Trance2MoveU

Artist: Deliriant Title: Unstoppable EP Label: Psyology Date: April, 2013 1. Unstoppable - Deliriant 2. Weyland - Technicolor (Deliriant Vs. Mad Piper) 3. Hologram - Deliriant & Z3ro "Similarly, our bodies are holograms of the universe. Which means everything that can possibly be known is already recorded in our bodies." That's great. Really, it is. But I just wanted to get a lottery ticket and a pack of Swishers. Deliriant is Shane Renew and has released two very good albums of twilight madness called Chemistry and Miracle Cure. This ep is three tracks of the same type of stuff. Acid deluges and lasers with futuristic samples. Darkly melodic in the powerful South African style. If you're a fan of this music then don't hesitate to check this one out. Don't let the cover by the 7th grader who flunked out of wood shop fool you. Seriously I almost missed this one due to its...hideousness. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Braincell Title: 5th Album Label: BooM! Records Date: December, 2013 1. Earthlinked 2. Clash Of Power 3. Distorted Energy 4. Melting Point 5. Circles 6. Tricky Trippy 7. Space Union 8. New Cycle 9. Waverider 10. Setting Things Free With his 5th album Ralph Knobloch decided save all of his creativity for the music, essentially telling the title of the album to go f*ck itself. Which I guess is the way to go. Would rather have a brilliant album and a generic title than a really imaginative one with a sh*t sandwich on the inside. Getting to the music I have gone back and forth with this release having written two reviews. I know what you're thinking... Don't you have a life? Yes I do, but music is a big part of it and I want to get it right. If you compare this to his first three albums (not coincidentally the ones released by Glowing Flame Records) this continues the trend of Intelligent Being where the melodies are pared down and less prevalent than those earlier albums. It's thumping psy with electric energy for sure. The sound is very visceral and liquid with the feel that is distinctly Braincell. When he does unfurl the melodies the taste of goa isn't far behind. However when I gave it a go the first few times it didn't grab me. The album doesn't have any tracks that stand out or are stellar. That said, this is one of those where repeated listens have put me in his Imax and now I see it all. It's a solid release that while not nearly as brilliant as Transformation of Reality it's still one I am happy to have in my collection. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Lunar Dawn - Blessings From Irij Remixes Label: Neogoa Date: December, 2013 01 - Blessings From Irij (Screw Loose Remix) (145 BPM) 02 - Blessings From Irij (Trinodia Remix) (138 BPM) 03 - Blessings From Irij (Sky Technology Remix) (148 BPM) 04 - Blessings From Irij (Imba Remix) (145 BPM) 05 - Blessings From Irij (Perfect Blind Remix) (120 BPM) 06 - Blessings From Irij (Decadent Sympozium Remix) (147 BPM) 07 - Blessings From Irij (GoaTree Remix) (138 BPM) 08 - Blessings From Irij (Original Mix) (136 BPM) I salute you sir. I salute you for making an album of remixes the right way. No full-on clones, no paint by numbers sketches, no unimaginative drivel that makes me want to jump out of a f*cking window. The original track by the Lunar Dawn duo has its origins in Slavic folklore and we all know that means vampires because what the f*ck else could it mean? Hold it...I'm getting word that it actually means paradise. Surely they mean a vampire paradise where they walk freely in daylight with harems of busty virgins. *Sigh* If only... Neogoa has become a fixture on the goa trance scene much like Suntrip where you expect the highest quality. The all digital label does it for free and has earned its bones. So what you get is the original track and a bunch of remixes some some of the best and brightest in the genre. A shocker I know. Seems like they incorporated parts of the original and then went on to make it their own. You know...like the f*cking definition of a remix? Know how I know this works? It's not because I'm a damn genius although the evidence speaks for itself. It's because I don't think the original is that special. No offense. It's not bad, just a personal preference. But each remix takes the original and moves it along a different path. Especially Imba's. I don't know what he was remixing, but it sounded like something else entirely. And over 11 minutes? I had to take a piss break halfway through. Trinodia gets all dancey and rhythmic while Perfect Blind serves up a downtempo space trip. Silly Perfect Blind...there are no such things as space vampires. What the f*ck is that? What's with the unibrow? It's a good track even if it sounded like a slowed up version of the original. The ones I didn't care for were the Decadent Sympozium and the Goatree remix. The former was too euphoric although I appreciated the way they worked in the original during the break. The latter was a little too...too...what's the word. Maybe that's a little too critical, but you get the idea. Then again the original was medieval sounding also. Still, it's a remix album that is done right and if you liked the original or even if you didn't, these fresh goa takes will make you smile. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

What a great album. I'm not going to get into the discussion as to whether this is better than WOS or HG because that's a losing battle. This is a perfect example of the sum being greater than even the great parts. It's dreamy, smooth, uplifting, positive, gentle, melancholy and ideal for headphone listening under the stars. I could've done without M (sounds like they played all the sounds at one time) and Right Where It Ends should've been placed farther down the track list. But this is worth your time and a great downtempo album. Mdk

Artist: Tryon Title: Magnetic Lines EP Label: Fractal Records Date: September, 2013 1. Natural Energy 2. Surprise Box (feat. Sinful Reactions) 3. Epic Waves 4. The Keeper (Tryon Remix) - Digital Talk This is an absolute bomb of an EP. If you love the twilight madness like I do then do not hesitate to pick this up. Worth every penny. Each track is a thunderous IED of acid shrapnel and concussive booming that will lay waste to subwoofers everywhere. Telmo is part of the next wave of nighttime marauders and he has taken it to that next level. This is full of dark and powerful sounds that keep the adrenaline flowing. So head to your nearest mosh pit but leave the valuables at home. Sh*t is likely to get broken. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Android Spirit Title: Synthetic Organism Label: Timecode Records Date: January 2014 1. Omdma 2. Kirobo The Robot 3. Swirl In Unity 4. Born In The Desert (feat. Distant Touch) 5. Targaryen Blood 6. High As A Kite 7. Freedom South Africa 8. Tokolojoe 9. Remember (Android Spirit edit) - Tickets Timecode. "B*itch get down here! Sh*t! This motherf*cker is heavy! Do you know how many D batteries I had to buy!?!" Really think Apple missed the boat not using that as their slogan. Anyway, Timecode. The very name makes my windows rattle with anticipation. This label has been releasing albums true to the night time South African sound for over a decade. Trojan, The Turning, New Blood, both Retrospectives...and that's just some of the compilations. They're the Suntrip of the dark continent where each album is an almost instabuy. Having spoken at length with the guy who runs Timecode these days I can tell you that he is exceedingly nice and seems to have a direction for the label. And that's good. But in the world of psytrance where you're only as good as your last release what is in store for us the listening public? Android Spirit is the teamup of Timecode mainstay Tickets (Josef Summs) and that very polite label manager Till Daksinamurti. If I'm being honest I would tell you that I'm unfamiliar with this project. Can't catch all the releases now can I? Do they bring back the glory days of Timecode or are they forging a new path? Omdma- Chants. lasers, and eerie piano? Pretty cool and that's just the first track. Kirobo the Robot- "Kirobo the Robot was exposed to zero gravity before being blasted into space." And wouldn't you know it the f*cker left before paying the cable bill. This is dark with a chip on its shoulder that undergoes several twists. It has that massive Tickets sound all over it. Now we're talking. Swirl in Unity- "No barrier, no boundaries...nothing to hold us down." The acid is here so a good track, but not as engaging as some of the others. Perhaps a little too generic. Born in the Desert- "If we ride together, we ride for justice!" Apparently the sample was better than the Lone Ranger movie. With a Principles of Flight symphonic quality it's another dark and powerful track. Targaryen Blood- "..." Yeah, I have no f*cking idea what he was saying. Probably something about porn cause it's always about porn. Thumping like a migraine the leads echo with aggressive attitude. There is mucho adrenaline to be found here. This is what it would sound like if Leonidas was behind the decks. High As a Kite- "You're high as a f*cking kite!" "Oh man...I have no idea what's going on. So f*cking high right now. Are you going to the beach? Don't forget to...oh man...I don't remember how that goes." *Brushes self off* "Do I still look high?" This one goes out to fans of Pineapple Express. The samples make it as it builds momentum and becomes a good rumbler. Freedom South Africa- "It's easy to love people that's a long ways away from us. But can you love yourself?" More rolling leads, lasers and thumping beats. This is what Timecode does and they do it well. Tokolojoe- Ah the wild and unrestrained chaos is front and center with this juicy blaster. The layers coalesce into a nice yummy powerful track. Remember (Android Spirit Edit)- "Time erases everything." There are not enough f*cking erasers in the public school system to...Look, I'm no vet, but I think you're gonna need a lot more Conan. The closer had rapid leads that were squeezed for all they were worth. As usual the bass was punchy and the acid splashed in nicely. I was wondering if they still had it. Had some of the luster come off this diamond? The last few albums from Timecode weren't the bombastic breath stealers that were their trademark years ago. But times change and if you don't change with it your risk becoming a fossil and a relic. This release holds on to a lot of the stuff we love about the label. Great samples, hard beats, and acidic energy. Tracks were full and there wasn't much dead space to endure. The middle of the album flirted with some melodies that had me thinking about the beaches of goa. Don't know if that was intentional but perhaps that is a wrinkle to explore further. As a Goa lover I would appreciate that of course, but what this album did was to solidify their position. It's a quality release that hits hard and isn't mindless. While not perfect it still keeps them near the top of the game. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Colors of Goa Label: Timewarp Records Date: February, 2014 1. Ingenuous Curiosity FILAMI 2. Mind Therapy J.I.S. 3. Dark side of the universe COSMIC DIMENSION 4. Kalindian KURANDINI 5. Behind the wheel (2013) OMNIVOX 6. Procyon TRINODIA 7. Gods of annihilation GOATREE 8. Wibbly Wobbly SCREWLOOSE 9. Ready to fly SKY TECHNOLOGY 10. Paranormal FROST RAVEN 11. Free your mind KOBAIA 12. Sand Planet TAVI 13. Kristallwald GHOSTONACID 14. Gemini Asteroid OXI 15. Galanga GOWAX 16. Universal Enlightenment INNERZONE 17. Solar Resonance (Live Mix) IMBA, ETHEREAL 18. Sojourn in Goa (2013) SOMNESIA "Children don't read horrorscopes." True. But they do have accidents sometimes and sh*t their pants. And then proceed to track it all over the classroom floor. Bu, you know, since there was a birthday party the same day and chocolate cake was served nobody seemed to notice. Only when the teacher bent down to clean some of it up did she realize this was a whole different level of fudge. To find out who had the accident (think a 5 year old in a classroom of their friends is gonna tell you? You obviously don't have kids. I sh*t my pants once and as a last resort found refuge in a Taco Bell bathroom. I know right? My whole world was turned upside down. Everything was backwards. You don't normally have a pre-emptive smash at the Bell, they are usually the cause. Weirdly there was no line. I'm thinking they should just have a slide from your table to the crapper...just makes things flow better. But I digress...) So the teacher brought each child behind a large easel to check their pants and not embarrass the culprit. Cause believe me, that is one insult that will stick with you right through high school. So of course the next day the school was flooded with questions from insane parents as to why a teacher was eating a sh*t sandwich in class and looking down precious Johnny's pants. So yes children don't read horrorscopes but they do tell imaginative stories. Truth is stranger than fiction and this actually happened at my son's school last week. Anyhoo (awkward pause and segue) Timewarp Records has really stepped in it now. Fresh off the heels of The Call of Goa comes another 2 CD album that you are going to want in your shiny "Get...those f*cking chocolate fingers away from my CD's!" collection. *puts finger to ear to listen to producer.* "No that's not what I...I'm sure they..." *sigh* "Fine." Uh, about the chocolate fingers remark...I wasn't labeling black people as thieves. I mean c'mon, I'm not a Republican. My kids just had a few Hershey Kisses so they really did have, you know...chocolate fingers. Timewarp is really leaving their mark in a very short time. Compiled by Nova Fractal and Ovnimoon this brand of goa is bouncy and highly energetic with great sounds and melodies. The first CD is comprised of names you should know whilst the second introduces you to the less familiar. Except that Imba / Ethereal combo. We've all heard of Ethereal (new album with a re-release of Anima Mundi please) and there are pictures of Imba defiling the Holy Land all over my Facebook newsfeed. At times it bubbles and harkens back to those golden days of Indian beaches, but sounds as clear as if you were in the room when it was being produced. Filami and Kurandini (sounds like something the Jawas would say) absolutely crush things with very impressive offerings. Cosmic Dimension and Trinodia serve up more space goa and Screw Loose adds a deluge of Psilocybian frothy psy to their track. By the time you wipe the sh*t eating grin (are you my kid's teacher?) off your face and make it to CD 2 another journey is set to begin. Frost Raven delivers an X-Dream /M-Run (hyphens not included) hybrid with much bounce to the ounce. Kobaia (where the f*ck did you find these guys?) sounds like they've been worshiping at the altar of Artifact303. Tavi takes you to arid desert lands full of turbans magic lands and chilled monkey brains while our very own GhostOnAcid paints a swirling goa portrait. I thought the newer guys did a great job presenting many twirling moments and held their own against the first CD of veterans. The whole thing is an absolute must buy if you're a goa fan. Another triumph Renato. Keep hitting it out of the park like this and soon they're gonna start asking you to pee in a cup before an album release. Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Various Title: X-Ray Label: Shiva Space Technology Date: 2004 1. Soap Bubble COSMOCHAOS VS FULLCOLOUR 2. Black Magic rmx SPECTRAL SKUNK 3. Celebral Vortex SCORB 4. El Diablo SHIFT 5. Enter the Fist TRIPTEASER 6. No Beginning MENTAL SKRAGMA 7. no title PARASENSE AND SAM 8. Lapse in Sense SYSTEM 9. Chicken Drumstick R.A.M 10. Creep LEMURIANS This isn't the compilation you're looking for. Yeah, nothing to see here. Some nice tracks, but it certainly lacks that extra ingredient to make it special. 11 years on it now sounds rather dated. It wasn't minimal, but not very deep either. Rather average. Damn. That was the shortest review I think I've ever done. Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Orion Title: Artificial Frequencies Label: Solstice Music International Date: September, 2003 1. Horizon 2. Zig-Zag 3. Timeless Devotion 4. Sleepwalking 5. Viva Bahamas 6. Fast Lane 7. Body balloons (remix) 8. Dig It 9. Ocean of Colours The man who gave us the psychedelic goa classic Futuristic Poetry delivers a very solid full-on album. I almost hate to use that term because the richness of production here is rarely found in that subgenre. Especially not in 2003. The sounds are organic and layered giving it a deep fullness. There are plenty of alien effects which create a dark atmosphere making for great night time listening. I mean with a track named Viva Bahamas I'm thinking bright sunny beaches and chicks spilling out of bikini tops not aliens looking for their next meal. Very good stuff from Mr. Borelli. Mdk

I'm not a big fan of this project. Yeah I said it. Jeez, Cianan's grandma has a strong arm. His debut Brainwashing is Child's Play proved it was because everyone seemed to think it was a classic. Not me. Sure the title track and Viral Spiral were great, but a classic? Really? So here comes Zion604 with an album of rare and unreleased tracks. I'll be honest (always) I almost purposely skipped this. The hype machine was in full effect as everyone was losing their sh*t when this was announced. In the end I purchased it for three reasons. One, the guys at the label are super nice and have pure intentions where the music is concerned. So supporting them and their efforts are important. Two, I missed out on Mind Rewind and I sure as hell wasn't gonna let that happen again. And three...who doesn't love monkeys? "Get over it Ciaran's grandma, it wasn't that good. You know it! I know it! I can name 10 albums that are way better!" And let me tell you I'm glad I did. Like his debut this isn't something you hold next to the icons of the genre. He doesn't make that kind of goa. His strength is in the details. It's the musicality. The album is fluid and the tracks are creative showing continuous evolution. Antic was dead on when he said this was a departure from loop based music. Sound quality was beyond reproach and the whole album has a warmth to it that makes it feel more accessible. The melodies while distinctly goa are joined by other musical elements that also add to the overall depth. Just another actor with a part to play. I do have one issue and that's the incredibly similar Green Room tracks. The fact that someone in the thread used software to distinguish (only minutely mind you) between the two is pretty weak. Far as I'm concerned it's the same f*cking track. Sure it's a great track, but that's what the damn back button is for. Would love to hear from the label what happened here. So you get 7 tracks instead of eight. No big deal. It certainly is a worthwhile addition to your collection. Of course I, uh...I haven't received my copy yet. Which is why the getting the high quality download as soon as you purchase the album is greatly appreciated. #firstworldproblems #whatthef*ckareyoudoing #notevenontwitter #hatehashtags #feellikeadouche #wannapunchmyself Mdk

"F*ck, f*ck , f*ck! Fuck Me! Mother f*cker! F*ck a duck! F*cking hell!" *looks up from newspaper, sees wife with one accusatory eyebrow raised after hearing expletives from other room* "What? Fine, I'll handle it. Dante! That's a little more f-word than I wanna hear from a 5-year old!" *gives wife happy now look* Aww, I can't get mad at the little guy. I mean how could you, he's expressing himself the only way he can. We can't all be top class reviewers you know. He'll do better once he stops writing his e's upside down. The fourth album from Jannis is his most mature yet, using Daze of Our Lives as a springboard. The raw chaos of Sky Input and Heliopolis is gone, but not forgotten. Still rocking melodies aplenty they aren't stacked atop one another like a triple Whopper. He allows them free range to unfurl and forge their own way. But assume he's gone soft at your own peril. The flow is hypnotic and fluid with some tracks attempting to blast a whole in your speakers. The production is top notch with every note sounding crystal clear. Everyone seems to laud Dog Days Bliss, but I'm more of a Food Demons kinda guy. Lights of Shibuya and Nights @12 pm are epic. If they're not the definition of perfect tracks I don't know what is. When I see albums like this receive such glowing and consistent praise I'm chomping at the bit to find that weakness. There's gotta be some flaw, some hole that everyone is missing. Nope. It's a consistent and magical journey that can only be Filteria. Definitely one of the best of the year and a disc every goa fan should own. And yes I read the newspaper with my Daft Punk helmet on. Don't you? Mdk

Artist: Morphic Resonance Title: Chromatic World EP Label: Neogoa Date: January, 2014 01. Telekinesis 02. Epsilon Aurigae 03. Chromatic World 04. Psychoactive Landscape 05. Outro "Hold on bro...I'm just...I can't even begin to get my mind around...Lemme get this straight. You want me to...read the script. Actually read it? Am I on Punk'd? Ashton! Ashton you sonofab*tch, get out here!" *make mind blown hands around head* Obviously he has yet to take my advice, but the look on his face well, let's just say it was similar to the one he had when I caught him trying to understand the speaker phone. Dim witted Ryan aside, big thanks to Ivan for delivering this treat. This is like finding a Picasso for 5 bucks at a yard sale. Christian Fernandez is from Spain and with his cover that looks like Pinhead went disco he just put that country on the goa map with a hard hitting acidic bomb. Mixing the old school and new school styles the melodies are hypnotic and swirling. Hell the first track just kept evolving, I thought it would never end. But in a good way. The acidic bad assery is at a premium with melodies from the Pleiadians playbook. Screeching and thick Epsilon Aurigae is a wet dream Astral wishes they could do. Just relentless. Chromatic World continues the serial unwinding of melodies with a lush and dark atmosphere. I haven't wanted to fornicate with music since M-Run, but... call me, maybe we can work something out. If he puts out an album of tunes like this he will rocket to the top of the goa pyramid. It growls, it screams, and it's a powerful door smasher. Not to mention the teaser of a downtempo track at the end. Futuristic and dark it speaks of evil lurking around the corner. This fool just put E-Mantra, Crossing Mind, and Filteria on notice. Free at Ektoplazm! Mdk

Artist: Cell Title: Phonic Peace Label: Indica Music Date: May, 2005 1. Sensitive garden 2. Mister Ayatih 3. Zaz 4. Magic karma 5. Soon 6. Lord of silk 7. White call 8. Phonic peace for Tibet 9. Orange I'm absolutely stunned that this has never received a proper review on this forum. After all this was our introduction to Alex Sheffer and his mixture of downtempo and old world goa spirituality. Well, he made some great compilation tracks, but this was his long awaited debut. Long pads and foreign language chants that scream blazing sunshine and mystery. Ethnic instruments like tablas and the hammered dulcimer transport you to dangerous lands and ancient cultures and trying foods you have never heard of. Like Walter Mitty said, it's why the airfare to Kabul is only 64 bucks. The Indian vibe is ever present as the trail leads across the mammoth mountains of Nepal and Kashmir. If you enjoy that type of downtempo sound then this is for you. This is one of those albums that is very relaxing and left me with an inner peace. Unfortunately it's no longer in print. You could always go the Discogs route, but voluntarily submitting to a endoscopy with a rusty knife probably wouldn't leave you with a good feeling. Mdk

Just a few quick thoughts on the follow up to Dado's classic Self-Oscillation: Reload- I don't see what all the fuss is about. He says 13 years later. Purple Unicorn- This track was so pretty I wanted to kiss it. Land of Freedom (2001 mix)- A nice progressive take on a goa classic. Fireball- What's the direct opposite of a fireball? Well, that's what this is. Far and Away- Pretty good psy that gets screechy. Something is Wrong With The Machinery- It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools. My kid says the same thing when he can't tie his shoes. Pretty sure there's nothing wrong with the laces. Gangster- If I'm Ray Liotta I charter a flight to slap the sh*t out of Dado for this travesty. Liquid Skies- Meh. It's pretty, but what else ya got? Ananda- Sunshine and candy cane progressive. It is impossible to be angry when this comes on. The Final Swirl- I don't remember this one at all. If we're being honest with ourselves this is not as ground breaking and revolutionary as some might have perceived it to be 13 years ago. But that's a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking. 2001 was a dark time not just for psy, but for the world. Trapped in the suffocating blanket of minimalistic depression this must've seemed like the Apple Macintosh commercial from 1984. Look it up on you tube kids. There are not just melodies, but positive melodies. Yet like someone mentioned, this is all over the place. Progressive, psy, techno, minimal...maybe this is one of the shots fired into the dark wall of oppression during those lean years. This was a release that said melodies were ok. After screaming that albums sound samey I'm not about to criticize this one for dipping its toe into a bunch of different genres. But just cause you bounce around doesn't make it a classic. The tracks still have to be good. Mdk

"Won't somebody please think of the children!?!" Oh the corn. The cheese. The corn and the cheese. Unlike the stuff that Agneton produces (nitzho bathed in dark goa with a more aggressive edge) this is pure nitzhonot and should be taken with a grain of salt. But reading some of the angry comments from the past...you'd think this guy pulled a threeway with your mom and your sister in your race car bed. It's fast with lots of stops and starts, key changes, and sometimes cringe worthy samples (let's face it the whole Sex Style track is an embarrassment to music). Arpeggio goes up, arpeggio goes down. Can't explain it, but when I hear this music I picture sleazy overweight older European men adorned with gold chains and tufts of chest hair doing a lot of Jersey Shore fist pumping. In a speedo of course. "Cover that up...it's not sexy." It is what it is and you should know that before you decide to toss someones salad for it. Cheesy though it may be it is also exceedingly rare with one copy being sold for 150 bucks. But if you want a T-rex and naked chick flying through a frozen landscape well, that sh*t is gonna cost you. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Beach Atmosphere Vol. 2 Label: Iono Music Date: August, 2013 1. Natural Culture OPPOSITE8 2. Life on earth SUNTREE 3. New world order (Egorythmia rmx) RITMO, NOK 4. Drums have been talking SONIC ENTITY 5. One Life (Zyce rmx) UNSEEN DIMENSIONS 6. Massive Attack SPACE HYPNOSE, STATIC MOVEMENT 7. Indaco SHYISMA 8. Sunset Blues AVSHI 9. Burn Out ROGER RABBIT As I'm scraping the ice off my car after the two feet of snow fell and my hands are slowly going numb, a beach sounds really f*cking good about now. Iono delivers part two in this series aimed at those who could use a little warmth and sunshine. It's chock full of the melodic progressive vastness that the label releases on a continuous basis. Now, this might be the frostbite talking, but...meh. I mean the progressive trance is good with plenty of delicious melodies and warm breaks. Iono does this better than anyone and that just might be the problem. No chances are taken here. It's a safe play doing things they've done for years. Changes in the time signature, echoing washes, and samples designed to make you think. All been done before by this label on many albums. I think it's time to think outside the box. Time to shake the progressive world up a bit. It's not bad, but for me it's beginning to get a little stale. Beatspace Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Alchemix Title: It's A Story Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: August, 2013 1. Its a story 2. Time is a direction 3. Upstream (Alchemix rmx) - Protonica 4. Red Forest 5. For a moment 6. What is reality (Live Edit) 7. Rising 8. Freaky Alien 9. The Visions Begin (Predators rmx) 10. Omnipresent "Time is a direction, not a dimension." I got this for one reason and one reason only. The consistent quality emanating from this label. Alchemix is Fotis Karoukis and I haven't heard much of his music, but put an attractive cover with a strong label and good samples and there wasn't much I could do. It's an album that surfs the psy gressive wave much like Ovnimoon himself. Drifting melodies come in layers complimented with nice electronic effects. Sounding soft and delicate would be a good way to describe this. It never feels empty, like he just going through the motions. You can tell he put his time in to carve out some nice depth. For a Moment is a standout, putting all the elements together for a beautiful track. Unfortunately the album begins well, but descends into a less complex more generic sound (Freaky Alien). Even though the Predators remix of the Visions was full-on the atmosphere was delicious. A good album, but it lacks that consistency and special something that would put it in the upper echelon of progressive trance. Worth the time of melodic progressive lovers however. Psyshop Beatport Mdk

Artist: Psilocybian & Black Noise Title: Space Is a Strange Place EP Label: BMSS Records Date: July, 2013 1. Space Bubble 2. God Is A Mathematician 3. Crystal Extractor "So we're nothing but a soap bubble floating in a bubble bath of soap bubbles." First you had Brain Dissolver (soon to be released, check it out it's pretty good). Then he raised the bar with a f*cking rocket on his latest album Dreamtime. And to show you he wasn't a one or two trick pony he let you see his goa side as Screw Loose with the Mental Well Being EP. All around nice guy and psytrance artist Sasa Dukic is not only proficient he is consistent in delivering the quality music we crave. His latest effort has him teamed up with someone who calls himself Black Noise. As talented as the people in Croatia seem to be it wouldn't surprise me if this was his plumber. Or the security guy at the local Wal Martski. Maybe it's the weather chick on TV. Point is seems a lot of artists are coming out of that neck of the woods. And asses are getting kicked. Space Bubble is heavily layered psytrance with lots happening here including a gurgling 303 and a nice break. God Is a Mathematician sounds heavier with a more liquid sound. The power with which it began had me hoping for a greater climax, but it was still rock solid. Crystal Extractor is the last track of the ep and was a solid bit of full-on. The whole thing screams quality psytrance touched by goa with a sound reminiscent of Braincell. Well, what Braincell used to sound like (I'll get into that later). If you've enjoyed his previous stuff this will be right up your alley. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Rainbow Serpent Title: Cutted Scenes Label: Invisible Shadows Date: 1999 1. Believe 2. Imagination Fire 3. Silent Running 4. Exploring the Mars 5. From Darkroom To Digital 6. Exploring the Mars (Part 2) 7. Ce;tic Dance My camel jacknifed a ways back. Total loss, it was horrible. Frothy spit everywhere. I crawl 5 miles on my hands and knees under the searing sun and you hand me a pack of saltines? If I had the energy I'd punch you square in the tomatoes. This German duo makes ambient style music that has motion in the same exact formula. The pads can be lofty cloud slicers, but it's the same sh*t over and over. Part of the song will be floating, and another part driving. Then floating and driving until you wake up. It's extending a phrase over the entire length of the track adding and subtracting as you go. There is zero psychedelia and they close with the outstandingly cheesy and diabetic coma inducing Celtic Dance. It's a whisker from Yanni without the cool porn stache. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Fill Your Head With Phantasm Vol. 5 Label: Phantasm Records Date: 1999 01. Darshan : Slipstream 02. Multiplex : Twisted Tale 03. Mindfield : Twilight World 04. Somaton : Monogatari 05. Lumen : Way Up In The Air 06. Messiah : Reincarnation Of The Mysterious 07. Subcouds : Space Angel 08. Gorlation Corporation : Marmaduk 09. ECT : Maelstrom 10. Tromesa : Stereoplan "After I'm gone your Earth will be free to live out its miserable existence as one of my satellites. That's how it's going to be." This is a gem pure and simple. All previously released singles except the Gorlation track. This was a time when psytrance was in transition mode moving from the bright melody stacks to a darker more techno influenced sound. The tracks are from 97-98 so this is an example of a label trying to squeeze a few more bucks out of you. Or maybe they had truly altruistic intentions presenting tracks that were hard to find. Glass half full? WTF?!? I asked for a large. The music itself is a nice hybrid of goa and psy. It's the type of stuff Anjuna and Zion604 would appreciate. Layered, bubbly sounds with interesting melodies and percussive hijinx. Parts of it are screeching and part storming, but always atmospheric. This ia great album and a must for your collection. If you can find it pick it up...unless you already have the vinyls. Personally I wouldn't know what to do with a vinyl. Might as well hand me a book. "Whattya mean I can't control the brightness on this thing? Well how do I get to my favorites?" Mdk

Artist: M.O.S. Title: Winter Kills / Spirulina EP Label: High Society Date: 1998 1. Winter Kills 2. Spirulina You know that High Society was the name of a porno mag right? Sure you didn't. Uh-oh. Late 90's...German act...set phasers to boredom. We could be in for a crash course and man does it start out that way. "F*ck it, just leave it running. Who want's schwarma?" But the b-side saves the day with a futuristic effects laden track. It's subtle and takes its time, but then it just blasts the door open. Great atMOSphere. See that? See what I did there? Recognize. Mdk

Artist: M.O.S. Title: Xone / Lunar Church EP Label: Organic Records Date: 1997 1. Xone 2. Lunar Church Never knew much about this project except they had an album with a bug on the cover. And it was called Bug. Deep. Xone is a quality bit of goa that hypnotizes and strikes from the shadows. Not much evolution, but effective with squelchy leads. Oh, the church can't wait to get to the moon with collection plates quivering. Lunar Church slinks about with some omen type choir chants. Meh, sorry reverend. Mdk

Artist: ManMadeMan Title: Karmaflage EP Label: AAA Recordings Date: May, 1997 1. Karmaflage (The Light Remix) 2. Karmaflage (Original Mix) This is probably the most perplexing project in psychedelic music for me. At times there have been rippingly good tracks and then there are times I'm left scratching my head. Karmaflage isn't a goa track in the true sense of the word even though the plucked guitar melody wouldn't be out of place on the beaches of goa. It's full of sunshine and positive vibes more intent on eliciting a smile than getting your body moving. And it does that. I prefer the light mix as it's increased length allows more time to soak in all it has to offer. It's not psy, not really goa...just enjoyable. Mdk

Artist: ManMadeMan Title: Angel Hair / Drama EP Label: 21-3 Records Date: 1997 1. Angel Hair 2. Drama Man this project puzzles me. They giveth and they taketh away. A mild mannered Clark Kent of a track on one side and that evil badass that killed superman on the other. Classic schizophrenia. It's logic like this that makes every father of teenage daughters hate all prospective boyfriends. Angel Hair takes the girl out for a lovely evening meal and perhaps a show, but it's Drama that appears when he realizes that after shelling out some major coin he's going home with a thank you and a peck on the cheek. I heard a joke where a father threw a bullet at his daughter's date when he arrived to pick her up. He then said that they move a lot faster after midnight. Some people just love the drama. Mdk

Artist: ManMadeMan Title: Erland EP Label: 21-3 Records Date: 1996 1. William 2. Delirium Here I go again reviewing another MMM ep and the same confounding feelings emerge. I think I've got a problem. I've come to appreciate their talent as electronic musicians (moreso now that I know they have two kids), but there is still a part of me that prepares for the letdown when I hear their tracks. They've had some really good ones, but more often I'm left feeling... This is the case here. Neither of the two tracks on this ep are terrible, but they aren't particularly memorable either. William has a good melody, but it takes half the track to get there. But your patience will be rewarded as it rises to a static electricity charged rocker. Delirium had some good moments and I felt more layering. This ep defines how I feel about this project. Liked the music, but I could take it or leave it. Mdk