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Artist: Various Title: Flight 604 Chapter II Label: Zion 604 Date: June, 2014 1. Sykespico - Travelling Fullmoonlight 2. Cymatics - Out of the Blue 3. New Born - A Fairy In a World of Machines 4. Nexus Plexus - Born To The Purple 5. Inner Zone - Disco Valley 6. Libra - Spectradelic 7. OctaPulse - Night Vision 8. Skizologic - Maya 9. Art of Trance Vs. Loud & Domestic - Moroccan Roll (Original Mix) Even better than purple drapes. This is like getting a supermodel to be your after school tutor. And five minutes into the first calculus problem you find out she just broke up with her boyfriend, always thought you were cute, and really doesn't want to be alone tonight. Good bye calculus hello anatomy! I really did not see this coming. The first Flight 604 was fine, but this...Every label has a release that puts them on the map and cements their reputation as major players. DAT had Etnica. Cronomi had Portamento. Suntrip had...well, everything. This is the watershed moment for the gentlemen over at Zion604. After their Phoenix compilation and The Green Room album from Deviant Electronics these guys have definitely hit their stride. Like a three point shooter in a rhythm they're heating up. Nah, f*ck it they're on fire! Classic arcade game shout out! Every track is a stomping good journey down goa trance avenue. It's an amazing display of melodies and twirling opportunities. New school? Old school? Hell no this is summer school where class is in session on the beaches of India. It's magical trance that you can't help but get swept up in. I don't recognize who most of the artists are, but it's like going to a new school and finding out everyone is cool. Even the last track which is more progressive than goa. I thoroughly enjoyed dancing to this release and tip my hat to Mr. Perpler for the mastering. The whole ablum sounds fantastic and should be listened to from start to finish. Don't know much about DJs (except that now apparently Paris Hilton is one meaning your profession just dropped in cool points to about the level of Rosie O Donnell sex tape), but even she could rock a party just by pushing play and pretending to twist some knobs. Top notch work people and a leading candidate for release of the year. Zion604 Bandcamp Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Phoenix Label: Zion604 Records Date: June, 2013 Genesis: This is Our Legacy 1. Doof - Double Dragons (Trance Edit) 2. Satori - Neurality 3. Rhythmystec - Eskimo 4. Deflo - Ka.El.Mono (Alternative Recording Session) 5. 100th Monkey - Spiritus (Unreleased Mix) 6. Psychaos - Mindwash 7. Somaton - MKS Dist 8. ManMadeMan - Wasteland 9. Snake Thing - Gizmo Revelation - This Is Our Hope 1. Entheogenic - Soma (Veda Mix) 2. Lapsus - Year Zero 3. Libra - I Know Hias 4. Cymatics - Endless Circle 5. New Born - Moon Worshiper 6. Qlipadelic Rythm - Hiloola 7. Skizologic - MS Blast 8. Octapulse - ACiDC 9. Sound Preacher - Ambient For 4 "To go out of your mind at least once a day is terribly important because by going out of your mind...you come to your senses." When the price of carrots spikes 200% we all lose. Zion604 is an Israeli/Japanese label started in 2012 by Roy sason, Stephan Spivak and Masafumi Hoshida. In just a short time they have made an indelible mark on the goa trance scene. While Suntrip is the undisputed king of the new breed of goa trance, labels like Zion and DAT Records have sated our appetite for unreleased gems from the greats of the genre. Having released The Kingdom, Flight 604, Scandi90's, and Brainforest Remastered (haven't reviewed that yet) they have now set the bar ridiculously high. Not content on making a quick buck by releasing classics that everyone already has, they focus on keeping the old school spirit vibrant with stuff that is kinda hard to find if not damn near impossible. With Phoenix they deliver a 2-disc journey beginning with the old school and then followed up with artists who are hopes for the future. Double Dragons (Trance Edit)- Nick Barber was the mind behind Doof responsible for the goa trance classic Let's Turn On. The original was a belter of a track, but this takes a different approach. If the attempt is to get you through the nostalgic door or to entrance, then mission accomplished. The growling bass line is an oscillating rumble as synths slowly begin to awaken. It gets in you, hypnotizing with subtle swaying melodies, never moving too quickly. Call it a slow motion knob twiddler with smooth transitions that is substantial without beating you over the head. Great opener. Neurality- Ooh, that old school pop is front and center with excitement that steadily builds. Experiencing a track you've never heard is exhilarating and true to Zion604 form they uncover an off the beaten path gem. The 303 is nimble liquid magic as the mosquito-esque synth buzzes madly about. Very bouncy like a fighter on his toes. Eskimo- This was originally found on an EP from 95 and is an exploratory trip through tribal like percussion, layers of melodies, and vocal manipulation. The lead gets more bold near the end and it's that last quarter where it all comes together. Ka.El.Mono (Alternative Recording Session)- "Crime does not pay." 50 and his football jersey wearing pet tiger don't agree with you. Like power and melody? Miss that wobbly and chunky sound? Need a primal scream in your goa? Welcome to the Deflo experience. Where intensity is the name of the game and loudness is just a state of mind. Interesting to say the least and the only problem I had with it was the quick way it faded. Spiritus (Unreleased mix)- Arguably the greatest track from this project this is an unreleased mix. See...it says so right there. But it doesn't really sound that different from the original. Still love it. Mindwash- I know there are a lot of people that wet their pants when they hear a Psychaos track, but I'm not one of them. Nothing here captured my attention and it sounded like the Psychaos that was over the goa novelty. Mks Dist- Also previously available on an EP this is a great track. Wonder what that title means? Racing melody maybe? This has that awesome oldschool buzz especially in the break. Wasteland- MMM has always been a mixed bag for me. They've made some really good goa tracks in the past, but these days their music follows a different path. And that's where this goes. Rhythmic and tribal with some goa elements. There are enough changes in direction to keep it interesting I suppose. Gizmo- Nick Taylor again and this is by far the craziest and all encompassing track on this compilation. It has a little bit of everything and I do mean EVERYTHING. Loved the breakbeats and the psy/goa undercurrents. Think of a storming jam session or if Psychaos had a black choreographer. Want another comparison? Remember when Paul's Boutique came out from the Beasties and everyone said it was a disappointment only to realize later on how f*cking brilliant it was? Yeah it's like that. Soma (Veda Mix)- "It's your eardrums that are turning vibrations into sound and in that way you are creating the world." Time for some present day goa goodness. Soma from the Latin means body and this is some full bodied stuff. Deep and involving the story unfolds and takes its time. And at 11 minutes it has plenty of time. It is epic listening as this track bares all for everyone to see. Not the most goa of tracks, but so lush it reminds me of those 5 gum commercials. Reminds me of those movies I'm not allowed to watch anymore. Year Zero- With a melody that has the distorted sound of being strangled through a pocket amplifier it's off to the races. Alien bubbling rides shotgun as this becomes quite loud and noisy, but in a full and experimental way. It screeches with the wail of a guitar solo while the kick thumps. On it's face it might be easy to dismiss, but once you accept it's a different take on goa it's easy to appreciate. I Know Hias- Who doesn't love a good breakbeat? I do, I do! The goa lead slinks in from the shadows and it's another example of how detailed goa can be. Subtle at once and then screaming to be heard. I am entranced and want to know Hias also. Endless Circle- "Those thoughts rise and go...like waves of water." I love everything about this track. The sample, the atmosphere, the old school bubble and bite...It's like this guy just stepped out of a DeLorean time machine. And we all know how well that turned out. Not just a stormer, but also rich. Moon Worshiper- I wondered what happened to this guy? Normally known for his downtempo goa he picks up the pace with a wailing echoing quality that is a little eerie. Twisting melodies abound and this one grew on me. Not bad. Hiloola- "From now on you must ask permission for everything you do!" Must be married. I've never heard of this project, but ahhh...the art of discovery. He must've been riding shotgun in that Delorean because this harkens back to the golden days. Bouncy with some techno flair this is delicious. MS Blast- Who the hell are these people? I love the constant wave of goa producers that seem to be cropping up these days. This track is...different. Kinda 2000 minimalistic type goa. Psychedelic? Surely and more along the lines of what was heard on Scandi90's. Not my favorite. ACiDC (Computer Controlled Edit)- A slow groover that likes to lay back in the progressive goa style. It's head nodding fun. Ambient For 4- It's uh...that's not really...Look it says ambient in the title and this monotonous breakbeat doesn't sound very ambient to me. Felt like I wanted to rap over it. What a fantastic ride this was. The sound quality is superb and this label makes me dig deeper than I normally would; accepting tracks that I may not usually reach for. Finding layers and new directions to appreciate is much easier with crystal clear sound. This is like a goa fruit salad with something for even the most jaded goa listener. Hell you can get all that with just the Gizmo track! I cannot stress how spectacular and important this release is. Not perfect, but on the whole it's a terrific effort. Zion604 is quickly earning high marks with the quality of its work. Congratulations gentlemen, you have earned the Batman seal of approval. Bandcamp Mdk

Artist: Sykespico Title: Sonic Bomb EP Label: Zion604 Date: August, 2015 1. Fly 2. Attatchment 3. Sonic Bomb "The hour for which people have been waiting for centuries." The end of f*cking summer? That's what I'm waiting for cause it's f*cking hot. Unnatural. Did you know that this last July was the hottest on record for the planet? At least when it's cold you can throw on a damn coat. With this heat walking to the mailbox becomes an endeavor. I hate summer. There's only three reasons to sweat this much and having lunch isn't one of them. Either you having some vigorous nookie, getting a good workout (which could be the same thing) or you're in a sauna. Don't know why you would want to be in a box and crank up the heat though. Sounds like torture. Goofy knows what I'm talking about, look at him. He just wants a f*cking ham sandwich. *All previous statements will be bullsh*t once I install my in ground pool. Then summer is awesome.* Thankfully this thermal nut punch will be over soon and we can get back to the business of enjoying time outside without suffering from swamp ass. Seems the labels are knee deep in hot sweaty hippies at festivals this summer so the releases have pretty much slowed to a crawl. This one almost flew under the radar, but don't worry I gotcha. This duo has released a track on the Flight 604 II compilation and it was kick ass. No clue who they are could be anybody. One thing I'm sure of is that I'm not one of them. And look at Zion dipping their toe in the digital market. Three tracks of somewhat drifting goa trance. Nothing spectacular just good, quality music perfect for on the beach listening. Attachment has a bit of the old school sound to my ears and Fly had a nice guitar crunch. Didn't think I would like it, but they made it work. Well worth throwing this duo a few scheckles. Zion604 Bandcamp

Skizologic Robotized Zion 604 Tracklist: 1. DNA - The Square 2. The Swamp 3. Anomaly (Remix of 2Minds) 4. Robotized 5. Fusion 303 (with Moonweed) 6. In-Space (with InnerZone) 7. Spectrum 8. Neutron (with Radical Distortion) 9. Robotized (Nervasystem Remix) On March 10, 2015, Skizologic's "Robotized" became available to the music world. However, it occurred in a way that was very unexpected. With no physical format available for purchase and no online music shops selling the album, a professionally put-together "digipack" popped up on torrent sites and peer-to-peer file sharing programs instead on the scheduled release date. As of this writing, no word from the Zion 604 guys about what this is all about. Yet, the Discogs page still shows March 10 as its release date, there is still no update to the label's Band Camp page selling (much less promoting) this digipack, no word here on Psynews.org hyping the album (though Zion 604 honcho Roy Sasson is usually very active with his posts) and only the briefest of updates via their Facebook page regarding a vague date for when the release of this album will actually occur. So, with that very organized digipack out there for the populace are we to assume this was "leaked" intentionally? Or is this just a small record label that is overburdened with the details of a release neglecting to promote or being able to release the thing on time? A clever marketing approach to gets tongues wagging or a victim of inner sabotage that allowed their new release to be pirated? Of course, none of this would be very relevant if "Robotized" sucked. But it doesn't. In fact, it is quite fucking fantastic! A slew of co-productions adds a hearty dose of variety to this great debut of Israeli producer Skizologic whose individual approach to goa sounds very relaxed, organic and wickedly groovy. In fact it occurred no less than three different times during the course of its run time where this could very well be the new Hallucinogen album that has been years "in the making." Zion 604's Roy Sasson teams with Skizologic on the bouncing funk of the "DNA" opener, most definitely the strongest Hallucinogen-ic on the album. It is the type of floor-filler that can get many asses a-shaking even beyond the goa crowd, a great crossover track that could possibly appeal to even the most progressive-minded of the psy community. No question, one of the absolute bests here! Skizologic's remix of 2Mind's "Anomaly" is another grooving beauty that spends half of its 9-minute length stomping around quite nicely, and just when it feels like the track has shown all of its elements in comes the wildly good keyboard work, tuned in to some infectious organ sounds, making it a sensational goa riot of bliss and euphoria. The co-production with labelmates Radical Distortion on "Neutron" is funky, groovy, squelchy and excellent. "Fusion 303" is a tasteful overload of goa effects where Moonweed's usually over-the-top production style is reined in by Skizologic's more groove-oriented approach and the result is another winner. Of the three original tracks where Skizologic goes it alone, "Robotized" takes top-honor - it is a full-on beauty masquerading as goa. "The Swamp," "Spectrum" and "In-Space," produced with Innerzone, may be the album's filler tracks but even those sound fantastic. The down point (of course, based on personal tastes,) is Nervasystem's take on "Robotized." Gone is the gorgeous, stomping full-on of Skizalogic's original and inserted is a wild, over-the-top, exuberantly experimental approach that clashes quite significantly with every other track on the album. Hearing "Robotized," though, brings up that taboo issue of "to download or to not download." To slake one's curiosity or to await the "official" release in order to shell out the cash to support a great goa label. And, granted, that's assuming the Zion 604 guys have not given this pirated digipak their blessing. Either way, if you hear it now or hear it later on, chances are when the "Best of 2015" polls come around, this will make the top three of many, many lists. Some albums are just that immediately good to give enough confidence to make such a prediction. "Robotized" is definitely one of those albums. ()

Artist: Various Title: Scandi90's: The Vikings Return Label: Zion604 Date: December, 2014 1. The Mato Project - Prehistoric Exploration 2. Subcouds - Theme From Cloud 3. Electronic Dreamplanet - State of Mind 4. Atmos - Anaterra 5. Miranda - Little Trix 6. Atmos Vs. Bus - Butmosfear 7. Noma - Twisted Community 8. Subcouds - Tsunamis (Fripic Bounce Remix) 9. Sarolta Monspart - Northern Lights As much fun as it is to see the good folks from Zion604 and Ivan quibble over horns on a helmet it's not very funny. Needs more alcohol and yo mama jokes. That's where I come in. Yo momma's so fat she needs cheat codes for Wii Fit. You're welcome. Back in 2012 a new label not named DAT Records which specializes in reviving goa trance from back in the day came out with a compilation that delivered past tracks from Scandinavian artists. There is a certain sound associated with those projects and they have a loyal following. My knowledge of Scandinavia is rather limited. Here is my review of the first installment, but we know about the midnight sun and how f*cking cold it is. They get a few weeks of warm weather and that's when they trot the Swedish bikini team. Then before you know it *Prime Minister above* The prime minister jumps out and warns the population to get into their hobbit holes before the snows come. These are facts and can't be disputed. So that's Sweden. Norway seems like their little brother that can't keep up and if you can tell me that Finland is more than reindeer and Absolut I'm listening. What? Denmark is part of Scandinavia too? F*ck there should be a map or something. Fine. Ok history lesson over. We all know Scandinavia really means Vikings. Long beards, ships with many oars, cavernous mead halls and How to Train Your Dragon. Did they have horns? I don't know. My comics said Thor did and they've never steered me wrong yet. But I'm too lazy to actually do my homework so I'll leave that up to you guys. The cool guys at Zion are out with the second volume of Scandinavian sounds and I'll tell you right up front it's not my cup of tea really. Some of it sounds rather minimal like tracks from that nebulous period in psytrance when we were moving away from the goa sounds and heading towards darker experimentation. I recall someone mentioned that the first CD was like b-sides that were never released. I can see where that thought comes from. I received an un-mastered digital copy and one thing I can report is that the Miranda track Little Trix is significantly louder than the rest. Will that be remedied with the CD release? Probably. And I'll tell you that I plan to bump the CD and see if my opinion changes. The compilation isn't bad at all and I'm sure there is going to be a strong audience for this. However I feel an opportunity was missed. What about Psygone, Color Box, and Bypass Unit? Those Scandinavian projects don't have some gems in the vault? It's like not asking the hot chick to dance because you think she's just gonna say no. Maybe they asked them and they didn't. Can't say I wasn't there. I'm of the opinion that Flight 604 Chapter II is the pinnacle of their catalog right now. But that's just me. That said, I'm on about...the 15th listening and this is an album I would call a grower. The more unreleased goa trance that sees the light of day the better. I applaud the Zion604 crew for doing what they do. Even though I didn't love this I love what they do so I'm still going to buy it and support the label. I strongly suggest you do the same. Looking forward to getting my copy. P.S. Tracks 2,3, and holy sh*t 4 are really starting to grow on me. Damn you Zion604 and your beguiling ways! Zion604 Mdk

Artist: Brainforest Title: Remastered Label: Zion 604 Date: November, 2012 1. El Dorado 2. Story Teller 3. Spider Hands 4. Beyond Earth 5. Brain Forest 6. Impulsive Waves 7. Descender of Evil 8. Astrology 9. Goby Desert "What are we dealing with some type of new outbreak or a plague?" I wouldn't call it a plague. You make it sound so dirty and...diseasey. Fact of the matter is we are currently living through a time where everything old is new again. We've got a taste and brother we like it! Brainforest was Roy Sason with the chap from Illumination. He's solo now and this album was originally released back in 98 as Mr. Trance on Typhoon Records. Then Total Trance by...Total Trance. But don't forget about Total Trance Music released by...you know what? Seriously guys what the f*ck? This reminds me of when Stephen King puts out the same book with a different cover. Well the version I have is the brand new remastered version released by Zion 604. A label not coincidentally run by Roy. Their mantra? Keep the goa spirit alive. And like labels Anjuna and DAT Records that is just what they do. Sure this has been released three other times, but it ain't like I've ever heard. It's a mix of goa, psy, and nitzhonot and it's intense. Smashing to the accelerator to floor melodies fly fast...and...furious. Too soon? His ghost would like this. I know it would. Although maybe if he listened to something like Simon and Garfunkel he would still be alive. On second thought he'd probably kill himself. Synth riffs twist and turn in a blur of psychedelic haste. Going from bubbling to screaming and back again. It's a pretty deep release and under appreciated based on the lack of chatter on these forums. Sometimes it does those cheesy nitzho key changes, but they're brief so don't take points away for that. Spider Hands is when the sh*t begins to hit the fan. Goa with a heavy dose of electronic weirdness. But he kicks it up a notch with Brainforest as that is a storming track. Astrology is another barn burner. It really is a nice mixture of goa with a psychedelic edge. I imagine it will really appeal to those who feel goa trance these days has gotten itself into a formulaic mess. Zion604 continues to release quality stuff and I enthusiastically recommend this. Bandcamp Mdk

This is an incredible compilation, like the 4 CDs so far by this label. But what amazes me most is Atmos's track - not qualitiwise mainly, but STYLEwise. If this was really done in 1994 then Atmos would be another pioneer of the genre since the sound of this track is looks like it was done 1997 earliest, or more 1998 actually! And why would he release no more music between 1994 and 1998 and surface on the Trance map sometime in 1998 with a totally different sound? Sure, sound had changed a lot between those 4 years but it's still amusing how he would do this track in 1994 and surface only 4 years after.

This is very cool! Zion 604 Rec. | Upcoming Release : Scandi90's | Scandinavian Psychedelic anthems | Compiled By DJ Asherun | Release date : August 2012 I hope the tracks are up to snuff