Lectro Spektral Daze - Full Fractal Vision (Neogoa)

[antic604]

Track list:

1. Constant Awareness

2. Rave Drugs

3. Almond Eyes

4. Quite A Trip (JaraLuca Remix)

5. Farther From Ordinary Reality

6. Almost Nothing

7. Quite A Trip

8. Farther From Ordinary Reality (Lunar Dawn Remix)

Review:

I had to look up Lectro Spektral Daze (short for "LSD" ) because the name wasn't familiar to me, while the beautiful - what looks like - hand-painted cover drew my attention. Turns out Danny Marshal already released two albums on Timewarp Rec. - a record label I've been frankly avoiding as it somehow associates in my mind with budget goa/psy releases, full of simplistic, cheaply-sounding music...

The new album "Full Fractal Vision" was released instead by Neogoa as a free download, just 6 months after previous Timewarp full-lenght. The sound here is very old-school & vintage - even lo-fi at times - like a lot of Israeli artists in mid 90s or Boris Blenn's Jupiter8000 project, i.e. simple, clean but powerful, not "overly" produced or overloaded with numerous layers like it's fashionable nowadays - but varied enough. The production itself is however a touch muddy, especially the drums. The atmosphere is spacious, ethereal at times but musically it's lacking - no cringe worthy "melodies" or out-of-place chord changes, but no memorable ones either; just pretty simple riffs. For the most part it also sounds pretty flat musically, i.e. there's not much difference in energy levels between segments, no clear build-ups, wind-downs and climaxes; which isn't always a bad thing, but here it somehow sticks out as its defining factor.

Stand out tracks are: "Almost Nothing", because it has this nice flow of soaring arpreggios contrasting with heavy drums and Lunar Dawn's remix to "Farther From Reality", where clearer production brings out a lot of details that couldn't be heard (or were not present?) in original version, resulting in more dynamic track.

To sum up, it's an "almost there" release: sounds, ideas, arrangements, production if bumped up a notch could make this a very interesting album, but in the here & now, it's only mediocre - not offensive, but not very exciting either.

3/5

[Penzoline]

I agree. Production is great but the musicality is forgettable. It's kind of like Cosmic Dimension to me. However he has released tracks that stand out from the rough between all the albums so the potential is there.

[antic604]

It's kind of like Cosmic Dimension to me.

Oh, that's where you lost me - I found that album to be really, really good; probably, because I always liked patterns / sequences more than in-your-face melodies...

[Aspartic]

LSD got my attention from the first tracks that appeared some time ago. Really digged "Psytrance powers my space engines" and the EP "The truth about UFOs" especially Gamma One. Superb track!

But then a storm of EPs and an album came and well, it was all virtually the same again and again.

Without any future classic tracks.

This album feels the same. Same style and rather uninteresting while listening to it. The best one is actually the JaraLuca remix.

 

A let down for me, since I had high hopes for Danny Marshall. It was a fresh wind in Goa land some time ago, but it's all very flat now.

Hopefully he reinvents himself and his music with some new twists.

[Penzoline]

Oh, that's where you lost me - I found that album to be really, really good; probably, because I always liked patterns / sequences more than in-your-face melodies...

Yeah well like i said

 

There are no memorable melodies or hooks, the track structures sound like they follow a specific formula and that's why it really comes off as boring to me, however it's certainly very well produced filler.

I felt the same on many LSD tracks.

[Starkraver]

I don't whine but I feel the same about most of the Neogoa (not the label) CC does nothing to me, so does this. The moment I hear powerful maximal Goa with crystal clear sound , without me even recognising it subconsciously I start to ignore it.

That is why I really enjoyed the Quijan album. It was NOT samey. It was funky playful fresh and really nice.
Also island of misfits is really nice too.

[Oopie]

Like too many neogoa releases these days, has good production and nothing wrong per se. But I tend to think it lacks excitement, those great jaw-drop moments that makes the difference between a good release and a great one. The best track here is the Jaraluca remix with its devastating bassline and good sounding, well placed elements that he carefully lets to build up into something huge. But the album besides that one exception, didn't do much for me.

 

3/5 - good, typical release for the sub-genre

[Prao]

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