canadair 6. Jamaicalien 7. Magick Droplet 8. Prime Consciousness 9. Vista Point 10. Aqua Spirit Of the great full-on albums of 2015, Luminescent Revolution is my favorite. Staggering to think I was unaware of these guys until a few short months ago, staggering to think that of the trio one has a primary focus on making goa, another has a focus on making forest, yet here is a debut full-length where the vibe is warm and wonderful morning full-on. No reason to have seen this one coming which makes the impact of the thing that much more affecting. Of their history here in 2015, DoU member Ion Vader released a good goa EP entitled Expansion through TimeWarp Records. Declaration of Unity themselves then released their Optical Delusion EP through Ovnimoon and showcased an adept skill at blending forest, goa and full-on in one intriguing package, but nothing quite like Luminescent Revolution. The only piece of work similar to this full-length comes on their awesome "Rivershack" track from Mysteries of Psytrance Vol. 4. Both are released pretty close to each other, though, and hardly offered up enough time to register the direction these guys would be heading in here. And, of course, if you're unfamiliar with Declaration of Unity then all of this is pretty new to you anyway. Unfortunately, "Rivershack" does not appear on this album but it should have. It's beautiful, catchy, melodic and would have been one more shining jewel on a sterling album. Perhaps unfortunately, too, is the absence of Ion Vader's goa sounds, much more prevalent in its chirping and synth solos on Optical Delusion. The most one will get of goa on this album is the depth and emotion of the tracks themselves, and maybe that isn't such a down point. Interestingly, among all these full-on basslines and warm and relaxing morning-time vibes, more of a focus is put on the forest effects which quite often adds a lot of moodiness and atmosphere to the music. Sometimes, as on "Vista Point," things get too far into the murky forest sounds and the warm vibe of the album itself gets lost. Meanwhile, on "Luminescent Territory" standard and ultimately uninteresting full-on fails to captivate. Those are the down points. Everything else here is great. The energetic gems of "Canadair" and "Jamaicalien" are afternoon outdoor gems, ready to fill a dancefloor while offering up depth and emotion that has quite a bit of fire in its step for the at-home listener. "Magick Droplet" is a psychedelic masterwork, a track that offers up something new and impressive on each listen. "Hypnotic Awakening," "Urban Jewel" and "Prime Consciousness" are great filler tracks that would likely outshine many other tracks if they were offered up individually on a compilation to be compared against the work of their peers. The centerpieces of this album, however, the truly shining moments, are the introduction and the conclusion. The stunning and hypnotic "Obliteracion" enraptures and entrances the longer it plays on. There's quite a bit of transporting magic in this one made all the more impressive because on repeat listens the effect is replicated each and every time. "Aqua Spirit" offers up a bit of techno and progressive vibes while the full-on bass keeps everything moving along at a brisk pace. The addictive vocal samples add a lot of bounce to the track and makes this one of the more celebratory of the bunch while it offers up a bit more attitude than found elsewhere on the album. It's a great closer, definitely, but to these ears it's more of a fantastic one. Three greek producers walk into a studio and it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. The punchline here is more funny-weird, though. Goa and forest producers, one would think, should come up with something more weird and experimental when they put their heads together. Luminescent Revolution is anything but. It is excellent full-on with a morning vibe so nothing goes about beating the listener over the head. That warmth in its sound makes it a very special listen while all the melodies, depth of sound, production values, direction changes and loving attention to detail assure this one is a keeper and a very strong listen for a great long while to come. I did not see this one coming. But knowing what I do about these guys now and how good and unpredictable they seem to be at what they do, I probably won't see their next one coming, either. And I look forward to that. Psyshop Declaration Of Unity

Have had nothing but great experiences with your music, very much looking forward to hearing this one.

Listening to "Early Daze" for the first time, very much enjoying it. How does this one compare?

Real good track, an awesome finale as it were. Hadn't heard of them before now either. Will definitely pay attention the next time I see the name.

For sure, for sure, I got a bit more in-depth in the review. https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/70444-va-mysteries-of-psytrance-vol-4/

Love your tags Mike!

The Declaration Of Unity guys are a goa producer and a forest producer. Yet, this is the best full-on album I've heard this year. It's morning-style full-on and it is absolutely fantastic! http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/gre/gre1cd050.html Mysteries Of Psytrance Volume 4 (http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/ovn/ovn2cd100.html) is pure night-time full-on, some great fucking tracks in there. Declaration Of Unity have the best track there, I feel. More morning-style stuff on this track. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-7vbUnv9Tk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-7vbUnv9Tk

VA - Mysteries Of Psytrance Vol 4 Compiled By Ovnimoon and Rigel Ovnimoon Records Tracklist: 1. Gamayun - Droid 2. Stream Of Consciousness - H-Sunrise 3. Super Light In The Darkness (Twelve Sessions Remix) - Ovnimoon & Via Axis 4. Spaceworm - Braincell 5. The Black Sheep - Tron & Glitch 6. Visionary Plants - Dishka 7. Vortex - Mental Control 8. We Are One - Snag The Sunshepherd 9. The Call - Tripy 10. All Systems Go - Braincell 11. Technology - Holon 12. Fusion 303 - Skizologic & Moonweed 13. Dark Horizon - SHX 14. Skydancers - Vimana & Elegy 15. Rivershack - Declaration Of Unity 16. Deep Existence - Psydeva 17. Unidentified Flying Object - Ovnimoon & Rigel 18. Pseudo Anagram - Psychophysical Transcripts At a New Year's gig I attended this year a great full-on DJ went on right before midnight. The build-ups, the drops, the energy, it sent many a fist pumping through the air, many a hand raised to the air in ecstatic celebration, it was the most alive the crowd would be for the remainder of the evening, merely going through the motions and making the best of the Zenon, progressive and generic full-on that made up the rest of the party. It was self-affirming as I have always been a staunch believer that nothing rocks a party harder than good, old-fashioned, earth-rumbling full-on. It was great to be surrounded by a crowd that was in-tune with that attitude even if we were only able to express that appreciation for about an hour. It seems that in 2015 we may be in a bit of a full-on renaissance where more and more artists are beginning to notice the change in attitude, where the pendulum seems to be swinging away from slower-paced progressive and more toward faster and harder psychedelic sounds. True, the Israeli full-on sound has never gone away but I was never a big fan of that particular style and it is a different approach from the full-on flooding the listening markets these days. Instead, the pendulum is swinging back toward the Braincell school of full-on where the producers are bringing not only energy but also vision back to the style. This year, it's good to be a full-on fan with some awesome full-length albums already put out by Ovnimoon, Koxbox and Drumatik, along with some great full-on EPs from usually progressive producers like Middle Mode and Spirit Architect. To top it off, some jaw-dropping full-on EPs are also out there from the likes of Atoned Splendor, Imaginarium and Hujaboy. If any of that sounds kind of appealing or interesting, Mysteries Of Psytrance Vol 4 is the double-disc compilation you should add to your collection as soon as possible. Following up on the three excellent versions that came before it Ovnimoon & Rigel accumulate quite a few new faces while peppering in the usual suspect of Ovnimoon Records veterans to make sure folks will slap down a few dollars to check it out. It's an Ovnimoon Records compilation so the quality of music is excellent with two great ones by Braincell, a mind-erasing speedball from Dishka and a few masterworks by the likes of Declaration Of Unity, Vimana & Elegy, Skizologic & Moonweed and Psychophysical Transcripts. Surprisingly, Ovnimoon himself, a usual high-paced assembly line of mass psytrance producing, offers up only a "Twelve Sessions Remix" of "Super Light In The Darkness" (produced with the great Via Axis) by way of new material. The other Ovnimoon offering is his co-production with Rigel on "Unidentified Flying Object," previously released on the wildly acclaimed Omnipresent Technology album. Still, both sound great here. Disc One of Volume 4 is pretty decent though limited if listening in on a set of headphones. The highlights of this collection and the peak of creativity and vision belong to Disc Two and sound phenomenal no matter what manner of listening you choose to use. However, Disc One sounds much better on a proper stereo system so the big, bold sounds can encapsulate the senses a bit better. Of the top dogs in this 18-track compilation, Braincell thrills on "All Systems Go," Skizologic & Moonweed dress up a goa tune in full-on clothing with "Fusion 303" (and the goa chirps work very well on this full-on celebration, giving a few minutes of great diversity to the proceedings) and Vimana & Elegy make a tight and awesome stunner on "Skydancers." Top honor goes to Declaration Of Unity, however. Earlier this year, DoU member Ion Vader released his good Expansion goa EP through Ovnimoon sub-label Timewarp and the DoU gang released their Optical Delusion EP through Ovnimoon itself, showcasing their intriguing mix of forest, goa and full-on mashups. On "Rivershack," the producers encapsulate some warm and gorgeous morning sounds, complete with beautiful and catchy melodies that hum through the speakers while the full-on bass keeps everything moving along at a brisk pace. It's a surprising departure from the EPs these guys have done collectively or individually and it is fair to wonder if they just put together one gem of this sort to fit in with the focus of Volume 4. Well, they haven't! Declaration of Unity's full-length Luminescent Revolution (their full-length debut no less) is a brilliant continuation of this track and my personal pick for best full-on album thus far in 2015. But back to this one. If you're after the full-on sounds that you heard last Saturday night in the club while your coke was peaking you're probably in search of the latest albums from Hux Flux or Tristan. Mysteries of Psytrance Volume 4 is the real stuff, the good stuff, the stuff you'll hear out at the smaller local festivals where the educated DJs will be driving the throngs of dread-locked hippies completely mental. In that hour or two, don't be surprised if a few tracks from this great compilation are in that particular set. Psyshop

Middle Mode Rising Shamans Digital Om Productions Tracklist: 1. Rising Shamans 2. Over Reality Middle Mode is the rare progressive project that immediately grabs my full attention. This Serbian duo are imaginative, detailed and extremely engaging music makers. Of my favorites from these guys, "Click & Fly" is vintage psytrance and a clear indication of the early sounds from where they draw their inspirations. Their co-production with Nerso & Zyce on "Full Moon" is exceptional progressive work with very memorable melodies and soundscapes. Often, though, I've wondered how much better those two excellent tracks could be if the BPMs were raised and the works were brought a bit closer to full-on territory. Rising Shamans shows exactly how the duo fare in the full-on realm, and they do fare quite well, meeting that line between progressive and full-on with their usual assured sound production, never dipping into a moment that is dull or repetitive, always exhibiting a very keen insight into how to keep a track moving along at an engaging pace. "Rising Shamans" is great tribal full-on with progressive touches, a very enjoyable groove works throughout the track while the primal, tribal rhythms are very easy to dance around to. The tribal chant samples are also very imaginative and highly effective. "Over Reality" is a bit more on the reckless side of full-on without ever going completely mental - it's a track that is extremely brisk in its pacing while the ridiculously good synth keys growl with fine full-on power. There are also key moments in the track when the synth becomes lithe and airy harkening back to the vintage days of psy and giving the track a lovely bit of morning vibe among its full-powered energy ravings. An excellent track! The weak point of Rising Shamans is it is only two tracks long. The duo already have several EPs out to their credit so it would be nice for these chaps to get a bit more ambitious and unleash a full-length at some point. However, despite how short the EP is, it is also very educational. It shows these dudes are just as adept at making quality full-on as they are at creating quality progressive. Truly gifted these two are and, incidentally, that album art is fantastic. Great work on this one, worth shelling out the $3.98 Beatport is asking for. Beatport

This one is my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVIQLUh0-34 Ektoplazm has the entire EP. As far as the group you're running, best of luck with that and cheers to the effort you're putting forth.

Dreaddean Monochromatic EP Tribal Sphere Records Tracklist: 1. Space Cadet 2. Monochromatic 3. Open Tribe - Baglama Jam (Dreaddean Remix) I'm becoming a deep admirer of this English producer. On his full-length Patterns album he came up "Yajamahe," an essential listen for any full-on fan. On Monochromatic he takes Open Tribe's patiently unfurling but too-slow "Baglama Jam" and injects it with straight adrenaline and walks away with a better piece of work than the original. The list of Dreaddean tracks on my iPod is steadily growing. Of the sparse three offered here two are keepers. "Space Cadet" is sample-heavy, detailing government experiments on in-field troops with psychedelics and some of the results. It's a familiar and entertaining sample but I like the morning-time vibe of this one even better. A warm and groovy track overall. I don't dislike "Monochromatic" because I can see how this could work on the dancefloor. Blitzed and filled-up with party vibes where critical thinking is the furthest thing from your mind the monotony here would work to keep things moving along nicely. Unfortunately, for at-home listening, it's a bit dull. Dreaddean's remix of "Baglama Jam" keeps the sitar sounds from the original (the best bit of the original, incidentally,) and injects pure adrenaline into the BPMs. It's a winner and one that has been on steady rotation since the EP was released a week ago. Monochromatic is a nifty little EP from a very good full-on producer. Looking forward to the next outing as there's definitely space reserved for him on the old iPod. Available for free play or download at Ektoplazm

It comes with context, I suppose. I did not get into Koxbox until much later in my psy career by which time technology had bypassed Dragon Tales and Forever After and left them sounding a bit dated. So, to me, the magic is not there like it is for some. I just don't hold those albums in very high regard, I respect them and like them but neither has ever made my jaw drop. (Except "Neurobic," my all-time favorite!) On The Scanner it can be pretty cerebral stuff at times and I very much love that. And I'm a big full-on fan. This one does it for me in a BIG WAY...oh well, I'm the minority on this one, won't be the last time.

Will definitely be checking out these two ~ thanks for the info!

Great short review (as usual). I often wonder why you don't contribute more to the review section as I often appreciate what you've written. It's interesting, I went in to this one with low expectations and got floored. Then went in expecting a great listen and came away kind of disappointed. Then just let it be what it is and it was great again - haha. It's that kind of album!

Similar to U-Turn as far as full-on, absolutely! However, so much of Dragon Tales and Forever After is weird and wonderful and creative and imaginative, very similar to this album. In each track on The Scanner there are some weird and wickedly trippy alien transmissions going on (you'll know them when you hear them) so you cannot just limit it to a "full-on" release. It is very much a piece of art, like the Koxbox goa albums, above all else.

Koxbox The Scanner Zer01 Music Tracklist: 1. The Scanner 2. Tropical 3. Spinning Far Away 4. We're Not Who We Think We Are 5. Color Rain 6. Little Grays 7. Sky Candy 8. Bubble Frog 9. Inside Outside Twenty years after the debut of Forever After, Koxbox has delivered another masterwork. The Scanner is sort of difficult to define by contemporary standards because it is so Koxbox-ian and albums rarely get this psychedelic or weird in psytrance anymore. Stylistically, let's say it's full-on if a more modern term is required to fit this thing in a neat little box. But to be most accurate this album is vintage psytrance, of an era where the lines were not so clearly defined, where an artist very much wrote their own rules on what their music meant or what sort of odd-shaped box it should be fit into. This album is very much on par with their early classics (Forever After and Dragon Tales) but I'll pick this one as a favorite because it is not limited in the least by the scope of the technology used to make it. Those two early albums sound pretty dated by today's standards and if you've listened to those and wondered at what it would sound like through today's music-making abilities, well, here it is! (And by no means am I suggesting this is a goa work like Forever After because it isn't. This is good old-fashioned psytrance with that good old-fashioned psytrance spirit. Even that awesome cover art screams old-school!) I'm hesitant to pick a favorite because that sort of honor will probably change quite often with an album this diverse in artistic vision. The title track, "Tropical" and "Bubble Frog" are odd little mind-fucks. "Spinning Far Away," "Little Grays" and "Inside Outside" are awesome groovers with great layers of Koxbox oddness, the sort of sharp numbers that could get a dancefloor bouncing along while achieving an identical effect on the at-home listener. My favorite, though, at least for now, is "We're Not Who We Think We Are," which is immediately awesome with full-on groove, dripping psychedelic effects and thick melodies that make the track instantly memorable. The Scanner sounds like it could be a remaster, a crisp-sounding awesome artist album of ridiculously well-made and imagined psytrance, the type to be found only during the 1990s. This sounds like something from a vault where some kind-hearted soul decided to polish up the original DATs so they would sound nice and crisp for today's technology. The fact that this is 2015 producing is just simply awesome. In a too-long line of old-school legends who have forgotten their signature sounds and dumbed things down for a wider appeal (look no further than Hux Flux' Circle Sine Sound from earlier this year) it's pretty damn cool to have one of those legends who remembers and is willing to make psytrance just like it used to be. Koxbox Music

This one is very good, his only full-length album so far. One of my favorites from all of last year: http://www.discogs.com/Yar-Zaa-Lights-Shadows/release/5646017 I like this track in particular: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drb8AOzi5Qg

+1 on "Ayahuasca" "Elie" is from 2002. It was re-released for Ten Spins Around The Sun. Anyway, cheers, it's still a gorgeous track.

Ovnimoon's newest album is much more full-on than progressive, its very nice how low on the progressive flavors it is. Dirty Saffi is twilight music which I still consider to be full-on, just a more aggressive display of full-on, as it were. With both, I suppose it depends on where you draw the lines. Like Scandinasia was suggesting, it's tricky these days. Yar Zaa is always, ALWAYS, a good time, one of my favorite full-on artists. Glad you're digging him!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7u7MHXHwBs

I thought that at first. Track one does not get better over time but track two does.

Reviews are up: https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/70333-asia2001-psykadelia/