Darkpsy 2010

[Ormion]

Since I'm too lazy to write a review here are some thoughts about some of the darkpsy of this year.

 

Flucturion-Contrary To Prioritys

Some weak tracks, but overall a solid piece of madness. It kinda has the 'physics' sound (Rotwang check it out).

Recommended.

 

KinDzaDza-Insoluble

No weak tracks here and some masterpieces. More spacey that the previous KDD albums IMO.

Highly recommended.

 

Gappeq-Made Of Clay

Not the best darkpsy album. I was expecting more, but I still like it. Gappeq has better compilation tracks though.

 

Audiopathik-Over The Edge

Superb mad/darkpsy. Excellent combination between glitch, power, experimentation and some dark melodies. The production is beyond belief.

Highly recommended.

 

Orestis-Recursive Concsiousness

Much better than his compilation tracks (which I always found boring). Some very strong tracks here and dark too.

Recommended.

 

LAB-Roleplayers

Sounds a bit like Gappeq minus the effects. Dark and atmospheric. Haunting sound, very organic. Some great tracks.

Recommended.

 

Psykovsky-Tanetsveta

Perfect combination between experimental darkpsy and ambience. Like classical music through a kaleidoscope. Some pure anthems here.

Highly recommended.

 

Dark Elf-World Liquid Domination

I didn't like it at first, but it grows on me. Some nice tracks, some boring ones, Very dark sound, almost forest.

 

Troglodytes-Written In Stoned

Didn't like this one. None of the track grabbed my attention. Not bad, but not my style I guess.

 

V/A-Completelly Crooked

Free Radical/Urban Antidote style-kind of like extreme Doof style. Not the best compilation out there.

 

V/A-Danse Macabre

Very good compilation! Very forest-y.

Recommended.

 

V/A-Freaks United

It could easily be the second Alien Mental album since he's involved in all tracks. Out there psytrance. The kind of music that could drive normal people mad for real.

Recommended.

 

V/A-Hybrid Evolution

Weak compilation. 'Sterile' sound. Some ok tracks though.

 

V/A-Leisha

Good compilation. Pure darkpsy. It also features Polyphonia's last track which is awesome.

Recommended.

 

V/A-Lyserg Lesson 2

Over the top dark(?)psy. Braincell destruction. The Kashyyyk track is from another world.

Recommended.

 

V/A-Nocturnal Delusions

The cover may look like forest, but it's not (except for some tracks). Nothing special.

 

V/A-Parvatrip

Forest, but not the best. Derango delivers though.

 

V/A-Pleiadian Connection

One of the best compilations of 2010. Very strong tracks, including a massive tune by Audiopathik called Killin' Machine.

Recommended.

 

V/A-Speedmasterz 2-Killerz

Ridiculous fast darkpsy. Not as bad as you expect, but nothing great either.

 

V/A-Cycle Of Secrets

Awesome compilation. Forest madness at its best. And free (on Ektoplazm).

Recommended.

 

I still have to listen to some new cds I bought.

 

 

Please feel free to contribute.

[Basilisk]

Let's see, what is on my list so far?

 

Dissociactive – Total Transformation*

Orestis – Recursive Consciousness

Psykovsky – Tanetsveta

V/A – Audiogenic Forces

V/A – Bestiary

V/A - Cycle Of Secrets

V/A - Dreamshadow*

V/A – Freaks United

V/A - Galactic Synthetic*

V/A – Jupiter Toadstool

V/A – Parvatrip

 

A few more freebies from my site:

Cybernetika - The Scythe Of Orion*

DoHm - Swampology

Ork Monk - Speaking Stones

Septagram - The Forbidden Path Of Olympus

Setanic - Glowing Mushrooms

Suspiria - From Darkness To Illumination

V/A - Typhoeus Vritra: Spirit War

 

* = not darkpsy to the purists but still "dark psychedelic trance" and high energy.

 

I'll have some more to add when I get a chance to do some random listening of whatever I've acquired over the course of the year. Looking at the list above I am certainly missing some key releases that I haven't even heard yet...

[muzi]

Great collection of 2010 darkpsy. I'd like to add some nice items:

 

Antagon - Cybernetic

Well, nothing really memorable. Many squeez and bleep sounds, very futuristic album.

 

Blisargon Demogorgon and Friends - Ruthless Illusion

Nice cd with haunting atmospheres. But it didn't move me enough.

 

Full Face - In Every Place

One of the best. Danceable darkpsy with some innovative elements, straight form Corfu.

 

Kanibal Raves - Na Masti Iz Srbije

Crazy fucking shit. Absolute madness, very witty album with great moments.

 

Khaos Sektor - Weird Basslines

This is deep, hard and dark. Recommended.

 

LCD Influence - Will Eat Your Sandwiches

Psycore. High bpm's, crazy sounds. Only for extremists.

 

Multi Evil - The Multiplication Of Evil

Finally some darkpsy form my countryman! Very good album, touch of evil is clearly visible.

 

Paraforce - Stampede

Boring cd. Nothing special.

 

RED - Audio Drama

EXCELLENT! Great combination of dark atmosphere and basslines, goa melodies and classic psytrance flow. This is a must!

 

Venom Sense and Insector - Hyperstatic Experience

Hungarian collaboration. Nice, worth listening.

 

Zen Mind And Terratech - Ethereal Lifeforms

Very dark and strong sounds. For fans of heaaavy psytrance.

 

Insector - Rebirth

Superb album. Fast, crazy, amusing album. Recommended.

 

Select Project - Rimana

Great surprise from Osom Music. Hi-tech full power russian sound. What more could you want?

 

Some other great VA's:

Audiogenic Forces, Legendarium, Boom Shiva Freaks,Urban Forest, Somatic Frenzy, For The Freaks - FOREST

Irenic Tendencies, Optoplanar, Organ Splitter - HORROR

Jupiter Toadstool, Psykorigid, Tandava Dance, Zamurai, Goavibration - PURE DARKPSY

Never Ends, Tekkinbome, Data Religion - HI TECH

 

Overall, for me, the best album is Tanetsveta, the best comp is Freaks United.

[mars]

Psykovski, Freaks United, Cycle of Secrets, definitely.

[Richpa]

KinDzaDza-Insoluble

No weak tracks here and some masterpieces. More spacey that the previous KDD albums IMO.

Highly recommended.

 

Couldn't agree more, love this album, probably my favorite KDD release so far. Anyhow I'm not a big fan of this kind of genre but this album is pure win. Keep posting suggestions, I'll check for sure some of mentioned releases here.

[Drosophila]

Not many albums this year have really caught my attention, but some really strong compilations and EPs have (listed below), for me the general issue is that darkpsy has become more psycore than anything else, and I simply don't enjoy 70 min of blender beats and breaks, its fun for a while and I loose interest, I find the some of the same tendencies when going to dnb parties, often it ends up in a mayhem of beats and breaks, not really my cup of tea in the long run.

 

But these three babies deliver some really nice forest (darkpsy) trance, with more focus on the hypnotic and some what organic sound, which I really like!

 

Various - Somatic Frenzy

 

Various - Audiogenic Forces

 

Various - Cycle Of Secrets

 

and also the weird Japanese compliation:

 

Various - Flying Sauce

 

I also found some of the EPs (downloadable from ektoplasm) really nice:

 

DoHm - Swampology

 

Ork Monk - Speaking Stones

 

Setanic - Glowing Mushrooms

 

but I can see I still need to check out quite a few releases, among them RED - Audio Drama which sounds really interesting...

 

 

of the not so darkpsy but dark psytrance releases I really like:

 

Cybernetika - The Scythe Of Orion

 

BOTFB & Ka-Sol - Master Of Outhouse

 

Various - The Pain Of The Forgotten Forest

[Ormion]

Not many albums this year have really caught my attention, but some really strong compilations and EPs have (listed below), for me the general issue is that darkpsy has become more psycore than anything else, and I simply don't enjoy 70 min of blender beats and breaks, its fun for a while and I loose interest, I find the some of the same tendencies when going to dnb parties, often it ends up in a mayhem of beats and breaks, not really my cup of tea in the long run.

 

I agree about the faster bpm trend.

But what I really like is that many artists that used higher bpm focus more and more to the fx and add key changes to their basses. It's not (in most of the times anyway) just a bass and a kick, which in higher bpm sounds really annoying. Furious, Kashyyyk, Kykeon are some artists that use really fast bpm in their tracks, but they manage to make their music not annoying at all.

Of course there's always a limit. 180 bpm and stuff like that are a big no. I can tolerate only some experiments (Osom style).

[ion1zed]

Lots of good albums and compilations, so I'll stick with my two favorite darkpsy tracks from 2010

 

Arcek - Never Ends (VA - Never Ends)

Darkpsy killer track from Mexico...wish I'd never end.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcl47rL2jmM

 

 

And Cuboid Atom - Mega Baffling (VA - Missing Pieces Of The Puzzle)

 

Both are darkpsy masterpieces imo.

 

Edit: Ah! Almost forgot one...this one's at least a honourable mention

 

Mr. Hades - Electric 6969 (VA - Looking Back)

This one's insane, but mesmerizing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muj0UHQjM_o

[Rotwang]

Psykovski, Freaks United, Cycle of Secrets, definitely.

 

You like darkpsy now ?!

 

 

But these three babies deliver some really nice forest (darkpsy) trance, with more focus on the hypnotic and some what organic sound, which I really like!

I haven't heard any of the three comps you mention, but based on your description of what you like perhaps you should check out VA - Boom Shiva Freaks (my review).

 

Big +1 to what people have said about Kindzadza - Insoluble, probably my fave psytrance album of the year (my review).

 

Other than that, here's a rundown of 2010 darkpsy albums I don't think anybody's mentioned yet:

 

Kiriyama - Reach Escape Velocity: amazing darkpsy/Goa crossover, everyone should pay attention to this.

 

Axis Mundi - One Foot in Fantasy: I really like this a lot, though it won't be to everyone's taste. Tracks are filled with bizarre tempo changes and build-ups which resolve in unexpected ways, it's a confusing mess the first time one hears it but a real grower. Benefits a lot from being played very loud for some reason.

 

VA - Brainzcrew: pretty typical Parvati fare, almost every track is fun to listen to but somehow it fails to make much impression overall.

 

Mind Explorer - Swamp Shamaniac: kind of a weird one this, it's varied and many tracks are somewhat experimental but not all of them work. Some are great, but none of it is particularly memorable.

[Ormion]

Axis Mundi - One Foot in Fantasy: I really like this a lot, though it won't be to everyone's taste. Tracks are filled with bizarre tempo changes and build-ups which resolve in unexpected ways, it's a confusing mess the first time one hears it but a real grower. Benefits a lot from being played very loud for some reason.

 

Sounds interesting.

[Drosophila]

I agree about the faster bpm trend.

But what I really like is that many artists that used higher bpm focus more and more to the fx and add key changes to their basses. It's not (in most of the times anyway) just a bass and a kick, which in higher bpm sounds really annoying. Furious, Kashyyyk, Kykeon are some artists that use really fast bpm in their tracks, but they manage to make their music not annoying at all.

Of course there's always a limit. 180 bpm and stuff like that are a big no. I can tolerate only some experiments (Osom style).

 

Yeah I really like some of Furious' stuff (when I am in the mood for some fast stuff) I haven't heard much of Kashyyyk and nothing from (that I remember) from the last guy, I should check it out for sure... thanks!

 

I could not help myself, this track is from Audiogenic Forces, for me also an example of fast and not annoying/boring trance:

 

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLurcQbZpz0

 

but I guess this is also very organic, which I really like!

 

I haven't heard any of the three comps you mention, but based on your description of what you like perhaps you should check out VA - Boom Shiva Freaks (my review).

 

The samples sounds really interesting, thanks for the tip. But if you haven't heard those comps check em' out!!! And you could start by downloading Cycles Of Secrets.... and be ready for Albert's journey

[Novoice]

Ah... The album Stampede from Paraforce is in my oppinion very good: so raw, so hard, so brutal and so dirty (but the sound ist clean). Different style, but kicks in so good! One of my favourite in Darkpsy...