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Artist: Kalya Scintilla Title: Dance The Spiral Never Ending Label: Merkaba Music Date: January, 2012 01 - Rises In The East (80 BPM) 02 - Whomp Shanti (85 BPM) 03 - Bone & Stone (70 BPM) 04 - The Sands Of Grime (90 BPM) 05 - Break Belief Bounce (feat. Alice Spacedoll) (100 BPM) 06 - Listen With Your Heart (70 BPM) 07 - Caravan Planet (100 BPM) 08 - Swaggered (104 BPM) 09 - Way Of The Tarot (95 BPM) 10 - The Velvet Squish (70 BPM) 11 - Dance The Spiral Never Ending (feat. Alice Spacedoll) (105 BPM) "I'm all about that bass, bout that bass, no treble!" Get it big guy. Smooches! "Sure I could get up at dawn..." "Go to a job I hate that does not inspire me creatively, for the rest of my life..." "Or I could wake up at noon and learn how to play the sitar." F*ck you Daisy you can have that little mouse d*ck motherf*cker. Take Asian melodies, some oh so juicy bass, and throw in random glitchy electronic swagger and you've got this album. Originally released in 2012 it is now being offered freely by your favorite free music site. I think this guy loves him some weed based on sample usage and track titles. The album itself is a great mix of ethnic acoustic instruments and the ever present wobbly bass. But it's not just bloops and bleeps around a bass line. I mean that's in there, but there are melodies and intricate layers as well. Some of the coolest things I found in here were drum loops from songs you've heard on the radio. The track lengths are also kept fairly short (none reach 6 minutes) to keep the listener from burn out. Pun intended. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Ekoplex Title: Discovering The Ancient Label: Omnitropic Date: January, 2012 01 - Turtle Island (120 BPM) 02 - Hip Shiva Wigga (100 BPM) 03 - Follow The Music (100 BPM) 04 - Shamanic Drumz (110 BPM) 05 - Before The Sun (110 BPM) 06 - Aya (110 BPM) 07 - Shapeshifter (112-119 BPM) 08 - Crossroads (114 BPM) 09 - End Of The Cycle, Beginning Of... (110 BPM) Where the f*ck did this come from? It's Ray Vincent from Canada with his third album but instead of full-on or morning trance he vaults into the downtempo arena. I never payed much attention to his releases because I've heard so much full-on that I am sick to death of it. But that changes now. Just read the comments on his album releases at Ekto. Absolutely glowing with people falling all over themselves to praise this project. So without experiencing any of his previous work I dove head first into this. Reasons why this is different...well, first off it's free. Second, it is a digital release with liner notes. Well, a link to liner notes. Nice touch as he gives you waaaaay more information than you are used to receiving in this genre of music. On every track. He talks about his tuning method, his trip to Nepal, and the samples as well as live instruments he used. So right off the bat that was greatly appreciated. Just reading how he feels about tracks and things in general makes me feel about as deep as a puddle compared to his ocean. The music itself is marvelously detailed and frothing over with depth. Let's just get it out into the open, it's not a true downtempo album, but psychill or deep trance with lengthy storytelling parts. Turtle Island has to be one of the most atmospheric and involving tracks I have heard in quite some time. Incredibly massive, I just kept hitting the repeat button. Most of the other tracks were in that same intricate style with real world instruments and mid tempo rhythms. Sometimes I felt like I was at a Phish concert where I didn't know where one track ended and another began. That's called good flow. The last track gallops along at over 20 minutes and is so full and varied that it has to be heard to be believed. Did I feel the transition to the sitar at the 13 minute mark could've been smoother as it felt like two different tracks? Sure, but minor quip aside it's still melodic and groovy as hell. Congratulations Mr. Vincent you have accumulated another fan. I cannot recommend this highly enough with its varied storytelling and beautiful musicianship. It's got a little bit of everything from progressive to tribal and of course downtempo with plenty of real instruments. All done with layer upon layer of melody. This is an example of the sum being greater than its parts. Take the time and go for a walk or a hike, but get outside and enjoy this. The fact that this is free leaves no excuses not to hear this. It's like a guy (me) that has only had a PC, but wandered into an Apple store and the ghost of Steve Jobs came up to me and said, "No, you know what? F*ck it, just take this iPad." "Can I get an iPad 2?" "I said iPad. Now beat it." You know, I normally reserve this happy full feeling for a great dinner out, but...you've earned it. Chicka chicka chick... Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Sunday Vol. 2 Label: Blue Tunes Recordings Date: January, 2012 1. Summer Good Bye OSHER 2. Ilite POP ART 3. Desire (Osher rmx) LIQUID SOUL 4. Dimension ZYCE AND FLEGMA 5. Dusty Groove EGORYTHMIA 6. Shuttle SIDEFORM 7. Flashlight DOUBLE CLICK AND NUMB 8. Ein Tag in Hamburg HANZO AND CLUFE 9. Your Eyes (Time in Motion and Flexus rmx) SVEN SNUG 10. Messed Up (Haldolium rmx) NOK Sunday is typically a day of rest so I thought it would be apropos for me to take a look at the 2nd installment of the Sunday series by Blue Tunes Recordings. Add to the fact that it was compiled by the Creator and I might not even have to go to church today. As is the case these days you have a mix of savvy veterans and some fairly new names to discover. Summer Good-Bye- Osher Swissa really impressed me with his change in style when he released the 2011 progressive smash Twilight (oh, the irony). The opener is rather harmless with none of the eye opening tricks that made me smile with his debut. It's as if Blue Tunes said "We have a formula here hippie, so take your good time funky music elsewhere if you can't play ball." Guess he played ball. Ilite- After being part of the group that ran full-on into the ground Oshri Krispin (Indra) jumped on the progressive bandwagon faster than you can say cut and paste and has thrown out a bunch of EP's to get a lay of the land. Same style as the previous track with extended percussive warblings. The break though is deep and takes its time careful not to rush things. Better, but room for improvement. Desire (Osher Remix)- Osher again with a remix that may have the execs at the label a little sore. This is the wide open melodic stuff I expect from him. Oscillating synth waves and a very expansive break make this a dreamy floating track. There's still some time where the bass runs a little long without company, but that's a minor complaint. Dimension- These two artists need no introduction with Zyce showing up seemingly everywhere. I think he was at my kid's 3rd birthday party handing out EP's. They have crafted too many tracks to count and the vast majority of them have been quite good. Like the others before it, it leans toward the lighter side of progressive perfectly content to let the bass go as the effects unfold. It's hard to be upset at this style as it permits the mind to drift if at times feeling a tad empty. But if you give it a chance you'll hear quiet melodies filling the gaps as it all comes together. Best I've ever heard? Of course not, but competent. Dusty Groove- Boban Lazovski has been riding the EP and remix train for over 4 years and has produced great results for the most part. This one is even more wide open with an echoing sample that screams eternity. It's nicely cold with echoing effects clanging against a galloping bass line. Dark and matrix-y I like that it lets me render my own dream. Shuttle- Time for some Balkan brilliance! To date I have never heard a bad track from this duo and they keep it that way with this smooth criminal. Bounce is there and spaces are filled with melody hits and sounds on delay that give it some lush appeal. It's got a soft touch as they experiment with some ryhthms in the break and gets all shimmery and euphoric at the end. Congratulations, you are my favorite of the compilation. Flashlight- This is Patrick Star. He's an idiot. How the f*ck did this make the cut? Was the compilation building too much momentum and getting real good that it scared you? Annoying sample manipulation the whole way through made the guy who eats his belly button lint walk away from your track. Somehow I made it to the break and thought the worst was behind me, but it turns out I was in a cul de sac so...yeah no escape. Ein Tag In Hamburg- Here are two more projects I'm unfamiliar with and they have the luck to follow what was one of the worst tracks I've listened to in a long time. So, nowhere to go but up correct? And they do go up with a melody that reminds me of Sixteen Candles with its sound. Remember when Jake pulled up to the church and was leaning on his cherry red Porsche waiting for Samantha? You don't know what I'm talking about do you? It was a movie in the 80's ask your parents. "Open the door." "No way Jose! You punch my face!" "You grabbed my nuts." "That you?" "Yeah. Than me." Dude's a carpenter now doesn't even act anymore. The Jesus references just keep coming. Your Eyes (Time In Motion & Flexus Remix)- Flexus recently released the uber soft The Beginning EP and Time in Motion has quickly gained my attention with his vast soundscapes. I don't know who Sven Snug is and haven't heard the original track, but damnit if that lead melody doesn't sound familiar. More soft melodies are present, but it doesn't really go anywhere. Far from terrible, but it seems as if the knockout blow from Flashlight might be too much to recover from. "Quick what's your name?" "Thursday." Oh boy. Messed Up (Haldolium Remix)- Last track and while I've never been a fan of Haldolium's tunes, I don't hate them either. True to form this has a light touch like all the other tracks, but there is something about it that conveys a bad ass attitude. There isn't a lot here, but what they do give you...I dunno, something about it that I like. You've got a pretty good progressive trance compilation with an average opener that sees the tracks getting better and better until the head on collision that was flashlight. But like a trooper it picked itself up and dusted itself off to finish fairly strongly. The music is gentle in style as if afraid to wake up your parents and probably good for winding down. While not the best comp out there you could do worse. "Patrick! Patrick come back! I'm done, I'm not gonna play it again, I promise!" Psyshop Beatspace Goa Store Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Forest Beings II Label: Biijah Records Date: January, 2012 01 - Nammah Ohm - Tibetan Lamas Chants (150 BPM) 02 - Cromaniac vs Drakphaser - Jump...Eeasy! (148 BPM) 03 - Aegolius - Twisted Dimensions (149 BPM) 04 - Hallucinated Hologram - Hallucination Trigger (148 BPM) 05 - Oculomotorius - Neurotic Plants (149 BPM) 06 - Goch - Reckless Tree (148 BPM) 07 - Seven Dark vs Lab - Psychedelic Connections (147 BPM) 08 - Ataro vs Babak vs Full Lotus - Id Monster (150 BPM) 09 - Shiva3 - Merrow (152 BPM) "We tend to see things other people can't see." Right. Of course you can. So...you're watching all the time then? Oh boy...that's embarrassing. For me the only way I can appreciate this dark forest trance is during the wee hours of the morning when the kids are deep in their sleep patterns and I can't get into mine. Down in the basement all by myself. I mean, it's not a basement like the horror movies. It's finished and very comfortable. Like a man cave. But in the darkness down here...I'm seeing sh*t. The basses are deep and rumbly and the details of this nightmare come to life. There is no pretense of wanting to befriend me. No attempt to gain my trust. Just darkness. Supernatural beings that have no intention of letting me get out of here alive. I know that they've drugged me cause I can feel it, but it's ok. They keep flashing horrible images on a blood splattered screen and I can't help but think that I...hey I know that kid...yeah that's the bully from down the street. What happened to him? Haven't seen him for a... Oh. Yeah he was a dick, but nobody deserves that. Well, I guess Hitler. And probably Chris Brown. Oh yeah Justin Beiber too. He needs some of this. Liquid sounds bubble all around me as the hallucinogenic nightmare gets deeper and...I can smell the music. I didn't think despair had a soundtrack, but here we are. It's so vivid and like tributaries from a river will lead you down a lot of paths. None of them hopeful. If you're a cutter and suffer from depression steer clear of this cause they might be playing this at your funeral. Closed casket. I liked this one better than the first. The detail is sick with so many twists and turns. It can get really heavy at times with so much darkness weighing you down. Not something I would put on everyday or at the high school reunion unless you wanted a whole Carrie thing going on. But if you're in the dark and like detail in your forest music, where you can see all the creatures that only come out at night, then strap on the hiking boots and grab your ax. You're gonna need it. Scare the sh*t out of yourself for free. Mdk

Artist: Frogacult Title: Sky Rocketeers Label: Spiral Trax Date: January, 2012 1. Found but lost 2. Waiting so long 3. Night Breeder 4. Mebo Circuit 5. Con Filtro 6. Sun Zoom Spark 7. Pre Phase rmx 8. Brickwall Limit "You think you can get me to cooperate?" Frogacult is a Danish tandem that only had one album prior to this one way back in 2004 called Something For Sundays. Not being familiar with their work means I have no preconceived notions of what's gonna happen here. Discogs says it's psy with progressive, but that is a ton of ground to cover. So what's it like? Believe it or not the above description is accurate as this is a blend of psytrance and progressive with ominous and well placed samples. Now wide open progressive like you would find with Iono Music, but don't mistake it as dull and repetitive. Far from it, there are eerie atmospheres and alien sounds to go along with some nice beats. Night Breeder makes me think of a deserted space station in need of exploration. Not by me though, those sounds are too f*cking creepy. Con Filtro with its bubbly slap bass was funky and discordant enough to be different. Even Sun Zoom Spark with its oft repeated sample had an isolating vibe going for it. My favorite though was was the pre phase remix that just bled I don't wanna be next to the guy about to get eaten by an alien tension. Such depth is tasty! Womp, womp, womp...shake that thing. Before he gets eaten. And that's what you get. A very space themed album that was a complete surprise to me. Good sounds that put you in the cold blackness making the hair on the back of your neck stand up. There are some minimal leanings and areas where they try and milk it for a bit to long methinks. They also seem to be quite competent at layering sounds without a loss in quality so everything sounds very clear. It's nice. Not something I would listen to regularly though, but nice. Psyshop Beatspace Goastore Mdk

Artist: Tijah Title: Nocturnal Mind Tweaking EP Label: Mind Tweakers Records Date: January, 2012 1 - Tijah - Seed Drop (139 BPM) 2 - Tijah vs Interferenz - Sunset Machine (138 BPM) 3 - Onionbrain - Wormhole (Tijah Remix) (137 BPM) 4 - Tijah - Talking Machines (135 BPM) 5 - Disfunction - 11:11 (Tijah & Diza Remix) (136 BPM) Yeah! Ummm..... I'm with fat Cuba Gooding Jr. on this one. 92% positive vote on Ekto? Well, I've never had a problem going against the grain so permit me to be the light amidst a sea of darkness. What do you get when you add 1 kick with a monotonous grumbling bass line sprinkled with random dark noises. Me moving past this snore fest faster than my son downs apple juice. It is billed as dark progressive, but I think it's closer to annoying as sh*t minimal. This isn't progressive trance. Know why? It doesn't progress. This is regressive trance. How are you going to make the same track 5 times and give it different names? Boring as it could be without a lick of storytelling atmosphere. And then as a final kick in the nuts, you get the last track which comes in at just a c*nt hair above 11 minutes of the same sh*t. Of course you should judge for yourself, but I found this as enjoyable as watching an unplugged television. ZZZZzzzzz....... Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Feelings Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: January, 2012 1. Sonoric Depth Psychophysical Transcripts 2. Static (2011 rmx) Solar Spectrum 3. Once upon a time (Liquid Sound rmx) Monolock 4. I am you Ovnimoon & Elegy 5. Mini Big Solar Spectrum 6. Trip inside yourself Mind Paradise 7. Beer Lovers Kyma 8. In motion to the ocean Liquid Sound 9. Unique (Side Winder rmx) Hi Profile 10. Open the gate Lyctum "I want to tell you a story about dreams...." But I don't have one of those...so I'll tell you what happened to me Sunday. The wife had me out looking for furniture at a consignment shop and she found a table that she liked so we give the old lady the credit card and she swipes it. Then I hear her swipe it again. This is then followed by her saying, "This isn't how the machine at my other job works." I immediately hopped the counter and well, just did what we all want to do. So a table that costs 60 dollars and 90 cents has given my account a titanic like sideswipe of $609.00! Twice. Doing the math, that's $1218 for a piece of sh*t table that someone was only too happy to get rid of. Look I want to help, but I cannot get the country out of a recession all by myself. Can't do it. It's now Wednesday and it is still not resolved thereby setting my financial house in chaos, as I have scheduled bill payments weeks in advance. I know it was an accident. I know mistakes happen. But this is why I have long been an advocate of sending all the elderly to an island where it's warm (they like that) for further study. Sh*t don't work right after a certain number of years. Anyway... Feelings...nothing more than feelings...Hector Stuardo is at it again with his label's 21st release. I was actually lucky to catch him at a festival here in the states so I was pretty excited. He was a...he was a lot shorter than I expected. But good things come in small packages. And if you are a fan of progressive trance than this will probably be good for your fix. Bouncy and bubbly beats with a healthy dose of dark atmosphere. It's ideal for melting away into a hallucination of your choosing with great effects and sky spanning washes Sonoric Depth is a perfect example of a track being melodic without a real melody to hold on to. Just creepy sounds echoing over your shoulder. Static (2011 Remix)- It begins slowly, maybe sounding like every other progressive track you have ever heard. Two and a half minutes in and I'm thinking, "Wow how about picking up the pace a little bit?" And he does albeit slowly. Unremarkable for sure, but somehow it fits within the scope of this compilation. Geared to a feeling or a vibe rather than a dance floor smasher. Once Upon A Time (Liquid Sound Remix)- "No matter what he does, every person on Earth plays a central role in the history of the world. Normally he doesn't know it." Following the same formula as the last track, it builds slowly but the sample at least gives me something to hold on to. But that's the problem with a 9 minute track, you gotta fill it up. It's not bad, but too often I found myself glazing over like I stayed up past my bedtime. I Am You- The boss is here to right this ship and he brings along Daniel Mair who I first became aware of with his Sleeping Giant EP. More of the same slow start, but once the chant arrives it's a little bit darker. The final melody helps thicken things up a bit, saving it from coasting down the hill into disappointment lake. Mini Big X- If the name Ralph Knobloch seems familiar it's because he is also behind the project Braincell. Here he operates on a slightly minimal scale with eerie melodies above a galloping bass line. I see he has 3 albums to his credit with this project, but this track isn't making me want to explore them. Is this intermission music? The groove is there, but it feels empty. Another coaster to the finish. What are you, the Chinese badminton team, trying to throw the compilation? "This make chairman Mao most unhappy!" Trip Inside Yourself- Riding a wave of indifference brings me to this track and things begin to turn around. Dark, bubbly, and thumping with spooky effects sums this puppy up. An awesome break cements its place as one of the winners of this comp. It seems funny that one of the best tracks leaves me with the least to say. Just get lost in this one. Beer Lovers- Oh boy another long one. *gets carving knives out* Nah, you know what? I don't have the energy for this. Bruce, you got this? "The dragon laughs at your attempt to keep me awake!" In Motion To The Ocean- "It's like you come onto this planet with a crayon box. Now you may get the 8-pack, you may get the 16 pack...but it's all in what you do with the crayons, the colors that you're given. And don't worry about drawing within the lines or coloring outside the lines I say color outside the lines, you know what I mean? Color wildly color right off the page, hey...don't box me in. We're in motion to the ocean." "Yeah, how do you like it motherf*cker!?! Oops, missed a spot. Stay in the lines b*tch!" After that wonderful Waking Life sample it's a smooth ride all the way through. Soft and drifting breaks with melodies coming and going like the tide. Very entertaining. Unique (Side Winder Remix)- "Strange watching these film fragments...like looking through binoculars.." I never heard the original, but this maintains the eerie vibe on this compilation. It churns through it's rotation in the beginning, but then after the break melodies fire out like a sprinkler on an August afternoon. Unique? Nah, but not bad at all. Open The Gate- We close out the compilation with relative newcomer Dejan Jovanovic from Serbia and he delivers a dark bomb! Very aggressive and pretty damn hard for a progressive track. Synths ripple with undercurrents of dread as leads that sound like a whale fight roar in anger. More of this please. Conclusion? A bunch of mediocre tracks book-ended by some really powerful ones. Honorable mention goes to Mind Paradise and Liquid Sound for a very engrossing effort. None of the tracks are bad however there were too many that went on too long without much happening. This is a compilation from which I would digitally cherry pick. If I had to put a number on it? 3.5 or 3.75 out of 5. Psyshop Beatspace Goa Store Mdk

Artist: RHot Title: Intellectual Mind EP Label: ACP Records Date: January, 2012 1. Intellectual Mind 2. Bitboxin 3.Kung Fu Kernel 4. Gigs and Ghosts "I imagine...that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole." Anytime a new release drops from Filipe's label I cannot wait to hear it. Can never have too much goa I always say. Besides I know a good deal when I see one. Have you seen the price of gold these days? In all seriousness (whatever) Filipe is very consistent in bringing slamming goa trance to the masses, whether it's as an artist or a label head. So homie's got credit with me. This is Simon Palmieri from the good ol' US of A (who is also Apatheya) with another EP and after several listens I popped a silicone tittie. This EP starts off well. A great opener with a screaming 303 and a breakbeat downtempo track that isn't half bad. Then he goes on to nut punch you with an 8-bit Legend of Zelda vs Galaga battle that had me scratching my head. I don't get that type of music. Don't think you can dance to it, and who would pump this out of their car stereo? So...why? Meh, the price is right (free) and you get at least 1 useful track out of it. Still love you Filipe. Even though you nut punched me. Nut puncher. Get it here! Mdk

Artist: Helber Gun Title: From Another Planet EP Label: Iono Music Date: January, 2012 1. From Another Planet 2. Angel Eyes (Helber Gun Remix) - Flegma & Nerso 3. Land of 2 Suns (Helber Gun Remix) - Aqualize "If suddenly there was a threat to this world from some other species from another planet...." Well, we would probably form a committee that would decide whether or not to investigate the possibility of malicious intent by the visitors. Of course the Democrats would want to pay for it by closing tax loopholes for wealthy corporations. After the Republicans shot that down, they would introduce their own measure organizing a commission, but they would slide in a provision that says all homosexuals must be herded into an internment camp so they could...ahem...pray the gay away. Does nothing work? Can no one just sac up and do the right thing? Ah...yes. Iono Music is the leader in melodic and atmospheric progressive trance and somehow they find artists who compose their style of music. Or it's a third Reich kinda discipline to keep them employees goosestepping in time. You know those Germans...zey love zee order. So what we have here is a collaboration between Zonka and Blue Grow...what the...are those people? Sounds like strains of weed. If it is weed sign me up for a bong or 20. Holy f*cking atmosphere, this is the definition of lush. Effects ripple and pop, as the title track seems to bubble and climb. There are nice changes of tempo and relevant samples that don't make me want to rip my pubes out. Made by aliens for sure. The next two tracks are remixes. Their version of Angel Eyes has a shiny coat of polish that your grandma wishes she got on her silver. The original track from the Carrots and Stick compilation was a laid back groover with great effects, but this is bigger and more full....bolder. It is more aggressive and it shimmers. If the original was the smooth caress of a lover, then this was pull her hair like you were mounting a flying beast in Avatar. Their take on Land of 2 Suns from the Beat Generation 2 compilation just seemed...what's the word. I know...louder. Didn't thrill me. Iono continues to hit home runs. Pretty good EP if you love melodic progressive. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Invisible Reality Title: Doors of Soul EP Label: Iono Music Date: January, 2012 1. Cybernetic Evolution 2. Doors of Soul 3. Alice Dream (Remake 2012) People ask me (no they don't, I don't get to talk to any adults. I asked my three year old, but every answer I got had something to do with Lightning McQueen) if I ever get tired of listening to progressive trance. Sure I do. As I would if I listened to one genre over and over again. Thanks to a Facebook friend, I've been getting back into Front Line Assembly. Not to mention Ice Cube's 1992 masterpiece Death Certificate is never far from reach. Headphones only. Last thing I need is my wife to come home and hear my kid singing about the nappy dugout. So yeah, I have to take breaks every now and then. This is a project that I have been following for a little while. The duo released their 2nd album Parallel Fantasy (reviewed here) which I thought was superb. This is their latest effort a 3 track EP which I hope continues down the same road. Cybernetic Evolution- Huge washes and a thumping beat compliment the oscillating synth waves. It's a dark ride through space with a good bottom end. The last break sees meteoric debris float by the glass panel and light reflects off the hull of the ship. Very atmospheric. Loved it. Doors of Soul- There's more of a house shuffle here but since I don't hear the crooning, I think we're ok. The break has a nice growling bass pad as synth leads dance through the soul door above. Nice groove, but there is a long stretch before the 2nd break where it seems like they were on autopilot. The melody at the end is nice, but the whole thing lacks the grandeur of the first track. Alice Dream (Remake 2012)- "Alice...wake up!" This is a remake of their 2009 track on the Spiritual Ritual EP. First thing I noticed is they chopped a minute off the track. The original was a churning slowly evolving track. Totally opposite here as these guys are beating this kick drum like it got their sister pregnant. More aggressive surely with eerie background noises and filtered pads. Yeah, I liked it better. Good little EP. My favorite was easily the first track, but they're all pretty good. Melodic progressive with some thumping kicks. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Timeless: Re Run EP Label: Digital Nature Records Date: January, 2012 1. Run Away (Invisible Reality rmx) 2. Run Away (Monolock rmx) 3. Attention (Solaris Vibe rmx) 4. Run Away (Helber Gun rmx) 5. Run Away (Disco Junks rmx) Digital Nature is a new Israeli label founded by Mr. Etic and Mr. Aerospace with the intention of producing music up and down the electronic spectrum. In the promo for Psyshop the words brilliant, superb, hottest, and unique were used to describe this EP. I'm sure that I am not the only one who feels that our hyperbolic use of these terms are a little out of control. Frequently we find some dumb redneck jumping off the roof of his singlewide labelled as awesome or some wailing depressive hipster crap being called brilliant. Let's be honest this is f*cking brilliant. By the way, how do I get on that game show? So when reading these oftentimes grammatically challenged blurbs you have to take it with a grain of salt. I haven't heard the original so the 4 remixes for me can be judged on their own. Is this going to make you throw away that new Nerso album? Is it going to make you stop listening to goa trance? Uh, no. No it won't. Hell I don't even think it is that unique. It's groovy progressive with some great melodies and atmosphere. But I can get that anywhere. This was good but far from the end all and be all of electronic music. And at $7.50 for 4 remixes of the same song and one original track, well I think my money can be better spent elsewhere. If I had to pick my faves, it would be the last two. Really liked the nasty bass in the Disco Junks. Funky. Goes well with that chick's booty motion as well. But that's just me. Maybe you've been dying for the Disco Junks remix of Run Away. I like that name. If I got another dog I think I would name it Disco. Beatport Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Sonic Alchemy EP Label: Sonic Motion Records Date: January, 2012 1. Existenz - Phatmatix & Atyss 2. Isolator - Atyss 3. Scorpio Department (Toxic Remix) - Atyss & Triskell Expectations. We all haz them. I expect that these two fine eligible gentlemen will go home to a twin bed with salsa stained sheets from last night's Arrested Development marathon and lay down amidst their iPhones and iPads and proceed to knock out a few knuckle children to the pimply faced greeter at the Gap that almost talked to them until mom stumbles in screaming dinner was ready over an hour ago. I expect a professional tennis player to know that beating your girlfriend on the court you're currently about to play on might not be the best way to go. II expect this was how it went down when Barbie caught Ken tossing He-Man's salad. Expectations. After the f*cking awesome Hypnotwist and Motion Sensor compilations I expected an absolute cracker from Atyss, an up and coming twilight psytrance producer. It didn't happen, but everyone deserves a mulligan just ask any golfer you know. So now Sonic Motion Records is out with a quick hitting 3-track EP with Atyss, Triskell, and my main man Phatmatix. I would've bought this for his appearance alone after his two superb albums. So to say my expectations were high...well, that might be an understatement. Existenz- "We've not always been as brothers. But let us put aside such matters." What.The f*ck.Was that? Let me get back to you on this... Isolator- "At the 70 hour mark an insomniac will experience micronaps." I just...I'm...still on the last track. This is Atyss all by his lonesome and he has a metallic lead firing over eerie pads and a synth riff moving at high speed. Not bad I suppose. What makes it bad was the Nutek style buildup. I hear that and I wanna start smacking people. Pretty intense for sure. My favorite part was the last bit that had the synth running and a twinkling melody floating above. Scorpio Department (Toxic Remix)- Toxic has always been a mixed bag for me. Some of his tracks were really excellent but a lot have been commercial pablum. This one is a remix off State of Resonance from Atyss and has a very appealing bass line; short and punchy just like me after I drink too much. It has a couple of buildups but they are very brief so no harm no foul. The groove and the power is there so I'm on board. It's a pretty good one. Back to the first track. I wanted to hate this thing. I wanted to. So ready to shred it. But after hitting repeat many times over something bizarre happened. I really began to like it. Full of super big beats and funky breaks with a bass line that wraps around you like a python would. It's still a twilight track and yes it does have some annoying sample cheese. But that bit after 5 minutes is massively funky and ready for dancing. Pumping. So I would urge those interested to give it a listen. Maybe it will grow on you also. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Xatrik Title: Badass EP Label: Disasterpeace Records Date: January, 2012 1. Badass 2. Dangerous Conditions 3. Work My Magic 4. In It Holy sh*t. What the f*ck happened here? This the same chick that sang Genie in the Bottle? Apparently there was also a Pizza Hut franchise in there. What the hell was your wish, lifetime supply of cheesy breadsticks? *Puts finger to ear to hear producers* This just in we are going with live video that has just come into us of Ms. Aguilera on a rampage at a New Jersey Nets game. "Oh the humanity! She's insatiable!" Once an incredible talent, Ms. Aguilera now spends countless hours at various drive thrus using the voice to "King Size it" and whining when told she cannot put a frosty on a Wendy's triple. Rumor has it that anyone not making the cut on her team must report immediately to a giant deep fryer where they will be promptly sodomized with a stick so she can snack on you like a corn dog. I have no proof of that, but you know, it sounds perfectly plausible. Xatrik is Greg Hamber from South Africa, the birthplace of the vuvuzela otherwise known as the Christina Aguilera dinner bell. He's back and fatter than ever with his new Fatass EP that promises...I'm sorry? Excuse me, I think I would know...oh sh*t. Badass. Not Fatass. Wow, that uh....that makes a lot more sense. Badass- Typical Xatrik with high speed cyber technology sounds and acid erupting from a sawed off shotgun. The bass line is sprinting like it's on the run from the cops and the groove is intact. It's bombastic and crackling with energy. It truly is badass, but then so Greg's full time job... Dangerous Conditions- "Do you want to live forever?" With a little help from the Qube he continues to shower the listener with acid and heavy beats. It's dark with impending doom as it changes tempo which I wasn't that big a fan of. Minor drawback as this thing gets it's second wind and brings the power with the groove. It rises like a tsunami full of cars, houses, carnival equipment, a couple toilets...you get the idea. Let's just say that it keeps comin'. Work My Magic- "Mr. Fletcher? You don't have to worry about the police...I worked my magic on them" It starts with a slow techno crawl and quickly rounds into form. Bouncing with nod your head goodness he experiments with breakbeats and techno applications. There is a dark melody that hums throughout as bass sounds warble and wobble. But they don't fall down. In it- Man that bass line is like a Godzilla village stomping beast. Or the local ladies at the Golden Corral lunch buffet Ewww....pretty sure the chocolate wonderfall is limited to food. It's a wall of concussive force kicking in the deadbolt and shattering double plated glass. It's a snowball track that gets bigger as it rumbles downhill. Oh yeah, you stepped in it. F*cking punishing. Another quality twilight excursion from the reigning heavyweight champ of the genre. His ability to mix dark vibes with acidic mayhem and groove are unmatched. Work My Magic is interesting as it isn't just a 4 on the floor stomper, but rather a composite of that and some breakbeat manipulation. It sounds great with everything crystal clear and I think he really payed attention to cranking up the funk meter. So there you go. Having a gun doesn't make you badass. Being Xatrik does. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Entities 2.0 Label: None Date: January, 2012 01 - Dual Barrel - 27 Sundowns (142 BPM) 02 - Deimos - Future Failed (140 BPM) 03 - Hotep - Digital Man (142 BPM) 04 - Nova Fractal - Blindsight (145 BPM) 05 - Lunar Dawn - Genesis (146 BPM) 06 - PsiloCybian - Mindblowing (142 BPM) 07 - Delta Cycle - Vortex (145 BPM) 08 - Psynthax - E.C.T. (143 BPM) 09 - Symatix - The Attack Of The Dissonant Frogs (146 BPM) 10 - Phantasmagoria - Campfire Story (144 BPM) "Let's see, cashbox, glocks, stacks of $100's...hey! Hey, honey...will you take the f*cking kid, I don't want him gettin' his hands on the money! Jesus...what kind of parent are you?" This is the 2nd chapter in the Entities series which sees a lot of the same Croatian artists ply their trade. As with the first one this is a free release and it crosses genre boundaries. First one really didn't impress me much. It was like fast food. Good going down and got the job done, but you always wish you ate a little better. As far as sound goes it was done by the master of mastering Igor Čeranić so zero concerns there. Artwork by my good friend and Psynews member Richpa. Dude's got talent. 27 Sundowns- "Wanna know something? I am high as shit right now dude. I just, I just liked like three toads. I've been up for like 27 suns up and suns down." Saša Dukić & Igor Čeranić know how to make some noise. This is a dark and industrial rampage with acid scraping metal. The battle between man and machine rages on and to be honest it isn't really going that well. Love the break, it oozes with electricity and fear. It doesn't bother with being subtle or agile...oh no. Some people whine and pout when they don't get what they want for Xmas. This? Shoulda checked that list again fatboy. Future Failed- Just Igor this time and he offers another powerful track. Amidst a garbled transmission he pounds one out like his angry at the kick drum. The juicy bass lead dances nimbly above the fray as he stacks the layers and keeps them all going at the same time. While not as descriptive as the first track it's still synthtasticly good. Digital Man- Written by Stjepan Hojan you can see where he got the project name. Another dark track with bass sweeps and effects whirling by. And I wouldn't be offended if you thought that there was a slight goa feel to it. The main melody storms forward while support effects give it some depth. He introduces new lead sounds and they fit right in. Very futuristic and digital sounding. Nice. Blindsight- Renato Brnić released his Main Sequence Star EP this year and I thought it was awesome outer space goa. And he continues the trend with some churning sounds and rich layers. The break is great with the deep pads and bubbling synths from the beginning. The problem I have with it is that I didn't care for the progression of the melody. I felt it was static and didn't change much from the beginning. Purely personal. This ain't Dancing With the Stars you know...it's not like you're gonna get sent home. "I can't see what you're trying to do here." Genesis- Welcome back Kristijan Ilišinoviæ. Remember his track The Run on Goa Overdose 2? Outstanding and so is this. Love the storming nature and the acid lines in this goa treat. It's full of motion and direction changes along with a spooky mood. The leads are sharp and wet with liquid, the kind that duck in and out of dark places. This will get those stiff joints moving... God, I love Bollywood. Mindblowing- Saša Dukiæ (half of Dual Barrel) gets a chance to flex his psytrance muscles all by his lonesome. It's like you decide to work out and then before you know it BAM! How the f*ck do you find shirts? Holy crap this was an awesome track. So firm...so fully packed. Great leads and oodles of layers with the driving intensity you hear on tracks from Temple of One or God Save the Machine. Mindblowing? Pretty damn close. Vortex- This is Domagoj Kirnbauer and I feel sorry for you. No not for that. That could happen to anyone. Who drinks a case of beer. After a bottle of wine. While on heroin. No I feel sorry for you because nobody should have to follow the last track. That should've ended the album. This is a bit atmospheric, but largely boring. It's not until 6 and a half minutes that an interesting lead appears. It's awesome, but it's like throwing a guy a life preserver after he's been floating face down for 10 minutes. Needed to focus on that lead. E.C.T.- Miroslav Lakiæ is an artist I have no knowledge of. Reminds me of Shotu type stuff, lots of effects over a prominent bass line. But the power is there as are leads that are quite cutting. Rumbling bass sounds combine in layers. Sticky like maple syrup but nothing spectacular. The Attack of the Dissonant Frogs- Now this is some juicy, dark forest rumblings. Chirping insects and eerie effects set the atmosphere as melodies peek from places of shelter. Looking for a time out? Forget it. It's a relentless ride with no GPS to get you out of this forest. Campfire Story- Closing things out with another forest field trip is Damir Abjanoviæ & Marko Paviæ and they pile on the effects like I do sprinkles on my ice cream. You got your clunky sounds, scratchy leads, and deeeeep bass line. I like it a lot due to the atmosphere which is terrifying and comes in waves. No sunlight in sight. Great job. This was a compilation that had a few gems on it and is definitely worth your time. All of the tracks sound great (nice work Igor) and create a really good atmosphere. To be honest, I didn't find any sunshine or lollipops on this. Pretty dark all the way through. You could definitely feel the tide turning into stormier weather right around the Vortex track. Kudos to the Dual Barrel, Lunar Dawn, and Psilocybian tracks as they were for me the best of the bunch. Ektoplazm Mdk