The "darkpsy" poll

[Basilisk]

Argh... so I'm still trying to dig up some goodies from the immense spread of so-called "darkpsy" releases out there and I'm constantly having trouble finding albums where I like more than one or two songs... so I'm making this big poll - sound off on what you think is good, and maybe the better releases will begin to stand out somewhat.

 

I included the Ambivalent sound with the Russian/Azax movement though I do recognize they have their differens... there's a bit from South Africa on the list as well. If there's anything essential I'm missing just point it out!

 

VOTE!!!

[dmtree]

Parvati's first two comps are missing. Also Tales from the Dark Forest, Oerebro Freakfactory 1,2,3, Steptime album, Trashlords vs. Psycho Micro, earlier Doof recs releases (like EST 1 and 2 for example), Schallabbaduerst comps, Earlier Dejavu comps, a bunch of Indian comps from different labels, Dark Nebula's early (and actually GOOD albums), Digital Psionics comps and lots of other Aussie stuff, first few Timecode comps (the best ones), the awesome Vertigo recs comp, Kemic-Al, etc etc etc etc. there's a gabazillion dark releases these days, too, that I can't really keep up with. Most of the stuff listed is pretty mediocre, unfortunately. The darker stuff has been getting worse lately. The music from a year or two ago is actually more interesting, since if it was new and different still.. these days both dark and full-on are getting boring. I'm finding stuff that getting back to that grey area that's not either. Call it 'psytrance.'

[Sputum Rotgut]

It's absolutely Penta!! I Luv the sound of their album. There's bit russian melancholy on tracks and it fits really good. Really personal sound. ..and rough!

 

But how about Dark Soho? It could be called darkpsy. I think

[Ormion]

Most of the albums and comps you added are really good and some are GREAT!

But it's easy for me: Twisted System-The Dealers, fucking amazing including the hardest track ever Disrespekt!

[shaman of sound]

i think you forgot Dark Soho- Combustion. best darkpay album ever. unique gothic style.

 

 

best va for me is "There Is No Tomorrow" killer!

[Guest eleria]

I voted for NRS, but I love Penta and the V/A - Lhiannon Sidhe too.

I would add Ram - Efficient Chips and of course V/A - Mythical Vortex to the list.

[Basilisk]

Crikey, I actually maxed out at 50 options. Now I just found out I can't edit the poll. D'oh. Well keep dropping in the recommendations anyway... still searching for the good stuff.

 

Actually I love Dark Soho's Combustion album but I wouldn't lump it in with these guys honestly. It's more than just a genre piece - they have their own thing going on - which is completely excellent. I have been playing that album a lot recently, just bloody blasting it when I'm feeling antagonistic. RARRRRR.

[amphiton]

I voted for VA - Run Motherfucker, Run.

 

So-called Darkpsy has the Energy in it... but something beyond it - no only very few have, most is crap. I even think it's the most commercial sub-genre after full-on. I noticed, that people that are sniffin' more (u know what I mean) like dark more.

 

Maybe the problem is in me, because I think that trance should lead to stars, micro- or macrocosmos and not to hell :/

 

VA - RMR, imo, is more experimental and is not typical "I thank God for the suffering" trance.

[Jon Cocco]

i think you forgot Dark Soho- Combustion. best darkpay album ever. unique gothic style.

best va for me is "There Is No Tomorrow" killer!

237801[/snapback]

I totally agree with There Is No Tomorrow, which to date is unquestionably the best darkpsy comp I have ever heard!

 

Now while every track may not be great, the songs for the most part have character; substance and drive... not just driving sounds and noises. They have direction and creative elements that occasionally stand out, good samples, mixing, some very catchy MELODIES (although not many, the melodies in the last one, those chimes are fucking badass) and some flat-out, wicked-evil-catchy elements! The tracks are very aggressive but they don't just loop; they change and for the most part; become at times become more involved and/or different; regardless they remain engaging. It's unlike most of todays dark psy. Much of todays darkpsy is just a bunch of twisted noises around a strong bassline, beats, and a general dark tone. Darkpsy in general now days fucking sucks; its minimal bullshit or shit just to sound crazy without the rhythm and creativity of the older stuff in general.

 

So what about Dark Soho? Also, does evil, darkpsy count?, such as Sandman, Xenomorph, etc? And what about Space Monkey - Psychotic Episode??? That was one of the best darkpsy surprises of 2004, period.

 

Oh, and who ever said Penta rocks... damn right! Cool album!, and that list is missing many TOP darkpsy albums, but I realize too late to edit now so.

[Dryad]

There is no Tomorrow, all the way! The Jellyheadz and Psyfactor tracks will ALWAYS be two of my favorite dark psy tracks of all time.

[lumpi]

That´s not very hard, "Deviant Species - In the hands of the randomiser" does the trick for me. Entropy and NRS are not bad either.

[Sawfly]

Grapes of Wrath and Meteloids - Tits on Fire

[FrO]

Its Mushy Mystery for me, no doudt...

Theres few compilations where i actually love all tracks..

This time Trishula really did it!!!

[Moai]

dark trax:

 

Sensient - morehdel

sensient - ultrasonique

[Gnome]

At least 80% of the choices have nothing to do with dark psy.

I mean,Digital Talk album??You must be kidding.If this is dark psy then their older music is pure satanism.

[Sputum Rotgut]

Xenomorph! U forgot this one too. Mmm i like their song called haunted

[Gnome]

Xenomorph! U forgot this one too. Mmm i like their song called haunted

238026[/snapback]

OMG yes he forgot Qlippoth.

THAT is dark psy not all the pink fairy albums listed on the poll.

[Lemmiwinks]

well if you ask me, the Schlabbaduerst comps are at a level of darkness that outpasses by far any of the "Goa Gil-friendly" dark psy you quoted on the poll. Also Scatterbrain's album has that trademark bass drone but still has enough creative ideas to keep you interested once your body gets used to the bone vibration caused by the ultra-fast bassline...

 

As far as I'm concerned all this "dark psy" is stuck in a loop since 2001 and Parvati's First Step... I simply can't see how someone can still praise the style these days.

[Gnome]

As far as I'm concerned all this "dark psy" is stuck in a loop since 2001 and Parvati's First Step... I simply can't see how someone can still praise the style these days.

238033[/snapback]

But that doesnt mean there is no quality music produced.Yeah maybe most of the releases are stuck in Parvati's loop(BTW Paps did it before Parvati and the same goes for Droidsect,Parasense,some Tripiatrik and more) but there are still a lot of top quality releases.Most of them stay unreleased and underground though.

[Lepton]

At least 80% of the choices have nothing to do with dark psy.

I mean,Digital Talk album??You must be kidding.If this is dark psy then their older music is pure satanism.

237993[/snapback]

True.

 

south african psytrance, ketuh records, even the crtrl alt dlt are not darkpsy (just heavy full-on).

I have the impression that many people mix all this things up.

 

As far as I'm concerned all this "dark psy" is stuck in a loop since 2001 and Parvati's First Step... I simply can't see how someone can still praise the style these days.

238033[/snapback]

I wonder how many you know about this kind of music. It's like saying that oldschool goatrance is stuck in a loop and hasn't evolved since astral projection first cd (always those high pichted acid sounds and melodic tracks). There still isn't much reall dark psy released over the years and still most artists have their own sound. That's what it is all about in this style : sounds and bleeps no real melodies.

[Anoebis]

1. Scatterbrain

2. Kluster - Bug Fix

3. Digital Dance of Shiva

[lumpi]

south african psytrance, ketuh records, even the crtrl alt dlt are not darkpsy (just heavy full-on).

I have the impression that many people mix all this things up.

I wonder how many you know about this kind of music. It's like saying that oldschool goatrance is stuck in a loop and hasn't evolved since astral projection first cd (always those high pichted acid sounds and melodic tracks). There still isn't much reall dark psy released over the years and still most artists have their own sound.  That's what it is all about in this style : sounds and bleeps no real melodies.

238051[/snapback]

Yeah well, let´s not get into hairsplitting. I´m sure if you ask the people for a definition of darkpsy you will get as many definitions as there are users on this board. Because the boundary from one genre to another is only vague, you can´t draw a line between them. So, some may say that, the others might tell you something different. It´s always the same you know... "This is no psy, this is hippie disco shit"... "No fucking way this is X, but Y..." (to be continued). Let´s all agree, most releases listed in the poll is dark psytrance.

[Guest Rain]

well i'm not into dark psytrance but I voted penta and second twisted system...

[Ormion]

Good choise Rain

[Frontier Psychiatrist]

The amounts of good tunes in this genre is really poor. But i'd definately would recommend Digital Talk's album and GOW and Meteloid's - Tits on fire. And the Shizm compilation for Tamlin's Fjaqek tune that definately is a killlargh.