Twisted D*U*O

Thanks to all who supported my last mix, Ebb and Flow. The mix found its place on DI.fm and to this day, I still get lots of feedback on that mix. This time around, I decided to take it to another level but still dropping some great chilled-out beats. You can download it here: Twisted DUO presents: Cliff Notes I find my inspiration in the strangest places. For this one, I went to the Sunset Cliffs State Park in San Diego, California. After spending most of the afternoon there. I decided to record a set of ambient. One of the joys of going digital is the freedom of being able to play whenever I want, wherever I feel. Having all my music, my laptop, and even the controller readily available; I plugged in the gear to the car and played this set live through the car speakers. Not expecting much from the set, I brought it home to listen to. Turns out that it came out rather nice. But then again, I'll let you be the judge of that. Enjoy. Tracklist: The Black Ghosts - Full Moon (Marlow Remix) Carbon Based Lifeforms - Central Plains Biosphere - Path Leading to the High Grass Twisted DUO - Symphony Of The Planets (Version 2)* Aes Dana - Lysistrata (Album Edit) Antonio Testa - Sunset Bluetech - Swimming in a Feverdream Aerosol - Midnight Ride Down The Mental Freeway Wendy Carlos - A Clockwork Orange (Cosmic Journey Remix)* Moby - Mistake H.U.V.A. Network - Orientations part 2 (Ephemeride 15.43°) Björk - Hunter Solar Fields - Discovering Ambientium - Another World (Part 1) Shpongle - Invisible Man B.B. King - Blues Boys Tune For booking or more info: http://www.twistedduo.com or email: info@shivastudioslv.com

No, you're absolutely correct. I throw parties now and then and have organized several lineups. I'm all about the energy and the buildup. It's about that rollercoaster ride that psytrance gives us. I just think that psytrance as a whole incorporates so many sounds in it that pigeon-holing it into a specific realm is defeating the purpose. "I play, proggy-tech-trance." Psytrance was never about the ego, it's about the inner psyche. But somehow the ego made it's way there. And that's where I think all this sub-sub-sub-classifying is going. Just crank out good music. No need to complicate it more than it already is. I'm reminded of a Juno Reactor record I bought over a decade ago. The b-side had a drum-and-bass track on it!!! Goa Trance Masters, Juno Reactor used to make DnB. Talk about not giving a shit and just making music.

I have seen them recently. They definitely still got it and you're right. It's not the same cloned out crap that's out there. But I think that's because the cloned stuff is just that. A facsimile of the real thing. Then while everyone is trying to be "new and improved" and trying to be their own person, it also kills it. You come out with half-assed protoplasm that just oozes with garbage. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

Noticed you only got two morning sets left? So it's an old school theme you're going for here? If so, are you down for some older psychedelic breaks and ambient for the final daytime slot?

The Playa remix was good. But I voted for the Aes Dana remix and Etnica's Y2K Remix (oh how I miss Etnica)...

All I was stating is that when they started to try to compete with more mainstream acts *cough*Infected Mushroom*cough* that is when their troubles arose. Whether it's an identity crisis, creative energy flow, or simple legalities. When you take on an underground mentality, you don't worry about that sort of thing. You just create, perform, and put out music. Astral Projection is already well enough known that if they continue to put out good music, they will be supported by others. It's undoubtedly common knowledge that their best music came from them while they were on their own label, Trust in Trance. It wasn't until they were getting locked up with Phonokol (and other mainstream labels) that their issues and quality became a factor. So by going underground, I mean take it back. Do a reload and start creating great music again. Face the challenges by eliminating the setbacks.

So I realized that this whole South African/Twilight Psy thing is growing. Don't get me wrong, I like it. Hell, I play it. In fact, it's a nice evolution of full-on that brings the complex layers of dark with the bouncy dancefloor friendliness of Israeli Full-On. But I'm wondering why it is that people always have to classify things in order to validate themselves? I mean, I've played "Twilight" psy at 2am and it's gone over great. I've mixed Full-On with Dark and it progresses well. In all honesty, I've tried narrowing down a set to one element and it's become rather trite. I like to switch genres around and intermingle them. And do it quite successfully. A good dj doesn't play a certain style, he/she plays the dancefloor. They play the energy of the timeslot and room. And the great part is that this energy can change in a moments notice. There are many tracks that play with people's emotions like this (Simon Posford is great for this wide range). Anyway, maybe I'm just getting older. Maybe I was schooled by the likes of guys like Goa Gil and Raja Ram who would drop punk rock, techno, psytrance, and even country. I remember Goa Gil two years ago for his birthday threw down Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places in the set. It was nuts!! But it went off. People were singing along, raising their smokes, drinks, whatever and then he went right into dancing to an aggressive beat. This isn't a topic about which is better. They all have their merits. It just reminds me about the whole "progressive" conjunctive that is placed on much music (including psytrance). I realize that in a sea of music and artists and djs that people want to be "known" for something. But pigeonholing isn't the answer. As a dj, I play psytrance and house music, but I've played just about everything. Even in my sets, I'm not afraid to drop an industrial track (last week I dropped some Combichrist during a psytrance set, people went nuts!). You can't pigeonhole that kind of thing. Psytrance is so layered in production that calling it anything specific really defeats the purpose.

I think your statement answers itself. If people can (and do dance to it) then it could be considered dance music. You put breaks, minimal, and even techno in the categories. You even put experimental (which I registered as IDM or Leftfield). All of which are vastly different than psychedelic trance. Yet you leave out Dub, Ambient, and Downtempo. You intertwine the other genres in which there is very little relation to psytrance but leave out it's parent genres. All I'm saying is that if this is a poll about "trance music" (aside from Goa - as stated), then you should be open for opinions of ALL STYLES of trance. Otherwise you have a poll specifically about psytrance and if this is the case, then the a fore mentioned styles (techno, minimal, breaks) should be left out. As for South African/Twilight Psy (in which you gave a voting power for)... This is a sub-genre of full-on.

I'm with you Skyclan. In the quest to be liked and to spread their vision many have lost track of the reason why they do it. They'll tell you that they are doing it for the love. But what is it that they love? I don't mind mixed lineups. I celebrate diversity. That being said, I just get tired of the same people doing the same thing with the same bunch of djs that play on their lineups every weekend. LiB is going to be a fun gathering for sure!!! In regards to the OP - Here's a list of a few psytrance djs from SoCal that I know that are down to play. There's others, but these are guys I've worked with before and are down to earth. Twisted DUO (shameless plug) Kahn Monks of Madness (Arahat & Bodhi 13:20) Deli-Fi Psystem Atomic Buddha Halinsfist Atomic Buddha

The purpose of the "Limited Edition" as a solo release is to either test market the release or to provide some value to it by making it a rare release. In an age of digital distribution and an abundance of music sharing and trading, not to mention the excess of music production, the shelf life of dance music is VERY short. By limiting the music in it's initial release, you limit who gets it first. Thus you create a demand. Think about it, you want that track but can't get it, right? That's longevity. So you'll probably search high and low for somebody who has it to share or selling their copy. From the standpoint of limiting a release as a test press, this is something that has been going on for as long as the dj as been around. Maybe the track is in the developmental stages and the artist wants to see what kind of reaction they get from it. For a decade now, I've been part of a record pool (now digital pool) that many tracks, in their original form never get released. Think of it as the "white label" theory of vinyl. But in today's market, you can't put out a track without labeling it. A blank CD in the record store gets overlooked. A track named: PSYTRANCE in the digital pool often gets passed by.

I have to agree with this. With all the pressure to put out the new album (from fans and likely the label, too!). I'm guessing that it will be the same generic electro-progressive sound that is being regurgitated by every other artist these days. I enjoyed the Music for Robots EP, it seemed to have a nice balance of energy and trippiness. But it didn't have the staying power that other tracks of theirs do. Not sure what it's missing but after playing it a few times, I just get tired of it. I guess that's formulaic engineering for you. Go for the quick sell and appease the masses. My suggestion is that they simply go underground again. Go back to the old school way of doing things. To hell with lawyers and clearing samples and just record. Self-release and self-promote. They're Astral Projection for heaven's sake!!! It's not like they NEED to deal with the middleman. Forget huge arenas and go for the festivals and gatherings where their true fanbase is. Keep on inspiring by showing people that you can appeal to others AND stay underground.

I used M-Audio Torq for the longest and have recently switched to Traktor. Both of which easily linked up with my iTunes storage. Torq even read my iPod, meaning that I could use my iPod not only as a personal player but as a pocket drive. I also use Mixed In Key to get the BPM/Keynotes. It's all around efficient for storing, tagging, and sorting. Not to mention that I can tag tracks with *new* or release dates so I know what's my freshest tracks or what's a bootleg. I beg to differ. NOT all media players support FLAC out of the box. You usually have to purchase/acquire another codec. And if you want to listen on a portable media player (which I do pretty much exclusively). Then you're completely out of luck. That's not to say that I don't like it. In fact, I think it's great!! Compact file size and lossless quality is the audiophile's wet dream. But until I can universally use FLAC, then I must have to say that it's inefficient and inconvenient. And therefore, FLAC is useless to me. I can listen to a 320kbps .mp3 anywhere.

I'm a Windows/PC guy. I don't like that iTunes is part of the proprietary, "all-or-nothing" setup that is Apple. But I do enjoy the ability to create smart lists, and how it allows me to easily tag and file my music. I also enjoy that all my dj software programs read those lists. As for FLAC. I like the quality. But don't like that I can't tag the files nor do I like that very few media players or software programs recognize it. So, I use 320kbps .mp3 files.

Definitely been fond of Wizack Twizack for awhile now. I'd love to do some remixing/editing if you're so inclined. Hit me up: dallas@shivastudioslv.com Peace, love, and kick drums.... =D

Artistic and psychedelic culture in America as a whole will ALWAYS pale in comparison to other countries. It's about economics and marketing in America. Capitalism has developed a money culture in which if something isn't packaged nicely, advertised properly, and shipped for mass consumption then it's deemed worthless. It's all very profit oriented. And if there's no profit involved, then there had better be some prestige (15 minutes of fame). Other cultures tend to put more value on culture and purpose. They tend to value the longevity of passing down ideals and framework towards something ongoing rather than the immediate need for pleasures. Places like the UK have legislation for things like the "Rave Act" here in the US. They also have similar penalties for drugs. But for some reason, the culture thrives in places like this way better than in the States.

Awesome, thanks!!!! I'll be coming out with another psychill mix very soon. Been really busy with my psytrance and house projects lately!!!

I don't know... Dancing Galaxy was indeed their benchmark album and most well received. Which is why I say stick with it. I absolutely loathe when an artist completely changes up just to sell records. Do what you do well and stick with it. Everything rotates in cycles. There's gonna be a time when the "rivet-head" sound of 150 BPM psytrance will be the taste of a selected few and 135 BPM trance music will become the flavor. So stick with what you do well and actually be a "pioneer" rather than go with the trends.

I agree Aeros that Moontribe does set the standard. I just miss the days when it was just a bunch of Tribers and groovers getting together. Good for them and their success, they deserve it and have put alot of hard work in over the years. I just like things more psychedelic and more intimate - ya know? And I wouldn't necessarily call Gemini a SoCal thing. Although, it will be very fun... If you're looking for something FREE and a much tighter vibe for June 25-27... Hit me up. FREE weekend FREEBIE in the desert.

I couldn't agree more, Procyon. I think AP should stick to making great Goa/Psytrance. Maybe if they wanted to go a more abstract way and explore new sounds, some nice psybient!!!... All I was stating is that in comparing to Infected Mushroom, whom changed sounds and found a much broader audience (and an insane amount of bookings/record sales), it would make sense for AP to follow that model. But hopefully, they still have their integrity and they don't sell out like IM did. As for Depeche Mode... They're my all-time faves. My first concert ever was at the Rose Bowl for the Music for the Masses tour in 1988. The same in which they did the 101 Documentary and live album for. It was a pinnacle moment for me musically.

d2kx speaks the truth here... But since it's been brought up, would you blame them for going this route? Look at the "success" of Infected Mushroom over the past couple years. Up to about 2006, seeing Infected play live in the states took a miracle from the Goa Gods. But then they changed their sound and now are marketed as the "ambassadors" of psytrance. Even though what they play now isn't "psytrance." Yah they sold out on their core fanbase, but now they're playing arena raves at $50 a ticket and headlining commercialized festivals (like Coachella for three years straight). After seeing the "success" of this marketing plan, it makes sense that Astral Projection would want a piece of it. But I digress... This is a SIDE PROJECT not the evolution of Astral Projection. Oh... and I like 1984 Depeche Mode (much more than the newer stuff).

I've had many discussions with many different individuals about many types of music. I try not to limit myself to any one type of music as it is a universal language that envokes emotion, preference, and even a good debate. Music in a unifier and (in my belief) a catalyst to peace. In one of my discussions, we discussed the definition of a "classic". And there are as many definitions as there are ideas (which is what makes it a good conversation piece). My definition of a "classic" track is this... For me, a classic track or song is a song that leaves a lasting impression on me. It's piece of music that I can listen to over and over again and still get the same feeling that I got the first time I heard it. It's something that I don't mind hearing over and over again and even if sounds dated (due to recording or production), I can still get something from it.

-How do you feel when you listen to psytrance? Depends on what's playing. I prefer melodies and flowing sounds, so I like to get blissful when listening to music. If you close your eyes, what do you see? I'm a music conductor (as in orchestration), so I tend to see notes flowing around me. I've been caught a few times with my eyes closed and entranced while (literally) conducting the orchestra in my mind. -What makes Psytrance so unique? What's the best thing about it? I find psytrance to be music that you can easily lose yourself in your own head or be motivated to dance 'til it hurts. I can listen to a track or mix and be in the mindset to just chill out and be lost in my own transcendental universe. Other times, while listen to the same track or mix, I simply just go bonkers and dance around wildly. I like the (most) psytrance will allow you to find your bliss in either direction.

Here's video for you.. Footage is from the last Destination Unknown. http://www.facebook.com/v/1356880930179