Hypnoxock - Eurythmia [Goa Madness Records]

[antic604]

 

Tracklist:

1. The Final Passenger
2. Discofrenetik
3. Beings Of The Same Planet
4. Transformation
5. Oscillation
6. Morphic Resonance - Chronos (Hypnoxock Remix)
7. You Have To Find A Brain
8. Mental Ascension
9. Symbiosis (featuring Bioterranean)

 

Review:

Music is a lot like love, I find. When we are young we place out affections in the most popular, most look-at-me girls (or boys, whatever you prefer) because they seem to be the ideal everyone else look up to. But in the end we find the true love in “unusual” place: someone shy, who doesn’t seek attention and is keeping to the side, while the popular girls/guys end up being shallow and uninteresting beneath the surface. It’s similar with music – we often assume the new release of an established and popular artist X, Y or Z to be “the next best thing” but this rarely happens, whereas you might be swept off your feet by something totally unknown and unexpected.

This is the case with Hypnoxock’s “Eurythmia” which apparently is Victor Solsona’s 4th(!) full-length album, but somehow he flew under the radar, at least for me. Maybe because of the labels he had released with in the past? Maybe because of the name, which – to me, at least – suggests a hi-tech / darkpsy project or something with “cocks”... Luckily, the combination of “Eurythmia” being released by Goa Madness Records (home to Ephedra, Proxeeus and some quality V/As) and AWESOME cover art pulled my attention this time!

So, putting that right upfront – this is the best new-school goa I heard in years! The way his music flows is really unparalleled: it’s changing constantly (on avg. every 8-16 bars), is very melodic and acidic and the way he chooses and places samples, effects and one-offs is just flawless. The sounds and layers are always contrasting, so there’s no clashing or overwhelming effect so often present in a lot of new-school goa, where countless waves try to mask the actual inability to create something memorable (I know, I've been there...). He combines fast & slow melodies to create elaborate, developing tonal and rhythmic patterns. He places one-off sounds and FX in just the right spots, accentuating transitions or as a counterpoints to larger arrangement movements. He introduces the right sounds at perfect moment, sort of like Shakta was 20 years ago: when you think a certain thing should come or go, it inevitably will. And it’s not in a bad way, like it’s formulaic or something – it’s just good storytelling and good reading of where the tune should go for max effect. Admittedly, it’s nothing new under the sun because I can hear Shakta, Astral Projection, The Infinity Project or Oforia and some other influences in there, but since when those are a bad source of inspiration? It’s definitely not a copycat, but more like a creative extension of that sound.

The production is also one of the best I heard recently: punchy, clear and clean, very spacious and with sufficient headroom which makes it a pleasure to listen.

Lastly, all tracks are really solid – nothing really stands out one way or the other and they’re sufficiently different to tell them apart, which is not very obvious thing for albums nowadays.

If there’s an album that one would use to sway a full-on, darkpsy or prog fan to the goa side, this should be it – it’s accessible, but deep and playful goa, taking the inspiration from the best out there, refining it for the modern day and making it their own.

5/5

 

Listen / purchase:

https://goamadnessrecordsofficial.bandcamp.com/album/eurythmia

https://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/gom/gom1cd008.html

http://beatspace.com/10124/Goa+Madness+Records/HYPNOXOCK/Eurythmia/detail.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-AqJiJPVUqAByMh2pkx0JSoF89qKqCxw

[MrAnarchy]

I completely agree with everything you said. This release is so near perfection. 5/5 no thinking required!

[Void Mantra]

Yep. Agreed 100%. This album caught me off guard and knocked me out, TKO style. Insane stuff.

 

Such a great review, good job Antic!

[antic604]

Such a great review, good job Antic!

 

Thanks, but it's easy when the music is so good. It basically writes itself

[Tsotsi]

Great review and amazing album, if this doesn't bring people over to the goa side i don't know what will.

[MrAnarchy]

Even though this album was released recently, Im pretty sure its my most listened to release this year. God damn crazy stuff! Deserves a bump to draw more attention to it

[Shpongled247]

Just bought this thanks to this review, nice one man.... For some reason he has never been on my radar but i was pleasantly surprised thats for sure. Its a little mellow for my usual goa flavour but as far as the style he is pursuing its pretty much perfect.. and that production level.. whoa.

[AiKyO]

Nice review. I have good memories of his set at Connection this year, right after Yuta

[BraneFreeze]

Finally decided to check this out after all the enthusiasm here at PsyNews.  On the first pass, I thought it was good but not great.  In particular, I thought the first 2-3 tracks were kind of average.  I especially disliked the lame vocal sample in the first track.  However, I then tried an approach mentioned by T2MU in another review: I played the tracks in reverse order. After listening to the album this way, I had a much more positive reaction to the music, and a better appreciation of the talent and skill embodied in Eurythmia.  I still hate the first track, but now rate the overall album 4/5.

[Tsotsi]

On 12/7/2017 at 11:34 AM, BraneFreeze said:

 I still hate the first track, but now rate the overall album 4/5.

Haha 1st track is definitely my favourite. My taste is all over the place though. The whole album has this clubby feel to it that I just can't bring myself to dislike, Music that I could dance to just about anywhere.

[Aspartic]

Just finished a bit of dj'ing with this CD and it was amazing! I found myself jumping around and going bezerk on the many melodies, twists and crazy journeys.
I've been listening to this album for a long time already and it's not going to stop.
Hypnoxock made his best album here and it breathes goa madness.

So positive, clever and uplifting. Well done Hypnoxock!

[Trance2MoveU]

On 12/6/2017 at 7:34 PM, BraneFreeze said:

However, I then tried an approach mentioned by T2MU in another review: I played the tracks in reverse order.

I usually employ this method when I'm having difficulty engaging with an album.  This one is quite good and I think the 4/5 rating is fair. 

[Jon Cocco]

Antic-- Thank you so much for the review and everyone else who contributed to this thread. I'm just discovering it now due to the reply count.

The album is just  something else!

If YOU feel that you haven't heard a Goa album that made you feel like a kid again in decades (at least eliciting old if not new memories), press play and roll with it.

This MUST be heard on good ear buds, head phones, or sound system. Increase setting's quality to 720p.

Full album steam

 

[astralprojection]

this album is incredible! ive just barely begun listening to it, the 303s are out of this world, reminds me so much of old school 303s like Mindfield and Astral Projection used to use.

in fact so does alot of things in this album.. very old schoolish vibes!

[Tsotsi]

16 hours ago, astralprojection said:

very old schoolish vibes!

HEY! We have a thread for that kind of talk!

When this was released I had the exact opposite thought. For me it sounded like a completely fresh modern updated style using the tools of Goa. I still mostly think so. But if you mean the playful baselines, and creative direction changes then maaaaaaaaybe I can draw some similarities. I still haven't heard anything similar to this though.

Good news for us is he is working on a new Hypnoxock album. Judging by the Morphic Resonance remix and his techno project Bioterranean, we could be in for something a little darker. I'll be happy either way.

[astralprojection]

i think the style overall, the choice of 303 (what i mean by "choice" is obviously how they/he/she tweak it and mix it) and also much of the leads and melodies are reminiscent of old stuff from like Phantasm from mid 90s.

Mindfield is one artist that comes to mind as this reminding me of. The mixing too; is much more old school than new school; to my ears. Its warmer and not very digital sounding at all; where much of new school lies... again this is for that other thread  btw old school to me doesnt mean better, by any means. i much prefer new school these days to old. naturally, since ive heard the old stuff about a billion times already. **

 

but yes, its to me much more old than new, this one, in terms of style, mixing, and just general artistic choices. (rather simple hypnotic repetetive melodies and not too much 1/8D delays all over the place.)

 

this may be the first album ive heard , ever, that actually sounds like NEW old school.

 

 

btw, this album is absolutely incredible.... nice to find a gem like this completely by accident.

 

 

** this is for that other thread but, for example filteria who uses all old school gear - but yet produces pure New school music - i think the other way can ofc be very true - using modern software to create old school. So by "digital sounding" i dont necessarily mean it was made on software and not analog gear. its all about the creative choices you make in production and mixing... but yeah this should be in that other thread..

[astralprojection]

after now listened to the full album, id say about 60% of it, is new school, and the rest i still claim "New Old School"

agree to kinda agree, tsotsi?

[Tsotsi]

I'll accept those figures. 

 

New old school is something I haven't thought of but sounds kinda right for this release. 

[astralprojection]

14 hours ago, Tsotsi said:

I'll accept those figures. 

 

New old school is something I haven't thought of but sounds kinda right for this release. 

at least a couple of tracks, like The Final Passenger.

i cant get over how typical Phantasm (but with modern production) it sounds to me.

stuff like mindfield as i said but also more: sundog, oood, subcouds... etc.

 

=)

[Jon Cocco]

Wow what an album! Yes! And YES!!!! 

It's even better than when I heard it last several months ago (posted above). How the shit?!

Finally someone new grasps what we love about Goa and totally reimagined some of the best elements. A LOT of them!

This album is sooooooo good. I've rarely felt this way since writing reviews as a teenager. It's the ANSWER to what's been missing from a lot of Goa now days: HEART, FIRE, & SPIRIT. People put a ton of MIND into art, but not always spirit. Spirit is more expansive; you're in the zone, channeling fluidly, ever connected and yet free to intuit/engage at a mere desire or thought. You've expanded beyond this frequency of consciousness and in tune with something greater-- more expansive and in relation to your experience, more consciously aware. Your desire is your experience with other energy that desires to experience that too - 4th dimensional, 5th dimensional, etc (like attracts like faster with higher/lighter density so raising our vibration by evolving to the positive/Stay Whole, mindfulness, empathy, LOVE). I'm not saying the album is 5D, ha!, rather it tapped into something deeper and more expansive, probably 4th density is all I'm saying (which is inspired by the 5th )

God bless this album with awesomeness forever! It sounds like a wildly inventive Goa classic with new production values. I don't just love it. I'm in awe.

Every track-- EVERY TRACK IS DOPE AS F$#K. How the?!.. Even Filteria often has ONE track I don't care for. Here I'm high on Goa fever. Just track 2... that dark, magnetic vibe in the first minute. Then that's matched and/or topped a hundred-plus times on the album. Listen to this on a good pair of ear buds or sound system. Every track isn't just strong IMO-- It has an infectious YES!!!!! PURE Goa sound. It's magnetic, mystical, magical. The album is beautifully designed. Rarely am I so hooked with every track back-to-back as I am here. At least I feel that way upon returning and listening to the album as one full story. Every track compliments the one before and after it. 

The artist understands visionary, imaginative concepts, development AND evolution. Not only that, he understands and respects the "art" of Goa Trance-- the storytelling, the spiritual/transdimensional (magical, higher vibrational) aspects. He clearly shares marbles (conscious aspects) with us and Goa similar to Peter Jackson's ability to intuit/guide-- become the cinematic vision for Lord of the Rings (trilogy).

I'm impressed with the ambitious, elaborate, and beautiful work consistently throughout. The album delivers with intuitive sound/melody work, mixing, HEART+FIRE+SPIRIT imagination and direction. I hope the artist is [as] inspired to make a sequel. Go with whether you're inspired (heart+mind). This album is like kid-excitement all over again. It's fun and playful, yet edgy, traveling, and OUTSTANDING from start to finish. 

Eurythmia is one of the most definitive sounding Goa albums to date to define [PURE] New Old School Goa Trance.

Seraph! Lemmiwinks! Mars! Joske! Where are the old-schoolers on these forums??! They have to hear this!!! DeathPosture?!! 

Antic604-- Thanks again for bringing people's awareness to this album along with the record label and artist for releasing/creating it. It's like a bucket of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

5/5 ... 10/10 ... 100/100... tooooo infinity................. and beyond!!!

A = A future classic

[Tsotsi]

@Jon Cocco damn right my friend. This album is a masterpiece and somehow that sense of playful fun has been maintained with the art. Its a rare thing to be this good and still be so gosh dang fun. 

There must be other examples but the one that comes to mind is the writing prose of Nietzsche. 

[astralprojection]

i have huuuuge respect for this album too, nice review @Jon Cocco

[Jaza]

He's a great guy too. Humble