Bill

Excellent review, Jon, seriously, you expressed everything for and against the album in a very clear and objective way, I love reading this one. Above are the quotes that stuck out for me, it's very much the heart-and-soul of the debate in this thread and I feel you summed it up quite nicely.

I wonder which track you were involved with, good sir! With all the storytelling on Crossing The Rubicon it seems natural that you're involved with this.

Alic is a member of Psynews and has been for a few years so maybe that's reason enough to post a review of the compilation If you have not gotten them already, might I recommend: Deto & Gleam - Archives Point - Deepending Point - Waveform Alic - Close Distance Daana - Little Animals Cheers!

Desert Dwellers The Great Mystery Black Swan Sounds Tracklist: 1. Warm Desert Sands 2. The Great Mystery 3. Crossing Beyond (ReVisioned) 4. View From Laniakea 5. Our Dream World 6. The Elephant's March 7. Walking Between 8. The Sacrament (ReVisioned) 9. I Dropped It 10. Bird Over Sand Dunes 11. Wings Of Waves 12. Give Thanks Now I'm not sure what past Desert Dwellers album I had heard but it was a while back that I had written this duo off as being too chill, too meditative for my tastes. Even a little too New Age, too floaty, too hippie, not enough groove, not enough edge. To be clear, I have no idea if this American duo have another album out there like The Great Mystery but I would be damned eager to hear it. This one floored me because it redefined everything I had opined about the Desert Dwellers and, more importantly, because it is a truly amazing album. In its very best moments The Great Mystery is superb tribal down tempo with intricate detailing, groovy rhythms and ethereal female vocals. Some of those moments also happen to be immersive and transporting psychedelic music. And all of those opinions were formed before learning of the back story where the duo say to have recorded this mostly on the road, in several different countries, in several different studios, over the course of two years. By any rule of standards, this album should sound like anything but the smooth and near-perfect encapsulation of beauty that it is. Also consider the dizzying number of nine vocalists and instrumentalists employed throughout many of these tracks and the legend of this one continues to grow. As far as the music is concerned, immediately I dismissed the opener and conclusion and "The Elephant's March" in between, all falling into that "too floaty" category. It wasn't until the second or third listen that "View From Laniakea" and "Bird Over Sand Dunes" began to become thinner than the rest. Of the best of the rest, which leaves seven tracks in case you weren't keeping count, there is some gorgeous aural magic to be had, accentuated in no small way by that intricate and gorgeous cover art that seems to shimmer and morph with these sounds. The title track, "Walking Between" and "Wings of Waves" are sweeping and majestic, sometimes inducing hypnosis through its elements, sometimes getting a little grimy with just a pinch of glitch, sometimes just being nothing more complex than utter beauty. "The Sacrament (ReVisioned)" and "I Dropped It" become flavorful doses of diversity, adopting a West Coast style of glitch and bass music that is frenetically effective. "Crossing Beyond (ReVisioned)" is energetic, hypnotic, just a little dirty and pretty near flawless, certainly one of the best of this bunch. However, "Our Dream World" gets top honor here, though it is no easy task trying to pick a favorite, it is simply epic with the vocal melodies weaving spells that are difficult to shake and if this one gets deep into you, chances are you won't want to be rid of it so easy anyway. The Great Mystery is one superb journey and for all of the proclaimed trials and tribulations stated by its producers Amani Friend and Treavor Moontribe that back story also makes it a brilliant one. Black Swan Sounds

In the review section: https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/70216-va-digital-family-vol-5/

VA - Digital Family 5 Digital Diamonds Tracklist: 1. Point - Tripolation 2. Frech & Koch - Deep Sky 3. Trilingo - Kalix 4. Flembaz - Lubrsune 5. Alic - The Host 6. Troy Polygon - Der Rote Stier 7. Myda - Offtopic 8. Daana - Nice To Meet You 9. Alic - What Is (Ben Rama Remix) 10. Simmetune - Endless Moments The roots of techno netlabel Digital Diamonds go pretty deep into the psytrance community. Early on in their existence the label released a tech-trance EP from the great Nuclear Ramjet project as well as releasing some tracks from the likes of Excizen (the techno project of progressive act ManMachine) and psychedelic techno heavy hitter Opsy. And even while I have enjoyed these releases over the years it is because of how deep their roots go into the Toronto psytrance community, in particular, that has kept their releases a bit on the personal side. My hometown may be in New York but no question my psychedelic heart beats for my home-away-from-home, in that metropolis of Ontario, where several lifelong friendships have been struck. And several of the familiar faces and first-name basis acquaintances made over the last decade in that community have in turn graced several D.D. releases. Keeping with that tradition two Toronto based producers grace the 5th edition of the tech-heavy "Digital Family" series. Making his production debut, progressive psy DJ Mythrophan teams with Daana on the groovy, slow-burning "Offtopic," the lone psychedelic track in this compilation. Torontonian Daana in turn goes solo on the pretty techno chimes of "Nice To Meet You," offering up a slice of beauty matched by other D.D. alumni such as Simmetune and Trilingo. The always-great Point takes a different direction from his normal warm, captivating techno and tech-house to offer up an opener that is slightly cinematic and patiently rewarding. File this one under down tempo and give it a few listens as it just grows richer over time. Label boss Alic offers up the best work on this edition with some acidic, raw, old-school grooves on the excellent "The Host." In turn, Canadian Ben Rama remixes Alic's "What Is" and comes away convincingly with second prize. Flembaz offers up his usual blend of funky and flamboyant techno for another winner. Digital Family Vol. 5 is a bit of a departure from the other volumes in this series, not too many chances are taken in this one, not much in the way of experimentation. Instead, much of this compilation is patiently rewarding, slowly unfolding, grooving mid-afternoon style techno. And, as per usual, it is available for free play or download at Ektoplazm, an entity with pretty deep Toronto roots of its own. Digital Diamonds Netlabel

Fixed! It wasn't my fault though it was his:

Atoned Splendor Made In China GoaProductions Tracklist: 1. Tribalize - Atoned Splendor & Sixears 2. Polysix - Atoned Splendor & Yi 3. Goblin Funk - Atoned Splendor & Acid Echoes This one is kind of special. Made In China is groovy, funky, devilishly rhythmic, 303-driven psytrance that sets UK producer Atoned Splendor (great name) up with three different Chinese-based producers (on China's GoaProductions label) for three phenomenal offerings. Each track has the push and energy of full-on but rather than the typical foundation where the bass is the driving force, here everything is based around the 303 and all the manic rhythms and funk that Atoned and his three cohorts manage to wring from it. No preset computer programming, no software wizardry. Just actual performance and what a performance it is! Sure, absolutely, seeing any China-based producers is a rare treat and celebrating this worthy label from that country is definitely a fine decision. Yet, getting too far into those details risks turning the EP into some novelty release, of which it does not deserve that distinction. Instead, "Tribalize," "Polysix" and "Goblin Funk" deserve praise for high-mark quality. Any tag-team of producers on three different tracks should lend itself to a fair amount of diversity but not here. These three are very smooth together, as if they all came from the same producer's mind with no outside influence and the steady build of energy through the three tracks is very well done - starting with the very groovy "Tribalize" leading into the pitched-up "Polysix" where the energy explodes about halfway through and culminating in the growling, delightfully body-rocking "Goblin Funk." The only pity is this is not a full-length album. I can only imagine the power of this one if were five or six tracks longer. As it is Made In China is three mighty, mighty tracks of great psytrance created by a helluva pairing from four different producers. To be honest, I was not aware that much psytrance was coming out of China, much less that it was any good or that the scene there would even have their own record label. Well, now I know, and for each party involved, going forward, I am one-hundred percent all ears. Goa Productions

100%. What he said!

In the review section: https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/70203-va-floating-between-the-moon-the-sun/

VA - Floating Between The Moon & The Sun Goa Madness Records Tracklist: 1. Proxeeus - Ramayana (Original Mix) 2. M-Run - Sons Of The Temple 3. Artifact303 - In Your Mind (Nova Fractal Remix) 4. Trinodia - Distilled Illusions (2014 Edit) 5. GoaTree - Syslit Joint 6. Ephedra & Imba - Cosmic Harmony 7. JIS - Zero Gravity 8. Crossing Mind - Iridium Zone (2014) A pretty good compilation featuring a star-studded cast of who's who in today's goa world. It's almost a compilation of thirds - a third of these numbers are beautiful and warm, a third are groovy and off-beat, a third (obviously, one overlap so that the math works) are intense and true goa madness. Of the finest, I'll go with Ephedra & Imba's pairing on "Cosmic Harmony," a beauty of morning goa that offers up some unquestionably good keyboard melodies underneath the pumping, but tastefully measured, energy and effects. Perhaps a bit on the repetitive side as it gets deeper into its 10-minute run time, it will depend on how much you enjoy this one as to whether that repetition will become hypnotic. I happen to be entranced by it. As near as I can tell Crossing Mind's "Iridium Zone" is previously unreleased and it ranks as one of the better moments here. From the moment the momentum begins to slowly build, just a little under a minute in, there's no question this is a Crossing Mind track. The Frenchman has a very distinct flavor in his frequencies and this one has his signature sound all over it. I, personally, adore that style, his morning-time grooves in this one are excellent and it serves as a very tasteful conclusion to the collection. Proxeeus' subdued but charming "Ramayana" is a very good opener but, alas, there is just a little bit of magic missing that prevents it from being a truly great one. M-Run tap into some delightfully odd grooves with "Sons Of The Temple," a track that seemed to work better the second time around than it had on the first go. GoaTree's "Syslit Joint" is half dirty funk and half go-for-it goa madness, a real good package of sound. My least favorite here would be JIS on "Zero Gravity." The synth work is tuned to sound like it was lifted from an 80s rock band, so much that at any second it feels like "The Final Countdown" may creep into the melodies. Nova Fractal and Trinodia are bombastic and intense on their offerings, an overwhelming showcase of full-bodied goa performance, high-flying effects and euphoric levels that keep rising and aiming for the stars. Nova Fractal tackles a remix of Artifact303's "In Your Mind" with crazy good results. Trinodia is simply not fucking around on "Distilled Illusions," he does everything great that is expected when one hears his name, he packs in a ton of sound into a tight space and makes sure all of the levels have enough space to breath. This one is intense and overwhelming in the finest ways possible and when he shoots you out to the stars with his insane levels of effects it never becomes a nose-bleed affair, nothing that ever makes you feel beat up afterward, but instead makes you feel delirious, exhilarated, out-of-breath with the goodness of the journey. And that melody, so sweet but oh-so fucking tough... great track! "Floating Between The Moon & The Sun" is a bit of misnomer, perhaps, as this one is more on the energetic side, a bit more of flying at various speeds through the black matter of space, really. Still, it is a good collection, not groundbreaking stuff at all, but just about what you should expect by taking a quick peek at that very stacked group of producers printed on the tracklisting. http://www.goamadnessrecords.com/releases/

Nice one! Review posted: https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/70195-va-tales-from-the-north/

VA - Tales From The North Troll N' Roll Records Tracklist: 1. Tales From The North - Squees & Toxic Anger Syndrome & Gubbology 2. Shadowland - Oliveira 3. Huldrehaug - Maan 4. Chaku Hachi - Gubbology 5. Krakestan - Squees vs Gubbology 6. Trollsommar - Cut The Cheese 7. Den Sjunde - Trance-Ingvars 8. Fraxinus Excelsior - Oginok 9. Monsters - Zoon 10. Midnight Carousel Ride - Captain Kirk 11. Shiokara Situation - Discolin 12. Ragnarok - Toxic Anger Syndrome Weird, wild and hella fun, a groovy, drippy, trippy concoction of Scandinavian dark psy, forest, suomi and just a little bit of goa, all in one great, free compilation. "Tales From The North" is refreshing because of its suomi approach that often keeps the weird effects of its dark and forest psy feeling lighthearted and even celebratory. The three-producer intro on the title track finds Squees, Toxic Anger Syndrome and Gubbology employing some serious dancefloor grooves with a pleasant tempo that never gets overwhelming, all served up with a side of wicked forest effects and don't-give-a-shit suomi good-time vibes. A solid and hella fun beginning to the comp. Oliveira takes a much more normalized approach on "Shadowland," serving up a solid little full-on gem with a very pleasant and understated focus on goa effects. Fantastic job on this one, definitely one of the great highlights of the collection. It pairs very nicely with the melodic goa of Maan's "Huldrehaug," a track that, like most things on this compilation, rocks very nicely in its own subtle way. Sure, the energy is always there but nothing ever feels like it is trying to punch you in the head to let you know how important it is. Beginning with Gubbology's cool little groover "Chaku Hachi," an uber-funky track laden with forest effects that are fascinating because of how subdued and effective they are, the compilation goes in more for the weirder side of psytrance, sometimes on tracks that are spectacular, sometimes on tracks that are not. The out-of-control keyboard work on the unhinged energy of "Krakestan" is fantastic but the lazy forest grooves of Cut The Cheese's "Trollsommar" and too-trancey euphoria of Trance-Ingvars "Den Sjunde" don't quite make the grade. Oginok's "Fraxinus Excelsior" is one of the compilation's greats, constantly keeping things just a little off-balance with several direction changes through the first part of the track before settling into some great head-bobbing grooves for its second half. And, man, is it ever fucking easy to dance to. A lovely piece of work! The final four tracks get much deeper into the darker and experimental realms of sound and are best left to the subjective opinions of the individual listener in terms of quality. Sometimes those moments are daring and tantalizing (Zoon), sometimes forgettable (Captain Kirk), sometimes wilder than anything else on the compilation (Discolin), sometimes just plain dismal and angry (Toxic Anger Syndrome). In my opinion, the first half of this compilation is far better (and perhaps more accessible to the common psy listener) than its second half. Many of the finest moments come from Oliveira and Maan during those early tracks but be sure not to miss Oginok, the finest gem of the collection's second part. A quick Ektoplazm search shows a few other Troll N' Roll compilations available for download, many of those with several of the same producers that appear here. After "Tales From The North," you can be sure this will not be the last time this record label and I cross paths. I'm very much looking forward to discovering some other great gems off of those offerings. Available for free play or download at : http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/tales-from-the-north

CeZZers Elevation Tracklist: 1. Elevation (Intro) 2. Butterfly 3. Strange Noise It's too bad Elevation is only three tracks long, it had the potential to be something special if it were another three or four songs in length. As it is, "Elevation (Intro)" barely counts - it's odd and only 2-minutes long, hardly a track at all. "Butterfly" is something very special, though. A sweet piece of morning progressive that manages to chill the listener even while it's grooving along. What I like about this one is that it is most definitely a progressive track but CeZZers puts forth some subtle layers, some nice melodies, making it creative and delightfully liberating progressive. The Gregorian-esque chants that play hypnotically in the background makes "Butterfly" as mystical as the actual musicianship does. "Strange Noise" is the sample-heavy conclusion, filled with several news broadcasts about the occurrence of the title, getting the imagination working on behalf of the listener. Too bad CeZZers did not get inspired in the same way, though. After the novelty of the talky samples has worn off what is left is progressive that is pleasant but not very far off the already-beaten path of this particular style. Still, with another handful of tracks on this one it would have been interesting to see what paths this producer would have traveled down, whether it would have been typical common-fare or more inspired creativity like the great "Butterfly." Besides, that cover art is pretty wicked, it feels pretty epic, not at all the type of intricate beauty you would expect adorning a slim offering of only two full-length tracks. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/cezzers-elevation#comment-191606

VA - The World Beyond Neogoa Tracklist: 1. Chapter I: The Vision (Passing The Monolith Into The Throat Of Time) 2. Chapter II: The Journey (Across The Sea Of Eternal Life) 3. Chapter III: The Gate (Facing The Keeper Below The Human-Form Mountain) 4. Chapter IV: The Sphere (Ascending Towards Star-Eaters To Become The One) Just as any great concept album should be, The World Beyond is heady, mysterious, complex and fucking epic! Like MDK above, I did not spend much time trying to figure out the IDs of the eight producers involved. It would have been a detriment to this album's success to know who the guilty parties are, a distraction from the overall concept itself, an interference to the highly imaginative tale at hand. Though Chapter I has its benefits, it also requires a lot of patience. I like the sparse, beautiful melody that is used through its 17-minute run time, it contrasts very nicely with the overall spookiness of the vibe but you should have a strong preference for ambient lest this becomes a chore to get through. What I find most appealing about any odyssey is not the conclusion but the journey itself and here would be the ultimate example of that. In no uncertain terms, "Chapter II" is an absolute masterpiece where the ultra-smooth transitions from ambient to groovy down tempo to mild rocking goa make this essentially three tracks in one. The tasteful explosion for the final five minutes of the track is absolutely riveting and that wicked good title, "The Journey (Across The Silver Sea Of Eternal Life)" matches the music in scope and breadth. Nowhere else in the album does the concept of the story come alive so well as it does here. Though "Chapter III" certainly comes close. An electrifying and melodic 15-minutes of soaring goa weaves the tale of "The Gate (Facing The Keeper Below The Human-Form Mountain)" where even if you do not know the specifics of the story itself enough of the outline is provided by that title where one's imagination can easily create the details. "Chapter IV" is the appropriately bombastic conclusion, a fiery "Sphere" of breakneck rhythms and out-of-control twirling, swirling goa madness. Though, it just did not do it for me. It's too fast-paced, too overwhelming for my tastes. At a couple of points the rhythms fall off the tracks which I found to be jarring on top of already feeling jarred from the sheer insanity within. And, Jesus, it's almost 19-minutes long! Overall, a spectacular achievement considering eight different producers took part in this highly experimental and risky endeavor. By that account alone any number of factors could have gone terribly wrong. That it did not and that the results are this tremendously good (yes, even that last track, it does fit the concept appropriately,) with the aural story so captivating, it is a testament to the organization and vision of Neogoa itself. They have created a journey worth taking to "The World Beyond." And "The Journey" to "The Gate" should not be missed. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/the-world-beyond

Jagoa Solar Journey Ae Records & Neogoa Tracklist: 1. Solar Journey 2. Freedom 3. The Sky Is Crying 4. Searching For The Light Finally! After the lovely psychedelic down tempo offerings of Neogoa's past releases Turlitava and, especially, Spiritual Doping, the ambitious and impressive organizational skills of the one called Richpa launches Ae Records. Not sure what Ae stands for, but the birth of the down tempo-focused sub-label is off to a decent beginning. Here, Richpa's lovely alternative existence away from goa, his wonderful taste in chill, gives the debut of Belgian Jagoa a great platform to shine. As per usual the Neogoa standards are well in hand with crazy-good cover art and crystal-clear production values. Unfortunately, I'm not overly impressed with this one though I am also far from being disappointed. On Solar Journey, Jagoa offers up three good tracks and one that is quite excellent. Certainly, nothing here is subpar. Still, for as decent as the title track and EP opener is it feels somewhat incomplete, as if there is just something else missing that would make the track remarkable. It is a nice chill intro, all the same. By comparison, "Freedom" is simple but profound. The track may deserve a better title, something more befitting to the magic it offers up, but musically, where it matters most, it's tough to imagine what could make the moods any more evocative. This one is superb! Things dip back into chill territory on the decent third track "The Sky Is Crying" and back toward groovier psychedelic realms on the "Searching For The Light" closer. If you are looking for a nice way to experience some pleasant, quality relaxation for the next 40 minutes, "Solar Journey" is a good choice. However, if you're looking for pure magic without the buffers, "Freedom" is where you'll find the spiritual doping. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/jagoa-solar-journey ()

Well said! "Lost Souls" is a great track, very warm, I love the emphasis on the trance in this one.

I was looking for some live performance clips of Ovnimoon on YouTube and could only find festivals he has done in Chile and was wondering why that was. What you said makes a lot of sense and I had no idea he does not travel outside of the country. Sure, he releases a lot of music besides his own and hears a ton of different styles through his record label but as you're suggesting if he isn't seeing the world view, hearing the music on huge sound systems, seeing the music in action in many different settings, he can be limiting himself as an artist, cutting himself off from the muse, as it were. Great analysis, Jaza!

Ahv-nee-moon. At least that's how I've been pronouncing it. Edit: My wife says that it may have a Spanish pronunciation - Ahb-nee-moon

Skizologic Robotized Zion 604 Tracklist: 1. DNA - The Square 2. The Swamp 3. Anomaly (Remix of 2Minds) 4. Robotized 5. Fusion 303 (with Moonweed) 6. In-Space (with InnerZone) 7. Spectrum 8. Neutron (with Radical Distortion) 9. Robotized (Nervasystem Remix) On March 10, 2015, Skizologic's "Robotized" became available to the music world. However, it occurred in a way that was very unexpected. With no physical format available for purchase and no online music shops selling the album, a professionally put-together "digipack" popped up on torrent sites and peer-to-peer file sharing programs instead on the scheduled release date. As of this writing, no word from the Zion 604 guys about what this is all about. Yet, the Discogs page still shows March 10 as its release date, there is still no update to the label's Band Camp page selling (much less promoting) this digipack, no word here on Psynews.org hyping the album (though Zion 604 honcho Roy Sasson is usually very active with his posts) and only the briefest of updates via their Facebook page regarding a vague date for when the release of this album will actually occur. So, with that very organized digipack out there for the populace are we to assume this was "leaked" intentionally? Or is this just a small record label that is overburdened with the details of a release neglecting to promote or being able to release the thing on time? A clever marketing approach to gets tongues wagging or a victim of inner sabotage that allowed their new release to be pirated? Of course, none of this would be very relevant if "Robotized" sucked. But it doesn't. In fact, it is quite fucking fantastic! A slew of co-productions adds a hearty dose of variety to this great debut of Israeli producer Skizologic whose individual approach to goa sounds very relaxed, organic and wickedly groovy. In fact it occurred no less than three different times during the course of its run time where this could very well be the new Hallucinogen album that has been years "in the making." Zion 604's Roy Sasson teams with Skizologic on the bouncing funk of the "DNA" opener, most definitely the strongest Hallucinogen-ic on the album. It is the type of floor-filler that can get many asses a-shaking even beyond the goa crowd, a great crossover track that could possibly appeal to even the most progressive-minded of the psy community. No question, one of the absolute bests here! Skizologic's remix of 2Mind's "Anomaly" is another grooving beauty that spends half of its 9-minute length stomping around quite nicely, and just when it feels like the track has shown all of its elements in comes the wildly good keyboard work, tuned in to some infectious organ sounds, making it a sensational goa riot of bliss and euphoria. The co-production with labelmates Radical Distortion on "Neutron" is funky, groovy, squelchy and excellent. "Fusion 303" is a tasteful overload of goa effects where Moonweed's usually over-the-top production style is reined in by Skizologic's more groove-oriented approach and the result is another winner. Of the three original tracks where Skizologic goes it alone, "Robotized" takes top-honor - it is a full-on beauty masquerading as goa. "The Swamp," "Spectrum" and "In-Space," produced with Innerzone, may be the album's filler tracks but even those sound fantastic. The down point (of course, based on personal tastes,) is Nervasystem's take on "Robotized." Gone is the gorgeous, stomping full-on of Skizalogic's original and inserted is a wild, over-the-top, exuberantly experimental approach that clashes quite significantly with every other track on the album. Hearing "Robotized," though, brings up that taboo issue of "to download or to not download." To slake one's curiosity or to await the "official" release in order to shell out the cash to support a great goa label. And, granted, that's assuming the Zion 604 guys have not given this pirated digipak their blessing. Either way, if you hear it now or hear it later on, chances are when the "Best of 2015" polls come around, this will make the top three of many, many lists. Some albums are just that immediately good to give enough confidence to make such a prediction. "Robotized" is definitely one of those albums. ()

No wonder, dude, the Skizologic remix is fucking fantastic! I would agree 100% with both reviews, the down tempo here is pure gold.

Nice one! In the review section: https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/70175-stereomantra-heliocentric/

StereOMantra Heliocentric Free-Spirit Records Tracklist: 1. Spaceship Earth 2. Circular Movement 3. Light Years feat Yarn 4. Laniakea Gorgeous and peaceful psy-chill from StereOMantra where the sounds are blissful and, very true to its title, is a warm representation of the sun as its center. Close your eyes and you may just feel like you are floating through the clouds with the sun's warmth shining upon your cheeks while these gems are playing. "Spaceship Earth" represents that feeling remarkably well. As the EP opener it sets the tone with calm and serenity as its finest traits. With some lovely keyboard work and beautiful vocal snippets dropped at the perfect moments, with a tastefully compelling bass line that keeps things moving along nicely, it's easy to hope that this one will last for about twice as long as its 7-minute run time. No great tragedy when it does not, though, as the follow-ups on "Circular Movement" and "Light Years" compliment the opener quite well and keep this beautiful journey vivid and interesting. Perhaps neither is as good as "Spaceship Earth" but they both hit high marks for quality. "Laniakea" stands alone in this collection, being a bit more upfront with its tempo, more generous with its talky but compelling solar system samples and melodies that, while still very pretty, tend not to hang out in chill territory. It is assuredly groovy and deliciously tasty down tempo, a bit more bold in its approach and emotions. A great highlight here! Certainly, dancing under the sun is never a bad thing and the "Laniakea" closer provides that well enough. I would venture to say, though, that the three openers, played as close to one continuous track as they can be, are the main highlights here. Those moments provide relaxation and rejuvenation aplenty without the results ever becoming drowsy or dull. "Heliocentric" is some very fine work from this Hungarian producer. ()

In the review section: https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/70174-mechanical-species-guardian-of-the-forest/

Mechanical Species The Guardian Of The Forest Forestdelic Records Tracklist: 1. Guardian of the Forest 2. Freunch 3. In The Cyberforest 4. Holographic Nature Don't be thrown off by the label name or the cover art, this is a full-on EP and a damn good one at that. Because everything about that art screams forest music, maybe Mechanical Species felt obliged to use some of those wonderful effects and frequencies in his deep, driving work. It sure does add some great dimension. The openers on "Guardian of the Forest" and "Freunch" are very good, go-for-it full-on. Steady bass lines rumble through the tracks and all the effects wizardry Mechanical Species lays down is quite good. Very effective lead-ins for the highlight on "In The Cyberforest" where the suggested listening is through a proper set of speakers for optimal effects. The bass rumbles and grumbles, the effects tantalize and the pacing is deliriously good. The gorgeous piano melodies in "Holographic Nature" make this second best in the collection. The energy blitz contrasted against the sublimely gorgeous and tender keys is fascinating and beautiful. Very well done! All in all, "Guardian Of The Forest" is great and powerful full-on with mentally delicious forest touches. Kudos to this Swede for putting these two disparate styles together very well under one bold and dynamic outing. ()