Trance2MoveU

Artist: Atrium Carceri & Eldar Title: Sacrosanct Label: Cryo Chamber Date: August, 2012 1. Withering 2. Tomorrow's Dust 3. Freeman 4. The Vault 5. Betrayal 6. So They Speak 7. Sol 8. Of Salt 9. Burial "Hey there! Do you like excitement?" "Do you like suspense?" "Do you like Nell Carter?" "Good cause you won't find her here. This is the house of horror and for you it's absolutely free. Step right in." -ICP What? No Nell Carter? Give me a break... This is the side project (can you really call it a side project when he has released 9 albums?) of Simon Heath of Krusseldorf fame. Actually I think he has been more prolific with this project, so maybe Krusseldorf is the side project. Whichever is right Simon has been producing the dark spooky ambient that will have you recalling images from every horror movie you have ever seen. Be it a Japanese asylum or abandoned prison he creates the atmosphere that will stick with you. On this album he joins forces with another dark ambient producer Eldar. But you have to listen to this at the right moment. You can't bump this in your 64. Because like a husband that is stupid enough to truthfully answer his wife's question, "Does this make me look fat?" there is no bumping. I was gonna say like Dr. Dre with a broken subwoofer, but...you get what I mean. But 4am and you can't sleep cause you've had 4 glasses of caffeine heavy sweet tea? Oh hell yeah. So I sit in a comfy chair in the dark and put the headphones on and immerse myself in this macabre nightmare and hold up...did that...did that shadow just move? Nah, just a chair, I'm stupid. Withering begins the show with a science fiction feel as the cold impersonal sounds of higher technology hum to life. Ok, I'm thinking Event Horizon and the deep cold of an abandoned space freighter. Tomorrow's Dust brings the sounds of wind blowing through the twisted remains of some metal structure and it grows in noisy intensity as a continuous bass note strums. The Matrix when we realize that life outside of that computer program is a shell of yesterday. Man that tension builds. Freeman is my favorite with the percussive pattern and warning pads make this a dark delight. It moves slowly gathering fear of what's around the corner as a primary weapon. This is a lurk with an evil sneer. The Exorcist. Definitely the exorcist. The Vault is the discovery of a tomb that hasn't been opened in a very long time. It breathes with malediction, as if angry its slumber has been disturbed. But what I see is Johhny Depp's Jack the Ripper and the terror that must've enveloped London at that time. Deliciously evil as you can hear the cries of lost souls. Betrayal has more motion and I'm kinda like what the f*ck? This doesn't fit with any of the previous tracks. Perhaps it could be a chase scene before the pads dominate on the way out. I wouldn't have put it there. So They Speak hits you with a 19th century Dickensian London feel. Dark pads and eerie piano melodies slowly ring amidst the winds of early winter. London can be a dreary place anyway, but just imagining it back then and I'm looking for old Xanax prescriptions. Pull the coat closer as the heat begins to escape rapidly. Perhaps Sol could see you wandering the halls of a dilapidated building just waiting for that fat f*ck with the pig mask to fire up that chain saw. Where the f*ck is he? The dark pads rumble (yeah they do) while melancholy piano strings are plucked with remorse. Of Salt didn't impress me. It seemed unfocused and not something you want at over 7 minutes. Maybe unfocused isn't the right word. Lack of cohesion would work here. At times it was hopeful and others dark. In the end it didn't maintain the uneasy or fear quotient. Or...maybe it's the burning of the dead as the flames spit and crackle. Ohhhhh! You so qwever! Sorry, Asian slant. F*ck, that was an accident. I should stop talking. Simon ends with a great closer. Burial was dreary and unending and must've been how Europe felt during the Black Plague. Mountains of bodies, the very fabric of society ripped apart... Man that was 50 minutes well spent. Dark and apocalyptic in places it hit me just right. At 4 am. In total darkness. Look at the track names, this is not a carnival. Unless it's a dark carnival and then I'm sure ICP will have some copyright issues with you. There were some tracks I felt were misplaced, but the mood was maintained most of the way through. His music paints an avid picture and the let's your mind deal with the sordid details. Good stuff as usual. Cryo Chamber Mdk

Artist: Astrix Title: Stars on 35 EP Label: HOMmega Productions Date: August, 2012 1. Gayatri - Astrix & Deedrah 2. Flashback - Easy Riders (Ace Ventura & Rocky) and Symbolic Astrix ((Avi Shmailov) has had quite the career in psychedelic trance and has been holding it down since his debut Eye To Eye in 2002. Sure he might've strayed into commercial waters from time to time, but what cannot be argued is the sound quality of his compositions. Big bass and kick coupled with soaring melodies. This is a short 2 track EP which continues that trend. Gayatri sees him team up with fellow veteran Deedrah for a nice track with good effects. Soft arpeggios materialize out of the ether and it's almost progressive in nature. Flashback- "Every LSD experience is unique." Stop me if you've never heard a full on track with drug references. It's not bad, but it's just another droplet in a tsunami of like minded tracks that we've heard a million times before. It's a little harder than the first one, but nowhere near as appealing. While nowhere near the best work he has done, the first track was worth the listen. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Infected Mushroom Title: Army of Mushrooms Label: Dim Mak Records Date: May, 2012 1. Never Mind 2. Nothing to say 3. Send me an angel 4. U R so fucked 5. The Rat 6. Nation of wusses 7. Wanted To 8. Serve my thirst 9. I Shine 10. Drum N' Bassa 11. The Pretender 12. The Messenger 2012 13. Swingish (Bonus Track) Elder statesmen Infected Mushroom are the Def Leppard of the psytrance genre. Minus the big 80's hair. And probably mother/daughter threesomes, alcoholic binges, and Behind the Music special. For hard rockers Def Leppard it was Pyromania and Hysteria that put them on the map and they've been riding that pony for 3 decades. After those two albums it was pretty much downhill in terms of quality as many a soccer mom could be heard rocking their latest ballad in the Honda Odyssey on the way to little Timmy's qudditch tournament. IM's claim to fame was The Gathering and Classical Mushroom and after that depending on your point of view things may or may not have gone seriously wrong. While still clinging to their roots they seemed to veer off into commercial territory. I defy you to label their music other than what the haters would undeniably call crap. Their last album Legend of the Black Shawarma had it's moments and mixed results so do we have to put up with more singing or have they changed course yet again? One thing you can say is that this project has a knack for pissing people off. As I mentioned with the last album it was the singing. Here it is the equally polarizing field of dubstep. You either love it or hate it. On this effort they combine the carnal robotic knowledge of dubstep with some of the Riddler's funky groove. This is evident from the 1st track Nevermind which will keep the toe tapping and head spinning when it morphs into the wobbly speaker shredding dubstep. Nothing to Say has plenty to say with a nice bouncy beat and melody. Which is then utterly destroyed by one of the worst buildups I have ever heard. Ever. But I love the smashing dubstep that comes immediately after, but why did they have to ruin it with that buildup? Because that's what they f*cking do. Send Me an Angel- Is that Hebrew? Call me an anti-semite if you must, but it's not a very pretty language to sing. I bet he spit all over the microphone. Oh, and this track also has the second (it was very close) worst buildup of all time. U R So Fucked.... yeeeeeeaaaaaaah....... Even if you ignore the title the Trent Reznor-like screaming his nobody loves me angst is absolutely horrible. Luckily The Rat follows and that is some toe tapping fun and a thumping you're only likely to receive if you ask a fat lady when her baby is due. Nation of Wusses continues the funk party forcing Soul Train lines to spontaneously erupt wherever you look. And an uplifting melody? Get the f*ck outta here. Must. Get Down. To Dubstep. And the dubstep is never far behind. As the wobbly and squelchy short track Wanted To proves. The female vocal ain't bad and all I can say is at least it isn't Dudev singing. Serve My Thirst unfortunately sees a return to the singing and it, uh...it ain't pretty. There is more singing on I Shine, but truthfully it's not that bad. The beat is ultra catchy and when that happens you can overlook a lot. At this point I'm still kinda numb but even I can recognize the harsh guitar leads and vocal manipulations that has been the calling card of IM for a while. But because dubstep is their shiny new toy they cram it into the Drum n Baasa track as well. Of course for me it was the most memorable part of that track. Oh, and the painful buildups. Please make it stop. The Messanger is their epic track that shows how musical and theatrical they can be. Symphonic, classical, and very dramatic. Goes from downtempo to very uptempo and back and reminds me of Dancing with Quadaffi. Oh and you didn't think they would leave the dubstep out of this track did you? C'mon, they had almost 11 minutes to fill. The end reminds of some 1980's Jan Hammer soundtrack stuff. Pretty cool. The final "bonus track" is Swingish and I'll be honest at this point my mind is overloaded and it sounded like all the rest of the tracks. Can I decline a bonus track? Look this is what they do and who they are. Let go of the past because it doesn't seem like they have any interest in returning to it. Their style is un boxworthy and all over the place, but their sound production is still flawless. So take it for what it is. A good time. Sometimes I think they manipulate sounds and just make noise because they can. They still bring the beats and let's not forget this is still dance music. It's a lot to take in for one listening, but I enjoyed it. Most of it. Beatport Goa Store Saiko Sounds Beatspace Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Kuro Title: Conception Label: Wakyo Records Date: July, 2012 1. Not Enough 2. Analyzer 3. Resolution 4. Black Zombie V2 5. Blue Moon 6. Push 7. Black Star 8. Magnetic 9. Red Zombie V2 10. Runaway I don't know much about Takeichirou Kurosaki. His album Revolution back in 1996 contained a great goa track of the same name, but that's where it stopped for me. This is his 4th album and 1st in 4 years. So is he an old master returning with his take on today's goa or is he doing his own thing? If you hoped he would release a goa stormer than you shall be disappointed. But all is not lost. This is party music pure and simple. You need all the lights flashing their brilliant colors and a pumping system for this to work. I can easily see this being played and watch the masses below bounce with ecstasy. Home listening cannot do this justice. It can't, because it doesn't have the same effect. You can't contain music that is supposed to be blasted. This is dancing until you pull a hamstring music and it comes at you like a tsunami of sound. He wields subtlety like I would surgery. Total disaster and someone would end up losing a testicle. There are no twists and turns, no breaks for you to contemplate your place in the universe. He flings sonic sledgehammers and kicks you with techno boots. Soaring melodies were never his style and he unleashes his power all at once. Standouts include Not Enough with it's hard hitting acid line and Analyzer with it's discordant melody. Push blows the doors off the hinges with maximum concussive force and Magnetic and Red Zombie V2 shows that he hasn't turned his back on his goa beginnings with sick acid lines and big bass. But there is no middle ground. If he goes straight forward with power he equally moves in dare I say a boring fashion. He finds his melody and sticks with it. Black Zombie V2 and Black Star while not minimal didn't have anything new to offer. The heavily techno inspired Blue Moon is placed right in the middle of the tracklist and doesn't maintain momentum. Hell, it kinda kills it. But like a good warrior he recovers. If you like his techno acid style then this will please you. It's got power and I'm sure can whip the masses into a frenzy. It's not the most imaginative thing I have ever heard, but it does hit hard. Psyshop Beatport Mdk

Artist: Flexus Title: The Beginning EP Label: Iono Music Date: July, 2012 1. Sunset 2. The Beginning 3. Magnetic Field Technically this isn't the beginning for Flexus aka Stefan Goransson as he collaborated with Time In Motion on last years Smooth Vibrations EP from Iono. That aside what did I learn from this release? Not everything needs to be a massive storytelling adventure. Sometimes it is great to just be spirited away. And that is just what this 3 track EP does. I would describe it as light and airy progressive trance that follows the Iono mold of gentle melodies, soft breaks, and a sh*tload of delay. Imagine taking flight on the gossamer wings of a butterfly or plucking the strings of a spiders web to get an idea of how delicate this is. Soft and sensual, never intrusive, this floats like bubbles in the wind against the warm rays of the sun. Stefan shows that you don't have to be overly complex to craft a beautiful track. Well done sir. Beatport Audiojelly Psyshop Mdk

Outstanding review! Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Dreamshadow Label: Ektoplazm Date: April, 2010 1 - Septagram - Omerta 2 - Progress - Trails 3 - Tsabeat - New Technologies 4 - Cream Corp - Tesseract 5 - Mutalisk - Chicks With Glowsticks 6 - DoHm - No More Autumn 7 - Clone - Invasion 8 - Rigel - Dodecahedron 9 - Oxya - Mindhunter 10 - Wizack Twizack - Welcome To Knutby (The Return) I've had this for quite some time and just never got to it. This is a night time journey compiled by Mr. Ektoplam himself. Not being a darkpsy aficionado like some of you, most of the artists are unknown to me. Because of that take this review with a grain of salt. As you should with all reviews. Let's face it, I'm just a guy in front of a computer with some free time trying to entertain. And the biggest pair of balls you've ever seen! That monkey is straight ballin'! Omerta- "All I leave behind me is smoke, death, and desolation." Sounds like somebody ate at Arby's. Well the black death is sticking with you Septagram, because this track embodies most of what I hate about darkpsy. Monotonous bass line with zero change, total lack of melody, and scratchy abrasive leads. No depth and thin as f*ck, which is surprising since you just came from Arby's. And all the fat white chicks say "YEAH-UH!" "Must...make it...to...Arby's!" Trails- "This is all the power you ever had. Now it is mine. Pity...there is not more time for us." If you don't mind taking my kid to school and doing a few loads of laundry we could make some time if you know what I mean. Thumbs up for the use of a Crow sample. I watched that movie over a hundred times. This one is a workout. Straight ahead with eerie sounds that make you feel like you're hallucinating or you're a prisoner in some dank dungeon. There is of course the metallic sounding synths raging across the track but what would a darkpsy track be without that? Cries of alien animals that are searching for food ring out. I liked this one. New Technologies- New technologies are great, but with all the new technology out there, this was rather underwhelming. Scratchy synths with no twists or turns. You gotta step it up. Even my daughter is getting proficient with the new stuff that's out there. "Oh hell naw! I know that b*tch didn't just unfriend me!" Tesseract- Not to be confused with the waaay better PharaOm album of the same name, this is by a fairly new project. This is a little more appealing though complete with pumping bass line, terrified female sounds...but it still sounds like the same old same old. And at almost 8 minutes it feels even longer when the track doesn't go anywhere. Darkpsy should have a time limit. For me the quality would skyrocket if they were all under 5 minutes. Of course the crap on the radio is under 4 minutes a track and I still want to drive over the elderly. Chicks With Glowsticks- "Let me know when this gets your attention." You have my attention. Instantly better with eerie sounds, but now the compilation seems to be in twilight mode. It bubbles and sounds like the old nightmare creatures video game I used to rock on the Playstation. Playstation one. Don't act like you didn't have it. At almost 9 minutes maybe it also went on a little long, but at least there was some evolution in the track. No More Autumn- DoHm has been a staple on a lot of free forest comps and is one of my favorite in the genre. That said, how the hell do you dance to this? It's spooky with lots of twinkling and rushing sounds creating a pretty good atmosphere. Is, is that...is that a car stereo in your hands? What the f*ck? Invasion- "Waitaminute man, get me outta here!" Clone has done some decent work going back to their Real Eyes EP and they make an appearance with another track clocking in at almost 9 minutes. It's funhouse style with people in the dark laughing and undulating waves of eerieness. Not bad, but it suffers from being too long without a lot of changes. Stop me if you've heard that before. Dodecahedron- At first I thought it was pretty thin, and I still do. But at the end when the arpeggio came in it seemed to get it's legs. Just took too damn long. Like all the rest it's dark, but for me it will be quickly forgotten. Mindhunter- I really like this one. No, it has nothing to do with it being the least aggressive track on the album. Are you going to take my big balls card away? It has a bit of everything. Layers, eerie feeling, and horror movie melodies. But it doesn't forget it's a trance track either. You get a lull near the end, but then that razor sharp lead comes back to cut you. Welcome To Knutby (The Return)- Tommy Boy! Not that one. But RIP buddy. Nope, the reason I probably downloaded this pig in the first place is I am a fan of Tommy Axelsson's dark music. This is a remake? of a track from his Dead End album. It's pretty good. I didn't like the combination of the two samples during the very short break as it came away a little garbled, but other than that it no problems. He's always been good at layering a thick track and that hasn't changed. I don't know if it's better than the original or even if it's supposed to be. What am I, a referee? As far as comps go, this one isn't going to be a classic. It's dark and undergoes a switch from the heavier amelodic darkpsy to the edgy night time full-on style. Couple of good tracks, but there's a lot better out there. It's free so you don't really have anything to lose. I try never to complain much about the free stuff from Ekto because he has done such a service to psytrance and the vast majority of the releases are pretty damn good. Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: The Mixing Chef Title: Intense Meditative Trip Sessions Vol. 1 Label: Cyan Music Date: April, 2012 1 - Ongoing Harmony (79 BPM) 2 - Nearby River Flowing (90 BPM) 3 - Technetium (90 BPM) 4 - Psyciety (92 BPM) 5 - I Can't Breathe (100 BPM) 6 - Acid (Bright Colours) (79 BPM) You know for the longest time I believed there to be only one chef that mattered. I find it amusing and sad that in order to market him in the US at that time they had to dumb his name down. Boyardi? Too ethnic, people will think he's a communist and they won't want his sh*t on their dinner table! When we all know that there can be only one. Ran this through google translator because apparently only elves and pixies actually speak Swedish. "F*ck You Gordon Ramsay! You stole my bit mother f*cker! F*ck you, f*ck your mother, f*ck this fucking apron! F*ck your show and your fat f*cking co-chefs. Try making me cry mother f*cker I'll f*cking slice you with some dual cleaver action. F*ck this turtle and what the f*ck? Why the f*ck am I cracking eggs on a f*cking turtle? Who f*cking writes this sh*t" Holy sh*t Gordon did steal his bit. Apparently there is a new chef in town. The mixing chef. Don't all chef's mix? Whatever, he is Kristof Du Mon and the promo spared no cooking pun in describing his assemblage of downtempo music. Ongoing Harmony- Nice beats and heavenly pads join twinkling melodies making for the best track right out of the gate. Nearby River Flowing- It does have the vibe of a flowing river, but just like a river if I stare at it long enough time vanishes. Meh. Technetium- 11 minutes! I really think my attention span is shrinking rapidly. Anyone got the cliff notes for this thing? 5 minutes to go and I'm really not connecting with this. It's one of those that just kinda...goes. Psyciety- Jesus Tap Dancing Christ another 11 minutes?!?!? At this pace it'll take an hour. But I suppose hurtling through outer space at 1 mile an hour with this soundtrack won't be all that bad. There are some rapid percussive elements that make it seem like we are soaring past undiscovered planets. The last bit sounds as if the computer is picking up signs of life from the surface of one of those planets. Different. I Can't Breathe- It's holding down a funky breakbeat with some warped bass effect and various synthetics. I liked it. Acid (Bright Colours)- I didn't hear any acid but I think I did hear some quality beatboxing. It moves at a slow plodding pace with some bright sunshine pads sparkling in my eyes. Then it switches to a drum centric beat to close. Not bad It really is a collection of different styles of downtempo music. Some tracks are pretty long as I mentioned and you can really zone out. I know I did. Not the best stuff I have ever heard, but I always like to support new artists. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Pranava Mantra Label: Fractal Records Date: June, 2012 1. Speeding Bullet - Orca 2. Unhuman - Poizon Vs. A-Mush 3. Demon - Braindriver 4. Everything Moves - Resonanz3 5. Higher Dimension - Hyperactive I realize that I haven't been churning out the reviews recently like I used to. Life has gotten in the way. Take one kid to school, spend some quality daddy daughter time with my little girl, clean the house (losing this battle) prepare all meals, do the laundry including folding and putting it away (taking it on the chin here as well), mow the lawn, do the shopping...you get the idea. Oh yeah, also have to maintain this hunk of man meat so my wife will still give me the goods. How do I look? Needs more bronzer! So when I look in this forum I see it's deader than Mitt Romney's chances of being President. What the f*ck people? I'm not asking for a thesis, but how about some thoughts on how a particular release made you feel or whether it sucked or not? It's tough carrying this load and the forum would be a much more attractive place if you would stop lurking and start contributing. *Gets of soapbox. Frowns at it. Kicks it. Kicks it again. Jumps on it repeatedly and pisses on it. Takes out matches and sets it on fire. Watches it burn. Looks askew at chick observing in horror. Slaps chick. "What the f*ck are you looking at?" Chases chick. Forgot pants. Still chases her. Grabs heart. Slows down. Breathe. Breathe* See, look what you almost made me do. Fractal Records has always had a good track record with me. They've been responsible for some real quality twilight psytrance in the past so this struck me and I picked it up. It was worth it, but I'll show you how I got there. Speeding Bullet- Do you like subway? I do on occasion. Quizno's is way better, but Subway will do in a pinch. Orca's album Fist of Fury from way back in 2008 was impressive so I was looking forward to his hard edged style. It's comprised of 3 parts not unlike a Subway sandwich. The beginning and the end are the bread and what we have here is some Italian herbs and cheese nicely toasted. But the middle is the meat and let's face it, that's what makes a good sandwich. Imagine a recently fired sandwich artist wanted to get back at his boss. Just before he cleans out his locker he decides that your Philly Steak and cheese needs more defecation. The middle of this track was so f*cking bad it made me pine for a sh*t sandwich. I hate it when psy artists try to remake classical or video game music and in this case a movie theme. The outcome is never good and it always sounds embarrassingly bad. No exceptions. None. So why on God's green Earth did he decide to remake the Superman Theme? Christopher Reeve? Richard Pryor? Yeah that one. I've had a kidney stone and as excruciatingly painful as that was it paled in comparison to what I just heard. Did you even listen to this Fractal Records? You just threw your money away on a sh*t sandwich. Eat Fresh! Unhuman- See this one is just the opposite. The beginning is unimpressive, but they manage to cobble together some momentum in the middle. You've got some acid and power, but there are so many stops and starts it's like playing Red Light Green Light. Not. Going. To Stick. With Me. Not like Orca's track. But have you ever stepped in a pile of sh*t? Hard as f*ck to get that sh*t off. Demon- Not a minute in and already with the buildup? You just started, what exactly has been building? To his credit it picks up steam and gets very powerful. Easily the best so far, but look what you were up against. Everything Moves- Maximum points for using the Clerks sample. And for being a thick and chunky track. This is the quiet guy that waits for you to say something stupid before he hauls off and whacks you in the mouth. Oh yeah he's f*cking everything that moves as the acid flies. Hey! Hey Braindriver! You have officially been knocked off the pedestal. Higher Dimension- "The highest dimension is 11. You can not go higher than 11." "It's what I been trying to tell you for mor'n a decade adn't I?" Talk about ending on a high note. The power explodes from the get go along with a slick groove and massive acid splatter. Somebody needs to clean that sh*t up. But it ain't gonna be me. This one kept getting better and better as it went along. We have a new champion! So that's how I came to think this was worth it. Since it's digital, buy the last three tracks and you should be golden. Beatport Mdk

Artist: D-Echo Project Title: The Flavour of Fusion EP Label: Cyan Music Date: June, 2012 1 - Inadequacy (79 BPM) 2 - Funky Smooth Biz (79 BPM) 3 - Wind Trails (100 BPM) 4 - Chilling Drop (79 BPM) "No man can tell what tomorrow will bring." Well I hope it brings me more of this! Now this is what I'm talkin' about. Smooth beats and melodies ideal for sipping a cold one on the beach with friends. Don't know these guys from Portugal? It's cool, the music will unite. The promo says they create easy listening music, but this ain't your Mom's Air Supply. Nope, this is Louis Armstrong and Barry White cool going over to James Brown's house to jam. Oh, there will be no money exchanged...only warm vibes. It is repetitive also so why aren't I ripping it like I have some others? One, the tracks are not 8 or 9 (or God forbid 11!) minutes long of the same sh*t. Maybe if you add all of them together. These guys understand how long they can get away with this style and create the track accordingly. Another plus? You can actually hear the instrument sounds. Not just obscure noises. This actually sounds like musicians played the notes in the studio. Cool downtempo goodness and groove that like the sample says will make you have a smile on your face. Yeah, it's not beer, but that will also work. Get your relax on! Mdk

Artist: Tijah Title: Nocturnal Mind Tweaking EP Label: Mind Tweakers Records Date: January, 2012 1 - Tijah - Seed Drop (139 BPM) 2 - Tijah vs Interferenz - Sunset Machine (138 BPM) 3 - Onionbrain - Wormhole (Tijah Remix) (137 BPM) 4 - Tijah - Talking Machines (135 BPM) 5 - Disfunction - 11:11 (Tijah & Diza Remix) (136 BPM) Yeah! Ummm..... I'm with fat Cuba Gooding Jr. on this one. 92% positive vote on Ekto? Well, I've never had a problem going against the grain so permit me to be the light amidst a sea of darkness. What do you get when you add 1 kick with a monotonous grumbling bass line sprinkled with random dark noises. Me moving past this snore fest faster than my son downs apple juice. It is billed as dark progressive, but I think it's closer to annoying as sh*t minimal. This isn't progressive trance. Know why? It doesn't progress. This is regressive trance. How are you going to make the same track 5 times and give it different names? Boring as it could be without a lick of storytelling atmosphere. And then as a final kick in the nuts, you get the last track which comes in at just a c*nt hair above 11 minutes of the same sh*t. Of course you should judge for yourself, but I found this as enjoyable as watching an unplugged television. ZZZZzzzzz....... Mdk

Loved Nordland Orchestra! Mdk

Artist: Timeless Title: Night Drive EP Label: Iono Music Date: June, 2012 1. Night Drive 2. Traffic the Light feat. Upsoull If you've read any of my reviews (you can't escape me) regarding Iono Music and their artists you'll know that my admiration approaches cult status. This is due to their consistent track record when it comes to releasing descriptive and atmospheric progressive trance. I can count on one hand the number of releases that didn't thrill me and that's pretty good for a label that has had over 80 releases. That said, a reviewer has to be able to take the fan helmet off and rely on his objectivity if his opinion is to be taken seriously. Which is why I'm about to respectfully sh*t all over this EP. Yep John, I'm afraid there is nothing here that would make me recommend it to you as it is a departure from all that you have come to expect from this label. I know I couldn't believe it either. Excessively boring and repetitive it fits into the niche of background noise, a perfect soundtrack for folding laundry. The bass sounds were almost if not identical and when you only have two tracks it's really easy to see. Where are the grand soundscapes and the effects coming from all sides? An argument could be made that this is good for a night time vibe like a predator lurking in the dark. For me however is comes off as been there done that, unimaginative and too many periods of just a bass line and a kick. *Yawn* Night Drive? Maybe. If your intent was to hit every animal trying to cross the road culminating in a broken telephone pole and a totalled vehicle. Sorry Iono, this was weak. Beatport Mdk

Old Suria> New Suria IMO. But that's why I put the review up, to generate discussion. You liked it..great! With money being tight there are more interesting things to spend some coin on.

Artist: Travma Title: 303 From God EP Label: Ezel-Ebed Records Date: May, 2012 1. TraWorm.Win32 Virus 2. Maximum Pain 3. 303 From God Hmmmm.....some new guy. Never heard of him. Sure does have an elevated opinion of himself. 303 from God you say? Guess I'll check it out. TraWorm.Win32Virus- Oh sh*t, did I just download a virus to my computer? I did didn't I? Waitaminute! What effect will this have on the TB of porn on the hard drive? I'll have to worry about that later because BOOM! he blows the doors off with a Nitzhogoa stormer. Leads twist and curl at high velocity. It only knows on way and that is straight ahead. Want some variation? Hippie. Travma's not here to tell you a bed time story. He's here to punch you in the face. On a side note Agneton said, "Mother f*cker that was fast!" Maximum Pain- This is a great track without losing any of its momentum. Spinning melodies don't have me feeling any pain. 303 From God- Finally the mystical 303 shows up! Bow down before your master! This thing infiltrates every pore giving you superpowers! It's razor sharp and aggressive the way that only goa trance can be. Nasty! Ummm....it's goa. It's Travma. How are you not getting this? Beatspace Digital Mdk

Artist: S.E.T.H. Title: The First Four Letters of Reality EP Label: Fish 'n Trips Records Date: April, 2012 1. Flight of the Igloo 2. Intimate Vibrations 3. My Bleeding Mortality 4. Harmonium Label owner Luke Burns in his own words decided to freely give you music as a reminder to "stay calm, relax, and chill the f*ck out." His words not mine. Flight of the Igloo- Silly S.E.T.H...igloos can't fly. They're made by dark skinned leprechauns who haven't yet won equality at the Lucky Charms factory. Don't you know anything? This track is made of 3 parts. A slow analogue synth smear across the glass, followed by heavenly strings over the quicksand slow beat. Lastly it's a rapid (what are you doing here?) arpeggio. It all comes together for some quality mountaintop meditation. Intimate Vibrations- Somehow I envision myself on a subway in Chicago at 3 AM getting it on with Rebecca De Mornay. But instead of her, I'm stuck with this prize. I'm sorry Bill. So sorry. For you not me. This track has it all: Slow and straightforward beat, solid atmosphere and school children taking a break from fractions to sing vibrate. Glorious. My Bleeding Mortality- I would love to bump this in my car. I would. Slow and steady it's as gangsta as electronic downtempo can get. But I live in the south. If the quirky electronics at the end don't get me the odd looks from the locals, the quasi muslim call to prayer would seal it. You realize I live in a state with a town named after hanging people that are different right? Beautiful work though...I'll keep it on the Samsung. Harmonium- He fools you with the final track making you think he's gonna keep it slow with the dubby beat. 3 minutes in he drops the snare and the synths wobble & crunch like they're going downhill. Not bad. Easily recommended for beautiful soundscapes. Will keep an eye on him and hope that he releases more stuff in the future. Free at Ekto! Mdk

Artist: Suria Title: Frequalized Universe EP Label: Digillize Records Date: June, 2012 1. Soul Harvest 2. Frequalized Universe 3. Rox Box 4. Pure Holy sh*t this was boring. If someone goes to take a crap and leaves the sequencer running, does anyone hear it? Is this the same guy? How do you go from acid laden twilight stompers to comatose minimal? And when it wasn't totally boring it was just generic full-on. A time machine is the only answer, but you went too far sir. Too far and set up shop in snoozeville. When Logical Evolution came out waaaay back in 2004 it was fresh and powerful and just what the doctor ordered. But this...this must be how dogs feel when they arrive at the vet to get neutered. Powerless. Lots of crying. Just a sad day for everyone. Don't worry dude...we'll find you. Even if I have to do nothing to do it. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Digicult Title: The Lucid Nation Label: Dacru Records Date: May, 2012 1. The Optimist (vs U-Recken) 2. Microcosmos 3. Rite of passage (vs DNA) 4. Into the heartland (vs U-Recken) 5. Matter of thought 6. Medusah (vs Tropical Bleyage) 7. Last Warning (BeatNik rmx) 8. The Moksha Medicine (vs Hux Flux) 9. Awaken the dream (Tropical Bleyage rmx) Friends. I don't haz dem. Unless you're counting internet friends and I have like...400. So sad. But Belgian duo Digicult (Davy Piessens & Bert De Decker) do and they stopped by to give a hand on their 3rd album. If you're not familiar with their style (shame on you) they create the more evolved and dare I say mature kind of full-on. First I was struck by the great artwork and it instantly reminded me of A Broken Frame by Depeche Mode. Good looking stuff. The Optimist- Here they go with fellow intelligent full-on producers U-Recken who was responsible for one of my favorite albums of all time Deeper Into Man (never mind the gay as sh*t title. What? Please, the only way that title would've been gayer is if it was called Pardon Me Sir My Penis Seems to be Stuck in Your Rectum. *Excuse me a sec...Really? You gotta be kidding me...for that? So what, I can't even make gay jokes now? Sigh* My representation informs me that I need to apologize to the gay community and all who were offended by my previous statement. And that there is nothing wrong with being gay. Said every teen that wasn't excepted by their parents. Ever. Nah, if you're gay, I say be the gayest gay that ever gayed. But for God's sake use protection. If the scientist on the forefront of gay knowledge has taught us anything is that homosexuals are disgusting and probably all have aids. Paris Hilton...alienating every single population group one stereotype at a time. Back to the track it's got a little bit of everything. The Middle Eastern twang of the sitar, evolving melodies, and sufficient sunshine to give the ol' colon a sunburn. But they do it the right way and create a nice story with some powerful breaks. Microcosmos- These two flirt with goa enough to keep them on my radar. This isn't a goa tune, but it feels ethereal with the female vocal and warm break. It's a soft track with melodies creeping in before other leave and I don't think I'm going out on a limb saying it strays into euphoric trance territory with that big, fat synth arpeggio. They wen't all Paul Van Dyk on us. Rite of Passage- See this is where I was a little nervous. If intelligent full on is surfing the big wave, then DNA...how can I put this. They're the fat guy with the cooler spilling water all over everyone as he waddles in search of the perfect spot (never close) to lay him and his 6 sandwiches down only to fall asleep to burn and attract a cadre of seagulls. Sorry gentlemen, but you can only run on your record. I bought a DNA CD once, but I didn't run on it. More like jumped on it. Repeatedly. To the absolute shock of nobody it is full-on, but it is very well produced and comes off very warm and inviting. Good for you guys. Into the Heartland- Back with U-Recken and if you'll pardon the Britney reference, they did it again. These two projects have a knack through effects and melody of turning a simple full-on track into something much more lush. The break is delicious and the whole track has an encapsulting feel similar to Iono or Tesseract Studio's progressive work. Matter of Thought- "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?" Nah, he just grazed me. And now I'm even better as this track takes thumping bass coupled with soft acoustic guitar and runs with it. But they also brought the heat with more euphoric arpeggios. Good stuff, this is how full-on should be done. Medusah- Tropical Bleyage? Sounds like happy hour at the local Applebees. Try their two entrees for under 20 bucks...it's a winner. No idea who this is, but man is it good. Layers of ripping synths, sliced strings, nimble leads, and powerrrrr!!! Not much to say, but take this one all in. Last Warning (Beatnik Remix)- "I dream...I dream I am floating on the surface of my own life, watching it unfold...observing it." I'll have what he's having. Love the sample and intro with the effect of his words repeated in an evil Hal I can't let you do that warning. Unfortunately that was the best part as the rest of the track is pure filler. Sad, that one had potential. Shoulda called U-Recken. The Moksha Medicine- "Huxley was on his deathbed when he used LSD for the final time." There are plenty of people who like Hux Flux. I am not one of them, but the collaboration here works well. Lead sounds switch and melodies fade into each other. This is back to what the duo does well. The guitar crunch fits in nicely with the robotic and futuristic vibe. Awaken the Dream- And it just don't stop as happy hour at Applebees continues with a Tropical Bleyage remix. And just like the 5th Long Island Iced Tea it goes down so smoothly making me feel warm all over. Insanely full and rich with more ancillary sounds than my knees on a crisply cool morning. Beautifully done full-on that gets mucho replays in this house. Am I going to put a bumper sticker on the back of my jeep that says I Love Full-On? Maybe. It would have to find space between No Fat Chicks and Nuke Gay Whales for Jesus, but this is a discussion we can have. This duo continues to show mastery over this genre creating deep and evolving storyines punctuated with great atmosphere. So yeah, I have no problem recommending this. Psyshop Beatspace Saiko Sounds Goa Store Audiojelly Juno Download Beatport Mdk

if you're a true psychedelic taco everybody knows that fully awake is the greatest electric universe track of all time

Artist: Lost Buddha Title: The Blessed Eight EP Label: Acid Chemical Plant Records Date: April, 2012 1. Transphiguration 2. Spiral Rotation 3. Sand Castle 4. Eternal Life The Buddha is back! Well, actually he never left. Whether you want to call him Lost Buddha, Amithaba Buddha, or just plain ol' regular fat buddha it's all Filipe Santos, one of the greatest producers of goa trance in the modern era. Here he delivers a 4 track EP that stays true to the old school roots with nimble melodies and sunshine sprinkles. The twisting level is high as the melodies rain down on you like $ bills at a pro football players bachelor party. He slides a trancey non-stormer your way with Sand Castle but that just shows his versatility. Not my favorite as I find he is at his best when he pummels you with melody after melody. Which is what you get with the other 3 tracks. He charges for this one, but just reach into your wallet and give it up. It's worth it. Besides, all the free stuff he has given away? He's earned it. Get it right here for only 4 Euro thingy's. You know you want it. Mdk

Artist: LAB Title: Clean Air Turbulence EP Label: DVSM Records Date: September, 2012 1. Ascendant Stars 2. Clean Air Turbulence 3. Consider Phelbas "You think you're a better man, do ya?" Let me just say that when you are deep frying fish on the stove, this all sounds like one long track. So don't do that, you just can't get a sense of how detailed this thing is. Oh, and one more thing, I can't stress this enough. Always deep fry with a shirt on. Madre de Dios that f*cking oil burns. This is LAB aka Renato Moreira out with a brief 3 track digital only release. Think of it as darkpsy with a heavy sci-fi chip on its shoulder. But lest you write it off as another in the ever growing pile of noise with high bpms, know this. He is friends with Kiriyama. Yeah, that one. So you know this is going to be deep. And man it is. It's very fast with metallic leads and psychedelic atmosphere. The bass lines are super crisp and reign terror over the tracks. Thick sound effects wash over the grey matter in descriptive layers and f*ck me I think I even heard Vin Diesel. The sound is awesomely produced (thank you Colin) and invites you in. My favorite is the title track with so much going on it reminded me of a John Woo fight scene. Like a horror movie on acid it manages to get the blood flowing with some twilight groove. Consider Phelbas is the darkest and perhaps heaviest of the tracks, but even this one hit all the right spots. This was dark and thumping with more science fiction cred than a room full of trekkies. Definitely on the radar now. Also Kiriyama mentioned to me that as a record collector he didn't just want to release tracks with a cover. Would get lost in all the others right? So they made a website to go along with the release. Like a digital exhibition room. Put your pants back on freakshow, not like that. It's more an image per track with a description of what I imagine the artist's vision. Cool idea. Buy Here! Mdk

Oh... I thought this said psychedelic tacos

Turns out that they believe the attack was premeditated in Libya. Regardless it makes no sense and it does seem like individuals are trying to poke the west with a stick so we will wage war on Islam. The real stupidity? You end up with waaaay more dead muslims than westerners. How does that accomplish your goal? I'm sure there are things my government does that is sketchy, but you know what radical Islamists? Get a set of balls and don't be so sensitive when someone pokes fun at your religion. We have an expletive in English that actually takes the Lord's name in vain! Get over yourselves. I will tell you one thing that perturbs me: If Islam is a peaceful religion, and the majority of Muslims who practice this religion are peaceful, where is their outrage? Because we in the US don't see countries in the Middle East standing up and denouncing this behavior it makes all the followers appear to be either in on it, or timid sheep that won't stand up to the minority. If it is a minority. Mdk

Perhaps a review is in order? Mdk

Artist: Art of Existence Title: Art of Existence EP Label: Spliff Music Date: February, 2011 1. Art of Creation 2. Welcome 3. Data Conflict 4. The Real World "When cosmologists look at the night sky the see something strange...galaxies aren't behaving as they should" Is it just me or does the cover look like a ladies love tunnel? This is Philip Jidbrandt and Tommy Axelsson (aka, Wizack Twizack) with 4 track EP in the night full-on category. I like Tommy's music, so I thought I would give this a try. Besides he's a friend on Psynews and that's what friends are for. Art of Creation has a sci-fi feel with the acidic backlash that is commonly found in EU tracks. Point for you. Welcome has a growl to it with hi-tech darkness that is right in Tommy's wheelhouse. Delicious as they continue with the EU sparkle synths. Matter of fact if you told me that EU released Mind of God 2.0 I wouldn't have blinked. Two points. The choir pads in Data Conflict secure the atmosphere but this is also a bull in the china shop with Xerox and Illumination Battleship power. The last track, The Real World is a chunky, powerful track with liquid leads and shimmering synths. I know this is 1 and a half years old, but it's definitely worth checking it out if you are in the market for some powerful dark-full on. Good stuff. Beatport Mdk