Various Artists - Protozoa 2.0

[Richpa]

 

When it comes to nitzhogoa music, than there is no better example or showcase for that kind of sub-genre than Sita Records, Belgium/Norway based record label run by Elias Gits aka. Agneton and Boris Huskić aka. Goalien. So far they released two compilations – Nitz-ho-goa, Protoza and two albums – Goalien – Psychedelic Dilemma and Persistent Aura – The Grand Julian. Their fifth release is sequel to their Protozoa compilation, entitled: Interstellar Evolution and it's compiled by label-heads Agneton and Goalien. Is it evolution, well let's find out!

 

Artist: Various

Album: Protozoa 2.0

Label: Sita Records

Style: Nitzhogoa

Tracklist:

• Goalien - Discarded Entity (Part I) (06:39)
• JBC Arkadii - Air (08:10)
• Midi Rico - Explosions Wackier (06:58)
• Zed Reactor - Vega Sector (08:02)
• Dragun - Brave New World (07:04)
• Ephedra - Time Machine (07:26)
• Phargua - Digital Dew (07:59)
• Ephedra - Landscapes From Heaven (Extended Version) (08:17)
• Ion Vader - Liquidious Fleshbag (07:53)
• Goalien - Discarded Entity (Part II) (08:21)

First track is Discarded Entity (Part I) by Goalien and guess what it starts like one big badass hurricane, a bunch of oriental melodies followed with big beats on 157 BPM. I'm not that much into nitzhogoa music like some of you but in my case, Goalien is the ultimate king and he owns this genre. Discarded Entity proves that – superb track!

 

I had pleasure to work with JBC Arkadii (Arkadii Tronets, from Russia) on Pantheon compilation and I must admit that I like his stuff and I was very curious about Air track. It starts slowly with little melodies in background, right after that comes rhythm and melody nicely devolpes until first break. Interesting part is around 4th minute mark – some amazing oriental-sounding scales. Nice track!

 

Third track is from (at least for me) unknown artist called Midi Rico (Boris Hoechstetter from France). Explosions Wackier is energetic track and it got some interesting parts but after couple of listenings it gets dull and boring, but it's first release so hopefully next one I'll like more.

 

Zed Reactor aka. George Antonopoulous from Greece is one of the better representatives of nitzhogoa style. Last year he released full-lenght on Ezel-Ebed Records and now he presents his new track Vega Sector here on Protozoa 2.0. Track got some nice beats but I'm not in best relationship with Zed's keyboards and melodies, so yeah this track is something similar to material on Interplanetary Entity but with better mastering. If you like Interplanetary Entity you gonna probably like this one too.

 

Dragun is Hugo Aguair from Portugal and it seems that Brave New World is his debut release (kudos to Elias and Boris for giving an opportunity to new artists). First time I heard this track I tought how chessy it is but after couple of listenings it's actually pretty solid. Love the melody around 4th minute mark (reminds me on Alienapia) and part which comes after, just great.

 

It seems that Alexandre Cohen from Ephedra project decided to release as much as possible material in 2012, well that's actually great, especially because he delivers some solid Goa trance (on Shaltu) and now some nitzhogoa. Time Machine got one of the most epic nitzho drum-kicks, it's just perfect and love that kind of kicks, something similar Emmanuel from E-Mantra did on Valley Of The Kings track. Interesting part is around 6th minute mark, nice build up and good ending. Solid track!

 

Phargua is Sander Moyson from Belgium and he is another deb here. Well, unlike the first two, this guy is familiar to me and I remember that I heard some of his works online and it was, hmm, good experience. Let's see what he brings in Digital Dew track. It's fast one, 158 BPMs but you won't feel rush at all, track is somehow deep at some points (after third minute), there are few nice melodies that I like a lot, especially the final one, wow! Phargua is for sure one of the positive findings.

 

Landscapes From Heaven (Extended Version) is second track from Ephedra on this compilation and it's a bit faster, but more important – much much deeper and emotional than Time Machine. I love the way he layered this one, melodies are not that much in the forefront and if you're looking for some deep and emotional nitzhogoa, this would be perfect example. Good work!

 

Ion Solounias from Greece is man behind Ion Vader project. He already released some tracks on various labels and now he's presenting his style on Sita Records. Liquidious Fleshbag kicks off very aggressive and you can feel the rush of nitzhogoa rawnes and power. If you ask me I really like this stuff, more aggressive than melodic, don't take me wrong, this track got plenty of melody but what define better Liquidious Fleshbag is that badass aggressive feeling. Superb track!

 

Discarded Entity (Part II) is closing this compilation and second part is more subtile than first one. I'm still in love with part I and this one doesn't excite me that much yet, however it's good track for the ending of Protozoa 2.0.

 

Conclusion – Is it better than first Protozoa? - No. It is evolution though and it does presents new artists and yeah, there are some superb tracks here but it would be unfair to discredit first Protozoa, just because the fact that it's one of my favorite nitzhogoa compilations, so this is something like Terminator 1 and Terminator 2, Alien and Aliens, Star Wars episode IV and The Empire Stikes Back. It's equally good and I would like to recommend this one not only to nitzhogoa addicts and collectors, but also to all of you who are into melodic and positive Goa trance music. It's mastered well and it got one damn nice artwork.

 

Listen samples, buy release, find out more about Sita Records here: http://www.sita-records.com/

[Phargua]

Nice to read a review from this one . Thanks for the kind words!

[Balance]

Really quite nice but I find the Dragun track heads a little bit too much in the direction of cheese. The lead at parts is very much like the early happy hardcore hoover sound from the Dutch scene and it's weird hearing it in a goa style context. Other than that it's a nice compilation but not as good as the first or the third. Looking to get some of the albums from this label next.

[Penzoline]

I'm a little baffled by your comment balance. Calling Dragun cheesy yet preferring Zoa 3 is 1+1 = 0. Zoa 3 is filled with cheesy nitzo(with good reasons ), Zoa 2 is NOTHING compared to it, Dragun included. To be honest I think Zoa 2 has more cheesier tracks than dragun by far, like midi-rico(not a bad track though).

 

Regardless, in my books Protozoa 2 is the best out of the 3, the style is super consistent from start to finish. It's full nitzhogoa, no full goa, no full nitzo, it's all a great mishmash. One negative I have is mastering leaves to be desired, quite a lot in fact.

 

And Dragun is like the best nitzogoa track ever conceived. I won't deny the comparison to happy hardcore, but I also don't think it ever falls to a point of super cheese (like happy hardcore always is). It has a wonderful sample, lovely climaxes and enough cheesy bits to push it over to nitzogoa side. The massive explosion at 2:13 destroys any dancefloor at any point in time and whenever it returns it just enforces it's wonder. Fucking awesome.

[Balance]

It's something called personal taste & experience. Whilstm opinion may not be the same as yours i stick by it. it's no means a bad track or anything, this is the reviews section and a review contains opion and that is what I gave. I make no apologies if this confuses or upsets you, I"m perfectly happy to agree to disagree on this.

[Penzoline]

Fair enough. I came off a bit over-defensive. Still think the cheese is at minimum here tho.

[Balance]

Cheese may be wrong word, it's more like an old school Dutch rave sound to me than Goa or Psy. I never followed Nitzho before Sita so I dunno if it's like old Nitzho sound either. I did actually use the track at a "retro" rave last weekend here and it fit quite well with other old early 90's rave sounds when mixed properly.

[Trance2MoveU]

 

"Change is upon us!"

 

Yes it truly is. If this numnuts actually becomes president then like an infant the world will have sh*t itself and will need a change. And a bleaching. That's like one of those industrial hazmat Taco Bell/Arby's face melter sh*ts.

 

Haven't heard much lately from Sita records (Only one compilation in 2015), but what they have released has been pleasing to my ears. The Protozoa series attempts to straddle the line between the mystical sound of goa and the craziness and oftentimes cheesy excesses of nitzhonot. And I must say they do it well.

 

Goalien is arguably the master of this subset and absolutely blows the doors off with a high tempo explosion of a track. A tone setter surely that is wondrous no matter which side of the fence you sit. JBC Arkadii leans toward nitzho with frenetic scales rising and falling, but avoids stepping into a massive block of cheddar. Midi Rico got one foot caught in it yet still avoided getting dragged down.

 

And that's the story here. It's a great mix of the two styles without getting dominated by either. You're left with powerful melodic tracks that are well produced. This is how it's done. Aside from the Goalien bookmarks Digital Dew and Landscapes From Heaven standout for me, but the whole compilation is a success in my eyes. Way to go Sita!

 

Psyshop

[Penzoline]

Dragun boysss. This track blows my mind every single time. Those melodies are insanely powerful.

CHANGE.. IS... UPON USS

I need to hear this live when corona kicks the bucket.