DoktorG

Edgar Allan Poe would have loved this, seeing as he once said that the most poetic image was that of a dead woman (easy to get your knickers in a twist over that egregious sexism...). Nevertheless, whilst this album is an obvious accompaniment to Poe's femicidal classics like "Ligeia" and "Eleonora", or Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott", or Tolkien's Arwen, it is more than that. An all time great album in any genre in my opinion, there's enough darkness and determination here to make the fragile gossamer beauty truly transcendent. She sang so sweetly before she died.

Hello All I always liked psybreaks and wrote a number of reviews on Discogs about it. Most of it was a short-lived, primarily UK-based, sub-genre around 97-98 and here are the most significant releases in my limited and biased opinion: Cwithe Illegal Somaton Future Memories Digitalis Third State All Boundaries are Illusion compilation on 21-3 records Deviant Electronics Brainwashing is Child's Play Tristan Space Sage (Process remix) Germinating Seeds of Doda Upside Din Metal Spark Corrosive In other words, look out for the work of Andy Guthrie, Seb Taylor, Ciaran Walsh, Tristan, Shorn Rah. I feel quite strongly about this movement because if Goa had followed more syncopation, it might not have ended up in the straitjacket of 4/4 and one note bass that too often characterises psytrance. ~*~

The prolific Mr Kirkwood... until he devoted himself to religion after 2009. I'm listening to Wired again; it strikes me that there's something bluesy about his compositions, almost melancholic. It is certainly well-knit in that all parts work together to create a feeling. Going back to the original topic of this thread, I guess you probably know this already, but if not here is some tribal black metal with industrial and trance elements:

Ah Vienna - city of music. I listen to opera, btw; not only a fan of new trendy music. One of the places I would love to live! Look, I'm no expert in dungeon synth as I've only been getting into it recently, but take a listen to a couple of minutes of this and tell me it doesn't sound a bit like Klaus Schulze or Brian Eno or Tangerine Dream or suchlike. I'm not sure that much of the genre sounds like this, but there seems to be a connection. Love the idea of unreleased stuff getting onto a vinyl. I will gladly support that if you do a digger's or crowdfunding or some other way to support; and of course I will buy at least one copy. In fact, if I was a millionaire and didn't have to work, one of the things I would really love to do is release the best of neo Goa on vinyl. Suntrip are starting to do this, but very slowly. I understand it is not easy as lots of young hippies don't get vinyl (vinyl is tricky to get right and lots of kids don't ever buy any music period). There's an unrelated story of Sven Vath being invited to Goa in 94 or 95, the early days, and arriving there to blow away the crowd, but being unable to play because it was 45 degrees in the shade and all his vinyls warped! I really don't know how true this story is, or even who told it to me, but it tickles me every time. I must listen to Magnetrixx again; haven't thought of him in ages. I have the cd of Wired and the Somnam and Wired Remixes vinyls, but don't know his music apart from that. He definitely has some talent for melody in my view.

I'm a vinyl fiend (analogue is my first love; I build my own tube amps) so in the absence of Goa on vinyl (I have almost all the first wave Goa I want on vinyl) I went over to the dark side . Yeah, I admit it, I buy metal on vinyl (though metal is weird; unlike Goa where I like a lot of it, I dislike most metal). But I completely hear you about limiting one's obsession and controlling the budget. I manage it not by limiting genre, but by limiting edition - I will only buy first edition lps, not reissues (very few remasters sound as good as first editions - there's a lot of technical reasons why, though they become questionable in the digital era). That's the way I dice it. Lots of other legit ways to do it... I'm super happy to see that some psychill and trance is making it to vinyl as part of the vinyl resurgence - oh dear, wallet damage... At the moment I'm trying to decide which Solar Fields I should get (only got the first one on vinyl so far and it is a good pressing and mastering job). Thanks for the Viking recommends - I know Skald and Finntroll, but will look into the others. At the moment I'm more into dungeon synth than folky vibes; I'm enjoying Old Sorcery presently. There's a zone where some early electronica (Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk) actually sounds quite similar to ambient techno and trance which resembles some dungeon synth - they are all keyboard-based music styles so the instrument starts to determine the music it seems. I've only been to Innsbruck and Vienna once - loved it I have to say. Seemingly a bit of a conservative country, but lovely people nevertheless and the mountains... I'm a mountain lover and walking in the Alps was just heavenly. Whereabouts are you located? I've never seen so much tobacco smoking in my whole life though - that amazed me. Speaking of which, I prefer other means of imbibing smoke than whisky, but I hear you. In a cold climate those Islay malts really warm up the bits that are chilly. I think Lagavulin is my favourite, but there's a Bunnahabhain 18 that's really good too. Have a nice day!

Triquetra's second album Human Control begs the question of human control, or lack thereof, with its title. Personally I think that the very notion is deluded hubris; humans have never been in control, even of their bodies, not to mention their "minds". Thank goodness! Leaving big philosophical questions aside, can Human Control get me out of control? The answer is a resounding YES! Firstly, I really like the cover and its almost military minimalism that is pleasingly unusual for the genre and suggests the Alien movie franchise. However, the packaging of this album really leaves something to be desired. The too tight cardboard scratched the second cd badly; looks like it was just stuffed in there. Luckily, it plays ok, but still. The paper inserts were also mangled. This is a careless production job with inadequate packaging. Secondly, I'm not sure how much Triquetra evolved beyond their acid-drenched first album. The limited sonic palette they tend to use starts showing on this album, even though their basslines are just fantastic and it seems that our brothers in music have put work into their melodies, which are often squiggly, tweaky, and hence alien in flavour. The live album is inevitably a little rough now and then, but has that spontaneous feel that is hard to describe. However, whilst the sound of Triquetra has not evolved and remains mostly quite simple acid Goa, this is a huge advantage. Ignoring the manic layerism, stop-start peakism, and 16th note bass of most contemporary Goa and psy, Triquetra go for an old school sound that is full of dust. This is authentic to how the parties were in Goa; you had to drive your motorbike through the night, stumble through the bush in the dark, following the sound of the beat, all you had to eat and drink for hours was a chai from the chai mama tending her coals by the side of the dancefloor, you get the idea. This is not the sound of manicured hipsters grooming their fashion statement outfit in clean hotel rooms as they check whether they booked for the vip area on their smartphones. It is the sound of nature and the desire to transcend. I fucking love it! If you are a fan it is a lot of Triquetra music for you to enjoy. These dudes learnt much from the dusty, dog-eared tome of ancient, crusty Goa trance, and by staying true to the basic ingredients and spirit of this music, they've made 2 good albums now. This second one does feel a bit like they were treading water, but it is still a shining light of authenticity in the scene. ~*~

The Moon Beasts are Alexandre Cohen (that's Ephedra) and Jerome Lesterps (a.k.a Proxeeus). The name is goth cheese (presuming "moon beasts" are werewolf type creatures), the cover is unexceptional (though the colour combination is appealing), the music seems pretty straightforward Goa... Not much good then? Well, Moon Beasts pull a rabbit out of the moon with some innovative melodies and a good melodic sensibility, make that a crazy good melodic sensibility. On some of the tracks, they take the usual whirling Goa melodies and blow them up. They cram extra melodies in, they pitchbend, they use clashing keys, they warp and twist them in some way. One way or another, or several all at once, Moon Beasts are going to have fun with those melodies. There are a number of examples throughout the record, but take the maddening mosquito melody at 7.44 in "Sleeplessness" for instance - that is some skull penetrating, irritation arousing, skin piercing nasty sound to make a melody with, but Moon Beasts do it. Sleepless indeed. The vaporous ethereal melody in "Separate Species" seems breathily beautiful, until the 303 kicks in at the end and turns the track so intense it is almost ugly. The beasts are not a separate species; we are the beasts. The haunting three note melody that is the lead of "Demon Star" (wonderfully Lovecraftian name for a track) is worthy of any of the classics of Goa trance from the 90s. Weaknesses? Well, one might say that Moon Beasts pay so much attention to the melodies that they tend to ignore the rhythms a bit and they might have put more work into varied drum and bass patterns, but this is not a glaring weakness in the album. Tired of no melodies or the same old melodies? If you fancy the idea of some lunatic reanimation of Goa melodies then take a peek round into the dark side of the moon and go and join the Beasts. This crazy melodic sensibility seems set to blow up on their upcoming album. There's a preview track "Real Externality" that demonstrates a particularly intense messing with melody. It is also available as a white vinyl preorder here: https://moonbeasts.bandcamp.com/album/unexpected-turn-of-events Neo-Goa on white vinyl? Hell yeah - support the artists! ~*~

Yes, I've been buying from Steinklang and Napalm records for many years as I listen to a bit of industrial and atmo black metal/dungeon synth (Summoning, that kind of thing), amongst many other genres. Nytt Land's Ritual is readily available in all formats; quite big soft bass on this album, but a good recording nevertheless. There are still vinyl copies of previous album Cvlt available from https://www.kontaktaudio.com/ if you are into vinyl. I'm listening to it right now and the sound is good. Very difficult to find this vinyl elsewhere. PS - I don't mind the odd wee dram myself; more of a sherry bomb lover than an Island lad - it is a bit warm here for maritime malt. PPS - I suppose Muslimgauze must be one of the oldest industrial tribal/tribal industrial outfits.

Thanks so much for the This Morn Omina recommendation RTP - I love it! If you like Wardruna, then Heilung are an absolute must (maybe even better than Wardruna and very well recorded) and Nytt Land are pretty good too for pagan tribal.

Moon Beasts "Unexpected Turn of Events" 4 track ep on white vinyl pre-order: https://moonbeasts.bandcamp.com/album/unexpected-turn-of-events

Great concept. This is entertaining and quite mesmerising to watch as well as listen to. One of the problems with software in my opinion is that it can make the sound metronomic and robotic in its timing and that robs it of human spontaneity. "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing". That ain't a problem here. This is some funky space music, starting with prog trance and slowly morphing into psytrance/Goa tunes. Stoked to see the Axiom, Tetra, and a Roland in the home studio. There's some great playing too. However, sometimes there is the opposite problem of too many mistimings and I don't think that all the tracks quite come off, especially the prog ones. "Chronos" for instance - great moments in this song but it gets a bit uncoordinated. On the other hand, I enjoyed "Spiral Cloud" which goes more Goa than prog. Another Goa track and for me the magic track on the album is "The Redeemer"; this is beautiful! I really love the gentle rhythm section in this masterful track that is both bubbly and floaty. I sorta think that maybe M-Run do Goa better than prog, or maybe it is that I prefer Goa? ~*~

Ah thanks for letting me know Anoebis; I'm glad he is happy - credit where credit is due. That review was written objectively; I have no affiliations, nothing to gain, no axe to grind. Huge credit is also due to you for supporting the artists, for releasing some good music, and for keeping the faith! The year has started off really well for Goa trance; I hope it continues on a positive trajectory for all!

Great news Anoebis; we look forward to more information on your plans as and when...

ANIMIST FUTURISM David Tingsgard has created one of the only albums, apart from E-Mantra’s Arcana, to rival the greats of the golden age of Goa trance in this latest record Songs From a Forgotten Memory. I really love what Battle of the Future Buddhas is doing on this and the previous album Light Behind the Sun. Quite slowish, spacey Goa with deep beats and wonderful melodies. In both albums, Tingsgard returns to the roots of Goa trance in the early sound of 94-96, which tended to be slower and more mellow than the later years which got more and more intense. Perhaps the first thing to note is that the title suggests that this is a back to the future kind of project. Is this just a nostalgia project then? Perhaps, but I go on to argue that this project involves reanimating the virtues of the past, but also updating those virtues so that they speak to the present. I call this animist futurism because it features a number of alien animal sounds. It is worth noting that both albums feature superlative production with all sounds clear, distinct, and textured against a velvety black background, but avoiding brightness or an analytical edge. One of the things I really like about both albums is that BotFB shows restraint. He does not go straight for maximum velocity from the outset. The tracks and album as a whole can thus build, and build they do. Take "Collidoscope" for instance - at the 5.35 mark the track breaks into huge pillars of rising and falling modulations - this really takes the listener on a disorientating psychedelic trip because it has not been constant throughout the track which builds up to this peak gradually. This is the mark of a mature and talented artist who understands that drama comes from restraint, not throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the listener all at once. Moreover, by avoiding manic layerism and the straitjacket of 16th note galloping horse bass and drums, when he decides to use a sawtooth or a flutter effect, it is effective. Not constant fluttering, which has little effect but to put you in a flutter. Lots of his melodies do have this fractalised or fluttering effect, but because he doesn't do this all the time it is not tiresome. Effective, like I said. Another thing worth pointing out about the whole album is that a great deal of attention is paid to background atmosphere and ambience. There are a lot of subtle background ambient sounds, a bit like distant landscape in a painting. These are sometimes innovative, as in the drones in "Mugwump". Moreover, this is not just arbitrary spacey ambience, conjuring some nondescript outer space. Space here is not empty. It is inhabited. There be creatures. We might go into cold interstellar space, but this is no colonial "myth of the virgin empty land" - this is a kind of Star Wars vision of space with lots of alien creatures. Alien creature sounds abound, primarily in squiggly forest-style melodies, either major ones or minor ambient noises. Hence I think of this album as animist futurism. "Collidoscope" is a highly rhythmic track with a really slapping kick. Alien keening sounds kick in at about the 4 minute mark and there are Prana style rising and falling 303 arpeggios arranged in circular patterns till the end. A collidoscopic track indeed. "Go Gently into Space" (obviously a riff on Dylan Thomas' famous "do not go gently into that good night/rage, rage against the dying of the light") is a space hymn to the "future space travellers" (thanks to Miranda and Prana for that phrase). It starts off with a spoken manifesto to all future space travellers, the kind of thing that you might hear in Starship Troopers: “It’s really the next stage in the evolution of mankind, out here amongst the stars lies the destiny of mankind”. Hehe, c'mon Goaheads, let's send this track to Elon Musk; he can make it his anthem. It also features great deep bass and one of the best snare sounds I've heard, and placed with pitch perfect accuracy. The track goes all Astral Projection at the end with sugary melody. This really is a space anthem if ever I've heard one. And without going over the top. Everything in total control, but without becoming predictable or zombie automaton. There’s not even a hint of the dreaded shiny plastic sound that psytrance has become. AWESOME!!! "Pitchbend (Into the Light Remix)" does exactly what it says on the tin: it starts with heavy bass 303 judders which shudder throughout, but gradually builds and ends with incredibly positive, life-affirming, sunny vibes that also happen to be delightfully psychedelic. Starting off pretty intense, this ends up being a lighter track than many on the album, but just as excellent. "The God Particle" makes it clear that this is a scifi themed album. There's such an awesome bass warble at the start of this track - honestly, this is totally addictive. Imagine holding a big sheet of roofing zinc and being able to shake it like a blanket - a metallic wap sound not far from a didge is what you'll get - and this sound goes on throughout. Infected Mushroom wish they could create just one sound as cool as this across their entire discography. A special shout to the snapping snares on this track too; faster than a cobra, as insouciant as a saddhu. As for the super trippy little alien elf melody at the end... I'm actually at a loss for superlatives. Could this be the best track on the album? "From Nothing"?? Nothing comes from nothing, so they say. Is this track describing the radical dissociation of a strong trip? Is it just a hymn to "empty" space? I don't know. But from the start this one goes heavier (I said the album builds not so?). At 4.52 there comes that unique little BotfB melody that sounds like the weird siren song of an alien at the window of your spaceship, luring you off track to the Triangulum constellation when you were supposed to be flying to Ganymede. Who needs Startrek when you have Goa trance like this? From nothing we find ourselves "In Heaven". This is the most classically Goa track on the album, featuring Indian singing, and it could an Astral Projection song. Utter bliss, with some of the most textured riffs you'll ever hear. This is clearly the spiritual heart of the album. Om mani padme hum. Om namaya Shiva. Bom Shankar! The comedown commences with "Mugwump". According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a mugwump is a person who remains aloof and undecided, especially it seems on political matters. And there I was thinking it was a grumpy old Goahead who goes around muttering "old is gold". This track has a cool wurlitzer fairground horror melody that again seems to come from some creature. I love this forest elf twisty weirdo black metal goblin animism. We don't see enough of this tokolosh spiritualism in Goa or psytrance even though we have subgenres like forest and twilight. Sheesh, BotFB practically invented forest twilight. Clearly BotFB is winding back from the hypnotic bliss of "In Heaven" and we go a bit darker and more foresty here. “Interstellar” is a more mellow track starting with a techno beat and tweaky noises, but soon accompanied by a whimsical and simple melody that repeats. Another one of those charmingly simple but minor key little melodies that BotfB specialises in. A little drop of unaccountably strange and otherworldly stardust. Though not as befuddling as the weird ohm moan at 3.39 - another example of alien noises in the album. At the 5.45 point we enter another world with bigger riffs that are nevertheless restrained and subtle; nothing too loud here, but pulling you in with texture and intrigue. This is some beguiling shit! Finally, we come down to earth with “Blurred, Calm, Warm, Hazy”, just how you feel after a good toke. This is a fully ambient track, so of course there are some sitar sounds, Asian scales, along with tabla, and wailing melodies. This is quite a hazey track in which nothing much happens, but it does create a nebulous alien ambience. We are left with strange feelings that are hard to put into words... I feel that individual track ratings are redundant here as each track is close to flawless in its own way and, more importantly perhaps, the album flows as a whole, unified, singular journey. I didn't at any point in several complete listenings want to skip a track or back off the volume or feel that it was becoming too intense or too dull. Am I saying that it is perfect? Well, equally, I would like to avoid such hyperbole. Once or twice I wanted a more cinematic or orchestral intro/outro, or felt a bit more analogue atmosphere might have added something. David Tingsgard, take a bow bro. I will probably never meet you as you live on the opposite side of the globe from me, but I wish I could shake your hand. In my opinion, you've created one of the all-time great Goa albums. I thought "The Light Behind the Sun" was good. Well, you've upped the game with this 10/10 record. You've shown Etnica, Pleaidians, Miranda, Transwave, Simon Posford, et al, that Goa is a genre capable of more than we dreamed. Technically it seems better than many of the classics, yet it is true to the apparently simple sounds of early Goa. Imaginatively it is really out there, mixing Asian spirituality, science fiction, and a kind of northern forest paganism (if I may call it that) in creating a kind of animist futurism with some strange alien noises. But this album is also just so mellow, so musical, such delightful fun, as well as being dark, serious, and prophetic. If spiritual = balance and could be bottled, this is it. So, for me, this record takes the virtues of a nearly forgotten past and updates them for the present, making the genre more surprising than ever. Goa has always burrowed into the deep roots to reach towards the future, but now that appears more real in this tougher, darker, more scifi, yet still melodic, updated version. Goa goes animist futurism. This is a critical, useful kind of nostalgia, if it is even nostalgia at all. Finally, this is very much a BotFB album; no one else could have made it. It has a unique peaceful calm understatement combined with crazy Loki inventiveness. By stepping back from the intensity and some of the darkness of the earlier work, BotFB seem to have achieved their potential. The dust has long settled on the dirt roads of Anjuna. If you avoid the tourist areas you will only hear the lowing of sacred cows and temple bells at night walking near Chapora fort. The insects are loud in bamboo forest and the rice paddies glower in the gloom. But decades later, one who kept the faith has left behind a relic as valuable as anything made at the time. I feel privileged to discover it. Goa trance album of the year! This is deep trance plateau music - if you're a Goa fan, this is a must. It is begging for a vinyl release! Anoebis, do you hear me? Do not delay - crowdfund if you must, but do the best possible vinyl mastering and pressing of this classic album. I would be surprised if this album is not selling for thousands in decades to come! ~*~

David Tingsgard has created one of the only albums, apart from E-Mantra’s Arcana, to rival the greats of the golden age of Goa trance in this latest record Songs From a Forgotten Memory. Really love what Battle of the Future Buddhas is doing on this and the previous album Light Behind the Sun. Quite slowish, spacey Goa with deep beats and wonderful melodies. One of the things I really like about both albums is that BotFB shows restraint. He does not go straight for maximum velocity from the outset. The tracks and album as a whole can thus build, and build they do. Take "Collidoscope" for instance - at the 5.35 mark the track breaks into huge pillars of rising and falling modulations - this really takes the listener on a disorientating psychedelic trip because it has not been constant throughout the track which builds up to this peak gradually. This is the mark of a mature and talented artist who understands that drama comes from restraint, not throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the listener all at once. Moreover, by avoiding manic layerism and the straitjacket of 16th note bass and drums, when he decides to use a sawtooth or a flutter effect, it is effective. Not constant fluttering, which has little effect but to put you in a flutter. Lots of his melodies do have this fractalised or fluttering effect, but because he doesn't do this all the time it is not tiresome. Effective, like I said. "Go Gently into Space" (obviously a riff on Dylan Thomas' famous "do not go gently into that good night/rage, rage against the dying of the light") is not only a space hymn to the "future space travellers" (thanks to Miranda and Prana for that phrase). It starts off with a spoken manifesto to all future space travellers, the kind of thing that you might hear in Starship Troopers: “It’s really the next stage in the evolution of mankind, out here amongst the stars lies the destiny of mankind”. Hehe, c'mon Goaheads, let's send this track to Elon Musk; he can make it his anthem. Seeing as I mentioned Prana, this track features the juddering, ascending 303 melodies that Prana mastered. It also features one of the best snare sounds I've heard, and placed with pitch perfect accuracy. The track goes all Astral Projection at the end with sugary melody. This really is a space anthem if ever I've heard one. And without going over the top. Everything in total control, but without becoming predictable or zombie automaton. There’s not even a hint of the dreaded shiny plastic sound that psytrance has become. AWESOME!!! "Pitchbend (Into the Light Remix)" does exactly what it says on the tin: it ends with incredibly positive, life-affirming, sunny vibes that also happen to be delightfully psychedelic. Starting off pretty intense, this ends up being a lighter track than many on the album, but just as excellent. "The God Particle" makes it clear that this is a scifi themed album. There's such an awesome bass warble at the start of this track - honestly, this is totally addictive. Imagine holding a big sheet of roofing zinc and being able to shake it like a blanket - a metallic wap sound not far from a didge is what you'll get - and this sound goes on throughout. Infected Mushroom wish they could create just one sound as cool as this across their entire discography. A special shout to the snapping snares on this track too; faster than a cobra, as insouciant as a saddhu. As for the super trippy little elf melody at the end... I'm actually at a loss for superlatives. Could this be the best track on the album? "From Nothing"?? Nothing comes from nothing, so they say. Is this track describing the radical dissociation of a strong trip? Is it just a hymn to "empty" space? I don't know. But from the start this one goes heavier (I said the album builds not so?). At 5.00 there comes that unique little BotfB melody that sounds like the weird siren song of an alien elf at the window of your spaceship, luring you off track to the Triangulum constellation when you were supposed to be flying to Ganymede. Who needs Startrek when you have Goa trance like this? From nothing we find ourselves "In Heaven". This is the most classically Goa track on the album, featuring Indian singing, and it could easily be an Astral Projection song. Utter bliss, with some of the most textured riffs you'll ever hear. This is clearly the spiritual heart of the album. Om mani padme hum. Om namaya Shiva. Bom Shankar! The comedown commences with "Mugwump" which has a totally cool wurlitzer fairground horror melody. I love this forest elf twisty weirdo black metal goblin shit. We don't see enough of this tokolosh spiritualism in psytrance even though we have subgenres like twilight. Sheesh, BotFB invented twilight. Clearly BotFB is winding back from the hypnotic bliss of "In Heaven" and we go a bit darker and more foresty here. “Interstellar” is a more mellow track starting with a techno beat and tweaky noises, but soon accompanied by a whimsical and simple melody that repeats. Another one of those charmingly simple but minor key little melodies that BotfB specialises in. A little drop of unaccountably strange and otherworldly stardust. At the 5.45 point we enter another world with bigger riffs that are nevertheless restrained and subtle; nothing too loud here, but pulling you in with texture and intrigue. This is some beguiling shit! Finally, we come down to earth with “Blurred, Calm, Warm, Hazy”, just how you feel after a good toke. This is a fully ambient track, so of course there are some sitar sounds, Asian scales, along with tabla, and wailing melodies. BotFB set you adrift on deeply relaxing waves of calm and bliss. David Tingsgard, take a bow bro. I will probably never meet you as you live on the opposite side of the globe from me, but I wish I could shake your hand. In my opinion, you've created one of the all-time great Goa albums. I thought The Light Behind the Sun was good. Well, you've upped the game with this 10/10 record. You've shown Etnica, Pleaidians, Miranda, Transwave, Simon Posford, et al, that Goa is a genre capable of more than we dreamed. Technically it seems better than many of the classics. Imaginatively it is really out there. But it is also just so mellow, so musical, such delightful fun, as well as being dark, serious, and prophetic. If spiritual could be bottled, this is it. Yet this is very much a BotFB album; no one else could have made it. It has a unique peaceful calm understatement combined with crazy Loki inventiveness. The dust has long settled on the dirt roads of Anjuna. If you avoid the tourist areas you will only hear the lowing of sacred cows and temple bells at night walking near Chapora fort. The insects are loud in bamboo forest and the rice paddies glower in the gloom. But decades later, one who kept the faith has left behind a relic as valuable as anything made at the time. I feel privileged to discover it. Album of the year, and it is only January! This is deep trance plateau music - if you're a Goa fan, this is a must. It is begging for a vinyl release! Anoebis, do you hear me? Do not delay - crowdfund if you must, but do the best possible vinyl mastering and pressing of this classic album. I would be surprised if this album is not selling for thousands in decades to come! ~*~

An album of psydub highly influenced by reggae. There's a light bounciness to it that suggests that Spatialize listens to a lot of reggae, as also suggested by the use of sax, clarinet etc in arrangements that owe a nod to Bob Marley, Augustus Pablo, Lee Perry etc. However, as Yerg states above, there's a star track on the album and it is indeed "Colour of the Sky". This is a dark star. The track is deep and heavy, almost reminiscent of dark ambient or dungeon synth, and all the better for it. There's a superb solo in a minor key by what sounds like an oud (or it could be a synthetic "instrument") that brings extra Middle Eastern heaviness and the Oriental melody towards the end brings the track to climax when combined with some Pink Floyd style prog rock psyche keyboard. This is a great track. For me it so different and so far superior to everything else on the album, I'm surprised the artist didn't think to make an album of tracks like this, because it sure does not fit in here. Making everything else seem rather superficial and chintzy, this is a track deserving of a 12" release with remixes and/or other similar tracks. Very highly recommended, the rest of the album not so much. ~*~

Thanks Psyhoe. That's what I suspected; it is a charming anachronism that the poster was using "lp" in the old-fashioned sense of "long playing recording" rather than vinyl that spins at 33 or 45, but it was misleading. Thanks for clarifying that.

Oh my word, Kristian, so much drama! Wouldn't it be more creative and sustainable to make a statement that you can no longer play gigs in Israel and dedicate your next album to the Palestinian people? It seems that you are really talented at making albums, but less so at political statements . Or perhaps you just like drama

As a fellow Goahead and vinyl lover, I want to express my appreciation for all these postings. Thanks everyone! I cannot find any evidence of the new Blue Planet Corporation album "Aquaquest" being released on vinyl; am I missing something?

The Melodic Genius returns. So 17 years later, Khetzal, who scored a hit with the melodic Goa trance album "Corolle", returns with a new record! That's a long time by anyone's reckoning for a second album. Matthieu Chamoux is a melodic genius. He has a dynamic sense of melody, meaning that his melodies really move. He is able to make melodies sway, sweep, waltz, bounce, zoom off and develop. The development of these melodies is important: there is real storytelling structure in the songs, which speed up and slow down and change moods at points - this is derived from traditional symphonic structure or argument. "Corolle" was a hit, cited by a number as the best neo-Goa album, partly because of this melodic brilliance. It seemed to me that it stood directly in the line of classic 90s Goa from Astral Projection, TIP, Etnica et al. This was not only because it was not afraid to make big melodies, often with Oriental scales and motifs. In my estimation, it was also so good because it had a degree of simplicity: "Corolle" was just a bit less layeristic than most of the other neo-Goa from Filteria, Artifact 303, E-Mantra, et al. (Haha, I had to laugh when Morphic Resonance released "Perplexity" in 2018 - that can indeed be the response that excessive layerism can result in). "Corolle" was also not afraid to slow things down; quite a few of the tracks have modest bpms and are not shooting for high speed take off. To my way of thinking, this relative, I repeat relative, simplicity and slowness, along with the melodic genius, were the reasons for the success of "Corolle". Restraint, or at least some degree of restraint, is necessary for art: drama requires it. Hell for leather from bar 1 is a recipe for exhaustion, not for drama and intrigue. Restraint is often the mark of a master. So what about this 17 years later second album? Well, it is definitely Khetzal. A similar melodic sensibility is on display, similar Oriental motifs, similar restraint. Similar, but not the same. This album does not have as much of a consistent Oriental vibe as "Corolle" did. It is not as restrained and goes a little faster and more layeristic generally. Is it as good? Hard to say. I wouldn't say it is as memorable or as outstanding as the first album, but that does not mean it is not as good. "Admonition" is a strange title for the first track of an album, suggesting that things did not start off so well for the composer. Whatever, it has an atmospheric start, and soon becomes quite mystic and wondrous due to background choirs and drones - a building beginning. "Ziggurat" is percussive and grows into a psychedelic monster with spinning melodies with oriental drones in the background - nice! I must make mention of the background drones that set off the main melody so well in "Grey Kitty in the Box" (weird title - Matthieu got a present of a kitten?). "Gather Your Herds" is a real head-nodder of a track with a highly memorable whistling main theme. The melody in the next track "Acide Formique" is quite similar - a kind of continuity. "Pavane" as the title suggests is a real bouncy dancey track with an addictive bassline and some cool percussive breaks - this track sounds a lot like Filteria in that the melodies seem to multiply and fly off or fizzle out in a drizzle of wiggles. Really an extraordinarily psychedelic track which even has sounds like lasers in a Star Wars movie and what sounds a lot like a violin or viola gypsy-style main theme - very, very, very nice! Khetzal outdoes himself in this track which is a masterwork and arguably the best track he has thus far composed. "A World of Outmoded Ideas" is quite fast and busy - lots of fractal pixillations here and babbling long melodic lines. The main melodic theme which works with stabs does not work so well for me - it is just a little too chintzy and bright sounding for this listener. This track is sort of like a sped up Astral Projection. "Didge Voices" slows things down a little and offers a haunting Arabic melody with a flute sound from the get go. This main melody owes a lot to music and film - it could easily be from "Lawrence of Arabia" or any number of other classic films with its combination of yearning and minor key gloom. What a great track. "Ealitas Ex Nihilo" is a nice closer going a bit slower than most of the other tracks on the album. Nothing too special or outstanding on offer here, though it does have an epic sensibility. So Khetzal has created another fine album, albeit not as restrained as the first record. I'm not sure that this works better for the album as a whole, but it has helped him create some of his best melodies thus far, particularly on "Pavane" and "Didge Voices". This album was not as immediately memorable as the first album for me. Nevertheless, it is a superb work that may just have more staying power; only time will tell. Seeing as "Corolle" got a vinyl release (at last!), Suntrip are obligated to give this a vinyl release too. C'mon Suntrip: you can do it. ~*~

The second Goa album from Artifact 303 piqued my interest as I enjoyed the first album, so here's my review after quite a few listens. When I first got "Back to Space" back in 2011, I was initially underwhelmed. It seemed not to be the best of both worlds, but to fall between two stools. On the one hand, it had the manic, sometimes indigestible, layerism of nu skool Goa that throws everything including the kitchen sink at the listener. On the other hand, it seemed to be a fairly straightforward copy of Astral Projection that wasn't original enough to justify its existence. So ran my initial thoughts. But over time, "Back to Space" sank into my consciousness and I started to enjoy it for its delicate melodies. It does have the weakness of a certain breathless quality that would benefit from pruning the endless pretty layers and more attention to spacing and pacing, but there are some great melodies on that album. 10 years later and Peter Zsolt brings us another Goa artifact: "From the Stars". One thing is for sure, his basic template has not changed at all: this is still highly layeristic nu skool with a strong Astral Projection type melodic flavour. This brings both the joy in some fantastic melodies, and the limitation of a certain relentless breathlessness and prettiness, at least to this listener. What is a bit new is that there is a bit more full-on dancefloor influence on the sounds, especially early on in the album, and the album as a whole is less spacey as a result. Moreover, this album reminded me less of Astral Projection than the first; this new record reminded me of Oforia. For me, the album doesn't start that well. I find "Apex" is a bit too nitzhonot for me, especially in the main melody and then the modulation of that melody that plays from the 5.20 point. All a bit too hands in the air ravey for me. "Astral Traveler" goes a bit deeper with more complex modulations of the main melody, though that main melody is again fairly cheesy and some of the synth stabs sound a bit predictably 80s. It sent me to Laughing Buddha's 1998 "Astral Traveller" track, but I am not too sure there is an obvious influence (I much preferred the altogether tougher psychedelia of Laughing Buddha btw). "Dreamland" starts better for me with a kinetic, bouncy rhythm section and then when the melodies kick in they are a bit lower in frequency and more swirly - nice deeper track than the first two (and I can't help but think of the great Asia 2001 album which has the same title). "Solar Warden" has strong claims to be the best track on the album, going a bit more acidic and darker than the earlier tracks and gaining some heft and gravitas in the process. I like this track which has some super cool unpredictable transitions, like the staggered sounds at 4.30. "Unidentified" keeps up the trajectory into slightly harder sounds and has a gorgeous weirdo forest-style melody at 2.15 with all the mystery and intrigue that one might find in Battle of the Future Buddhas, for instance. Really cool background drones towards the end of this track. Another good track, though I think it might have done more with that forest melody! With "Summer Storm" Artifact 303 continues the journey towards darker sounds - the album is quite carefully structured in that way. Nice sawing bass synths with a grinding quality at the start of the track. I'm not too convinced by the main melody at the 5.30 mark as it has a bit of old school hard house flavour - hard to describe - a certain hysteria that can grate in the wrong mood. I'm being over-picky here as I like this track, but I also don't like the vocal repeating "summer storm" towards the end. "Open Your Eyes" has an excellent rhythm section with really nice climbing and angular melodies, especially the main one at the 5 minute mark and onwards. I like this track almost as much as "Solar Warden". "Secret Space" is a kinda subdued, almost interior, track. However, it builds gradually and imperceptibly towards a helluva melodic climax that is truly psychedelic and trippy. I like this one. "The Divine Plan" heads back into more chintzy, uplifting territory. The sample works for me and helps lift the track into an overtly cosmic dimension. Lots of background noises, drones, swooshes and plinky plonks to dig into here. Yeah, I like this one too as it stays just this side of cheesy. "Wisdom Bringers" is the obligatory chill out track at the end of the album. This one goes way too plasticky for me with the synth sounds chosen for the main melody. I found this a weak psychill track. So for me this album does not start out so well with too much full-on psytrance/nitzho flavour for my tastes. Luckily it improves after this and is carefully and tastefully structured after track two. For me, "Solar Warden" is the track, though I enjoyed "Unidentified", "Open Your Eyes", "Secret Space" and "The Divine Plan" almost as much. I don't think this album is as good as the first one, primarily due to an occasionally malfunctional quality control filter, but it has some very good tracks. I kinda feel that the next album will be make or break for Artifact 303. More experimentalism away from the dancefloor will be key in my view. ~*~

Gamma Draconis? The third star in the Draco constellation? The third dragon? The third coming? I'm not sure. Whatever the title means, the sound is good on this vinyl compilation of classic Goa artists; a lot of detail is on offer. What a great pleasure it is to have Goa on vinyl again; Suntrip Records are to be commended - let us hope they produce more vinyl editions. It must be admitted, however, that their postage and packing leave much to be desired. Mine arrived bent and buckled due to the inadequate flimsy box and took its sweet time too. When I wrote informing them of this there was no reply. Tsk tsk Suntrip - up your game. I understand you have been out of the vinyl game for some time, but there is no excuse for a lack of professionalism. Amongst other things, this means proper lp mailers with double boxes and taking care of your loyal fans, including replying to emails. On to the tunes. It must first be noted that the back cover is the same as the CD, with Roy Sasson initiating proceedings, when in fact his is the second last track on the lp. A charming error that was also apparent a few times in the 90s, suggesting that the vinyl issue is an afterthought. This is a pity because lp cover art has a lot more potential for detail, colour saturation, scale etc, not to mention vinyl sound. Ah vinyl sound. The sound on this vinyl is very, very good. As good as on any of the golden age vinyls from the 90s. The tracks themselves? There are no weak tracks. The acidic Battle of the Future Buddhas track isn't their best for me; a bit too repetitive. I'm not completely convinced either about the Astral Projection track which seems a bit on autopilot to me (well, at least until the breakdown and gorgeous conclusion). For me Xenomorph, MFG, Oforia, and RA bring the killer tunes. The production on the Xenomorph track has to be heard to be believed; my favourite track on the compilation. Xenomorph: has he ever made a less than extraordinary track? If so, I've never heard it. Surprisingly the final track, RA's "Eikon", is the most up-tempo full on track on the album. Did Suntrip do this to suggest where Goa went? What I really like most, nevertheless, about this compilation is that each artist sounds recognisably themselves; there's no confusing Shakta with AP, for instance. That really cool individuality of each artist that was characteristic of 90s Goa is intact: Great! I've been listening to some neo-Goa on cd and streaming recently on my digital system - cool. Hehe, but when I put on this vinyl in my analogue system a portal opens up into a transdimensional world of tonal velvet and unlimited space. Superior? No contest! This is the way that Goa was originally supposed to sound and boy does it deliver sensual bliss. The first vinyl edition of Khetzal's classic "Corolle" album is apparently on the way, so that is further cause for Goa fans to celebrate. Just don't forget to post it in an lp mailer. Go Suntrip! ~*~

A fine debut album here, demonstrating an impressive level of maturity and diligence: it is immediately apparent that a lot of thought and practice has gone into each track as they are all well-structured and feature harmonious sounds that have been carefully pruned and edited to fit together well and hence create a floaty atmosphere and effect. If the artist's intention (always problematic to ascertain) is indeed to create an aural space voyage, then the album succeeds triumphantly. On the down side, the artist is fairly obviously a big Astral Projection fan, and at times I found myself wondering who put on the AP track I had never heard before. At one level, this is high praise. At another level, the album is for sure derivative, and more could have been done to sculpt a more unique sound and identity. Nevertheless, this is a minor caveat, because this is undoubtedly a good album and significantly better than many nu Goa efforts. Indeed, I'm hoping to hear more from this talented artist and take another trip back to space. ~*~

I'm enjoying this album. Victor Solsona has his own Goa style that could be described as deeper, slower, funky. This gives this album its own identity, something lacking today. He often goes deep and a little slower and less manic than some other contemporary Goa acts. He prefers bigger leads that are not too cluttered with layerism. This is a good thing in my book as it creates more space for the listener and dancer. On the down side, at times the sounds on this album are a bit cliched, and it sure likes its panned swooshes and ripping noises. Worth a listen I think. ~*~

I must put a special shout out for the track "Their Own Light", which has an innovative kick drum sound and beat. What a storming track! Overall a good neo-Goa album, though at times it feels a bit manic for its own good and can sound a touch formulaic. Occasionally I find the leads a bit plasticky/strident sounding, though the production as a whole is good. MerrOw's characteristic theme is quite original, however, as most Goa has been more about the beach and bamboo forest and stars above than it was in the Indian ocean. I guess the artist is an Aquaman, Mera, Nemo and Fathom fan, as well as a surfer or swimmer? It is quite impressive that he does get a kind of "wet" and immersive sound. This raises the question of whether Goa is landscape (or waterscape, or spacescape) music? I think the polyrhythms and storytelling aspect are like flying through a landscape. "Travelling without moving" as Astral Projection had it. Pretty cool to be swimming for a change. ~*~ PS - Trainspotter alert: the beginning of "Fractal Octopus" sounds a lot like the intro to Astral Projection's "Kabalah". Is it supposed to be a cover, or a homage to this famous opening track of Trust in Trance? PPS - I'm split about the cover art. The colors are appealing, but it is toony.