rino

Just gave this one a spin or two last night (odd though), and it leaves me almost completely unimpressed. That is, except for two tracks here, and those would be the collaborations with MFG; Breaking Through and Jungle Dream! Wonderful tracks, the true standouts, especially the first one with some really emotional and captivating melodies, a fine and dance floor friendly beat, and it all revolves around a great sample going: "we live on a planet revolving around a star in the middle of an unknown infinity of space." The album's finest moment, no doubt. Jungle Dream has a rougher edge to it, but it still rocks, it's just not as mellow as its predecessor! The title track is not bad either, with a really psychedelic touch, and sometimes I do find that sample about the land of Labuta a little misplaced here, but overall this is something I don't recall California Sunshine doing before, so I find it a thoroughly enjoyable track. Not in the league with the above mentioned two tunes, but great nonetheless! Unfortuantely the rest does nothing for me, not that it is dated, I still very much enjoy the good tracks here, but some are just over exaggerated as for example the album opener, which is so over the top it borders cheese! Hell, it even crossess the border, IMO! Could be fun to dance to, but I've heard uplifting and joyful stuff done much better. Under Cover is accompanied by some god awful guitar riffs, Vision has an acidic synth and build up, but I've heard those done a 1000 times before, and a thousand times better, to say the least! And everything in between is just flat and pale on that track, while Rocket, with all due respect to the C.S. pioneers, is a straight up pop track. And that would be putting it in good terms, as I seriously have no idea where to place it... Forest continues the darker and more psychdelic path taken by the title track, but eventually some lighter melodies sneak into it. But I don't like this one, as it is just incomplete, with the same sounds and melodies going on and on through the whole track. And, yes, we've heard all those done a million times before, and yes, we've heard them being done a million times better. Last Feeling has somewhat of a tribalesque beat until the break and the arrival of those uplifting melodies, with a background acid synth that I've must of encountered already four times on this album. So yeah, they end with a very run of the mill California Sunshine track, yeah, the same one we've been given the opportunity to listen to on their previous albums. Not bad, just uninspired. For Breaking Through and Jungle Dream, this gets a 6/10 from me. The rest ranges from shallow to mediocre to flat to just bad...

That's not exactly what I meant, I don't think you got it, but LOL anyways...

Do not underestimate their amazing The Astral Files, sir, as it is at least as great as Another World. True, not all the tunes are spectacular, but when they are, as a result you have some of their finest musical pieces ever: Ionized, Zero, Maian Dream (my all time #1 A.P. track ), the end of time mix of Time Began With The Universe...

I usually like vinyls a lot, and around 3/4 of my Etnica/Pleiadians/Crop Circles collection is on ancient vinyl, but I don't think I could ever settle for a vinyl copy of The Juggeling Alchemists Under The Black Light... And why one may ask? Because the vinyl version does not contain my all time favorite Etnica track, Mystical Appearance in Goa! So, to have the vinyl version of that undeniable gem is like having an enormous vanilla cake, with the cherry stolen from the top! Oh yeah, another album I want to get my hands on for quite some time is: Slide- Unstable (1998) (Transient Records) http://www.discogs.com/artist/Slide

An original cop of V.A. Accidental Occidentalism (1995) (Symbiosis Records) would be more than welcome... Oh yeah, I know I sound crazy and all, but I'd really like if someone would give me a nice offer for one of those rare test-pressing vinyls of Etnica's never legally released Tribute/Intense Visitation 12" (Blue Room Released) Yeah, stuff like that never happens... Intense Visitation remains an amazing track nonetheless, even in MP3 format! Oh yeah, and CJ Bolland's debut, 4th Sign as well is in my want list. I know it doesn't really qualify as a rarity, but I don't know... Aw, fuck it, I have no excuse for not having it. Marvellous album!

Well, seems like I'll be the ugly duckling in this thread... I prefer Astral Projection to MFG any time of the day, night and anything in between. To be honest there are two main reasons, and they are called Maian Dream and Liquid Sun, two of my favorite tracks from A.P. Especially the first which is my favorite tune to have ever hailed out of Israel, and it still gets me hypnotized years and years after I first heard it! The A.P. boys snatch the crown, IMO!!!

No comment. You got me, Jon! Don't really matter whether we agree or not, as your review is spot on, as always!

WHAT A THREAD... I was without internet for like 10 days (read: unpayed bills ) I am the pioneer of goa trance, and the genre was invented back here in Zagreb, like 25 years ago. I was not born yet, but who gives a fuck, I invented this beautiful music genre while I was still a fetus in my mother's womb. I messed around with the umbilical cord and noticed these cool melodic sounds being crafted while I clenched my teeth around it!!! Yes, yes, I know I say a bunch of bullshit, but if I wasn't saying it, what would I be doing here???

I absolutely agree with seraph here! This is an outstanding release: so raw, wild, fresh, innovative and maaaaaad psychedelic. D Dave and his crew really did deliver a classic here. I don't give 'em often, but this must be like a 9.5/10 A classic, no questions to be asked

Great tracklist, great track arrangement, great choice of tunes, the whole thing is reaaaally to my liking- trippy as hell, BUT... What on earth is Electric Universe's atrocious Meteor 2004 doing amongst these beauties??? God damn, it almost made me wreck my speaker system... But overall a GREAT set. Two thumbs up!!!

mars & technossomy... WOW!!! Makes me feel like a park side begger. Hell, I'd guess we'd need a whole new forum to properly fit all the pics of ukiro's collection! And I bet radi's all over trying to find out where the 'staffan' dude is from, so he can stab him in his sleep, and snatch those Posford goodies!

I dislike the album, but I think it belongs here. Actually, I'm positive it belongs here! Kemic Al- The dark journal (2006) (Butterfly Records) link: http://www.discogs.com/release/682050

Sven Vath Touch themes of harlequin, robot, ballet dancer Artist: Sven Vath, Ralf Hildenbeutel Year: 1995 Label: Eye Q Records Format: CD, album Genre: ambient/trance/techno Length: 74:04 Tracklisting: 01. Harlequin's Meditation (B-Zet's remix) 08:48 02. Harlequin Plays Bells (Harlequin Plays Hells Bells-mix by Alter Ego) 06:26 03. Harlequin- The Beauty And The Beast (Underworld remix) 12:53 04. Robot (Hardfloor remix) 08:05 05. The Birth Of Robby (Aural Float mix) 17:42 06. Ballet-Fusion (Speedy J mix) 10:21 07. Ballet-Dancer (B-Zet remix) 09:38 Another one of those old favorites I just recently rediscovered. At first I felt awry about reviewing it on this site, but when I saw that Sven's previous two albums are already here, I went like: "What the hell, not that it can do any harm!". What you have here is a 7 track remix album, with some of the (back in the day) most influental and talented electronic music producers remixing classic tunes from Sven's & Ralf's 1995 classic "The Harlequin- The Robot and The Ballet-Dancer"! Just look at the names involved, and probably the first question that will pop into your mind is: "How bad can this actually be??? ". I consider myself a huge fan of Sven's older work, and for me, the Harlequin release is one of the finest albums I own, regardless of the genre! And this adds itself more than adequately to that masterpiece. Let's do a quick dash through the tracks and see how well this stood the test of time... B-Zet opens up quite nicely with his mellow, and very ambientesque take on Harlequin's Meditation, and then Alter Ego slightly picks up the pace, but still on the downtempo side, with Harlequin Plays Bells. While this remix never impressed me in particular, it really isn't until the third track that this album really shows its true value! As simple as I can put it, Underworlds's remix of Harlequin- The Beauty And The Beast is a classic. While it is pretty repetitve, it somehow stays on the interesting side (think of Underworld's other older tunes like Rez and Dogman Go Woof!), and I must admit it does justice to the original, which was easily the standout on the Harlequin album! Back then Underworld had more tricks in their hat than any great illusionist, and best of all is that they actually pulled them all of! Great track, it really evokes some nice memories! Next one up is a remix by none other then the legendary duo Hardfloor! Yeah, those two circa 1995 were pretty much on the top of their game so you know you can expect only ear candy, spiced up with their trademark acidic synths, on the remix of Robot. Aural Float's remix of The Birth Of Robby could easily be my favorite here. What can you expect from A. Azary + Pascal F.E.O.S. + Gabriel Le Mar? Pure gold? Something like that, yes! This almost 18 minute long sonic journey leaves me speechless, as the music really takes me through loads of moods, atmospheres and dreamy states of mind! They really do expand on the original, giving it an excellent, long and dreamy intro, making the track alltogether more mature than its predecessor. Dare I say, this might be the only remix on the album that actually beats the original. Hard to say, but if there ever was one, it's here! Or is it maybe this one: Speedy J back in the day... What a spontaneous rime, but mr. Paap is one of my all time favorite producers, and the amount of amazing tunes he's produced, ranging from acid house, hardcore, ambient, trance, break beat, techno, hard techno and downtempo, is downright amazing. And oh boy does he deliver here, with his remix of Ballet-Fusion! If you like anything he's done back then, you are bound to love this one. The best part of the track is the slow ambient intro, and then the ambient breakdown towards the track's mid-section! As all of Speed J's work around '95, this is excellent, if not classic. A notch below the previous track, but a monumental piece of music nonetheless! And we close off with another ambient tune by B-Zet; the remix of Ballet-Dance, which is basically a nine and a half minutes long relaxing journey with some beautiful sounds and slow, dreamy melodies building into and fading out of the track. The album ends more or less as it started, meaning great, which really doesn't surprise with all these names involved... To conclude, if you liked "The Harlequin- The Robot And The Ballet-Dancer" this is essential. If you like Sven's early works, this is essential. If you like old school ambient music, which mainly relies on creating atmospheric soundscapes, with no strings attached, and no bullshit, this is essential. Hell, if you at least like old school electronic music, this is essential purchase. Check out the names involved, and try to utter out this isn't an old schooler's wet dream artist arsenal here! If you can find it, and it shouldn't be to hard to find, buy it, and play it when you'll be in your early sixites- and the tears in your eyes are guaranteed. A classic, no. The Harlequin release was one, though. But to complete your essential Sven & Ralf collection, this is a must, and from me it gets a safe and well deserved 9/10!

Damn, I forgot these details, and honestly I've neglected their amazing EPs recently, so I guess it's time to dig 'em out again. I've been playing the hell out of "U Turn" so much, I kinda forgot about their old music. These project name/record label licensing never really bothered me, as I could never remember who is signed to where, but that's why their music speaks a trizillion words!!! YAY!!!

That's the spirit. Rock on! Well, my 'nick' is an indirect ode to that great label- that's how you would pronounce it in croatian

Mad mad mad respect to Metapsychic Records, and y'all know I can't wait to get my "hands" on this new compilation!!! Best of luck to you guys! But these negative vibes about mr. Tzakis kind of spoil everything for me. Fighting and bitching is a big NO NO! Definitely something that could tarnish the whole feel good vibe and spread positivity philosophy of the label! Keep the music coming!!!

Sorry radi, but this is the equivalent of me saying that I hate Hallucinogen because his distortions of voices on samples, and how it pisses me off because it ruins the track... Get my point? The kind of melodies Boris Blenn applies on "Cosmic experience" can only go with those basslines, and even though I perfectly understand what you are trying to say, the man made a damn fine album, be it full on or not! Oh yeah! Try out this track, and lemme know what ya think: Psychlopedia- The gurningpoint ...as uplifting, psychedelic, melodic, pumping and euphoric as they use to come from Spiral Trax...

Weird. Not that I don't like and respect Electric Universe, I just always thought he got "lost" after that magical period 1994-1996, when IMO everything he released is worth gold today... Unfortunately, the whole period from his smashing Online Information hit to his grand resurrection with "Cosmic Experience" is not something I usually do not look forward listening to. Oh well, different tastes! Yeah yeah, Meteor blew the whole off their feet and all- God was that tune massive... Matter of fact, Ima put it on right now, 'cause it's been a while But respect to the man nevertheless, he's been there since like... forever!!!

Speedy J- G Spot Speedy J- Public Energy #1 I don't know if this is what you're looking for, I don't know if you heard it or not, but those would be my 2 cents...

Nemo, take my word for it!!! See how AppA is hooked??? I am usually not too fond of full on, but please, please give this one a chance. It delighted me, and puts a Joker, Jack Nicholson type smile on my face EVERY fucking time I put it on!!! Electric Universe- Cosmic Experience (2004) ...Is the best full on album I own, and shows how old school artists can still make heads spin in this new school era!!! At least give it a try: it's melodic, uplifting, NOT cheesy, pumping and joyful as hell. Too bad he fucked himself up with last year's run of the mill full on album, "Silence In Action", which is, IMHO, as mediocre as they come, as shallow as an empty Stella Artois beer bottle!

You missed my point... I did not listen to it. I will not listen to it. I will not call it crap. I will not say it is good. I do not care whether it will be total crap or good. I just DO NOT care that it's getting released. As simple as that. I am not judging the album, as you understood it, probably because I wrote "boring" somewhere in my last post, but that is not what I meant. I meant "boring" as in lack of ideas, direction and motivation to create new and provocative music. How do I know this? Well, from the simple fact of listening to any Etnica/Pleiadians track coming from the post 1999 era... And yes, I've moved on and stopped expecting a raw and groundbreaking masterpiece from Max and Mauro, as it will not happen during my life time. So I repeat: boring. It is the fact that the general artisitc state of this italian duo for the past 7 years killed every last inch of curiosity and hope in me. There you go. "Totemism"? So what? Sounds as exciting as A.P.'s forthcoming album...

Even though it still kind of hurts me to say it, I couldn't care less about them releasing an album. Etnica/Pleiadians have more than honestly earned their place in history and done their fair share, but unfortunately, ALL of their output since 1999 was at BEST chance worthy. And only on a good and sunny day. As for the remix album: boring. Really boring and uninspiring, neverminding some of the names involved. My favorite music act of all times just fails to impress me, or even make me raise an eyebrow. Oh well, life is a bitch, and it seems that the music industry is by far the largest whore around...

I'll be nice this time around. I don't know what's gotten into me! OK, radi, try some tracks on Chi A.D.'s "Infinitism", 'cause if some of those don't qualify as uplifting/psychedelic/uplifting, nothing does. Some tracks by MWNN, as Nemo nicely pointed out already, try Electron Wave's album, shit, and Hara Gobi's "Party Junkies" album--- YAY!!! O.O.O.D.'s "Breathing Space" has those first 5-6 tracks which are as euphoric and uplifting, and feel good alike as possible, Oforia's "Delirious" debut release...

I know I'd be better off with my mouth shut, but I occasionally get lost even on my computer keyboard. I get dizzy just by looking at these "machines", softwares or whatever is their proper name, function and all... Wish you the best of luck with the live! Damn, if a police raid was to take place, they could arrest you for carrying highly sophisticated missile launching machinery!

Well, 3 posts about this gem in one day calls for some urgent retrospection from my part! While not as musically accomplished as "Alien protein" or the "Plastic EP", and not as insanely in-your-face as their side project Pleiadians releases, "The juggeling alchemist under the black light" is a superbly atmospheric and well rounded off piece of music. It takes time to build, it really doesn't rush anywhere, nor does it pretend to be the most off the chain album you'll ever come across. It clocks in at a little over sixty minutes, but it's the nicest way I prefer to spend a "lazy hour", acting like a couch potato! As a whole this album more than delivers, even though I have two standout tracks, which I will get to later! While anyone would have a hard time arguing that these tracks don't sound simple when confronted to some modern razor sharp production, I don't see how that effects the overall undeniable mesmerizing music throughout this album? Does complexity mean quality? Hell no. Rather than complain about the lack of layers, sit back and relax to all the spacey and dreamy sounds, effects and melodies... When you have a track called Infinitive Dream, what else can you expect? And damn, those melodies are sweeeeeet!!! Just listen to that part at 02:45! Tese guys were really on to something back in the day. I mean, if you wanna be persistent and look for details, just listen to the interlude from 03:58 to 04:50 on Gili's Voyage (Ketu remix), and hear for yourself that they could do it even back then, if they felt like it! And the melody they rip on the same track from 06:50 on... Hell, if this ain't Etnica we all learned to love, then it's like they never existed. Threat to burn down my house and I'll come straight and say the melodies on this album are not as memorable and epic as on their later work. That is until the album's closing number, a track that really needs no introduction, Mystical Appearance In Goa! It has got to be my favorite Etnica track ever, with everything you ever wanted from 'em and then some: a long, atmospheric & moody intro, the "howling wind" background effect, those amazing butterfly effects Etnica pretty much made a trademark out of, a groovy bass kick, which eventually completely succumbs to one of the most insane and emotional melodies they ever ripped on any track!!! What a way to go out and end an album! This track alone makes it worth the purchase, given the possibility you ever stumble across it for a reasonable price, as it's a highly sought after item nowadays, being sold for absurd amounts of $$$... Yessir, anutha one uv those ol' skewl class kix