Mergi Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Artist: Crop Circles Release: Lunar Civilization Year: 1997 Label: Auracle Recordings Cat-#: AURAEP003 Rating: 4/5 Tracklisting: A: Lunar Civilization 9'44" B: Antonomasia 10'55" 1997... the year when releasing goa records was at it's peak (just have a check on blue rooms discography for example). This is second 12" from the Crop Circles... we all know who they are, and if you don't know, you should probably go do your homework, fast! I've never seen Antonomasia on any other format than this 12" and an almost utterly impossibly hard to get ultra rare cd-single. To make matters worse I have to say I enjoy Antonomasia much more than the title track which has been released on multiple compilations. An 11 minute tweakly bleeply frantic monster, very nice work on those synths, though they do seem to run out of ideas somewhere in the end as they keep looping some of the tweaked out effects which in turn creates an uncomfortable time for your ears. Apart from that this is a track with those synthlines that can pretty much scoop you up and take you on a journey. Lunar Civilization is a more straightforward track, very energetic and organic in it's sound. This one is a lot more easy to follow than Antonomasia and I guess has much potential on the dancefloor, especially after the long energy build up which is released after the "ancient universe" voicesample in form of a, typical of the time, energetic mystical epic melody synth line. This procedure is then repeated once more. I don't know if this is so totally mindblowing as hype seems to suggest, and I've heard better tracks. But it's damn good, so if you happen to stumble upon it I'd suggest you don't hesitate to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reger Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 timeless classic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rino Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 My immaculate discogs review : What could I add that hasn't been already said about this stentorian release? One vinyl, two tracks, one track per side, and the toughest call is to decide which one of the two is regarded as the ultimate goa trance classic! And tighten a rope around my neck and I still wouldn't know... While side A is definitely the one everyone knows and seems to love, it is for no reason so. This is, hands down, a career defining track, THE tune that made me put these italian lads on the top of the heap. A highly psychedelic and up-tempo track, with not much time to rest or breathe, as it is really packed with a complete arsenal of sounds constantly building onto each other, making it hard to believe such complexity was even possible way back then! I don't even know many today's artists who can reach such layered climaxes, or even create melodies as the lead one here. I won't stop to describe it, as everyone seems to know it justifiably by heart already! The lead melody unleashed on this track, preceeded by one of the most memorable samples ever, just has to be one of the wildest and most intense rides goa trance has ever taken me through. A track which has enough attitude to take on any modern production, IMO, and its magnitude can only be compared to... I don't know, the Trojan Horse maybe? ;-) It introduced me to this genre in the first place, and I can still remember my heart bursting out my chest when I first heard it, as it was nothing similar to any of the stuff released before. An impeccable classic! You shouldn't even have trouble tracking it down, as it appeared on quite a few various artists compilations. Side B, on the other hand, has Antonomasia, which I initially kind of neglected. But only for a while though, as the previous track had me hooked badly. And now I'm hooked to both of them. Well, to put in plain terms, this track has everything you'd expect from these guys back then, and through its almost eleven minutes it displays everything they were good at! Amazing melodies coming from all over the place. Intense, complex, acidic and completely in your face sounds are constantly coming in and out of the track; they develop, climax and sneak out, only to find themselves replaced by even crazier sounds. My favorite of them all would just have to be the marvellous out-of-this world melody kicking in at 04:25!!! How blissfull!!! This is a sample free, old school monster that could still stomp through your whole neighbourhood and leave any block so shook it would take weeks to get rid of the after shock. I really want to find out what were they thinking or taking to produce music so beautiful... The influence of this 12" on the future development of the whole goa/trance scene is beyond words. I would even go so far and dare say that only around half a dozen other 12" releases stirred up the whole scene as much as this did. Without a doubt a milestone release in electronic music in general, and along with the Pleiadians' Identified Flying Object album, this stands as the magnum opus of this extremely talented italian collective. A tough choice between the two, but that might only make you understand even better how good this truly is when I dare compare a two track vinyl release with an entire and proper album. Essential in every sense of the word! P.S.: The only problem is that the chances of somebody "stumbling upon" this release are as slim as making out with Mona Lisa. I keep my copy concealed behind a double protective window with ultra sensitive heat sensors, impenetrable even with x-ray eyes. Whatever. Do not be without this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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