Psygone - Optimystique

[Guest davidt[at]whidbey[dot]net]

Psygone - Optimystique

 

 

Artist: Psygone

Title: Optimystique

Label: Hypnotic

Date: 1997

 

Track listing:

 

01. 08'06" Camaro Kanitou

02. 07'02" Salvi Da Tori

03. 07'06" Outer Limits

04. 07'22" Spirit Of The Jungle

05. 07'35" Chemical Eclipse

06. 07'18" Equal Bottle Blows

07. 07'30" Twisted Mind

08. 06'56" Cosmonaut

09. 08'17" Strange Cocoon

10. 06'50" Tasmania

 

Review:

 

This is a different style of psytrance than any other group I've heard. Very

driving, with lots of melodies - a very unique sound, though. The problem is,

many of the songs use the same style, making the cd somewhat repetitive.

Still, some of the songs are really good. Best tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10.

The rest of the tracks all basically sound the same. I'd say the best song is

Salvi Da Tori, it's very uplifting, and both 9 and 10 are very psychedelic.

The cover art is really bad. Rating 8/10.

[mars]

It's a bit too psychedelic. Anyway it deserves 6/10.

[Guest ecstasymfl[at]bol.com[dot]br]

the music are all repetitive, the only one wich stands out is the number 10,

the best of this album, the rest is 5/10. Some of them are good (1 and 4),

number 7 is awful, acidic, it doesn't worth a listen, and number 10 is 9/10

because it's too psychedelic and have a beaultifull atmospheric sounds.

[Guest eden.solaris]

Actually, now I use the album reviews in reverse: when everyone says it's a

great album, I don't buy it and when most people say "it's OK, but not great",

I run to the stores and get it because I know it's gonna be a great album!!!

Most of you consider it doesn't deserve more than 6/10. Are you crazy???? It's

one of the best goa albums out there (I DO mean REAL Goa and not shitty club

music you call goa our days...). Great melodies, specific sounds I only heard

on this album (but Psygone uses them a bit too often). Equal Bottle Blows is a

great ambient song, great listening to when you get up in the morning!!! But

the best one is Tasmania: one of the best goa songs ever!!!! Good melody,

psychedelic high sounds and NO HARD BEATS NEEDED TO MAKE YOU JUMP FROM YOUR

CHAIR!!!! That's what goa is all about!!! 8/10 because some sounds come in a

bit too often

[Guest smokeBuddha]

A little too psychedelic?!?! What the hell is that supposed to mean, mars???

[Guest marcelowww[at]icqmail[dot]com]

track 1: 10/10

track 2: 8.5/10

track 3: 7/10

track 4: 8/10

track 5: 9/10

track 6: 6/10

track 7: 7/10

track 8: 6.5/10

track 9: 8/10

track 10: 10/10

[Guest abc[at]abc[dot]com]

am i crazy or isn't there some song by bypass unit which rips psygone off? i

think its 'tunnel flotation' or some other song off that album.

anyhow, if anybody knows, tell me

[Mindtwister]

Bad production I think... After hearing one track you get borred the next time

you hear it...

Final verdict, 3/10

[Guest blaja[at]hotmail[dot]com]

............ all judges, check out the release period - it says 1997 - so

Psygone did the album in 1996 - check out others at that time . . Psygone´s

ahead of time and the sound is unique

[Ormion]

PSYGONE-OPTIMYSTIQUE

Hypnotic 1997

 

 

 

TRACKLIST:

1.Camaro Kanitou

2.Salvi Da Tori

3.Outer Limits

4.Spirit Of The Jungle

5.Chemical Eclipse

6.Equal Bottle Blows

7.Twisted Minds

8.Cosmonaut

9.Strange Cocoon

10.Tasmania

 

 

 

Ok, I know this album has already been reviewed in the reviews section but since they’re other cds reviewed here although they’re already in the reviews database I decided to review it again. After all, the database section doesn’t work, so we can’t post other comments (and there are only a few of them about Optimystique) and it’s also a good way for new Goa fans to discover this album, since (I guess) the forum is more popular than the old database section.

 

Optimystique is the first and unfortunately the only album from Psygone aka Michael Kjeldgaard from Denmark. I didn’t knew anything for this guy since I found in a cd shop a 3cd comp called ‘The Power Of Goa Trance’ and the third cd was no other than this album. I checked the reviews section here and I saw that most guys thought that Optimystique was an ok, average album but I gave it a try.

When I first listened to it I thought that it’s a good album, surely above average. When I listened to it again I thought that it’s very good, then that it’s awesome and so on. After some weeks of non-stop listening I realised two things. First, I had listened to it for dozens of times (maybe more than any cd I have) and second that it’s a MASTERPIECE!!!

 

Many guys believe that the problem with Psygone is that most of his tracks are a bit similar, cause he uses the same formula in most of his tracks. Well, that’s true but if you listened to his tracks for many times, you will realise that each of them is unique.

 

Camaro Kanitou opens this album. This is one of the best Psygone tracks and the most popular together with Kashmir and Tasmania. This is in the Psygone formula I said, that means an atmospheric intro,a great bassline, then one by one the percussion stuffs (kick,fast hi-hats,fat hi-hat,snares) then some melody follows the bass, then the leading melody. After that a break with some insane 303’s and it ends with the leading melody again. Repetetive? Maybe. Boring? NO!!! The intro of Camaro Kanitou is unbelievable, one of the best ever. As an intro I mean the first minutes of the track before it starts building for good. The leading melody is very good, not something amazing though, but the bassline and how the track builds in the first 2:30 minutes is unfuckingbelievable!!!! This is the best track to open a set in an open-air festival.

Salvi Da Tori now is much more emotional with a classic morning melody. Since you listen to it you can’t get it out of your head. A bit simple and slow but amazing track for morning times. Very good!

Outer Limits is what I call ‘Goa Energy’! The bassline is fast and superb! The kick and the light hi-hats are perfect for this track, the melodies fast and energetic but the best moment here is this MIND-BLASTING 303 minute!!! What can I say?

Spirit Of The Jungle is in the same style. This is the best zoo track ever made together with X-Files and Trancelestial Psychobabas.What to expect from this one? 1)Elephants 2)Power 3)Maximal Goa melodies. The 303 break comes a bit earlier that the usual, around minute 3. Again an unbelievable track, one of the best here.

Chemical Eclipse. This is how an eastern melody can be awesome without being cheesy. If you draw a line between the real Goa oriental melodies and the cheesy oriental melodies Chemical Eclipse will be near the line but never crosses it. Uplifting Goa 100%.

The only down/midtempo track of the album is the one with the weirdest title: Equal Bottle Blows. Beautiful melodies all the way, one of the best midtempo tracks ever!

And time for acid! Twisted Minds! Yep, it can twist both your mind and body for sure! Fast and acidic don’t let you breath for a minute. No breaks here, no lazy beats, killer all the way, old-school dancefloor smasher! A bomb!

Cosmonaut is one of the slowest tracks with an ok leading melody around minute 4, then some very good 303’s and then at the magic moment of 5:15 we get ONE OF THE BEST MELODIES EVER! Damn what a track!!!

Strange Cocoon. Psygone style 100% again. Power, great energetic melodies and wild 303’s again. Sorry not much to say, just this: It’s fucking awesome!!!

And for the end THE Psygone track. One of the best tracks ever made, Tasmania. A bit different from the rest, more complicated, atmospheric and even more powerful. Some of the best melodies of the whole album are here and some of the heaviest 303’s ever too. One of the classic Goa tracks, believe me.

 

Overall? Well, just how I wrote in a topic I’ve made, Psygone’s individual ‘ingredients’ aren’t something awesome. I mean his melodies are great but they can’t be compared with Pleiadians or MFG, his tracks are crazy but not so mad as Transwave or Prana and so on… Then why Psygone kicks ass? First of all: this guy can give you so much energy with only a kick, a bass and some hi-hats, when other artists must use hundreds of sounds to achieve it. Second: he has maybe the best basslines of all Old-School artists and third: this is pure Goa, different and unique, this is MUSIC! If you don’t have it, get it now! 11/10

 

Fav:All

[Guest Rain]

great you reviewed it again...

 

good album one of my favourite

[seraph]

Yeah, stunning album, but I couldn't give it 11/10, but more 9/10 from me...

[Oopie]

Nice, steady release from Psygone. Tracks are a bit similar and it doesn't get that shining even in the best moments.

Nothing too spectacular, but nice to hear few times a year.

5/10

 

It's a bit cloudy isn't it?

[ritual om]

salvi da tori;pure spirit in this track!

[ritual om]

Equal Bottle Blows is also really goaish slowtempo.

[Lemmiwinks]

indeed this is one VERY underestimated oldschool album. I've already reviewed it years ago under my mail eden.solaris@caramail.com... after all these years I must say that this album still keeps it's sparks. Of course, it's not on par with time-tested classic like IFO or Trust in Trance . But still a pretty potent album, if you're into oldschool you MUST get your hands on this!!

 

PS Psygone himself came on this very forum a while ago saying that he felt he was left behind in the scene, that his oldschool sound wasn't "in" anymore... I say: who cares!! I'd be happy to hear new releases from this dude!! Also he said that he might release a second album... hope he does!!!

[Guest Rain]

... hope he does!!!

332964[/snapback]

let's all hope

[ritual om]

man we are all waiting...believe me;we are many...

[Brandon]

Too bad he feels that way. This guy basically introduced me to the scene! ..Chemical Eclipse.. Camaro Kanitou.. Ahhh memories.. Would some such as he really have a hard time selling??

[el brujo]

one of my first moments were on kashmir

and i have introduced psy to many with psygone

i think this is a very very good album

wish he was making a new album

or at least playin live or something

so we could hear him

[Lost Buddha]

honestly i dont care who find this album boring , cause to me this album its DA BOMB.

i agree with ormion , psygone used almost the same construction to all songs , but imo i dont care , every artist leads to different ways of story telling and to me its pretty normal , there´s lots of artists who do the same too , so ill leave this out of the question.

this album its da pure bomb , i love his style always roking with those special 303 solos and its the kind of music that makes u jump to the roof with those pumping melodies and acid.

the quality is okay , its clean and its easylisteneable , its pretty good for a guy which only used hardware (most of them samplers and a 303.).

about the cover ive seen worse specially in present day , all those super cheezy fullon covers , so this cover to me its pretty acceptable compared to the covers that are coming out today.

so ill give this album a pure 10 out of 10.

this album is very special , got rare and unique feelings , the intros are v good , really v good , its pumping , acid , and lots of goa melodies in it.

GOAPPROVED.

[Guest Cosmogenesis]

The same here! Filipe, you have taken the words from my mouth!!

I can't understand why this album is so underrated Tracks like "Outer Limits" (!!) or "Salvi Da Tori" (!!) (just to give two examples) with their amazing fast developped melodic leads, are phenomenal masterpieces!

 

Btw, I think that "Optimystic" doesn't deserve easy or useless comments like "it's a bit too psychedelic" (what does it mean exactly? ) or "it's the same building" (yes of course, because Psygone uses the same material for all the album like many other artists!! )

 

I give it a 10/10 for him and Hypnotic records!

[tone]

did you know he has more 90s music than just optimystique?

 

He is these artists on hypnotic records compilations:

 

biller, safron, nature bug and a few others

 

see if you can get your hands on "Tranced Out Sounds" its marketed as a compilation but its all him, its even better than optimystique, every so slightly better, 12/10 lol

 

also get Close Encounters, which is half him, half the guy in O-Zone martin Nielsen. get trance 4 motion, and the goa compilations that have "DJs" listed as the artists, all his organelle tracks went on those instead of becoming an album.

 

heres his current music:

 

www.myspace.com/mikebilla

[PlutoDelic]

every time i listen this guy it blows me away, one of my all time Fav. releases, just perfect music and damn good quality for the year that was made compared with the artists from today. i just love it, very Optimistic music .

 

Favs:

 

1 (!!!)

3 (!!!)

5 (!!!!) the explosion :S....

6 (!!!)

7 (!!)

8 (!!!)

10 (!!)

[nigma]

nice cd