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Artist: Various Title: Greenosophy Label: Ultimae Records Date: February, 2012 1. Initial - MNNSK AND MIZOO FEAT ANA GOLDIN 2. Tear-blind eyes - Rildrim 3. Minimum - Liquid Stranger 4. Emerge - Sesen 5. Idea Spiral (Ozora Festival 2011 live edit) - Cell 6. Nubian Sandstone - Ajja 7. Subzero - Tripswitch 8. Cobalt 2.0 - Solar Fields 9. Flying Dots - Miktek 10. Folding Pattern - James Murray 11. Brokenm dream of little snail - Cygna Ultimae is the name in chill out or psybient music that creates the perfect soundtrack for any mood. Each release seems to shine with quality and this is no exception. Compiled by Mizoo this mixed journey mirrors the mood of the cover. The opener is an extended intro really, but Tear Blind Eyes burrows deep into the eerie with echoing tones. Listening to this while atop a mountain staring down into the thick green forest reminds me of all that's hidden from view. Long ambient with obvious comparisons to Soil Festivities by Vangelis. Minimum travels in the same gloomy vein but now with a steady cadence until even that drops out. The sounds of water breathe life into the track. Emerge has a slow lamenting opening rife with regret as it slides into progressive territory. Lush layers ensure that it doesn't lose any of its storytelling ability Idea Spiral by Cell is a slow motion flyby of the awesome splendor of the Himalayan mountains. It's one of those tracks that rides the same melody for its entire length even with the tempo increase. The view is breathtaking. Nubian Sandstone is comprised of delicate alien textures coupled with a smooth jazzy groove. The sounds echoing in my headphones make me smile as I feel if I were to touch them they would dissipate like vapor. Half the length of the previous track, but twice the emotion. Subzero awakens like a dazzling dawn with the most driving beat yet. A snapshot into a new age full of wonder and promise; as if a breath of energy restored the husk of a depleted city. But lest you believe this to be a utopia Solar Fields reminds the listener dark days lie ahead. Cobalt 2.0 is in the ambient trance style with wailing synth spirits and gentle pads. Leads run softly beside an imposing mood. Flying Dots slows things down again with head nodding percussion as the movement retreats to the underground. Heavy casualties were suffered and it's time for the resistance to lick its wounds. Better to live to fight another day. Folding Pattern is drone style ambient with a rhythmic clicking that while atmospheric doesn't hold the depth and gravitas found in the other tracks. Think of it as a long interlude. Broken Dream of a Little Snail could be the trailer for the upcoming Disney movie Turbo, but I doubt it. With heavenly voices it seems too lofty for a snail, but I don't know any snails so...Or maybe that's the point. If you're gonna dream...dream big. Melancholy acoustic guitars and violins make this an evolving and lush closer. Good job Ultimae you've once again created something that is ideal for daydreaming. Highly recommended. Psyshop Beatspace Goastore Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Night Terrors Label: Terror Lab Industries Date: February, 2012 1. Kwaailight RUBIX QUBE 2. Dark Jungle (Smashed rmx) Z3RO 3. Where Ever ORCA 4. Shinra Tensei SINFUL REACTIONS, EYETEK 5. Night Terror IRON LOTUS, ABSENSE, STEREOPANIC 6. The Trouble Maker (H1N1 rmx) PANAYOTA 7. The Forsaken TRYAMBAKA 8. Articulator (Ironstein rmx) ZINX 9. Dopeman DAMAGE 10. Awaken CRITICAL MASS 11. We have explosive LOST AND FOUND 12. Immolation (Brain Driver rmx) SHEHOOR 13. War Dialing IRONSTEIN, ZION LINGUIST 14. Crank (Karmacrop rmx) DAMAGE 15. The way of the master TWISTED SYSTEM 16. Multiverse B55 17. Head Trauma (Conscious Chaos rmx) ZION LINGUIST 18. Dopehat SUPER EVIL, EMP 19. Out of control DELIRIANT 20. Amazing Simba (Z3ro rmx) REMOVE 21. Absolute Truth ORCA, TECHNODROME "I'm in the VIP, Surrounded by groupies, Drinking up me some Patron, And they keep on telling me that I rock...and roll!" Wow, you really went there. Ok, ok... It's easy to pick on this label with its severely over the top imagery. But besides catering to the mentally disturbed and half naked vampire chicks they have actually thrown out some pretty good music. I liken it to working with Woody Allen. Sure he's embarrassing and probably a pedophile, but a butt load of people still line up to be in his sh*tty movies. And in no way am I insinuating that this Mexican label is associated with pedophilia. Last thing I need is a little Mexican justice showing up unannounced on the doorstep in the form of...let's say a package the approximate size of a hat box. So as you can tell from the disturbed individual on the cover in which the word terror appears 3 times this music firmly plants itself in the darkness. In fact the first CD is called Out of the Night. And oh boy does it come out swinging. Full power berserker mode with acid flung in all directions. Even Orca put out a bit of grooviness which means I gotta go get the shovel from the shed and dig up the daisy blanked I had dumped on him. It only took 5 tracks before Ironstein & Co. had to assault my ears with those ostentatious buildups, which for this label is a win. And the cheesy samples didn't begin until The Forsaken. No big deal. That's why God invented the skip button. The entire first disc is intense and will tire you out. By the end your mosh pit brutality will be little more than pinballing off other dancers. P*ssy. I know I should be embarrassed by listening to Dopeman. And I am. But I can also tell you that I've been singing that hook all morning. My groupies are ages 2 and 5 and they just kicked my ass in Candyland while sipping on apple juice. The second disc into the light starts with We Have Explosive...shouldn't that be explosives? Unless you just have one. Maybe they didn't let you finish...perhaps it's explosive diarrhea. In which case you go stand over there. Keep going. It's a slower track (as if they knew you needed concussion recovery time) but it still fits right in. Even though the second disc is on the lighter side it's not sleepy time. The problem is if this label isn't bringing the heat the rest comes off as rather impotent sounding stuff. Hardly worth being thrown in the cell with the anarchist on the cover. It seems like they did it this way to broaden their market share and catch those who don't like it as heavy whilst still appealing to the base. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Interactive Noise Title: Synthetik Pleasure Label: Spintwist Records Date: February, 2012 1. Soundcheck 2. Disco beat 3. Zurich (Interactive Noise rmx) - DAY.DIN 4. Altered State 5. Synthetik Pleasure 6. Oscillations 7. The Transformers 8. Deep and pumping sound (Interactive Noise rmx) - AUDIOMATIC 9. Beethoven (Album Version) 10. Break time Spintwist Records has a distinct style. It's much more focused on the rhythm and groove than the stacking of melodies. Designed I assume to get asses wriggling and chicks giggling. And I can see how the huge kicks and bass grooves could do just that. But what if you don't go to parties? What if you're a middle aged guy that has two kids and a ton of laundry to do? F*ck that guy obviously, it's not meant for him. It's meant for this guy. Sh*t just got real. The music here does what it's supposed to do. Rhythmic with very little detail. Think of it as stripped down progressive. It's not going to set you dreaming with layers of melody or lush atmosphere. Doesn't care. It's a whisker away from house music and nobody ever contemplated the meaning of the universe while listening to house music. It's pumping kick and bass music for the party people that are whacked out of their mind on E. So for those who like to listen at home with some headphones, you'll be bored out of your skull if you choose this. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Galactic Mantra Title: Wings of Time EP Label: ACP Records Date: February, 2012 1. Dance With The Ancient 2. Gate of Light Spirits 3. Illusionary Rock 4. Lost Planet 5. Wings of Time Eden Azulay is the mind behind this project released by Filipe Santos and his ACP Records label. I could bullsh*t you and say that this great goa trance, that the melodies twist amongst each other bringing you to nirvana while weaving an intricate story. But I would be lying. And I only lie to girls. This is pretty boring and more of a notepad of ideas that seems unfinished. The 2 minute Illusionary Rock interlude? It has promise, but flesh that thing out and make a full track. The first two tracks were typical full-on that has been done 8 million times before. Which is surprising because Filipe (runs label) constantly preaches doing something different. The whole thing sounds rather generic. Lost Planet isn't bad but it's length to idea ratio is way too high. Gotta trim the fat so to speak. Wings of Time is the best for me here as it approaches some Astral Projection greatness without reaching it. Melodic trance for sure. But as always judge for yourselves, they were nice to make it a free release. Free at ACP Records Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Special Places Label: Sentimony Records Date: February, 2012 1. Alpae-3717 - K.D. Expression 2. Camaras De Lamento - CYGNA 3. Dandelions As Memory - CHRONOS 4. Out From Little Box (Astropilot Edit) - IRUKANJI 5. Via Lactea (Astropilot Edit) - AMBIENT INTELLIGENT APPLICATION 6. Port - RABITZA 7. Svoboda - ASTROPILOT 8. Aug - ACCESS TO ARASAKA 9. Disappear - FIELD ROTATION 10. Jewel (Astropilot Edit) - NEXAR 11. A Final Thought - 36 12. A Moment Of Madness - EGUANA What is that....a hockey skate? Or a bunny ridding a sled? Sentimony Records is a label that specializes in psy-ambient and downtempo music that is very relaxing. Based in the Ukraine, they are run by Irukanji and NeiRula. This was compiled by Astropilot and he offers 3 remixes and a track of his own. It's a mix of known artists and newbies, but if it's anything like the dreamy cover I'm all in. Alpae-3717- Lock up your daughters cause here come the Russians! Sergey Yakimov opens things up with a massive soundscape as seen through a huge starship window. The solar atmosphere is well in place as he adds some metallic clanking, but make no mistake, the pads are the star here. With a smooth string and echoing melody we are arriving at our destination. Cameras De Lamento- Been meaning to check out homie's debut in detail, but life has only allowed me to give it cursory listens. It is right in his wheelhouse with a medieval folk vibe complete with big drums and sad melodies big as the Scottish mountains. If you cannot picture Braveheart in this, you haven't seen enough movies. It never gets dull as it switches direction frequently enough to keep you glued. He's even got some guitar that he somehow manages to make it belong. Super. Dandelions as Memory- If you follow downtempo music this man needs no introduction. It's the longest track here and quite easy to get lost in. Smooth for sure and would be perfect for a rainy day as the faraway synth undulates over tumbling water and birdsong. Another one that undergoes several changes so take your time and drink it all in. Out From Little Box (AstroPilot Edit)- Like Dmitry? Well not only did he compile this album, but as I mentioned he delivers a track and three remixes. This is the first remix. Having never heard the original the thing that stands out is the flute which gives it a very Buddhist quality as if I were in Nepal staring at the Himalayas. Goes by quickly even if there ain't much to it. Via Lactea (AstroPilot Edit)- Remix number two please report for duty. It does a great job bringing smooth, floating pads over a chugging percussive set as if the engine of an old tractor was growling to life. Picture time lapse video of a farmer plowing his fields under an overcast sky. Probably has zero to do with the track, but that's what I'm gettin. Who cares, as long as I enjoy it. Port- This duo craft a slowly oscillating track that comes in like waves on the shore as thunder crackles and the rain begins to fall. It hums and droplets fall and create ripples in the sea. Where the f*ck is my hammock when I need it. Svoboda- Glad he decided to add a track of his own. Melancholy piano is just made for a thunderstorm. Not a lot to say about this one. AUG- Rob Lioy (sole American on this compilation) offers up drifting pads along with great effects. All of this = a track that is delicious to the ears. Short though it may be, it is the perfect bridge to Field Rotation's track. Disappear- What did I walk into a funeral? Is this where I lean on the casket for a closer look and it falls to the floor, dislodging the body into a compromising position? Cause that would totally happen to me. This is easily the most mellow track on the compilation. Slow beatless ambient that is suited for looking up at the clouds while so incredibly stoned that they couldn't make enough Funions. "Excuse me young man can you blow me where the pampers is?" Yeah, that high. Jewel (AstroPilot Edit)- This is Nazar Nikolaev and as far as I know this is the only track he released under this project. Never heard the original, but Astropilot gives it his third remix. BTW, he also has a project called Crackle Creations which makes IDM according to Discogs. Very soft and sad piano and strings that conjure up images of Rena Jones. The female vocal is nice, but I'm so fixated on the music I have no idea what she said. It picks up a slow beat and then floats away. Soothing. A Final Thought- Dennis Huddleston from the UK and he has made a short drone track. On it's own I think it would bore me, but in this compilation it fits the pensive mood perfectly. A Moment of Madness- This is Sergey Severin from Russia, but according to his FB page he spent some time in Kentucky. Ah....I come for the education, but I stay...for the Colonel's secret recipe. I have never heard of this individual, but he has composed a track so full of melancholy and sadness that one cannot help but find time for reflection. Was a loved one lost? Beautiful piano piece that would fit right in as the soundtrack to The Ring. Truly special and my favorite one on here. I'm going to have to pay closer attention to this label if they keep releasing stuff this good. It is a drifting and floating parade of sorrowful melodies sad atmosphere. Each track would hold up on its own, but together it creates a aural tapestry. Highly recommended. Beatspace Psyshop Saiko Sounds Goa Store Juno Download Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Keep It Surreal Label- Pixan Recordings Date: February, 2012 1. Salvia - PHASE 2. Mania - ASSIOMA 3. Impedimental - AJJA AND FLOOTING GROOVES 4. Madman's Diary - MOLE 5. Double Mind Trick - DUST AND CHRIS RICH 6. D n A - FULL FACE 7. On the Radar - JOCID 8. Forest Ship - ARCHAIC 9. Invisible Residents - WHIPTONGUE 10. Pusher - PANTOMIMAN "Today I want you to open your mind to the possibility that one day we will make contact." I don't have a lot of experience with Pixan because I'm not a darkpsy kinda guy. There are plenty of other people that probably are more familiar with that part of our genre, but f*ck 'em* they can write their own review. The promo says it goes from night style to twilight so we'll see. *by f*ck em I mean you can ask them nicely and they will probably be able to help steer you in the right direction. Working on my anger management. Yeah, I'm not advocating violence against women because your man boobs aren't as appealing, but I can imagine that is the same look she gave that douchebag Chris Brown right before he went apesh*t. Salvia- Never heard of this guy, but he drops a pumping beat with a live wire lead. It sounds like the album cover looks. Don't touch the edges, you'll get a shock. If you heard the first 2 minutes, then the other 5 sound like the same bar over and over again. Oddly enough, even though a melody was absent, I did enjoy it. Mania- You know what you can spell with his name? Soma, from the Latin meaning body. What were you thinking? This is pretty psychedelic with more of those sharp leads and random sounds. Not bad, but the melodies are still firmly planted on a milk carton. Should we issue an amber alert? Impedimental- Now these two projects I've heard of. And it's my favorite track so far. Bubbling effects and a punishing bass line never fail to disappoint. It's alien and isolating at the same time with more layers than the previous two tracks. Madmen's Diary- "Charge up your suit first." After a long sample about things I'm sure I fell asleep to in college we are back in the pumping bass line business. And business is good. Not to mention more in the twilight areana where I feel more comfortable. Groovy sounds with acidic backsplash and it even has a break. This is some funky sh*t! Double Mind Trick- This could be Madmen's Diary part II because it sounds almost identical. Go ahead accuse me of being biased against darkpsy. It's not like I said all Chinese look alike. Although I would say that if you're looking from the second story. Futuristic Matrix-esque sounds are scattered all over the place in staccato cadences which add to the groove. Very electronic with the melody still AWOL. D N A- Jeez, this is like going to a party and not knowing anyone. They're all looking at me wondering what the f*ck I'm doing here. Hey man, don't hate on me. I'm just trying to get down to your funky sounds. Maybe if I dance like they do, they will accept me. Score. More pumping bass lines with a very good kick are the order of the day while scratchy and bubbly leads put fear into the less hearty. Those squirting sounds are deep. I'm beginning to think that Melody gave me the wrong address. It couldn't be on purpose could it? On The Radar- Holy sh*t, a little melody! And by little, I mean under 4 feet tall. *Takes a look around, sees nothing but chicks with dark eye shadow, pale skin, and multiple piercings* Wanna hook up? Cool! All we gotta do is go downstairs and get outta this dump. If you can't love the one you want love the one you're with, right? Forest Ship- I like the atmosphere in this one. It's dark and pumping telling me there is no escape. Like the title says, it combines the juicy darkness of forest with the alien of outer space. The bass line is frenzied and it's waves of effects tumbling down upon me. Good one. Invisible Residents- Whiptongue. F*ck yeah, he wields the acid groove and destroys all challengers. Finish HIM!! ....um with the Rock 'em Sock 'em robot I guess. Pusher- Weak. Did we get too many pumping and driving beats that we had to go out with a whimper? This got me as close to rocking out as jumping gets you closer to the sun. See what you did? Got my internet muscles all riled up. I'm done. So those who are more experienced with Pixan probably already knew what to expect. Intense rhythms that all sound rather dark. It's not mad at your parents music, but it ain't Vibe Tribe either. There were a couple of twilight tracks, but mostly it's darkpsy lite. Makes you want to get fired up, but runs out of gas at the end. A point driven home by the last track. Still most of the tracks had good effects and get the blood moving. If you're looking for melody then...let's be honest. If you're here...you ain't looking for melody. Psyshop Beatspace Saikosounds Mdk

Artist: Elegy Title: Akasha EP & Optics EP Label: Synergetic Records/ Veleno Music Date: February & April, 2012 Optics 1. Optics 2. Circles 3. Invisible Light - Elegy & Slyph Akasha 1. Akasha 2. Infinite Space That's right, your eyes do not decieve you. I picked up 2 Elegy EP's and decided to put them both in one review. This is Italian Daniel Mair (wait, is he Italian? Doesn't sound Italian) and I first became aware of his work via Ektoplazm (like a lot of music) with his Sleeping Giant EP. Smooth melodic progressive is his calling card and he fills it in with great effects. As I mentioned previously he walks the same path as Flegma & Nerso. Akasha Akasha- For those of you who didn't believe drugs grew on trees, I give you the album cover as exhibit A. Akasha from the Sanskrit meaning ether or air. So like, the center of a donut is akasha? You gotta put it in terms I can understand. It's rainy day stormcloud music, not angry but rather pensive. The lead is a soft, singular tone that has a reverberating quality adding to the melancholy. The break is calming with a collection of vocal samples about las drogas, but they aren't intrusive. Good track. Infinite Space- "The universe is expanding. It is a natural question to ask...what is it expanding into?" This is more in the Iono mold with large washes and effects rippling across the windshield. The samples give it a overwhelming space feel. Smooth and dark, just the way he likes it. Another good one. Optics Optics- Atmosphere is key with this one. It begins slowly and asks for your trust. As he likes to do, he crafts a dark feeling with effects keeping you in tune. The break is a calming influence with the soft voices of a choir. Now some might think it's a little empty and some might say it all fits into one sonic tapestry. Optics...it's all about how you see things. Yeah, I'm gonna need a few more of these. Circles- "The plants are talking to us...we need to listen." Awesome sample. Awesome. This tracks has a chunky scratchiness to it that is offset by the reverberating lead that echoes of into we shoulda listened. It's dark and speaks of regrettable decisions. We've all been there... The dark side doesn't mix well with whites. Look at that...I just made a statement about race relations by accident. Invisible Light- This one is rather laid back and sleek. It doesn't give you much up front, but it sets the atmosphere with a dark tone. Real secret agent type stuff. Didn't care for the change in tempo, as if felt as if he was following a playbook. He did however come out of it very smoothly switching to 4/4 with a flowing break. So top marks there. Even though it was rather sparse in places, he recovered nicely. His style is drifting, melodic progressive trance and that's what you get here. The beat churns on as leads float into space buoyed by thinking mans samples. Solid couple of releases. Akasha EP Beatport Optics EP Beatport Mdk

Artist: Braincell Title: Psychedelicious EP Label: Free Spirit Records Date: February, 2012 1. Bounding Eneries 2. Multitasking 3. Psychedelics Ralph Knobloch from Switzerland has made quite a name for himself with his driving and psychedelic brand of psytrance. His 3 previous releases on Glowing Flame Records were fantastic and I can't help but notice that his last effort (which wasn't that impressive) was released on this same label. I don't know if GF went under or not and if it did, that's a cryin' shame cause they released top notch stuff. But label or no, it comes down to the artist's imagination and creativity that is judged. So here he is with a brief 3 track EP. Was his last effort a blip on the radar or has he hit a slump? I think he is well on his way. The problem I had with Intelligent Being was it's lack of melody. Sure the groove was there, but without something to grab hold of, 8 minutes can seem like an eternity. He was always good at layering sounds and that hasn't changed. These tracks boast some pretty beefy power and sound much thicker with the standout for me being Multitasking. Ah yes, that one is a nod back to his Transformation of Reality days. Just seemed to have a chip on it's shoulder. Psychedelics was a great evolving track that had me thinking he spent a few days in goa demonstrated by the twisting leads. Welcome back. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Concept Vs. Smashed Title: Dead Star EP Label: Timecode Records Date: February, 2012 1. Shut the Fuck Up 2. Dead Star "It's my job to get your sh*t in order...it's your job to shut the f*ck up." What do you get when you mix an iconic South African psytrance label and two twilight warriors? And....boom goes the dynamite. Arnaud Levasseur (Concept) has put out three albums of the good stuff and Smashed is an up and coming 3D artist that is gaining some serious momentum. This is exactly what you think it is. Acidic insanity that keeps coming after you like Joe Pesci in Casino. High-tech hyper trance that levels all standing and washes over you in waves of fluorescent energy. Timecode of course has a pedigree that is unmatched, but even I was beginning to question whether they still had the boom stick. Well wonder no longer. These two just put your lights out. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Protoactive Title: Spiritual Reaction EP Label: Freakuency Records Date: February, 2012 1. Here Comes The Sun 2. Spiritual Reaction 3. See The Connection 4. Music Memories (Erotic Dream Remix) Protoactive is Allan Feytor from Brazil with a 4 track EP. Here Comes the Sun- "The only way that we can save this planet..." This is a smooth afternoon at the beach that has good bounce and blends nice percussive touches with the churning electronics. The pads are warm like the rays of the sun peaking from behind that stubborn cloud. Spiritual Reaction- My reaction to this track was not spiritual. More like... See The Connection- "Your brain doesn't know the difference between what's taking place out there and what's taking place in here." Is that an insult? Weak. The song was all right. Floaty. Music Memories (Erotic Dream Remix)- "No mix of words or music or memories." Another floaty track with some very descriptive effects. Wispy like smoke from a campfire that manages to have a nice melodic groove. Not bad. As I mentioned, floaty and groovy progressive with some smooth melodic transitions. But let's discuss the price. 8 bucks? Are you out of your f*cking mind? But maybe you will like it so much that that won't matter to you. Maybe you don't care about money. Really? Maybe you would be interested in being my best friend. Beatport Mdk