WJPorter

Hight-tech trance at its best. But I have to say I'm a bit weirded out about this being released on TimeCode; it sounds way too 3D Vision. Not that there's anything wrong with that... I just find it a little off.

And it turns out there are two bonus tracks on the digital version: Seraphim featuring Slug (I love that combination) and Lostism. Seraphim reminds me of CPU's Stupid Play (Vision of the Future, Apocalypse Records), which is a good thing. It has an eerie female voice floating around, some key changes here and there, and it's intense without being overwhelming. Lostism is quite hypnotic: it builds up and drops over and over again without losing its flow. Maybe not as hard as the average expectation for a Lost and Found track, but it definitely works. http://www.beatport.com/release/decoder/823722

"Do you really think C# C# C# C# is music?" That came from a lousy bass player, so his argument is invalid. And we're back into the total misunderstanding of what electronic music is all about. Nonetheless, I know quite a bunch of psytrance loving metalheads. "The best psytrance artists come from Israel: Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom, Hallucinogen..." Besides the obvios, this bird needed to upgrade her playlist; we had this conversation in 2008. But I agree, there's a certain Israel-psytrance connection. I've never had someone say to me "Psytance? Wow, I bet you're into the English morning thing". And my favorite stereotype is "white guys with dreadlocks". It's kind of funny, admit it.

I have to agree: it’s a solid album from Kode Six. His first album had a nice, thick distinctive sound in terms of production, but it wasn’t very dynamic; the tracks seemed stale. Perfekt World has a lot more going on; the tracks grow, evolve, and are richer in terms of story telling. The word “mature” fits well. I particularly enjoyed Simulakra (it’s also nice to see that Kalan has been reading Baudrillard). That track has more of an “intense, extremely potent” morning sound, as opposed to his usual night-time & twilight style. Within that style, I like High Frequency Vibrations (We Are One compilation, Central Dogma Records & Biomechanix Records ) better but I still appreciate that he included something like this in the album. As a matter of fact, I would love to hear Kode Six exploring and exploiting that style a bit more.

The 2009 SSD-EP was good. Not amazing, but good. I though Fundamental Game was good enough keep that EP afloat. Human Technicians was just dull IMO. Nothing says "this artist has seen better days" than releasing an updated version of a former hit -Techmology in this case-. No further comments. It's a shame because I really dig both Rinkadink & Alchemy Recs.

Shehoor, act from France. I got to see them a few weeks ago and I had no idea who they were. Keep an eye on them; pretty darn good dark and brainy trance. Well, let's hope their releases are as good as their live act.

Yep, disappointing indeed. Too watered down for full-on, too much of "those bass lines" to be proper prog, nothing close to Tesseract stuff (you know, that cool Serbian full-onish prog sound). Did you get a chance to check Motion Drive's album? If so, how does it compare to this?

I've heard the track probably 6 times in the past hour. It is just unbelievable. It requires some big ones to release a track so shameless, tasteless, immense, and complex all at the same time. Only Cedric could do something like that. And in no way am I implying that he pulled it off nor got away with it. The track is as lame as its producer. Thanks, it was absolutely worth listening to. It was amusing and entertaining if heard with an open mind. Now I'm gonna go wash my ears with some descent full-on before I get the urge to listen to this abominable perversion again. BTW, to the people complaining about older psytrance producers making crap, I suggest you look for newer artists. There's some great stuff out there. No point in crying over spilled milk or Talamasca's new release when there's Nexus Media, Nano Records, Tesseract Studios, etc.

The city I used to live in had one goa-psy-whatever store. The place sold tickets to gigs and parties, which was the main reason to go there. As far as the music goes, their stock was terrible. I could never find anything I was looking for so I would ask the clerk for recommendations. The guy’s trademark was to make up terms to assure his status as a connoisseur, which meant saying things like “this release follows the current post-progressive trend but with a methaminimal rhythm section reminiscent of the early works of –artist I’ve never heard of-“. Sounds familiar? The scene became un-treandy and so did the store. To me, ordering CDs online was the most reliable option; the meticulous selection process and the thrill of expecting a package. I’ve bought tracks online and there is absolutely nothing exciting about that. Plus, I like having the actual CD, the case, artwork… And I think I will have to get used to it because I'm afraid Depths/No Hitz's prediction is more than accurate. But still today I love to go into a psy record store (whenever I'm in a place that has one), browse through the records to realize I have no idea of what I'm looking at, have the clerk recommend something, and feel frustrated because the overprized t-shirts are unavailable in my size. To me, the local store is a reflection of the scene, that’s where the nostalgia resides.

I have to both agree and disagree with you: something found in previous albums is not here. However, I don’t thick it’s madness; it’s intensity. Phyx’s track is good, but I didn’t hyperventilate while listening to it. Something’s going on here. But that is not a bad thing. I love this album because it’s highly experimental. It explores the melodic side and gives the producers a chance to show off their formal musical background. Just listen to the Artifakt track, it summarizes everything I just said. Even the tracks by Posion have interesting harmonic compositions. BTW, those guys are ill. One of the best new TC acquisitions. As for Principles of Flight, they might not have the TC “sound” production-wise, but they make very good trance and have a very distinctive sound. POF is talented enough to be on TC. I thought their track was an excellent display of technique and music theory, although it was ridiculously long. On the other hand, no words can describe how much I loathe the D_Maniac track. It should have been released on Chemical Crew. Yes, it is that horrid and lame. And the very fact that a TC album includes this song worries me. Not every tracks released in a TC compilation has been good, but this is the first time I hear a cheesy track in a TC album. That could be the real demise of one of the most respected labels out there. The Brethren song kicks too much ass. It reminded me of Dirty 80s (Psysex & IM) with a South African edge. Anyway, I’m sure you already heard Tokoloshe. I am more than satisfied with that album. I mean, I need a cigarette and a shower after listening to it. I don’t think it’s fair to compare the two since they have different purposes. If you are after intense chaos, go for Tokoloshe. If you are looking for something more experimental and melodic (in a creepy medieval way), Kartuxo does the trick.

Various Artists - Sonica Vol 2 (Sonica Recordings) 1. TRISTAN - Bombscare (Perfect Stranger's small vagator mix) 2. PLEIADIANS - The Pleaides 3. BURN IN NOISE - Time Warp 4. RINKADINK - The Thermal Tempest 5. ETNICA - Lunar Contact 6. GAIATECH - Burning Heads 7. LIFTSHIFT - Nothing Less 8. M-THEORY - Rising the Bar 9. FEARSOME ENGINE - The Path "This new compilation produced by Gino, is a tribute to Sonica Festival paid by some of the greatest artists from the past and contemporary psytrance scene." When I saw the track listing on this record, I wanted to hear it desperately. I finally got my copy and I got pretty much what I expected. Lets begin. Tristan - Bombscare (Perfect Stranger 's small vagator remix): As you might know, Perfect Stranger is producing songs in the minimal techno area nowadays. The new album is absolutely delicious. This song, conversely, is not. Yuli can do so much better than this. First, I see no resemblance with the original song. Tristan is kind of a big name to throw in the back cover of a compilation. In this case, it was unnecessary and poorly done. Second, the track has absolutely nothing –I mean NOTHING- to do with the rest of the album. I don’t know what this was all about. Lets move on. Pleiadians - The Pleiades: Things get more intense as the beat increases to 145 bpm. Thanks to some oldschool type melodies, the track has a persecution vibe while maintaining a stable bass/rhythm section. It achieves to be intense without recurring to clutter, build-ups, etc. It’s got quite a mean edge in a tasteful manner. I can hear some tricks and melodies I haven’t heard since 2002 but with contemporary production. Nice! Burn in Noise – Timewarp: What I like about Burn in Noise is that he has a very unique and easily identified sound, characterized by one hell of a fat bass. However, I find his tracks sometimes lack substance. Not in this case. I have to admit I was blown away by this track. It’s Burn in Noise at his most majestic best. It’s groovy, it’s funky, and it’s got tons of that “in-your-face” attitude that made me fall in love with psytrance in the first place. The sounds are wisely used, while providing spacious atmospheres and mischievous leads. I could praise this track for hours. Rinkadink – The Thermal Twist: I was so excited to hear a new Rinkadink track. I am pleased to say that there is nothing new nor innovative about this track. Yes, I found that to be a good thing. It is just plain, old-fashioned Rinkadink; just like I wanted to hear it. The expected wackiness is there but on this occasion it’s accompanied by some exploration of Rinkadink’s bittersweet melodic side. Moody and playful. Random enough to be psychedelic yet it doesn’t get obnoxiously demented. As a Rinkadink fan, I am more than satisfied. Etnica – Lunar Contact: Once again, we hit oldschool territory. Persistent melodic themes set the mood while the bassline maintains the energy levels. The buildup is very “trancy” – over emotional key changes – but that is the point. In someone else’s hands, this track would have been utter fromage. However, Etnica did a really good job in pulling off a song in this vein. Gaiatech – Burning Heads: By now, I feel my qualities as a reviewer suck because I can’t come up with adjectives I haven’t used so far to describe this track. It can also be inferred that this is a consistent compilation. The bass is pounding, the leads stab hard, and the energy is flowing. It’s a bit more aggressive than other tacks in the album. The bassline never changes, providing something to grasp to in the riptide of escalating sounds that goes on. Quite a powerful track. Liftshift – Nothing Less: The name “Liftshift” might ring a bell to those familiar with the psy-progressive scene (or whatever that type of semi-proggy-but-not-entirely-full-on-trance is called these days). “Nothing Less” is a straight forward morning full-on track and it is wonderful. The progressive background can be heard in the sharp and sophisticated loops in the rhythm section. The quality of the production is astonishing. Atmospheric, vast, spacious, and pounding with catchy hooks here and there. There are a constant mood swings that alter the intensity of the song, giving the narrative some complexity. It’s a well-thought and nicely crafted piece. Definitely one of my favorites. M-Theory – Raising the Bar: A nice comedown after the previous display of peak time stuff. Although it’s a refreshing track, it is not M-Theory’s best work. In fact, I don’t thing the song works on its own; it only has full effect when contextualized with the rest of the album. I’ve heard these guys raising the bar and this is definitely not it. I mean, it’s not a bad track; it’s just doesn’t deliver. Bad choice of a title. M-Theory has made my jaw drop several times, so this was a bit of a disappointment. Breezy yet ‘meh’. Fearsome Engine – The Path: Now we’re talking! It's quite imposing for a 137 BPM piece. Groovy rhythm section and plenty of psychedelic glitch to entertain the ears. The sound selection is impressive, particularly when paying attention to how rhythms are constructed form apparently random bits. Not much melody and, frankly, it’s not needed. These guys seem to be on top of their game. Awesome track. There’s absolutely nothing new about this album. Well, there’s a new approach to oldschool psytrance, but that contradicts the definition of new. The strength is definitely not in the innovation department, but rather in the orthodoxy of the style. The tracks successfully accomplish what the listener expects from the names involved. Very tasteful compilation: no cheese and no nauseating clutter; just fluid, well-crafted trance. I can't pick favorite tracks because all of them are great (except for track 1). I got my long-waited fix of Rinkadink, the Burn in Noise song was an amazing surprise, and Pleiadians and Etnica amazed me with their bag of vintage tricks. I can’t give this compilation a 10 since it did not knock my socks off but I am way pleased and remarkably satisfied with what I got. Is it worth spending money on this album? Absolutely.

Holly crap! This is very darn good! I thought Chaos Opera was quite good although it failed to give me the shivers I get when listening to Oblivion (New Blood 2 compilation). But this is a whole different level. It sounds very oldschool yet strangely avant garde. I'm out of words. The bar has been raised. I really hope other talented producers understand this and do tracks in a similar style. Absurdly good.

Once again I’m late for the discussion, so I’m just gonna throw my 2 cents and leave. The very artists that once made the scene big are tearing it down. Let’s start with Spun Records. Seriously? So these people turn the scene into crap and then they try to “innovate” because, thanks to them, no one likes full-on anymore. BTW, I do like full-on and the machinegun bass everyone seems to hate. I am thankful for Time Code, Nano, and artists like Fromem Ory who can make good old fashioned full-on as it is meant to be. Anyway, admitting to like full-on nowadays is an embarrassment thanks Chemical Crew, Spun Records, Phonokol, and other crap&cheese factories. What’s the outcome? The very people responsible for this are either migrating to techno (Riktam and Bansi, Beatkrush aka CPU), where they will eventually wreck things and move somewhere else again, or “re-inventing psytrance”, like Krome Angels (Dado, Dino Psaras and Shanti). Not interested in either. On the other hand, the full-on formula has been mastered perfectly: melody and clutter, the louder the better. And we end up with the newest Phantasm or Materia compilations. I can see this stuff making people go crazy, but it has no substance to it. Although I have to admit this has a very good backlash. Artists like Zen Mechanics and Tron are doing great stuff that follows the opposite principle: smooth and steady trance that doesn’t abuse melody nor buildups. That’s my humble opinion. Don’t mind if I go check the newest Zenon compilation because everything else pisses me off. You may now proceed to bashing Darkpsy.

On a similar note. I am a Nano and alchemy Alchemy kind of person. However, I am currently looking for "tasteful and moderate cheese". Melodic build-ups but without overdoing/abusing it and rather discrete basslines. Here are two examples. Scoofy- Coral (Network: Nano, 2005). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3LkuNcLJ5Y Hyperception- Shake (Release N Attack: ORB, 2007). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIVGwnS7gd4 Protoculture and Pop Stream are too corny for my taste. Any suggestions?

Safi Connection G.M.S. - possibly even more than Skazi. Sesto Sento - They simply piss me off. Nomad Polaris Dino Psaras - I seriously fail to see it, hear it, etc. To me, the most overrated name in the psytrance catalog. Needless to say what I think of Krome Angels.

The album is great and most of the Multistate tracks I've heard from compilations are also kick-ass. Which brings me to an issue I have. I heard some samples from Future Cuts and I've been hesitating to buy it. The samples I heard sounded too intense even for my taste and I don't want to be disappointed. Can anyone give me a short review of that compilation? On other matters: new Broken Toy album has some moments, I agree. But they are brief moments. It's kind of boring. Xatrix or Lost and Found? I think Xatrix is funkier. Any further thoughts?

This is one of my favorite 3DV post-Talamasca albums by far. The GMS collaboration does sound a lot like GMS. You can pick up some typical GMS sounds and the bass line at the end was very Spun-ish. You can also check the latest remix (Skydivers - Nutek), which is all Absolum's and you'll see what I mean. What I liked about this track? You have Absolum driven power all the way, yet it can be used as a morning track thanks to GMS. Versatility: what collaborations should be all about. The Synergy & CPU tracks are insanely awesome. No further comment. Theoreme's track is pretty good in its style, but I am not usually in the mood for such intensity. The Sesto Sento... I don't think it sounds like a Chemical Crew track. Doesn't sound like typical SS either. It's a well achieved exercise. I would respect Sesto Sento if 70% of their tracks sounded like that. Didn't blow my mind, though. The CPU-Space Tribe track... holly crap, I can't get enough of it. The bass line makes me undoubtedly tap my foot, the is a perfect mixture of CPU engine-like characteristic sounds (you know which) with ST bubbly effects, and the melodies create a very particular mood. This and Thinking Machines could be my favorite tracks. I guess what I like the most about the album is the collaborations. The way I rate any 3dv album that has been released since Talamasca left is "is it Sound Syndicate quality"? Rarely the answer is "yes". I love this album.

I think I see where you are going. On one hand, there's a video of a wedding where the music doesn't even sound loud enough to be psytrance and everything seems to neat and clean. Skazi's presence implies whatever is going on has little to do with psytrance. And the dancing is too... discrete, I would say. Not my idea of psytrance. On the other hand, we have loud noise, clouds of dust, a guy dressed in a blue cow suit, and people who can barely walk because of their substance intake. That look a lot more like the parties I went to back in the day when Talamasca was cool, Israeli trance was respected, and Skazi and Infected Mushroom were not a wannabe rock bands.

Artist: V/A Title: Sharp Label: 3D Vision Format: CD Release: December, 2008. 1. Basic Survival Instincts - Absolum, Menog (8:25) 2. Resolution - Lost And Found (7:39) 3. The Ultimate (Reconstructed By Absolum) -Digital Talk (7:26) 4. Hypnotized - Painkiller, Naked Tourist (8:17) 5. Roller Toaster - CPU, Neko (7:55) 6. One Way Ticket – Earworm (6:55) 7. Maniac Music (Edited By Absolum) - Outer Signal (6:53) 8. High In Chicago - Ex-Gen, Absolum (7:37) 9. What's Wrong – Synergy (8:14) When I discovered psytrance, everything released on 3D Vision was a gem. Then something happened to psytrance in general and 3D Vision became risky business. There are releases like Sound Syndicate that still blow my mind. Then we have releases like Killers Inc. that simply hurt my ears and give a headache. And then there are, IMO, unmemorable compilations like Hardfloor. On this occasion, we have Sharp. Unlike most recent 3DV releases I don’t care much for, this was compiled by Absolum himself. The cover follows the oldschool 3D Vision artwork while still looking up to date. I like that. Now, lets check the music. 1. Basic Survival Instinct (Absolum vs. Menog). What a way to start! It has the best of both producers in the perfect amount. It has enough of Absolum’s chaotic peaks, but without the risk of nausea or a headache, and just the right amount of Menog’s melodies and atmospheres, but without sounding like a darkpsy baroque fugue. This is what collaborations should be all about: highlighting strengths and limiting flaws. 2. Resolution (Lost and Found). Some random loops used at the beginning give it an industrial feel and a South African trance trademark. More and more layers are added, incorporating simplistic melodies with metallic leads. Plenty of drops and subsequent build-ups and the final run is intense in a frightening way. More metallic leads, elastic sounds, industrial loops, everything concentrates in the same space and I’m feeling lost and confused (in a good way). Lost and Found’s most innovative track? Not at all. Is it worth it? Yes! 3. The Ultimae (Digital Talk reconstructed by Absolum). First thing that strikes me is the production quality. It hasn’t even been a minute and I’m already pounding my fist in the air. Everywhere I direct my attention I find an assemblage of dynamic sounds. Ok, here’s the break. Rolling Kick-drum build up; I know this trick, yet it manages to trick me. Then the final run left me speechless. I never saw that coming and it was amazing. Absolum’s artillery at its finest with Digital Talk’s audio quality. Word’s can’t describe how great this track is. 4. Hypnotized (Painkiller vs. Naked Tourist). I’ve never cared much for Painkiller. He has some good tricks under the sleeve, but tries to sound heavier than he should. Naked Tourist has several releases on labels such as Parvati and Temple Twisters, so we can expect something dense. Plenty of loops and loud high-hats, an awesome riff around 3:20, and then the track takes on a different direction. More generic and repetitive riffs and I’m wondering if Naked Tourist only contributed with loud noises because all I can hear is Painkiller’s corny obstinatos. Why do I even bother? Now, if Painkiller’s your thing, you will get a lot of it in this track. 5. Roller Toaster (CPU vs. Neko). After Discodelic and Eat it!, I don’t trust CPU. As for Neko, I’ve never heard of the guy. At first, I’m not excited about this one. The track picks up quite quickly and it evolves into ethereal noises rhythmically scaling and a ravey laser lead. The rolling bass has a darkpsy feel, seasoned with techy elements. What a fun track! It’s almost impossible to get distracted while listening to it. Either CPU is trying to recover his street cred or this Neko guy is a genius. The key changes in the bass work incredibly. I absolutely recommend this one. I’d like to note that this track was previously released on the Digital Drugs 3 (Digital Drugs Coalition) compilation. If the track wasn’t so good, I would have felt ripped off. 6. One Way Ticket (Earworm). I can see why this track is in the album, but I don’t see what’s special about it. Don’t get me wrong, the production quality is very good. It’s just that it lacks personality. The style could even be called “generic 3D Vision”. But judging by the production quality, this guy could have a future in nighttime high tech trance. Maybe he’ll find that personal touch after doing a few collaborations. Or maybe he’s just plain, who knows. 7. Maniac Music (Outer Signal edited by Absolum). Starts off pretty aggressive, but with nothing special to offer. Eventually I see what the deal with this track is, as it displays some nice tricks. Around 4:20 everything explodes in nighttime laser madness. Things keep on building up as the bass line and melodies make me feel hunted. This is the kind of stuff that I want to listen to in an open-air party at 3am. 8. High in Chicago (Ex-Gen vs Absolum). Ok, what the hell is up with the voice sample? “It was about 6:15 in the morning. I’m drunk and I’m high and I’m in Chicago…”. An OK track. The highlights have to do more with production than the track’s narrative. Some pretty interesting sounds, screeches, beams, atmospheres, and filters. As for the song, it sounds like a water-downed Absolum track next to some of the stuff in this album. 9. What’s Wrong? (Synergy). I’ll tell you what’s wrong: this track. Something doesn’t feel right. It could be the flow, the repetitive riffs for the intense effect, or both. Could it be that they are trying to hard? I think they are; it feels forced in. I am not satisfied with this. Absolum and CPU have individually disappointed me in the past; I don’t see what could keep them from doing so together. The sad thing is that I am not surprised to be disappointed. Overall: Considering the amount of crapy releases out there, this is a rather solid album. Absolum, who has also been guilty of contributing to the psytrance crap pool, did a very good job cleaning his name and coming up with a compilation that actually reflects the label’s direction instead of just trying to and failing along the way. Yes, there are a few fillers, but just “a few” is an accomplishment these days. I love that that it is 100% 3D Vision, yet I can hear some Spectral, Nutek, and MMD in the album. In other words, it is a must have for high-tech trance aficionados. Favorites: 1(!), 2, 3 (!!!), 5 , 7.

I’ve loved this album since the first time I listened to it; I’m glad I bought it. It’s dark but not too darkpsy. The production demanded a bit more effort than usual, but it is not overdone… I really like this and it does have a distinctive sound. Yes, there are dull moments, but there is visible effort on the concept. Apocalypse Records apparently vanished in mid air; too bad, because they were on to something good. Here go my two cents. Parasense - Sonny rmx Nice way to start de album. It has an undercooked production that gives the track an underground feel. Nice crispy metallic sounds and a few and subtle surprising elements. The mood is rather friendly for a Parasense track. Definitely a favorite. Fungus Funk - Trancefields rmx Unarguably, the experimental track in the bunch. It’s a trance remix of The Prodigy’s Mindfields. It kicks off weird (good luck to anyone trying to include this in a set) and then shifts towards the characteristic Fungus Funk style, except with a more meticulous production. The bass is black and slimy and at some point it turns into night time laser madness. I did enjoy a FF trackwith a bit more production than usual. Psychotic Micro - Ghost rmx I really liked old Psychotic Micro as much as I hate their new style. This track fits into the new style label. Expect the tradition Psychotic Micro formula: about 5 different 3 note melodies layering on top of each other until your head aches. On the bright side, I found the bass quite playful. Seroxat - Desorietation ( wizard lizard rmx) I like old Seroxat, so I was pleased by this song. Screeching sounds here and there and the Wizard Lizard managed to make the track more danceable and less intense. Nice. Azax Syndrom - Evil Force rmx I hear the evil, but I can’t feel the force. It has trademark Azax Syndrom production (which I appreciate) but aside from a few twisted, annoying melodies, nothing really happens. There are no surprises and no “please make it stop!” moments. It’s like Regev decided to effortlessly slacker on this one. The original track can be found in the 2004 Inpsyde Media album ‘There is no tomorrow’. Winter Demon - Sars (toxic rmx) Now we’re talking! Groovy bass and twisted leads with an undisputable nighttime feel. Not a single dull moment and it is always making me shake my shoulders. My favorite track in the compilation. Seroxat Death – Death machine rmx Another one by Seroxat. I like the original version and found this remix rather unnecessary. It’s not bad at all, but could have done better. Grapes of Wrath - I dunno rmx Yey! Cartoon sounds! This track is so acid… almost no melody, lots of random noises, nice beats. A well achieved nighttime track with humor is always appreciated. Winter Demon - Suffocation rmx This is scary. It’s not Phobos Azazel, but still scary. Notice that this compilation has tracks by Psychotic Micro, Azax Syndrom, and Seroxat and this made me raise an eyebrow. The melodies, screams, and the glitch make me think of blood stains. Well produced, but the vibe is not my thing. The original track comes in the 2004 Paradiso compilation ‘Fear Psychosis’. Highlights: 1, 2, 6, 8

I was about to write a review and Trance2Move2 beat me to it. So I decided to write one anyways since there are several points of convergence and different views as well. Every time I listen to the album I come up with a different opinion. Most of the songs are about 8 minutes long, that’s a bit too much for my taste. I love the fact that Spectral compilations have an ambient track at the end (that’s where the Chilled C’Quence track fits! It’s a tradition!). Here’s my summarized version. Menog vs. Shift - Evil People- I liked it. It’s thick and it has Shift’s metallic touch with Menog’s colossal atmospheres. Con: the anthropology lecture is too long and is not the kind of sample I would like to hear at any party. Khopat - We Will Fly- The first lead melody, reminiscent of a Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack, made me raise an eyebrow. Then I started getting into the track and maybe I misunderstood it, but I find it extremely fun and humorous. It builds and builds and builds… Very energetic. Lost & Found - Sin Stereo mix- The key change in the bass around 1:45 made me scream (in a good way). It has a really uplifting vibe for such an intense night time track. One of my favs on this compilation. Menog - Kinho's Hallucination (Tryambaka RMX)- It’s thick, immense version of the original. It’s very acid and slimy; the kind of track that makes you clench your teeth. On the downside, it seems to last forever (8:47). Delysid - Decoder- It’s not the best track but it would definitely work if played just before sunrise. It’s enjoyable. For some sick reason it reminded me of old Exaile on steroids. Menog Vs. Fiuzz - Collapsed Generations- I don’t get this song. Layers and layers of loops and some eerie leads but something’s missing. But I have to agree with something: I keep turning my head and thinking “where did that come from?” Another one that lasts for ages. Audialize - Kinesis- This is a pretty trippy track. It’s an OK song until the last minutes. Then it all makes sense: all the random sounds you hear throughout the song begin to layer and it seems genius. Well crafted track. Hypnoxock - This is a Chapapote – I really liked the Hypnoxock track on RoboSapience (Materia). This is nothing like it. The first 5 times I found it disappointing but lately it automatically makes me shake my shoulders. Thin, sharp leads. At the peak every sound seems to move and stretch. There’s something oldschool about it. Chilled C'Quence - Levels Of Rythms- Can’t go wrong with this one. I’ve opened several sets of many types of music with this song and it works every time. It’s very damn groovy with lots of entertaining earcandy. I wouldn’t know how to label this but it mixes great with progressive, though. Conclusion: Agree with T2MU, no terrible tracks whatsoever. But there’s something missing! It’s nothing near bad, but I expected much more considering the names on the back of the case. Aside from the awesome downtempo tunes (check out the Zerosequence track in The door of wisdom), I’m not convinced by this label’s compilations. I’ll stick to Time Code and Nexus Media.

By track 7 I thought "Wow! This reminds of the first psytrance party I went to many years ago. It has all the elements that made me fall for psytrance and that I haven't heard in a while." One of my top 5 favorite albums.

1. Psy nations 2. Discodelic 3. I lost my brain in Tokyo 4. Music 5. Animal Number Sixxx 6. Expander 7. Compressor 8. Morning drop 9. Eclipsed Discodelic is CPU’s third studio album and the third release of his label, Nutek Records. CPU’s previous albums were released on 3D Vision and were characterized by their mechanic high-tech sounds suitable for the night time. For a while I believed CPU was going to be Absolum’s successor. Then he started releasing morning trance on several compilations (check the tracks he released on Planet BEN). So I bought the album to see what the shift was all about considering I liked the first Nutek compilation. I opened the CD case and the art displays what appears to be beautiful women dancing in a club, with a disco ball and everything. That image summarizes the whole album. Psy Nations: It kicks off pretty nice with a crispy bass, well-crafted loops and shiny sounds. Then the bass and the lead got quite repetitive. One of those songs where nothing really happens; no surprises whatsoever. Discodelic: Fresh, danceable, and easy to swallow. I like this track. There’s Isratrance, French trance, Scandinavian trance… If there was a Miami/South Beach sound, this would be it. It’s a good song, but a bit too glamorous. I lost my brain in Tokyo: This is a very interesting piece. Unarguably, it is the heavy, aggressive, in-your-face track, but not in the Black Mamba kind of way. Sammy is giving us something different this time: it has strings, pinching tunes, powerful key changes, and a constant chord that screams ‘pop music’. The break is rather weak compared to the rest of the song. It’s worth checking out because it’s quite different from anything I’ve heard before, but I can’t decide if I like it or not. Music: My favorite track: it’s got attitude, groove, a funky drop, a melody that shatters and melts, and a guitar. Don’t panic; it has the right amount of guitar to make it another sound and not the main focus of the song. Cons: the beginning is not DJ friendly at all. Animal: Starts off fine. The thin, futuristic bass left me impressed. Then some atrocious distorted vocals kick in, followed by a melody that unsuccessfully pretends to be uplifting. This song would have probably been an anthem in the summer of 2004. If CPU made an attempt to sell out, THIS is it. Number Sixx: By now I’m sure the album relies more on melodies than psychedelic elements. The song has groovy moments but nothing special. Expander: Morning melody madness. This song could have been on a Com.Pact Records compilation. Not bad at all, just not my cup of tea. Compressor: Another one with subtle guitars and dramatic melodies. Highlights: a psychotic break in which the song gets insanely fast for about a minute before a generic build-up. It’s kind of interesting. Would I like to hear it in a party? No. Would I like to see how other people react to it? No doubt about it. I gotta give it to Sammy: he knows how to use guitars in psytrance (or whatever the genre of this album). Morning Drop: Reminded me of 12000 Mics’s Ecstasy. Nothing you haven’t heard before, but with a different approach and a little extra production. I thought it was a well achieved exercise. In other words: it’s corny morning trance and I have to admit I liked it. Eclipse: Summarizes the rest of the album but faster. I wouldn’t recommend this album unless you don’t have a problem with commercial psytrance intended to be played in Ibiza’s hottest new club. The production is very good but the album makes G.M.S. sound like Para Halu. If you like songs like The Race and Killer Rabbit, don’t go near this album.