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Artist: Fractal Vivisection Title: Through The Vortex Label: Timewarp Records Date: November, 2013 1. Interplanetary Voyage 2. Traveling Apart 3. Interstellar Gliding 4. My Name Is Trance 5. Molecular Instability 6. Distant Echoes 7. Tachyon 8. Subconscious Flashback 9. Traveling Apart Pt. 2 One, that cover is hideous. Two, I have been listening to this for a while and it made me think of cats. "Jack! Jack! Get the f*ck in here! Check it out...That fat f*cking dog just put a slice of pizza on my head. I know, I know...*makes explosion motion with paws* mindblowing. Quick get a shot of it so I can put it on my Facebook!" What the f*ck is wrong with people? Excuse me, what the f*ck is wrong with cat people? There is a cat with a slice on its head. In space. Why does this even exist? To what purpose? If you've visited the internet since ever people have this (in my view) unhealthy and psycho infatuation with cats. A quick google search will take you to countless images of cats where there should be no cats. I think it's a game of one upmanship to post pictures of cats in the most random and non-sensical situations. This is one of the latest releases from Timewarp and it's a bit of a surprise. It's a mixture of deep space trance and goa elements. There is a very futuristic and cosmic feel to it (just peruse the track names) with lots of layers. When I first heard it I couldn't stand it. Turned it off and went on to review sh*tty ful-on compilations that nobody asked for. But somehow I came back to it. It's not the best thing I've heard and certainly not on going to challenge E-Mantra. But it's not meant to be. I like it when artists combine genres (mostly) and while some of it sounds simple and cheesy a lot of it is very engaging. Every time this Russian gets to the goa parts I start liking it and get sucked back into the dreamy atmosphere. It's not for everyone and like I said it had to grow on me. But I would easily say it is worth a listen. We can't all be as enlightened as this guy. "No way man, no way! I think you just won the internet!" Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Memories From Goa Madness Label: Goa Madness Records Date: November, 2013 1. Into The Vast Dark Ocean EPHEDRA AND OMNIVOX 2. Overdose RADICAL DISTORTION 3. Initially ASMIK 4. Pray For Mars MERR0W 5. Light Up The Sky OMNIVOX 6. Ancient Aliens RADICAL DISTORTION 7. Trip Through The Heart Of The Galaxy EPHEDRA 8. Psychoactive LIQUID FLOW 9. Jurassic Attack AGNETON *Sitting on toilet typing review on phone* Dude, what si...si... "D-E! D-E!! Motherf*cker why won't you type D-E!?!" Great so now I can't finish my review while I'm on the hopper. I'm trying to multitask but wordpad on the Samsung is making that a tad difficult. Hit the fan. Oh aliendna99 didn't your mother ever teach you if you don't have anything nice to say, say it with gifs? See? See...it's not so fun to wear the cone of shame is it? But why so abrubtly negative? Was your jacket covered in minus signs still at the dry cleaners? I'm poking fun and he is entitled to his opinion as we all are. One thing we share is a love of goa trance so I figure the more labels that decide to release it the greater chance for variety. And we all win when that happens right? I've ripped Goalogique for their first two compilations as I felt they were subpar so I suppose that he's doing the same thing (although from his post it seems he did it from solely samples and we know how that can go), but I won't deny that label my support. This business is too hard. Now to be fair he's not calling them out because Goa Madness Records is a new label, but because he feels the music is just homogenous new school same old same old stuff. And to a certain degree he's correct. "Dude, what side are you on?" Both. None. Wigro I'm Switzerland. But I agree with his complaint kinda. If you're one of those who believe that goa trance these days sounds like it's churned out like processed food (it's not) then you probably won't have many positive things to say about this release. It certainly isn't going to rewrite the "formula" for goa trance production. But you know what not many do. The compilation opens with an absolute ripping track by Ephedra and Omnivox. Pure class. I really enjoyed Ageneton's high energy track and Psychoactive is one of the best tracks ever to come from Liquid Flow in my opinion. And the Merr0w and Radical Distortion tracks? Thick melodies and piercing leads that lend themselves to maximum twirling. The only one I wasn't thrilled with was the Asmik track. The key change didn't sit well with me and at almost 9 minutes it felt twice that. Still not bad at all for their very first track. If you're looking for goa trance this compilation is quite good. Leads scream with bite and it's very danceable. The sound quality is also fantastic. Wait a minute...what was the problem again? Well worth my money and a great debut compilation. Great job Goa Madness crew! Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Various Title: The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life Label: Sangoma Records Date: November, 2013 1. Entropy - Hamakor 2. Parus - Vremia 3. Antagon Vs. Ectogasmics - Degradation 4. Sunchild - Think In Tongues 5. Dragon - Flower of Life 6. Mubali - Entering the Neuron Community 7. Fractal Cowboys - Fluid of Life 8. Arjuna Vs. Deepbrianfrombosis - Fractacality 9. Primordial - Time Lord 10. We Are Noise - Acid Milk For All 11. Neesha - Great Ride "There are certain things we can do to become super human." The sexy lady tree will tell you the secret is all in the hips. Anyone else think this gif is a little...sinister? Sangoma is like the foresty darkpsy little brother of the older and well established Timecode Records. I absolutely loved almost everything that Timecode released so I'm hoping that Sangoma will continue the tradition. My first experience with them however was with Gaspard's ode to naptime Seems Legit. It wasn't legit. So not legit that I quit. Hammer shoutout! But hey that's why pencils have erasers right? This compilation is my second go round with Sangoma and I have to tell you...bring a f*cking flashlight. This is dark. Seriously so. Thumping bass lines and kicks rumble menacingly below swampy bubbling. If you're a fan of the Timecode sound this may take some getting used to. While the night time psy from Timecode was also dark there were always melodies that would carry you above the fray. This sound is more psychedelic forest and aggressive. Perhaps it's the logical evolution of darkpsy. It's a hallucinatory journey where sounds are stacked like dead bodies and the mood is decidedly...evil. Metallic leads sound like the dragging of relics across concrete. It's loud and a lush cacophony of sound that requires multiple listens to truly appreciate. Some tracks are horror movie ready and most are a twisting concourse into the mouth of madness. Heavy stuff if you decide to listen in one go. I'm not sure where I stand yet, but I certainly cannot stop listening to it. Sangoma Bandcamp Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Algae Bloom Title: The Blossom Label: Sun Station Records Date: November, 2013 01 - Stop Thinking (130 BPM) 02 - Nothing Is Static (130 BPM) 03 - Healing Drum (with Stereofeld) (132 BPM) 04 - Cloud Walker (130 BPM) 05 - String Theory (130 BPM) 06 - Everyone Is Invited (128 BPM) 07 - Alga Tinge (130 BPM) 08 - Thank You (130 BPM) 09 - Weirderer (132 BPM) I listen to a lot of stuff, but there is no way I can get to it all. That's why recommendations are so helpful. I would've walked right past this release if a kind soul hadn't asked me to give it a listen. Thank you kind soul. Because this is one release you shouldn't miss. Ukrainian Max Kurushyn has delivered something special here he refers to as daypsy. The progressive trance is very detailed and melodic not unlike something you would find from the major labels. There is no wasted space just sounds in every measure that surround you like a warm blanket. Danceable at times with some tactile layering. I would say it's an album that doesn't have any tracks that are head and shoulders above the rest or ones that you'll never forget, but the overall quality and depth is extremely high. The flow is continuous with well timed breaks that are lush and organic. This is one of those albums that I'll put on with the intention of listening to one or two tracks and the next thing you know I'm sucked into digesting the whole album. Again. Like progressive trance? You need to hear this. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Ascent Title: Inside the Forest EP Label: Tandava Records Date: November, 2013 1. Heavy Clouds 2. Liquid Meadow 3. Purple Elves I know I'm not as active as I used to be. As a father of two I have other responsibilities so spoon feeding you wisdom and comedy has unfortunately tumbled down the priority ladder like Mr. Glass in Unbreakable. But that doesn't mean I've stopped listening to our music. Just can't review everything I hear. Someone's gotta put dinner on the table, do the laundry, clean the house, and make sure the kids don't die. So when I came across this guy I simply had to write about it. Ascent is Bojan Stojiljkovic and with a name like that I'm guessing he's from psytrance promised land otherwise known as the Balkan region. Don't quote me on that though I've been wrong before. This three track EP has made me thirsty for more. Much more. He straddles the line between progressive and psy like Ovnimoon. Each track is detailed to overflowing involving the listener in his story. Big time entrancement with a gloomy atmosphere. Seems like everyone is doing progressive these days and it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. But this guy is doing it right. I can't wait to listen to more of his melodic and moody stuff. Now if you'll excuse me I think I hear Dr. Phil calling my name. *Grabs bag of chips, steps over two growing piles of laundry, and settles in to couch groove* Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Vertex - Earth Remixes Label: TesseracT Studio Date: November, 2013 1. Joy of Silence (Suduaya Rmx) 2. Elements On Earth (Human Element Rmx) 3. Faith (Subliminal Codes Rmx) 4. Enlightenment (Aquafeel Rmx) 5. Surface (Midimal Rmx) 6. Out of Orbit (Side Effects Rmx) 7. Second Element (Nerso Rmx) 8. Out of Obit (Lyctum Rmx) "What you're trying to do as an artist is to have an experience that is worth sharing...and download it into another person's consciousness." The first time I played their debut album Ocean I was blown away by the smooth and intricate progressive sounds. Layers of relaxation just hoisted atop one another. With their sophomore album Earth they continued right where they left off. A few EP's were later released, but they didn't move me like the albums did. Prepare to be moved. Vertex are Zyce and Merlin and they comprise a Serbian powerhouse of melodic progressive trance and have some tracks from their second album remixed by a who's who in progressive trance. Suduaya begs you to let the crashing surf tickle your toes in the sunshine with a slick downtempo interpretation of the Joy of Silence. The Human Element prepares you for drift off with heavily reverberated vocals and warm sensations. Subliminal Code picks up the pace with sharp lead stabs, but doesn't disturb the groove. The Aquafeel remix let's you settle into your favorite easy chair with a hypnotic sound as Midimal sets up a house feel with a pillowy soft kick that is perfect for dreaming. The track Out of Orbit appears twice here and both remixes are top notch layer intensive experiences. Very atmospheric. Nerso returns to top form with a stunning remix that sounded perfect to these ears. Juicy, undulating, brooding... I took this album at face value. Didn't go back and listen to the originals to see if they were dramatically different...just settled in for a melodic progressive ride. And what a dreamy journey it was. The album works great whether you pick out individual tracks or just hit play. TesseracT can be very proud of this release. Highly recommended. Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Lucid Flux Label: Anjuna Records Date: November, 2013 1. Prana - Taiyo (Process Imperfect Simulant Remix) 2. Chakra & Eddie Mis - X-Files (Visitors Remix) 3. Syb Unity Nettwerk - Sun Invaders [Full Moon Mix] 4. NervaSystem & Aether - Distorted Waves Of OM (Slight Return) 5. Aurax - Inordinately Haggard (Live) 7. Graham Wood - Spaced In 8. Ufomatka - Varstar 9. UX - Master Of The Universe (Epic Live Re-Mix Live with Front 242) "The pond was a nice little beautiful floating...stream going over a nice little dam. And we sat there and water flowed over us and it was beautiful, beautiful. The sun was glistening off our beautiful young bodies and we climbed up out of the water and found that we were all...covered...with...leeches!" I love being a goa trance fan these days. There is so much variety and different styles from which to choose. One trend that labels like DAT Records, Zion 604, and Anjuna have honed in on is our seemingly insatiable desire for unreleased old school goa. Apparently the artists of the golden days knew this time would come so they held on to their DAT tapes of tracks that previously never saw the light of day. Anjuna is a label that is really going balls out with their releases including limited edition inverted CDs as well as T-shirts. Tribal Encore (their debut compilation) was a success releasing tracks you wouldn't hear from other labels. I didn't like all of them, but Anjuna realizes that all of the tracks are part of the rich history of goa, and pleasing everyone all the time is an impossibility. I've had discussions with them and they are more concerned with keeping that history and old school spirit alive than in turning a profit. Once again their latest compilation contains tracks that were either previously unreleased or only found on vinyl. Taiyo (Process Imperfect Simulant Remix)- The original track can be found on Cyclone and the Chakra Remix can be found on Geomantik. I like this one the best. It sound s more organic with beeps and squeals above the deep bass. X-Files (Visitors Remix)- Yeah...no. This is some thumping psy with tribal screams and I don't care for it. Whatever, I didn't like the original version either. That said as a remix it's a win because it is so dramatically different than said original. Sun Invaders [Full Moon Mix]- Syb Unity Nettwerk (Kris Kylven) doesn't make bad tracks and this is no exception. Constantly evolving this is pretty good. Distorted Waves Of OM (Slight Return)- Nervasystem and Aether deliver one of the tracks of the compilation. It squelches and squeals coalescing it's layers into quite the stomper. Lot's of folks are excited about Anjuna's next release which is some unreleased Nervasystem. Me being one of them. Awesome track and you gotta wonder how this puppy never saw the light of day. Inordinately Haggard (Live)- Psychedelic goa to the core! Browling like a lion and bubbling like a vat of steaming acid this track shrieks to anyone who'll listen. Sometimes sharp sometimes laid back it's a definite highlight. Full Potential- Another track that never made it to primetime or anytime actually. Lots of alien noises and dark psychedelia especially near the end. Spaced In- Graham Wood (Half of the Infinity Project) up next with another unreleased gem. It gurgles and bounces with head nodding goodness. Nothing too intricate, but when you layer all that bubbling it makes twirling much easier. Varstar- If Distorted Waves was number one than this is 1A. Darkness has a name and it's Varstar. Feel that low bass deep in your physical center as sinister vibes bursting with evil froth over. God it's so clear and lush I feel as though I could squeeze it through my fingers! Master Of The Universe (Epic Live Re-Mix Live with Front 242)- And now the one that got mouths salivating. Already one of the greatest goa tracks in history, but now with more Front 242! It's live so you can hear the crowd cheering which I like. Always gives a boost of energy. I don't know what part Front 242 played in this tale, but I don't hear additional vocals until near the end. It sounds slightly different with a more symphonic quality. This second release from Anjuna is two scoops of win. Rare and unreleased old school goa trance will always be welcomed as far as I'm concerned. Like the debut compilation I didn't fall in love with all the tracks, but I respected them. And please, remixes that don't sound just like a clone of the original? Where do I sign up? The sound quality is rich like chocolate cake thanks to Mr. Tim Schuldt. That guy is boss. Highly recommended for all your psychedelic goa trance needs. Congratulations Anjuna! Bandcamp Mdk

Artist: Orca Title: Redefined Label: Fractal Records Date: November, 2013 1. Sweet Oblivion 2. Reduced To Dust 3. Other Mind 4. You Know 5. Magical Concoction 6. Sad Movies 2.0 7. Physical World 8. Humen Consciousness 9. Goash "Oh my God, the end is near!" The end of Orca maybe. Probably. Almost certainly actually. What the f*ck happened to you? This has to be the clearest case of alien abduction on record. It's the only explanation. The only thing redefined here is the direction of your music. From a guy who was once responsible for the psychedelic and hard hitting Fists of Fury you now make music that appeals to the lowest common denominator. Tired sounds, buildups, and unimaginative drivel. This is full-on that dumbs down psytrance. I'm still shaking my head...you couldn't intentionally make something this bad. Could you? Look I get it. While fiercely loyal the psychedelic crowd is a finicky bunch. Many a critically acclained artist will tell you as great as it is to have created something significant they would also really love to eat something more substantial than baloney sandwiches. The money is in the commercial music and it's probably nice to have money for gas. But I gotta tell you from a fan's perspective this is unlistenable. And Fractal Records...I expect way better from you. Sad albums make me cry. And this one is a Kleenex 4 boxer. One of the worst albums I've heard. Ever. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Goa Overdose 3 Label: UAF Date: November, 2013 1 - Nolax - The Broken Bubble (145 BPM) 2 - Dragon Twins - Fire And Earth (141 BPM) 3 - Ruby Plexus - Tantric Tarantism (147 BPM) 4 - JIS - Journey In My Head (145 BPM) 5 - Tomac - Polar Exploration (134 BPM) 6 - Dreamweaver - Tabula Rasa (142 BPM) 7 - Space Elves - Drop Zone (145 BPM) 8 - Omnivox - Spectral Mutant (142 BPM) 9 - Laughing Skull - Alek Wonderland (145 BPM) 10 - Crossing Mind - Clinic Reality (148 BPM) "They haven't come outta that laboratory for the last three days!" That's cause dey f*cking. You say overdose like it's a bad thing. Ok that's ridiculous. I don't care how much they pay you there is no need to sacrifice your health for some preconceived idea of what you should... Holy sh*t. Is there no middle ground? All you can eat is a marketing ploy nor a double dare. Jeez...as least she doing...something resembling sit ups... Oh God, I think I'm gonna be sick. If you can sing lower than the guy from Boyz to Men lay off the roids Queenzilla. Ugh, for the first time in my life I'm staring at tits and I'm disgusted. Ok you win...overdose is bad no matter how you slice it. Except this one. Imba and UAF are back with part three of the highly successful Goa Overdose series. As usual it's free and full of melodic goa trance by artists you might not be familiar with and a few making their return. The Broken Bubble- Christoph of the Persistence and Turning Point albums seems to have a good relationship with Imba as he has landed guest shots on all the overdoses. His track is a bubbly way to begin things. Fire and Earth is a squirelly motherf*cker with an old school undercurrent that grows in intensity. Tantric Tarantism- Ruby Plexus is ok you got me I have no idea who this is. It's an ok track. Journey In My Head- JIS recently dropped the fantastic Illusions of Reality so after reading that review you need to pay that man! This is mellow in style with those subtle old school flares. Good pumping track that could've even been great with more evolution. Polar Exploration- Sound old school? Should, it's from 2001. This is some undulating goodness that gets in a nice steady rhythm. Kind of like last night when I was with your mom. Yeah she made me blueberry pancakes after we were done. I know! I thought the same thing, they're not in season, how did you do this? Tabula Rasa- Another track from the past (2006) and if this don't get you twerking may I interest you in some drone? Welcome back you glorious mother f*cker. Drop Zone- I really enjoyed Terrestrial Planet Finder...840 hours? That's like a month, what kind of deadline is that? What can't you get done in a month? Even if you spent most of that time staring at porn or gravy wrestling that's still a bizarre deadline. Acidic licks make this enjoyable. Spectral Mutant- There's some buzz floating around about this project (heard it from my toaster) and I can see why. Bouncy and multi-layered this is great for dancing. Alek Wonderland- Another track from 2001? Are you kidding me? This thing is a no holds barred blow the door off the hinges Nagasaki explosion of goa trance. Who's gonna put the paint back on my walls? Clinic Reality- Crossing Mind has recently summited the mountain of goa trance with two brilliant albums in a short time. He closes things out with a track from 2003 that is kinda off tempo. Once it settle in his sound becomes readily apparent. There is something chunky about it. Not your normal four on the floor goa. This is another master stroke by Imba who has really come into his own over the last few years. He's put together a cracker of a compilation that has only one flaw. You guessed it, the mastering. Homie don't got no monies and Tim Schuldt don't do freebies so this is what free mastering sounds like. Still it's not bad and in no way ruins an otherwise brilliant album. Sounds fine on my headphones. Definitely worthy of your time. Hopefully when Imba gets rich fleecing, ahem I mean touring Israel he can pay for some professional mastering because it deserves it. You the man Imba. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Menog - I See Change Remixes Label: Spectral Records Date: November, 2013 1. Audialize Remix 2. Iliuchina Remix 3. Kin Remix 4. Tryambaka Remix 5. Biorhythm Remix 6. sHiFt Remix 7. Bretheren 8. Ectima Remix 9. Chilled Cquence Remix "I know change. I embody change. All we do...is change." Oh you're gonna get sick of hearing that. The first couple of times I listened to this I wanted to put Daniel in a dark Portuguese prison with a dead chicken around his neck. I know what you're thinking. What an odd thing to say. I only bring it up because this actually happened to a kid in a foster home in North Carolina. Seems kinda mean and f*cked up so I figured it would be a good form of punishment for Daniel. I mean some sort of retribution needed to be enacted for someone who would willingly put his listeners through the torture of 9 remixes of one track. One. Imagine being stuck in the movie Groundhog day, but instead of getting to cold cock Ned Ryerson you get to beat your head against the wall for 24 hours. Because even with the changes each artist made to the original it's still the same f*cking track. Same one. By the time Tryambaka's version rolled around I was seeing double and began to sharpen my knife. But then I got to thinking. This is probably not meant for home listening and most assuredly not meant to listen to all the way through. Maybe it's just for DJ's looking to drop some acid and thumping beats into their twilight set. Because let me tell you even though there are 8 clones they all have that in common. Eviscerating acid scalpels that are relentless guaranteed to rock the dance floors. The 9th and final mix is a laid back yet eerie dub track that thankfully let me catch my breath. So I would say there is a time and a place for everything. With my kids playing upstairs I was free to let this blare through the subwoofer and I loved it. Listening all the way through with the headphones doesn't do it justice. Some searing tracks in here for you night time psytrance people. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Omneon Title: Magic Forest EP Label: Timewarp Records Date: November, 2013 1. Magic Forest 2. Psytrance "OH GOD Raoul, magic hands. You've got magic hands. I'm gonna cough up the biggest f*cking hairball just for you big guy." My break from posting reviews was probably as much of a vacation for you as it was for me. But I'm back and all these releases ain't gonna review themselves. Timewarp is at it again with yet another new EP. They are an EP machine! Omneon is Denis Paholkov from Estonia (now you're just making up country names) and he combines full-on and goa with pretty good results. I liked the 1st track the best as the one called psytrance might be a little too full-on for some. Sounds like he's got talent and I look forward to seeing what he can do on future Ep's that I'm sure Timewarp will release. Beatport Mdk