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Hmm, you're asking difficult questions here. That friend of mine who introduced me to both goa trance and Impulse Tracker gave me his entire sample library (most of which was quite useless tbh) and I couldn't in any way tell where all those samples were from. I do remember we found some websites with useful sample packs, so there's the source of most of the sounds in my tracks. Of course I couldn't tell which synths and drum machines the sounds are from; I did rename all of my samples for the sake of organisation, so the original file names are lost to time. There are some hints in some of the file names, but of course you have to remember that back in 98/99, I had absolutely no idea what words and numbers like "acid", "juno", "303", "909", and so on even meant. They were all just useful sounds to me

nope, xeno is not a better artist than filteria. you can tell pretty easily by the sounds crafted. Xeno seems to not care much about sound design, while filteria would spend a year on a kickdrum.. And as far as vision go, i mean, comon. Filteria basically invented neo goa. abode of the damned was pretty nice. well mixed. but sound design leaves alot lacking. negative time didnt remind me much of mfg.. but the 2nd half of the track was allright!

Xenomorph - Netherverse (2024) Suntrip Records 1. Sinister Contours 2. Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix) 3. War In Heaven 4. Negative Time (-L Di/-Dt Mix) 5. No Beginning No End 6. Nebula Of Souls 7. Subdimensional Anomaly 8. Abode Of The Damned 9. Netherverse It's so interesting to read the comments here. I found the the Negative Time EP (2023) fairly monotonous, lacking the visceral, dynamic energy of Mark Petrick's previous albums. A brief recap, Cassandra's Nightmare (1998) was like Goa chapters in a horror film. It took risks and showcased a new approach to Goa. Qlippoth (2003) was more mature and provocative. Demagoguery of the Obscurants (2007) was a concept album reflecting the uncompromising, tragic [old world] vision of the elites (the dark ones via cabal) phases ending with Nuclear Winter. Years later, Xenomorph singles began appearing on Suntrip comps. Petrick's style was more contemporary, less hard edged, technical, more melodic and smooth. It was with Suntrip that I felt something powerful, raw, daring, and organic just did not cross-over that made this artist so brazen, unrestrained, and impressive. Fast forward to Netherworld (2024), the first main album by Xenomorph in 17 years. 1. Sinister Contours starts with a strong kick drum, dark atmosphere, sound bits and synths that remind me of Demagoguery of the Obscurants (2007) to some degree. I like the dark Goa (sound/melody) work, though structurally the beat and bass line feel a bit repetitive. The synth via transition in the third minute open the door for more creativity, grit, and development, the latter fairly simple programming-wise. The tone is good, and I like the contemporary, modern approach to dark Goa here. I like how the middle act breathes before introducing oriental sounds and samples, adding intrigue. This segments felt a bit repetitive to me when crossing the seventh minute, and could have benefitted from more complexity via mixing and variety in arrangement. The last act gets more interesting via end of the seventh minute, but I felt the repetition in ideas before and after. Even the last minute is less than stellar. I feel like the artist could have incorporated more, surprised us, and evolved the second into third act, as well as the second half of Act 3 more tightly. This is a solid song that lacks the power of the opening track, Prognosis on Demagoguery of the Obscurants (2007), and I like it. B 2. Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix) is MUCH BETTER than Sinister Contours IMO, and my top, if not one of my top favourites here. I LOVE the ominous opening, the raspy samples (that somehow work with the), atmosphere and synths. I LOVE the space astronaut sound accent effects (end of first minute), and the sound/melody work is excellent. The song gets richer, more tasty and delectable as it progresses. This is a great example of duality, rather than pure dark-evil-- combining darkness with light. Then a key change at 3:30, and the song does possibly the most beautiful, transformational thing I've ever heard from this artist to date, completely elevating the journey into cosmic, transcendental realms of growth and development before sliding back into the dangerous void. Sure the beat and baseline are pretty standard, and I'm okay with that. It's everything on top of it that's riveting and so unexpectedly strong, evocative, and enjoyable! This (more balanced in duality) song is so innovative, catchy, and welcome from what I'm used to hearing from this artist. It's less hard hitting (beat-wise, synths, grit) than his other songs, and I'm okay with that. Even a transition in the fifth minute gifts us more jewels via sound/melody work. Maybe the second half of the last act could have emphasized more edgier synths, but I'm nitpicking. This is such a well done song. It's imaginative and beautifully helmed from start to finish. Excellent track! A- 3. War In Heaven is a return to harder hitting, darker content a la Sinister Contours. I notice some cross-over sounding synths early on that remind me of Demagoguery Of the Obscurants (2007). The sound/melody work is crisp and energetic, complimented by a voice sample, though somewhat simple in arrangement. The music improves. I love the blinking little synth effect at 4:03 (wish that reprised later) and how a voice sample transitions us to catchier elements. This has a jumpy (danceable) synths, and I love little dynamic progressions via 5:12. I'm a sucker for catchy transitions to new surprises, sound/melody work, good mixing, and like the nostalgic albeit contemporary synths approach. The last act brings everything together, like a dark albeit less dark (than previous albums) nod to his third album coupled with melodies had A Nightmare on Elm Street had a Goa song. That said, I feel as if the music is just a bit restrained in power, rawness, and delivery-- as if the artist is fairly reserved from unleashing more fiery power. I thought this delivered stronger than the opening, and I enjoyed the smooth, fluid production and delivery. B+ 4. Negative Time (-L Di/-Dt Mix) starts strong. We get a synth lead that breaks through like a tidal wave (beautiful effect) at 0:57 followed by more complexity. The first act is catchy, though repetition starts to sink in just before things shift at 2:40. We reach an interlude at 3:30 via voice sample that sounds like Lance Henriksen in one of his many intriguing character roles. I like how the tone grow darker in the fifth minute. The song's synths remind me of the third album to some degree. The third act merges fresh ideas and some really good melodies. The end of the sixth into seventh minute feature nice key changes, though the music here grew conventional. Nonetheless, I admire the dualistic rather than being dark-evil approach. I think there could have been more of a finale (climax) towards the end, as the final moments aren't as memorable. I like this song and found it better than Negative Time on the EP. B+ 5. No Beginning No End starts promising. I like the sound at 1:07, the dark undertone, the synth at 1:30 and the grittier sound at 2:35. This segment soon grows repetitive though until 3:18 where we transition to 3:30 (my favourite part) before more layers pile on. The forth and fifth minute's pile on and this is where I start to lose interest. The sound design sounds so conventional, repetitive, and uneventful. A voice sample transitions the third act, energy picks up via climax, but the arrangement sounds too similar and lackluster. More fire, grit, variety, complexity, evocative provocative feels and ideas would have been amazing here. The song feels like it needed more refinement, re-writing, or being replaced by something stronger. Is it me, or does this feel rushed? I'm not saying it's bad, but decent to FAIRLY good is the best thing I can say about it. B- 6. Nebula Of Souls starts great like a dark fantasy. I like the atmosphere, enchanting sounds and synths. The first act builds nicely. Little squiggly sounds mingle with soundscapes in ice-cold moving atmosphere. There's a recurrent synth that works. It grows delectably grittier, rougher, more aggressive, and less restrained as the song progresses. That said, the song follows one set path, direction, and conceptually, is pretty one-dimensional. But it packs some of that rough edged rawness I miss. Again though, the structure and sound design grows repetitive, albeit more powerful and emphasized, and I feel like we needed this... something with more visceral and aggressive. Why not add this intensity to a more dynamic, varied, and elaborate storytelling chapter? Doing so could have produced an album selling super song. In Act 3 the synths fall to the back as slow ambient notes carry this across the finish line, and while I appreciate the change, I feel like this was an opportunity to incorporate something more exciting and revelatory to spruce up the finale which otherwise feels somewhat melancholy and anti-climactic, especially after the welcome, harder edged albeit predictable structure/drection. B 7. Subdimensional Anomaly opens with soft ambient, inviting us into the ominous fold. The bass line here actually stands out for once. I like the evocative feel, synths, key changes, especially the synth lead in the second minute. It's excellent and accentuated by soundscapes following a voice sample that initiates stronger energy. Now we're gliding across the dark terrain. The music is good, though a little more involvement via arrangement would have spiced up the forth minute. The second half maintains the catchy synths, coupled with another voice sample. This opens the door to those punchy synths that remind of of Mark's third album (works well here). The song's less intense approach is well placed. Another complimentary synth joins ambient notes in the last act, reflecting sadness and contemplation. I think the second half of Act 3 could have developed a little more, creating more intrigue like the song's first two acts, and I admire the artist's more pensive, thoughtful direction. B 8. Abode Of The Damned as with Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix) showcases stronger storytelling throughout. The first act builds intrigue, acknowledging the underworld (the Great Below) conveniently excluded from modern academia, as it does not fit in with established associations, hence fiction-fantasy / folklore / conspiracy / advanced ancient civilizations, technology, Shiva, Krishna, etc. The first act is dynamic, offering a variety of tighter sound engineering. The second act has more grit and energy, a thumping beat. I love like the tone, evocative feels, gritty synths, distinguishing acts, and voice samples. But the second half of Act 3 could have stood out more, and the sound/melody work I found catchier in Dying Sun. All in all, this is easily one of the best songs on the album, and my favorite after Track 2. B+ / A- 9. Netherverse is an ambient-influenced downtempo number. The first half... we're floating in space, atmosphere. No beat. Not much happens. A synth arrives in the second minute as I start to grow impatient, hoping things are going to get going. A slow kick drum enters the third minute. It's okay albeit plodding. Again, I wait for this to turn into a powerful, downtempo gem, but the interlude in the forth minute leads to more of the same. There is a nice key change to the tune in the fifth and sixth minute (IMO the best part of the song), but other than that, not much happens. The song ends just as it begins to show potential in what could have been Act 2, but is rather the second half. I wish the artist developed this into a more powerful, memorable downtempo/Goa gem. In the end, it feels underwritten and underdeveloped. I was left wanting more. C+ CONCLUSION So few solid dark Goa albums seem to release now days that I want to savor what I like about this forth album until something better comes along. Its been 17 years since the last Xenomorph album. Mark's work has grown more contemporary since releasing via Suntrip. If you like this style coupled with some cross-over elements from his third album, you'll probably like this. I like it more than his Suntrip comp singles, and find numerous tracks ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 ) enjoyable, while others (5, 9) feel like write offs, fairly underwhelming. There are a few repetitive moments in numerous songs in that could have been tightened up. This is a dark Goa album that's less ambitious, less technical and meticulous, less hard-hitting and punctuated, less dynamic, less brazen, provocative, unpredictable, powerful, gritty, and risk-taking. Yet it has that all to some degree. It's smooth, very melodic (at times), danceable, to some degree conventional, and easy to digest. The album didn't exceed my expectations. Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix) impressed me the most if had to choose one song. I like that Mark Petrick's style isn't saturated in the bleak, nihilistic dark/evil of his previous albums. Times have changed. We evolve. Well some of us anyway. That said, I feel like more work could have been invested in some of the tracks, including (more specifically) producing more edginess in the second half of Act 3's which feel similar (a bit repetitive) to the first half of Act 3's. This happens in a few non Act 3 places as stated, but around that, for the most part, the album is pretty solid. His previous albums felt more organic, raw, determined, rough, chaotic, explosive and unrestrained, and I miss that-- the powerful magnetism that one blew me away, the technical wizardry, the moments of dark surrealism, awe, and inspiration. Innovation. Netherworld (2024) showcases healthy, dualistic sound/melody designs, and plenty of good/great songs. It's just simpler where I wish it was more involved. The more mainstream friendly approach arguably feels more Xeno-lite (not to be misinterpreted with light). I would have loved more complex, catchy developmental arrangements, sound designs, variety in baselines, beats, textures, details, accents (well accents are generally simple). The praise: "work smarter, not harder" probably makes more sense after 17 years, but how can one not compare the 4th album to the third and second considering they represent some of the best dark Psy/Goa albums ever released? The artist set the bar so high that not even he can top it. My suggestion is give this a couple listens and decide for yourself. I like to listen to an album enough to be able to identify the songs to the point they form an identity to the names, but that's me. One way of seeing it... we could have NOT gotten a forth album at all, and now we have something to talk about, which at least brings more energy to the forums. Also thank you Mark Petrick and Suntrip Records for making a new Xenomorph album happen after all these years. While far from what I consider superb, there IS some superb work here, and plenty solid work in general for me to enjoy. Cheers Favourite tracks - 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 Least favourite - 5, 9 ... the latter could have been so much more satisfying with more time in development. B Stream the full album on Suntrip's YouTube

i think it sounds very good, probably the best so far tbh! the key changes around 5:50 mark and onwards are very nice, again reminds me of something that i cant put my finger on right now.. oh yes now i remember. similar key and key changes are in this track aswell, by solarforce. ( -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04jXxZhzxfA- ) can you give a bit more information about the samples you used? and from what synths they were sourced? for such things as kick, bassline, hihats, leads etc. would be interesting to learn where you found all the samples at that time (98).

Interesting to see how tastes can differ, I listened to all the tracks and like this one better than most posted before, though it does sound a bit empty, but the sounds and melodies sound more mature than most tracks before in my opinion. The melody at 3:30 sounds simple but very good, and I like the last part of the track.

Yeah, listening the the album now, track 2 is impressive. Track 6 however, getting praise in the reviews but I found that melody in the second half a bit out of tune, sounds like it doesn't fit right, too bad because the track itself sounds very interesting. Track 8 is one of the best. It's a very good album, though I agree that in some tracks, sequences are too repetitive. I agree with a comment above regarding samples, Xenomorph has always been a master at this, the samples are always well chosen and positioned a the right moments. Regarding the mention of Filteria, I am glad Xenomorph is just a better artist in my opinion, he makes tracks that sound more coherent and harmonic, with vision.

Agreed, and I can't understand the negative thoughts above. Especially since there's such a variety of tracks, some of which are so old-school. Adobe Of The Damned reminds me of when I first listened to Cassandra's Nightmare and Sandman's Witchcraft and is my favourite track here. @astralprojectionwe've chatted before about how we both love MFG's Project Genesis sound, you are on a different planet to me if you think Dying Sun is "horrible"!

This album seems to polarize. 😄 For me it is the best new goa album for a long time. It has something of neogoa of the 2000s. 🙂 I remember we booked Xenomorph for a party here in Berlin in 2014. He played a 2 hour liveset. Most of the crowd get bored of his dark sound. People came to me and ask me when he is coming to an end. I think with his current new music the crowd will dance like mad. Maybe this is the reason his new music is more melodic. And possibly he listen a lot to Filteria and similar in the last 17 years. 😋 Every track here has his own signature. Track 2, 3, 4, 5 are pure killers!! And as a DJ I say this tracks will work very good on the dancefloor. 8/10!

Next up the, ahem, "creatively" named track 7. Finished in mid-November 1998, I can't really pinpoint any specific artist and/or track influence for this one, so in that way it sounds very much like myself. The bassline is something that could be called "proto fullon" (without being blatantly fullon in any case) and somehow at least to me the track sounds simultaneously both groovy and melancholic. The title translates to "snowfall", and 17 years old me must have felt very clever when coming up with those intercaps XD

Store: https://mamomamrecords.bandcamp.com/album/galactic-rave Release Date: 2023-12-31 Label: Mamomam Records Catalog: MAMOMAM025 Genre: Full On - Psytrance Artist: Jaraluca Title: Galactic Rave - Jaraluca Tracklist: 1. JaraLuca - Talisman (145 bpm) 07:42 2. JaraLuca - Time For Limit (145 bpm) 06:50 3. JaraLuca - Galactic Rave (145 bpm) 08:32 4. JaraLuca - Revival (145 bpm) 07:25 5. JaraLuca - Frantic Tales (148 bpm) 08:32 6. JaraLuca - Space And Time (145 bpm) 06:20 7. JaraLuca - Mechanotronic (Remix) (147 bpm) 09:46 8. Spiritual Squish - Full Power (175 bpm) 07:28 9. JaraLuca - Home (100 bpm) 07:20 Mamomam Records is proud to presents 4th JaraLuca's studio album - Galactic Rave ! "In the cosmic expanse, where stars sparkled like rhythmic beats, the Galactic Rave unfolded. An ethereal dance floor suspended in space, it drew beings from all corners of the universe. Galactic Rave became the cosmic anthem, each track a portal to a different dimension. As the beats resonated, celestial bodies and otherworldly entities moved in harmony, creating a mesmerizing spectacle of colors. The music became a universal language, fostering unity among beings from diverse realms. The final track released a burst of energy, echoing through the cosmos, as the attendees dispersed, carrying the essence of the Galactic Rave with them. Galactic Rave etched its legend in the cosmic archives, a testament to the power of music to unite and transcend boundaries across the universe." This album contains 9 songs, including 8 previously unreleased ones, and one of the songs is a remix from JaraLuca's previous album - The Prologue. Most of those tracks have been written even 4 years ago, and finally they will be available for everyone after release. The album also contains one song also written and produced by Łukasz Zając as his next musical alias - Spiritual Squish and it is a blend of Hi-tech, goa trance and melodic psytrance style at a tempo of 175 bpm!! 8 of this tracks has been tested on many dancefloors many times ,and it works perfectly!

So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have probably heard of RA, the goa trance project by Christer Borge-Lunde and at various times Lars Lind. 4 years since the release of 9th, RA is back to impart some light, wisdom, and laughter once again only this time it’s not goa trance, but rather a collection of ambient, downtempo, and chilled out goa grooves. Of course this isn’t particularly something new as RA has released a hand full of songs like this, one of my personal favorites being Light Receiver off of 9th. However, I can honestly say I have never heard anything like Unearthly before in my life. So where to begin? "Faith is to believe what we do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what we believe." Floating Shrine of Inanna - This track serves as an intro of sorts with wonderful vocals provided by Christer’s sister (I love saying that) Marthe who will make another appearance in the next track. Some nice little percussion work and strings set the mood for this album and it may come as a little surprise. Unearthly is very light, uplifting, and positive unlike some of RA’s darker heavier goa trance. I get the sense that the storm of the previous albums have passed and we are left with a heavenly blue sky with the shining sun warming your heart, even as winter approaches for us in the northern hemisphere. Rain No Water - Once again, Christer’s sister helps out on this jaw droppingly gorgeous ambient piece. Guitar sounds, filtered pads, and strings make this one a standout track for me. It dips in and out of melancholic, yet euphoric moments. Ascend - Is it December 21, 2012 yet? If this is what we get to listen to when we ascend, then bring on the end of the world because this song is full of bliss. This song is also one of a number on this album with a four to the floor beat, but there is absolutely nothing heavy about it. The rhythm is as light as a feather. Shift - “To jump across space and travel in time..." Arguably we are back in familiar territory here with eastern melodies and trippy soundscapes. This is more like the RA we know and love. The best part of the song comes around the 6 minute mark when the bass line starts shifting around and the originally developed melodies start changing ever so slightly. Lifethread (Serene mix) - So yea, this is a downtempo version of Lifethread from Shaltu released earlier this year. It’s amazing how when you break up the beat and slow the tempo down all the intricacies of the various melodies become this dense subtle explosion of little sounds. Highly creative stuff, nicely done. Lightspark - Can the vibe get any more positive? This song has a little more pace to it once again shifting back to a dance beat. For some reason I feel like it would be really easy to call something like Lightspark cheesy but as the whole theme of this album seems to be about faith and believing in the unbelievable, I find it difficult to not just give in to the positivity this song creates. Even a cynic like me has a soft spot that likes to be tickled once in a while. Unearthly - This one more of less continues the vibe of the previous song but mixes in some tension filled arpeggios underneath soft piano like melodies here and there. The chord progressions later on in the song are just so blissful. I’ve never heard an artist capture quite the mood this album does. I have a hard time describing it. At times it sounds like video game music but it holds such hope or maybe empathy. Celestial Slice - The final song on here is more downtempo with acoustic guitar thrown in and a simple yet effective clap/snare on every other beat. I could listen to this song all day long, what a way to finish off a brilliant album. Unearthly is one of the most genuinely exciting albums I’ve heard in a while and it lies in part due to Christer’s insistence on creating layers upon layers with loads of harmonies. It doesn’t always work perfectly, it’s a somewhat flawed very human album, but I think that was really the point of Unearthly. If To Sirius and 9th are the spirit channelings of the 6th density being known as RA, then Unearthly is RA himself. Love and light, thanks Christer. (and Christer’s sister too )

i can kinda see where you get MFG from here i guess? But unfortunately the kick+bass ruins it for me after a few more listens now, i think its not my cup of tea at least. the sounds are way too simple (the music is decent, but sounds not so much). and i absolutely hate the kickdrum and especially the bassline. damn near sounds like 'init patch' of any virtual analog VST, with unison and lots of stereo imaging whats the 2nd best track from the album in your opinion?

It was just my first impression. I haven't even listened to the full album yet but the sound of it threw me off. I'll give it a few more listens 🙂

you didnt offer a youtube link, i think its pretty common these days to offer a place where you can listen to the album you are reviewing. or is that just me? i dont know where to check it out, i dont have spotify or apple music or all that jazz. if i listen to something these days its going to be youtube. the quality there is good enough for me. most of the time. here is the whole album. look forward to seeing whats up with it. edit: it didnt take long to realise this sounds nothing like xenomorph. this sounds horrible. i dont even make music anymore and can come up with better sounds than this. wtf. Guess it all went downhill after that terrible "Gamma Draconis" comp.

^ im thinking the reason might be in the title, family of LIGHT, that the 'open hihats blasts your ears with piercing frequencies' n' ''ear piercing tones.' & 'katana blade of high frequency screech' creates that LIGHT on a massive trip.. 🤪

yes, i agree, i don´t find etnica/pl/cc unlistenable, far from it, but the production of a lot of their work is too harsh when you are in a psychedelic state, in another state it isn't a big issue because i like their work (until 2000) so much, and thank you for mentioning the katana's, my next trip is going to be a bad one 😁im going tot have the feeling that the music is going to chop my head of talking about family of light, of course it's a disappointment after ifo because that album was so special and psychedelic, one of the true classics family of light has less quality songs, less psychedelic elements and les story telling its still a good album, still much better than lot's of random goa trance albums, but not a classic

I was very surprised to hear so many cheesy / boring melodies on this album. Tracks 5 6 7 and 8 just make me sleepy, the little that is interesting is consumed by the average melody work. The rest are pretty good, especially Rain No Water and Shift are definitely the RA quality you'd expect, but that's not saying much since it's basically 3/7 tracks that are good. I found it really average, which is unfortunate because the uptempo albums chiller tracks are really good. I mean I see where they were going for here, it's a little reminiscent of Vangelis, or older synth music, but it just doesn't pull it off in an interesting way to me - so the more RA sounding tracks are much better.