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Artist: Various Title: Enchanted Explorations Label: Visionary Shamanics Date: April, 2012 01 - Shotu - Acai (Chris Rich Remix) 02 - Dream Visioner - Who Are You 03 - Amrita - Ratatam (2012 Remix) 04 - Aegolius - Fobia 05 - Mussy Moody - Pure Elements 06 - Nolm - Gold Freaks 07 - Grobians - Alien Invasion 08 - Shadowls - Chronicle Of Mystery 09 - Therange Freak - Enchanted Explorations 10 - Petran - Voyager Of Psychedelic States 11 - Paganopath - Legends And Fairytales "I can do whatever the hell I want! I'm a human being not some robot!" Sure you can, but I just saw a robot do this... So if I was a parent of a robotic Asian child (racist bastard) I would be very nervous right about now. When asked for comment, Yo-Yo Ma replied, "Are you from the escort service? Where da bitches at?" Here is the 2nd forest compilation by Visionary Shamanics. The first was Interweaving Dream Magics and you can find my review of that gem here. Most of the people on this thing are unknown, but what better way to get the crap scared out of you than the unknown? Acai (Chris Rich Remix)- Mr. Rich is an artist from the UK and he tackles a Shotu track from the Epicentre compilation. Don't really recall the original, but I like where he's going. Full of motion and straight ahead power. It has a very cyber feel with bubbling electronics. Ones and zeros are escaping the mouth of this computer program because he's choking the life out of it. Loved it. Who Are You- This is another track that is like surfing the net from the inside. Atmospheric and bubbly with a female computer vocal sample. The bass line drives this puppy as effects scrape across the windshield. Like that bug that hit mine on my last trip to VA Beach. Huge motherf*cker. Get ready for the squish! Ratatam (2012 mix)- 10 seconds in and I've crapped myself. Try listening to this in the woods. By yourself. Some scary stuff. Scratchy synths and a heavy does of dark forest horror. Creepy crawley things and unkown creatures mocking me from the dark make this the perfect bedtime story. For a serial killer Yay Yay..clowns are...fun.. Fobia- Yet another hallucinogenic nightmare. You didn't fall down the hole, you were pushed in. An eerie melody (and there is quite a lot of it here) is your guide and the ground you're walking on bubbles with the faces of trapped souls. Don't f*ck with this track, it apparently swallowed part of the Florida A&M brass section. Scary and atmospheric just how I like me forest. And with a little lemon. Pure Elements- Man that kick is punchy. I really think the forest genre has evolved and become more musically vibrant. There are more layers than an onion and all of them are scary. With sizzling effects like the sound of flesh burning there are also computer sounds. I liked it, but it wasn't as descriptive as the last rumbler. Gold Freaks- At this point you are so deep in the forest there isn't a prayer of getting out. Feels like I havent seen the sun in weeks. It scrapes, it bubbles, it can be noisy at times...I liked it, but it's just your ordinary run of the mill lost my way can't get out why is it so f*cking dark forest track. Alien Invasion- "Something as big as a battleship had just flow over and passed him...at speeds so great he couldn't begin to estimate it." Much more illustrative track with breaks, a sample, and leads to keep it interesting. Ominous? Surely...I mean c'mon it's an alien invasion. Lots of layers bubbling under the surface make this invasion a reason to celebrate. Yeah! Teddy Bear party!!! WHOOO!!! Enchanted Explorations- We finally come to the one artist who I have heard of. With very scary pads and clever use of a sample that we've all heard before I am fully on board this fright train. It's got it all...melody, deep bass bubbling, wails of agony. Like when I go to my son's pre-school... What...what are you kids lookin' at? Oh come on...the asian violin joke? You're still on that? Go drink your juice boxes! Chronicle of Mystery- "Why are you here? Why did you come to this planet?" We...Come...For...Scarlett....Johansson.... You know I cannot...nope can't for the life of me name one movie she's been in. Look, she can't even figure it out. To be famous for your tits is pretty low bar to set. Love the way it starts with the chopped up strings. It continues with a detuned downward spiral that has Trent Reznor looking for razor blades. If this is a hallucination, it's still a long way from being over. Walls are melting, trees are cracking their branch knuckles...Holy sh*t...did that tree just...drool? Voyager of Psychedelic States- The guy speaking that sample sounds like someone I would've shoved in a locker back in high school. But let's be clear...I am 100% against bullying. So much so, that I am 100% for watching the bully get his ass kicked. So...that's like, what....200%. Speaking of kicking ass, this track does. Wailing, moaning leads that echo forlornly like throwing a rock down a well. It's pumping and evolving, full of motion. A liquid, scary thing. Legends and Fairytales- Wow, this is dark. Lots of sounds and all of them telling you that you're f*cked. Imagine walking around an environment where everything can kill you. It's like a nightmare...or Australia. Visionary Shamanics is doing things right. They make forest compilations that are interesting and totally immersive. Leads, effects, spooky samples...it's like a how to. There is a feeling with forest music of not being in control, that things are happening around you and you are just a pawn. Dark and hopeless is no way to live your life, but it works great for a little forest escapism. Rekomended for a psychedelic trip. "I don't normally listen to forest trance....but when I do...it's Visionary Shamanics." Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Interweaving Dream Magics Label: Visionary Shamanics Date: November, 2011 01 - Seti - Animals Are Beasts But Men Are Monsters 02 - Gu - Adventurers World 03 - Shotu - Imagination 04 - Vertical - Plastic Plants 05 - Shadowls - Lemarchands Box 06 - Aegolius - Spheres Of Life 07 - Koala - Tree Fern In A Twisted 08 - Fractal Error - Mythodia 09 - Therange Freak - Gruunach (The Black Dragon Of The Great Swamp) 10 - Paganololiuqui - Ayuwaska Jungle Visions This is another forest/darkpsy compilation brought to you by our great friend over at Ektoplazm. That means it fits right into my budget of free. This is the debut compilation from Visionary Shamanics based in the UK and mastered by Mr. Onkel Dunkel. I don't know who that is, but a lot of people seem to like him. The artwork was done by Hypomicro and looks really good. Animals Are Beasts, but Man Are Monsters- Nine minutes? You needed nine minutes to tell this story? C'mon Fedro, no you didn't. Other than the slight break near the 3 minute mark the first four minutes were an 8 bar measure on repeat. So, on the conservative side, take 3 away and we're already down to 6 minutes. The break on the back end has some good sample manipulation, but then what do you do? Jump right back into boring town. Taking 9 minutes for this track is like saying a trip to McDonalds is a 4 course meal. Burger, drink, fries. Done. Adventurers World- When you first listen to this, the beginning sounds like it might be a Barry White slow jam. "Don't be a baby lady...just be a lady baby." But then the forest kicks in with wailing sounds and bubbling synths. Whoever this is is very good with layering as digital washes cascade down and the bass line rumbles. More squirty sounds fit right into the mix as this track reaps a vivid atmosphere. See that Fedro? See it? Imagination- Even though I've never been a fan of his work, the guy can create a nice scene. Shimmering pads and loads of stuff to chew on. With a thunderous beat and spooky French whispers, his style fits this compilation wonderfully. It's a walk down where the f*ck am I lane to be sure as a lead scrapes the skin off your body with whiplike precision. The break is a collage of sounds and squeaks that is very disorienting. Perfect for when you're lost in the forest. Plastic Plants- Attention, we have a Finn on deck. I repeat, a Finn on deck. Prepare for maximum weirdness. I don't know what plants he's been talking to, but I want in on this conversation. Straight ahead punchy bass line and great effects make this sandwich a treat. He doesn't beat around the um...bush, just jumps right in. "Hey...you think this popcorn tastes weird?" "I dunno dude...where'd that gay pretzel go? He was funny." LeMarchands Box- I don't know who this is, but do you think they know there is no l in shadows? I'm sure they do. Just keep moving, because this is dark. No, no!! Don't make eye contact, you'll...great look what you did. Now they're coming over. The deepest bass line yet with moaning and wailing like you just entered the netherworld. Did you hear him slide the C3PO sample in there? Clever. It's a straight forward march without any ups or downs, but it sounds very thick with despair. Bubbling, digital farts, whistles...very lush. Like walking through a psychedelic zoo where the aliens are behind a velvet rope. Don't worry they can't reach you. Can they? What the...? Get the f*ck off me! Spheres of Life- I haven't heard this much tinkling since I had 5 glasses of ice tea. More wailing and insect scratches as we are deep into the forest with whipporwhils of sound taking off like moss encrusted alien helicopters. Aw, sh*t we ran out of bread crumbs. Do you like scary movies? Because this is some old psychopathic Jack Nickolson Shining sh*t. Knock Knock motherf*cker. Tree Fern In A Twisted- I don't get the title. Sorry, I don't get it. This has all the ingredients for what makes a good forest track, but there isn't any presence to it. It just seems like a random collection of sounds that has no direction. No building of tension or fear, just...sounds. Just because you have a dark suit, dark glasses and stand on a corner in a bad neighborhood doesn't make you a pimp. "I say get back here main! B*tch better have my money. Don't make me slap a knee." Mythodia- Now this uses the tools effectively. Less than a minute in and I'm already afraid. Great effects with chopped up synths make this a tasty treat. Creatures of unknown origin exhale deeply and peer through red eyes. It bubbles and rattles the chains of fear. It undergoes so many changes as it's a long one, but the twists and turns are enjoyable. At this point if you are lost in the forest and hear this, you may commence the sh*tting of pants. Gruunach (The Black Dragon of the Great Swamp)- Gruunach. Even the name sounds ancient and powerful. Like a viking. Long beards and great halls full of benches and dogs fighting for scraps. The typical darkpsy sounds are present, but they are layered and man there is a lot of them. Chopped up synths echo in those same great halls and this is dark. No light. It's a bit overwhelming to tell the truth. Ayuwaska Jungle Visions- "I think it is fantastic...that we're here tonight. This is the year of doom and gloom isn't it?" Wow. How does one describe this? If the previous track was the escalotor to hell, then congratulations you have arrived at your destination. Sounds pull at you from every direction, all dying to get a piece. You don't dance to this...you weep to it. F*ck they even have a goat. A goat! Pretty sure that was sacrificed a few minutes back as this laughs at your feeble attempt to escape. The end is really the stuff of nightmares. What a great compilation. Treat it like an exam where you throw out the score of the two or three guys who smoke and spend all their time in wood shop. They didn't want to be here anyway. What you have left is a bubbling cauldron of sounds that stack up like a 3 year old on a lego binge. It's scary without sending you on the express train to hell. Well, aside from that last track. Most of the tracks were really good at building to something and twisting you around. I'm really starting to get into this forest genre. http://www.ektoplazm...ng-dream-magics Mdk