Goasia - Dancing With The Blue Spirit

[Penzoline]

Goasia - Dancing With The Blue Spirit

DIMENSIONAL RECORDS

2010

1. Black Kahva 9:29

2. How Deep Is Your Trip 7:35

3. Dancing With The Blue Spirit 7:31

4. Avatar 8:21

5. Etnic City 7:37

6. Visitors 8:30

7. Sabotage 8:25

8. Terra Incognita 7:34

9. Transonic Fields 8:01

10. Reach New Land 6:17

 

Goasia is finally back and better than ever! Goasia first debuted with a double artist album, Purple Energy, which featured tracks from Omegahertz's and Goasia's, both of which have a completely unique style. Goasia presented us something we hadn't gotten before in goatrance. It had a reminesence of the soft sound of Dimension5, but it was far more liquid and the melodies were very emotional and ethnic. I personally can't even explain them, the influences are all over the place, asia, india, you name it. Then Goasia made their first solo album debut with Suntrip records in 2007. The album was called From Other Spaces and the style was far more refined of what was heard before. The overall tone of the album was a mix of spacey and down to earth atmospheres with underlying themes of discovering, peace and love. The melodies were uplifting, unique, booming straight from the heart yet not venturing to the cheesy side in any way in my opinion, though one negative was that the album as a whole lacked some variation.

After 3 years Goasia is back with a 2nd Solo album on Kagdila Records(who have finally really jumped on the new school goa ship with 3 albums in less than 6 months)Read this. which features a reworked style of what you'd except from Goasia. This is also well represented with the cover, while the last album was more space oriented digital artwork, this one is a traditional painting. What kind of style exactly? Let's find out.

 

CLICK FOR SAMPLES

 

Black Kahva

The album starts out with an echoic voice sample that is being rattled from left to right. 0:14 we get a soothing synthesizer pad and at 0:27 the bassline arrives. It's very deep, rolling like a huge non-textured wheel and the kick follows the same path - a true goatrance bassline, I'd expect nothing less. A lot of atmospheric and organic sounding details ensue after the introduction. The melodies are very Goasia but even though you know it is Goasia without even knowing the track or artist name, there's something different here. 3:34 arrives and we get our first major melody segment, which is absolutely inspiring. It is ethnic, it is epic, it is organic and vivid. After the melody segment we get a small breakpoint and at 4:43 the same melody arrives with real world instrument (Sounds like one of the Indian acoustic quitar things. I'm not sure as I do not know.) and its a fantastic touch. Only adds to the whole theme of organic and ethnic sound. The track progresses further getting more and more crazier with different kind of sounds. Namely 6:36 it introduces this absolutely fantastic liquidy sound. Absolutely breathtaking track of an introduction to a new style.

 

How Deep Is Your Trip

Starts with a spiritual echoing sound 0:15 introduces yet another absolutely loveable synth pad. As it progresses we get a bassline that is still deep but not as rolling and hitting like the previous track, a solid stomp with a nice kick. A lot of different sorts of little interesting details flying around as it goes on. 1:59 gives us the main melody and it's a little more toned down on the crazy scale. It flows on with different unique magical sounds as it goes forward. 3:33 after a small breakpoint we get something absolutely new. These sounds that the Goasia guys use are just incredible. They're unique, interesting and sound extremely good and organic. Makes me wonder how the hell do they come up with this stuff. 5:18 a breakpoint arrives a flying bird echoes, the melody arrives again and gets slowly twisted and then progresses into a very pleasing ending. Overall a more spiritual journey than the last one, taking some turns from the path and doing new things.

 

Dancing With The Blue Spirit

Ah, the title track, and that's what it should be. The track starts with an absolutely peaceful atmosphere with a ton of passion and love in the air and definitely not long and the emotional melody arrives. The bassline rolls the song forward very calmly. 3:18 a breakpoint arrives, it establishes the spiritual mood even more and has a small whistle segment which only makes the organic sound so much more better. A melody arrives again at 3:59 and it's so completely heart warming and euphoric. Small details such as a whistle follows it along. 4:40 and a new breakpoint where an epic echoing melody let's us rest for a moment and then comes back with the bassline. The rest of track gives a more more breakpoint and the last segment that ends so very beautifully. This piece of music is the most emotional thing Goasia has ever done and one of the most emotional goatrance tracks ever made. Also a big plus on the rich unique textures that deepen the experience. Absolutely beautiful!

 

Avatar

This is where the new Goasia style finally comes completely clean. This an epitome of an ethnic and organic sound. Different organic sounds emerge at every turn, it is like forest wildlife, excluding the bigger animals of course. The bassline follows the same line as the earlier one's but is a bit more pronounced as it really does create the base for the atmosphere. 2:53 a breakpoint arrives and it is lifted back up with this absolutely different kind of melody. It sounds like no other has ever sounded, or I have ever heard at least. I can't describe it, but I do love it. 5:00 arrives and the track takes a new turn to the Goasia experiment land. 5:40 and the atmosphere gets very playful, the upcoming rhythms make you smile. I'd love to see how this would affect the dancefloors! Absolutely a wonderful track. When I listen to it I see a morning forest or a jungle in my mind, the atmosphere is so strong.

 

Etnic City

Ethnic sounds ensue. Sounds like you are entering Aboriginal's village! You get a tribal singing sample that works like magic on the atmosphere. A Colourful and uplifiting melody arrives at 2:38. The tribal sounds follow in it's steps. 3:38 slow it all to a breakpoint where it can developed a twisted melody that would make a snake charmer move like a snake himself. From there it progresses with quite the same pattern as the rest of the tracks have, but obviously everything else is different. The melodies, effects. Again it doesn't disappoint. Ethnic, organic, spiritual!

 

Visitors

Since this is still a goatrance album, who wouldn't have expected something that involves aliens? The atmosphere from the very beginning is more mysterious and uses sounds that reminesence 'alien' twirls, swirls and other the kind of effects, but with some tongue in cheek vintage style. The backgrounds are full of sci-fi atmospheres too. It's great how they retain that organic sound here as well as it only adds to the vintage style. Also this is the first time we get more of a typical kind of sample, definitely from some older sci-fi movie, nice touch. At 5:05 we find ourselves engulfed with an absolutely wonderful melody work. The whole track is quite mysterious but still spiritual and uplifting in other regards. Fantastic!

 

Sabotage

Starts with bubbly acid, a muddy bassline arrives and we're already at full tempo here. The first melody arrives at 1:20. Pretty typical by now but still great, but what's great about this track is how the melody gets loony at 2:25. It's just crazy, happy, cool. Then at 2:53 it ups the notes, repeats, until 3:20 where this track starts to shine so bright. It sounds so danceable, so fun, unique, down to earth. The rest of the track is a fun ride till the very end as well. Another great pumping track.

 

Terra Incognita

Begins with a spiritual calm foggy morning atmosphere. A bassline arrives and it's calmer and toned down, and it is accompanied with really soft hi-hats. A very bright, emotional and ethnic melody makes the track climb the blue tinted foggy hill it is facing. Going through different kinds of areas of it, eventually getting to the peak where a new melody is rewarded at 4:24. The melodies in this track remind me of their older work namely a very chill crossways. The style of the melody is so strong with it's smile-educing that some may find it to breach the cheesy side, but this is not nitzo that we are talking about here, mind you. Very ethereal and a calm song, a nice break from the earlier tracks which were more dance-floor oriented.

 

Transonic Fields

This is a quite old track which has been probably reworked quite a bit of times. It sounds a bit more like From Other Spaces style because of that. It is another uptempo track but with much more calmness and beautiful, emotional, autumn forest/sunset at a beach melodies. They even get better when it's progressing towards the end. Very strong, emotional melody work here. In my opinion a track that could have easily fit in the first album, as well. Nice blend of the new production with the old.

 

Reach New Land

Begins with a calm sundown atmosphere, water flowing, magical sirens. A quirky toned down melody comes, piano starts playing, a cute japenese woman's voice appears. All of the layers seem like mostly real world instruments. Absolutely fantastic composition. Enthralling, uplifting, chill, magical sundown atmosphere throughout. Makes my hair stand up like with dancing with the blue spirit. There is so much richness and emotion in the production. The Goasia guys really outdid themselves here, what a beautiful piece.

 

 

This album sounds far more analogue, down to earth spiritual, ethnic and organic than anything else I've heard. (They expressed in the back of the cover how they decided to only use analogue sounds on this album and it does show.) Those of which I have to stress the word organic, it really, really sounds like it. From the very names to the music itself. The style of this music is absolutely nothing like anything else ever created. If you know an artist who has made this kind of music, please tell me, but I have never heard of something like this before myself. This album is also a huge step up from the first one, it's more varied and sounds completely fresh, whereas the first one had some trouble trying different things. Also the great richness of the textures, the small fine details is something that could potentially blow you away. You might have noticed I did not mention storytelling very much, that is because I wanted to save that for the closing comments. Yes, this is extremely storytelling music for such upbeat music in my opinion. The amount of different, new kind of sounds, effects and atmospheres have that kind of effect on the whole thing. Also the fact that it does have such richness on this recording is amazing. Do yourself a favour and check this album out, it is a completely new experience in the goatrance history. Oh and couple of things I'd like to point out, I've listened to this album while running in the forest at sunny mornings and it shines even brighter there. It is so inspirational and organic, it flows like a river in such a location. I'm also finding myself having hard time reviewing these tracks because they are so full of sounds that I have not heard before and can't name them, or even express them with words that well, but I just had to review this thing. It is incredible.

 

 

Where to get it/samples?

http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dim/dim1cd003.html

http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=8699

http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/labels_dettaglio.aspx?id=1152&t=Dimensional%20Records

http://www.DimensionalRecords.com

 

 

On another note, I am utterly astonished at the variety we are getting this year! This album along with Artha's twisted trippy sounds, Alienapias dark and powerful atmospheres, V/A Temple Of Chaos's acid tweaking, V/A Goatronikas and Energy Waves's brighter melodies and V/A Protozoa's pumping nitzhogoa style. I hope we can keep this up for a long time!

 

 

This review is best read with the "blue darkness" forum skin option.

[kagdila]

amazing review and big respect for that.

im sure with that review sales will grow up.

 

regards

 

kagdila team

[Penzoline]

I find the lack of comments disturbing. I wrote this thing first of July and no-one else has had anything to say since? Really!? What gives?

 

I personally keep coming to this release and it really never manages to bore me. This kind of Goa is a great change of pace on the overall scheme of things. Very emotional, organic and floating atmospheres, sounds and melodies. Fantastic sequel to the first album in my opinion.

[Guest antic]

I find the lack of comments disturbing. I wrote this thing first of July and no-one else has had anything to say since? Really!? What gives?

Well, maybe because this album is really hard to describe / categorise?

 

Like you said, there's hardly anything sounding similar in terms of style - I'd say it is a kind of folk-goa or ethnic-goa kind of vibe, which sometimes make it great, very emotional and fun to listen, almost 'live' in the way it is recorded; but sometimes gets on my nerves very quickly, just because of that. Might be just me, but that is exactly why I'm in two minds about it - sometimes I love it, sometimes I can't stand it, hence I don't have definitive enough a opinion to put it in a review

 

One thing's sure though - it's really worth giving it a try and buying even if just for the awesome cover.

[longloststar]

No doubt, this is high quality GOA. There is a soft musical touch to the album, sometimes similar to both Merr0w - Born Underwater and Ra - 9th, but ultimately it is a distinct style much in the vein of the previous album. I think the style is further characterized by certain repeated short melodies. In fact, every single track, except the last one, might be based on this idea. It makes the style unique, but it can also be somewhat tiring. In particular the first couple of listens, before one gets a feeling for the melodies. With this in mind, "Dancing With The Blue Spirit" (and the previous album) is more suitable fulfilling the role of energetic, emotional music, rather than relaxed (compare for example with Afgin - Old is Gold). Overall, very much recommended to lovers of GOA.

[Jon Cocco]

Just found out about this release today. Hope I get a chance to hear it soon! Samples sound good.

[Voyager]

Indeed, very interesting album . Good work

[Trance2MoveU]

 

Artist: Goasia

Title: Dancing With The Blue Spirit

Label: Kagdila Records

Date: April, 2010

 

1. Black Kahva 9:29

2. How Deep Is Your Trip 7:35

3. Dancing With The Blue Spirit 7:31

4. Avatar 8:21

5. Ethnic City 7:37

6. Visitors 8:30

7. Sabotage 8:25

8. Terra Incognita 7:34

9. Transonic Fields 8:01

10. Reach New Land 6:17

 

When I first heard this, I was so disappointed. I was expecting a wall of melody like I have become accustomed to from labels such as Suntrip, Phototropic, and UAF. After reading comments in this thread I thought I missed something. I have yet to see someone have a bad thing to say about this album, so naturally I thought I needed to give it more time. Unfortunately, I got busy and didn't get to it until recently. But I am getting ahead of myself...

 

Kagdila is a label from the USA that was named after an Astral Projection song (kinda) that supports psytrance and ambient. They are quite prolific and open minded, as they have released discs by N3xu5, to Ovnimoon, to Liquid Flow and now Goasia. They are also responsible for the wonderful Pure Planet series. Balint Tihamer & Vladislav Radulovic comprise Goasia and they released their debut From Other Spaces on Suntrip in 2007. I'm always on board for new goa trance so I decided to get back on the horse and give this release the attention it deserves beginning with listening in the dark with no distractions.

 

Black Kahva- Furious beginning with a nice reverberating knock that gives the track some spaciousness. The synths undulate like the coming of the tide as leads dance like no one is watching. The same melody is continued on a stringed instrument during a very short break before it's right back into battle. It really is an all out assault for the first track. Maybe a little too long but still good stuff!

 

How Deep Is Your Trip- The leads in this one are very hypnotic daring you not to move. With a choir pad in the background it adds a spiritual air to the track. It just keeps going, asking how deep your trip is. In this case not a lot of variation works as it just sends you further into introspection. Mine went very far, let me tell you. Awesome track.

 

Dancing With The Blue Spirit- This has a psytrance lean towards it, with a floaty sense about it. The bassline is frenetic and very active with the leads being spacious. Not very evolutionary and definitely not goa trance. This one didn't thrill me.

 

Avatar- More rapid bassline action here, with a deceptively agile lead setting the pace. The feel is mysterious as if I were in an alien land. The main synth line becomes a little too repetitive for my tastes, but it keeps changing so it remains interesting. The break is again short, but works well to refocus. High tempo for sure. Good track though not as hypnotic as some others.

 

Etnic City- Love, love the tribal beginning short though it may be. The effects and dirty bass add a great touch. The chants sit very well with me as if I am passing beneath the gates of an emerald city few have ever seen. The leads claw and scrape as new ones emerge further making me feel I'm in the presence of a higher power. Super hypnotic and danceable. Great track.

 

Visitors- Man, they really love a fast bassline. The beginning has an old school feel as it blossoms. That is maintained with a laser sharp lead melody that changes sounds. More hypnosis, and I don't feel the time going by at all. The track becomes very atmospheric with a feeling that we are going to meet the aliens...and the outcome might not be so positive. Good track.

 

Sabotage- Gurgling, filtered leads in many layers greet the ears, and I'm settling in nicely. There is a lot going on, but it just adds to the mix and sounds great. It took numerous listens for me to sort out all the phrases in this one and it kept its groove nicely. They use the panning effect nicely to great results as more leads stab. The break reorganizes things, but doesn't lose momentum. Love this track.

 

Terra Incognita- Is that a bagpipe? Sounds a little like it. With some Vangelis-esqe leads (think Blade Runner) we are drifting across the galaxy. This is floaty trance for sure that glides. Kinda boring for me.

 

Transonic Fields- Bouncing synths fade in and out as outer space sounds shoot from deep in the black. The break brings what sounds like a Scottish melody as if I were hiking the Monroes! Different, and it works here, but I wish there was some more depth to it. Still, a pretty good psytrance track with a floaty feel.

 

Reach New Land- I'm not a big fan of piano in my psytrance, but this is interesting. It's like a bit of electro and downtempo rolled into one. The sounds used are not ones you would expect to hear from this artist. Is that a bossa nova beat? It's a nice chill track after the intense experience.

 

 

Music appreciation is such a subjective experience. That's why there is so much of it I suppose as there is bound to be something for everyone. I went through stages with this release. At first I was disappointed, then I understood it, and then I had to be in the mood for it. This is not your typical four on the floor melodic sunshine power goa trance. It has great goa melodies and some tracks are hypnotic as hell. But it also challenges the preconceptions of what goa trance can be. This album is a mixture of goa, psy, and even trance. The artists are pushing the limits with sounds, melodies, and it is an enjoyable listening experience. So bottom line, this isn't my favorite goa release even though I would recommend it for its variety. It's still well produced and the goa tracks (most of them) are pretty powerful.

 

Mdk

[Penzoline]

Dancing With The Blue Spiritdefinitely not goa trance

 

What?

[Trance2MoveU]

The title track not the album.

 

Mdk

[Penzoline]

Yeah, I mean the track as well. How is it not goatrance?

[Trance2MoveU]

Yeah, I mean the track as well. How is it not goatrance?

 

I didn't hear a melody that sounded remotely like goa trance. Perhaps floaty epic trance, but definitely not the signature sound that marks a goa track. I realize that he is doing something different that what we have all heard before, but this didn't sound like goa to me. That's cool, just wasn't for me.

 

Mdk

[GhostOnAcid]

I didn't hear a melody that sounded remotely like goa trance. Perhaps floaty epic trance, but definitely not the signature sound that marks a goa track. I realize that he is doing something different that what we have all heard before, but this didn't sound like goa to me. That's cool, just wasn't for me.

 

Mdk

 

Hm? Dont you believe is it a little bit too much stereotyped thinking? For me it is nice morning-goatrance-track with nice memorable melodies. :-)

[Trance2MoveU]

Maybe, and maybe because the goa trance that I listen to sounds like...goa trance. I felt this didn't sound like that. Doesn't mean it's bad. Just one person's opinion.

 

Mdk

[qa2pir]

Goa has become folk music and Goasia are preserving the legacy while expanding it.

 

The redundant phrygian patterns are not hidden like dirty, awkward secrets but instead proudly exposed. This allows them to serve as a solid basis for more playfully complex and distinct melodic structures. Just listen to the first track and hear how it begins with what quite possibly is the most overused note sequence in the genre, but then develops into an over-arcing theme that elaborates on and contrasts to the mandatory harmonic foundation. This approach lends the tonal derivativity a depth aspect that is otherwise lacking.

 

Music with history, not just in the commonplace cyber-ethnic cultural identity, but also in the way the actual phrases and arrangements are construed. Somehow it reminds me more of bands like Hidria Spacefolk than of other neo-goa.

[Trance2MoveU]

Goa has become folk music and Goasia are preserving the legacy while expanding it.

 

The redundant phrygian patterns are not hidden like dirty, awkward secrets but instead proudly exposed. This allows them to serve as a solid basis for more playfully complex and distinct melodic structures. Just listen to the first track and hear how it begins with what quite possibly is the most overused note sequence in the genre, but then develops into an over-arcing theme that elaborates on and contrasts to the mandatory harmonic foundation. This approach lends the tonal derivativity a depth aspect that is otherwise lacking.

 

Music with history, not just in the commonplace cyber-ethnic cultural identity, but also in the way the actual phrases and arrangements are construed. Somehow it reminds me more of bands like Hidria Spacefolk than of other neo-goa.

 

Wow, after the first sentence I don't know what you said.

 

Mdk

[qa2pir]

Wow, after the first sentence I don't know what you said.

 

Mdk

 

It's probably all bullshit but it got me one closer to 3000.

[Penzoline]

It's probably all bullshit but it got me one closer to 3000.

 

lol, gratz on your 3k.

 

I actually kinda get what you mean, but you never said did you like the music or not.

[qa2pir]

lol, gratz on your 3k.

 

I actually kinda get what you mean, but you never said did you like the music or not.

 

Thanks! But I can't access Custom Title settings for some reason. In my profile it says 2985 posts, maybe that's why.

 

I think it's a nice album that does something new with goa trance.

[Goa-Head]

Not sure about this one. IMO it's just more of the same, not much variation from the previous album.

[alphaCentauri]

This album along with From Other Space, are one of the best psychadelic/goa albums i have ever laid my ears upon,

All the tracks, every vibe, every bassline, every squer and corner is absoloutly beautyful!

 

10/10 too Goasia!

[Penzoline]

Edited the review a little. Linked to the kagdila mess as well, so those who would like to support Goasia and the correct label should buy the Dimensional version. I know I will do my part, I love this album.

[Geostigma]

Too bad one of the best albums in a long time is ruined by brick wall-ish and ear fatiguing overcompression! Please do not repeat this... Haven't heard an overcompressed album like this in ages!

[Geostigma]

Although I must admit... (because this is musically a very good album)... Everytime I listen through it ... which is like every 3 months, or when I have the flu... I start getting tears in the corner of my eyes, as if it's touching something very deep inside me.

[Penzoline]

I definitely agree the mastering could be much better but it is ok enough. I do really wish it sounded that much more better though.

 

I just can't wait for what they have in store for us next, such a nice album this was. Best album of 2010.