Trance2MoveU

Artist: Various Title: Exploration of Space and Time Label: Dimensional Records Date: December, 2011 CD1: 1. Ekoplex – Close Your Eyes (6:17) 2. Jikooha – Eternal Dreams ( 8:53) 3. Cosmic Silence – Cosmogenesis 2012 (Jikooha Remix) (8:22) 4. PequalNP – Reimann Hypothesis (8:12) 5. Laughing Skull – Dry Bones Vision (8:27) 6. Psychomental – Transmitter (9:10) 7. Enichkin – Easy (7:40) 8. Lexx_Resident – Time Travel (10:31) 9. Crossing Mind – Optronic Circles (8:14) CD2: 1. Enichkin – Blugdayushiv Zyuk (6:50) 2. Ekoplex – Forest Shaman (edit) (6:50) 3. Electrypnose – Where Is The Exit (8:24) 4. Sinhafazatron – Crysys (6:30) 5. Electrypnose – Until You Get There (7:02) 6. Enichkin – Is A (7:07) 7. Lexx_Resident– All The Answers In One Question (9:34) 8. Moodsyne – Synchrotron (7:41) 9. Laughing Skull – Fear & Laugh (8:24) 10. Overdream – Cloud Of Sound (8:03) "I closed my eyes. The moment I did...the whispering became a cloud of sound." Dimensional Records is a Belgian label that released some really good albums such as GoAsia's Dancing With The Blue Spirit, Liquid Flow's Presence, as well as Terrestrial Planet Finder by the Space Elves. This was an ambitious double CD (actually it could be called a 3CD compilation as the chill part of the story was released at a later date to save on shipping costs) that puts several subgenres together. I wanted to write a review, but I'm also feeling a little lazy so I'll write a short blurb about each track. Close Your Eyes- A good head nodding opener in a break beat style. Eternal Dreams- I believe I have just listened to the cheesiest Jikooha track ever. Cosmogenesis (Jikooha Remix)- And now I have heard the 2nd cheesiest Jikooha track. Oof Oof music. Riemann Hypothesis- I hate to say they peaked really early, but this is the track of the compilation. Storming goa trance that obliterates everything. Dry Bones Vision- This is another goa trance track that races across the horizon. Searingly hot. Transmitter- Dark and chunky full of Braincell-esque goodness. Easy- Perhaps if it wasn't so easy he could've made a better track. I'm no artist, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to finish it before you submit your work. This won't be the last disappointment from this project. Time Travel- This is a tale of two tracks. The lead in the 2nd half is awesome, but it seemed to take forever to get there. Don't give up though. It's worth it. Optronic Circles- Just like E-mantra has a recognizable sound so does this titan of the genre. This track was on his last album Inner Shift, but I'm guessing this is the original version. Wonderful mid-tempo goa trance. On to the second disc and some night time action. Blugdayushiv Zyuk- You got one more time buddy. Forest Shaman (edit)- I'm a fan of his work, but this wasn't one of his best efforts. Not bad, but not great. Where Is The Exit- The sultan of strange concocts a dark and chunky track headed the wrong way down a one way street. Sinful and full of evil thoughts. Crysys- Tastes like filler. Until You Get There- The emperor of eerie (I'll stop) with a less aggressive track yet still unsettling. He's got a knack for atmosphere, always has. Is A- And strike three you're out. Yeah I said it. Maybe his style is supposed to be like this. Bore trance. All The Answers In One Question- Dark and spooky it begins with a twisted minimal vibe and eventually becomes thicker. Not bad. Synchrotron- This is the best non-goa track here. Period. Love the brooding night time stuff that reminds me of what Azax used to be capable of. Holy sh*t this is bad ass. Fear and Laugh- Nitzho kick with twilight? Meh, it had its moments. Cloud of Sound- Annnnnnnnd...we go out with nothing special. Let's see. If I had to sum up this compilation in one sentence...No I know I don't have to, but weren't you listening? I'm lazy. This is a good compilation that offers some quality tracks in the goa and psytrance arena, but would be great if there was more PequalNP, Electrypnose and Moodsyne with significantly less Enichkin. Psyshop Beatspace GoaStore Beatport Mdk

Artist: Dimension 5 Title: TransStellar Label: Suntrip Records Date: 2013 1. Iron Sun Rmx 2. Temple of Chaos 3. Blue Pyramid 4. Ganymede 5. Phoenix 6. The Zarkon Principle 7. Intastella 8. Tribes of the moon I think the members of Dimension 5 sh*t gold on a soft suede pillow. Honestly have you ever heard a D5 track and thought to yourself, "This sucks!" Nope, because it doesn't happen. Out of all of their tracks not one has sucked balls. Not one. That's an incredible achievement. Even the Beatles had a few stinkers. So yeah they sh*t gold. Melodic goa gold to be precise. Their entire catalog is riddled with classic tracks tailor made for any goa listener's journey. And this release is no exception. F*ck it it's the rule. Hard to find tracks, EP releases and compilation tracks have been given a fresh coat of paint and man do they sparkle. It's a limited edition only available on the Suntrip website. This is a melodic rollercoaster through the cosmos that sounds fresh and vivid thanks to the great remastering by Tim Schuldt. I can hear and feel every nuance which brings the music to life. Imagine painting a 3D picture. Hard to believe these tracks didn't make it to Transdimensional. Shows you how awesome that album was. The arpeggios in Temple of Chaos move like snakes on fire as it piles on layers of aural bliss. A carpet burner to be sure. The 303 goa bark on Blue Pyramid makes a great track legendary and Phoenix is a continuous swirl of multicolored melody. But picking out the best track is like asking a diabetic what's his favorite cake. Short answer? All of them. Thanks again for this Suntrip. Once again you lead the way. Suntrip Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Escape From Samsara Label: Secret Records Date: 1996 1. The Secret - Gorgeous (Orgasm Mix) 2. Cosmosis - Psychofunk 3. Pendragon feat. T'African - Maen Cetti 4. K-90 - Genesis (Terraform Mix) 5. Blokka - Exploration (First Time Mix) 6. Beamish - Fanfare 7. Audio Pancake - Central Heating For Kids 8. Future AKA - Flying High 9. Cybernaut - Califrae 10. Lab 4 - Transformation The Big Book of British Smiles? What the f*ck is this doing on the coffee table? Yes, yes peek a boo. Never gets old. Look, I don't want skin cancer either, but one does want a hint of color. Waitaminute...I'm detecting a pattern. I knew it! It's a British party up in here! So bring your bad teeth, pasty skin, and football hooligans because this CD is meant for reminiscing. Sh*tty weather be damned this is about capturing the past magic of the London trance scene from the days of yore. Afterwards it's up the apples and pears to the paki and some tasteless food. I don't care how much vinegar you put on it. Ooh hello, bird...what's up wit yo boat? Gorgerous- Very uplifting. This does not make me want to orgasm. Needs more tits. Psychofunk- Obviously a great goa trance blaster from Cosmosis that begs the question how the f*ck did these first two tracks end up on the same disc? Talk about things that don't go together. Say hello to Astral Projection's new hardware. No wonder it's taking forever. Korg is really running low on ideas. Maen City- Wow. Steel drum arpeggios and crowd noise. Guess you had to be there. Very trancey and cheesy. I see the anti-psychedelic serpent has raised it's ugly head yet again. Genesis- All they're doing here is messing with the cut-off filter on a 303. You had me at hello. Exploration- Fanfare- Picture if you will, dancing drag queens under a relentless strobelight. Now punch yourself in the tomatoes. That's not here, but if I'm thinking about it so should you. Good God this is horrible. Central Heating- Is this acid trance? I think this is acid trance. Not bad, but you could put a 303 over some polka and I'd probably listen to it. Flying High- You had me at the goa growl, but why did you sh*t all over it with the uplifting nonsense? Califrae- You're just like the rest of them! Reformation- Perhaps the highest bpm's on the disc? Maybe. This hyper trance will get all the suburban white kids in a frenzy let me tell you. It's so fast it almost seems as if it's not in rhythm. Before society taught me to fear black people and Muslims I was afraid of English punks. Man they were scary to a white kid from the burbs! Never met one and it was a totally irrational fear, but their Doc Martens, leather jackets, and multi colored mohawks made me think that's how all the British were. Ah, so young and impressionable. Like that fear this sounds old and dated and utterly ridiculous. It's a bunch of cheesy crap that would only appeal to those that attended this gathering. I'm guessing the Cosmosis track was in there for the goa freaks (I assume he played this venue). Thing is when you try to please everyone you end up pleasing no one. Mdk

Artist: Enertopia Title: Face Adaptor Label: Krembo Records Date: July, 1998 1. Oh Nurse Over Ring 2. If When What We See 3. Torn Between 4. Brain Spiders 5. Open Up (The Elevator) 6. The Guardian 7. A Little Tiny Pause 8. The Forehead Stories 9. The Treatment (A-La Family Way) 10. A Man of God? "The war between heaven and hell depends on the choices you make. And those choices require sacrifice." Enertopia is Emiliano Solazzi Griminger and this was his 2nd album. It's a combination of psy, goa, techno, and darkpsy. I'm still deciding on whether I like it or not, but one thing remains very clear... This is some evil and twisted stuff. First, I'll say there is a lot to get through. It is densely packed with so many thought strands it can be difficult to follow. As I mentioned it is a mixture of the styles above written in conjunction with the artist B.L. T. Loud and always dark this has more in common with Chaos Laboratory from GMS than Transdimensional. There are quite a few layers to enjoy with lots of thought provoking and moody samples sometimes to its detriment. It's a fine line between using a sample to enhance a track and beating you over the head with it like in If When What We See. That was oftentimes the style back then so it's not a dealbreaker for me. Because each track is so thick and similar in structure sitting through an entire album of music like this can be challenging. But like an octopus on LSD because it flails in so many directions I never find it boring. Lots of effects help to maintain the dark and atmospheric conditions as well as several instances where he pulls of some searing goa riffs. Torn Between and Brain Spiders are a psychedelic wet dream, but Forehead Stories and The Treatment loses me with its noisy repetition. Not your everyday goa, but if you devote some time to it I believe it will surprise you. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: I Have A Dream Label: Melodia Records Date: 1996 1. Power Source - Eye Land 2. Zed - Tubular Bells 3. G.B.A. feat. Liat - Dream On Peace 4. Kosowski - Breakfast 5. Power Source - Heaven On Earth 6. G.B.A. - Sweet Dream 7. Power Source - Oxygene 8. G.B.A. - Piano Fantasy 9. Zed - Zedream 10. G.B.A. - Symphony of Love 11. G.B.A. - Flashdance (Love Theme) What I am about to say is likely to offend people. This is the gayest sh*t I've ever heard. No that's an insult to gay people. I have nothing against gay people. What's gayer than gay people? If you're not hearing In the Navy or Macho Man or really any Village People song at this point you really need to get on board. This couldn't be farther from psytrance if Kenny G had a solo on it. Think Robert Miles Children taken to it's cheesiest degree. The melodies are so f*cking sweet it's like having a cupcake in between cotton candy buns (no pun intended). Every song has the piano lead melody in a truly horrid dream pop way. I've had this on my computer for a couple of years and now the origin of computer herpes has been solved. I would take you through all the tracks but a) there isn't enough F-word, and they all sound the same. Originally downloaded for the Power Source tracks I have to wonder what happened to them. Goaway? Closer to Take My Breath Away by Berlin. Thank God it was a download cause if I woulda paid for this I'd be sending rockets with babies into the Holy Land. If you see this stay as far away as f*cking possible lest you catch the gay. Mdk

What a great compilation. The longer it has had to grow on me the more I appreciate it. Artha and Agneton are stellar here while Astrancer presents a more trancey side of goa trance. The Amanians track is blistering even if it doesn't evolve that much. You even get a retro remix of a Cyan track! Sure it sounds older, but that rawness is appreciated by a lot of people. I would say if there is one drawback to this it's the horrid cover. And that has nothing to do with the music. It's a shame that Phototropic is no longer around, but out of that came Sita Records so we've got that going for us. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Goa Vibes Vol. 3 Label: Trust In Trance Records / Phonokol Date: 1996 01. 08'34" Athena : Human Vox (Rmx) 02. 07'28" Athena : Croctopus 03. 07'51" Z To A : Next Stop Oblivion 04. 08'20" Etnica : Starship 101 05. 07'39" Laughing Buddha : Infinite Depths 06. 09'26" X-Dream : The Second Room (A Trip) 07. 09'01" Power Source : Goaway 08. 10'19" Power Source : Gargamel 09. 06'09" Jaïa : Mohamour "Only the infinity of the depths of a man's mind can really tell the story." Oh yeah! Hit after hit on this one. Raw and powerful goa trance from Athena (Miranda), classics from X-Dream and Etnica, not to mention a track from the elusive one Jaia. Throw in the greatest ever song from Power Source and you've got your hands on an absolute slobberknocker. Pure storming goa form the mid nineties back when Phonokol was relevant. The one I didn't like was the Vocal Mix of Next Stop Oblivion. Zoe is psychoanalyzing herself sounding self important. I don't need to hear that sh*t. Take your deep thoughts and hipster musings to Starbucks. Mdk

Very mellow indeed. When it's time to chill, but you still want a little more than beatless ambient this would do nicely. It's downtempo at times or trancey without being overloaded with goa melodies stacked on top of each other. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I love it, but sometimes you want to go in a different direction. Train of Thought brought back memories of Children by Robert Miles, but darker. Smooth and capable of letting my mind drift as I sit in the backseat of a car as street lights reflect off the window glass. No talking, let me think. Kyphi is positive and uplifting in a mid tempo way. I like the break down where he strips it all away. Afterglow is a classic of downtempo goa trance and the one that jumps off the track listing. Some fall flat of course and are relegated to the background noise category. Holy sh*t Symbiotic was boring. But of course it also had to be the longest track. Double nut punch. And Sea of Colours? What the hell is going on there? More nuts to punch. Overall though it was relaxing and enjoyable. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Goa Spirit - Hard Psychedelic Trance Label: Cyber Production Date: 1996 1. Encens - Infinite Image 2. Eat Static - Bony Incus (Man With No Name Mix) 3. Subcouds - Greenflow 4. Etnica - Fractal Gates 5. Miranda - Steps To The Stars 6. Har-El - Tower of Babylon 7. Moonweed - Telepath 8. Encens - Spiritual Transgression 9. OOOD - Silence "More than 25 millenia ago, man began his first tentative steps to the stars." Taking this CD with you would definitely pass the time. Every single track has appeared elsewhere, but if you are looking for maximum bang for your goa buck then look no further. How many times have we seen an attractive track listing only to be let down by the music? Not here my friend. Each one is gold, guaranteed to get the blood pumping. Spiraling melodies that capture the essence of a time gone by. Shimmering and spiritual this should come with a warning. Repeated listens will cause the non-stop urge to build a time machine and return to the glory days of goa trance. You son of a b*tch! Mdk

Artist: Hotep Title: Transformation of Light Label: Ovnimoon Records Date: June, 2013 1. And just a pinch of magic 2. Happyland 3. Nature and society 4. Loud Thoughts 5. Portal to the future (feat. Electyxeed) 6. Free Transform (Hotep rmx) - Wizack Twizack 7. Squiggly Lines (feat. Psilocybian) 8. Explore the universe 9. Ay Caramba 10. A joint and cup of coffee "Do we occupy a special place in the cosmos, or are we merely a celestial footnote? Is the universe welcoming or hostile? We can stand here forever wondering. Or we could leave home on the ultimate adventure." Hotep- an Egyptian word roughly meaning to be satisfied, to be at peace. Yeah that seems to be working out. I'm beginning to believe there is no word for peace in the Muslim world. And that's why they fight all the time...they're confused. We keep saying peace and maybe in Arabic that means Jihad. Meh, not for me to tell them how to live their lives. That's a job for the white man's government. So Egypt isn't at peace, but a young Croatian man seems to be. I tell you the Balkans has been erupting with talent in the electronic scene as it seems every citizen is putting out a quality album. We have government issued health care and they have government issued Cubase. Think I'm joking? This is Psilocybian's neighbor. His neighbor. I have two neighbors. One hates black people and the other one is a pasty middle aged white lady in coveralls that clearly don't cover all. Some things can't be unseen. Anyway a debut album from this part of the world is becoming rather unremarkable. What would be remarkable is if it sucked. Hello? Is this thing on? It's Psilocybian's neighbor?!? The first couple of tracks were to warm you up. Not bad, but nothing spectacular either. When Nature and Society arrive it's a bit thicker with more layers and a goa undercurrent that reminds me of some of the classics back in the day. Syb Unity to be exact. Loud Thoughts is darker with a complex evil sneer as if the forest was threatening to swallow me whole. And it is a dark album with echoing effects and layers of sinister synthesizers. His remix of Wizack's Free Transform takes an already great track and ratchets up the tension. Everything seems so shiny! Squiggly Lines is just a thumping good time from these psychedelic titans. Ay Caramba is an interesting combination of darkpsy textures and tech-trance mechanics. And he closes with a downtempo track that is quirky and weird yet enjoyable. This album showed me the range this guy has. First I will say it was a solid release. Not stellar, but solid. A showcase of his talent in the night time full-on sub genre, it also revealed how competent he was in other styles. Goa, downtempo, tech...he's got it. He seems to be on the right track and I imagine his future compositions will become more complex and detailed. Looking for ward to it. Beatport Psyshop Beatspace Goa Store Mdk

I'm of the opinion that this could've easily been a single CD release with the quality rising exponentially. None of the tracks are really bad (quite good actually), but if you take all the great ones it would make for one powerhouse CD. My tracklist would look something like this: Masters of the Universe Plastic Starchild (Total Eclipse Remix) Elektron Bender (Samsara Live Mix) Liquid Labyrinth Maian Dream Shakti Shakta Natural Born Killers Electronic Mdk

Holy crap making it through this was difficult. It's so boring it makes a colonoscopy seem exciting. It's only natural that the quality would dip after 6 sequels. But hey, just keep f*cking that chicken. You can only wring so much mileage out of the the classic tracks before it just gets tiring. And sad. Anything of value here is stuff that you've heard 872 times and have on other compilations. Mdk

Artist: Xervana Title: Unreleased Tracks 2001-2004 Label: Self Released Date: 2010 1. Falling Up 2. Another Universe 3. Part of Imagination 4. Boundless Energy 5. Angel of Death 6. Turn Home 7. Solitude 8. Human Stupidity 9. Fall of Mankind "Terror that has no name. Terror that must not be named." Samples From a Virtual Life was a great old school goa trance album and this is clearly not that. Times change. People change. According to Discogs he rarely makes electronic music anymore so this might be the last we hear of Olof. But releasing some stuff for free is a very nice gesture. The first four tracks are similar to the monotonous sounds of the early 2000's however. Progressive / psy stuff that seems to go on too long. Some have female wailing on them, but they don't come close to his debut album. Turn Home and Solitude were very melodic and had a pumping sound with a very trance like break. Ferry Corsten esque that makes me smile. Angel of Death and Human Stupidity clings to his former goa greatness as he messes around with some break beats. One thing I will say, he was very good at creating atmosphere with the breaks, even here. I can't tell if it was the time period and everyone sounded like this or he just said f*ck it. The website where you could get these tracks isn't responding so unless you know him or someone wants to share I don't know how you would get these. All of the tracks were uploaded in sub 320kbps quality so couple that with the fact that they are less than remarkable and you ain't missing much. You can find a couple of them on YouTube, but what was more striking was other tracks labeled as unreleased which sounded WAY better than what was on this release. Wicked Cosmos anyone? Perhaps a comeback in the making? Mdk

Artist: Front Line Assembly Title: Echogenetic Label: Metropolis Date: July, 2013 1.Resonance 2. Leveled 3. Killing Grounds 4. Blood 5. Deadened 6. Ghosts 7. Echogenetic 8. Exhale 9. Exo 10. Prototype 11. Heartquake "I don't know if it's my mind playing tricks on me, but every so often you look out these little windows...you get the sense that something might be looking back at you." Why? Why is the western world up in arms if this prepubescent boy screams for attention? Who gives a sh*t? Think the people in Syria care if that middle school child grinds on Beetlejuice? Extra extra, spoiled Hollywood brat sacrifices dignity and self respect. Is this really news. When the parents of that malnourished boy step up to spank that ass and put it on YouTube that will be news. You know Madonna masturbated in a wedding dress on stage in front of millions for the same network. Somehow life went on. I think the more depressing side of this was that "twerking" made it into Webster's dictionary and my kids cartoons. Disturbing. This takes me to a dark place I'm reluctant to tread. Which is where the revolving member door of FLA brings me. I used to hate this band and dismiss it due to the raspy, distorted vocals, but that changed. It changed when I realized how lush and atmospheric their synth programming was. Masterful. I came to tolerate the vocals and now for the most part I treat them as another synth preset. Their depiction of a cold and post apocalyptic work is a theme that runs through the FLA catalog. And what a catalog it is. What is this their 87th album? Bill Leeb is the mastermind behind the project and as supremely talented as he is I think it's just as remarkable that they've found a way to make the same album over and over again. First and foremost this project is EBM/Industrial music and is legendary in electronic music circles. Let's not forget they have a relationship with the psy community. Remember the Cydonia Remix of Colombian Necktie? Their last album was a soundtrack to a video game and I believe this to be their best since Implode back in 1999. It's a mix of the dreary instrumental death march of Hard Wired and the dance dance viability of Flavour of the Weak. All the while giving Skrillex the finger. They've taken dubstep and put their atmospheric stamp on it. Rich programming is the hallmark though as they've ditched the guitars and went all electronic. From the dramatic and jarring Resonance it moves into the throaty crawl of Leveled. The alien tendrils reach deep even providing an eerie moment of rest. Killing Grounds is their NIN Closer radio moment. It's poppy and infections and it might make you, umm... "Peggy I can't stop! What is happening!" Probably not. Blood is an eviscerated android slowly pulling itself along the metal floor and is thick with electronic regret. Deadened (dark enough for you?) will get you your cyber fix dance on. Which brings me to Ghosts. Most of the time I don't pay attention to lyrics of pop songs I like because it will reveal how stupid a song really is and then I'll be embarrassed to listen to it. Ghosts is a glitchy yet melodic suicide note. "I climb the stairs, don't want to leave a blood filled mess." Man I hope my kids don't take music so seriously. This has disturbed soul shooting up a school written all over it. The title track is another slow assault like a horde of zombies. Deliciously dark which had me waiting for Exhale. Crack is wack. And that's not what I meant. It's another of the more danceable tracks followed by Exo which has a haunting piano melody and deep layering. Prototype is the instrumental opus. Couple the cyber darkness of the Matrix with the gritty and dirty reality of Elysium and this is the machines time to conquer. Outstandingly visceral. They close with Heartquake and it is a combination of power and restraint. Great EBM. Like I said I believe this to be their best since Implode. Dark and twisted with the richness and full flavor I've come to expect. It's an epic release and I cannot stop listening to it. Metropolis Amazon (Holy sh*t I just linked to Amazon!) Mdk

Artist: Royal Dancing Mechanism Title: On the Edge of the Universe Label: Mystical Flashback Records Date: August, 2013 01 - Amazing Trip (120 BPM) 02 - Messier 74 (144 BPM) 03 - Farnham's Legend (146 BPM) 04 - Visionary Experience (146 BPM) 05 - Sliding On The Verges Of Unreality (150 BPM) 06 - Dive Into The Unknown (150 BPM) 07 - Timeless (150 BPM) 08 - The Galactic Race (150 BPM) 09 - Andromeda (148 BPM) I'm under the assumption that the vast majority of the internet users have a modicum of intelligence and don't spin in circles and spend the day drooling on themselves. Having said that I'm nor sure Ektoplazm members understand how the ratings system works. The better the music the higher the rating. Seems simple doesn't it? This release is bland and generic sounding without any of the complexities that would warrant such a high rating. Now musical taste is subjective so that is the wild card. What I like might be loathed by the next guy (Don't listen to that guy...he's a tool). But averages dictate that it would all balance out. We should be seeing the majority of releases in the 70-80% range. This is over 90%. I call bullsh*t. That would make the rating higher than established classics like aLive by OOOD. F*cking ridiculous. So the only explanations are lots of votes from friends and relatives, mercy votes, or a failure to understand the rating system. All of which make the system itself a complete waste of time. Clinging to positive results of an Ekto voting system is like thinking you're cool and popular because you have a lot of Facebook friends (so sad). Say what you will about Discogs, but for the most part at least their ratings have their feet planted in reality. Sigh, but arguing on the internet is pointless and best left to comic book store guys and adult me living in mommy's basement. Ektoplazm performs a service that is second to none. It's where I get the vast majority of my music and is invaluable in bringing free music to those who crave it. It help the artist get their name out there so it's win win for all parties. Bottom line the only way to be sure the music suits your taste is to give it a try. Doesn't cost you anything but time. I'm sure most people listen before they commit to buy and don't rely on a rating, but if I didn't bring it up I wouldn't have anything to write about today. If I had to give it a rating it would be half of what is listed. Nothing here that is memorable and it becomes just one more brick in the wall of mediocrity. Yeah, yeah Pink Floyd, pudding....yadda yadda yadda. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: XXL Label: Spun Records Date: September, 2004 1. 3rd Dimension (G.M.S. RMX) VOID 2. Decibal G.M.S. VS TORTURED BRAIN 3. Tweakers (Pixel Vs. Domestic RMX) G.M.S. 4. Tingling Sensations SHANTI 5. Insomniac BUSHMAN 6. Unknown WRECKED MACHINES, PIXEL, DOMESTIC 7. Reflections G.M.S. VS SOMA 8. Exit ALTERNATE VISION 9. XXL G.M.S. 10. Father and Son SOMA "I'm gonna take you to another dimension!" Could this be rock bottom? Please dear God let this be rock bottom. Yet another Spun compilation that might as well be a GMS album. What the hell was I thinking back then? I'm unloading my Spun stock faster than a stock broker before the recession. Weak, weak full-on which is clearly their calling card. I said extra cheese. And boy do they deliver. Music has to evolve and to do that it has to overcome certain hurdles. Apparently some hurdles are harder to clear than others. Back in 2003 though was full-on as much of a dirty word as it is today? I don't think so. At the time maybe this was just what the dance floor needed. Today though this is unlistenable. Bright spots? There are none. This is a black hole of creativity where nothing escapes. It sounds exactly like everything else that has come from Spun Records. They're f*cking releasing the same album over and over and like a dumb ass I bought it. If the choice was to make it all the way through this again or have a sh*t sandwich...what kind of bread is that? Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Zero-1 Label: Spun Records Date: August, 2003 1. Animatrix GMS 2. Multivitamin WIZZY NOISE 3. Biological Planet POLI VS CYRUS THE VIRUS 4. Lets Rock DYNAMIC 5. Flashback GMS 6. Hellsonic (juvenile rmx) DEEDRAH 7. Fractal Explorer SOUNDAHOLIX 8. Belladonna JOTI VS. ALTOM 9. Rubber BUSHMAN 10. Soma ZORBA "How do they know that the real world isn't just another simulation?" In a never ending quest to purge my hard drive of music that I'll never again listen to I find myself face to face with yet another Spun compilation. Surprise surprise. Want an even bigger surprise? It's filled with GMS style full on. The facepalm variety where you can't believe that you ever thought this was cool. Think of this as the height of 80's fashion. Sure you wore members only jackets, but the only club you belonged to resembled the high school chess team. Just go ahead and push those sleeves up to the elbow for the full feeling. 10 years ago I'm sure everyone had regrets and things they wish they could take back. This is mine. It's a who's who of full on and they all follow the exact same formula. Long moments of the kick and the hi-hat. Something that could be termed the Spun bass line. Yes ladies and gentlemen they're all here in their head shaking looking to the heavens glory. I'd say they learned their lesson, but they continue to release this type of unimaginative drivel. The real question is who keeps buying it? Psyshop...hurry up, only one left in stock! Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Zero Gravity Label: Spun Records Date: May, 2005 1. Mozart GMS AND JIMBO 2. Blizzard INTELABEAM 3. Haiku (rmx) WIZZY NOISE 4. Blue (Deedrah rmx) ALTOM 5. Alter ego SHANTI MATKIN 6. Fuel knock (alternative control rmx) POP STREAM 7. Dig music POLI, SPIRITUAL ENHANCER, DIZZY MIND 8. Music in u WRECKED MACHINES 9. Magnatism HUJABOY 10. The moon SOUNDAHOLIX Now I want you to keep kicking and punching if I ever listen to sh*t like this again. No matter how much I say, "Yeah, but..." Continue the beatdown. It's the only way I'll learn. Horrible, just horrible. Galloping bass lines, cheesy samples and a total lack of imagination. So much cheese. Spun Records widely recognized as one of the main contributors to the dumbing down of psytrance put a lot of the usual suspects on this sh*tfest. Sometimes you like to go back and listen to music that maybe started you out in the genre. Stepping stone albums I call them. Uh...no. Not in this case. Think the guy pulling down 6 figures goes back to his first job at McDonalds to reminisce? This is a time capsule of where psytrance unfortunately was. Good thing is we didn't have to wait 50 years to open it up and see what a f*cking disaster it had become. Maybe I'm being too harsh. Sure it's cheese intensive, but sometimes you like to just let your mind go and... Thank you. Thank you. I needed that. Psyshop (Still available! Now with more beatings!) Mdk P.S. No matter how many concussions I sustain, I still like the Alternative Control Remix of Fuel Knock.

Artist: Dark Matter Title: How Cold Is The Sun Label: Cryo Chamber Date: July, 2013 1. Be Yourself For Me 2. Creature Called Human 3. Obscured By Clouds 4. Something Like...Home 5. Reality Is Just An Illusion 6. Of Fractured Light and Void 7. Every Empty Evening 8. Psychomachine Picture a frozen landscape and unending solitude. Or a deserted space freighter that should be full of crew. Just you and the sound of your own breathing. Perhaps the crunch of snow underneath your boot. Oh you'll hear voices and see things. Things like a people torn open. Blood splattered all over million dollar hardware. Things like the frost forming on your fingertips and your breath coming in ever shortening gasps. But is it the bone chilling cold or the shocking isolation that has you hearing and seeing things? Is it real or just...something else? Dark ambient bordering on drone can affect people differently. Some love the dark atmosphere and some think it's boring as hell. There are no beats to be found here so effects in this situation can make all the difference. Cryo Chamber is Simon Heath's digital label and it has done it again. The sounds of alien feasting in Creature Called Human is creepy and visceral speaking of an ancient evil that has been awakened. It rises to a cacophony of tortured souls. Something Like...Home is a downright pants sh*tter that will bring to mind all types of terrifying horror imagery. Other tracks rely on the hypnotic wail of drones to push you farther down into the darkness. If you love horror movies and aren't afraid of the dark, get this. It's cold, hypnotic and rife with terror. I found myself holding my breath on several occasions. But be warned...there is no daylight. There is no way out. Whether it's the cold of deep space or a frozen installation lush pads and effects will quicken the heart rate. You'll be carried away. Mdk

I'm glad you guys liked that track. Good to have other opinions on it. Mdk

Artist: HelixNeubla Title: Trip To Infinity Label: Gliese 581C Date: December, 2011 01 - HelixNebula - Off The Ground (148 BPM) 02 - HelixNebula - Diving In Positive Energy (145 BPM) 03 - HelixNebula - Trip To Infinity (142 BPM) 04 - HelixNebula - Through Space, Through Time... (147 BPM) 05 - HelixNebula - Beyond Boundaries Of Human Imagination (145 BPM) 06 - HelixNebula - Helix Nebula (140 BPM) 07 - HelixNebula - Silicon Galaxy (145 BPM) 08 - HelixNebula - Dancing World (148 BPM) 09 - MentalImage - Mental Spores (115 BPM) "I hardly need to sleep anymore, I feel wonderful! It's like a drug, but a perfectly pure and benign drug!" Coffee. He's talking about coffee. Or ex. Maybe it's, no definitely ex. This is the rush I get when I watch women's tennis. That's not really true. I only watch it for the booty shorts and Serena's boobs. Don't judge me. I'm watching Serena play this chick from Kaz...Kazak...uz beki beki stan and she's ripping this poor chick apart like that pic of the baby obliterating a smurf. Look it up. It wasn't even close. I think she had 4 serves in a row where the chick didn't even make contact. Throw in the fact that if you compare physiques it's like Kate Moss vs. a linebacker and you've got a bona fide disaster movie in the making. Which leads me to one inexorable conclusion. I'm terrified of Serena Williams. HelixNebula is Russian Stanislav Tiptsov and you may be aware of his other project MentalImage (also one that doesn't believe in the use of the space bar). I downloaded this because Basilisk put Goa in the description. This is full on all the way. It's not bad, but I no longer have any patience for this type of music. It's very melodic so he scores points there. Especially at one in the morning. Most of it is competent full on except Silicon Galaxy which is truly an insult to horrible. Bright spot? The final track is a pretty good bit of psy business under his other alias. And holy sh*t did he use the Astral Projection spice sample? Yes he did. Dude. These days it's easy to pick on Astal and Lord knows I've done my fair share, but where the hell is your sample etiquette? This is his take on the Astral classic and it would fit in with the stuff on Ten. Remember what an unholy sacrilege that was? Many a virgin had to be sacrificed to atone for that blasphemy let me tell you. So if you like melodic full on then this is for you. Not for me. I have to build a bomb shelter capable of withstanding a level 5 Serena home invasion. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Progressive Request Label: Uxmal Records Date: August, 2011 1. First Days ABSTRACT SUNRISE 2. Kailash SUDUAYA 3. Remix Yourself BADBUG 4. From Human Blood CYKLONES 5. Ipanema NATURAL NOTES 6. New Mysteries MEANDER AND RIDDEN 7. Super Heroes SENSIFEEL 8. Orion Smoke SUBSISTENCE 9. Levitator STRATIL "Some individuals it's true are more special...this is natural selection." Very true. The cream rises to the top and that also holds true with music and the labels that release it. While Iono and TesseracT occupy the penthouse of progressive music, Uxmal is fighting with the balding security guard in the lobby. Nothing personal of course, but as of yet none of their releases have set my hair on fire. Well welcome to the east side cause you're movin' on up! Kinda. At least your rental application has been received. This label from Mexico has discovered the winning formula with drifting melodies and smooth atmosphere. The tracks are soft and comfortable perfectly content to act like warm blanket fresh from the dryer. Best track? The Suduaya effort is delicious. Now, this is not to say they are ready for the big time. In the past I found that a lot of tracks on Uxmal compilations droned on without much evolution. They'd find a melody and groove and ride it out to a mostly boring conclusion. From Human Blood is a let down while Super Heroes is signigicantly less super. So there are a few tracks that see the label slipping into old and unfortunately comfortable habits. Because of that I can't recommend this as there is better progressive out there. But at least they're trying right? Progressive Request? Ok, I request you make better progressive. Psyshop Goa Store Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Morphing Psyche Label: People of the Butterflies Date: December, 2009 01 :: Soladria - Bubblestorm (146 BPM) 02 :: Intriga - Awake (147 BPM) 03 :: Serotonot vs Tripteaser - Jazzmandroid (145 BPM) 04 :: Crystal Cris - Nightfish (149 BPM) 05 :: Cosmic Delusion - Party Animalz (150 BPM) 06 :: Captain Kirk - Werewolves (147 BPM) 07 :: Kelmi - Neuroelectric (150 BPM) 08 :: Efflorum - Tauceti (148 BPM) 09 :: Nebula Meltdown - Elemental Connector (150 BPM) 10 :: Scum Unit - ExistenZ (150 BPM) 11 :: Sienis - Superior (142 BPM) "I don't know what this is, but sometimes you've gotta go with your gut!" Preach brother Homer, preach. Here come the Finns. I think we can all agree that their musical contributions tend to be a little out there. Creative? Every single time, but like being a chubby chaser it's a bit of an acquired taste. Mine! She's mine!! I saw her first! Get the f*ck back! It's a free release from the People of the Butterflies (even their label name is out there) consisting of Finnish artists. I downloaded it for one reason and one reason only. The Intriga track. Having heard some splintering goa from that project I had hoped to find that here. Alas, it wasn't the case. He did make a pretty good psy track in the Infected Mushroom vein. Without the crappy singing or screaming I mean. The rest of it is chock full of crazy melodies and running bass lines. Funny vocal manipulations are of course here. And what would a Finnish compilation be without the sounds of a drunken Finn? It's highly psychedelic and inventive and like most Suomi stuff there are parts that I really liked and some that...I did not. How can an entire genre be so full of WTF moments? But any compilation that samples Homer SImpson gets the rubber stamp in my opinion. Some tracks are so predictable that you know how they're gonna end, but with the Suomi style you gotta listen to the very last minute. Know how I can tell they're f*cking with us? Their county's shaped like a dick. What's that now? Oh. That's Sweden. So what does Finland look like? Ah, that makes sense. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Lumen Title: Toffee In My Teeth / Vegetable Frequency Modulator EP Label: Transient Records Date: October, 1997 1. Toffee In My Teeth 2. Vegetable Frequency Modulator Getting toffee in your teeth is a pain in the ass. You'll be picking at that sh*t for an hour and consider yourself lucky if you don't lose a tooth while chewing it. But it's so good I can't help myself. This is Chris Conklin with a nice EP. The title track has an acidic lead that makes me think of the gooey stuff as he gets down to some serious knob twisting. Lots of energy to be found here. The vegetable track is a gritty piece of dirty bass lead manipulation and pure old school sound. There are moments when it roars like a lion and times when it can be a low growl. One thing I noticed is you can barely hear the hi-hats. Maybe he didn't even use any. Doesn't really bother me, just was aware of it. Mdk

Artist: Zebbler Encanti Experience Title: Psychic Projections Label: Gravitas Recordings Date: December, 2012 01 - Psychic Projections (feat. Dante Bucci) (140 BPM) 02 - Quetzalcoatl (101 BPM) 03 - Totem (140 BPM) 04 - Temple (feat. Jason Hann) (140 BPM) 05 - Data Mind (110 BPM) 06 - Prophetic Interlude (feat. Hannah Thiem) (140 BPM) 07 - Exploding Glowstick (110 BPM) 08 - Quetzalcoatl (Willy Whompa Remix) (150 BPM) 09 - ZEEDM (145 BPM) 10 - Quetzalcoatl (Woulg Remix) (137 BPM) 11 - Profit (140 BPM) 12 - Profit (Ishe Remix) (140 BPM) Don't let this slip by you without giving it a listen. Zebbler is a Boston based duo with their debut album and their style is slow and juicy. Well, sometimes. Taking elements of dub and glitch and marrying them with tribal like melodies in an unholy union of interesting stuff. Keeping the tracks brief is smart and doesn't let you get bored with what they're doing. Some of this sh*t is as funky as a Radioactive Sandwich. See what I did there? It can move at a snail's pace or it can be rapid fire, oftentimes in the same track. Quetzalcoatl sets you up with with some funky downtempo before it erupts in a gigantic crunchy electronic orgy. And then there's the dubstep. Oh the dubstep. And there is a lot of it. Dubstep has been called many things, but I describe it like putting a robot penis through a pencil sharpener. Because I don't listen to it regularly I don't mind the dubstep. I find it fairly fresh and unpredictable. But let's be honest...tracks like the Willy Whompa remix are a heading waiting to happen. Just know if you hat dubstep this release won't be for you. There is still way more to enjoy as it is a great mix of melancholic melodies as well as polar opposites in sonic texture. It comes off sounding rich and lush when they bend sounds to their will. The Woulg remix is like when the terminators legs break off and he has to move in slow and sometimes fast motion. Terminator 2 reference. Score. The harsh and abrasive sounds in Exploding Glowstick hide the gentle ambient like someone getting screamed over. And that's where I think they excel when they combine genres. A whole album of electronic gang rape is exhausting and painful. That's not for me. That's for India. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk