Artist: Planet BEN

Title: Trippy Future Garden

Label: Polytox

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 10'31" Welcome To The Future

02. 07'25" Screwdriver

03. 09'30" Questionmark

04. 09'01" Scotty's Name

05. 12'24" Ant Invasion

06. 21'57" Trippy Future Garden

Review:

Planet BEN immediately entered the Psychedelic Hall of Fame of with this huge,

massive and perfect album. While your hearing the first track your mind begins

to travel to another planet, a lot of music can do this but believe me this

goes a lot further. Ben really knows how to mess with your head and entertain

you every second with a bunch of noises and drums coming from nowhere. ANT

INVASION already know by many its a GIGANTIC track almost frightening. The

album finishes with a whole symphony, it has a long intro that explodes so

magically that you will not believe what you are hearing. Do you think his

frindship with the guys from X-DREAM its just a coincidence? NO WAY, HE'S A

FUCKING GENIUS 9.5/10

Artist: Astral Projection

Title: Trust In Trance 3

Label: Trust In Trance

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 09'28" Kabalah

02. 08'03" Enlightened Evolution

03. 07'23" The Feelings

04. 09'38" Utopia

05. 07'29" Black And White

06. 09'55" People Can Fly

07. 07'40" Radial Blur

08. 08'03" Aurora Borealis

09. 07'47" Still Dreaming (Anything Can Happen)

Review:

VERY GOOD album !!! The first album under the name Astral Projection (its real

name should be Trust In Trance 3) !

Best Tracks are 1,3,4,6 and 7 ! My favorite is Track 6 : People Can Fly ... it

really makes you fly ;-)

But ALL Tracks are good ! Rating : 8.5/10

Artist: Total Eclipse

Title: Violent Relaxation

Label: Blue Room

Date: 1996

Track listing:

CD 1

01. 07'19" Virtual Terminal Energised

02. 07'36" Area 51

03. 09'01" The Furnace

04. 08'14" Tecknophobia

05. 07'46" Chaotic Circus

06. 07'43" Absolute Zero

07. 07'41" Pulsar Glitch

08. 07'27" Space Clinic

09. 08'19" Blue Galaxie

CD 2

01. 09'22" Espanolizer

02. 09'33" The Pendulum

03. 08'21" Black Body Radiation

04. 10'01" Diamond Ring Effect

05. 07'31" Time Drops

06. 08'12" 51 Pegasus

07. 09'40" Gravity Mirage

Review:

This album is REALLY GOOD, particularly the First CD :-)

Best CD 1 Tracks are 1,3,4 and 7 (Track 3, The Furnace, is one of the best Goa

Tracks I've ever heard !!!)

Best CD 2 Track is 5 ... Why did they choose the name "Violent Relaxation" ?

Because CD 1 is violent (pure psychedelic trance)

and CD 2 is relaxation (it's more Ambient than Goa) :-) Rating : 9/10 (because

there is 2 CDs)

Title : Transe modulaire http://s.pixogs.com/image/R-196787-1105036960.jpg

Label : Ninetysix sounds

Date : 1996

Tracklist :

1) Contribution

2) Transe modulaire

3) Osho

4) Sine

5) Tristan

6) Garoula

7) Terminus

8) Neurone

A beautiful underground release from Aeon (today Nuclear Ramjet).

These Canadians creating one of the most emotional, morning

Goa trance album of that period containing at least three

divine tracks (my favorites) : Osho, Terminus and Neurone.

kinda sounds the same, but it maintains a very nice "seperateness" that saves

it. frikkin awesome cover too. 7/10

Artist: Prana

Title: Cyclone

Label: Matsuri

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 03'05" Miko

02. 07'29" Kiba

03. 08'45" Indigo (Rmx)

04. 07'26" Scarab

05. 06'25" Message For Eastedge (Trance Express Rmx)

06. 07'29" Starchild

07. 07'43" Moretsu (Indigo And Baraka Rmx)

08. 07'23" Future Space Travellers

09. 07'56" The Earth

10. 07'52" Taiyo

Review:

Cyclone is the first album from Prana, and probably the best one.The problem of

this album (and there is the same in Geomantik) is that we can see four

excellent tracks-Scarab, Starchild, The Earth and Taiyo- whereas the rest is

not really good.That makes a CD that is not really enjoyable to listen to in

one shot.But we can say that these four tracks are making this album

interessant enough to be bought.

6.5/10

Artist: MFG

Title: The Prophecy

Label: Phonokol

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 07'28" The Prophecy

02. 07'31" Magnetic Activity

03. 07'21" Alternate Dimension

04. 09'17" Overload

05. 09'25" Illumination

06. 07'32" New Horizon

07. 09'11" Hypnotised

08. 10'48" Shape The Future (Future Rmx)

09. 07'39" Mystic Dawn

Review:

This album of MFG is really a great one.Nice tracks, good melodies and typic

israelian, The prophecy is nearly as good as New Kind Of World.It's a pleasure

to listen to the whole CD in one shot, but we can distinguish the best track,

illumination(really excellent).Nevertheless, we can see in this first album of

MFG that they was not perfectly skilled at this moment.We see that in the too

big contrast there is sometimes beetwen some sounds wich are not perfectly

suiting together.8/10

Artist: Various

Title: Tantrance 3

Label: Sub Terranean

Date: 1996

Track listing:

CD 1

01. 07'07" Der Dritte Raum : Trommelmaschine (Vodoo Rmx)

02. 05'54" Empirion : Narcotic Influence 2

03. 09'02" Total Eclipse : The Furnace

04. 07'55" The Moon And The Sun : Satellite (Journey Into The Sun Rmx)

05. 05'44" Electric Universe : Astral Vogage

06. 09'22" The Overlords : Sundown (Ionizer Rmx)

07. 06'47" Brainman : Hear The Air

08. 05'47" The Antidote : Kicking Test

09. 06'55" Ree K : Kage

10. 08'12" Psyko Disko : Nobody

11. 03'31" Astralasia : Alien Love Song (Out There Somewhere Rmx)

CD 2

01. 09'09" X-Dream : The Second Room (A Trip)

02. 09'53" Slinky Wizard : Slick Witch

03. 09'21" MFG : Overload

04. 07'09" Hallucinogen : Soothsayer (The Lysurgeon Warning Rmx)

05. 06'11" Semis : Pile

06. 07'32" Satori : Back To Earth

07. 07'28" Cydonia : Freakshow

08. 06'24" Spectral : Celtic Alchemy (Nothing Is True Mix)

09. 06'47" Killing Joke : Jana (Dragonfly Mix)

10. 07'35" Zodiac Youth : Mr Redeemer

Review:

By far the BEST Tantrance Compilation !!! Best CD1 Tracks are 1,3 (The Furnace

: one of my favourite Goa Tracks) and 6,

Best CD2 Tracks are 1 and 5 ! Despite of all that there is 6 bad Tracks : CD1

Tracks 2,10,11 and CD2 Tracks 4,9,10 ... Rating : 7.5/10

but i can't choose between thes 3 ones wich one is the best...probably

vimana....dunno...anyway, this EP sounds Etnica, and that's great.9/10

Artist: Various

Title: Destination Goa 3

Label: Goldhead

Date: 1996

Track listing:

CD 1

01. 10'08" Nerva System : Initiation

02. 09'48" UX : Master Of The Universe

03. 05'57" Astral Projection : Zero

04. 06'23" Abnormal : Moondog

05. 09'30" Planet BEN : Questionmark

06. 06'31" Electric Universe : Online Information

07. 07'17" Ubar Tmar : Prophecy

08. 09'17" MFG : Overload

CD 2

01. 07'40" Shakta And Moonweed : Micronesia

02. 10'14" Gada-Gong : Rebel Without A Cause

03. 06'30" I Savastano : Trois

04. 07'07" Der Dritte Raum : Trommelmaschine (Voodoo Rmx)

05. 09'46" Reflecta : Creatures

06. 07'11" Helium Kid Kanon : Corn Baked

07. 07'43" Phoenix : Into The Dessert

Review:

It is hard to write about these cd:s, but I'll try anyway. Starting with Nerva

System, good track. UX, this track is pretty different,

not the best I have heard from UX. Listen to UX:s album - Ultimate Experience

instead, very good!!!

Anyway, Planet Ben is as usual good. He has a very differnt sound in his

songs, but I like it.

Then Ubar Tmar... this must be his best track ever. This is a real fast going

goa track. Much better then Eternal Return.

But if you like his two tracks on DG3 and DG4, I really warn you, his cd,

Fusion, is not so good that you think. Listen to it first!! And his new album

- True. SUCKS!!

Phoenix is as usal very good, maybe this is one of the best tracks he've done.

I Savastano is great.

And Micronesia too, with their lovely Indian tunes!

This is a cheap album worth buying. I give it 8/10. BUY IT.

Artist: ManMadeMan

Title: Hex EP

Label: Matsuri Productions

Date: 1996

1. Hex

2. Elevator

3. Trancesiva

Another ManMadeMan ep and another instance where I'm wondering where's the f*cking chocolate? It's not like they threw together a garlic sundae, but this continual mediocrity is frustrating. It's as if they do just enough to call it goa and leave you to sort it out. Hex had zero twists and zero turns. Elevator was better, but they seem to get to a point and then set the cruise control. Where's the detail? Where's the complexity? Hello?

Hey people! You left the sequencer running!

I've held back comparing them to other goa trance producers from the past, but there's a reason why this project can't crack my top twenty. Get that deity off the record. You don't deserve that.

Mdk

Artist: Various

Title: Distance To Goa 3

Label: Distance

Date: 1996

Track listing:

CD 1

01. 06'43" Man With No Name : Lunar Cycle

02. 08'04" DJ Cosmix And Etnica : Kumba Mela

03. 07'10" Sheyba : Ganesh

04. 08'42" Power source : Granada

05. 07'33" Psychaos : Keyboard Widow

06. 08'09" Zodiac Youth : Fast Forward The Future (Hallucinogen Mix)

07. 09'46" Technossomy : Pyramid

08. 07'09" The Infinity Project : Hyperspaced (Doof Rmx)

09. 07'42" Juno Reactor : Feel The Universe

10. 05'49" Transwave : Ulysse (Voyage 2)

CD 2

01. 08'49" X-Dream : Imagine If The World Was On Trip

02. 04'32" Cwithe : Seas Of Pitche

03. 05'30" Etnica : Astral Way

04. 02'28" Floatation Device : Baby (2nd Day Mix)

05. 05'13" Section X : Identify

06. 06'17" Koxbox : Re-Oscillation

07. 05'05" Epik : Eternal

08. 03'59" Dreadzone : One Way (Man With No Name Mix)

09. 04'12" Cwithe : Karmachanics (Silver Mix)

10. 06'32" Hallucinogen : Snarling Black Mable

11. 04'38" Man With No Name : Neuro Tunnel

12. 03'13" Antartica : Tatra

13. 05'31" Juno Reactor : Rotorblade

Review:

Quite Good Compilation ! Best Tracks are CD1 Tracks 1 and 5, but there is other

quite good Tracks on CD2 (Tracks 3,6,11) ... the problem is that this CD is a

MIX CD, in which Tracks have even been CUT :-((( Bad Tracks are CD1 Track 9

and CD2 Tracks 2,4,5,7,8,9,12,13 ... Rating : 4.5/10

Artist: Cwithe

Title: Illegal

Label: Blue Room

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 08'05" Tellus D

02. 08'29" Memory Foam

03. 07'43" Down To Earth

04. 07'01" Who Are You Now?

05. 08'27" Injection

06. 08'17" I Don't Wanna Shrink

07. 05'24" 160o Madness

08. 08'09" Portamental

Review:

Ok this sounds just like psy did back in 96.. but the tracks are very

shifting in quality and some songs are a little bit

strange and doesn't really fit in. There are lots of drums in some songs,

like "who are you know" .. and "160o Madness" is

actually a drum n bass song.. it seems like Blue Room likes that genre. This

is a mediocre release with its highlight on

track 6, 'I don't wanna shrink' .. this is a very good song!! Old classic

piece of psy trance. Other good tracks are

'Injection' and 'Portamental'. Maybe I don't get it but I can't find this

album very interesting. Rating: 5/10.

of tracks. I'm still amazed by this 5 years after I heard it for the first

time.

Artist: Various

Title: The Prophets of Psychedelic Trance

Label: Trance Medusa Records

Date: 1996

1. Cool - Brain Surgery

2. Electric Universe - Sunset Skyline

3. Evolution - Alien Phenomenon

4. A-Tek - Antologan

5. Mono Substance - Midnight Sunrise

6. Factor - Orientrance

7. B(if)tek - They Oscillate

8. S.U.N. Project - Tribolus

9. Proton - Brainfusion

This will be a short review cause there really isn't much to say, but since this is a compilation from the glory days of goa trance I felt it needed a topic.  THE track here is Alien Phenomenon by Evolution, a good old belter in the tradition of growly goa trance.  Sunset Skyline is of course great, but offered in a bunch of other compilations.  If I had to pick a bronze medal it would go to Midnight Sunrise with its industrial, primal scream and dark atmosphere.  Hardly essential, but track 3 is a must hear.

Artist: Various

Title: POF Trance Collector Vol. 2

Label: POF Music

Date: 1996

1. Denshi Danshi - Cow's Blues

2. The Infonaut - Chronos (Time Undefined)

3. Amanite FX & Prana - Black Rain (Blue Planet Corporation Mix)

4. Synchro - Christine (Haunted Car Radio Mix)

5. Denshi Danshi - Mariposa

6. The Infonaut - Mind Directed Energy

7. Amanite FX & Prana - Black Rain (Original Mix)

8. Synchro - Babes On Broomsticks

9. Amtinaous - Apocalyps-Hilan

10. Universal Island - M-Stick

Collecting something specific is so tiring.  I mean it's not like I'm trying to see how many prostitute heads I can hang on the wall, but...Haggling with people over price is the best part of the hunt, but it can be quite draining.  Maybe that's why we as collectors are never finished because as soon as we posses the obeject we need another something to chase.  I bought this off Discogs for only one track, but it turns out there is much more to enjoy.  Of course the BPC remix of Black Rain is what I was after, but you also get the original version.  Strange, but appreciated.  You get possibly the best track by Synchro (if such a thing is actually possible) Babes On Broomsticks and a couple of decent offerings by Denshi Danshi with the best being Mariposa.  Mind Directed Energy is the best track from The Infonaut, but the whole album was a pleasant surprise.  This is good goa from the glory days with tracks that haven't been beaten to f*cking death and worth a purchase.

Artist: Emmanuel Top

Title: Asteroid

Label: NovaMute

Date: October, 1996

1. Asteroid

2. Industriel

3. Replay

4. Generation

5. Reflex

6. Introduction

7. Development

8. Conclusion

Paper. 

Deceased intact frog primed for dissection. 

Honey Baked Ham.  Delicious.

None of these things could shake me from my catatonic state which was induced by listening to the first half of this album.  Minimal techno that took forever to get nowhere.  This was a ride on a merry go round at a blistering 2mph.  And with the track lengths being what they are every revolution is greeted with a  punch in the nuts by the weird looking ride operator.  Up until Generation came on I wasn't sure this  thing had a f*cking pulse.  The highly detailed cover should be a heads up.

And just cause I woke from my nap doesn't mean this all of a sudden became Hardfloor.  Far from it.  Noisy at times and sounding quite dated.  Yes, worse than Delta Aquarids.   Poking around the interwebs you would think this was Jesus Christ in techno form.  Introduction?  Maybe to some more shut eye. 

If you're a fan of dated minimalist techno then this will probably be perfect for you.  Tastes vary in music of course, but I would be interested in hearing anyone justify having to listen to this again.

Artist: Various

Title: Digital Extacy A Mindtravelling Trance Experience

Label: Hypnotic

Date: 1998

1. Radar - Interference

2. Latex Empire - The Trip

3. LV-426 - The Frame

4. Donut Junkie - Tr-Drill-09

5. Bloque - Tweak

6. Johhny Mnemonic - Viruz

7. Aerial Servant - Son of Mastermind

8. Brannon Beer - Skyride

9. Cellblock X - Climax 10

10. LV-426 - Press Machine Press

11. Pissle-Whistle-Party - Bonusbajer (Bonus Track)

"This is the new reality."

Then I want to go back to the old reality.

I've been dipping my toe into the acid pool as of late and have come to realize several things.  The similarities between acid and goa are numerous.  Both genres love the little silver box (303) and feature it prominently in their work.  And like goa acid has a lot of weak stuff interspersed with the really good tracks.  Now the bar I measure a great acid track with is very high.  Ain't nobody got time for less.  And that bar is Acid Air Raid by Solar Quest. 

I know, really high.  It's just that that track had it all.  Power.  Insanity.  Groove.  Atmosphere.  Will this album approach that greatness?

Not even f*cking close.  It shows me that just because you put a bubbling 303 in there does not an excellent track make.  The tracks here are shorter so they don't have the time to grow and expand.  And the ideas that are here are very linear.  If you listen to the first one or two minutes then you know what you're gonna get.  Honorable mentions?  Well, I suppose the first track was ok.  And Climax 10 was super growly.  Rotten tomatoes go to the f*cktards who just tried to hold a whistle for 30 seconds for the last track.  Just leave it blank and maintain some dignity.

Bottom line, the search for the perfect acid trance album continues over this speed bump.

Artist: Various

Title: Trancemission To Andromeda (The Sound of the Future and Now)

Label: Hypnotic

Date: 1996

1. Omniglobe - Mental Fragment (Mindout Mix)

2. Source T-10 - Nightmission

3. Lo Budget - I Wanna Be A Cloud

4. Propulsion iP - Control Your Body

5. Source T-10 - Emotion

6. Omniglobe - Happy Pill Anthem (Hysteria Mix)

7. Memorizer - Memory

8. L'Avenue - Sonic Revolution (Trance Mix)

9. Pure Tribal - Feel Alright

10. Utasia - Stratosphere

11. Warp 69 - Power of Yoga

I was recently sent files of a bunch of older trance albums by someone and they thought that I might like to review them.  First off I once again neglected to mention my fee.  So...that brings my total review earnings to zero.  Second, I'm not sure if that person actually likes me because this album was like handing a hamburger coated in blood to a vegetarian. 

See, bacon is delicious.  Nope, nope...no take backs!  You eat dead animals!

This "trance" music is terrible.  It's a mix of styles that sounds like the artists went nuts with the presets and patterns right out of the box.  If you plan on reaching Andromeda you probably need to get off the ground first.  Houston we have a problem and part of it is happy hardcore.  Believe me when I tell you the eyerolls were out in full force.  Normally I put the artist names in bold so they can stand out a bit.

Uh-uh.  Not gonna do it.

1996

CLEOPATRA

CD 1

1. ANDROMEDIA

2. ORION NEBULAE

3. CONCIOUSNESS

4. UMBRA

5. BARRED SPIRALS

6. DNA BARCODE

7. SURFACE SYSTEM

CD 2

1. DARK CORE

2. SUBVERSION

3. LUMIA

4. HALLUCINATIONS

5. MOSAIC

6. LIFELESS

7. TUBASTREA AUREA

This is not trance ambient release nor downtempo. This is side project of legendary Front Line Assembly. They had numerous side projects of which 2 most popular are DELERIUM and SYNAESTHESIA. Since DELERIUM is variable ambient project, this one is more concentrated and focused. They released 3 albums as Synaesthesia and they are all an absolute PERFECTION. Yes, all 3 are perfect cause they don't have slight flaw in arrangements, musical wise and production wise. This is their second album, after EMBODY from 1995 and before EPHEMERAL from 1997. This album is absolute gem, there isn't one bad song on both discs, so we have 14 brilliant songs masterfully pulled together. ANDROMEDIA is the only trancey song on an album and it does sound a bit out of place cause it is trancey but is stunning song nevertheless. ORION NEBULAE is perfect ambient spacey journey. It is very floaty, dreamy with perfect melody. I actually won't go song by song, cause they are all great, I just want to name my favourite : ORION NEBULAE ( !!! ), UMBRA, DNA BARCODE, SURFACE SYSTEM ( the best on whole album, dark, gloomy, shivery and freaky ), SUBVERSION, LUMIA ( ! ), HALLUCINATIONS ( ! ), MOSAIC ( !! ). LIFELESS ( !!! ), TUBASTREA AUREA, so practically all of them...get it if you like ambient music and extremely clever music...11/10

I thought I was the only one still remembering it ;-)

Classic POF stuff, the beginning of the French sound. Tri-Cid rules, the

original is even better.

A rarity for oldies.

Artist: Various

Title: The First Pulse

Label: Pulsewave Records

Date: 1996

1. Dormant - Auspex (Intro)

2. ARTificial - Origin of Species

3. Asiodiziac - Skinn

4. Mnemosyne - Six Feet Over

5. File Operation Error - Manhunt

6. Clockforest - Systems On

7. Subconscious Aurists - Astral Interference

8. The Signus - Robot Zone

9. Juicehead - Anything Is Everything

10. Clockforest - Sun Mark

11. File Operation Error - The End

12. ARTificial - Lunimous Lullabye (Outro)

Keep your distance ladies.

I know what you're thinking. "Jesus tap dancing Christ this guy will review a f*cking ham sandwich."

And to that I would say if I had the time. But back on task...

With the exception of Mississippi and Alabama everyone knows that this is a dated look. The only thing missing is a member's only jacket and a pair or acid washed jeans. And that's what this compilation is like. I don't know where I got it, but I think it was a throw in when I bought some stuff off Discogs. Two decades old and man it sounds like it. Think of a smorgasbord of electronic music that will bring you back to the early days. I put it here because it has some goa sounding tracks in it. Origin of Species comes to mind and it wouldn't have been bad, but those crash cymbals! A lot of the tracks just sound like dated 90's techno and electro. Complete with rave sounds and orchestra hits. Throw in a little dream trance and gabber and it's really the total package of no thank you.

Perhaps this will make you feel nostalgic. Not me though. Just made me want to delete it.

Artist: Astral Projection

Title: The Astral Files

Label: Trust In Trance

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 07'24" Ionised

02. 05'56" Zero

03. 07'20" Enlightened Evolution (Rmx)

04. 07'40" Free Tibet

05. 07'03" Maian Dream

06. 09'04" Kabalah (New Age Mix)

07. 07'23" Time Began With The Universe (The End Of Time Mix)

08. 07'48" Utopia (Concept Rmx)

09. 09'04" Electronic

10. 07'41" Ambience

Review:

GOOD Album, but not as good as the other Astral Projection's albums ...

It contains 2 FANTASTIC Tracks : Track 5 (Avi Nissim's Maian Dream) and 9

(Electronic : Ambient Track) !

The other tracks are quite good, except Tracks 6 and 10 :-(

Rating : 7.5/10

Artist: Various

Title: Psychedelique Transition Andromede

Label: Trans'pact Productions

Date: 1996

1. Martin Cooper - Hallu Practical

2. Phushmataha - Bloomer

3. Asia 2001 - Mara-Djha

4. Ursula Azym - Asiane Tribulations

5. Asia 2001 - Fantasm

6. Asia 2001 - Mara-Djha (Remix)

7. Martin Cooper - Polivoks

8. Martin Cooper - Life Storm

9. Guarana Cupana - Shankra

I believe we are all in agreement that the cover is an insult to cover art? Even MS Paint should feel a little slighted. Ok now that that is out of the way we can get on to the much more important subject of the music contained therein. First off as you probably already know this is Gilber Thenevet and his various pseudonyms for the most part. Released in 1996 the sound is unmistakably goa trance with 1996 production. It lacks the oomph that can be found in other releases from the golden goa era. Another thing the tracks are rather thin and linear. Not many twists and turns to be followed and sounds like they were just going through the motions. The remix of Mara Dhja is nice and more to my liking, but that's about it.

Not terrible, but I don't have time for not terrible. Or put it another way, this is third string stuff.

Artist: Art of Trance

Title: Wildlife On One

Label: Platipus

Date: November, 1996

1. Kaleidoscope

2. Mosquito

3. Gloria (Transparent Mix)

4. Haagen Daaz

5. Octopus (Original Mix)

6. Golden Rain

7. Deeper Than Deep

8. Blue Owl

9. Cambodia (Tunnel Vision Mix)

10. Emerald Eyes

I might get a little hate on this one. It's ok...my son knows karate. Well, he takes karate and can't tie his own belt, but...you know.

But this was boring as hell. Thought I was being punished. It's early trance, but I get the same cringeworthy feeling when I listen to early Frontline Assembly. You cannot relax to it, it's not goa or psychedelic, and it doesn't put me in any form of "trance." I understand it is now 20 years old, but Hotel California is even older and that didn't suck. So taking the age of it out of the equation what is its appeal? Hearing the original Octopus (which was owned by the MWNN mix) was nice, but the rest sounded like electronic hammering. Perhaps this has nostalgic value. Reminds a lot of people of great parties or events. Maybe you had your first kiss or you lost your virginity to this album. None of this happened to me so that ain't gonna get me to like it.

I am someone that can appreciate music regardless of the genre. Psychedelic, goa, rap (old stuff, new rap sucks), nu-metal (is it even new any more), pop (although that's getting harder and harder). But this does nothing for me.

Artist: Various

Title: Psychedelic Krembo 1

Label: Krembo

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 08'16" Alphanaut : New Shoes

02. 08'58" Talamasca : Tribal Journey

03. 09'27" Quirk : Cognitive Dissident

04. 07'27" Ree K : Glycogen

05. 08'07" Quirk : Dimension Disco

06. 06'31" Alphanaut : Neurozap

07. 10'36" Talamasca : Jungle Storm

08. 10'22" 3rd Attention : Realms Of The Lesser Light

Review:

Pretty nice release...Trance at it's best...full of melodies and nice sounds...

Best tracks are "Cognitive Dissident"...and both tracks from "Talamsca".

So if you like light and melodic GOA ...buy this one...you won't regret...

Grade: 8.5/10

Artist - KURO

Title - Revolution

Label - Tokyo Tekno Tribe

Released - 19/7/1996

Good? - Fuck Yeah it is!!

Tracklisting

1 Revolution (6:56)

2 Gon 2 (7:01)

3 Bioscanner (6:59)

4 Mathematica (6:57)

5 Perfect Rainbow (7:44)

6 Thunder Storm (7:16)

7 Night Scopes (7:02)

8 Zoa 1996 (7:57)

It's the 2nd CD released on TTT and the first album (that I know) from KURO. It's driven, it has lots of synths and it's acidic as liquid trips on a warm summer day in the fields of barley

1. Revolution

Synth Synth Synth. Acid Acid Acid. That for me describes this track quite well. It's dripping with acidity and the mad fucking synths are an absolute joy. They make the track sound soooo fast. The beat is quite fast but it's definately the synths that give this one a mental atmosphere. I love this sound, it's one of my favourite tracks ever. Other than the fast synths, it has a weird Sci Fi, 50's melody floating through it. Top Notch!!

2. Gon2

Not quite got the synths as the last one but it's still very acidic. It's got a fantastic rolling beat which kinda trips over itself again and again. A nice matalic melody repeats but changes key under which lies more spacey sounds. This track is kind of repetitive but key changes. weird random sounds and trancey drum rolls/breakdowns keep it interesting.

3. Bioscanner

Sounds faster than the last one due to SYNTHS!!! Yeah! more really acidic synth work lies under this track giving it a very fast if softer than track 1 feel. This one seems to build and plateau, build and plateau. While staying on virtually the same level throughout. It's like one of those pictures where the building seems to go up and up but the top seems to go up but connect to the bottom. Does that make sense? No? Well that's my feelings on this one

4 Mathematica

Straight into the beat here, starts off sounding like a continuation of #3 but then the melody kicks in and man this sounds like a weird fucking trip. It really sound egyptian. I don't know really how to explain how but it does seem to have that vibe. The blatantly electronic melody sounds like it's trying to rEpresent the snake charmers guild. Kicking beats drive this forwards into the 1st millenium. Cool track, strange atmosphere maybe pythagorean.

5 Perfect Rainbow

Yeah, more synths dripping with acid. Melodies made from synths are simple but constantly changing gear and have longer drawn out sci fi sounding noises behind them. It's got a dark feeling this one in contrast to the title, it doesn't feel light and colourful like a rainbow but maybe a perfect rainbow is a night time one with a pot of gold at the end? Either way this is pretty a pretty damn good night time trip!

6 Thunder Storm

Starts of chiming!! I like taht but it stops after a minute and starts to sound like a lot of the previous tracks. It's fast and it has some nice drum rolls, cool sci fi melodies and driving beats. It somehow manages to get the feeling of falling OR cascading into many parts of the track. It doesn't quite sound like a proper storm but maybe a wee english one.

7 Night Scopes

Soft but very trippy synths start us before the beat kicks in and... BANG! The melody comes in and really old school trippy beats underlie it all. From the track title, you'd expect this to be darker but I find it quite colourful (over a black background). The sounds make me see beautiful colours dripping down the inside of my closd eyelids.

8 Zoa 1996

The slowest track here, it takes quite a while (well 40 seconds) for the beat to kick in and the beats and synths are (not slow but) slower than everything previous. Some long slow sounds drift around in the backgroud and a strange voice sample comes in and out! A lovely soft melody chimes away and gives a nice warm feeling to this last track. More spacy than the rest it's a really nice track to finish on!

This is a brilliant album! I really recommend it if you like acidic psy trance from the good old days. It can be quite hard to find so if you see it, don't hesitate to buy it. Not just because it's rare but because it is TOP NOTCH SHIT!!!!

Favourites 1 & 8

Artist: Various

Title: Trip Through Sound 1

Label: Blue Room

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 02'21" The Infinity Project : Flute Line

02. 07'45" Etnica : Astral Way

03. 07'12" Cydonia : Screaming Darkness

04. 06'33" X-Dream : No

05. 10'25" KoxBox : Stratosfear

06. 07'27" Total Eclipse : Space Clinic

07. 06'23" Spectral : Celtic Alchemy

08. 08'19" Juno Reactor : Rotorblade

09. 10'14" Tandu : New Aura

Review:

Very nice compilation!! The best part of the CD is the first part!! Specially

Etnica... That song is really awesome!! The second part is pretty bad except

song 9... TANDU!! Well Ofer Dikovky show us how good Ambient can be!! Really

great!! Best songs: 1,2,3,4,5,9

Bom Shankar

Artist: Morphem

Title: Montage / Bringers of The Dawn / Loving Spirit EP

Label: Tunnel Records

Date: 1996

1.Montage

2. Bringers of the Dawn

3. Loving Spirit

Who the hell is this guy? Short answer? Frederik Stehn. Long answer? Some guy that's pretty damn good. I was aware of his album Out of Focus, but I've never heard it. Saw the Ambrosia cover as someone's avatar, but never heard that either. After getting my first delicious taste if the Morphem sound with the Magma EP I'm eagerly searching for more.

Montage has a strong goa melody and I like the little Jawa voices here and there. Bringers of the Dawn is fairly unremarkable with it's laid back almost progressive feel. Loving Spirit has some bubbling percusion and a percolating 303 that wobbles. The whole track has some bouncy appeal.

While not as intense and captivating as Magma, there is some value here.

Mdk

Artist: Various

Title: Another Definition of Goa Trance

Label: Tetsuo

Date: October, 1996

1. Semsis - Pile

2. Arcana - Orion

3. O.O.O.D. - Cobra

4. Unconscious Collective - Fluorostani Transcendance

5. Syb Unity Netwerk - Tripperspaced (Live Mix)

6. Glass Walker - Quasi

7. Sun Dog - Touch The Sun

8. Psyclan - Energy Flux

9. David Craig - Bewildered

10. Section-X - Galaxian (Section-X Mix)

"I was going to the worst place in the world and I didn't even know it yet."

Clearly this is the feeling of dread and shame experienced by all who realize that a trip to Wal-Mart is inevitable.

This was a pretty good compilation that combined some goa trance along with some of the acid variety. The lines between the two can be blurred as the use of the 303 is rampant in both. So just a few notes...

Pile- One of the greatest tracks that ever came from this project. It's dark and pulsating yet still manages to be melodic

Orion- Great track that is only held back by it's repeated sample use.

Cobra- A track from the Oood goa heyday and one of my favorites.

Tripperspaced (Live Mix)- Any compilation with a Syb Unity Netwerk track is instantly better. Fact.

Sundog- A track that seems to make it on every compilation every made. Not bad, but not superb either.

Galaxian- A speedy stormer, but after 3 minutes you've basically heard all you need to.

The really good tracks can be found elsewhere so this is hardly essential. But a good compilation nonetheless.

Artist: Various

Title: Goa Vibes 1

Label: Trust In Trance

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 08'50" Astral Projection : Let There be Light

02. 06'02" Voodoo People : Quadstep

03. 07'33" Spectral : Kundalini

04. 06'36" Psychaos : SETI

05. 07'42" Doof : Born Again

06. 07'10" Spectral : Moonstone

07. 06'37" Cydonia : Shambala

08. 07'31" Psychaos : Sound Beams

09. 06'34" The Infinity Project : Hyperspaced

10. 07'04" Total Eclipse : Toxic Caterpillar

Review:

Good CD with lot's of very good Psy-Trance songs!!! And altough it isn't very

recent, it still sounds fresh!! Really good morning-trance!! Best songs

are:1,4,5,7,8,9!! The song of Astral projection is even the second best song

they ever made (after Nilaya) and the song of Doof is also awesome!! Bom

Shankar

the first compilation in the now great Destination Goa collection. This One is

contains many classical tracks wich still are good floorfillers

Track 1 is Pyramid from Technossomy, a real classic track and very good. Track

2 is an track from Gada-Gong... it´s for sure a good track, nice vibes and

that old goa style. Track 3 is probably one of the best tracks of all

time...Rezwalker from Transwave is a real thunder hit, very dark and a hard

bounching beat, best one on this compilation! Track 4 is from Chakra And Edi

Mis, also two classical producers... maybe not the best track from these two

guys, but a real goodie. Track 5, Probe made by Tufáan is also one of these

classics, this track is really good... hard and evil =) Track 6 from Etnica is

actually one of the better I´ve heard from them... I like this track,

classical goa style with very good melodies. Track 7 is also one of my old

favourits, Ganesh from Sheyba, I really loved this track when I first heard

it, good beat and nice sounds, I still like it Track 8 is also VERY good...

especially the introducing melodic vibes... they really float in my ears

Track 9 !

is a typical track from I Savastano, very good though... I like this track, it

contains very great sounds.

So... at last I think I´ll give this compilation very, very high grade...

because it´s a sort of an "oldie" compilation and one of the greatest of these

kinds and contains 9, today classic, still good tracks... I´ll give it 10/10!

I love this compilation... and if you don´t already have it, get it!! again a

real classic in your psy. goa-trance collection.

releasing date of this compilation, Alier made his song only one day before

the CD got out. The producer didn't even have time to remaster the song or

anything. Hey! I'm just guessing here! Anyway, a nice compilation, although

I like goa inside 3 much more.

where I can find their "Headlines" EP?

Artist: Doof

Title: Let's Turn On

Label: TIP

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 07'10" Let?s Turn On

02. 06'13" Mars Needs Women (96 Mix)

03. 07'59" Youth Of The Galaxy (Final Demand Mix)

04. 07'36" Double Dragons

05. 07'45" Sunshrine

06. 07'29" Secret Sun (Sunbeam Mix)

07. 08'00" Key To The Innerverse

08. 08'21" Destination Bom

09. 11'45" Star Above Parvati (Bijli Mahadev Mix)

Review:

Yes, yes, yes!!! The sound of psychedelic trance a la mid nineties.

Everything here is classic - this is a MUST. Think back to the happy days of

psychedelic trance when you heard a track and were amazed. Think back to the

days before superstar DJ?s, cool record labels and inflated egos. Think back

to when the music mattered most. Think DOOF. This is a must-have classic.

Kicking music for those who appreciate it. Nothing is so remarkable here but

the way in which it is done is truly wonderful. Think back to when everything

was much more simple. Buy this and dance!!!!

Artist: The Beginners Guide To

Title: The Galaxy Of Psi-Trance

Label: Activ

Date: 1996

Track listing:

CD 1

01. 08'26" UX : Life Support Technology

02. 08'46" Slide : Waking Up To Chaos

03. 09'28" Astral Projection : Kabalah

04. 08'02" Pleiadians : Sonic System

05. 06'47" Radiation : On The Machine

06. 07'56" Green Nuns Of The Revolution : Conflict

07. 07'45" Cosmosis : Sanyacid

08. 08'24" Syb Unity Nettwerk : Tripperspaced

CD 2

01. 08'54" Lunar Asylum : Lost In Space

02. 08'34" Slinky Wizard : Supernatural

03. 08'37" Hallucinogen : Trancespotter

04. 08'35" Prana : Primal Orbit

05. 06'14" Satori : Liquid Sky

06. 07'55" Rhythmystec : Plutonica

07. 08'10" Mindfield : 20000 Worlds In A Perspex Box

Review:

Pretty fine compil we have here. Old but good. First things first. CD#1 is

named as "Orion side". UX's track is good. In fact tracks 1-6 are all good.

Slide, throughout psychedelia. AP, one of their best and oldest tracks,

very melodic and spacey, total space feeling, great tune. Initially I found

"Sonic System" by Pleaidians to be quite monotonic, but after a few

listenings it began to be good, and it definitely has this certain flow.

Radiation's track is good, nothing to say about it though. "Conflict" by

those twisted Nuns (Dick Trevor And company is great track, full-on

tweaking for 8 minutes. Great tune. Last two tracks are not that great, in

my opinion. 9/10 for the first CD. CD#2 is named as Argo side, and

certainly represents some darker tunes. None of the tracks is irritating,

but only one track managed to stick out from this bunch of

nothingness...you guessed it..."Trancespotter" by Simon P. Definitely a

great tune, booming kick/bassline, very twisted and acidic, but at the same

manages to be somehow so melodic. Rest of the tracks are about 6/10, and

10/10 for Hallucinogen. 7/10 for the CD#2. I give total of 8/10 for this

compil which definitely hasn't aged. Bom!

Artist: Slinky Wizard

Title: Witch Juice EP

Label: Flying Rhino Records

Date: 1996

1. Slick Witch

2. Lunar Juice (Hallucinogen Moon Strudel Mix)

Not a whole lot to say about this release. Well except that it's psychedelic goa trance at it's finest! The second EP from Slinky Wizard where both tracks bring shrieking melodies and bludgeoning power making them a force to be reckoned with. They were released on CD compilations that most of you probably already have. Still it seems like this is readily available on Discogs so if you own a record player and want some bubbly deliciousness then do yourself a favor and pick this up.

Mdk

Artist: Shiva Chandra

Title: Spicy Moments

Label: Spirit Zone

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 03'36" Milk Bar

02. 08'50" Train Ticket

03. 06'27" Chandra

04. 06'37" Shaktivalha

05. 08'16" Aqua

06. 01'08" Electro Frog

07. 07'06" Electron Seeds

08. 05'44" Icecream Truck

09. 06'49" Caraman

10. 01'42" Cosmic Vibration

11. 02'34" SPQR

12. 07'09" Safety Space

13. 05'41" In Sense

14. 03'04" Chili Out

Review:

Refreshing ! Spicy Moments, first album of Shiva Chandra, is by far the best of

the three albums made by Shiva Chandra ! This album is very varied, and there

are huge differences in style and tempo between the tracks. But everything

fits perfectly with the rest. Of course all tracks are linked together and

that makes Spicy Moments an album really enjoyable to listen in one time. My 2

personal favourites are Aqua, which has some kind of israeli melody, and

Icecream Truck, which is really weird, but every "real" tracks (more than 3

minutes) are great. 8/10

Artist: Various

Title: Strange Vibrations

Label: Koyote

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 06'17" Miranda : Re Psycheled

02. 06'24" Underhead : Shubata

03. 09'00" Encens : Orgasmatronic

04. 07'13" Semsis : Plasma

05. 05'52" Underhead : Whirlrain Of Fire

06. 06'50" Encens : Psychedelic Sun (Spike Rmx)

07. 05'14" Stanley Shanti And The Chillum Wallahs

08. 08'21" Miranda : Planet Mars

09. 06'23" Ominus : Acid Tester

Review:

Those tracks are quite old now, but they are good, to my mind. Orgasmatronic is

excellent, plasma is cool, Psychedelic Sun and Acid Tester are very

psychedelic...

it's a bit too old now, that's all. 7/10

Artist: Various

Title: Trance Experience

Label: Discobole

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 07'15" Psychonauts : Olympus

02. 09'04" Gene Joke : Storm

03. 09'11" Millenium : Mind's Eye

04. 06'55" Psycho Meditation : Cosmic Sunset

05. 07'07" Elxis : Ultramundane Magma

06. 09'04" Carpe Diem IV : Paranoia

07. 06'09" Jaïa : Mohamour

08. 07'08" 3TM : Trip

09. 06'53" Psychonauts : Shadows Of The Moon

10. 06'02" Tyoussi : Shofou

Review:

What can I say?!? This compilation is an all time

classic! Back to 1996 the golden age of greektrance

before the nitzonot disease. All tracks produced by

greek artists except #7.Jaia & #10.Tyoussi. By far the

best melodies I ever heard and strong bass; difficult

to find it this days(2001) but if your ever find

it(mp3s or whatever),get it! and prepare for some

really psychedelic times and tottaly intelligent

sounds! I give 12/10 I mean it!!! I have over 1000

mp3s on my pc with trance music and until now I never

experience the feelings and the psychosound of this

compilation!! FIND THOSE TRACKS WITH ANY WAY, what

more can I say!?! !!!-=NOW YOU KNOW=-!!!

Artist: Various

Title: Sea Weed

Label: Aquatec Records

Date: November, 1996

1. Coneheads - Wildfowl Calling (Quacked-up Mix)

2. Tristan - Close Zen Counters

3. Sephalopod - Elliptical Orbits

4. Tristan - Paraphernalien

5. Faction - Deadlock

6. Neuro Electric - J. Edgar

7. Brian Shiva - Intensity One

8. Deviancy - In Too Deep

9. Metallic Heart - Children of the Night

"Something to think about."

I'm a little shocked this one hasn't been reviewed. Checked the search and couldn't find it. Anyway...Sea Weed. Do you know there are people who actually eat this sh*t? They call it a superfood. No real evidence to support this, but they say it may improve heart health, may regulate hormones, and is high in nutrients. All good things, but I don't know if I want to eat a food that looks the same going in as it does going out. But I've eaten at Arby's so it can only be an improvement.

This album has a lot of Tristan and of course the label owner. You can do that when you own the label. I would file this under the experimental and psychedelic goa trance heading with a heavy techno influence. Similar to the stuff that Anjuna and Zion604 are pumping out today. There are lots of squeaks and digital farts. The diversity here is what makes this a gem that flies under the radar. Most of the tracks were pretty good with some good depth, just not spectacular. The one that was spectacular for me was In Too Deep. And I ain't talkin' bout Genesis. That one was a crunchy acidic monster with tumbling waves of sizzling energy. Like using a light saber to cut through a stick of butter. Really liked the Faction track as well.

So if you're into more Psychaos or Slinky Wizard and less Dimension5 then grab this if you can find it.

Mdk

Title: Formasi Voices EP

Label: Psychic Deli

Date: 1996

1. Formasi Voices

2. Liquid Lifeform

What an awesome ep from Nervasystem! Formasi Voices is a growler that erupts with power and Liquid Lifeforms bubbles with dark goa atmosphere. Some of the best stuff I've ever heard from this project.

Mdk

Artist: Brain Accent

Title: Orange Acid EP

Label: Cyrex Technologies

Date: 1996

1. Orange Acid

2. Anno Domini

3. Broken Dreams

One and done. That's what this project was. And normally it would be destined to languish at the bottom of the bargain bin with the rest of the one hit wonders. Snuggled nicely in between Men Without Hats Safety Dance and that song by Big Country.

But the guy behind this project is one of the cornerstones of the genre. Tim Schuldt aka Mr. Everything. Sure he is a mastering guy now, but back in the goa heyday he took the music into places you didn't think it could go. Dark places. Uncomfortable places.

"Like the backseat of a 68 Beetle?"

Precisely. This three track EP has two pretty hypnotic goa tracks in Orange Acid and Anno Domini. Not on the level of Pleiadians, but damn fine in their own right. The track Broken Dreams is pure filler, but don't let that stop you from enjoying the other two.

Mdk

Artist: OOOD

Title: Two Dawns Over Baleswar EP

Label: Completely Cabbaged

Date: 1996

1. Two Dawns Over Baleswar

2. Herbs & Spices

"Dude. You don't have to hide in the shadows. Didn't you and Robin come out already? i mean everyone already knew.

Oh not yet?!? My bad, my bad...I won't tell anyone else. No worries man...nobody reads this sh*t."

Solid EP with typical OOOD evolution. It's not your straight ahead goa and this was smack dab in the beginning of their goa trance period I think, appearing on their Alive album. Both tracks show changes in direction with great layers. Two Tales has a tribal element which was great, but Herbs and Spices was surprisingly good.

Mdk

Title: Magnetic Activity EP

Label: Transient Records

Date: 1996

1. Magnetic Activity (Remix)

2. Overlord (Remix)

Silly black man. Plastic on couch means a bad ending for you.

This is what I'm talking about. Old school goa trance that is in a continual state of flux. More ethereal than physical it is evolving, spiraling, and twisting. Overlord is I believe a typo, and should be Overload, the same track from their 1996 album The Prophecy.

Both are bad ass.

Mdk

Artist: Morphem

Title: Magma EP

Label: Tunnel Records

Date: 1996

1. Magma

2. Closed Sector

3. Nothing Left

"This sector is closed to ground traffic."

Man they don't make 'em like this no more. Magma (also on the Out of Focus album) is the definition of a blistering goa track. Such energy! If you can't twirl to this there is no hope for you. This must absolutely wreck a dance floor. Closed Sector is more in depth with a futuristic vibe. Nothing Left is more psytrance I suppose. Still the EP is worth searching out for Magma alone.

It's volcanic!

I'm sorry, that's on me. Terrible.

Mdk

Artist: Various

Title: The Truth Of Communication

Label: Matsuri

Date: 1996

Track listing:

01. 09'59" Pleiadians : Time Dilation

02. 08'46" Astral Projection : Time Began With The Universe (Another Time Mix)

03. 09'22" Quirk : Robotised

04. 09'45" Nervasystem : Whirling Dervish

05. 08'05" Inscape : Sedom

06. 08'04" Typhoon : Overture

07. 07'03" Endora : Endorian Gravity

08. 07'37" Kailash : Higher (Original)

Review:

VERY GOOD ! There is 2 FANTASTIC Tracks on this Compilation : Track 1 and 5 !

Bad Track is Track 3 ... Rating : 7.5/10

Title: Reefer Madness EP

Label: Transient Records

Date: October, 1996

1. Reefer Madness

2. The Crawl

"That is quite the quantity of marijuana gentlemen."

It's uh, for my cataracts. Yeah cataracts.

"Don't you mean glaucoma?"

Yeah I got that too,

My country didn't always have such a puritanical attitude towards the sticky icky. Many can and do point to the hypocrisy of the government by keeping weed illegal yet alcohol which is responsible for an exponentially greater amount of deaths is readily available to any kid with a fake id. I used to smoke it and all it did for me was make me grin like a mental patient and put a whooping on a bag of funyuns!

Drunk driving? Terrible problem and inexcusable. On weed? Nobody ever died in a car going 10 miles an hour. Sure it seemed like the trip took forever, but what a ride. Ever watch cartoons high? I used to wonder why that big chicken was so f*cking angry.

When some people drink they immediately turn into assholes and want to fight the room. I don't even think it's possible to fight if your high on marijuana. It would be the worst slow motion video ever seen. I'm not saying make alcohol illegal (we tried that, didn't turn out so well), but why criminalize something that can help so many people? Epilepsy, MS, people suffering from Cancer...hell it even works for migraines I'm told. On top of all that you could fill your Rx at Wal Mart. It would end a lot of the violence and cripple the drug cartels all the while increasing tax revenue. Sure you'd still have to go into a Wal Mart, but here's one reason why you should.

You ain't gonna find a back rack like that at Target!

Think of the art community. Bob Marley smoked weed and he was the greatest reggae singer ever. Think this world could use a little more Marley? It also could have governmental applications. Stunning compromises could arise when opposite sides are chilled out. Terrorism? Hard to fire an RPG when you're smiling all the time. Besides if it's good enough for the Hobbits...

So what's the f*cking problem? I realize this is more of an infomercial for weed than a review. Just had some things to say. As far as the music goes it's all right. Nothing spectacular, but I bet it would sound much better if I was high.

Mdk