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V/A - Ten Spins Around The Sun Suntrip Records 2014 CD1 - Goa Trance 1. E-Mantra - Sumoning Necromancer 2. Sirius - Not From here 3. Cosmic Dimension - Universe of Destruction 4. Celestial Intelligence - The Oncoming Storm 5. Imba & Nova Fractal - Sevilla in Trance 6. Crossing Mind - Goathmic Pulsations 7. Skarma - Thysselian 8. Cymatics - Celestial Sunrise[/font] BONUS TRACK: 9. Asura vs Aes Dana - Elie CD2 - Goa-Trance Remixes 1. E-Rection - Out Here We Are Stoned (Imba Remix) 2. Crossing Mind - Cyclone In Your Heart (2014 Remix) 3. Power Source - Skywalker (Filteria Remix) 4. Ra - Gateway Eight (Cosmic Dimension Remix) 5. E-Mantra - Afterglow (Nova Fractal Remix) 6. Crossing Mind - Hydrophobic Visions (E-Mantra Remix) 7. Merr0w - Blue Planet (Adrenalin Run Remix) 8. Khetzal - Djaningar (Filteria Remix) CD 3 - Ambient / Chill Out 1. Amos - Ghost World 2. Mindsphere - Defective Cell 3. Hybrid Leisureland - Moment 4. Neurotonal - Earth Frequency 5. Solar Fields - Insum (2014 Remix) 6. Jagoa - Vibe[/font] 7. Crossing Mind - Sunlight 8. Jagoa - Finding Some Light 9. Neurotonal - The Enlightenment 10. Hybrid Leisureland - Friction Glow In celebration of Suntrip's ten years in Goa Trance. Ten Spins Around the Sun is a triple CD compilation. CD1 is Goatrance. CD2 is Goatrance remixes. CD3 is Ambient (Downtempo/Chill). A full review ensues. CD1 - GOA TRANCE 1. E-Mantra - Sumoning Necromancer kicks off the compilation with a solid digit. The first part that grabs my attention is the detectible intricacy at 1:53, and the new move at 2:46. I like catchy layering like that. Good sound usage, but the overall song feels light on imagination and excitement. As we go deeper, a powerful effect hits before the forth minute. The song loses some steam after the interlude and improves around 5:52. The artist keeps things developing, though the last act and the overall song could have been more engaging and memorable. All in all a nice track to lead us into the higher energy numbers. But this is not what sells an album to me. It's a solid opening with some great elements. B 2. Sirius - Not From here has a very nice introduction. Ambient layers add feeling to the driving rhythm. This song feels more energetic than the previous due to a faster beat and synths. I like the ambient notes. The overall song however utilizes similar synth work throughout that to me grows tiresome after a while. Thankfully the second act lets go of some layers; the soundscapes breath. An interlude emerges in the third minute; the track takes off. I like the drum roll. I'm trying to give this a chance. I just wish that the melodies, arrangement, synth selection and overall direction was smoother (more creative and varied), not just layered and fast. To me the song feels redundant, too rough and similar sounding in ideas/synths throughout. The brief siren effects are cool. But I'm not impressed overall. This is the only song I don't care for on CD1. It's not bad or good (to me). The less melodic synth style here I find less fluid, smooth and digestible compared to the surrounding tracks. C+ 3. Cosmic Dimension - Universe of Destruction is the best song I've heard by Cosmic Dimension since the artist work via In A Special Kind of Space album. I heard new songs by this artist on recent comps and this is the best of the bunch so far. Imaginative and powerful, detailed and arresting, this song grows stronger, more intelligent and unique as it moves forward. The middle interlude is where things get interesting, the pit stop for opportunity and change. In this case, dramatic improvement to something already solid (albeit layers over infective rhythm) takes place, thus going the extra mile via excellence. What sounds like a low pitched gong rings. The effect is evocative and delectibly distinct, enhanced by the synths' returns. The artist continues to find ways to rise above the surface, tasty melodies, little details that intertwine with a plethora of soundscapes, textures and ambient notes. In cases that less is more, this track shows that more is sometimes a very good thing and thankfully there's not too much of it here. This is one my favorite tracks by Cosmic Dimension and of the year. It's excellent, especially where it goes after the first several minutes. Excellent track. A- 4. Celestial Intelligence - The Oncoming Storm is more energetic and climactic than the previous track. The lower pitched sounds integrate beautifully with the melodies. The result is a healthy balance between the fluid and the rough. Things grow more climactic at around 2:14. Melody leads often engage each other with strong results while segments in-between remain interesting before the next event. The process repeats, as a tastier concoction enters around the forth minute. For a climactic track, The Oncoming Storm is great. It enters the last third with refreshingly catchy elements. Aside from the catchy FX, the seventh to eighth minute could have taken things further, sounded more refreshing. The song plateaus for me around 6:12, though remains good and changes up. Overall this is a very good, danceable track that gets better as it progresses. That said, I enjoyed the previous track more. B+ 5. Imba & Nova Fractal - Sevilla in Trance has a strong opening, but the entire track blows that away. I love the synth work in this song, the melodies and sound arrangement. What sounds like a synthetic flute works well. Additional leads soon arrive that top it. The first interlude lets me breath. Then the music returns, so fluid and engaging! The song flies through terrain with the paradox of forceful elegance. The tunes are very catchy here, a huge plus. Also noteworthy is the sound usage, such as throughout the fifth minute, the mixing, and the overall direction. Seville In Trance has great evolution. It's dynamic in arrangement, varied in sound selection, and has a strong climax in the last act. The artists did a terrific job. Super track. A- 6. Crossing Mind - Goathmic Pulsations has good buildup, but not to climax. Being dynamic in nature, the artist seems to keep most of his arsenal locked away until the third minute. The intro's nice. The beat alteration at 1:40 is great for instance, along with the melodic combinations and rolling bass line. There's a lot of intricacy and alterations taking place here. The music becomes more prominent in the second act, with an emphasized beat in the third. Having said that, I was not as impressed with this song as I was with the artist's Virtual Mind Cleaner track on the Future Architecture 2 comp. The sound usage grows a little repetitive at times. Virtual Mind Cleaner is more refined, varied (in sound usage), and delectably crafted in comparison. That said, this is a good track with some great elements. I simply find it less infectious than some of my favorite tracks by this artist. B+ 7. Skarma - Thysselian returns from Suntrip's Blacklight Moments comp after releasing an Astral Projection influenced track that made AP feel nostalgic again from their classic days producing Goa. Skarma has again produced a beautiful, smooth number with today's production values. The uplifting melodies and harmonies add to the undercurrent sound and rhythm throughout. The first act is great. The second and third incorporates a more uplifting feel (love this); each act has healthy development. The melodies aren't in my face thankfully; their fairly gentle, allowing the backdrops to breath and resonate. The song has feeling and heart. The artist understands AP enough to imaginatively producing his own visions, both nostalgic and new. The song's a little light compared to my favorite tracks by AP, but the light approach here works. I'd love to here a wonderful sunrise track (as AP's Liquid Sun is) by Skarma that's inspired, not similar of course. Sometimes I feel that a little more innovation could have taken place in the end. Other times I feel it's just right. Thysselian is a great track from start to finish. A- 8. Cymatics - Celestial Sunrise is one of the most unique tracks on CD1. It has an organic, nature oriented opening that reminds me of California Sunshine if Har-El Prussky still made Goa today. The melodies throughout the song are warm, emotive, and optimistic (uplifting). Details, such as the gentle lift-off part at around 2:45 for instance is great! The melody work is very nice, though for a Sunrise (morning Goa) track, I wasn't hooked as much as I was hearing AP's Liquid Sun, Goasia's Sunrise, or Astrancer-Inhabitants of the Sun (Gnostic Theory). Other delectable elements take place here quite well. The gentle interlude is pleasant, including a sample on consciousness. The music's return (after this bit) evolves with new arrangement that's good. The nature-esque accents are never overused. No idea seems to hang on for too long. The song is tight from start to finish, but it lacks that special OMG thing that made me love my favorite (sunrise Goa) songs. I feel that the artist can take the sunrise concept further, creating a more infectious signature lead that's heavenly. Nevertheless, what he's achieved here is catchy. Celestial Sunrise is an uplifting, morning Sunrise Goa number that's filled with creative touches and positive energy. B+ BONUS TRACK 9. Asura vs Aes Dana - Elie was conceived around 1999. Initially I thought it was a chill piece until I heard it and WOW. Why haven't these artists produced more GOA-influenced tracks before (together or separate?), at least occasionally over the last two decades? To start off, I could have done without the male hymns that begin around 0:24 and reprise several times, such as at 7:52 throughout. I find them distracting from everything else that's great! Strong ingredients include melody/sounds, effects, and evolutionary elements like a stellar spaceship. I love the musical work throughout, the FX, atmosphere, and direction! I love the echoed voice samples, especially in the last act. They're gripping. The hymns though make me feel unsure as to if we're moving through celestial bodies or chanting on a mountain top? Overall, it's great to hear two super talented artists worked together on something so strong and imaginative. Why wasn't this released before? Maybe one day Asura will release more uptempo work that's just as intellectually satisfying. Same with Aes Dana. This is an excellent track. A- / A CD2 - REMIXES 1. E-Rection - Out Here We Are Stoned (Imba Remix) starts out with the catchy tune from the original. I was never a huge fan of the original, save the main, signature lead so I may seem a bit biased. Considering how catchy the opening tune is, I was expecting a little more to engage me in the first third, though it builds nicely. A a symbol clash via 3:36 is where I get into the song. The track could have began at 3:36 since the song gets tastier (for a while) from here. A dynamic drum beat section enters. The beat evolves. Hi hats enter. The signature lead in various forms soon arrives, and then the voice sample arrives. This part is excellent. The lead is supported well past the fifth minute, and the song remains tight for some time. The ambient is catchy too. To me however, the song begins to lose some appeal from around 7:37 to 9:50. The artist incorporates more layers around the general sound. The last few minutes though are not nearly captivating as everything that preceded it. The tasty lead reprises one last time, like a good bye before the song ends. That's nice, and the overall remix does justice to the beloved tune with strong, complimentary work. I simply wish that even greater delicacy was produced around the middle third, signature ingredients. B+ 2. Crossing Mind - Cyclone In Your Heart (2014 Remix) is a surprise. The original on Temple of Chaos was one of the only tracks I felt was noticeably weaker, compared to the other tracks on that otherwise stunning compilation. So maybe it's no surprise to some that the artist would improve upon it with a wider range of sounds, ideas; basically the evolutionary elements we've come to enjoy from Crossing Mind. This remix adds hills and valleys, color and complexity to the original's driving albeit rough, rugged, and repetitive sound. That said, its novel additions could have included unpredictable territory; the song could have evolved past the original's undercurrent feel and had a tremendous final third, whereas this is solid as opposed to extraordinary relative to where it goes, its direction. More risks would have been nice, yet the new added ingredients and changes here are a nice improvement over the original. Good track. B+ 3. Power Source - Skywalker (Filteria Remix) is the first song to really impress me on CD2, as a whole that is. Filteria took a classic Goa track from the mid 90's, a song that shares special feelings in many people's hearts. He then turned a classic [goa song] from the golden era into a fluid, dynamic and illuminated beauty. The remix dramatically builds upon the original while keeping its essence in tact. The first act's layers delectably enhance the original around the signature voice sample and rebirth of leads. The interlude fronts the second more delectable act; not that the first wasn't great. The last third gets more psychedelic, edgy and arresting, all while keeping its signature ingredients intact. The remix has heart, excitement and imagination. It has healthy development and evolution, just like the original. Also important is that it gets catchier as it progresses. There's not a moment when I lost interest here. Sure I've heard stuff more complex by Filteria (his impressive Lost in the Wild album), but I've also heard stuff less fluid (same album). I can't imagine Power Source not being pleased. They found the perfect artist to remix one of their best songs from back in the day. Now we have to get Filteria to remix other Power Source classics, i.e: Memory Bubbles, Vorlan, Hyperspace, Goaway, and Granada (the original). This is an awesome remix. A 4. Ra - Gateway Eight (Cosmic Dimension Remix) is another great remix. It takes one of the best RA tracks and does great things with it. I love the ambient elements and find them more enjoyable in addition to the sounds than than when the layers are most present until the second half. That's when RA's original lead appears with the beautiful ambient. The psychedelic layering is catchy too, though I find it a bit much at times considering the beautiful work underneath. I realize the artist wanted to incorporate his creativity and much of it works, such as the last act. I'm just a huge fan of catchy arrangement over layers (though I love both). having said that, the song basks in beauty; it's showered in sounds to the point its beauty is almost overwhelmed at times in psychedelics. Then the ambient arrives and brings its beauty to the forefront; suddenly all of those layers fit right in because RA's ingredients are being pushed up rather than immersed. Maybe I seem a bit critical here but it's only because of my love for the original. The artist did a great job overall. Sometimes like in the previous one though, less is more. A- 5. E-Mantra - Afterglow (Nova Fractal Remix) has one of the best openings I've heard. It's powerful. The raw power of the beat and FX is attention grabbing. So now we get to Act 2. It's good, though that powerful opening beat could have returned in the middle (you know where). It doesn't grab me as tightly in the forth to fifth minute as it could have. Then at around 5:25 an interlude takes place. The song evolves, and the track is revived unexpectedly with a terrific, climactic section that's very catchy and atypical from E-Mantra's style. This part's eventful, memorable. Unlike E-Mantra's tasty opening track on CD1 that lacked a strong ending, this remix achieves greatness, though it could have trimmed a bit (off the forth) to tighten things up a bit. The last act's great too, with new combinations and energy. This is a strong track that enhances the original. There are some superb parts and a great buildup, climax. A- 6. Crossing Mind - Hydrophobic Visions (E-Mantra Remix) remixes CM's track from V/A's Shaltu. The original was solid, but fairly uneventful around its dynamic approach at times. E-Mantra has incorporated more feeling with this remix, while maintaining some of its dynamic appeal. E-Mantra's melodic style is emphasized around 1:37 forward, though I was never a huge fan of scaffolded melodies. To me, the echoing-like effect causes some clarity to be lost with the actual tunes. The ambient notes around 2:20 are beautiful, yet for a second things sound a bit busy. The ambient notes soon flow into an island (interlude) without beat usage, before reaching 3:33, whereas lies zestier work. From 4:06 forward (mainly the forth minute, second act), the song sounds a bit too busy at times, like two separate songs. There is a second interlude. Upon the burst of energy, music's return, the ideas sound more cohesive and collected, more focused. The last third is clearer, more enjoyable in this regard. There is also good synth in the sixth minute. Overall this remix is a bit overwhelming at times. The second third could have sounded more unified. The song is less dynamic than the more aggressive and staccato original that I preferred. There are however deeper feelings. It starts off nice, has beautiful ambient elements and a tight final act. B 7. Merr0w - Blue Planet (Adrenalin Run Remix) has a wonderful first third that's uplifting and unique. I love it. The second half is magical too. I could give this thing a perfect score into the 4th minute. The melody/sound work is lush and harmonious, and in some ways dynamic thanks to imaginative, musical composition. The song showcases unpredictably fluid mixing and direction. There is a brief transition around 5:20. The voice samples add character. The last third is good too, but just a little something I feel is missing to make it more magical like the second half. More could have been done in the 7th and 8th minute. The song feels a little light here in that regard though the last act's catchy! This is a great remix filled with harmony, feeling, beautiful melody/sound work, mixing, and direction. The positive sound throughout is awesome. The first two acts are quite characteristic and tighter, simply put, than the energetic and still enjoyable last one. I really wanted to give this a solid A and was close before the last act that's still very good! Excellent remix. A- 8. Khetzal - Djaningar (Filteria Remix) is another beautiful and fluid remix. I consider the original superb. So I'm glad that Jannis re-approached it with his vision, rather than the original's sound with his. To begin, the opening is beautiful, immersive and atmospheric. This is an awesome opening. Also great is the melody around 2:50; the ambient is harmoniously supportive. I prefer the artist's eastern-influence emphasis here too considering it's more to Khetzal's essence. Another noteworthy part is around 4:40. The melody arrangement is beautiful; it's vibrant and engaging. The sounds have range; their varied and nicely balanced. The second interlude is smooth and floating before the finale, a buildup that begins around 5:54. It's excellent! This artist doesn't overdo climax anymore, so the climaxes stand outand I enjoy them more. The overall song isn't as organic, nor as ethereal; the ending climax isn't as grande as the original. Khetzal's track felt more like a breathing, living world, at times with greater touches of life. That said, this remix sticks to the artist's strengths and does justice to one of Khetzal's best (top 2 or 3 IMO) tracks. What surprised me is how different the remix is! Just listen to them back-to-back to see what I mean. This is basically a brand new song. Both are beautiful works of art. While I adore the original, this is a super catchy remix. A CD 3 - AMBIENT (CHILL) 1. Amos - Ghost World takes a while to get going. I was fading the first few times I heard this. Then it began to grow like an opening to a song, slow and gradual, nice background music (to me)l. The first act is subtle; it may feel lengthy and repetitive (because it is IMO, and it's an ambient track). The song develops a little, though remains somewhat meditative in nature. It's pleasant but quite simple and for me, almost too gentle. Maybe I'm just impatient, but this is my least favorite track on CD 3. I'm sure some listeners will appreciate the simplicity here(more than myself. B- 2. Mindsphere - Defective Cell is more to my liking. The first act is gentle and evocative. The arrangement develops like a story being told. The sounds that enter support the story and enhance the immersion. There is a nice cloud floating moments, soon followed by new sounds and arrangement. The sustained hymn-esque ambient/atmosphere is strong. I love the musical buildup in the 6th and 7th minute, how the artist achieved this effect musically, without a beat is creative. I was never really hooked by this artist's ambient in the past. I really like this song. Its development is interesting and involves magical key touches. The last third's unique tapping-esque sound (in place of beat) adds character. The melody/sound and direction here is heartfelt. Great track. A- 3. Hybrid Leisureland - Moment has sadness with beauty. The song is [/size][/font]reflective and introspective. That's my view anyway. The song is like a moment captured in time, filled with hope. The subtle beat in the last act is nice; it tilts the song towards ambient. It's nice to see Suntrip releasing ambient tracks here as opposed to downtempo/Psy-Chill ones (Opus Iridium) which was goo The moment of this track feels uplifting and inspired, and reminds me a little of Solar Field's in a good way. Although simple in its execution and fairly short, quality over quantity goes a long way here. Give it some time and come back to it. This is a poignant song. A- 4. Neurotonal - Earth Frequency's distinct sound grabs my attention right away. It's as if we're scanning the deserts of Mars, searching for remnants of potential, past life. The atmosphere and ambient usage add to the chapter/story (cinematic) feel. I'm hooked by the general sound. The song is fairly psychedelic too, being downtempo. The beat's effective. The ongoing (opening) low-note sound however could have taken a break, or changed up later on. The song grows a bit repetitive, more or less, as it progresses via the last act because of this. And yet it manages to develop. There is a very nice interlude too! Sometimes I think I'm overthinking this little gripe, but sometimes I feel that the song could have benefited from more of a complimentary evolution in the second half. The song seems to run out of ideas around the 5th minute roughly, but man is it gripping. Earth Frequency stands out. It has a vision. The ambient and atmosphere is strong too. B+ / A- 5. Solar Fields - Insum (2014 Remix) is filled with harmony and feeling. It's floating and euphoric. The subtle female hymns are attractive. Same with the Goa touches. The song incorporates three healthy acts and lifts off in the third. I love that part, the feeling of transcendence, ascension. This is why many people love this artist, his work, because it helps them to feel better, lighter in life, more free and alive. I realize that the artist has exercised ideas like this before, creating buildups to beautiful segments and I'm never tired of it. Magnus always taps angles to done concepts, breathing new life into every work of art, finding new ways to explore the dimension of creativity and beauty through music, love, and imagination. He makes something old in concept feel magical all over again, and that takes talent. This is a beautiful track and my favorite (the most accessible IMO) on CD3. A- 6. Jagoa - Vibe begins with an interesting combination of ambient, beats, and tribal influence. The echoed FX are crisp and catchy along with the melodic ingredients. The floating island interludes nearly eliminate repetition. The ambient notes along with subtle female hymn-esque notes create an ethereal feel. The song flows, though lacks surprise and discovery like the previous track. Still, the track is catchy throughout, and improves as it progresses. It has a mystical feel too which works to its advantage. B+ 7. Crossing Mind - Sunlight begins really nice, atmospheric and mystical. The opening 1-2 minute's are good. From 2:22 forward though, the song reminds me of the Sega Genesis game, Streets of Rage. I'm referring to the baseline, beat, and even the melodies (minus the alterations). I bet this was unintentional. I couldn't help but notice. The song unique, with pretty catchy melodies. I think it would have sounded better with a different baseline and beat, as I begin to grow tired of its emphasized sound (towards the end it's quite nice though). The interlude is good too. The song could have developed more and I'm curious what an [excellent] ambient track would be like by this artist, as this isn't it. Nonetheless, there are some nice elements here. B- 8. Jagoa - Finding Some Light is another contemplative number that begins sad and gradually moves to hopeful. Due to the gradual mood shift, I often experience mixed emotions, from contemplative/sad, to more upbeat and hopeful throughout the first half. The artist wants us to feel and has executed the title (moving from darkness to light I infer) effectively. The vehicle is floating and relaxing too. For the record, the song grows catchier, more optimistic and hopeful as it reaches the end, light. B+ 9. Neurotonal - The Enlightenment stands out less (to me) than Earth Frequency. This ambient piece took time to grow on me. It's fairly light, lackluster, and slow. A stronger variety of ideas would have been nice, and a more evolved final third. Sometimes I'm content with the way it is. A strong, ambient hum flows throughout. The song is gentle and relaxing. There is nice melody work. Overall I found Neurotonal's Earth Frequency catchier, more enjoyable. But this is pretty good. It's grown on me some. B- 10. Hybrid Leisureland - Friction Glow is ambient for the most part. It's uplifting, dreamy. There are some beautiful elements, though the second half shares ideas with the first. This actually doesn't bother me that much. It's an ambient track and very pleasant in harmony. I can float away. Solid closing track. B+ Concluson - Ten Spins Around the Sun is loaded with great Goa-Trance originals (CD1), remixes (CD2), and Ambient/Chill work (CD3). That's almost 4 hours of quality music. FOUR HOURS?!! The songs are strong and memorable for the most part. CD 1+2 are great. Each has super songs, no bad ones (just one I didn't care for). CD3 (Ambient/Chill) took longer to grow on me; I expected more initially, but it has since grown on me. I almost always find a few songs I'm not in love with on compilations. Good news is that there's only one song (track 2) I don't care for on CD1. Every song on CD2 is solid or great, superb to me. CD3 has some beautiful work; some tracks were simply not so accessible on first listen (I'm thinking track 1). As is the case, let it grow. It's a Suntrip Release after all and every compilation to date has showcased great work. Ten Spins Around the Sun is one of my favorite compilations of 2014. It's a beautiful triple album. Happy 10th Anniversary Suntrip Records and thank you for another great release. Favorite tracks CD 1 ... 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 CD 2 ... 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 CD 3 ... 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 .... (followed by 4, 10) A- Sample / Order http://www.suntriprecords.com/shop/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ten-Spins-Around-The-Sun/dp/B00JV4LRF8 http://www.goastore.ch/compilation-ten-spins-around-the-sun-3cds.html http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/sut/sut3cd032.html http://www.allmusic.com/album/ten-spins-around-the-sun-mw0002675188/releases