antic604

Very nice, like a mix of Proxeeus and Morphic Resonance! It'a bit too noisy for my liking, as if every sound was somehow stretched to its limits or something? Also I find it a bit too linear, with the melodies being restricted to a very narrow range of notes around the root. But - again - that's typical for the style of the above mentioned artists and I have the same gripe with them, so it's either a compliment or critique depending on what was your goal

I just love how old-school this album sounds and how Artha took the Hallucinogen (and its "derivatives") sound as an inspiration and made it his own, with those signature swirly synths, heavy bass lines and lots of swooshy, noisy FX. It's also refreshing, that this somehow avoids most of the current day neo-Goa cliches, drawing heavily from the legacy of the original psychedelic trance, rather than melodic goa, even if it is unashamedly melodic at times. "A Way To Target" is one of the best triplet trance tracks, very funky and acidic and with a great transition to Juno Reactor-like dreamy atmosphere in 2nd part. "Monkeys" captured my attention because of cleverly used spoken samples and that nostalgic, long main theme played with slowly oscillating synth. "Theory of The Ghost" sounds like a collaboration with Eat Static with machine gun, train-like bassline and laser kick, but at around 4:00 mark a melodic riff reminds that it's Artha after all. Very good, hypnotic track, even though the main melodic hook could be elaborated more. "El Es Di" stole my heart with those bells appearing in- and out- throughout the tune, wobbly SH-101 synth lines, ring-modulated acid lines and overall "dirt" in the production, i.e. the lo-fi drums. Great track. "Mahabharata (Live Version)" immediately sends you flying with that wiggly acid line, but then somehow fails to build and sustain the energy; there's some excitement introduced by new melodic lines at 4:15 and then 5:55, but for my liking the track "starts" to early (and ends to abruptly, as well) and loses some of the dramatism it could otherwise have. Very good track, still. "Dream Telepathy" I don't really like, because the chopped-up singing and heavily distorter acid line make it seem much slower than it really is; the 2nd part pulls it up a bit with some great melodic work, but I was disappointed with the part at 7:20 - when it really gets interesting - not getting developed any further... BTW, it's fascinating how often artists pick a name of the album after the weakest - IMO, of course - track. "Secret Trip" is a return to form though, with heavy Shakta ("Silicon Trip" album) and Hallucinogen influences - 1st half is a bit understated, with different ideas thrown about but then it gets really great in the middle, with that Soothsayer / Gamma Goblins-like bubbly acid synth(s) and heavily echoed Indian chanting. It's all laid back and not very driving, but all the details in the background - e.g. that delicate, "angelic" riffs - create a very captivating atmosphere, "Flutes" takes a bit too long until it gets going, but when it does it's really good, very Shpongly, mixing live flute with gentle acid lines. One thing I wasn't particularly fond of is the spoken sample, that doesn't really make any sense in the context. Overall, it's a strong 4/5 from me, mainly because I'm not always convinced by the arrangements of certain tracks that somehow lose steam or fail to build up the energy altogether; and because of the length - one more track could have easily been squeezed in. In terms of mastering, I'd probably preferred this to put a little less emphasis on bass and ever so slightly slightly more on the hi-hats which would've benefited the overall clarity (mastering of Artha's track on V/A "If I wasn't human..." was on point, IMO), but it's great anyway: meaty, detailed and very pleasant on headphones.

Sorry, just got the code for the 1st V/A via e-mail, so all's good. Thanks!

I did as well, but the 1st CD didn't show up in my collection after purchase. @pdinklag, can you check if that's correct? can something be done about it?

Yeah, that indeed looks suspicious and incoherent but if you refer to my comment on Astrix and then compare it with the expectations I have for progressive trance, then I think my stance becomes clearer - Astrix (IMO) pulled off a very good full-on album, with lots of variety, energy, emotion and is musically accomplished; while I only see Ticon as average take on the prog trance formula, i.e. it excels at nothing from my list above. Or - alternatively - I'm just being unfair and prefer full-on over progressive trance

Not a new thing, but Utopia is great: Otherwise, I'm watching Westworld, Mr Robot, StarTrek: TNG

Don't worry. You don't have to like it for me to consider it the best album of 2016 For me it will be much more difficult to decides what's the order after the 1st - there's Artha, UX, Loud, Tripswitch, Globular, Crossing Mind, Morphic Resonance ...and Astrix ( ). It's been a great year!

I mostly lie to myself, unfortunately. Had I actually done half of the things I promise myself to take care of, I'd be much happier, healthier and probably wealthier as well. But I'm lazy

That's an easy one: https://phantasmrecords.bandcamp.com/album/brainradio

I really like how true old-school it sounds! Even the cover looks like it was rendered using late '90s computers & software Also, for those who missed the 1st instalment, there's a bundle available with 10% off (18EUR)

Such a great & underappreciated album!

I'm stopping reading this thread right now, because I started to worry about how my bassline sounds without even properly starting a tune...

Uh, indeed you do

Interesting. What you think of Delirious Noon's album?

Perfect! Looking forward to both

Ok, so we feel similarly about it Thank you!

OMG, that's awesome! Hope there are physical releases planned for both? Which label(s) will have the pleasure of releasing your music?

Considering what you wrote, why did you rate it "only" 4/5? Sorry to ask, but I'm really keen to understand what people are looking for in music

One minor issue I have with the album - and to you personally, since you were responsible for selection of tracks - is the fact that you could've squeezed one more 8-9 minute track there. At 70 minutes the album shouldn't feel "short", but it somehow does.

I’ve no clue how to connect the Xochipilli, the Aztec god of art, games, beauty, dance and flowers (and apparently a patron of both homosexuals and male prostitutes?!) to psychedelic trance scene, but if that was an excuse to put his statue on the front cover of the album, then I don’t f***ing care. I mean, just look at it!!! Tracklist 1. Identical Formulas 2. Prodigious Euphoria 3. Ergot 4. Bass Impact 5. My Fantasy 6. Free Mind 7. Robotic Elements 8. Thriving 9. Simple Switch 10. Circle of Life Review In a way though, the cover serves as a fitting description of what’s on the disc. The music is rich in detail, very - technically - complex and multidimensional, yet it retains this brightness that’s rare with most darkpsy releases, because ...it’s not really darkpsy at all. If you’re familiar with the output of such labels as Bom Shanka - where Bruno Isidro a.k.a. Module Virus debuted and released 2 albums - Wildthings or Looney Moon; they all represent a similar brand of psychedelic trance: funky, very rhythmical and precise, analogue-sounding and non melodic, futuristic and cybernetic instead of evil / dark / nocturnal. While most of the releases on those labels have slowly fallen into the Nano Rec. trap of sounding very samey, up to the point of using exactly the same sound patches, samples, effects and mastering techniques; Module Virus managed to stick out - he’s got that knack for putting the right sounds and breaks in just the right places to enhance the dynamics of the music, to make it more energetic and driving instead of just droning. I’m pretty sure that for a lot of people all tracks will sound the same ...and that’s largely true, because it’s not a concept album (at least I fail to see it?) and more of a collection of dancefloor-tested “choons”, but there are ups & downs, peaks & valleys, some tracks are softer and more “foresty”, while others are hard hitting and get right to the business. Some tracks actually get a bit melodic - “Identical Formulas”, “Robotic Elements” and “Thriving” in particular - with acid lines or background atmospherics providing a semblance of traditional musical progressions, but if melody is what you’re looking for then stay clear of this one: here the rhythm, groove and electronic stabs, noises and squelches are ruling the land. For my money, it’s one of the standout releases in this style, but it is surely not for everyone - check the samples before purchasing. 4/5 Purchase here https://sangomarecords.bandcamp.com/album/xochipilli-the-seven-flowers (CD+digital via Arabesque) https://timecode.bandcamp.com/album/xochipili-the-seven-flowers (digital only) https://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/sgm/sgm1cd014.html http://www.beatspace.com/9857/Sangoma+Records/MODULE+VIRUS/Xochipilli+-+The+Seven+Flowers/detail.aspx

@Martian Arts - great, but where's that album of yours?!? Frankly, you could just dump those jams to CD and I'd buy it...

The music of Canadian artist Costa Damoulianos was brought to my attention via a review on a Polish site and I guess it will interest more people here. What it's like? It is like a combination of Kurbeats / Yggdrasil, Principles of Flight, Shulman and Shpongle - a relaxed journey through tribal and folk landscapes, interweaving live instruments with electronic elements. Really interesting stuff! There are two albums, available in full length on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/zoungla/sets/entwine The music can be purchased - also on a CD! - via artist's Bandcamp: https://zoungla.bandcamp.com/merch

Tracklist 01. Cyclotron 02. The Foolish Mind 03. No Hazardous Materials Signs 04. Hypnotropic (2016 Remix) 05. Alpha Centauri 06. No Event Horizon 07. PsyKo-Mind-Porteur 08. Life Forms Review Although scientific studies have proven that the link between exceptional creativity and psychosis is weak, a brief look at the history of art: music, literature, painting, etc. suggests time and again that there’s something to it - from extreme unsocial behaviours, through mental syndromes, to suicidal tendencies. The brain apparently needs to “sacrifice” some of its normal functions to allow the creative part to flourish… I’m prefacing the review with the above, because I consider Crossing Mind a “mad genius”. His music is capable of delivering incredible amounts of emotion, joy and awe - or sadness - but between those moments there are glimpses of madness. My initial impression of his 3rd full-length “Beyond Duality” were very mixed - I expected he’d further refine his style by conforming to (what I imagine to be) more predictable and standard scales, intervals and progressions. Instead, he even further distanced himself from “typical” kaleidoscopic, patchwork-y and sequenced / repetitive meanderings of typical goa-trance music and doubled down on improvisation and uniqueness. Sure, there still are some typical “goa” sounds and sequences, but that’s not the defining component of his music - it is the extreme use of melody, harmony and emotional expression put into every single note and sound that characterises it. My problem with this approach was that while it mostly works beautifully - and is flawlessly executed in “Cyclotron” and “No Hazardous Material Signs” - in other cases there are brief moments as if Crossing Mind said to himself “F**k it, let’s go full retard!” and just let his fantasy run wild, irrespective of any musical conventions or good taste. In those moments the melodies sound child-like, trivial, naive, chaotic and often corny, to the point that I’d be ashamed of listening to it with other people around. In some cases they develop into something meaningful (e.g. the cheesy lead in “Alpha Centauri” gets much deeper meaning in last 3rd of the tune, when it’s complemented by other sounds), but often you just have to bite your lips, soldier on and hope it ends soon ...which it eventually does. None of the tracks is completely ruined by it, but it’s enough to sour the initial experience and even after getting really familiar with the album - it’s been a month since its release - it still sticks out like a sore thumb and you can’t help but wonder how great the album would be without it… Still, the amount of awe-inspiring moments, incredible sound design, touching sensibility, storytelling and emotion emanating from this album is unparalleled and it shows that Crossing Mind poured his heart into it - it’s not just collection of cleverly modulated loops and patterns, but genuine artistic vision translated into music. When it clicks, it’s one of the most rewarding and beautiful experiences in the genre. Too bad it’s not consistent in quality, but I guess that’s the price of genius - one can’t operate at peak level all the time. With regards to mastering - those that complained last time about harsh, sharp and piercing sounds should be happy to know they're mostly gone and instead the bass got a bit more prominence in the mix. As a result, the mastering is clearer, more punchy but still retains that trademark "hollowness" of Crossing Mind which I frankly like very much. I also find the sound palette to be greatly expanded over his previous works, with more alive, morphing and developing lead sounds, even if the rhythm section takes a back seat and received (relatively speaking) less attention. BTW, this has got to be the most beautiful artwork on a Suntrip Rec. release! More here: https://torrente.carbonmade.com/ 4/5 - a flawed, but truly unique experience! Purchase here http://suntriprecords.com/product/item/SUNCD42/ https://suntriprecords.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-duality https://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/sut/sut1cd042.html http://beatspace.com/9828/Suntrip+Records/CROSSING+MIND/Beyond+Duality/detail.aspx https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Crossing_Mind_Beyond_Duality?id=B6dfuifbmfqq4zt534oqqdm4ig4

Yes, it's better