Trance2MoveU

Damnit I listened to it again! Ok don't beat yourself up over it. Dude you're not even touching...are you smiling? And wouldn't you know it, Wicked from Damage is here too! Methinks the Psionic series recycles tracks. Was there a shortage of music you coulda used back then? Why the f*ck am I listening to this again? It's not like I don't have hundreds of albums that I've yet to get through on my computer. Perhaps trying it with an open ear. Nope, still sh*tty.

"You understand that our time is limited, don't you?" Not limited enough I'm afraid. Another entry in the Psionic series and what the... Is that...? There is Highest Party again. On another of your compilations. In the same year. Nah, f*ck that, within 6 months. Shenanigans! This came out before Psionic Tales and puts the lighter stuff in the beginning before getting dark. It's pretty noisy to be honest. Few good ones. Like I've said before, Highest Party isn't bad (pretty good actually), but Corrosion shows why Chris Hoy will always be a legendary bad-ass. Kluster's track ended up pretty good once you get through all the weirdness. Once thing I will say about Dark Nebula. I always loved the robotic or science fiction themes in Richard's music. Unfortunately I have never felt that his execution was that great so I'm usually disappointed with his tracks. Weird.

Artist: Various Title: Psionic Tales Label: Digital Psionics Date: October, 2005 1. Kluster - No Doubt (Rmx) 2. Fripic Bounce - Inflated Troll 3. Frequency Deluxe - Our DNA 4. Rastaliens - System Shock Rmx 5. Bon - Problem Child Rmx 6. Xatrik - Specific Procedure 7. Damage - Wicked 8. CPU & Skazi - Highest Party 9. Space Tribe Vs. Psywalker - Twitch 10. Scatterbrain - Hex 11. Dark Nebula - Firefighter "Welcome to the highest party in the world!" The label identified by the kissing door knocker was already 6 albums deep into their Psionic series by the time this came out in 2005. This compilation tries to have it all by combining lighter and darker tracks, some with identifiable melodies and some just good old fashioned pounding psychedelia. Inflated Troll by Fripic Bounce destroys while hanging onto its goa roots while Our DNA and System Shock Rmx blend together for some sick psychedelic madness. Specific Procedure is futuristic mayhem as is Damage's Wicked, but the bass is pitched too high for me and the lead is too screechy. Side note, I never realized Skazi was an actual person. Thought is was just a ghost story used to frighten children. His thumping and acid laden team-up with CPU wasn't half bad and then Twitch had its moments. The final two were just noisy nonsense and not very interesting. I was listening to this during my workout and it's partially mixed so oftentimes I didn't even notice when the track changed. But sometimes the mixing wasn't done that well and it was impossible to not notice. Minor quibble. Not a bad compilation considering when it was released. Psyshop

Artist: Various Title: Unstoppable Remixes Label: Mechanik Records Date: October, 2014 1. Unstoppable (Shameless Remix) 2. Unstoppable (Outer Signal Remix) 3. Unstoppable (Brain Attack Remix) 4. Unstoppable (Resonanz3 Remix) 5. Cosmic Connection (Abomination Remix) Let me stop you right there. I like the Deliriant project, always have. Their aggressive, dark and melodic style was a staple for years showing the kids how it was done. Normally I don't review remix albums where it's just one track being remixed because I don't believe the artists truly understand what a remix is. For God's sake too many treat it like a f*cking copy machine. If you're going to do it make it your own. And maybe some did a bit of that. But you don't have to make it stop and start annoying do you? Most of the tracks are just inferior variations of the original, but the Resonanz3 remix was I think better. Pure power and acidic mayhem. The final track is pretty good stuff too, but nothing groundbreaking. So a couple of tracks are worth it, but hardly something you have to have. Juno Download

Artist: Digitnick Title: Virtualizer EP Label: Liquid Seed Recordings Date: January, 2015 01 - One Mantra (Digitnick Remix) (140 BPM) 02 - The Dark Passenger (142 BPM) 03 - Overview (144 BPM) 04 - Virtualizer Off (143 BPM) Is droning full-on a thing? Cause that's what this is. There are long stretches where nothing happens. Kind of a progressive vibe with psychedelic touches, but the execution falls flat. The basslines aren't very interesting and the whole ep is low on the dynamic side of things. Super linear. Pass. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Cryomatter Title: Cryomatter Label: Ektoplazm Date: November, 2016 01 - Cryomatter - Intro (150 BPM) 02 - Cryomatter - The Collapse Of Time (150 BPM) 03 - Cybernetika - Physical Limit (135 BPM) 04 - Cybernetika - Chrono Wave (143 BPM) 05 - Cryomatter - Lunar Maze (124 BPM) 06 - Cryomatter - Reassembly (182 BPM) 07 - Xenofish - Shifted Machines (190 BPM) 08 - Xenofish - Twisted Horizon (170 BPM) 09 - Cryomatter - Cold Dark Matter (175 BPM) 10 - Cryomatter - Conversion (200 BPM) 11 - Cryomatter - Decaying Timelines (100 BPM) 12 - Cryomatter - Azure Particles (138 BPM) 13 - Cryomatter - 7-Dimensional Stasis (170 BPM) If you're a fan of science fiction themed psytrance then you know who these guys are. Cybernetika (Lars Goosens) and Xenofish (Christian Becker) have pooled their considerable talents in a Reese's Peanut Butter cup team-up that should have people salivating. Dark and cold foreshadowing a futuristic dystopia the music is Blade Runner on steroids. It begins lightly, but it doesn't last. With mind bending bpms they unleash a percussive onslaught that at times pushes me to my limits. 200 bpms? That's damn near face melting levels! Both of these guys have been quite prodigious when it comes to this type of music, but I can't help but feel that we didn't get the best they had to offer. The music (while superb in places) felt like b-side stuff without much cohesion. It's relentless pounding with a frenetic pace that gets really heavy. Think...thrash metal drum n bass. Even when the tracks weren't punishing (Chrono Wave) it wasn't that interesting. The best bits for me were the short dark-ambient interludes as they contained the most emotion. Tracks like Decaying Timelines. So while I appreciate both artists, I came away from this disappointed feeling an opportunity was missed. Now...a dark ambient album from these two...that's something I would certainly pay for. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Oliveira Title: Stellar Communication EP Label: Troll n Roll Records Date: January, 2016 01 - Oliveira vs Varanta - Stellar Communication (137 BPM) 02 - Oliveira - Hypnosis (146 BPM) 03 - Toxic Anger Syndrome - Trollskogen (Oliveira Remix) (149 BPM) I was initially drawn to this ep because of the beautiful cover. Very vivid and dreamy. Oliveira is from Sweden and this ep is described as psychedelic Scandinavian trance. All three tracks are indeed very psychedelic and on the light side. Please realize just because I said light doesn't mean simple or non-complex. They are all very lush and detailed. Stellar Communication bounces deftly through space remaining interesting throughout. Hypnosis is deep with effects and outer space sounds even if the tune itself isn't that memorable. The Trollskogen remix had a foresty vibe in it while not being forest trance. Not bad, but too much speaking kinda took some enjoyment away. BTW none of these tracks had any particular goa flavor despite the label. Decent ep with the title track being the star for me. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: Aquya Title: Liquid Touch EP Label: Tarapita Sounds Date: June, 2016 01 - Liquid Touch (139 BPM) 02 - Haunted Forest (140 BPM) 03 - Unreal (130 BPM) 04 - Feeling Sleepy (138 BPM) I haven't been reviewing stuff I've collected from Ektoplazm for awhile so I thought I'd change that. Aquya is from Estonia which I think is near the New Jersey turnpike. The blurb says he used to produce house and trance, but was lured to psy by attending parties "and states of mind." That last bit could not have been any clearer. The first track is a great exercise in 303 placement, with more squealing than that movie Uncle Ned was watching at Thanksgiving. Haunted Forest wasn't anything of the sort, but just some quality light goa. Unreal had a little too much real ordinary progressive and personally I don't believe you should call one of your tracks Feeling Sleepy if there isn't much going on. So all in all a decent little ep with gentle goa sounds at a more or less progressive tempo. Aside from the first track it's pretty much forgettable. Free at Ektoplazm

Artist: PsySutra Title: Nebulla Cebulla EP Label: Neogoa Records Date: December, 2016 01 - PsySutra - Infinnitus Anniversarius 02 - PsySutra - Semper Fi 03 - Artha - Insidelamp (PsySutra Remix) 04 - PsySutra - Air Trance Corporation (Red Sun Rising Remix) PsySutra is Łukasz Wiącek and with this 4 track digital EP he appears to be flexing his creative muscles. Like you I was expecting music in the vein of his recent release Gamma Phoenicis, but this is most certainly not that. Neogoa's final release for 2016 is quite interesting and at least for me wholly unexpected. For starters the cover looks like half an onion floating through space. Is it just me? Not my favorite work by Ivan, but if the music is good he could put a Campbell's soup can up there and I wouldn't care. And it is. Infinnitus Anniversarius- Pretty good psychedelic opener. The second half really kicks the door in. Semper Fi- is almost 11 and a half minutes of aggressive goa trance. Throaty 303s growl fiercely and he adds some Posford-esque chopped vocals and it just pounds all the way through. Insidelamp (PsySutra Remix)- This was one of the Artha tracks I really liked and Lukasz went and turned it into a smooth downtempo track. The lead flutters overhead while down below the slow dub beat plods on. Sparkle fresh. Then the breakbeat picks up the pace for a bit before settling in for the final chill. Air Trance Corporation (Red Sun Rising Remix) has floating, ethereal pads as the machine gun bass line marches in a progressive tempo. Can get lost in this one. While it's not my favorite, it's not a bad ep at all and shows the artist stretching his talent to other areas while still showing he can cause some goa earthquakes. Ektoplazm

Artist: Skizologic & Tsuyoshi Suzuki Title: Cosmic Creativity EP Label: HOMmega Productions Date: October, 2016 1. Cosmic Creativity 2. Tekno Tribe "I was invited to a party where I was given LSD...for the first time." Zion 604 has been a label steeped in quality with releases like Robotized, 12 Dimensions from Radical Distortion, Green Room by Deviant Electronics and the super compilation Flight 604 II. I hadn't really paid much attention to the digital side of the label, but for 3 bucks I decided to give it a whirl. Surprisingly this was released by HOMmega. Not a bad thing, just a bit of a shock. I'm more used to them releasing eye rolling full-on than goa. Only two tracks here, and for me the first one is the clear winner. It's pumping and bubbly and takes its time to evolve with nice lows and some piercing highs. All the while maintaining its swagger. Tekno Tribe was ok, but didn't have the gravitas I was looking for. Beatport

Artist: Imba Title: First Encounter Label: Suntrip Records Date: December, 2016 1. Imba & 303 Trancers 2. Hidden Paradise 3. Cosmos In Her Eyes 4. First Encounter 5. Blacklight Beings 6. Creature of Heaven 7. Imba & Ephedra - Digital Non-Sense 8. Lydia Delay - After All (Imba Remix) 9. Rising Sun "At that moment, I looked into her eyes and saw...eternity." Great, now I don't know where to stare! Yes I do. Antic's review had so many spot on points (bass lines, dynamism, etc.) that there isn't much to add. Our boy does love aliens and this is surely cosmic melodic alien goa trance. Anyone else feel like it's our younger brother growing up before our eyes? The science fiction vibe permeates the entrie album which makes sense because like I said he loves him some aliens. Like Richpa mentioned this album sounds exactly like you'd expect it to sound based on his previous works. Melodies and 4 on the floor trancey dance music. So while not surprising and hardly revolutionary, it's enjoyable for what it is. I didn't hear many empty moments and was particularly impressed with the sounds and emotions elucidated when the kick was absent. His breaks felt very organic and his sample game is on point. Fair to say that he's on the right track and just needs to expand the dynamic range (depth) in his music as well as work on his bass line variation. I liked the cover also. One does want a hint of color, yes? Suntrip Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Various Title: Goa Trance Revolution 2: Retrofuturism Label: Goa Trance Music Date: December, 2016 1. MK Ultra - Shivarathri 2. Athena - 20 Seconds 3. Spirit Dance - Telemetry 4. Indoor - Bom Shankar (Original 1995 DAT Version) 5. Shakta - Lepton Head (Veasna Remix) 6. Proxeeus - Tyca Tyca 7. Denshi Danshi - Leave The World Behind 8. Ephedra - Disappearing Dreams 9. Clementz - Circles I'm a little uncomfortable with German youth getting this excited. Hype. As long as people have been selling something, there has been hype. And you have to otherwise the masses won't know how great your product is. So many incredible inventions have simply ceased to exist because they didn't have a Flavor-Flav type hype man telling you how everyone is getting their product and if you don't then you'll be the only loser relegated to a lonely life in your cat urine stained one room apartment. Por ejemplo: "What the f*ck? Sheep sold separately? What a rip-off." So yeah hype is aggressive marketing. Our little music scene is no different. The labels have to get the word out otherwise they're gonna be left with a lot of backstock in mommy's basement. Which is why this compilation was so refreshing. Goa Trance Music isn't a label that releases a lot, but when they do you can rely on its quality. I don't recall a sh*tload of advertising here and the only reason I know about it is because of the forum here. Word of mouth is the best advertising they say so maybe those fine folks are on to something because this album is awesome. Like the previous version, this is a mix of old hard to find goa trance as well as some of today's artists. The older ones I had never heard of and they absolutely rip. Shivarathri is a blistering opener and Spirit Dance has that beach vibe that sweeps you up and carries you all the way through. So bouncy and melodic. You also get the full version of Indoor's Bom Shankar and while the track is fine it's the long break where its worth can be found. Bee-yoo-tiful. Throw in a very old track from Athena (Miranda) and it's like it's 1995 all over again. The new guys don't disappoint either with an impressive remix of Lepton Head. Proxeeus goes full India on Tyca Tyca and doesn't forget to bring his screeching 303. I'm uncertain whether the Denshi Danshi track is new or an old one, yet it is quite involved. Great to hear. The only track that didn't knock me over was Ephedra's Disappearing Dreams. Hands down the most mellow thing I have ever heard from him. The class of the new guys though has to be the closer Circles by Clementz. Where the hell did this guy come from? What a track! Intense and old school to the bone this is X-Dream reincarnated. So bottom line, this has to be one of the best compilations of 2016. No filler to be found with great mastering by the one and only Tim Schuldt. The artwork is retro also supplied by our good friend Ivan Richpa. Thumbs way up. Goa Trance Bandcamp

I find the amount of hyperbole in this thread...disturbing. All right, I'll be the guy. The Artha bunnies came out in force for this and would have you believe goa Jesus had fired up the Cubase. With respect to the artist, this is his 2nd album that didn't come close to the quality of his Fluori Dolby EP. There are some great moments here like the 2nd half of El Es Di, Dream Telepathy is pumping and interesting, and of course the live version of Mahabharta is a f*cking classic. The whole thing sounds fine to my ears and the artwork is very attractive. but... A Way to Target is triplet nonsense with Hallucinogen-lite aural affects while Theory of the Ghost is repetitive full-on filler. Secret Trip devolved into more of that empty full-on and could've been so much more. And I agree, the vocal sample absolutely crushed any chance of me liking it. The mediocre downtempo closing track? Fantastically unremarkable. Even the tracks that I liked mentioned above didn't blow me away. If you love Artha then this is of course for you, but this is hardly groundbreaking. The annals of goa trance haven't been re-written and I've just come to the conclusion that his style isn't for me. Someone mentioned that he's a guy that has a couple of great tracks surrounded by just good stuff. If it sounds like I'm being overly critical, it's because he's shown that he is capable of fantastic music yet never realizes his potential in his quest to sound "different" or "edgy." I bought it because I like Cronomi, I want to support the scene, and I have a collection problem. It's a good album, but top 5? This doesn't even make my top 20.

"What the f*ck is going on?" Let's see, if I didn't think Eye To Eye aged well, what chance does this have? Same as Mark Hammil. May the fudge be with you! I remember years ago liking the opening track, but listening to it now is just boring. And I think every time IM sings a baby blows out a diaper. And what's with the f*cking cat sound on Artcore? Then of course what's cheese laden full-on without the guitar and cringeworthy samples? I give you On Fire. Taking of the nostalgia glasses I see this as just another entry into the sea of full-on nuclear waste that was a hallmark of the mid 2000's. Yeah there are some good melodies, but having to wade through copious amount of toxic sludge to get to those melodies does not make for an enjoyable listening experience. All right, I'll give you Techno Windows. I see a lot of folks talking about the production and they're right it sounds wonderful. But at the end of the day you still just polished a turd. Sorry Boromir, Astrix did.

Artist: Masa Title: Son Ov A Seed Label: Hypnodisk Date: November, 2015 You may have noticed that I didn't provide the track list. Well, I had to listen to this nonsense so I felt that actually typing the titles would send me into a post-Vietnam PTSD rage that some of you might not survive. There are 19 tracks and I'm sure that I said "What in the unholy f*ck?" at least that many. Masa is Masayuki Kurihara from Japan and he's been around a looong while. You might recall his album Inside from 1996. I don't, but you might. He's had some tracks that I liked on some compilations, but this... First off it's broken up into two discs and contains stuff done as Masa and his alias X-Tron. A few of the tracks are previously released, but put out again as live versions. It's got that gritty, raw feeling to it that sometimes veers into pretty noisy territory. This feels like a collection of tracks scooped up from the cutting room floor that weren't able to make any album cuts. And there's no mystery here. Straight ahead all the way. It's not all turds and kidney stones though as tracks like Nu Experience and Master & Margarita (Live At Rainbow 2000 '96) bounces nicely with some twisting layers. But over 20 bucks for maybe two tracks I'd really enjoy? Hypnodisk Bandcamp

Artist: Hydraglyph Title: Kinetic Label: Sanskara Records Date: 2006 1. Kinetic 2. Retroactive 3. Hi Fidelity (Remix) 4. Sonica 5. User Friendly 6. Networks Solutions 7. Dude, Where's My Dignity? 8. Electric Feed 9. Condition Black (Remix) 10. Shade "It makes you wonder doesn't it?" Ah, this project is missed. I don't believe they're even making music any longer. They were part of that mid-2000's crew that made South African night time psytrance that was relentless. This was their debut on a label that they started before they became staples on Nexus Media and Timecode. Dark and melodic was the name of the game and they were pretty good at it. This album showcases some of their talent, but certainly wasn't their best work. There is f*ckton of generic full-on here, but they found their groove later on. My favorite was the Condition Black (Remix). Still sounds great today. Here are a few bullets: Kinetic- This was a really good opener and had my hopes up. Unfortunately you can catch a nap for awhile after this. A long one. Retroactive- There is nothing redeeming about this full-on pablum. Hi Fidelity (Remix)- This is like Tiger Wood hitting from the ladies tees. You guys can do better. Sonica- No. Just, no. User Friendly- Had some moments, but it had just too much mediocre in it. Network Solutions- Meh. Dude, Where's My Dignity - Meh Part Deux: The Yawning. Electric Feed - Bass is too loud and too out front. Unlistenable. I'll stick with the original from NIN. Condition Black Remix - good metal guitar crunch and the best one here. It's not even close. Shade- A nice dark industrial ambient closer. Good, but needed to evolve more.

*Whew!* Power, aggressive, melodic...this album is goa trance napalm even if the tracks sound very similar. And they do. He's not trying to weave an elaborate tale or mix genres. He's coming out swinging like a boxing octopus. And if your face just happens to be in the way then so be it. This is the hulk in full beast mode until the final two tracks when he turns back into Dr. Banner to sleep it off. One thing that I always wondered...how come he never shredded his pants into bits when he transformed? Am I to believe that everything but his junk grew? And who the f*ck wears purple pants anyway?

Artist: Crossing Mind Title: Beyond Duality Label: Suntrip Records Date: November, 2016 01. Cyclotron 02. The Foolish Mind 03. No Hazardous Materials Signs 04. Hypnotropic (2016 Remix) 05. Alpha Centauri 06. No Event Horizon 07. PsyKo-Mind-Porteur 08. Life Forms I think we are getting off track here and feel that if we're not discussing the album at hand it does a disservice to the artist. All the things mentioned in the last few posts are important and deserve to be discussed in a thread in the the general forum. Now... The latest effort from Stéphane Bèze is quite interesting. This guy is one of the cornerstones of the genre consistently putting out quality goa trance be it from albums or compilations. He's got a distinct sound and with Beyond Duality you can hear it right away. I would also say that his sound is more mature with some tighter production. With mastering by Tim Schuldt the sound is spectacular and his drifting melodies are on full display. Many layers are present, but it's not without its problems. Beginning from the rambling opener that doesn't seem to have any direction. You could come in at any point of the track and you wouldn't miss anything. He's back on track with The Foolish Mind and it's liquid and discordant melodies. No Hazardous Materials is replete with dueling melodies and I like it, but it's kind of...soft. Which is a recurring theme of the album. Perhaps a moody drifting track destined for pensive thought. The 2016 remix of Hypnotropic is a worthy bombastic successor and the type of Crossing Mind music I love. Certainly the jewel of the album. Alpha Centauri Life Forms, and No Event Horizon take a different approach deviating from the normative goa paradigm. They're trancey and spacey with squeaky, twisted melodies. The closer is a downright positive, bouncy melodic trance track. If I had to sum up this album I would say that it was super melodic and sounded great with different ideas. Flexing his creative muscles. His signature sound is intact and instantly recognizable, but he pushed his music towards different avenues. The changes in direction are seamless and well appreciated as I often found myself in a dreamy state. The constructive criticism I would lay at his feet was that it was too soft. Gentle. Goa is best when it is edgy (at least for me) and the corners here seemed to be rounded off. I realize that the trope of "needs repeated listens" is overused, but I think it works here. The first several times I listened to it the problems were front and center while the many parts that make it enjoyable were in the background. Dedicate some time and allow yourself to be carried away. Suntrip Psyshop Beatspace

Artist: Negans Title: Danse Macabre EP Label: Neogoa Date: October, 2016 1. Midori 2. Into Asylum 3. Life On Earth 4. Danse Macabre "Holy sh*t it's walking upright! Get the camera! Get the f*cking camera!" It's tough to stand out in a crowd. Mostly. We all crave acceptance even when we have something different to offer. Goa trance has reached the saturation point (some would argue that this happened years ago) where the music has become homogenized. Perhaps there's no place left to go? Well, certainly the minds at Neogoa don't believe that as evidenced from their past releases. This is also along those lines. Negans is Elie Seigneur and with his debut EP he has created something...hmmm. I dunno. Part goa of course, psytrance, and it certainly has a dark vibe. But I can't put it in a box and that terrifies the OCD gremlin inside me. She is so evil. You should see her go batsh*t crazy at a public bathroom when mouth breathing knuckle draggers don't wash their hands. So. Much. F-word. Back on topic, the ultimate test of music of course is whether it moves you and if it did and you liked the way you moved, do you want to hear it again. And I just don't know where I am with this. The sound is great (Igor Ceranic) as well as the artwork, but none of the tracks blew me away like the final two from The World Beyond did. That might be false equivalence as those last two tracks were some of the best goa trance I've ever heard. There are aspects in all four of the tracks that were quite appealing, but the sum hasn't put me over the top yet. I do know that each time I give it a listen I end up liking it more and more. So more spins it is! A nice, even number. My gremlin demands it. Must...keep it...under....control!!! Holy sh*t I hope no one has a seizure from this! Neogoa Bandcamp Ektoplazm

Whoa. I'm not a darkpsy type of guy, but I know talent and quality music when I hear it. This is a thumping spacewalk through a nightmare with layers of despair and hallucination. Effects and sounds from all corners of the galaxy (I agree with Longloststar that this is more about outer space than a terrestrial forest) with a bubbling electricity. Oh the bubbling on tracks like Binary Pulsars is simply delicious and sounds like the very fabric of time is being shredded. Like a West Virginian on the Learning Channel it's heavy. Punishing even. And there is zero respite. None, just straight ahead darkness crammed down your throat. The one drawback is that a whole album of this is a lot to take when every track has similar sounds. Off topic, but how in the snap, crackle, pop would you dance to this? Not to sound like I'm pairing wine with your darkpsy meal, but this goes well with Kiriyama's Reach Escape Velocity, Gappeq's Made of Clay, and Ianuauria's Beware of the Fish. This is night time music, when all the lights are out, it's cold and you're all alone. Grab those headphones and be transported to cosmic horror. Bon apetit!

Wrote that 8 years ago and just gave it a fresh listen. Long tracks and they don't really go anywhere. No climaxes, no dynamics... It's all right, but I can no longer call it a great ride. Maybe just a work commute.

Artist: E-Mantra Title: Raining Lights Label: Altar Records Date: December, 2015 Part I 1. Starlights 2. I Shall Not Care 3. Veiled Clouds 4. Kaleidoscope Clouds (Main Sequence Star Remix) Part II 5. Gethsemane 6. The Darkest Hours 7. Resurrection 8. Fiat Lux For me this gif sums up the latest album by our dear Romanian friend Mr. Carpus. First off let's say that he has been one of the greatest producers of goa trance in the modern era. His three goa albums not to mention the stuff he did as Eleusyn are some of the most drifting and beautiful goa trance that you will find. This is his fifth foray into the downtempo/progressive arena and I'm of two minds. One, it's good music just like his previous efforts with this type of music. He gets all soundtracky with The Darkest Hour and that is easily my favorite. And that cow sure seems to dig it. But... I think our cup runneth over. How many times is he going to milk this cow with extremely similar music? I'll liken this to Cybernetika's recent output. Yeah his drum n bass sci-fi storytelling is awesome, but he's beating that horse to death. If he releases another one in that vein I might go to the pet store, buy a cat, and then drive home so I can throw it out the window. *Mr. Kelly Peta on line one" "Edith we talked about this. Say it." *sigh* "Mr. Fox line one." "That's better. Line one you say?" Look, I can take or leave the progressive tempo stuff and the downbeat is good, but it sounds similar to a lot of his output. While pleasing to the ear there wasn't anything that made this album a must have and to be honest I think it was the weakest in his catalog. I mean, I still bought it because I'm a completionist and I have problems, but normal folk may come away from this disappointed. Altar Bandcamp Psyshop

Artist: Sky Technology Title: Spirituality Label: Timewarp Records Date: October, 2016 1. There is Enough Room For Everyone 2. Dancing Elves 3. Spirituality 4. Cold Ies 5. Somewhere In Travel 6. Enlightenment 7. Hypnotised 8. Trance Asian Express 9. Shamanic Dream 10. Words In Collision So the lord of chaotic goa made...a downtempo album? I'm listening. Dmitriy Kolosovskiy from Kiev is a guy that has taken goa to places that may make some feel uncomfortable yet refreshed at the same time. Like when you decide to wear your wife's panties for the first time. And realize this is who you were meant to be. "Dude, you told your wife you wouldn't leave the house. Just sayin' she's gonna freak." And much like his uptempo style it might not be what you'll expect. Well, maybe you would. He recently released a small EP of slower tempo music with his Free Spirit EP. But let me tell you this is not your father's Ultimae albums. First you're not going to be napping to this. It may be downtempo, but nobody told the instruments that. Second, it's not a pure goa album although there are touches to be found. Dude, so what the f*ck is it? Interesting as hell that's what it is. As I mentioned it's a downtempo album that seems fast, sometimes with frenzied melodies. Almost as if he wanted to make lower tempo music, but he couldn't help himself and some of the chaos got out. The tribal elements are well done and there are plenty of layers to dig through. He's experimenting here, pushing the sound and structure of his tracks, more than casually flirting with techno. It's a chill album that takes the listener on a journey and perhaps shatters any preconceived notions. I will say because it's in that grey zone it isn't the easiest album to digest and for that reason it isn't on the top of my playlist. Psyshop Beatspace

Yes girl. Yes. Every now and then a review comes along that truly captures what the artists were trying to do. Sure, one might just hear beginning of the millennium full-on that won't age well, but the true visionaries...the ones with their finger on the soul of the music can truly appreciate the artistic process. I must've written hundreds of reviews, but never have I even approached the level of detail or imagination which this review exemplifies. Behold people, open your eyes, scroll down, and discover what true greatness is. Sooo...I wonder if he found any takers? Oh and btw this is generic, unimportant full-on which of course you would know from the title.

Artist: Various Title: New Blood II Label: Timecode Records Date: October, 2008 1. Principles of Flight - Oblivion 2. Artifakt Vs. Lost & Found - Checkmate 3. Rubix Qube - Enter the Dojo 4. Phyx - Freejack 5. Cybernetix - Root Complex 6. Tryambaka - Evil Mistress 7. EMP - Attack of the Moose 8. Tickets - Harpsicheek 9. Pitch Hikers - 40 Days Oh Timecode...why have you forsaken us? What is this new land we find ourselves in? It is in truth perplexing. Either we have been submerged into a cesspool of commercialism where the next buildup and drum fill is more epic than the last. Or we have descended into madness where once again melody is treated like the clap and atmosphere has all but evaporated. In truth I don't blame you Timecode, the once mighty label that forced imitators to their knees and rumbled the very Earth upon which they trod. I miss the post apocalyptic atmospheres, the rumbling bass, and the sinister melodies of what seems long ago. The label has now morphed into Sangoma Records and doesn't hold the same appeal. Shame. Rest assured that the window panes of my ample dwelling reverberate with furious anger from your releases. This is one such compilation. Oblivion- The mood is dark and eerie with a great POF track to open. Not a lot of melody, but power and fear can go a long way. Checkmate- Can a track be both funky and foreboding? *Alex Trebek enters* "A horse, sounds of torture, and a chess match play by play." What is the break room of my former employer on a Friday? This is a delectable groove and demands movement. Crazy dynamic collaboration between these two great artists. Enter the Dojo- more big beats and acid. This was more of a straight ahead beating rather than a track that attempts to tell a story. Use it accordingly. Freejack- This is another great, groovy track that will raise the blood pressure. Easy to get caught up in the swirl of acid. The only thing keeping it from legendary status was the buildup at the end. Root Complex- Machine humming sci-fi psychedelia that could've been more. Good, but left me wanting. Evil Mistress- Pounding soundtrack to a bad trip. Lovely. Attack of the Moose- is more high tempo, minor key madness. Quite the mover. Harpsicheek- This is Tickets taking psytrance to a place that it was won't to go. More involved full-on, but still heavy with the acid. Good stuff. 40 Days- I was getting ready to hit you with the meh shoulders, but then the 2nd half of the track happened. Man I miss the good old days of Timecode. Back when they and Nexus Media were at the forefront of dark melodic music. This is super stuff with power, acid, and moody atmospheres. Unfortunately they don't make 'em like this no more. Can't go wrong with this trip down memory lane. Timecode Bandcamp Beatspace Digital