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Artist: Art of Existence Title: Art of Existence EP Label: Spliff Music Date: February, 2011 1. Art of Creation 2. Welcome 3. Data Conflict 4. The Real World "When cosmologists look at the night sky the see something strange...galaxies aren't behaving as they should" Is it just me or does the cover look like a ladies love tunnel? This is Philip Jidbrandt and Tommy Axelsson (aka, Wizack Twizack) with 4 track EP in the night full-on category. I like Tommy's music, so I thought I would give this a try. Besides he's a friend on Psynews and that's what friends are for. Art of Creation has a sci-fi feel with the acidic backlash that is commonly found in EU tracks. Point for you. Welcome has a growl to it with hi-tech darkness that is right in Tommy's wheelhouse. Delicious as they continue with the EU sparkle synths. Matter of fact if you told me that EU released Mind of God 2.0 I wouldn't have blinked. Two points. The choir pads in Data Conflict secure the atmosphere but this is also a bull in the china shop with Xerox and Illumination Battleship power. The last track, The Real World is a chunky, powerful track with liquid leads and shimmering synths. I know this is 1 and a half years old, but it's definitely worth checking it out if you are in the market for some powerful dark-full on. Good stuff. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Free Frequency Label: TesseracT Studio Date: February, 2011 1. Day of Illusion KLIMENT 2. Basic (Zyce and Spinney Lainey rmx) ZYCE 3. Walk the line FLEGMA AND NERSO VS ZYCE 4. Carbon SIDEFORM VS ZYCE AND FLEGMA 5. Awakening FLEGMA AND NERSO VS MIDDLE MODE 6. Who attacks me ECTIMA 7. Holy Spirit E-CLIP 8. Something Beneath ZYCE AND FLEGMA 9. Flux ZEN MECHANICS VS FLEGMA AND NERSO TesseracT is at it again with another progressive trance compilation this time compiled by DJ Zoi who was apparently responsible for the festival in Greece of the same name. The track list is mouth wateringly good if you are a fan of the effect heavy and melodic soundscapes that these artists usually create. This label has their sh*t together and rarely disappoints. Day of Illusion- This was a long pumping track to open the compilation and while entertaining in spots, I felt it droned on. Highlights? The tribal feel with the flute was unexpected as was the cool breakbeat. The only problem was that those highlights were in the first 3 minutes. So for the last 6 and a half.... Basic (Zyce & Spinney Lainey Remix)- Nikola Kozić shouldn't be a stranger to anyone who enjoys the thick and melodic sound of progressive trance. Spinney Lainey sounds like a made up name but this is who helped with the remix. You got flutes, effects from all over the place, and percussive thumping to guide you through this. The break is a beautiful mix of tones and melodies as the flute soars high and the bass rumbles underneath. It's a good one. Carbon- Holy hell in a hand basket, Zyce is all over this thing. Sideform consists of Drasko Radovanovic and Milos Modrinic and they put in some good work here. Rumbling, crunchy effects and chopped up synths create a bunch of layers to sift through. Good bouncer. Awakening- "What we're doing here is simple. We're waking up. We're waking up out of our dream. You are lost in illusion. You're lost in your dream." Flegma & Nerso again with Jovan Tot and Ivan Jovicic and they deliver sparkly synths and trademark TesseracT echoing sounds fading into the distance. This one is also pretty layer intensive with the same plodding style that is rich in atmosphere. Another good one. Who Attacks Me- "Who attacks me?" I was never a fan of his minimalistic tech style approach, but hey you can't please everyone. There's lions growling in this I guess and it's more of a grumbly rumbler style of progressive trance. Even though I'm not a fan, I can appreciate it. Holy Spirit- This guy. Yep, this guy is responsible for the best progressive trance disc of 2011 with Shuma. Book it. Write it down. Put it in your cell phone. He opens with a nice spooky intro and his bass line is about a 8.9 on the richter scale. It's the darkest track yet with a synth line that screeches like i just dropkicked a cat for a score. Power baby, and near the end it changes tempo for a spell. That's the only part I didn't like. Just didn't seem to fit, but he gets back to being a rock star for a whale of an end. Leggos...what can't they do? Something Beneath- Apparently Nerso went on a beer run, so these two decided to make a track on their own. Snooze you lose buddy...shoulda had more in the fridge on standby I guess. It's walking with a big stick around the 2 minute mark and he won't let go of it. Attitude as synth riffs continue to echo and swirl. A searching melody spirals out of the rumbly bass not being too complicated. Loved it. Flux- I guess this duo got tired of Zyce hogging all the spotlight and substituted him for Zen Mechanics. His latest has been sitting on my desk for weeks. Really need to get to that. If you guessed that this would be deluged with effects then you get a cookie. Well, some cookie dough, I didn't have time to throw it into the oven. Whoa, whoa, whoa...go to the mens room if you're gonna do that! "C'mon, c'mon!!!" If that was all there was then it would be no big deal, but these guys bring the big beat that rattles the walls if you get me. Very rhythmic as it thunders into the break of long twisted sweeps. I really like the bass sound that rips across the air but like previous tracks before it has so much going for it that you have to hear it. Superb. Walk The Line- Nikola joins forces with heavyweights Dalibor Delić & Dragan Matić to create a track that has a mellow feeling about it. It's groovy and evolves slowly, but the melodies don't get uppity until halfway through. There is a chunky quality to the beat and that makes it more danceable and I think it's more of a sit on a beach chair with a beer in your hand type of track. Normally I would think it weak, but their effect placement is spot on thickening things up. Ok, show of hands...who thought there would be a Johnny Cash sample in there? Anyone? Great compilation. Full of power (well as powerful as progressive trance gets) and melody with oodles of effects to paint a picture. No bad tracks to be found so this comes highly recommended. http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/tes/tes1cd005.html http://www.beatspace.com/6090/Tesseractstudio/Various/Free+Frequency++/detail.aspx http://www.goastore.ch/product_info.php?products_id=4260 Mdk

Artist: Invisible Reality Title: Parallel Fantasy Label: Iono Music Date: February, 2011 1. Inkognito 2. Vanishing Rainbow 3. Pacifier Move 4. Criminal Code 5. Celestial Objects 6. Pure soul ghost 7. Be Real (Invisible Reality rmx) - Haldolium 8. Parallel Fantasy 9. Insomnia Iono Music is the king of progressive trance who put out more than that girl in high school. Hooking up with her is like riding a moped...fun as hell until someone sees you on one. One thing that you don't have to concern yourself with is whether a release is worth your hard earned dough. Invisible Reality are Shamil Abramov & Igor Sorin who are now based in Israel. I know what you're thinking. Is that f*cking dog just gonna take that from that b*tch ass cat? There is this pervasive idea that while Israeli artists were once the pioneers of a lot of trance they have since continued the downward spiral into a massive cheese tray. A lot of that well deserved. But I assure you that this project is no joke. They have released several EP's and their debut album Invisibility was as close to flawless progressive as you could get. This has been out for almost a year now and somehow it always finds its way into my playlist. Why? It's not close to being the most powerful music out there. I've heard tracks with more layers and melody. So what is it? First of all the production is superb. Every sound is crystal clear. And there are a lot of them on display in various iterations. Second, it sounds fresh with real instruments. Not the preset of a real instrument. This isn't your basic cut and paste 8 bar generic music. No pattern was followed, just intelligent arrangements. It tells stories with numerous twists and turns. Drum sounds are as varied as snowflakes with clever breaks. Third, the transitions and melodies are very smooth. There is a dark theme running through this album with eerie melodies and crunchy percussion. Put all of that together and you get an outstanding record that will take you far away. I urge you to give this your full attention and listen to this gem all the way through. This goes right up there with the best progressive this year. Psyshop Beatspace Saiko Sounds Goa Store Mdk

Artist: Keamia Title: Catastrophe EP Label: Astronautic Records Date: February, 2011 1. The Devil 2. Disobedient 3. Catastrophe This is Shahin Babazadeh and if you look at his Discogs picture you would think that his scenes in the Matrix ended up on the cutting room floor. He has been pretty prolific releasing several EP's on Ektoplazm for free. Talented too, as he did the artwork and his own mastering for this release. A different turn for him, he is leaning more towards the darker side of full-on as the track titles will testify. The Devil- Something wicked this way comes....but then it devolves into generic full-on with sound effect screams. The laziest move? The final 2 and a half minutes are virtually the same. I can see a minute, but 2 and a half. Cmon man if you're gonna pull that sh*t, knock 2 minutes off the track time. Obviously not integral to your story. Disobedient-The tempo has quickened and he's working on a pretty good groove. The lead was pretty good before he switched to another one. It's really running at a quick pace but it's also running on fumes because there ain't a whole lot here. Full-on that's not close to being full. Catastrophe- "We have destroyed your planet." No you didn't, just full-on. I don't think I can fit this hunk of cheese through the door. It's really fast again and I'll be honest the groove has potential as his sparkly synths filter in. This is clearly his best effort of the EP as it gets pretty hectic towards the end. Not bad. The best thing I can say is that this is free. The sound quality is good so he obviously can master pretty well. I also liked the artwork. The music? Well...3 out of 4 ain't bad right? The arrangements are wafer thin and sound amateurish. Nothing complex or deep to be found here and sounds like stuff he was messing around with that isn't close to being finished. The only thing dark were the track titles. Still better than anything I can produce. Well, I mean other than my beatbox. http://www.ektoplazm...mia-catastrophe Mdk

Artist: Zen Mechanics Title: Re:Modified Label: Neurobiotic Records Date: February, 2011 1. Holy Cities (Ace Ventura Rmx) 2. Psychotropical Nights (Sonic Species Rmx) 3. Off the Grid (Burn in Noise Rmx) 4. Hallucination Generation (Loud Rmx) 5. Modified (Headroom Rmx) 6. Voodoo Bytes (Earthling Rmx) 7. CBR (S-Range Rmx) 8. Mecha (Dickster Rmx) 9. Immerse (Liftshift Rmx) F*ck. Another remix album? What are we Hollywood now, can't come up with original tracks gotta remake everything? Did you know they are remaking Footloose? Footloose. Kevin Bacon must be turning over in his grave. What?...oh. I'm just getting word that he's not dead. Just his career! His car, just his...get it? His career. Please tip your waitress. See, this is what happens when you have non-paid interns as your fact checkers. Why the hell do I keep you around? Oh. Carry on. Looks like two pigs fighting under a sheet. My main gripe with a remix album is that I feel the need to go back and listen to the original to see how the remix is different. That takes time. With a newborn that f*cking eats every 2 hours it might take me 6 weeks to review this pig. Nonetheless, I tread on because Wouter would want it that way. His Zen Mechanics project strikes the perfect balance between psy and progressive combining the driving and melodic elements both have to offer. Holy Cities from 2008 was quite good so I look forward to seeing what other projects do to his good tracks. Most of the remixes are from that album and I wonder why they chose already good tracks to remix? Wouldn't it make more sense to take a crappy one and make it better? If you already start with something good how good a remixer are you....just riding Wouter's coattails. Unless...all these projects think his music sucks. Hmmm...I would look into that. But I see your genius Wouter....keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Holy Cities (Ace Ventura Rmx)- Great. 9 and a half minutes. Did you not read my intro? I'm beginning to think that you don't care. No I'm not crying, I just have something in my eye! I'll be in my trailer! *Storms off weeping.* The original was an exercise in slow evolution combined with a driving beat that I really enjoyed. It combined futuristic visuals with a reverance for ancient cultures in a droning march. Yoni Oshrat blew onto the scene with the awesome Rebirth in 2007 and he keeps it so close to the original that I am hard pressed to differentiate the two. Little changes here and there, but quit piggy backing. The track itself is good, but as a remix not so much. If I wanted to hear the original I would listen to the original. Psychotropical Nights (Sonic Species Rmx)- "We were in the jungle. We had access to too much money. Too much equipment. And little by little we went insane." British artists Sonic Species apparently don't care about my time either because this b*tch is over 9 minutes as well. The original was on the Universo Paralello compilation and these guys just thought it would be a great idea to add a minute to an already long tracks. Dicks. Nah, just kidding. If you got a story to tell you don't rip out a few chapters because some reader is a lazy f*ck. I think this track has more effects making it a deeper listen. Other than that it once again sounds very similar to the original in a full-on copycat way. Not terrible at all, but neither is the Fruit Loops gay Wal-Mart equivalent Fruity Spins. Doesn't mean I want to eat it. Off the Grid (Burn In Noise Rmx)- With so many changes in direction it's going to be a challenge to improve on this one. A valiant effort was made with a synth that ran up and down over 8 bars as another lead powered it's way in. Alas, once again, too similar to the original so if you could please step this way. Yes, yes, don't dawdle. Come right over here and face the corner. That's it. Think about what you did or didn't do and maybe you can come out of the corner in a few minutes. Hallucination Generation (Loud Rmx)- "Come join the world of the hipsters." Nah, what was once a group of unshowered hippies has morphed into a bunch of obnoxious iPhone douchebags that hang around the local Starbucks like they were giving away tall lattes loaded with irony. The original was basically a full-on track, but he made it much deeper with effects and his technique of having a synth wipe everything out just to rebuild. That said, not one of my faves by him. The track is called Hallucination Generation, but all Loud makes me want to do is take a nap. What a snoozefest. Modified (Headroom Rmx)- "Would you like to be modified?" The original had a cool Blade Runner high tech android quality with leads that whipped you around. Headroom's take is a thumping futuristic version that seems more clinical with less human interference. Robotic machinations with equal parts cybernetics and slowly oscillating leads. Darker, as if the war between humans and machines was already over, and we're dealing with the aftermath. Loved it. Voodoo Bytes (Earthling Rmx)- The effects make it again, creating a nice outer space atmosphere. The break is solid and the whole thing has an exploratory value even if it is full-onish. It reaches its zenith near the end bringing some impressive power. CBR (S-Range Rmx)- "Time and space is defined as a consensual hallucination." Progressive project S-range throws a groovy lead out there, but...gone is all the stuff that made the original fun to follow. Sigh. Mecha (Dickster Rmx)- Dick Trevor broke out his sci-fi stick and repeatedly whipped the original track with great effects that couldn't tumble over each other fast enough. It was like chicks at a wedding dress sale. He seemed to soup up the 303 giving it some extra oomph, realizing that it should dominate. Good call because it made a difference. Immerse (Liftshift Rmx)- This was another futuristic track with a bunch of effects that was a good psy/prog hybrid more focused on atmosphere than melody. Liftshift adds a punchier bass and a nice warm break. He creates a low tech approach that still has that future sound with the effects. I went from being bored to really digging into this one. Smooth progressive I would say. I am now going to give a conflicting conclusion. On its own this was a good listen and I enjoyed it. Some really good stuff here. But, I'm not gonna lie. To say I was disappointed with this would be like saying I was sad when my dog died. Ouch, ok, that's a little harsh. Here's my point. Adding or subtracting a synth does not a good remix make. I was always under the assumption that you take a part of the track you find memorable and then change everything else to make it almost unrecognizable. Be unique, be creative. Most of the tracks here were fine, but failed as remixes, being just full-on watered down dopplegangers without any interest or color. Imagine hopping on some Kenyan's back for the last 100 yards while he ran a marathon and then saying you ran a marathon. No you didn't. And now the Kenyan has back problems. Holy f*ck I just used dopplegangers in a sentence. So I suppose you could listen to this and like it, but it really makes you appreciate how good Wouter is at constructing a track. Kinda gives creedence to my theory of keeping the competition and your enemies closer. Well played sir. http://www.beatspace.com/6096/Neurobiotic+Records/ZEN+MECHANICS/ReModified/detail.aspx http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/neu/neu1cd031.html http://www.goastore.ch/product_info.php?products_id=4299 Mdk