Capsula - Synthesis of Reality

[Guest]

Artist: Capsula

Title: Synthesis of Reality

Released: 2005

 

tracklist

 

1.Mulholland Dub

2.Retro Inversion

3.Dont Wake Up

4.Gates of Heaven

5.The Chemists Choice

6.Inorganic Creatures(Laugh of the Goblin)

7.I Know that I Know

8.Out There Somewhere

9.Human Mentality

10.Second Attention

11.Ride The Wave

 

Ajana Records is out with their third release, and this time we're treated to the debut of 27 year old Yosi Shamay aka Capsula. After releasing a few very promising tracks on compilations earlier this year the expectations are high for his first full-lenght album...

 

First of all this entire package oozes of maturity and musical knowhow. Even though it's his debut, you can clearly tell that this is a guy who knows whitch knobs to tweak in order to create those crisp, buzzing sounds of pure relaxing psychedelia. What also strikes me is the intense feeling of melancholy found in many of the tracks, but then again the album touches upon the entire spectrum of feelings. Before we start - a quick piece of advice: enjoy this album as a full piece from start to end - this is nothing to pop in if you have five minutes to spare before rushing off to catch the bus. Intense and focused listening is recomended! Now let's take a quick peak at the tracks:

 

01: Mulholland Dub

This track is first and foremost an excellent opener to a great album. The track is actually not made by Capsula himself, but by someone who goes under the name of "Radius". Even so, its a nice tease to what your about to experience for the next seventy minutes or so. It rolls of in a dubby pace with massive amounts of bass, lulling you into a dreamlike state. It tears you out of it every now and then, as you are met with angstridden sweeps reminding you that reality is never to far away.

 

02: Retro Inversion

Still within the dubby realms but with a more urban attitude this time. The beat of the track is a bit rougher than on the first one and bass is again a key-element. Huge variety in sounds and instruments also make the track a unike ride. Flutes, an organ(?), and a ton of sythesized sounds together with a 'shpognelesque' warping of various voicesamples should make this psychedelic enough for annyone.

 

03: Dont Wake Up

The third track of the album opens as an absolute dreamer. Soundscaps and harmonies blend into eachother creating a fluid symbiosis of sound. Again the use of many instruments stand out. Electric guitarsolos(!) panflutes and acustic guitars drive the track as it eventually becomes more breakbeat oriented and upbeat. The transitions from the slow parts of the track to the speedier works well and there is allways a sense of progression as it gradually builds and gets stronger. Nice!

 

04: Gates of Heaven

First of all – This is a beautiful track. Period. It has a horribly cheesy title, but it actually manages to live up to it! The driving force in the track is a simple relaxing beat together with an acoustic guitar playing a simple, repetitive set of tones. Beautiful simplicity! Thats not all, though - as he key here is also to listen to everything going on in the background; complex, everchanging patterns of sound create these amazing sensations(This goes for most of the tracks here, by the way) - No chillout has made me feel like this for quite some time! And those weird voicesamples...God damn, this is great stuff. Towards the end of the track it becomes more intense - more hypnotic, and I for one am completely lost in this stuff... Very beautiful!

 

05: The Chemists Choice

This is also a very good piece of music, though not the stongest track on the album. More driven by repeated basslines than other parts of the disc, this really makes me curious as to what this guy could do if he decided to do psychedelic trance instead of chill. I sense a bit of an olschool-morning vibe in some of the melodies here – it ceirtanly pleases my ears!

 

06: Inorganic Creatures(Laugh of the Goblin) «And now for something completely different...» This track is again more beat-oriented. The bass and the drums push the track which starts off in a dubbish-triphop'ish manner and after a while moves into something that could perhaps be described as very spaced out drum'n bass. After a few tracks of intense introspective mindwork it's a nice change to notice your right foot starts moving a bit as well. Towards the end of the track it's again taken down a notch. Expect to laugh along!

 

07: I Know that I Know

This is as far as I can tell the only previously released track on the album, as it was part of peak records "Chilling Godess". The feeling I get here is....PARANOIA! Dark(ish) hard edged sounds twists this track far into the not-so-plesant parts of your brain. Again - the use of voicesamples is very prominent, and works well. My advice: be carefull with this track if you're tripping..

 

08: Out there somewhere

If you manage to get through the intese headtrip of "I know that I know" there is however a reward as we step in to the morning sun with this one. The track has a more upbeat feeling and is definetley the "feel-good" track of the album. A nice piano and some violin-like instrument puts you in a cheerfull mood. The voicesamples are entertaing as well, and throughout the track you are bombarded with small little impulses creating an overall psychedelic feeling.

 

09: Second attention

Atmosphere is the key in this track, and it's one of the less melodic ones on the album. The main focus here is on shifting soundscapes as well as small constant changing of noises. The rythm is also an important aspect as it's more tribally oriented than on other parts of the cd. Capsulas love for voicesamples is once again demonstrated, but luckilly he doesnt overdo it.

 

10: Second Attention

Now for more paranoia! A constantly morphing wall of sound hits you in the face, and thats just about it. And yes, it works out fine.

 

11: Ride The Wave

The last track of the album sums it all up beautifully - the cycle has come to an end and we are slowly taken back in to the real world. As you surface at the end of this track you realize you've experienced something truley special, beaytiful and pretty unike.

 

 

Final remarks:

Damn! That was some some trip! It's nice to see that electronic music comming out of Israel is more than the average killaaaargh full-on releases we're getting so used to. I'm extremely happy to report that this album actually lived up to my extremely high expectations - and perhaps even delivered more than I had dared to hope for. There is so much going on in every tack here,but it's never overdone - it's never too much. The wonderfully complex melodies, all the work being done in the background, the beats, the use of voicesamples, the constant sonic manipulation - it all seems to melt together in a near perfect manner. Ajana records made a vice choice signing this guy and the result is a unike journey of chilled dub, downbeat and sometimes almost ambient music. The flow of the album also work out really well and there are no tracks here that stand out in a negative way. No less then a highly recomended album for the dedicated psyhead!

 

Tomas (Psychedelic mustache)

 

Get it Here:

Saikosounds

Psyshop

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Beatspace

Trance-shop

Discobole

 

More fun: www.sonic-energy.net

[esu]

Nice review!

Good album indeed. Miss some complexity maybe.

 

Also.. seems to be missprint on the cover. The CD got 11 tracks but the backcover only lists 10 and only 10 is listed in the inlay.. Ajana maybe is the new TIP:) Stay off the wacky tobacco while doing covers hehe

 

Can't see how you get paranoia from track 7 either. It's abit deeper than the other tracks but it's probably my favourite track. Would love to trip to it:)

[amphiton]

Magnificent album... listening to it for the first time and I love it. Very unique and interesting sound. Very trippy music with lots of samples, synths and FX.

[Insejn]

I agree. This is a very good album. The track Human Mentality is just outstanding!

[DeathPosture]

Capsula – Synthesis Of Reality

 

 

Artist: Capsula (Israel)

Title: Synthesis Of Reality

Format: CD (jewel case)

Label: Ajana Records (Germany)

Cat. #: AJACD003

Distribution: Arabesque

Date: November 2005

 

Track listing:

 

01. 06’24” Mulholland Dub

02. 08’15” Retro Inversion

03. 07’46” Don't Wake Up

04. 10’08” Gates Of Heaven

05. 08’25” The Chemists Choice

06. 06’40” Inorganic Creatures (Laugh Of The Goblin)

07. 07’19” I Know That I Know

08. 06’55” Human Mentality

09. 09’12” Second Attention

10. 03’11” Ride The Wave

11. 03’41” Hidden Track

 

Review:

 

Exploring inner as well as outer space…

 

Capsula is Yosi Shamay from Israel… Prior to this debut album, he has only released three tracks – on two different downtempo compilations… But oh, what tracks! All tracks were distinct stand-out tracks on the compilations they were on… So when Ajana Records announced this album, I was jumping around in circles – as this guy has a big fat plus in my cool-book… Now let’s see if the album lives up to my bloated expectations…

 

Let me take you thru the tracks…

 

#01: Mulholland Dub

“I had a dream about this place… I want you to go back to work tomorrow. You were re-casting the lead actress anyway ... audition many girls for the part. When you see the girl that was shown to you earlier today, you will say ‘This is the girl’. The rest of the cast can stay - that is up to you, but that lead girl is not up to you! ... I don't know what my name is. I don't know who I am!” This opening track is credited to someone called Radius… I have no idea who that is, but I’m guessing it’s a Capsula alias!? Anyway, as the title suggests this is dubby, smokey downtempo – packed to the rim with samples from the excellent David Lynch flick Mulholland Drive... Actually, the pace is pretty fast here, and there’s a certain feeling of anxiety hidden within the complex, multilayered music… The weird ass Lynch samples, doesn’t exactly make the track cosier… But that was never the intention, I reckon… A nice opening track!

 

#02: Retro Inversion

“I remember thinking from being a being a small child, you know from twirling round and round and round trying to change our perceptions, our level of control from taking something from the outside and putting it in, and being in control of changing your consciousness…” As with most Capsula tracks we get lengthy samples – but they are very well-fitting, and this one is also pretty cool… A very trippy, organic downtempo track here… Dubby-slash-jazzy in structure, but with a distinct Posford’esque spin to things… Could have easily been on one of the old Twisted chill compilations… They were good – and so is this track! Especially the first half…

 

#03: Don't Wake Up

The intro here must be a piss-take on the boring, floating new age kinda elevator music… Very dreamy and fluffy – not to mention boring! Luckily we’re treated to a couple of nifty little computer FX and psychedelic twirls in the background… Slowly the track gears up, and eventually gains more pace through a raging guitar-solo, before it ends in some subtle breakz… A held-back frenzy really! An ok track, but surely not among the best here…

 

#04: Gates Of Heaven

“The kingdom of heaven is within you! And where Jesus descended into heaven, he went right into the middle of himself, he disappeared, you know! Like the gates of heaven they are pearls. Leads us into funny gates, gates covered in pearls […] The gates of heaven are pearls! Each one is one pearl, and you know a pearl has a very thin hole through it for the thread to go in. And that’s why the camel […] eye of the needle, because you have to become no one to go through that hole!” This very harmonic track starts with another lengthy sample – this time a biblical one… Spoken by some familiar stoner! This is a very peaceful, organic piece – complete with acoustic guitars and soothing, harmonic melodies drifting in the background… Yeah – this is chillum music… Perfect for astral projection sessions or meditation… Delightfully executed by Capsula!

 

#05: The Chemists Choice

“Who built these then? The pyramids of Giza and some of the other great structures of the ancient world which are mathematically, geometrically perfection. Who built them? Bill and Ethel in the tent? I mean, who did it? It was done by high intelligence. No one knows where they came from!” As the title suggests, this track takes on a more chemical-friendly approach to downtempo – still dubby in structure, but with a more refined, trancy touch… The percussion is also more adept here, and we’re treated to some old-school melody construction… The sampling is cool as always, and before the track ends we’re exposed to another dose of extraterrestrial teachings: “Knowledge is neutral. Technology is neutral. It is how you use it that is positive or negative!” A nice little track, but again not an instant winner in my book…

 

#06: Inorganic Creatures (Laugh Of The Goblin)

The aptly named laugh-track takes a radical departure from the previous tracks, and we’re not entering the realms of psychedelic world-music… This sound like something Ben Watkins could have composed on a bender – or something off the latest Shpongle album… Tweaky, joyous, Eastnern-influenced world music soaked in dub, electro and 45rmp tango… Trippy ethno-vibes packed with a lot of goblin laughs! How’s that for trying to describe a track? I give up – listen for yourself! I assure you, you’re in for quite a ride… A very unique track – nicey nice!

 

#07: I Know That I Know

This track was already released on the Peak Records compilation Chilling Goddess which I reviewed earlier this year. Here are my thoughts from back then: “We are all so fascinated with recording things. Taking photographs, writing them down and above all remembering them (…) Because you see if you don’t remember anything, you don’t know you’re there. A person who has total amnesia and lived in a split second only wouldn’t know he was there.” Yosi Shamay brings forth a more psychedelic edge into the chill spectre… This is twisted stuff, and one of the main reasons for that are the very trippy samples… “But suddenly to know that you’re there, you need an echo…There was a young man who said though; it seems that I know that I know. What I would like to see is the eye that knows me when I know that I know that I know” … Try figuring that one out while trippin’! … Amazing track!

 

#08: Human Mentality

“Out there somewhere, buried or secreted away in a place that might still be found. It is said, and has been said for years, there are twenty thousand hits of Blue Sandoz… LSD!” On this track we launch straight into a south-east Asian uplifting string-arrangement… Ethno-downbeat with native chanting and singing – with additional psychedelic tweaks, twists and turns… Fuck me; this is so different from what I’m used to hearing… Yosi really has no musical boundaries – and that’s so cool… I believe the sample is Art Bell interviewing Terrance McKenna, but I’m not certain… Anyway, this is truly a magical track…

 

#09: Second Attention

“About fifty thousand years ago some crucial transition occurred whereby these previously separate intelligences somehow came together. Cross-fertilized each other and produced new beginnings of characteristics of human […]” We take it down a notch, for this emotional, tribal piece of downtempo… Emphasis has been shifted towards the rhythm section, though the melodies are far from forgotten… A very well-produced track, but doesn’t stand out as much as, say, the previous track… Still pretty damn good though!

 

#10: Ride The Wave

This is the official closing track – and we’re riding the wave out to sea… Don’t expect surf music though, as this is Mother Nature and King Neptune battling space ships… A strange opus of nature vs. space… A fun little track… But wait, there is more…

 

#11: Hidden Track

“My dream has always been to bring something here from there. And […] things travel well from there to here are ideas, and I’m not an artist so I couldn’t think, so this is a psychedelic idea. There are millions of these kinds of ideas swimming in the psychedelic ocean” This track is not included in the official tracklist, so I guess it’s an added bonus… And I actually like it better than the official closing track in all it’s acoustic-slash-industrial, bleak atmosphere… The perfect way to end the album!

 

Phew – what a ride! Now this is definitely a very noteworthy album… The sheer magnitude of some of these tracks here – it’s simply impressive! The Shpongle-link is evident, but it’s too easy to just write this off, as a Shpongle-clone…. It’s not! This is the work of a very talented guy – seeking inspiration in all kinds of music. All kept within a framework of spiritual and psychedelic downbeat. And I’m damn impressed! Well, I kinda knew what to expect from the compilation tracks, but still – this album fully lived up to my huge expectations! I like most tracks here, but obviously some are better than others – and a few are even worthy of becoming legendary! I’m sure they will! Some people will most likely be put off by the excessive use of voice samples – and let’s face it; with all the voice samples, Capsula is like the Space Tribe of chill-out music, but I really think he can pull it off… I wouldn’t want it any other way with any of these tracks!

 

Whereas the music is top drawer all the way through, it’s a shame that Ajana Records didn’t go to the same lengths with the cover finish. I mean, the track-times are wrong and an extra proof-reading would have taken care of the most obvious spelling mistakes… It’s not cool misspelling the album title, now is it? Also, I’m not a big fan of the cover art which seems a little too messy for my tastes! But hey – screw all that, it’s the music that’s important here! And yeah – this is amazing music! I really, really like it! Recommended to all fans of eclectic, psychedelic downtempo! It’s a safe buy! Enjoy!

 

Favourites: 2, 4(!), 6, 7(!!), 8(!), 11

 

DeathPosture

 

External links:

Ajana Records: http://www.ajana-records.com

Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/release/562303

Saiko Sounds: http://tinyurl.com/ajb85

CDUniverse: http://tinyurl.com/9ohgj

Amboworld: http://tinyurl.com/a63v3

Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/dyv9v

Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/dtpyh

Wakyo: http://tinyurl.com/aknck

Chaos: http://tinyurl.com/cv9v2

Cisco: http://tinyurl.com/bkhkh

Ajuca: http://tinyurl.com/92lba

[RAH2D2]

Artist: Capsula

Album: Synthesis of Reality

Label: Ajana Records

Web: www.ajana-records.com

Year: 2005

Format: CD

 

 

 

Songs:

01. Mulholand Dub

02. Retro Inversion

03. Don't Wake Up

04. Gates of Heaven

05. The Chemists Choice

06. Inorganic Creatures (Laugh Of the Goblin)

07. I Know that I Know

08. Human Mentality

09. Second Attention

10. Ride the Wave

 

 

What's this about

 

Capsula's one man front (Yosi Shamay) has brought new air to the recently established Ajana records introducing new proposals to the world of down tempo and ‘Synthesis to Reality' stands true to the hype. The contents include dubby beats, Hindu vibes spread thinly and good doze of acoustic chords with artifices molded to present day production standards. Touching on organic melodies with synthetic textures that however aural and dispersed feel completely purposeful. Time stretching screeches and scratches with disorienting voice samples from the likes of Allan Watts, Terrence McKenna, David Icke and Art Bell, complement the pace sometimes filling out empty spaces without being too forced. A down tempo mixture that moves with deep beats when it needs to, chilling down enough when it must.

 

 

Per-song break-down

 

 

01. Mulholand Dub

Mulholland Dub is filled with voice samples transporting us somewhere near a casting-room for the next Al Pacino movie. Thankfully the bass is dubby and we all woke up from the right side of the bed. The nearly constant break-beat a-la trip hop unwillingly never ends, but keeps the attention span lingering until the end.

 

 

02. Retro Inversion *

If there is one sample I can completely digest is this little girl’s talking to us about changing perceptions and consciousness, dissolving well to conjured spasm of deep dub breaks. Psychedelia is spread sparsely with liquid notes dripping down from the speakers. The retro inversion refers to the main theme, aged like a black and white picture with a sepia fade by the borders. In the center this sounds as fresh as the newest version of Logic blended tastefully enough.

 

 

03. Don't Wake Up *

The harps/guitars erupt with the effects boiling down beneath. Contrary to the name I would not classify this as sleeping material, it is not even ambient. The myriad elements of different melodies scattered throughout unfold harmoniously without any interruptions or samples to ruin the vibe. *

 

 

04. Gates of Heaven *

We shift the gear down to a chilling pace while new ideas start cropping up. Once again the organic touches have a strange spice that I could only refer to as oriental. That is what the folks in the west called all things coming from Asia, India all the way to Japan because they did not understood the cultural differences well enough to create divisions… and I’m afraid I don’t know any better here. One thing is for sure, it’s a gorgeous little string number acting like the backbone of the track, nursing the slippery-sloppy effects to fruition. It liquefies by the end allowing enough breathing room between the beats to really… space out… ‘Mediate’ whatever the kids are calling it these days.

 

 

05. The Chemists Choice

The chemist choice is a rather spacey doze of arpeggios that slide from the stereo effects. The synth moves well enough to keep things vibrant extending for a bit too long after 8 minutes, without any important changes in the main vibe. The long voice samples meant to create some awe or inspiration, deviate attention from the main subject… the music.

 

 

06. Inorganic Creatures (Laugh Of the Goblin) *

My goodness the synthesis job of turning a cheeky little laugh into a chain of effects through nearly six minutes of transformations makes the Goblin worth listening. Like is customary by now strings rule supreme. Having sized only single tracks in the past we could guess Capsula had interesting proposals, but it wasn’t enough to frame down his personal style. At this point his flair becomes clearer.

 

 

07. I Know that I Know *

I know that the samples make my head spin just trying to ponder what exactly does their meaning intent. Going back to the music, not much deviation from the usual arrangement of strings, not forgetting that squeamish lead scratching and sliding in between the organic notes indelibly.

 

 

08. Human Mentality

We take a detour to Japanese landscapes, changing the track’s structure a bit from what was becoming the norm with a cute little surprise. Close your eyes for a second embracing those strange birdy squeaks and imagine the Geishas timidly smiling at you through their hand-held folding fan, decked out in their kimonos and silly little wooden sandals. Did I mention that stashed away god knows where, there are 20 thousand hits of blue Sandoz LSD? Maybe Japan? Pack your bags! –I’ll meet you in the airport.

 

 

09. Second Attention *

This one brings enough interaction to keep a hoard of kids suffering from attention deficit disorder busy for at least… 8 minutes (about the same time than a double hit of Ritalin). The content bridges a bunch of influences we found scattered in previous tracks and wouldn’t be surprised if they were the same notes here and there. Overall is fine piece with the Capsula trademark branded all over… and that is a good thing folks.

 

 

10. Ride the Wave

Ride the wave and the subsequent hidden track I see as part of the same chapter and personally I think I they would have worked better as a whole than two different parts. They call it artistic freedom though and Capsula has gained the right to do whatever he wants. We are talking about a spacey episode, beat less in composition without a trace of harmony including the wind gushes and effects… doing their thing…

 

 

11. Hidden Track

The hidden goodie picks off from the whirl-wind with some dawn-inspired acoustic guitar and voice bits that like most samples in this album simply fade into unconsciousness. More than transmitting literal meaning, they simply hang in there as yet another sonic artifact to convey the mood. I’ll save the spiel and simply advice to… ride the wave.

 

 

All and All

 

Many people have referred to this album as ‘mature' and I don't really get it. Of course the music is well done… But how is it mature? Has the sound been aged at least twelve months in French Oak barrels? Is it intended for people twenty-five and over? This is a first taste of his work not counting the small number of tracks lying around in compilations, barely hinting a different style. It lacks the subtleness of Dakini Records and technically is not diverse enough to be up there with Aleph Zero, mainly because he is trying to get something out there in between, not compromising the sound on old formulas. There is an interesting path being drawn for the chill-heads ravaging through releases in search of new fusions with original ideas. If you were fond of Capsula's work from the beginning “Synthesis of Reality” works in a very fluid way to deliver a ‘smile to life' attitude, and a classy house-warming appeal with tripper friendly undertones. Can't ask for much else these days…

 

* Favourites

 

 

Where to get

 

http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.asp?id=2431

 

http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/aja/aja1cd003.html

 

http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=5241

[pedro]

I must say that I enjoyed this CD quite a bit and I am not a usual fan of ambient psy trance (I find most of it dreadfully boring and formulaic).

 

There is good nice flow of ideas in the music and enough to keep my interest in the music without crowding out with too much detail. Easily outshined the latest Bluetech CD which I had at hand at the same time I was listening to Synthesis.

 

My favourite tracks are 2,3,4,6 and 8.

 

 

Recommended.

 

 

Pedro

[Drosophila]

Sure is a nice debute album from mr Yosi, TWO thumbs up from me! It helped me to always have a (big) eye open for what Ajana is doing

Its great with some more psy-dubby sound and with a different take on it than Ott or Gaudi... I hope we will see some more from Capsula's hand soon... that would be nice!

 

Recommended (for sure!!!)

[Astrognomix]

Just finished listening to this album for the first time today... truly a downtempo-psychedelic masterpiece. Right up there with the likes of Ott and others... I am really blown away, and amazed this music is so under the radar (even compared with other similar music). Big time recommendation here.

[Manuser]

Still to this day one of the best and most creative down-tempo album with psytrance influences.

[Celaripo]

amazing stuff