Filteria - Heliopolis

[Lemmiwinks]

uhhh well it is odd cause I REALLY liked Sky Input when it came out. However I don't quite like this one. I guess most people said it here already: melodies sound too random, aren't as memorable as the ones on Sky Input and there's just too much of the same (except for the last downtempo track): the synth presets are the same, the melodies are similar, and basically all the bag of FX tricks are about the same for EACH track (and mind you all these elements were already virtually the same for the Sky Input album...). Hell, this guy even manages to make the Crop Circles track sound like just another Filteria track on the album!

 

It's not a BAD album, indeed it makes your heartbeat rise when you're "in that mood", but somehow it leaves a bad aftertaste in your mouth IMO. Who knows, maybe I'm just getting too old for this? lol anyway, sorry Filteria but this one gets a 7/10 from me...

[Cobz]

uhhh well it is odd cause I REALLY liked Sky Input when it came out. However I don't quite like this one. I guess most people said it here already: melodies sound too random, aren't as memorable as the ones on Sky Input and there's just too much of the same (except for the last downtempo track): the synth presets are the same, the melodies are similar, and basically all the bag of FX tricks are about the same for EACH track (and mind you all these elements were already virtually the same for the Sky Input album...). Hell, this guy even manages to make the Crop Circles track sound like just another Filteria track on the album!

 

It's not a BAD album, indeed it makes your heartbeat rise when you're "in that mood", but somehow it leaves a bad aftertaste in your mouth IMO. Who knows, maybe I'm just getting too old for this? lol anyway, sorry Filteria but this one gets a 7/10 from me...

533953[/snapback]

 

I think it's a great album. He's (almost) the only artist who supply that kind of psychedelic melodic goa to the scene. In that genre in the last couple of years, there has been NOONE like him. Filtera Rock! Jannis, plz release a remix/unreleased album, espacially a remix cd could be fantastick! For all us melodic trnace lovers...

[Neilz]

Hello all. I have read this forum for some time, but decided I had to register now to add my comments to this thread.

 

I adore this album. I am playing it constantly, and have done for the last month. The tracks are so energetic and well constructed, and I find with each new listen I discover something I hadn't heard before. It has so much more depth to it than the majority of other albums out there.

 

I just love psytrance that uses layers of leads in a melodic and instrumental way, and Filteria piles them on from all angles. As mentioned above, the key changes in track 3 is awsome, one of my favourite moments which I wish could go on and on. And track 5 also has some beautifully constructed melodies too.

 

A superb offering. However I still feel there could be so much more. More tunefulness, more keychanges, more layers, without losing the gritty psytrance edge to the overall sound. I think Filteria has lots more to offer yet if he follows that direction, a definite star of the future.

 

And Filteria, when are you coming to the UK to entertain us?

[Chis]

Neilz! Nice to see another British psytrance fan. I hope Fileria will gig here sometime, too...

[Jon Cocco]

SKY INPUT VS HELIOPOLIS

 

 

I really like Heliopolis.

 

Hearing it once in a while, I appreciate and enjoy it more.

 

Although I found the debut more impressive both in and for its time, the tracks on here are more varied than on Sky Input.

 

There was something more special about Sky Input when it released. This may be in part because NO ONE seemed to influence this artist other than the Pleiadians when making Sky Input. That was such a long time ago that Sky Input sounded amazing. Also, there was no one telling this artist "it's too intense or too maximal" I imagine because there were no expectations! He escapted into the creation and explored new terrain without walls put in place by listeners trying to influence what works and what doesn't. Opinions. Feedback and reviews are important I feel because they can educate us how to better our selves. They can also work against us sometimes. Bad reviews can disappoint us into thinking we're not appreciated. It can make us change to appeal and/or stop producing music until we forgot why we even began creating what we love to begin with. Look at Pleiadians for instance. Their new stuff sounds nothing like them!, or what even made them The Pleiadians to begin with. It has no soul to what it was regardless that they currently make decent Full On. You must look at it for what it is or you begin generalizing your current perspective which is subjective.

 

Anyway, there was something "extreme" and "raw" sounding about Sky Input. I loved it. Heliopolis has some great songs (my review above) and I enjoy the better song variety. I definitely feel this artist went "all out" the most on Sky Input, even if some songs here are better than several songs on the debut.

 

Sky Input captured and created this plethora and kingdom of melodies, met with seemingly endless speed, intensity, climax, and sound explosion. It was an over-the-top stream of relentless melodies that no album had done since Head Spin on Pleiadians. Actually, Sky Input is the most intense album I ever heard in my life. It may just be the most layered too! And that breaks ground. In a sense something can avoid being 100% original and still be groundbreaking.

 

Regardless what you thought about Sky Input, it was impressive for what it was.

 

Remember when Pleiadians F.O.L came out?? At the very least, the general feedback and reactions were mixed. The album was a big disappointment and that's old Pleiadians we're talking about. Family Of Light was the last real album from the Pleiadians and I hope this artist makes a third Filteria album one day with a variety of superb, yes SUPERB and amazing songs. Add key changes, surprises, and unexpected parts too. It would be cool to hear some ambient goatrance songs by Filteria and maybe a song or two that is less fast as he did on the APSARA comp with TINY UNIVERSE and the self-titled track Sky Input.

 

Pyrogen was a change and song I thought was great. I wasn't expected something so different and catchy to emerge from this style. It's fresh and original. I think Reflected is good with a great second half making it one of the best songs here. And ROTATE TO VIBRATE is currently my most favorite track on the album. Whatever he did in that which makes it sound different, it worked!

 

I'm convinced some people will love this because NO ARTIST makes music this intense anymore and/or layered anymore. That aside, this album is generally less intense than SKY INPUT. I don't mind that.

 

The last song on Heliopolis is very good if you're patient with the middle when it floats around for a bit longer than I prefer. The final track on Khetzal's Corolle album is better but this is still very well done.

 

I actually enjoy songs like PYROGEN and ROTATE TO VIBRATE over UNFILTERED and REFLECTED. This artist should definitely create more top songs with awesome key changes. The key changes really accentuate and compliment the song, (not to rush them at the start but later in the songs development as done on several songs here) making it more catchy and fun to listen to. UNFILTERED actually seems less dynamic and catchy in comparison to track 6 due to this attractive alteration (key changes) at the last third of track 6 for example. Track 6 is awesome. The last third are superb.

 

I most enjoy tracks ROTATE TO VIBRATE, UNFILTERED, and PYROGEN, followed by REFLECTED, MIND EXPANSION, and CLOUD KINGDOM.

 

In conclusion, Heliopolis is one of the best post 21st century Goa-Trance albums. It doesn't feel as Fresh as Apsara and Khetzal. It seems less impressive as a follow-up because people are comparing it to the debut. Sky Input is better than Heliopolis because it took something through the roof, without limits, like a free spirit! Its strength was it's weakness but its strength... its intensity was amazing. And I don't go tossing around the word "amazing" casually" either. However this isn't to say Heliopolis is improved over the debut in several ways. There are awesome moments and tracks. Simply put, we were most impressed and even if Jannis further maxed out what the debut did it wouldn't make it better per say because it's now been done. Long as he doesn't lose the fresh, new intense, layered, melodic tracks, generally speaking. Heliopolis is a smart, more than worthy follow-up compared to how disappointing follow-ups can sometimes be to the debut. In that sense I say Heliopolis is a great album, it's just nothing spectacular. And there are several excellent songs, climaxes, mixing, and moments.

 

 

- Sky Input [2004] - A-

 

- Heliopolis [2006] - B+

[Trance2MoveU]

Great Album! Long live the Suntrippers!

 

This one is so melodic I found myself having to play each track over to make sure I didn't miss anything. This is wonderful goa. I can't wait until the next album.

 

Mdk

[Sideffect...]

off all suntrip releases filteria never drawed my attention, I wrote before I didn't like the lunar rmx,

but I'm wrong,

it's fabolous,

 

thanx a lot janis, you pulled it off

[rino]

It's not that I find this album bad, far from it, I just don't think it's strinkingly sensational, or highly innovative either. It's a nice ride through a universe of wicked climaxes, highways of melodic bliss and mayhem, but it was all already done and heard on "Sky input"- and it was executed far better! Filteria's debut had enough ideas and took enough directions to comfortably make two albums emerge out of it, while "Heliopolis" offers little new. Which is not bad per se, because I generally don't mind an artist pursuing the same sound over the course of two albums, but when I sense a pattern of unvarying and identical sounds being frequently used time after time, it tends to get annoying.

 

Tracks like Speech Module, Pyrogen, Mind Expansion (short version) and even the remix of Lunar Civilization really have a little to say or show, with the exception of cascades of wild and uncontrolled melodies romping all over, without any determined focus or direction. OK, so Filteria made it pretty darn clear the last time around how layered his tracks can be, so why take us through the same process again, and not succeed to even graze his chefs-d'oeuvre of the past is beyond my comprehension. Even the immortal Crop Circles track is reduced to another neo goa trance stomper, with high octane energy and supposedly bewildering melodies, which we've all been confronted with before- and they seemed better too!

 

However, along with its lows, the album has some high points too- and at times it really manages to impress! The opener, Unfiltered (moon remix), is a track I really favor, mainly mainly due to its structure: it takes time to gradually build up and take you in, before dragging you inside Filteria's reign of acidic madness, and then from 06:00 the lead melody just sweeps away all doubts about mr. Tzakis' talent. Speaking of emphasized and constructive melodies, this is where it happens, IMO. And as so many reviewers stressed out before me, the key note changes/modulations on Reflected and Rotate To Vibrate are where this album really gains some points in my grading book. Instead of just letting the tracks pursue an igneous, exhausting, relentless and monotonously chaotic path, Filteria adds sudden surprise twists, making the tunes abruptly turn into more interesting and ear pleasing musical masterpieces! I really enjoy the last third of the sixth track, and Reflected from 04:42 on is just marvellous, if not my favorite track on the album!

 

Overall, "Sky input" came first, and it sounded like nothing else on the market upon its release. Which clearly makes it far more valuable in my opinion. It was a raw, no-holds-barrel monster unleashed on the market at a time when not even in my wildest dreams could I have hoped to hear anything like it! But by the time "Heliopolis" dropped, Suntrip Records already released the wonderful Apsara compilation and Khetzal's stunning debut Corolle, and Filteria's sophmore release got justifiably shaded by the aforesaid releases. At any given time of any given party, most of this album would incinerate any dance stage, but for what it is, I would even not dare call it a great sequel to his debut.

[Penzoline]

Looks like this album is in dire need of a bump!

 

For me, this is as brilliant as Sky Input, just more playful(K.O.B. side of things for sure). Every single track here kicks ass(except Unfiltered(Moon rmx), Speech Module and Pyrogen, those are un-believably insane awesome that kick ass on whole different levels) and the Lunar Civilizations remix does great justice to the original. Also the surprising chillout ending is wonderful. That is all.

11/10

[Gabriel]

This is about the most aggressive goa trance ever...

That`s the idea, I`m glad today there are still guys that don`t want to make modern progressive but good old psy

 

It imitates Pleiadians pretty competently, but the melodies fail to get memorable, and the songs sound too much like each other.

Yes, that`s true but it fills me with blasting energy eaqc htime i listen to it.

 

Definately not easy digestable

It is for me.

it is pretty digestable. :posford:

 

9/10

[Penzoline]

 

Filteria - Heliopolis

1 Unfiltered (Moon Rmx) (08:29)

2 Speech Module (09:17)

3 Reflected (10:02)

4 Mind Expansion (10:48)

5 Pyrogen (08:57)

6 Rotate To Vibrate (08:43)

7 Crop Circles - Lunar Civilization (Filteria's Higher Rmx) (10:07)

8 Cloud Kingdom (Solar Fields Rmx) (10:31)

 

Ahh I can't go wrong on this one.

Whenever I'm rather bored or just in dire need of music to occupy my brain with, Filteria is the one for the job. Not to say it isn't when I just want to get pumped up like mad! Which for this is the complete best.

Twirling wonderful playful powerful and grand melodies coupled with a fat yummy kicks, fast bpm and a ton of accompanying layers, this - along with Sky Input - is the pinnacle of what goa-trance can achieve for me. Not a single other artist, apart from few select Pleiadians tracks, can make me this enthusiastic about their work.

I find it hard to write individual descriptions on these tracks, because they only consist of that what I love - as I had stated in the Daze Of Our Lives review thread. They just have it.

 

And while the last track is great, no, wonderful, I still look down on it for bringing downtempo on a crazy awesome uptempo album.

 

I could go down with a comparison of few things though. If you were to ask me, which is better, Sky Input or Heliopolis, I would say neither. They both have their on merits that work for them and make them awesome on their own. Sky Input is far more grand, spacey and trippy, whilst Heliopolis manages to have catchier, more sophisticated melodies and rhythms. Just compare Rotate To Vibrate with Galactic Rays and you'll see what I mean.

 

I wish Filteria would come back and produce another 100% kickass banging goa-trance album, but looking at the big picture, even I can see that it's not going to happen. Why would I want that? Filteria is, was and will be the only one to make this kind of music. The only one. Ah well, at least he graced us the first two masterpieces.

 

So, final thoughts on Heliopolis?

Fucking A.