RTP

Mergi, please, if I may add and join into the bunch of free recommendations on top of your purchase ... you should download the Etnoscope album stated in my signature. It's free and you won't regret it for sure. That piece was planned to be released for money, but then it was soooo long in the making that they released it for free. Get the album from: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/etnoscope-way-over-deadline Read my review if you are unsure ... all info in my sig (ha, finally my laziness concerning sig change is rewarding me, hehehe )

I do admit that I don't like the ever-recurring use of the religious symbols and names anymore either -- even though I have an artistic reference to one of these symbols aswell for my avatar ... yet what else for a visual hint is there ... even the alien themes get old slowly, as well as the drug references (go to a party nowadays that has cheap visuals and you'll know why)... Dolmot's post up there sums it up really well to me. And I have been quite attracted by the symbols myself ... bashing them now feels kinda wrong. So it's fine after all that these features define this scene ... at least when they don't take the cheapest photoshop effects...

... so I will bring this topic up again. Over the last years, I have become more and more a fan of Anthony Rother. I enjoyed Popkiller II, by the way. But now I even like more and more tracks that I didn't like at first. The "Telekraft" album is pretty much great, even though it didn't really appeal to me at first. And there's more. And more. Also the ambient. And the livesets, amazing! And the new stuff. And now he's even back with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p2yEz78hJA Pure, perfect technical sound, depicting what I loved from the start: this peculiar critical mindset when depicting modern technical and computerized themes, even paired with philosophy. And all wrapped in this perfect sound. Perfect for city walks in the night. The album has been ordered already...

I am beginning to understand what you mean by "sad" ... it might be the same type of melancholy I feel when actually listening to ambient. The mentioned Oforia track doesn't give me that feeling ... but I'll state a track that does. Banco De Gaia - Not In My Name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fYT_DehQrI

Ever tried to get down into dark ambient, Radi? For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxlKnS79KlU The funny thing is, I can listen to quite a lot of the dark stuff and not get sad or anything, I even feel comfortable once I got used to the atmosphere ... but as soon as I listen to CBL or something like that, which is actually rather a beautiful sound (at least that's obviously what was intended), I get so sad, so incredibly sad. Can't listen to that anymore, it kills me.

The Prana Remix is really good. But if they really do just a remix album, I am a bit disappointed. I mean, people've been waiting for years until now and what do they get? Cold coffee, re-heated. To me it feels like when you're promised a really good restaurant meal and then they serve you re-heated microwave food from the supermarket -- sure it kills your hunger and complaining about it feels kind of "luxury complaining", but still, it's a bit of a let-down. I'm beginning to think maybe it's better to let Old School stay "old school"...

My preferred choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZCDtSyNsko If I were a little more adventurous (i.e. drunk ... which I likely would be), I might as well go with some Eat Static: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBc6hU--4fw

I'd say, definitely Hitech. That seems hideous to me ... I never thought I'd say this about any psy music, but I can't stand it. It is not even boring anymore, it just gets on my nerves. Hitech is even more annoying than this type of fullon that has a break every few seconds... I do have to say though, that it all has become shallower to me over time. I think this is just a sideeffect of listening to this genre for a long time. I try to compensate this by checking out more from other genres aswell ... that makes psy music stay fresher. It really works ... the price is, the scene's development now passes me by even more (not that I was informed much better before, but it still got worse )...

Your article is very nice, Radi, it really is! The bitching around for feedback is not so nice though ... please don't do that anymore. I hope you'll consider it. Anyway, I am surprised how well worded that text is ... it's quite eloquent german language while not overdoing it. Sorry to say, but being honest, to me you've always seemed to be a little off key, if I may say so. You know, not really the wisest person and such, a bit mentally deranged (I mean of the more concerning type) ... and not writing so eloquent in english. But that article really sets my perspective a bit differently, it is good. And I'd say it is better than anything that I could produce if I were to write one... So, very nice. But stop the whoring for feedback.

I miss the feeling of treasuring even little things ... an ice cream, a few hours of playing video games with friends or just watching sat TV cartoon shows with them (we didn't have sat TV)... But most of all, I miss the time. I had time for walks, bike rides and whatnot almost every day. And I saw my friends every day at school. Nowadays I don't even wanna go for a walk, no time during the day and at night there are too many bums and strange people around. I can't even watch a billboard anymore at 22:00 without being questioned by police what I am doing there (that really happened, I swear, no joke!). I live in the same area as I used to 20 years ago and I see it going down the drain, day after day even more. Makes me tired.

Just as someone from this forum once put it to me, expect an "exhibition" of the artist's work. The artist will present his/her work to you -- some (in some cases even most) of it may be released already, some of it may be known but rearranged stuff, some will be remixed and some will be new. Just like a painter's exhibition. Some of the works you may already know, some of them may be new. Except that in your case the creators themselves will be present and actively showing you their stuff by playing it to you... When I like an artist's music, I'd always go see him (or her) when they play. I don't matter whether they have released anything recently or not. Even if they had not released anything ... heck, why not go up to them after their set and ask? You really can do this in this scene (at least when there's not grumpy security holding you off -- I assume there won't be), as long as you keep polite and nice you won't have anything to fear ... and you'll never know the outcome if you don't go

Hey sir ... when we have you already here ... may I ask: did you take that "twinkle" sample out of BioShock? Sounds like it

It may be just me, but I file Son Kite under "artists that are gone". Like Mittelstandskinder Ohne Strom. It may be not quite the same because they continue as Minilogue ... and thanks for the mentioning by the way because their last album has passed me by ... but anyway. I would say Banco De Gaia ... he has been keeping it up ever since and he never got shitty. Then I would say Shiva Chandra. There are folks who don't like his stuff after the first or second album, but I would say he's been keeping it up pretty straight since then and the style is so uniquely cracking and has interestingly also in the newer days never lost its characteristic concept... Atmos also comes to mind. He may be around only since the '00s, but he's been keeping up excellent quality since then. Just like Solar Fields by the way, a mentioning that I can only second ... not around since that very long but exceptional ever since. Then maybe also Eat Static ... but it's been a while since they released something fresh. And then, oddly, I would also say Magnetrixx ... interestingly I would have filed him under the dead ones not long ago, but then I stumbled across his last single that was released on mp3 last year ... so this guy is still alive and kicking ... and I find the stuff really good, maybe I'll write something about it the other day... And non-psytrance there is Anthony Rother that first comes to mind. I haven't come across any output from him that was really bad. And the stuff that I didn't connect at first unveiled its beauty later... Frontline Assembly. Can't remember having heard any shit from them. Great industrial since ... forever. Other than that ... huh. Fluke is dead since years, also the sideprojects. Front 242 have made no fresh album since an eternity... I think I am getting old There's one more: Finntroll! Hehe...

You are lucky ... the times of great parties are decreasing for me too ... and I still need to see Eat Static (no doubt that that's going to be a blast though)...

That is increasingly true. I was, however, thinking in the direction of certain "full album" videos. I doubt many of them are officially supported. But anyway, I think the future of the scene will be even more openness to the digital world, meaning lots of stuff available for free. The money is not to be found in the CD (or pay-per-download) department anymore anyway, but rather in the live business (at least, if anywhere). Prices of festivals and parties might probably rise, but not only because of that. And is mycel really to blame for that? Maybe they'll also try to increase the physical release's attractiveness further through limitation and packaging with interesting artwork or other goods (like it's the case where they issue a "standard release" and a "limited edition"). I think they should ... I'd not be unhappy if the times of just having a CD and a two page booklet are traded for more attractive packaging -- that would also help the music (physical release) regain its status as a work of art ... I would even be happy if they brought vinyl back, I feel like vinyls were treated with more dignity...

Do you know they really pay for the releases? I remember the case with the S-Range album, years ago, that never got released on the market ... well, it got released over one of these warez groups. I doubt they were paying for this piece as it wasn't available anywhere. Labels usually give out some promos ... and these, I thought, then end up on the net under one of the aforementioned names. I doubt that they were paid for -- or well, at least most of them... In any way, even if they were paid or not, the moment you download one and don't own a copy by having bought it, you steal... Problem is, nowadays you don't even need these warez distributors anymore ... people upload it to youtube anyway. And it's still stealing. Yet I admit, I too listen to stuff on youtube. Earlier there was still the "barrier" to download the thing via p2p and such ... now most is just a click away. Bad times for labels. Fortunately the youtube stuff sometimes has poor quality, so there's at least one thing that you don't get.

I think the idea with the pre-party is actually a good one ... and in that context, I'd be for something such as next years' Ozora or anything like that. Let's see what it will turn out to be

well, happy birthday about your request with the account merge, I can't promise anything ... but drop me a PM and I'll see if I can do anything for you

It is a great idea. However, it depends if you want to call it "official" when in the end it might turn out just as a venue of "some members" because everybody might put in his own vote for a location convenient to him/her. I don't want to verbally put it down by any means, I just don't know if the word "official" should be so lightly used. It would be great to have a member gathering though. The last try for it failed, but it was many years ago ... I'm sure it's possible. But hey, I'm up for it any time! I am based in Austria, so a party in Vienna would be just right for me -- Vienna also lies relatively in central Europe, so it's good to reach from a variety of countries. Anyway, that's just more of the above, when I only propose my country for a location All that needs to be done is to cash in money for the location rent (if there is going to be one, but most likely everywhere there is going to be one, otherwise we are in danger of annoying the neighbours) from the people that will arrive beforehand. I said that in another thread already. Not even everybody must pay, just the rent needs to be covered ... and how it is sorted out then at the venue, we will see... I'm interested what others say about it.

Yep, the guy I know also uses an ecig of that mentioned type ... it's no cigarrette-lookalike, it's rather as big as a cigar... Also, Radi, there is one more possibility if you don't want to smoke your tobacco: you can sniff it. I just got around this again and dug out my snuff, it's already a year old or so, but seems as good as new to me, tastes the same like I bought it... It seems to be quite addictive though, at least for me, I must admit ... since I dug it out again, I always wanna take another nose ... so be careful. The one that I bought is called "Gletscher Prise" ... it's awesome. Almost too awesome. I want another nose now, really... Another thing is "Snus", the stuff from Sweden. Chewing tobacco. I tried that aswell already and I must say, I kinda liked it, but it's quite evil stuff ... first I swallowed the juice and got sick, since then I always have to spit when I take it, which makes it uncomfortable when around people who aren't your friends...

Pryda - The End That track was a real surprise for me. I liked it a lot ... and it also opened the gate to the world of Pryda - and with it, Eric Prydz - for me, I like him a lot ... even though his music is not psytrance, this track indeed is, at least as much as it gets Thanks to Lemmi, whom I remember to have mentioned this track here ... without that, I wouldn't know anything

Thanks for the explanation, I didn't know he died ... I also don't know what the banner exactly said, I only remember the word Hannemann ... but that explained it quite well...

If there ever would be a "gathering", I think the best would be a rented location ... a hall of some sorts, in a big town ... size depending on how many people come ... can also be just a room in a club or whatever, as long as psy music can be played... Money for the whole thing would have to be payed in advance by all (or at least almost all) participants so that nobody is left alone with big leftover costs if people don't come. That's just as a shot in the blue, whatever come of it. But that aside, I rather think it will be a small meet and greet if you ever came here...

Saw Slayer playing in summer and there they had the same thing with the Heineken logo. Must be their new thing. I don't get the joke though.

unplugged: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWYxHZ01c1w Wonder when this will show up in psy culture -- meaning, in tracks by people The first hang players are already out on the streets ... already saw one...