Yard Hippie

Rena Jones - Driftwood An underrated but absolutely fantastic downtempo psy chill piece Struggling to think of any more absolute favourites you havn't already noted right now though; great list

One of my favs, along with the free lemonade sample on Delta Aquarids. Generally I find that tracks saturated with samples are the ones I enjoy in the short term, but once I really start to get into an album they quickly become an annoyance and the more 'sample sparse' tracks take over entirely. Generally. As always there are exceptions.

Ken Kesey, really? If it was Ken Kesey I'd love it even more Honestly though there are lots of samples out there that I totally disagree with and still love, but it doesn't matter for me personally so long as it fits the track well. And that sample really, really fits the track well... As for Lone Deranger I've tried and tried to appreciate it and again and again I just switch off and start thinking about something else, lights on or off. I don't really know what it is about the album since there's nothing there that should really disinterest me so much, but it still manages it

I still much prefer Distant System though Effloresence does work wonders for me. The 'process of unfolding' track especially creates an absolutely fantastic soundscape to my ears and I love the mystical experiences sample in that cloud track(don't remember the name). The sampling used later in the effloresence track really grates unfortunately (imo) but other than that the album is superb. Not yet heard Emotivision.

CBL's 'World of Sleepers' caught me out earlier today. I bought this one a long time ago and instantly decided it was okay, but not great... Cue one crazy weekend and a long, sleep-deprived journey home and suddenly no longer is that the case. As for whether this will be a lasting clicky moment I guess I can't yet say. I remember clearly the first time X-Dream's 'Radio' made sense to me (my god how was I not in utter awe) and FSOL's 'Lifeforms' which was a very, very sudden click brought on through listening through good speakers instead of headphones in pitch black darkness. That was one of those 'woah' moments definately. I'm with Exotic on 'Movements' I can see the genius technicality it must have taken and can feel that those beats should be driving deep deep inside of me but it's just not gotten there yet. It took a while for Extended and Leaving Home to properly do things for me though so I suppose it's a sleeper

BUT his suggestion of headphone commute is a very good one, just to make sure it doesn't get lost in the drama. It is a fantastic site for reviews of generally ambient-ish electronica.

Walking home from work one day listening to a BP empire track I'd randomly downloaded to get the 'rave' feel in our own living room. Didn't actually like psy all that much from the parties I'd been to before that point (even though I'd been to a lot) but for some reason that walk home triggered some sort of mental switch and I guess I just got turned on to that psychedelic vibe. That was about two and a bit years ago now and I don't know where I'd be without the myraid of music it has opened me up to

I started worrying about this a while back when I found out that a few of the hippies running the psy nights up near us have varying degrees of tinitus. In fact a lil while back I went to one party where I decided to do an entirely sober run, and this was great right up until the main act went on stage and they cranked up the volume. My ears felt like they were going to burst, so painful, and I looked around at all the happy smiling people around me and realised that I've probably been those same people in many other nights and just been so intoxicated I didn't notice... Scary really. Apologies for deviating a bit, I know your topic was more about home listening, but like I said, those same questions have been plagueing me for quite some time. Have to say I'm just as guilty for really turning the volume up (on my closed headphones) when I begin to get into a beat Need to get my speakers working again.

I can't agree that it's wholly a nostalgia thing since I've only been listening to psy/goa for a couple of years and still I find that most of the older stuff blows the newer out of the water. It's not always the case of course and a lot is probably because I only have the money to buy the old releases that everyone raves about (and therefore must be great on some level). I'm sure that a lot of the other newer listeners who didn't or couldn't appreciate this music back in the day can relate.

I picked up my copy in a cyberdog a couple of months back Would love to see 'Doof - Let's turn on' & 'Abakus - That much closer to the sun'. I'm surprised no one's mentione the green nuns yet... Maybe someone did and I've scrolled past it.

It's very different to the other two but it still has it's charm and I do enjoy the energetic/chilled feeling it creates. Not my favourite but stil v cool

If only I had twenty two euros to spare right now...

Total Eclipse - Delta Aquarius

I find it highly seasonal personally, just curious whether you find the same with morning trance, night time killer tracks etc?

You've been Abasioed. Tbh I don't mind your 'this is shit/'this is awesome' outlook because, after all, your hormones are probably twisted to high heaven, you're at that stage in life where you believe everything is exactly how you think it is and (mainly) because I know, as do many on the board, that you'll look back on your stupid actions and words and realise one day that you were being a total ass. Perhaps I'm wrong and maybe you'll end up one of those guys that never, ever tires of their own ridiculous opinions but I hope that is not the case as after a while people like that always get to become a drag. As for Ishq I cannot actually comment. I have a niggling suspicion that he'll be fantastic when I get around to finally buying an album but until then I'll have to just forget about him and listen to all of the other fantastic artists that I already know and love.

I know that feeling too well... Mostly I forbid myself from specifically going out to buy books and instead just wander into charity shops every now and again and buy what I like. Keeps the costs down and leaves fantastic random find opportunities. I should even stop doing that though really until I've whittled my way through the ones I've already aquired.

Still on 'A Farewell to Arms'. I'm loving the dialogue; it's very unreal and clearly edited a thousand million times to create that characteristic flow but it just doesn't matter in the end because it makes it such a joy to read. Taking my sweet time with this one but if there was nothing else going on in my life right now I know I'd have finished it in a couple of days. Great book.

Yeah the cover is horrific... I think it may be included in another called 'Peace and War' with the sequel thrown in for good measure (don't quote me on this as I'm not sure, check it out) and that has a much cooler cover to my eyes. Thing with me is that I'm a sucker for those masterworks ones though. I just love the numbering on the spine; suits my mild OCD when it comes to displaying them This isn't the best book in the world btw, hasn't exactly stayed with me. Was just a fun one to read at the time. If you find it cheap and like it trashy then grab yourself a copy, otherwise think it through.

Extended is definately my favourite Ultimae so far Other than that there are just so many releases I desperately need to listen to before I give a 'real' verdict on this one... Just now I have 'Hicksville', 'Midnight Soul Dive', 'The alchemy Concept' and 'Elementary Particles' sitting around waiting to be listened to and I know that if I try setting some of my favs down here now then everything could easily have changed by only next week. From my reluctant and uninformed perspective though I really love Rena Jones' 'Driftwood', both of the 'Oxycanta' albums, Shpongle (all three) and 'Spiral Empire'. These are all albums that I just come back to again and again and still find they havn't lost their magic.

Six Silicates really didn't grab my attention all that much, though I guess I only managed three quarters of the release so perhaps I should give it another go... just seems uninspired. Undercurrent on the other hand is certainly on my ever growing 'to buy' list.

I have absolutely no idea what on earth you are talking about Have the rewired version of this winging it's way to me in the post. Looking forward.

That was a good call, it's a strange sounding album and from the samples I totally agree it's nothing like any of his previous stuff. Only listened to the first couple on there for now as I'm running a little behind but I enjoyed the second track, Rode Falls, quite a lot. Unfortunately the first did kick things off in a way I know my headphones will hate (with the constant switching from one ear to the other) and the amp for my good speakers is busted. Will have to listen to the rest when I next get the time. On a side note I generally don't use samples, especially for downtempo/ambient, but am I right in thinking that Somnia actually hosts the tracks in their entirety? It does seem that way. Very useful for prospective purchases.

Hmm, I'm still very much interested. Would be cool to see his take on a totally different style and I have to admit the concept he's described has sortof seduced me a lil'. Plus I havn't yet bought a Somnia release, which almost seems criminal recently... Regardless it'll have to wait a couple of days till I get paid

+1 to p(sy)ayam, those are really quite cool. Love the concept

Damnit, as soon as I get a picture in my mind of exactly which albums I'll be buying this payday someone always throws a spanner in the works Didn't even realise this had been released but I still really enjoy the only other one of theirs I own, 'Ground State'. Is it anything like that or a totally new idea?