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Artist: Various Title: The World Beyond Label: Neogoa Date: March, 20 2015 01 - Chapter I: The Vision (Passing The Monolith Into The Throat Of Time) (120 BPM) 02 - Chapter II: The Journey (Across The Silver Sea Of Eternal Life) (100 BPM) 03 - Chapter III: The Gate (Facing The Keeper Below The Human-Form Mountain) (136 BPM) 04 - Chapter IV: The Sphere (Ascending Towards Star-Eaters To Become The One) (146 BPM) "Hear ye hear ye! By decree of the order of goa trance purists we decree that the final two tracks on this compilation performed by heretofore unknown artisans are perfect in every aspect that can be measured by our mortal systems of worth. Furthermore it shall be exalted to the highest plane, be it physical, mental, or spiritual and will forever be the standard by which all further attempts at goa awesomeness shall be judged!" Bravo Neogoa. Bravo. You've really done it this time. As a netlabel you've been dedicated to keeping the spirit and vibe of goa trance alive; constantly and consistently pushing the music to shatter boundaries and preconceived notions of what it can be. Accompanied by stunning artwork the music is always freely given and with this release a new standard has been set. Though only 4 tracks the journey is a full albums length, beginning slowly before shattering expectations in a nuclear crescendo of goa trance wizardry. This is a concept release made by eight artists all of whom have previously appeared on releases from the label. Embedded within the artwork one will find hints of connection to previous Neogoa releases, particularly the Dimensional Gateway series and Celestial Transvibrations. We often talk in terms of releases not breaking any new ground, but this one does. Chapter I: The Vision (Passing The Monolith Into The Throat Of Time) I realize that every journey begins somewhere and to get to the World Beyond, this is the first step. But to me this is 17 (yep 17) minutes of stumbling around in an attic like the ghosts in Scooby Doo. Dark ambient when done well captures a feeling and propels the listener where the artist wants he or she to go. This sounds like a collection of noises that I skip every time. Perhaps it will appeal to some and that's good. No big deal, I don't get opera either and people love that sh*t. Chapter II: The Journey (Across The Silver Sea Of Eternal Life) is the bridge between the opening track and the outright earthquake that is to come. Like the others it's dark ambient opening sets the tone before it glides into a mid-tempo march. Goa sounds and effects ricochet off the walls as it prepares you for the oncoming train. It's mellow yet entrancing in it's own right and then changes tempo and adds a tribal aspect to its arsenal. Not devastating like the next two, but it's not supposed to be. The journey and understanding...take time. Chapter III: The Gate (Facing The Keeper Below The Human-Form Mountain) is the precursor to the blistering final chapter, but is a stomper in its own right. It also allows the dark tension to build before bouncing into another old school feel. The bounce on this one is infectious instantly morphing the worst dancers into a rhythmic Shiva where colors flow from magical fingertips in an elaborate tapestry of mystical dance. The vocal tacet seals the deal and I've just punched my ticket to Nirvana. Excuse me whilst I get down. Chapter IV: The Sphere (Ascending Towards Star-Eaters To Become The One). This track is an acidic napalm blast peering through darkness at the outset. Growling 303's are readily apparent and it sends electrical shivers through the atmosphere. 23 minutes of hurtling through the cosmos, top down system up! A perfect blend of old school rawness with modern sound and production. I believe all the old masters who delivered subpar post goa releases (looking right at you MFG and Pleiadians) should listen to this and learn how beautiful and raw goa trance can be today. A third of the way through and I already think this is one of the greatest goa tracks ever produced. The intensity is maintained as is the atmosphere and I realize I am in the presence of greatness. The break is palpable, a thing alive. Perfect. Sublime. Ruthless. Mystical. You heard Homer. I'll be honest with you. I don't have the patience to figure out the riddle. I've got kids and I had to take one of them to the emergency room on Friday. So I'll leave the mystery solving to Scoob, Shags, and you guys. But whomever was responsible for the energy, the journey, take a bow. The final two tracks for me are the most potent one-two punch I've experienced in recent memory. Ivan you once again have guided the music to a world beyond, with awesome sound, breathtaking presentation, and reassurance that just when you think you've gone as far as you can go the horizon is within reach. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Astral Waves Title: Magnetique Label: Altar Records Date: March 2015 1. Emergence (Album Edit) 2. Le Rêve Eveillé 3. Les Liens Du Sang (Feat. Aureohm) 4. Déploie Tes Ailes 5. La Danse Des Elfes 6. Suntrap (Morning Mix) 7. Androcell - Efflorescence (Astral Waves Remix) 8. L'Oiseau De l'Aube (Feat. Alwoods) Bored me you have. This is the third album of DJ Zen's Astral Waves project and while I thoroughly enjoyed Magique, I cannot say the same for this one. The majority of the tracks are on the long side and tend to be overly so. This is treadmill running. Yeah I'm running so that's great and my heart is happy, but I'm not going anywhere so now my mind is pissed off. The first three tracks were positive, but then this effort just fell off the cliff. The last album was mostly downtempo with varied themes, but this album is uptempo without any depth or challenges. It is competent, but it is far from memorable and full of what we have heard ad nauseum. Altar Bandcamp Psyshop

Artist: Goasia Title: Defected Reactor Ep Label: Spacedock Records Date: March, 2015 1. Defected Reactor 2. We Live There I recently went a little bandcamp crazy and bought a bunch of digital eps without even listening to the samples. This was one of them. We are all familiar with this duo and I believe they are in the category of love 'em or don't love 'em that much. This ep should be a cautionary tale of always listening before you buy. This music damn near put me to sleep. No drama, no gravity, hell no goa. The second half of We Live There was pretty good, but not enough to save the experience. These tracks smack of some noodling made awhile ago and then just thrown out there. I will actually go on record saying this is the worst thing I have ever heard from Goasia. I'm not even sure it's them or some computer generated midi program. Spacedock Records Bandcamp

Artist: Various Title: TB Will Survive Label: Acidworx Date: March, 2015 1. Thomas P. Heckmann - Cherry 303 2. Seri - TB Will Never Die 3. Metro - MTR308-01 4. Mitaka Sound - Flare Stack 5. Parahoria303 - Savile Row 6. 909state - Turret Track 7. Metro - 14 Steps 8. Narita - Sweet Metal 9. Yokushe - Red Zone 10. Acid Child - Just an Acid Child Acidworx is a Japanese acid and techno label and they have released a bunch of stuff. Mostly digital, but also some 12" eps. This is a compilation of mid tempo acid with house like grooves. You won't find any layers just the percussion, hi-hat, and that glorious 303. And they twist the hell out of it. Great music for head bobbing, but because it lacks those layers and power I found myself waiting for the climax that never came. Very linear without a lot of depth and felt like a phrase that had been looped over and over. Still good and funky, and perfect for my walking soundtrack music. Haters gonna hate. Beatport

Artist: Mana Source (Filipe Santos) Title: Kanji EP Label: Submoon Records Date: March, 2015 1. Bonsai 2. Shinto 3. Ninja 4. Reiki 5. Kanji 6. Okami Dude is clearly a wizard. And a machine. A mechanized wizard with f*cking super goa powers. Whatever pseudonym he operates under (and he has many) he makes booming, twisting, goa trance that destroys dancefloors. His erratic behavior that has been well documented on these forums is the only negative which has kept him from assuming his rightful position as ruler of the goa kingdom. I don't think it's any secret that he has been suffering for a long time and perhaps that's the reason for his attitude and mood swings. Certainly his talent and ability have never been in question. This is more of what he does best. Layered melodic goa trance with an edge. Melodies twist and turn as it flows very well. Good driving music I can tell you. I realize this sounds like a Psyshop promo (minus the sketchy English), but he continues to impress. I believe if he punched me in the stomach the music is so good that I might say, "OK, you earned that one." Alas, Submoon is no more, but it has been reincarnated in the form of Good Dance Recordings. This is where you will find it digitally. I am unsure if there are any further physical copies. But whoever is behind that profile here at Psynews is becoming a presence and I'm sure will respond to your queries. Good Dance Recordings (digital)

Artist: Dark Nebula Title: Dreamfuel Label: Digital Psionics Date: March, 2006 1. Unwanted Emotion 2. Mary Poppin Pills 3. My Domain 4. Dances With Werewolves (feat. Scatterbrain) 5. Our Priority 6. Kraftworld 7. No Religion 8. Pheromone 415 9. Clinically Insane (feat. Fractal Glider) 10. Round & Round (Live Mix) (feat. Kluster) "Your prescription for unwanted emotions!" Ok, let's see....I'm feeling, how am I feeling... *looks to sky for answer* like I no longer want this CD. "I let my guitar speak for me!" Oooh...that's unfortunate because your guitar annoys me. As a matter of fact your leads which sound like guitars annoy me. "There's nothing left for you but a slow death as your lungs fill with toxic gasses!" Seriously? I'm only up to the third track. Your marketing skills leave a lot to be desired. And I liked this track with its heavy acid bent. That is until the cheering crowd showed up. "Your safety is our number one priority." That's funny because I thought it was to make fast bass lines. Throw in some samples and acid here and there and you have a Dark Nebula Album. There are moments where I like it, but more where it just drags on uninterestingly. "My music is a pillar on which whole worlds have been built." Now that is just cocky. But I like the creepy sample. Surprise surprise another fast bass line and sample. This one had a little more groove, but it's missing something. Electric Universe and Space Tribe do the same things, but I suppose they do it better. Can't quite put my finger on it. It just misses the mark. Well, that and the "singing" on No Religion. Not fantastic. "You can't run from your past....you'll end up running in circles." Need I say more? I've got it. The melodies aren't as competent and easy to grab hold of, but I also think he tries to be psychedelic for psychedelic's sake. Instead of making a bomb track it just feels like a bunch of unfinished phrases run together. A lot of sounds and weirdness thrown in one pot and then just shoved in the neighbors faces. With the cover I wanted it to be a night time tour de force, but wishing for it doesn't make it so. It's not bad, but I judge music on how much I would like to hear it again. I don't need to hear this again.

Artist: Various Title: Nu-Goa From Japan Vol. 2 Label: Matsuri Digital Date: March, 2015 1. Slum & Yuta - Black&Green 2. Asteroidnos - Black&Green (Deep Remix) 3. Asteroidnos - Black&Green (Acid Remix) 4. Jiu - Liquid of Gaia 5. Asteroidnos & Yuta - Andromeda 6. Jikooha & Yuta - Mind Trippers 7. Masa - Rising Thunder 8. Asteroidnos - Ascension 9. Guusun - Watashidare (Masa Remix) What the f*ck? If I studied Japanese culture for a decade I don't think I would understand it. Have you seen their porn? Of course you have. That is some twisted sh*t. When did tentacles become a sex toy? I'm such a square. Unique surely, but it does make me wonder sometimes. Like Matsuri DIGITAL releasing a physical CD. Or starting a compilation with three versions of the same track. The original was goa, deep mix was a throbbing bass heavy bit of simplistic minimal, and the acid mix is fairly tame yet pulsating. Normally I'd view the track positions with skepticism, but oddly enough it works. It flows well and gives me the vibe of kids twirling in the clubs in weird costumes on a school night against their parents wishes, but what the f*ck are you gonna complain about when everyone in school is the valedictorian? And that sums up the entire album for me. Bare bones beginning with the slim envelope the CD comes in. The artists aren't trying to out Etnica anyone with layers of melody or brute force. It's more the scaled back, bubbly head nodding club vibe with house like tempos. Of course they drop some signature atonal riffs in there because what would Japanese goa be without it? Tracks like Ascension and Rising Thunder shine (for me anyway) and the closing Watashidare combines funk and goa with smiley results. They want yo hypnotize you rather than blast you into outer space. And that should be appreciated because going to space is a whole thing that can really f*ck with a brother's calendar. Psyshop