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Artist: Various Title: Aurora Sidera Label: Suntrip Records Date: June, 2015 1. Skizologic - Retrospective 2. Nebula Meltdown - Deep Space Introspection 3. Dragon Twins - The Third Wave 4. Morphic Resonance - Altered Perception 5. Artifact303 - In Your Mind (E-Mantra Remix) 6. Crossing Mind - Xtatic Confusion 7. Mindsphere - Fly High 8. Celestial Intelligence - Inevitable Feelings 9. Denshi-Danshi - World In Between (2K15 Remix) Some things just cannot be stopped. "You...Shall...Not...Pass!!!" No matter what you do it seems like you're powerless. "Desserts for a month or you're b*tch gets it next!" In the end you just save yourself the aggravation cause it's gonna happen. Because f*ck your water. This is the unstoppable force that is Suntrip. The roll they have been on as of late is quite impressive. Beginning with the thunderous Shakta Retrospective release from last year and then the blistering Perpetual Energy release from Celestial Intelligence, followed by the great Prana Remixes and culminating with the re-release of one of the classic goa trance cd's of all time Psykadelia by Asia2001. So yeah I'd say they've been killing it. They're like the George Clooney of goa trance labels always showing up with a hotter chick. Aurora Sidera is the next beauty and boy does she have fire. Billed as Suntrip's tribute to the forthcoming summer she purports to show different artists and how goa trance has evolved. First thing you notice is that beautiful artwork by Suntrip staple Margot Schaefer. It's like the most psychedelic optic nerve ever witnessed. Might wanna get that checked out. Don't mind if I do! Skizologic (Maor Hasbani) had his coming out party with the spectacular Robotized album earlier this year and blows the doors off the hinges with a warm, thumping opener. With 303's rumbling this is rattle your ribcage good. Nebula Meltdown takes y ou to space next the shortest track on the compilation. The first part sets you up and then the 303 dreamscape puts you down. Suntrip newcomers Dragon Twins and Morphic Resonance have already established themselves as deep talent and ones to watch. Go to Ektoplazm and check out the EP's they released, you'll thank me later. The Thrid Wave is juicy and bass intensive with super cool sounds while the heir apparent to Astral annihilate what you think you know about goa. This rampant 303 abuse is greatly appreciated as are the layers. Oh my goodness the layers...so dreamy. When E-mantra and Artifact303 keep remixing each others tracks I think we all win. This is a dark, stinging monster that sports the same style as Emmanuel's Nemesis album. Sinister and epic sounding. Crossing Mind has an instantly recognizable style and if you like it he's gonna take you for a crazy 360 disco waterslide ride. Mindsphere and the new "Transwave" delivers melodic morning tracks that rumor has it made people cry on the dancefloor. Pussies. There's no crying in goa trance! It certainly is beautiful music and I suppose if you listen to one right after the other you could get a bit emotional, but unless you're Caitlyn Jenner and transitioning there's no need for the waterworks. Of course this is coming from the guy who cries at the ending of Rudy every time so take it for what it's worth. *sob* Could you pass me the box of Kleenex? I promised I wouldn't do this. *sob* The closer should bring a smile to the faces of old and new goa-heads alike as Denshi Danshi has returned from the 90's with a fresh take on one of his tracks. I'd never heard this one before and Anoebis billed it as "regular trance." It's bouncy and danceable and really whets the appetite for his upcoming album on Suntrip. Holy crap on a crutch this album will get your cardio on! It's highly acidic and melodic with so many twists and turns. Madness! Euphoric breaks and blistering 303's it's another high five to the guys over at Suntrip. The sound is awesome and warm with a relentless pace. There's a reason this label has been on top for so long. I keep saying it but damn if this isn't one of their best releases. Do yourself a favor and get it. Suntrip Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Various Title: Locomotion Label: Hado Records Date: June, 2015 1. Chronos - Urban Life 2. MentalImage - Somewhere Between Worlds 3. E-mantra - Minimal Butterfly 4. Spectrum Vision - Inox (Chronos Remix) 5. JBC Arkadii & Konstantin Zhirov - Meteor Fall 6. G-light feat. M. Mayborn - Mysteries of Light 7. SynSUN - Mechanical 8. JBC Arkadii - Aquanautica 9. Harax - Rill 10. Filteria - Lyva Chill music that...isn't that chill? Where offerings from Ultimae are usually a relaxing and calm ride all the way through, this is psytrance with low bpms. The broad umbrella of psychill is varied indeed and I would say if you want to float away to music this would not be the vehicle. The label itself calls this compilation eccentric. And they are absolutely correct. That said this collection of music from some very well known artists will find a foothold. Tracks range from noisy and harsh (SynSUN) to smooth deep space exploration. It's music by artists that you know are straying from their comfort zone. Hell E-mantra has been making psychill for years now, but are you ready for some deep space ambient from Filteria? How about the re-emergence of G-light with a very rewarding offering? How about the 80's-esque guitar solos on Meteor Fall by JBC Arkadii? As I mentioned there won't be any shut eye being had listening to this, but it's cool to see different ground being tread upon. This one grows on me every time I listen to it. Hado Records Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Various Title: Sadhana Label: Neogoa Date: June, 2015 01 - Room Full Of Eyes - Feasts Fires (145 BPM) 02 - Trikselos - Planet X (148 BPM) 03 - Pandemicus - Exit (145 BPM) 04 - Anumana - Distance To Goa (146 BPM) 05 - Celestial Consciousness - Insider (Katedra Remix) (130 BPM) 06 - Space Vibes System - Life Tomorrow (145 BPM) 07 - Sky Technology & Imba - Intergalactic Warlord (144 BPM) 08 - Spirit Medicine - Dark Matter Of God (135 BPM) 09 - Spacenode - Steel Shakti (145 BPM) Has there ever been a movie that was the equivalent of a foot long propaganda hard on for the United States? I say yes. And his name is Rocky IV. "I must make goa trance better than ever before!" I like your enthusiasm Ivan (pun intended) and I'm just gonna pretend I didn't see all those nandralone bottles on the floor. I knew there had to be an explanation for the superb quality of all the releases Neogoa churns out on a regular basis. And now we know. Ivan was on da juice. We all know the story. Russia "creates" a super champion boxer through technology and steroids while Rocky trains the "natural" way. The pure and altruistic way. Forget the fact that Sly was on the juice probably longer than most of you have been alive. It also glosses over the fact that during a night out and a few too many, a Russian coach bragged to an American coach that they had been injecting their athletes with steroids. Of course the US complained to the ISOC and demanded the Russians be brought to justice. Nah, I'm just f*cking with ya, they ran home immediately and concocted their own super patriotic cocktail blend for their own athletes. True story. So in the eighties Americans were led to believe that all things Russian were bad and shady. That the world needed a Rocky to set them on the right path and protect people from the evil red sickle of Communism. With that in mind I view this compilation with a sideways skepticism that's been ingrained into my mind for decades. But I'm an adult now and I see things a lot more clearly. Frequent collaborator Sky Technology compiled a bunch of tracks from Russian and Ukranian artists (perhaps Drago was one of them, I don't know I wasn't in the meeting) with what I would call uneven results. Like steroids...yeah your muscles might get bigger, but there's the acne, back hair, and punch a grandma in the face cause it's Tuesday roid rage. The first two tracks are forgettable; so forgettable that I think the compilation should've started on track three. It says he worked really hard on this compilation, but in two seconds I could've just saved him some time. Pandemicus is a name I haven't seen since the Dancing Mavka (there's a few of those on here) and the goa trance journey begins here. 4-5 years between tracks is a long time so I can only assume he was sent to Siberia for not cleaning up those steroid bottles. Worth it. For me anyway, don't know how he felt about it. He goes for the heart and doesn't stop until he rips it out mortal Kombat style. Never been a fan of Anumana and this track didn't do a thing to change it. Full-on new goa style that wasn't interesting or innovative until the last third. The Katedra remix of Insider is a dark, sinister, entrancing track and easily one of my favorites here. There isn't a lot going on, but the atmosphere is palpable and it's full of rising and falling melodies. Space Vibes System returns with a nice track if unspectacular and Sky Technology and Imba's controlled chaos is well appreciated. Dark Matter of God has evil melody tendrils that snake and slither with wicked intent even with the galloping bassline. Closing things out is Steel Shakti, a track that takes zero chances and basically trips across the finish line. It pains me to say this because this label is usually synonymous with quality, but for me this is just a pretty good release from the label. Too many mediocre tracks and not enough stellar ones. It's not a terrible album, by any stretch, but when you've set the bar so ridiculously high anything less than greatness is a disappointment. I have discovered that I even tire of the tracks on repeated listens. A victim of their own success I suppose. Not every album or compilation can be a home run and even though this one falls into that category, this label has earned my loyalty and I look forward to them dusting themselves off and getting back to the drawing board. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Benji303 Title: The Advent of Acid Label: Acid Test Pressings Date: June, 2015 1. The Advent of Acid 2. The Advent Of Acid (Acid Ted vs. Matt Acidic Jah The Mind Remix) Best thing I've heard so far. This is approaching if not colliding with the insanely high bar I set for myself in my search for great acid trance. Benji303 is an Acid/Techno DJ & Producer from Manchester in the UK and these two tracks are ultimate powerhouses. If you want to lose yourself in the music then this is for you. Must be how the metalheads feel when they wanna break some sh*t. The original sets you up with some chunky hi-hats and booming kicks until he unleashes the acid less than two minutes in. There's no story to tell, it's just hammering percussion and a rising acid tide. Blistering. The remix gets growly as f*ck and the 303s get filtered to death. The break let's 'em keep rolling as they continue to rise in intensity. Whew! Beatport

Artist: Sky Technology Title: In Search of Ancient Knowledge Label: Sita Records Date: June, 2015 1. Proto-Knowledge 2. Babat Sink 3. Crazy Machines 4. Sands of the Desert 5. Who Are We? 6. Aural Planet 7. Broken Music Box 8. Magnetic Force 9. Göbekli Tepe 10. Babat Sink (Bonus Version) Damn son. This is hot fire! Sky Technology is Dmitriy Kolosovskiy from Kiev, Ukraine and his debut album is something to behold. His style can get quite chaotic and for me he has been very consistent with the quality of his tracks. This album is very layered and packs quite the punch combining juicy undertones with growling melodies. The leads explode and perform aerobatic maneuvers with a slight nod towards nitzhogoa. And what do you expect it was released on Sita Records. That said if you're a collector of cheese look elsewhere cause you won't find any of it here. Warm sounds yet it feels as if it came from the deepest recesses of space. The only complaint I have is that the 10 tracks are in a similar vein so listening in one go may be too much for some to handle. To which I say sac up and fly right. On the other hand this will put you into that state of trance with some excellent sound quality. Dmitriy...hi-five man. I bought the sh*t out of it. Sita Records Bandcamp - 9 pounds for a digital album? Are you outta your f*cking mind? Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Libra Title: Share Dream State EP Label: Zion 604 Date: August, 2015 1. Grumbling Machine 2. Share Dream State Just read the Tottem review by our favorite fruit fly and that got the typing juices flowing. Zion 604 is a label that releases music goa trance from both the past and present with nary a disappointment. Haven't heard much from them this summer, but that's probably because they're out at all the festivals shagging multiple ladies with daddy issues with only a beat and a melody. Somehow between all that hedonism they managed to eek out a little ep. This project is yet another musician from the holy land. The closet is not the holy land Robin, it's your prison. You're not fooling anyone. Come out into the light, you'll feel better. Do you have any idea how much you're gonna sh*t after all that ice cream? Good luck getting that outta those tights. Not that holy land the biblical one. With all the artists from that place you would be led to believe that kids are issued a copy of FL Studio when they exit the womb. It's a short 2 tracker, but it is very well done and shows that the label has an eye for current goa trance. The opener sounds just like I think a grumbling machine would, with mechanical sounds and sprinkled lightly with some goa grease. Whirring, cranking, creaking...kinda minimal with not overpowering melodies. Not bad. The title track piles on with the sparse electro theme at first, but the details really begin to flower as you move farther into the track. It's juicy and not aggressive, but at almost 10 minutes it has plenty of time to flourish. Not the best goa I've heard, but it certainly is good to see this music of ours stretched into different creative avenues. Zion 604 Bandcamp

Artist: Dickster Title: Inebriatti Label: Nano Records Date: June, 2015 1. Bumbling Loons - Shimmer 2. Dickster & Hopi - Freeze the Cheese 3. Dickster & Master Blasters - Rawcous 4. AMD - For Those About To... 5. Dickster - Caffeinator 6. Dickster & Nigel - Psylonius Funk 7. Dickster & Earthling - Keep It Surreal 8. Dickster & Darshan - Decoder 9. Circuit Breakers - Nighty Night 10. Dickster & Space Tribe - Hack A Haka I know I pick on how bad Psyshop written promos can be, but c'mon man...you gotta do better than this. "Nano Records and Psyshop Music Distribution presents... a fantastic trance album from master class Artist 'Dickster'." That's it? That's not a promo it's a f*cking editorial. And a weak one at that. And what the hell happened to Nano Records? They used to be money, but nowadays it seems like their stuck in a f*cked up audio version of Groundhog day. It started with the subpar Laughing Buddha album and then continued with the been there done that Tristan Way of Life disc. This is an album of Dick Trevor's side projects, a compilation if you will, but he's involved in all the tracks. Let's see if it's three strikes and you're out. Yeah I like where this is going...Is what I said after the opening progressive trance track. It had all the elements to bring a smile to my face. But what began as a playful game of cat and mouse ended with a full-on nut punch. There is nothing here that we haven't heard a million times before. Like three day old birthday cake it's as stale as it could be. From Beavis and Butthead samples to the New Zealand All Blacks (I think that's what it is) chant this sh*t is tired. Doing the same thing over and over is the definition of insanity so ya'll must be crazy. Which is an insult to crazy people cause at least they're unpredictable. Sorry Nano...you out. Psyshop