Koxbox - Dragon Tales

[Guest Ubik]

Koxbox - Dragon Tales

 

 

Artist: Koxbox

Title: Dragon Tales

Label: Blue Room

Date: 1997

 

Track listing:

 

01. 07'33" DM Turner

02. 09'03" Electronic Brainwash

03. 10'43" Doctor Mesmer

04. 09'21" Life Is ...

05. 08'18" Color Drops

06. 09'04" Tokyo Nights

07. 07'41" Stratosfierce 2001

08. 10'56" Searching For Psychoactive Herbs

 

Review:

 

I didn't like it first, but now I find it really good. It's different from what

you're used to. Lots of little sounds fill the tracks and a melody never stays

long. It's kind of frustrating, sometimes, you hear something wonderful and 30

seconds later, gone. I don't really like the first track, but all the rest is

good. My favorites are Life Is ... and Color Drops. Also the 2 last minutes of

Doktor Mesmer are excellent, and so are the beginning of the two last tracks.

8/10

[Guest Psylent Buddhi]

Well, this is perhaps one of the most subtle and psychedelic albums ever

released. Crystal clear production, so psychedelic, so spacy and extremely

clever. All other psytrance releases pale compared to this album. Of course it

doesn't sound like anything else you've heard. Koxbox' style is unique and

doesn't suffer from the typical goa-trance clicheés! So if you're truly into

psychedelic music this is a must have. Of course if you're satified with

Astral Projection's cheesy, boring trance, then this is not the right album

for you. Just close your eyes and listen to this, and it will lift your

consciousness to levels previously unavailable. Get this! P.L.U R. Psylent

Buddhi

[Guest Tequila]

This album of Koxbox is particular.Really good album, Dragon Tales needs a

certain number of listens to be appreciated prefectly.If your disappointed

first, keep on listening to it and you'll begin to find great.

My favorite track is Color Drops.

[Guest Silonc]

COLOR DROPS-THE TRACK.

[Guest here[at]coldmail[dot]com]

Its a very good album, that flows well from start to finish, although if your a

dj, listen first as some of it is a little light on in the bass/rythm dept.

Some of the evolving movements of the songs i question, but it always finds

its way home again, and the last track... 8/10

[Guest Mindbender]

I've had this album for more than half a year now. I've always liked it quite a

lot, but it wasn't one of my top-10 albums before. I had lent this to a friend

for some time and now as I got it back, it sounds better than it has ever

before. I don't know exactly what is different now. Maybe I had time to digest

it and I've got more used to the album and the chaotic sound of this album has

started gaining structure and direction, while the chaotic aspect has kept the

variation high. Maybe I can visualise and feel the music better. Probaly both

and more, but anyway, I can hear this album now with new ears. All the tracks

are awesome and fit together well, making the album a very nice long trip

through sound. This is one of the most visual albums I know and brings you

into a different worlds with such variation in forms, shapes, colours, sounds

and feelings that is unbelivable. Now I'm listening to track 7 and it takes me

to an opening inside a small forest, where there is!

a small stream leaving a pond with a waterfall falling to the pond. The forest

bursts into colour, starts twisting. Then it disappears and I'm flying across

space with unbelivable speed and then I enter an ether which feels soft and is

bright coloured. And it goes on and on, changing throughout the rest of the

song and the whole album. Actually, most of the places this music brings me to

are too alien to be explained: they just have to be experienced. If music

alone (I'm sober) can take me to these worlds, well... I don't know what to

say. I love it. I used to like Life Is ... the best and I still think that

it's the best dance track, but with my new understanding of the other songs,

it's as good as all the others really, just more powerful. This is definetly

more a listening album for the psychedelically minded, requiring full

concentration. 9,5/10 now, 8/10 a month ago.

[Guest Dug's Blemish.]

I didn't like it and a thought it wiz pee pee. Sorry. Smart as fuck cover

though! 2/10 just for the cover!

[Guest SpaceCowboy2002[at]hotmail[dot]c]

This album is so vibrant and pulsating with energy that it seems to take on a

life of its own. Very pleasing to the ear. Like you are suspended in

spiritually nourishing space gel. Complete with complexity, catchy grooves,

and tremendous variation. Each track can stand on its own as a winner. Just

put it in and press play. You are in for a very enjoyable experience. Koxbox

fun fact: Track 3, Doktor Mesmer is named after Franz Mesmer, who pioneered

Hypnotism and whose name was adapted to form the term "mesmerize." If this

album does not mesmerize you, then odds are no other music of this genre will.

9 out of 10.

[Guest Snow Dog]

An underrated masterpiece of true

psychedelic trance, for me this is

even better than Forever After.

"Searching for Psychoactive Herbs"

is possibly the best psy-ambient track ever written. 10/10

[Guest clark_303]

A true classic. All songs are killers but not too much alike although the

twisted psychedelia stays there throughout the album. The songs are very

progressive and really evolve a lot, they're not repetitive at all so the fans

of old-fashioned psy-trance won't like this but who cares about them anyway?

This is also a very hard album to get into, it'll start revealing its

greatness after about 10 listens and it'll just become better in time. All

songs are great so it's hard to tell which is the best one but I'd choose

"Life Is...". And I guess I should mention that this album probably isn't for

the dancefloor that much but for home listening. Get it. Oh, I almost forgot,

the coverart is great too...

 

-Clark/Clargoa

[Guest sysweed]

This is high quality music that floats into some other music styles. I've heard

songs from this albums several times on TV and I recognised "Searching For

Psychoactive Herbs" almost immediately.

[Guest _megatron]

great, subtle, boiling psytrance...can't really pick a favourite track, but

there is a loop from 'Electronic Brainwash' that i often hear in head! 'Color

Drops' is very sweeeet, and 'Stratosfierce 2001' is also excellent. get this

album or...i dunno 10/10

[Guest Ravemail10]

The word i'm looking for here is - saturated. Every track in this album is like

10 tracks from an "ordinary" goa album. Clever as hell. As evidenced by the

reviews above this album might take some getting used to. Songs evolve so much

there is no meaning to an individual track, only to the album as a whole. But

each track except the last 2 represents the album in it's whole. I'm not sure

i make sense For me, the album ends on "Stratosfierce" and the ambient is

for separate listening, like a different side on an EP. All tracks except the

last 2 have no front theme as that found in most other goa tracks. They are

all about the pictures they draw. If you have time to listen to the whole

album then it can be enjoyed as a whole, or you can listen to just one track

and get the vibe of the whole thing. The third type of listening to this one

is "Stratosfierce". This track is the only one to have a front theme.

Listening to this one on it's own is like listening to a complex "normal" goa

track. The reason why for me the album ends on this one is because the entire

album seems to boil down towards the last 4 minutes of "Stratosfierce". It's

such a fitting conclusion Only one complaint: a better intro would have

been nice, like a separate 2 minute track. But it's a small complaint. The

cover represents the album perfectly - common color(red), coherent images

protrude here and there, the dragon's tail(see the pun? tails=tales:) ) is

clearly visible, but no coherency is found throughout. You can get lost in the

cover when listening to the album 10/10 I rarely give these out(at least in

my head, most of my reviews here have high marks cause i don't tend to review

garbage), but this album earned it. Goa trance for the intelligent. Bom! -

Raven

[Guest Ubik]

I must say that it's now one of my favourite album ever. All tracks are no less

than excellent. So much details ! 10/10

[Guest Floydian]

MMMmmm beatuiful album. Doesn't get much of a listen it these days, but still

great! 9.5/10 for the ablum as a whole, 10/10 for Stratosfierce 2001!

[Guest Slinker]

Wow...what a trip! a near perfect 10

[Jeff]

Kox Box has a style of his own. I'm not particularly fond of it, yet I have to

recognize it's a very good album. I enjoyed the Stratosfear Remix a lot since

I didn't like the original version. To listen to this album at least once is

compulsory for every Psy Trance fan.

[Guest phase418[at]hotmail[dot]com]

This is absolutely incredible! This is a near perfect

album, intensely melodic, multi-layered and fiercely

psychedelic. believe the hype, this is a MONSTER, must

have goa classix. when you buy a new CD, you are hoping

that the collection of sounds on the disc will rearrange

your brain and give you a glimpse of something new.

you hope it will take you to another world, and make

you feel like you're tripping - just from the sounds.

most CDs you buy fail to live up to this hope, but

DRAGON TALES absolutely leaves me spinning! if i ever gave a 10/10, it would be

for the first Shpongle or

Dragon Tales. this said I give it the highest dosage I could bestow on a CD..

10 drops out of 10 (10/10).

THANK YOU FRANK'E and Ian Ion!

[Guest sunconscious]

"course if you're satified with Astral Projection's cheesy, boring trance, then

this is not the right album for you" my existence must not be possible

because i like both bands alot.

[Guest -Suamipoeka-]

Well this here is truly one of the most trippiest cd I have heard in a long

time.. I liked "Great Unknown" a lot, but when I got this I went like..

Whoaah.. sooo groovy and uplifting tunes here.. and VERY psychedelic..

oh, and those crystal-clear blips and blops just blow your brains off..

a-must-have-classic!!!!

[Guest Diepeveen]

I've just got this one today... Whow, this is... So weird =) and soooo sweet! -

Doktor Mesmer is propably the most psychedelic track i've ever heard! - But

it's hard to tell wich one that stands out, they are all unbelievable

psychedelic... This album has given me a whole new look at trance...

Everything is much more spacey now, and i must agree with Psylent Buddhi...

Many albums pale to this one! - And i am especially happy for this because i

don't like "The Great Unknown"... It's to early for me to rate this album,

but i will return in a few days and give it a hopefully fair rating! *SOO

HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!*

[Guest Diepeveen]

This is just fantastic!!! As said before there are so many Blips and blops -

and the small bells in DM Turner are just amazing! - This is a true must have

for all who likes alternative psychedelic trance - a 9/10 at least!

[Guest Rabbitakis[at]hotmail[dot]com]

Stratosfierce 2001 is ..............KOLLIMA!!!!(true psychedelia!

[seraph]

Amazing release from the pioneers of psychedelic trance !

 

I still find FOREVER AFTER slightly better cause it is more melodic but this album is an absolute psychedelic gem. I like all the trax, I can't name my favourite one cause they are all special in their own ways, all I can say that I am sorry these guys haven't produced anything THIS psychedelic after...

 

I quite liked proggy THE GREAT UNKNOWN but I think they should at least stay this psychedelic for more years and then move onto progressive....anyways : 10/10

[Guest LS]

A lot of psytrance songs cover their lack of complexity with a smokescreen of

extra layers. The majority of the music is too repetitive and not very

creative. A lot of progressive trance is actually less cliched than modern

psy when you remove all the psy noise. This album is uniqe from start to end,

and I hope currently productive artists make similarly skillful work.