Bill

This one is the debut, much less vocals. Have not listened to it in a while and should probably go back to it soon, there are some great sounds in this one: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/nocturnal-nocturnal

Artist: Krosis Album: Profane Geometry Label: Woo-Dog Recordings From what I've been able to gather from a quick Google search is that Krosis takes his name from a character within the Elder Scrolls video game series. Who knows, maybe the producer made these tunes in between battles with the game's eight dragon priests, where incidentally Krosis is a "frost-based" dragon priest, something of importance to note for later. It all sounds like imaginative fun and while "Profane Geometry" does lack in the fun-and-games department this four-tracker never lacks for imagination. Krosis makes some very good forest tunes due in no small part to some excellent vision and his ability to execute those ideas. The spooky goes hand-in-hand with the mystic here, where some parts of a track feel like they are preying upon your personal phobias while the mysterious goings-on in the background promise to reveal secrets long ago forgotten, if only you could tap into that elusive frequency. Besides the too-dark vibe of "The Green Chapel," the self-titled EP opener and the Ent-like aural fantasy of "Ghost Trees!" tantalize and entice with their sounds and ideas without ever horrifying with the dark undercurrents rolling underneath all of the effects. Good tracks, most certainly! Krosis demonstrates true greatness, however, on the EP closer, a masterful journey of mood and tale-telling on "Ice Of Phendrana" (incidentally, a specific board on an entirely different video game). Once the different elements and layers of the track are introduced through the first minute the saga begins and, oh, what a trip it is. The effects are splendid, the samples are inducing and gorgeous, the transition between moods from the dark and brooding to the light and hopeful is truly artistic genius. In short, it is here where Krosis, this frost-based dragon priest, delivers his surprisingly warm masterpiece. Krosis delivers a very promising debut and despite the strong game references with his track titles one can pretty easily say that he takes his productions very seriously and delivers some fine results by not, ahem, playing around. "Profane Geometry" is a solid overall listen with a conclusion that should be considered a must-hear. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/krosis-profane-geometry

Well said, mate! Here, Celestial Intelligence is loud, go-for-it music. I would not call it messy by any means but it is pretty massive and "I kinda like the feeling," too!

Artist: HuuHaa Album: The Biohacker's Guide To Life Label: Full Sound I like HuuHaa. The Finnish down tempo duo are not afraid to take chances with their music, usually employing approaches that are fresh and off-beat to deliver chill, interesting sounds that are very much on beat. "The Biohacker's Guide To Life" is the third EP release from these gents and while each of their releases has its own distinct flavor it would be fun to get a full-length, perhaps compiling "Biohacker" and previous outings "Down Under The Triangle" and "HaaHuu 2012," all under one roof. While these releases are all nice they are also EPs, with "Biohacker's" six tracks being the lengthiest, and more time able to be spent with these delightful compositions could not be a bad thing. HuuHaa is never boring, therefore neither is "The Biohacker's Guide To Life," and this release runs over several different approaches across its six tracks, from the loveliness of "Stoneager," the subtle glitchy funk of "Digital Connection," the friendly vibes of "C-Ristal" and soothing dub of "Check Point." A gorgeous and captivating remix of AstroPilot on "Sansara" rounds out this collection. At its best, "The Biohacker's Guide To Life" can be instantly gratifying and undeniably great as with "Sansara" where much magic lies. Over time, the loveliness of "Stoneager" grows stronger and more impressive over repeat listens. At its worst, perhaps the middle tracks too easily slip into the background but if unobtrusive chill music suits your needs these very pleasant sounds will do quite nicely. Perhaps not as chance-taking as its two predecessors, perhaps a bit more accessible in its overall vibe, there is still enough oddness to HuuHaa's newest to give a little twist to the tried-and-true down tempo formulas. I liked HuuHaa before this one, I like them just a little bit more now, the duo have some interesting ideas kicking around their heads and if you're up to the idea they'll take you down some very vivid, slightly weird, off-the-beaten way musical paths. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/huuhaa-the-biohackers-guide-to-life

When drum 'n' bass is done properly it can be fantastic. "Burning Sands" is very, very, very good, I can understand why you keep hitting repeat. Good review, mate!

Good review, mate!

If you go in expecting something very expansive in the vein of goa I can see how your expectations were not met. I guess even if you are expecting something as broad as Ott, Androcell or Slackbaba the same would hold true. As mentioned though "Vimana" is just stellar, blows my mind each time I hear it, as psychedelic and broad as any other dub out there. For the most part, the music is simple in that it is dub and that style does not often lend itself to a wide array of unpredictability. Still, it is very fine music, very relaxing but still very artistic. Good for these guys for trying something outside of their forte, I feel they succeeded. The only tracks I did not like were "That Kind Of Love" (ugh, don't like the vocals). I like this version of "Astral Way" and "Screaming Butterfly" a lot but they are very, very short, and lend themselves to not going "far enough". That still leaves 7 great tracks in all. I can't comprehend a 5.5 rating by any stretch of the imagination.

"Around The World In A Tea Daze" is a masterpiece. After such epic perfection nothing could be better as a come-down than "Flute Fruit." Some of the my favorite Shpongle moments are in that 13-minute block of music.

In the review section: https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/69958-celestial-intelligence-perpetual-energy/?do=findComment&comment=1047536

"Odin's Kraft" is a gem!

Sure, it's loud but just loud enough to fit the style and speed of the album itself. If it's over-compressed just the slightest my thought is that is that it's intentional to add a little muscle. That loudness fits the album very well. I wouldn't call the sound quality harsh by any means though.

JESUS, that cover is horrible! Great review, mate, can't wait to read your words when that Taylor Swift remix comes out.

Celestial fucking Intelligence! https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/69958-celestial-intelligence-perpetual-energy/

Artist: Celestial Intelligence Album: Perpetual Energy Label: Suntrip Records Tracklist: 1. Into The Depths Of Illusion 2. Divine Miracles 3. Constant Motion 4. Anapa 5. Celestial Beings 6. 1001 Reasons 7. Gray Matter 8. A Different Story 9. Perpetual Energy "Perpetual Energy" is not just the album title, it is also a disclaimer. The debut album from Celestial Intelligence is big, loud and brazen, an almost non-stop blast of excellent goa, where so much is fit into the productions that it seems not the slightest bit more could be added but details are never sacrificed, always crystal-clear and never overlooked in this maelstrom of careening dance-floor bliss. One highlight would certainly be the E-Mantra-esque "A Different Story" that creates a warm and inviting world of sound but still includes enough oomph to live up to the "Perpetual Energy" promise. Perhaps the track is a stand-out because it dares to go down a different path from most everything else on the album. The top moments here belong to the three-track block of "Constant Motion," "Anapa" and "Celestial Beings." The energy never relents but there is pure bliss in this chaos. Suited well for a sunny festival afternoon this would be that special 25-minutes where time and space disappear and the plot about everything you may know anything about is completely lost. The worst thing about this album would be "1001 Reasons" and that poor track suffers simply by having the misfortune of playing after the aforementioned trio. To say Celestial Intelligence has made a great debut album sounds a bit insulting, as if it is suggesting that a veteran's album would be more worthy of your time. With tastefully gleeful mayhem, Celestial Intelligence has made a great album. Period. Listen to Celestial Intelligence - "Constant Motion": https://soundcloud.com/celestial-intelligence/celestial-intelligence-constant-motion Edit: As the days go on it seems more and more focus is put on the mastering of the album rather than the music itself. It seems quite a few feel the album is too loud and it detracts from the overall experience. I have not encountered any such problem and maybe most non-technical listeners will not either. The sound is clear to these ears, the lines between the layers are clearly drawn and it is easy to skip between any layer on any given track. There are some beautiful melodies contrasted, to my utter fascination, by an energy flow that never stops in one place for very long. If it is too loud, well, I do not agree. It is just loud enough to suit the album adequately. Those of the other point-of-view, unfortunately, may be missing out on a very good experience. This music is fantastic!

10/10 - love it! Ektoplazm has released many amazing pieces of work but it is almost a golden era of down tempo for them when they released Radioactive Sandwich's "Mirage," Easily Embarrassed's "Tales Of The Coin Spinner" and this album.

Artist: Globular Album: Colours Of The Brainbow Label: Gliese 581C Looking back on "Colours Of The Brainbow," after having seen much from Globular since this very impressive debut, it is interesting to trace the progression his music has taken. All over this EP, you can sense the blueprint of other great English dub artists like Ott and Younger Brother as the foundation for what Globular is doing. Yet, the very next album being the masterful full-length "A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy," the outstanding flavors of Globular's own vision, imagination and creativity are abundant right from the get-go. "The Continuum Process" is patient, sweeping, epic, wonderfully intoxicating dub, very much in the Ott style. Now what makes that comparison complimentary rather than derisive is that both gents take their time unfurling their spells, as if to say why reveal all the secrets in the first two minutes if we can make this magic last for eight? Nearly nothing within these four tracks get redundant or repetitive, this is relaxing dub music that reaches for higher levels of consciousness and achieves those goals with great success. That is not to say that this is the masterpiece that 2012's "A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy" is, as here Globular is still refining his style but where he ends up producing heavenly work there, he is about 90% of the way complete on "Colours Of The Brainbow." Quite jammy, patiently groovy, mind-inducing, soul-feeding sounds that are put together immaculately but feel pieced together so effortlessly. As another excellent track on this one puts it, the mood and quality on this EP is very much friendly "And On The Carefree Shores Of Dub." Not at all to be missed by fans of this style. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/globular-colours-of-the-brainbow

Artist: Psyrius Album Sorry Pluto Label: Uxmal Records "Sorry Pluto" but the astronomers have determined that you are too small to be a planet. What that means to us as listeners is that Psyrius has created eight great down tempo tracks dedicated to the balls of rock and gas within our solar system rather than nine of them. It is a pity for this is a special listen and one extra track at the end could not possibly be a bad thing. I love albums where the experience is only half way done and you say to yourself, "Damn, only four tracks left." If you get sucked into this one it does weave one gorgeous spell, where the atmosphere is thick but not overwhelming, the musicality is solid, the melodies are often rich and binding. If "Sorry Pluto" is looked at with too critical of an eye maybe the down points are that some of these tracks take a moment or two to truly get going but patience is rewarded. On the "Mercury" opener, it is not until very late in the track that the matter goes from ordinary to excellent with the addition of a little extra growl from the keyboard work. "Earth" is serene and peaceful, "Jupiter" is like taking a long and steady deep breath and "Neptune" is deep and groovy on ethereal levels above and beyond much in this collection. For the best here, "Mars" takes top prize with a Vangelis level of excellence. Or for a more contemporary comparison, this would be the track to listen to for anyone enthralled by just about anything off of Easily Embarrassed's "Tales Of The Coin Spinner" masterpiece. As of yet, I have not been able to come up with a film that would serve as a great visual accompaniment to this album and it seems that these very vivid sounds would greatly benefit from such a pairing. No big loss, I suppose, just closing your eyes for a bit is all that is needed for this lovely music to conjure up some remarkable imagery.

Right on! Really love some of the moments from your past releases, very much looking forward to hearing this one.

Artist: Etnica Album: In Dub Label: EtnicaNet Etnica. In Dub. It is everything it should be, very near an instant classic album, so rich in translating classic Etnica tunes into a brand-new style, a testament to the talent this duo possesses in crafting excellent psychedelic music. Utilizing select live musicians and vocalists to flesh out the sounds, Etnica picks some obvious choices to re-work but also offer up some curve-ball selections, taking some of their faster, pure goa creations and paring them down into a much more controlled dub structure. It is not surprising to find "Deep East" or "Trip Tonite," from 1996's "Alien Protein" album, reinterpreted here. Both are excellent, atmospheric down tempo tracks to begin with and these newer dub versions are just as pleasing to the ears. A surprise inclusion from that album, however, comes with "Screaming Butterfly," and it is delivered beautifully. Any of these three deserve to be the main highlight on a lesser album but here they are par for a very rich course. The sweeping magic of "Back To Vega," the gorgeous juxtaposition between beauty and the beats on the dub'n'bass "Burning Sands" and the indescribably beautiful work on original track "Desert Journey" offer many treasures over the course of their run time. The highlight, though, would be the frisky "In Dub" version of "Vimana." It is only natural to wonder how Etnica's offering stacks up against that other "In Dub" classic. As when Ott encapsulates everything fantastic about "LSD," the classic sound, the captivating samples, and turns it into something new and outstanding and unforgettable on "Hallucinogen In Dub," here, "Vimana" is just as good, note-for-note. On "Vimana," the old-school vibe is ever-present, the awesome sample theorizing about alien influence on human history is just as good as that classic Hallucinogen/Ott moment describing how LSD puts "us just a little out of their control" and the dub is just so bloody good. In the here-and-now, this is an outstanding album, extremely well made and so pleasing to listen to. Also, "Etnica In Dub" has the potential to be something very special years from now. Only time will tell if it turns out to be a classic album but I do like its chances.

VA - Conundrum Concoction Label: Dark Prisma Records 01. Conundrum Concoction - List of Ingredients 02. Prisma - Extract of a Fragment Part I 03. Prisma - Extract of a Fragment Part II 04. Prisma On Ooze - Extract of a Fragment Part III 05. Molokow - Hell's Island 06. Molokow - Climate Fit 07. Molokow - Polustus Grytgol 08. Derango - An Invisible Tale 09. Derango - An Unsane Tale 10. Derango - An Oak's Tale co·nun·drum noun - a question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in its answer; a riddle. "Conundrum Concoction" hit my radar quite recently because of a recommend by a longtime member here on PsyNews. I'm thankful for that gent's good taste in such matters. This is swampy, pitched-down forest, dementedly distorted dub all in one wicked and tasty down tempo concoction. As with most anything of quality in swampy down tempo or the mind-boggling affairs of forest music there is a lot of unexplored mental terrain in this collection, thus, one's enjoyment of this work will depend on personal tolerance for the wildly weird and unshakably creepy but where my personal fascination lies is with the excellent work of Prisma and Derango. The tantalizing aural riddles of Prisma's "Extract of a Fragment" Parts 1-3 are tremendous. By turns funky and groovy, the mood in all three parts are deliciously unhinged, distorting warm and happy dub behind fragments of insane effects and background melodies that move across the background in the forms of cinematic orchestras and big-top circus sounds. Play all three together for a truly stunning adventure where the first part knocks socks off with creativity, "Part 2" womps and thrills during a track that brings things back to a more normal level. "Part 3" brings the truly bizarre where it seems you may have just stumbled into some dark ritual in the middle of an isolated forest and it is not quite sure that your safety is ensured. It is a nice touch, separating three different tracks by Prisma, Molokow and Derango into blocks, it allows the artists to weave wicked spells in their allotted time without the listening hassle of switching gears to accommodate a different artist approach. As such, Derango's three tracks are very well placed as the conclusion to this collection, his being the easiest riddles to solve, an easily understood adventure that soothes the listener as they are sent on their way at disc's end. Starting with the dream-weaving dub of "An Invisible Tale," weirdness is pitched down in favor of a more emotionally satisfying approach, "An Unsane Tale" offers straight-forward dub in a very accessible format - moody but mentally soothing chill with all the right doses of groove and funk. And just to show he has not overlooked the imagination of his peers, Derango offers a fine puzzle of his own on the concluding "An Oak's Tale". The conundrum here is not for me to interpret and I am not quite sure I could even if asked. Perhaps that is all up to interpretation and there is much within to wrap one's head around. The answer that is very clear, however, is the taste of this concoction: Delicious!

Artist: Nocturnal Album: Tunnel Vision Label: ESF Records Nocturnal makes some very interesting progressive psy. On the one hand, this can be very easy to listen to - groovy, well-made progressive that sounds in several spots to be very familiar and comfortable and effective. On the other hand, coming from Australia, Nocturnal puts layers and tricks and smartness into his productions, very Sensient-esque in several moments, as if it is inevitable that anything coming from down under will pick up on that native Zenon sound. No matter how you are looking to swim, jump in, there is plenty to soak up. None of the four tracks on this EP dip below 10-minutes so Nocturnal certainly does not skimp in terms of quantity. Impressively, though, rarely does anything in here over-stay its welcome so the quality is also very much in place. My top pick here would be the techy "Clunk" that is constantly invigorating and tantalizing is just about every approach it takes. The only complaints I can find is in terms of the effects and techniques, very much familiar with so much of the progressive that is out there on the market. With so much evident talent from Nocturnal it can be sometimes disappointing that more chances are not taken in lieu of the tried-and-true. Also, the opener "Amplewatts," while very good musically, may very well annoy some with its lengthy, talky samples. Much like that well-illustrated bird on its cover, there is plenty in "Tunnel Vision" that is instantly recognizable. However, with how well it is presented, it is also quite wise. Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/nocturnal-tunnel-vision

VA - Blue Sangoma Sounds Label: Sangoma Records and Blue Hour Sounds 1. Crumble Juice FAGIN'S REJECT 2. Blacklight District ETNICA 3. Circles (Psilocybian rmx) BRAINCELL 4. Next Decade Of Acid (Android Spirit rmx) KALUMET 5. Dance Ritual KALA 6. Bong, James Bong HOTEP 7. Stoned Lions ARJUNA, SAMADHI 8. The Viral Spiral HOODWINK 9. Zombie Grrrl (Gaspard rmx) PUNKPIRATE (GASPARD AND TOTO) 10. A Long Story (Virtual Light and Manipulation rmx) ELECTRYPNOSE 11. Fiction Games ONCE UPON A TIME 12. Tetra India Express (Via Axis rmx) GIDO 13. Deep Blue Skies (Blue Sangoma Sounds Edit) GAIANA 14. Magnitudo PEYO 15. Elasticity SPROCKET 16. Amphibian Council EVOCATONE 17. Bioport IANUARIA, MUSCARIA 18. Liquid Modulation (Mark Day Re-Modulated rmx) IANUARIA 19. Bindmoggling FLOOTING GROOVES On a two-disc set of dark stomping tracks it is pretty cool that this collection has an "as-is" approach. Quite a bit of dark psy, twilight and full-on is contained within this one but avoiding the approach of other labels that segregate these sometimes varying styles "Blue Sangoma Sounds" treats them all as equals. A dark psy track leads into full-on that leads into twilight that leads back into.... None of these tracks stood out as truly remarkable but that is not to say that the compilation does not have a solid overall quality. After all, it is difficult to assemble such heavy hitters as Etnica, Electrypnose and Braincell in one place and have it go terribly awry. Many surprises and some very solid tracks come through with Etnica being the most pleasant and most durable. Barely a touch of their trademark goa mastery is present on "Blacklight District" and such is usually the way when these legends appear on a non-goa comp. The usually wild Etnica-isms of effects are present but the wild range of their artist albums is not - instead this is great, direct, focused, drive-forward full-on excellence. Interestingly, "Circles" by Braincell and "A Long Story" by Electrypnose are given the remix treatment but both sound as if they are original offerings with the distinct flavor of both artists coming through seemingly unfiltered. In all fairness, however, PsiloCybian adds more layers to the Braincell original and makes it more interesting and far less repetitive. Where the remixes work wondrously are with Android Spirit and Via Axis bringing forth great work. Android Spirit's twilight weirdness works unexpectedly well with Kalumet's nearly-indefinable psy style on "Next Decade Of Acid" and Via Axis owns "Tetra India Express" and completely makes the Gido track his own with his trademark atmospheric and beautifully understated full-on psy. Hotep departs the more progressive-minded style of his artist album "Transformation Of Light" and goes dark and angry on "Bong, James Bong," a very intriguing change in style that is almost as captivating as the cover art for this album. With "Amphibian Council," Evocatone throws a hat in the ring for best track, a wicked twilight production that only gets richer with each listen. "Blue Sangoma Sounds" is dark and it is captivating. It is also surprising how quickly these nineteen tracks seem to fly by. Even if none may be classics, at the very least, it cannot be said this giant collection is ever boring. Listen to Etnica "Blacklight District": https://soundcloud.com/sangoma-recs/etnica-blacklight-district-sangoma-blue-hour-sounds-out-now Listen to Electrypnose "A Long Story" (Virtual Light & Manipulation Remix): http://beatspace-bluehoursounds.bandcamp.com/track/electrypnose-a-long-story-virtual-light-manipulation-rmx Listen to Evocatone "Amphibian Council": https://soundcloud.com/evocatone/evocatone-amphibian-council

Hehe good review! Sometimes bad handies are just the "Way Of Life".

Haha sorry about the repeat post!

Artist: Peyo Album: Green EP Label: Blue Hour Sounds Released: February 2011 Sometimes great things come from bad experiences. While testing the limits of diversity and to see if anything rewarding may be available in the dark psy realm, I toed the waters with a one-hour mix from a well-regarded female DJ. Unfortunately, the most that came out of the experience was a lot of oppressive, pitch-dark, uncomfortable vibes. That is until Peyo's "The Cleaner" came out of the inky-black mix and grabbed me by the shirt collar, seeming to say, "I'm Peyo, who the fuck are you?" The "Green" EP is a stellar two-track offering from the Italian producer and while there does not seem to be enough here in terms of quantity, looking back at this gent's discography, one additional EP and various compilation appearances are the most this producer has offered thus far. In short, Peyo is a guy of quality rather than quantity. "The Cleaner" is a high-powered twilight romp, snarling and stomping through seven minutes of delicious full-on mayhem. The highlight of the track, besides the rollicking energy, is a warped sitar that crops up throughout. In terms of craftsmanship, this thing is air-tight, a solid structure of delectable effects, stomping bass and energy builds that keep paying off at all the proper moments. The better of the two tracks, though that should not suggest that either lacks anything, would be "Feet Response," a deliriously relentless full-on beast that shakes and shimmers, moves and grooves and never loses even a fraction of the frantic kinetic energy that it starts off with. This is prime-time, floor-filling, energy-draining greatness in one fantastic track. I would gladly suffer through any sort of mix to get at a gem like this but unfortunately, most times, bad mixes are full of bad tracks. Thankfully, this time, at least there was one shiny diamond in all that roughness. Sometimes, just sometimes, great things come from bad experiences. Listen to "The Cleaner": https://soundcloud.com/p-e-y-o/peyo-the-cleaner Listen to "Feet Response": https://soundcloud.com/p-e-y-o/peyo-feet-response