Trance2MoveU

Mdk

Thank you for the support my fellow American. Mdk

I fully agree with you. Awesome stuff. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: La Boum Vol. 2 Label: Blue Tunes Recordings Date: February, 2011 1. NOK - Breaking Point (Vice remix) 2. Double Click - Tribal Waves 3. Symphonix - Orange (Interactive Noise remix) 4. DJ Fabio - That Voice 5. Ritmo - De Festa 6. Symphonix - Freq Box (Audiomatic remix) 7. NOK - Tricolore (Rocky remix) 8. Feuerhake - Wanna Be Free 9. Alon Brilant - Antiloop To me Blue Tunes will forever be the younger brother to Iono music. Not because they are related or anything like that, but because Iono releases bomb after bomb and Blue Tunes...doesn't. They seem like a stripped down version that is more beat oriented. With TesseracT Studios pushing strongly to become a solid number 2, I fear that Blue Tunes will get lost in the shuffle. This is the 2nd release in the La Boum series or as I like to call it...Return of the Afro. It was compiled by veteran NOK so I'm assuming he knows what he's doing on this digital release. The first installment had some good moments but sh*t the bed as the compilation went on. Breaking Point (Vice Remix)- Discogs says this project was Chris Limburg, but his name is crossed out. Soooo...either the project is no more or they murdered that guy. No idea who this is now, but he starts the compilation off with a gem. Bouncy beat with a thick atmosphere. Very large pads and it gives me the feel of smoke wafting down a long, dark corridor. Very nice. Chopped synths with great effects brings this one to a close. Sounds promising... Tribal Waves- Clever name with a groove to match aaaaaaaand that's about it. I just listened to it 3 times and couldn't tell you one thing about it. Orange Interactive (Interactive Noise Remix)- I don't think I have heard a single track by Hugo before this and well, I still haven't as he is remixing a Symphonix track. Here he brings a very deep bass line and some glitchy effects keeping the vibe simple. It sounds great as everything is pretty clear, and it's building to something. I like the twinkling percussive sounds and the uttered "Orange" but it leaves me wanting. Not bad, but a little empty. That Voice- "I can't believe it's not butter!" Probably not the same guy, but if it is good for him for having his hand in a lot of pies. House through and through with a pillowy soft kick. Not a lot of stray sounds to keep your head into it, so I guess he went for the uncluttered approach. The beat is so heavy I can't help but tilting my head in time like those guys on SNL. Where have I heard this before...oh yeah, everywhere. Pass. de Festa- Dubi was responsible for two of the best progressive albums of recent memory in my opinion with Disharmonic Silence and Archive 9. Sounds pretty massive with the banging and very thick pads. The banging sounds like a Xerox track, just can't remember which. Plenty of washes (and by plenty I mean a sh*tload) and sounds to keep you interested. He's workin the reverb right through the break as the synths get sliced. There is another break that is quite similar to the first, but he keeps his vibe going. And...he pulls the hat trick with a third short break. Pretty good track. If he knocked off 2 minutes I think it would be even better. Freq Box (Audiomatic Remix)- This is Benjamin Halfmann from the Fatherland who released an album called Weekend Society this year, so he's a busy somebody. Track has some balls, with eerie effects over a simple bass line. Groove is on high as the break just seeps in. Nice. Floating synths dance an argeggio as a distorted lead flirts with a new bass line. Pretty epic before it starts from scratch, but you know...he can rebuild it. And he does, maintaining the atmosphere all the way. Good job. Tricolore (Rocky Remix)- Wow, he is looking old. Sure the roids didn't help.... But not that Rocky...I would imagine his track would sound more like a throwing a bag of kittens into a woodchipper. This is Roy Tilbor with another house beat to get the party started. I'm lookin for exits when I hear "We're in Heaven" because that tells me we are actually in hell. God this blows as he throws every cliche in the book at you. Cornball sample, unimaginative arpeggios...I'm 7 minutes in and wish I had a time machine. Wanna Be Free- "Y...M..C-A!" That's what I hear in my mind with this beat. Purely house, but wait until the female vocal arrives. I feel like I should be in a club that caters to the transgendered. Hey, check that (guy? girl?) out over there... is he/she vogueing? Sometimes I like the house thing, but this was uber simple and generic. Nothing appealing at all. Man this turd lost it's shine really quickly. Antiloop- Anyone else see the humor in this being called "Antiloop" when it is exactly the opposite? The break near 4 and a half minutes (yes, and the wait was agonizing) gave a little bit of freshness to an otherwise limp-dicked effort. This is Suntree whos album Inside was spectacular. Leads me to believe that lots and lots of narcotics were used in the making of this crap. I think I will sing a song I would rather hear... "Pass the dutchie pon de left hand side..." Me too Joe, I don't know what the f*ck happened. Man this was Ambien at the click of a mouse. Sooooo boring. The tracks just loop for far too long and my mind wandered in almost every effort. Even when there was some variation it wasn't particularly exciting. Too often I began to wonder if there was laundry to do. Perhaps this was not meant to compete with the melodic progressive trance offerings and if so then, well it won't. People got bored with minimal because it was so f*cking minimal. That's how I felt here. Most of the tracks were supermodel thin and just as empty. Most definitely a download by track rather than a full album purchase. It makes me think this was a digital release because Blue Tunes knew it kinda blew and didn't want to waste money putting out a CD. I can't confirm that of course. If you are interested in songs that don't suck balls, try 1, 5, and 6. JunoDownload Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Erta Ale Label: Cronomi Records Date: March, 2011 1 Snufkin Is Gone / NK47 2 Nervous Machine / Subra 3 An Expert On Humans / PortaMento 4 Kapala (Feat. DJ Inada) / M-Run 5 Holocron / Lapsus 6 Goat Man / M-Run 7 Synthesized Not Yet / GoaMech 8 Perihelion / E-Mantra 9 We Are Nothing But Dust / New Born I want to discuss the word bad. It has a few meanings depending on your context. Let's begin with some bad motherf*ckers that took out the trash. Warning: gross image Really Pakistan, you had no idea he was there? 18 foot walls, a million dollar home (truthfully it didn't look like it, but who the hell knows what a million bucks buys in Pakistan. I think we all know what it won't buy.) and no windows? No alarm bells going off? Which means either you were complicit or incompetent. Either way, why are we giving you billions of dollars? Did you think Trump was building a summer home? Oh, Matt LeBlanc...it's too bad that sums up your career. Who did you blow to get on Friends? Good God this was bad. Yeah I watched it...the wife was at work and the kid was napping...Still I feel dumber for having done so. Christ it was like I was caught in the middle of a 1980's Cure video with all the brooding and faux goth imagery and the "you don't understand how I feel" teenage problems. Just because your boyfriend left you doesn't mean you have to sink into a 4 month depression. Everyone gets dumped, get over it. And you're telling me this hooker didn't know king of the unibrow Jacob was a werewolf? Or that Edward is gay? Yes he is, the only other people that glow like that are pregnant. When Jacob said "This wasn't a choice I was born like this" I almost fell over. Twilight is using gay metaphors now? And doesn't this dude own a shirt? I know this was made for teenage girls, but every scene he is in he's showing off his abs like he was The Situation from Jersey Shore. I should've checked my penis at the door. What was I talking about? Right, bad. This was made by Cronomi Records and as you can tell by the overwhelmingly positive reviews it went over quite well. Run by Michael Anenburg these guys specialize in the psychedelic side of goa and leave the sunshine to Suntrip. Freshly Cut Tomato, People Walk Funny, and Artha's Influencing Dreams is more their cup of tea. It was compiled by DJ Inada and mastered by Mr. Oood. I for one liked the cover, as it shows a really mean looking deity floating in space. And that's the type of music you'll find inside. Snufkin Is Gone- "Oh God...so alone." With a Phantom of the Opera beginning and an eerie harmonica melody I feel like I stepped into the mind of a western cowboy serial killer. But that's just me, I have really weird dreams. The beat is funky at the start as the strings do their minor key thing, but eventually it picks up. It's an oddball, for sure but it's also rich in atmosphere. Not really goa, but I liked it. A lot. Nervous Machine- "The nervous system is a complex network of nerve cells and nerve fibers placed throughout the body." Good to see the owner of the label sneaking in a track on the compilation! I'm just messin' with ya f*cknuts. It's punchy with leads barking flowing with an old school sound. The break has some chopped strings and expands a little on the sample. When it starts flying again the leads wobble and become more aggressive. Love the melody at the end. Pretty good stuff. An Expert On Humans- "Now open your mouth and let's have a look at that brain. No-no-no-no not that mouth." Delightful bubbling bass sounds and whirring computer effects make this a spooky trip down an evil forest. It builds slowly but when that guttural bass sound creeps in and I do mean creeps, we are dining with the old school family. Hail to the 303! Good God I think he woke up the Pleiadians! So dark and delicious he just keeps pummeling you with it. And just as it was taking you to the edge the break arrives and it drops out. Soon though we are thrust into the belly of the beast and it is so hungry. Awesome track. Kapala- "Why are all these guys using funny voices in their psychedelic music? Put echo on it. To sound more mystical? More spiritual? Do I sound mystical or spiritual to you?" More cyber darkness with metallic clanging as sounds wail with regret. The beat is very bouncy if slower than the previous track. The leads layer and it is impossible not to move to this. It gets deconstructed and then builds itself back stronger yet. Acid lines scream and I think someone got X-Dream back together. Powerful and dark with an attitude this could be the greatest goa track ever made. That makes two sensational tracks in a row. Wanna go for the hat trick? Holocron- "You will take us to the Holocron!" I'm sorry Lapsus, I know you've made a few good tracks, and I'm gonna let you finish, but Jesus would have to log on to your software for you to top that previous masterpiece. But hold up a minute...he's got some racy acid himself. It scrapes the skin providing some excitement, but the climax is the best bit. That's when it is at its most aggressive and wonderfully chaotic. Somebody take this guy to the Holocron already. Whatever the hell that is. Goat Man- "The Black Goat." Why it gotta be black? No it's not. Sit down Webster. C'mon...am I the only one? I could've posted the tool from Narnia, but...he's a tool from Narnia. And Jim Breuer is funny. Is M-Run going to top himself? Alien and evil sounds skitter from the darkness and BAM! We are up on some old Colorbox sh*t! That bass line is nimble and the leads start stacking giving a nice thick mosaic. And like Colorbox did, this is a really groovy track. Twisted synths twirl all over this thing and it keeps going like that bunny who I refuse to say the name of because the little f*cker charges so much for batteries and for God's sake could a company for once just make a wind up toy so I don't have to spend another $15 on batteries or maybe I'll just read him a book, but I can't right now cause he prefers to play with fridge magnets. What? Oh yeah, this track kicks ass. Synthesized Not Yet- "I think it's time to express your...philosophy on drug use as it relates to artistic endeavors." A quick bass line and a series of sky clearing pads start us off and it's not long before a synth races to the front. I love the pace and the echoes of 303's as layers begin to add up. It's just pure melodic bliss right into the break and that awesome sample. The leads continue to twirl, reforming and taking other shapes. Lovely. Stunning. I can't believe this is happening. When does this artist album come out? Here take my credit card...we'll sort out the details later. Perihelion- As if we weren't on the verge of perfection, we continue with the king of new school. Layers, gurgling bass sounds, and far reaching melodies. One synth melts into another with such smoothness that it's hard to believe. It's like trying to eat a warm chocolate chip cookie without getting any on your hand. Ain't happening. And just as delicious. The break sneaks up without warning and I found myself saying, "Where'd the beat go?" This is perfect twirling music and it lets you lose yourself in the dream of your choosing. I don't know how much more of this I can take. If the New Born track is of the same quality, we have something epic on our hands. We Are Nothing But Dust- Check out that bass line! Go on son, and hit us with that old school sound. It's like a suede condom, it just feels right. Got your James Brown on? Know you're right. Oh snap, here come the layers and it's a last track groove fest. F*ck a downtempo track. It's a melodic tour de force that puts a smile on my face. What a way to end. Juicy and groovy. I don't expect you to read all of "dat" Fantasia, not because it's too long, but because I don't think you can read. I believe this is the Temple of One of goa trance. Every track was excellent and most of them were f*cking superior. It was full of long evolving melodies and wonderful atmospheres. This was hands down the best new school compilation I have ever heard. It sounded great so a tip of the cap to the artists and Colin. Congratulations Cronomi, you have a legend on your hands. You have set the standard for all in the new school universe to strive for. So in closing this was a bad motherf*cker and it was too bad it couldn't go on for another hour. But hey, two out of three ain't...well, you know. Psyshop Beatspace Saiko Sounds Goa Store Mdk

Artist: Beat Bizarre Title: Lewd Label: Iboga Records Date: 2001 1. Pony Sauce 2. Monochrome 3. Brain Drain (Rmx) 4. Deep Pitch 5. The New Breed 6. Error 7. Funk Fluid To quote Discogs user Fox_on_the_rox from December 2010 about this album: "Awesome." Wow. That is f*cking fantastic. Could you be a bit more descriptive? Too difficult, ok how about less? Even Samuel L. Jackson is bored and that guy gets excited over the smallest tasks. "I'M GOING TO GET A CUP OF MOTHER F*CKIN' COFFEE!" "NOW I'M GONNA PUT SOME SUGAR IN THE MOTHER F*CKER!" "AIN'T THAT A B*TCH...I FORGOT THE CREAMER!" I've been writing reviews long enough to know that everyone has their own style. Some people write a lot and some use pictures. Actually, I'm the only one I know who uses pictures and...well, some people hate it and some love it. Point is, who am I to tell someone how to write a review? That being said, "Awesome" just doesn't seem to cut it. Too vague. But Mike, how can "Awesome" be vague? I think this is awesome But I like big boobs. To a gay guy he might think that is less awesome. Based on that theory, I am assuming that Fox_on_the_rox likes minimal music or too many melodies send him into an epileptic seizure the likes of which Michael J. Fox hasn't seen. Beat Bizarre are René Gundel Nielsen & Martin Spanner Zimmermann and this was their first album waaaaay back in 2001. So this was made at least 10 years ago. If it's quality music it doesn't really matter how old it is. Look at the Beatles. Hell, look at I.F.O. First let me say that I don't really care for minimal. I find it rather boring, but when it's done well I can appreciate its atmosphere. Like some reviewers have said this isn't supposed to be the melodic tour de force. When it came out the minimal style was in so those hoping for layers of melody will come away from this disappointed. I knew what this was going in and to me it is exactly what I thought it would be. Long pieces of monotony punctuated by dark themed effects mostly devoid of melody. I just read that back again and...ouch. But I'm sure the artists weren't striving to create stacks of melody as that scene ended. What is here is great production where every sound is very clear. My problem with it (besides the lack of melody) is that it goes on entirely too long. 3, 4, maybe five minutes I could take, but 9 and 10 minutes of just effects over the same bass line is snoozetown. But again, this wasn't made for me. The Brain Drain Remix seemed a little more punchy, but it still was weak by today's standards. So I suppose this review is for the newbies to the scene. If you like melodic music than steer clear of this. If you like minimal then this is some of the best I have heard. It's dark and spooky pulsating music and sounds very good. I can easily appreciate it on repeated listens. Is that clear enough? Awesome. Beatspace Out of stock at Psyshop and Saikosounds. Mdk

Artist: Cybernetika Title: The Scythe of Orion Label: None Date: 2010 1. Lost Technology 2. Impossible Mirage 3. Tyrannis 4. Transmitter 5. Cryostasis 6. Molecular Probe 7. Calling Mercurio Here is another guy not signed to a label that has boatloads of talent. I don't think it's because he can't get a deal, more because he seems to make music for the love of it. Ideally that's how it should be, but we gotta eat in this world so most artists want to get paid for their work. This is Lars Goossens and he has released an absolute sh*tload of material. Quality stuff that crosses genre boarders. Paralysis from 2005 Promo #1 from 2006 Neural Network Expansion from 2007 Nanospheric from 2008 Atropos from 2010 Here is a link to his site where you can get these albums. The guy is like a Rolex...you can set your watch by him that he will release something each year. Like goa trance? He's done that. How bout some Dark-Psy? Oh yeah, got it covered. Psy-drumNBass? Nailed it. It's 2011 so I guess he might try some polka for his next release. One more thing...it's all for free. Costs you nothing. It's not like this is some guy on a Casio uploading stuff to the intarwebz, hell no this is quality production. Whatever genre he decides to tackle, he conquers with deep atmosphere and striking clarity. Which brings us to his latest release distributed by our great friend at Ektoplazm. Lost Technology- "First there was darkness. Then came the Strangers. They were a race as old as time itself. They had mastered the ultimate technology." Oh, I love me some Dark City. Computers hum and blue LED's blink with frenzied abandon as the boosters kick in. The metallic cold of pure steel gleams in the non-light deepening the sense of isolation. This drips with atmosphere and builds slowly with eerie space effects playing off the synth line. It grumbles and trudges forward with reckless abandon. 6 and a half minutes in and the first break appears. Totally wide open and far reaching with stars so far away you can never reach them. The main synth returns as does the alien feel of its touch. We are witnessing something...disturbingly unfamiliar. So good that the track flew by, and at almost 14 minutes don't think that is easy to do. What an opening! Impossible Mirage- Mix the cold of deep space with a thunderously rumbling bass line and acidic goa melodies and you have this track. It bubbles with alien life from a far away forest and grapples with technology superior to anything we have ever dreamed. Mournful synth pads wail as a goa melody soars overhead. It gives a little, but not too much, allowing itself a moment to reorganize. An echoing melody chimes in bringing that low bass with it and the layering begins. Another triumph! Tyrannis- The corridors are dark and cold with fog drifting slowly down their length. Another rumbling bass line with effects that speak of ghosts past. A synth line fades in as a laser cannon erupts and it is full steam ahead. When the break comes metallic clankings ripple and stabs echo with evil intent. This is dark like the movie Event Horizon and the 2nd mini break brings distorted strings that further contribute to the ghost story vibe. Frightening. Transmitter- As if receiving radio signals from deep space the computer tabulates the information and begins its analysis. The tighter bass line is decidedly alien and the effects are just haunting. This may be a communicay we don't want to receive. The lead is a low pitched darkpsy staple but it moves with the quickness of a cat. The break brings a delightful melody that perhaps builds a bridge between the two alien life forms as it echoes off the stars. Powerful and atmospheric to the bone. Wonderful. Cryostasis- More humming machinery to keep the passengers of the spaceflight alive and well. Right off the bat there is something different about this track with its snare and rock beat sensibility. More techno influence than trance possibly. Make no mistake we are still amongst the stars as the bass wobbles below the melancholy strings. The lead here has a goa flare to go along with the effects but the breakbeat steals the show as he shows his funky side. There were some synths that had a detuned falling effect that didn't thrill me but as a whole the package was very imaginative. Molecular Probe- Let's face it, nobody wants to be probed. See? That's gotta hurt going back in. More effect driven psytrance with a great attention to detail. It's dark and bouncy with alien sounds floating high overhead. The bass line switches as pads wash over everything. The goa melody here is kick ass! and the break is full of tension. Are they really going to stick that...you know...down there? The next few minutes sound like they are deciding if anal probing can teach them anything further. The end melody is so outer space and tasty and it comes full circle with the goa flavor. So this had some good ol psy, goa, and darkpsy rolled into a pretty rocking bundle. Calling Mercurio- This is a slow churning bit of metallic industrial cyber technology. The leads rip, with lots of reverb and delay, moving with speed over the slow beat. Crawling like Brundlefly at the end of the movie. The guitars don't ruin it at all and remind me a lot of Reptilian by NIN. The break oozes otherworldliness, bubbling to an eerie conclusion. The bass meanders this way and that like the S/H Hold on my old DX27 and the guitars come back to guide you. Pretty f*cking massive. What an awesome ride this was. There is a heavy science fiction vibe here that was flawless. Too many times it can be campy with annoying samples and cliche structure, but his atmosphere was very lush and he maintained it through the entire album. The sound was crystal clear and that definitely helped. His use of effects reminded me of every sci-fi movie I have ever seen with awesome visuals. It's dark and it's a moody masterpiece. Easily one of the best psytrance releases of 2010. Get it free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Sort of. See that backpack in the previous photo? He sits in that while I do all the hiking. Mdk

These are a few of the pics I took on my latest hiking trips. This is less than an hour from my house. View from Black Rock Summit. Rice Fields...though I didn't see any rice. That's me hiking up a mountain in West Virginia. A brutal 2 miles. My son at the top of Rice Fields. That was a 15 mile hike. Mdk

Artist: Virtuart Title: Time Cruncher EP Label: Koyote Records Date: 1996 A. Time Cruncher B. Tetragrematon I'm not feeling particularly funny today so I think I will just leave you with the facts. This is Olivier Abitbol who released an album called Drehkar back in '99 which I thought was highly underrated. I would call him old school and the way he makes his music supports this. He builds tracks slowly, adding layers linearly because well, he didn't have the luxury of relying on Cubase or Logic or whatever the software du jour is. As I have said before I missed out on the golden age of goa trance so I love finding old gems like this. I don't even know if he is still producing music, but he did deliver a track not so long ago for the Suntrip compilation Sundrops - Light In Motion. Time Cruncher- This has to be one of if not the track Virtuart is known for. It begins with a floaty synth not unlike the soft, cold hum of machinery followed by some spoken French. The delicate synth lines dance lithely above the bass as a chopped up string sings forlornly. It's not a power track, but more of a drifting effort that takes you from cloud to cloud. You really get a sense of that when the strings attain a higher octave. Tetragrematon- I had never heard this track before so this was an exciting prospect. The robotic voice utters something unintelligible as the flute seems...out of place. Another builder that combines leads in truly danceable fashion. Leads change sounds and melodies as they all keep to that goa vibe. You know where you can hear each new addition? The layers thicken the track and then there is a direction change. Moving from something dark towards perhaps hopeful. It's in a drifting style that shows us how it was done in the good old days. I've heard more powerful goa and I have heard more chaotic and dark goa. This is very melodic and listener friendly. If you are fortunate enough to come across this EP I highly suggest picking it up for a slice of the good old days gone by. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Pantheon Label: Neogoa & Psydance Records Date: April, 2011 1. JBC Arkadii: Cold As Ice (128 BPM) | 09:18 2. Kaoz: Voices From A Blackberry Garden (140 BPM) | 08:42 3. Komondor: Pangea (142 BPM) | 06:09 4. Relaxotan: The Dimension Of Imagination (140 BPM) | 07:41 5. Stryder: Neo Dance (140 BPM) | 07:34 6. Javi: Into The Vortex (140 BPM) | 08:57 7. Deimos: Doomsday Funk (142 BPM) | 07:30 8. Blackstarrfinale: Is Pause No (146 BPM) | 09:31 9. Innerself: At The Edge Of The Universe (95 BPM) | 07:13 It's about time I got around to this. As the principal reviewer at Neogoa I am a little embarrassed with my tardiness. Please bear with me though, all the porn on the net isn't going to watch itself. Just kidding...kinda. I've chronicled how busy I am so I won't bore you with the mundane details of a stay at home Dad, but have you seen the intarweb lately? So much going on. If there isn't terrabytes of free porn or my country's continuing desire to humiliate itself it's that f*cking royal wedding coverage. Why do people care? Why? Is it going to make your life better or give you a raise? They're having viewing parties. Need I remind you that coverage begins at 4 a.m. EST. I didn't even know there was a 4 a.m. Madness. There are Britons that have been camped out for over a week to make sure they get a good spot for the sparse seconds they will see the royal couple. Here I thought only Americans were that retarded. Hero worship like that should be saved for chicks with big boobs that are goodly enough to sleep with you. Get your priorities in line. I love how every Brit who couldn't get away from that dreary island fast enough now returns to offer "authentic" insight into every minute detail. I'm happy for William as it couldn't be easy growing up in the royal limelight his entire life. Not to mention losing his Mom. So my beef isn't with England it's with my stupid media outlets and their desire force feed me with ridiculous amounts of coverage. My solution...I'm going hiking. I'm going so deep into the woods you would need a f*cking carrier pigeon to find me. *closes book, mini-rant over* This is the 3rd compilation released by Neogoa but this time it is in partnership with Psydance records. As was explained to me, this is a more experimental foray into the world of psytrance. It was compiled by Richpa and Stryder (Psydance label founder) and mastered by him with the exception of tracks 6,7, and 8. They were mastered by this fellow... Why not, if you listen to him he was responsible for Obama's birth certificate, the Panama Canal, and Jesus Christ. The cover is beautiful again (great job Richpa) and the promo text is...well, it's promo text. And I quote: "Mysterious sounds will flow deep into your ears and ressurect the Glory of the dead, enchant your soul and enlighten your spirit from within. Each track will guide you closer to the marvel of many wonders, taking you back to the moments where they all started. As the melodies make your body and brain dance, you will feel the elusive energy releasing inside the music, with which we honour the great deceased and revel in the aftermath of their great works." O....Kay? Cold As Ice- This is Arkadii Tronets (nope, not making that up and as far as I know he is not a cyborg...maybe) and he had a pretty good track on Protozoa. It has a good bounce with bubbly bass that you can just hear. The leads ricochet off each other right into the break. The final synth has a mysterious tone that I found appealing It's not a melodic goa stormer or even aggressive, but it is a nice intro track that leans more than a little towards the psytrance side of things. Voices From A Blackberry Garden- My wife has a crackberry and as a surgeon she has to have it with her at all times. That thing is forever going off with emails, BBM's and calls...I wannna throw it out the window. I mean it. No idea who this is but think of this track as as a drone that's pissed off. It's evil and I feel like someone round house kicked me down the rabbit hole. Ummm...can't really dance to this unless you are in a coven. Pangea- Jeez, who the hell are these people? I liked this one. The layers started to stack and the effects kept the atmosphere alive. The break is a shimmering rebirth that showers melodies from the skies above. It's heavenly in feel, with great synths. The bass is a rumbler separating good and evil. Nice listen. The Dimension Of Imagination- Relaxotan? Artists are special people aren't they? This has a simple beat with a running synth being arpeggiated. It's hypnotic in its simplicity I think. Not very elaborate or revolutionary but when that lead gets filtered it is catchy. Neo Dance- Mr. Psydance steps up to the plate with a heavy psy influence. Chopped up synths in a dream dance fashion. It builds towards the end, but doesn't grab me. Nothing really exciting here. Into The Vortex- I've heard this guy's tracks on Project DIY: Belgians United and thought they showed promise. He starts with a nice ethnic sounding intro complete with long sitar-like sweep and running synth. This is more of an in your face style and he seems to mean business. 303's scream and here is the smackdown I was looking for. My favorite by far. Doomsday Funk- This is Mr. I master all of Neogoa's releases. It's a pretty good psytrance track that has playful melodies. The break is airy and reorganizes things, changing directions without you taking notice. Very fluid. Is Pause No- Luis Pabón has had a track now on all 3 Neogoa compilations all with good results. It's a very positive track and makes me feel like I woke up to a beautiful sunrise. Halfway through it takes a turn from positive trance to spiritual goa stylings and thickens up. Just delicious. I like the way you lull me with the jab and then hit me with the uppercut. It was so gradual you didn't even know you've been put to sleep. Quality. At The Edge of the Universe (Floating In Deep Space)- "I discovered a meal between breakfast and brunch." The last track of the compilation is a downtempo on and it kinda has an on edge feel. Nice use of the Pulp Fiction sample and the leads scrape the sky over some percussive sounds. Not slow, but not quite mid tempo either. As a huuuuuuge Simpsons fan I appreciate any and all samples where Homer is featured. Good job. First off if you are expecting another Dimensional Gateway or Future Architecture you are going to be disappointed. It's not that kind of party. As I mentioned before it is more experimental and melds goa and psy together like a sandwich. Some like baloney and cheese (not saying the music is cheesy) and some don't. The two genres are so connected anyway it's not like they are going out on a limb here. It's either a goa album with psychedelic influences or vice versa. IMO this wasn't as enjoyable as the other 2 compilations. I prefer my goa ultra melodic and lush with lots of layers. While this is not that compilation it does do a good job of guiding goa trance in another direction. Kinda like Goasia did with Dancing With The Blue Spirit. Most of the tracks were better than average and none of them are bad. Well, maybe the 2nd one. It just didn't have that punch that makes you sit up and take notice. Still, like all Neogoa releases this costs you nothing and you just might find you are into it. Download it free here. Mdk

Artist: E-Mantra & Suufi Astrolab Title: Astrograms Label: Elektronica Records Date: March, 2011 1 Searching Ganesha / E-Mantra 2 Praying Forest (Neurosect Remix) / E-Mantra 3 Dansul Ielelor (Eleusyin Remix) / E-Mantra 4 Telepatic Alienation / E-Mantra 5 Pompierul Piroman / Suufi Astrolab 6 Birds Are Flying Over The Dark City / Suufi Astrolab 7 Bicycles For Elita / Suufi Astrolab 8 Ambient Girl Outro / Suufi Astrolab Purple monkey dishwasher. Ice cream sandwich toilet seat lawnmowers. Rocking chair turntable biscuit fans. That crap didn't make a lot of sense did it? Well, almost as much sense as the ridiculous promo on the vendor sites. Do they hire people to come up with this crap? And pay them? Where do I sign up. And let's be honest if Kelly Kapowski can't figure it out what chance do the rest of us have? This is Elektronica Records first release and they have landed quite the whale. Makes me wonder if Emmanuel has an interest in this label. If you love goa trance and have been listening to it the last several years then you undoubtedly know who is top dog. E-mantra has been wearing the crown for years now having released in my opinion the one of the greatest goa albums of all the new school releases called Arcana back in 2009. I've yet to hear him make a crappy track so when I see he is on a compilation, I buy it. He's earned it. His style is hypnotic and multi-layered with cascades of melodies that float amidst the stars. No, we're not dating. There are 8 tracks here with 4 done by E-mantra and the 4 others by some project called Suufi Astrolab. It would not surprise me one bit to fine out that is Emmanuel as, umm...well. To begin with, check out that beautiful cover. It's like a nebula in deep space with more colors than a pack of skittles. So, you know...taste the rainbow. Searching Ganesha- Pads, pads, and more pads. The bass rumbles in their aftermath and we are underway. The sounds are distant, like memories of your childhood. You know they are there, but you actively have to bring them into focus. The layers come in droves, thicker than 10 ice cream sandwiches. It really is dreamlike and the pan flute melody drives the outer space feeling home. Hypnotic and super smooth as leads pile on in all their filtered glory. Superb my friends, superb. Praying Forest (Neurosect Remix)- This is the Neurosect remix of a track on Arcana. Whoever that is. I love the voice of the Ent from LOTR and all I can understand is the word Eisengard. Totally fits with the vibe. It bubbles like the original with loads of layers and far reaching consequences. Leads fade in and and get filtered to provide an otherworldly experience. Seamless and floating while twisting amongst the stars...this is the definition of awesome. Other than this.. Dansul Ielelor (Eleusyin Remix)- Another track off Arcana this time given the business by his side project Eleusyn. You know, the duo responsible for the Phantasm and Carbon EP's? Just like the last track I went back and listened to the original in hopes to compare, but I get swept away with the melodies that I don't even remember to listen for differences. So you will have to do that on your own, but what I think this does is move in a more dreamy trance direction. It's still goa and it is very atmospheric, but as far as I can remember, held close to the original. Telepatic Alienation- More atmospheric deep space goa right down your pie hole. And you love it. I know I did. It moves progressively, with sounds echoing in the cold. Then the layers trickle in. It's never obtrusive, but eases in smoothly. Bubbling 303's sky piercing melodies, and deep hypnotica. Wonderful. There he is again...I defy you to find a greater symbol of approval than Kevin Arnold. Doesn't exist buddy. Doesn't exist. Pompierul Piroman- "Mike...Mike, you got a phone call. I dunno who it is, but they said f*ck your new school!". Yep, this sounds like 1997 all over again. Layers and dripping with that Street Fighter battle UX versus MFG...finish him! Rumbling bass and searing acid lines. This one's gonna get bloody. Ooohhh...Ned Ryerson, you got knocked the f*ck out! Birds Are Flying Over The Dark City- There are a lot of things I don't understand. Beyonce and Jay-Z. Insurance. How are you going to charge me for some sh*t that might happen? Cricket. Not the bug douchebag, the sport. For whatever reason, this made it onto a brilliant goa album. It is all over the map...ambient, breakbeat, psy, I mean it has it all. An absolute total mood and vibe killer. It's interesting, and I spent the most time on this track, which kinda sucks cause it is also over 10 minutes. The more listens I gave it, I liked it unfortunately I feel that it is sorely misplaced. But this is like showing up to a baby shower with a dildo...what the f*ck? Bicycles For Elita- A breakbeat dub piece here, and I'm left scratching my head. It's not bad, but why put this here after such a mindbending goa trip? This reminds me of the Regenesis album by Radical Distortion. It's just a breakbeat riding a saw wave type sound, and contains none of the imagination that the previous tracks had. Ambient Girl Outro- Holy deep bass Batman! That is rumbling with echoes in the background. Very short and not very memorable. Seriously. What the f*ck? We were on the verge of another Arcana and then...what? First thing I want to know is who is Suufi Astrolab and why is he messing up this album? Is it an alias of Emmanuel? Does he owe this guy some money because I could loan you a few scheckles. Whoever it is clearly showed that they can craft an old school goa stormer, but this then descended into experimental territory. Average at best. There is a time and place for this type of music, but I didn't think this was it. I bring up Regenesis because that one did the same thing. Superb goa trance destined for greatness and then he screwed the pooch. I'm sure most goa fans will download the first 5 tracks because they are clearly worth it. The rest...no thanks. Psyshop Beatspace Saikosounds Goastore Mdk

Such a shame isn't it? Well, he had a good run. And thank you exotic for the support! Mdk

Grapes.

Artist: GeKo Title: Corrupted Symphony EP Label: Dropland Recordings Date: April, 2011 1. Corrupted Symphony 2. Precrime (feat Sinful Reactions) There is a lot of music released out there. I mean...a lot. Sometimes it's tough to wade through the swamp and find something worthwhile. We all have our favorite artists which we latch on to and follow their career. Sometimes you are rewarded and then other times...not so much. GeKo is Amir Ben David from the Holy Land who released his debut Poison Flowers in 2009. It was awesome and had everything you could want in psy...power, melody, atmosphere. Definitely on my list of artists to watch. So you can understand my surprise when I heard this thing. It, ah...wasn't good. I mean, it started out promising, but quality can be a slippery slope. Corrupted Symphony got on my bad side quickly with an annoying lead melody that went on waaaaay too long. I liked the Iron Man sample but talk about a flow killer. Precrime again had a cool sample from Minority Report I believe. I thought this would be the track to buy as it had more power, but the more I listened to it, the more I didn't like it. The sounds weren't very appealing and were actually uninspired. Lazy even with the "melody." I have an idea...instead of putting out an EP to cash in on tracks that are subpar, work with them some more and make them killarrgh. That may not be fair as taste is subjective. Still, if you liked Poison Flowers, this will disappoint. Juno Download Mdk

Artist: Sick Addiction Title: Writers Block EP Label: Timecode Records Date: November, 2010 1. Issah Koh Sissah 2. Future Shock 3. Suicide Bomber (feat. Spector) 4. Swing Timecode has a long and proud history of releasing some of the greatest high energy psy. It's full of power, melody and makes the listener stand up and take notice. As of late, they have gone to a more digital format releasing EP's from the likes of Phyx, Principles of Flight, and now Sick Addiction. This is is the fusion of two Portuguese psytrance artists, Tiago Pimentel (Tryambaka) and Manuel Trindade (D-Maniac). I don't know much about Manuel, but The Olive recently released his 2nd album Replenishing Roots and it was a rollicking good time. I'm not going to go through the tracks and some might call me a lazy motherf*cker. That's ok, I can take it. I think you're ugly. The tracks are all in the same style and sound very similar. First the good...they are pretty beat intensive and have acid in lots of the tracks. It tends toward the dark side of things with eerie melodies which I like. Now for the bad...it's kinda cheesy. Think the theatrical sound of POF mixed with generic full on. There are samples which are the freshest Nebraska corn as well as stops and starts with the annoying build up. It just wasn't enjoyable to listen to. As soon as it became nicely dark something like the above would come along and ruin the flow. Maybe they are suffering from writers Block. Their album Demented Diary is much better and would tell you to go listen to that. Beatport JunoDownload Mdk

Artist: Vertex Title: Spliff Science EP Label: TesseracT Studio Date: March, 2011 1. In Heat 2. Spliff Science 3. Visionary TesseracT Studio is the do it all label. Not only do they claim to release music in a lot of genres, but they also have their own mastering facility and their own team of design artists. I've sung their praises before most recently with Questions by the Riddler (Talpa) and the outstanding Vertex debut Ocean. This is Nikola Kozić (Zyce) and Slobodan Gaćeša (formerly of Flegma) with a nice little EP that I recently picked up. It was an easy decision really because their album Ocean was that f*cking good. The have that dreamy progressive style that can carry you away and make all of your worries seem not so bad. In Heat- You know what this is? It's sitting on a lounge chair on the beach with your toes in the waves while sipping on a beer. It's not too warm and there is a nice breeze blowing your hair. The percussion gives it the island feel and it bounces in just the right way. What it isn't doing is weaving an intricate tale. This is just sit back, relax, and watch the people go by music. Nice. Spliff Science- Back when I used to smoke weed I did it like most everyone else. Either via joint or bong. To be honest, without going to the net, I don't know what a spliff is...only that Bob Marley used one. This track is a continuation of the first one in its smoothness. It's more detailed than In Heat but still has that sunshine feel the warm water on my toes percussion. There are more layers but still nothing uber complex. It flows nicely and there is even a tempo change out of the break. Nice and postive. Visionary- I used to work for an eye doctor that named his company visionary. It really wasn't and he was a putz who thought his sh*t didn't stink. That aside, the bass sound is the same with more echoing effects. Again nothing fancy, but laid back like that cool counselor at summer camp. Even when the tempo seems to increase near the end. Not heavy. So a nice little 3 track EP for your listening pleasure. If you enjoy music that floats lightly on summer breezes than this is for you. If you loved his debut album than this is also for you. It's a nice way to kick off the warmer season. $6.48 for 3 wavs? Ouch, I would get the 320k mp3's. Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Electric Universe Title: Higher Modes Label: Electric Universe Records Date: March, 2011 1. Embracing the sun 2. The Point 3. Daft Robot 4. Rockers and Rollers 5. Lazerbass 6. Higher Modes 7. The Funkadelic Drummer 8. Gratified 9. Bodhysattva 10. Up 11. All is nothing 12. The Web See this guy? Approach him with extreme caution. Let me explain. I saw a movie yesterday that really had an effect on me. And not in a good way. It was called Splice and it was about creating life by gene splicing and its ramifications. It was slightly ridiculous, but that could be overlooked because it was well shot and the acting wasn't bad. It did however take a turn for the worse. There was a scene where the "teenage" female alien was in the barn and well...Adrien Brody f*cked it. Yep, forget that he's got a girlfriend or that he created this alien in the lab or that it has a tail that can kill you. The funniest part is when his girlfriend catches him and he returns to seemingly apologize he utters the line "We f*cked up." Well, yeah cause you f*cked an alien. For God's sake you can't make anything around this guy. Nothing is safe. Christmas time with the family, "Hey where's Adrien?" "Oh, he's in the front yard f*cking the snowman your kids just made." "Wow, Johnny that is great science project...Damnit Adrien, get your dick outta the volcano." "Oh for f*cks sake Adrien, I just made that sandwich." The moral of this story is keep Adrien Brody far away from anything that you care for. Which brings me to this release by all time master musician Boris Blenn. When you are an icon in your field you have a lot of leeway to experiment and make music that maybe is outside the box. People are very forgiving based on past experiences. Take the Rolling Stones. How often are they going to trot these fossils out. Sure they made great music but that was a grandpa ago. This is the guy who made One Love and Cosmic Universe. I even liked Sonic Ecstasy and Silence in Action. Not to mention the countless wonderful tracks he has made for compilations. But he also made one of the greatest psytrance tracks in history, Fully Awake. So yeah, in my mind this guy gets a pass on whatever he tries to create. So here he is with his latest effort Higher Modes and I cannot wait to see if he still has it or he f*cked the alien. Embrace The Sun- Usually when I see a psy track that is under 6 minutes I'm already thinking it is a commercial piece of crap. Now that may be really wrong painting all of psy with a broad brush but that is just the way I feel. There is no question this is full on to the bone, but it is very well produced. The pads are really warm with scampering leads that rise and fall. He delivers a bouncy rhythm with sky reaching melodies and I felt it was pretty good. If you are looking for psychedelia however, this is going to be a looong ride for you. The Point- Drifting pads and wavering synths bring in the beat with otherworldly effects. Like in the previous track his breakbeats are appealing and I like the way he breaks up tracks. A 303 drops in and it feels very comfortable like putting on an old shoe. The break has a flow killer though and that is the sample discussing points, lines and dimensions. It's like all the momentum you built up comes crashing down. Samples are supposed to enhance not dominate and I felt like that's what this did. You had me...and then you lost me. Stay outta my porn collection and that won't happen you nosy bastard! Daft Robot- Ok where were we? Ah yes, more full on with cheesy samples. C'mon Boris...you're better than this. Terrible, just...awful. Rockers and Rollers- And you thought it couldn't get any worse did you? Someone decided to unearth S.U.N. Project and bring their sh*tty style of guitartrance back. But don't forget the drum solo that was apparently recorded live. It wasn't even that epic, kind of like a taste. I appreciate him trying something different, but that was...well, it wasn't very good. Lazerbass- Hear that? That's me shuddering at what I am about to hear. The title gives it away as the bass is really big and ummm, lazery. But couple that with annoying lead sounds and some stops and starts and I gotta check and make sure I'm listening to the right disc. Good God this is bad. And I'm sorry, but it would take a lot more 303 to make up for this. The end is better, but....sheesh. It's like he sh*t on the sequencer and dared someone to put it on a disc. Higher Modes- Ok, ok, let's take a breath. There are still 6 tracks left for you to save this thing. Dude, a rising synthline is just a disguise for an extended build up. You are not fooling me. The middle of the track however is like a shinning light smashing through the darkness as it recalls your glory days. The sample could've been better and the buildup out of the break hurts my ears, but believe it or not, this was the best track on the disc not named The Web. The Funkadelic Drummer- Sir this is neither funky nor psychedelic... Gratified- You're just making me angrier with these track titles. I want to be gratified, but I ain't gonna find it here. Again with the guitar. Really? What the f*ck Boris, this is sad. God, and the buildup is really painful. Brainwash just texted me... yeah he said,"WTF dude?" Bodhysattva- Man the sh*t parade just keeps on marching doesn't it? It's just over produced trance. Fluffier than a kitten. In all honesty this isn't that bad, but it is nowhere near what you would expect from Boris. I swear he lost a bet. Had to. Up- Man that title is really prophetic, as in "No where to go but up." I'm fed up. Please shut up. However right from the first vocoded vocal you are headed straight down to craptacular town. I'm really awestruck as to how bad this is. That sample just keeps going, ever so slowly. Excruciating. All is Nothing- Running synths in a Paul Van Dyk style give way to a galloping bass line. It then...you know what? F*ck that. Where the hell did the PSY go? You know, PSY? Jesus tap dancing Christ... The Web- The final track on this merry go round of terrible is an area where I feel he should now concentrate his efforts. Downtempo. Eerie melodies and terrific layering make this one very deep. Lush pads and bubbling bass really give this a mysterious feel. Hey, man give credit where credit is due. He nailed it here. First let me say that like most of you I have been a fan of his for a long time. He is legen...dary. That said, what the f*ck happened to you? I can hear some of your style here and how strong it can be, but it's almost lost beneath 10 tons of sh*t. I suppose we should've seen this coming, but I held out hope that you wouldn't succumb to this infectious disease of commercialism. Higher Modes (the track) had its moments where I thought, "Yeah, he's still got it." The Web also showed your talent and was thoroughly enjoyable. But too little too late I'm afraid. The best thing about this was the pretty colors on the cover. Avoid this sack of crap like the plague. I'm not linking to this. You can't make me. Mdk

Artist: Rubix Qube Title: Saturate EP Label: MMD Records Date: December, 2010 1. Saturate 2. Konan The Barbarian (feat Xatrik) 3. TIA (feat. Luna) 4. The Full Moon (feat Rabdom L & Luna) 5. Maximal - Soundproof I went EP shopping the other day and came across this delightful little gem. We all know Nexus Media and Timecode are the creme de la creme of South African psytrance, but this little label should not be overlooked. Producing the same high energy dark themed music as the the other two, Mind Manipulation Device Records brings forth an EP by Rubix Qube otherwise known as Kieron Grieve. Even his name is dark. Having released Ulterior Motives last year let me tell you he brings an ass kicking wherever he goes. You can find that review here. Saturate- Holy crap this is massive. It's like Synsun scored the Terminator. A symphonic intro gives way to eerie strings and laser bursts with acid overtones. Heavily groovy with multiple layers right into a post apocalyptic break. The cover says Rubix, but it looks more like the Hellraiser one and that is the vibe I'm getting as it waylays an entire city. Twisted synths and lasers blare above a frenetic bass line. Superb beginning man...we are on some super hero type sh*t here... Yeeesh...maybe a little bit more super... Konan The Barbarian- "Now they will know why they are afraid of the dark." A teamup with 2 of my favorite psytrance artists? Yes please. The intro is evil to the bone as synths wail and acid drips with hopelessness. Moaning sirens and moaning voices scream above a very angry bass line. If the first track was massive then this is massive times ten. There is loads of atmosphere here to enjoy as the track is thicker than pea soup. The tempo change brings a guitar lick that works very well and actually goes on for a while. Leads screech as they try in vain to escape their prison and eventually it returns to 4/4 time. If you like Conan samples then you will like this. Also instead of just following the generic 4/4 playbook, they do different things to break up the beat. Awesome. TIA- What do you suppose that means? I don't know who Luna is but whoever it is makes a powerful track for sure. Darkness reigns, as thick strings flow amidst filthy leads. Acidic melodies prance about like Satan's children under the weight of layers of sticky goodness. It's evil, no question about that. The break unfurls more sinister sounds and let me tell you this is a joy to listen to. Dark and danceable. Keep it up! The Full Moon- More cyber evilness as these people wield a wicked bass line. It has gravitas, nut crunching power. Scratchy sounds and computer choppiness blanket this thing and gives it a Matrix feel. But on steroids. After 6 Red Bulls. The lead has a haunted house vibe and other synth sounds remind me of the harshness of Frozen Ghost. A little slower but still highly enjoyable. Maximal- "Perhaps you'd better start from the beginning." Dude, this is on constant repeat so no problem. Is this an alias? Perhaps his downtempo or tech-trance project. The beat is a wall of sound as the bass wobbles below more synth madness. It's got a slow swagger daring you to say something. I'm sorry did he just break out the funky stick? Yes...yes he did and he beat the living hell out of you with it. Damn, it's just inventive. Thick like your my friends porn collection and twice as juicy. He doesn't forget the melody as this creeps along right into a break. A guitar strums a small riff as deep sounds bellow. This really is nasty and if you're lucky you will get it all over you. Very Maximal. Very impressive sir. If you like the Nexus or Timecode sound than this is well worth getting. It's fast and detailed, with plenty of groove to keep the hips wriggling. There is plenty of post apocalyptic cyber infused atmosphere to enjoy and he is definitely an artist on the rise. If psytrance is a weak individual with a grudge then Mr. Qube is Brock Sampson totally owning.. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Red Gravity Title: MLDNRG (Um, excuse me...what?) Label: None Date: 2010 1. Smaple 2. Padda 3. Urflipper 4. Modern Society 5. Mixdownfixdown 6. Colors Of Chaos 7. Katana 8. Pyramoons 9. Nosam 10. Pleydo 11. Rules Of Defiance 12. Anadi Vasana As you know, I have a 2 year old and he is very healthy. Funny as crap too. We were hiking and I removed a large tree branch from the trail and my son who doesn't pronounce the letter s serenaded me with "Daddy has a big dick" for 20 minutes. Yes I do son...yes I do. But I digress.... So when we took him to the doctor for his appointment the guy recommended we see an endocrinologist to make sure there is nothing wrong with his hormone levels. Really? Look House I'm not very tall. My wife is even shorter. I'm pretty sure we aren't on the verge of delivering the next Yao Ming. But like a good sheep I went anyway. As expected the Dr. (very nice but had an Indian accent that could crack a hot sidewalk; normally not a problem for me because I studied under the master , but she was tough to understand) said there was nothing wrong with his levels and that the X-ray showed normal bone growth. But then she recommended we go see a gastroenterologist to verify why he is small. 2 $50 copays to see a specialist and $50 for the cost of the x-ray our insurance didn't cover just so you could tell me that my son is short. No f*cking sh*t detective he has small parents! Look, I'm glad that we went, even though I'm out some green because if they had found something then of course you would want to know. But damn is it frustrating to have to see several doctors to tell you something you already know. You are probably wondering what this has to do with Red Gravity. Nothing...think of it as a small peek into the window of my life. This is Leo Petrus from Sweden who has appeared on the Twist Dreams comp as well as the remixed Filteria thing. He decided to give these tracks away and that was awful nice of him. The link is down below. Some of the tracks are really short and seem like snippets of some stuff he might've been working on. There isn't a theme here as he just uploaded some past stuff for free. Nicey nice. Smaple- Made from some of the best sh*t on Earth. Oh, Smaple. Well, that's different. It's a nice little goa tune with echoing leads above a Colorbox type bass line. It's fast and has some nice twists and turns, but like Kanye Imma let you finish this and then get back to you. Padda- I really liked where this was going until the key change. It has some nice melodies and a real old school feel but it seemed like a collection of ideas in a rough draft. The bounce is good but someone hit the Kanye button again. Urflipper- Look Leo that could've been 3 really good tracks if you would just finish them. Don't give us snippets as that only teases with what could've been. So once again, play me out Kanye... Modern Society- Ok, now this is more like it. Almost 6 minutes so I feel I can invest in it. It has nice layering of goa melodies as the sounds switch up. It's not an all out assault, but more of a grooving undulating tale. It bubbles and has an organic taste that sounds pretty good. Maybe the sample could have some music behind it so that it isn't such a stark contrast and flow ruiner. Just one rectum's opinion. Liked the track sir. Mixdownfixdown- Experimental sounds, soaring melodies that sparkle in the sun. It plows ahead full steam as modulated leads scream and get twisted like pretzels. The groove is also good as the layers keep coming, some with growling capability. It reminds me of Etnica and that is never a bad thing. Colors of Chaos- Twisting the cutoff builds the tension as the lead rises and falls. Crunchy with a stand offish quality as the highs and the lows play off each other. More layers fatten this beast up and it's aggressive like UX would do. The lead is choked out like a UFC fight as it twirls in widening circles. I'm spinning, spinning... Katana- Leo we discussed this. You looked me right in the eye and said you understood. No more patterns. Pyramoons- That moon is sizzling! Mangle that lead brother, as this one has all the makings right from jump. Twisting leads, rapid fire kicks, searing synths...It just keeps kicking. Outta the way grandma! Nosam- What did I tell you Leo? These unfinished patterns are begging to be sorted out. Pleydo- I liked play dough. Except for the way it made your hands smell. I knew a kid that ate that sh*t. Nasty. This is a mid tempo goa track that bounces with hot fire. The break is smooth as one of the leads still fires. A perfect example of a track that just needs some finishing touches. Me likey. Rules of Defiance- This one starts of slowly but grows in intensity. It bubbles and whirls with different leads taking center stage. Almost progressive in its intent. While not my favorite, I like the ideas he put in here. Anadi Vasana- More twirling sounds with a nice helping of light. The standout part for me was the percussive tapping in the break. Nothing groundbreaking, but it was a nice way to break things up. See what I did there? First off thank you very much for giving these tracks away. You didn't have to do that and I wanted to let you know that it was appreciated. I know you're on to other things, but I hope one day you revisit this collection and give it the polish it deserves. There are a lot of great ideas and melodies so with proper mastering and thickening up, this could be a quality release. The talent is evident and Leo seems to have a more old school sound than a lot of today's producers. I recommend you check this out. Get it in MP3 or FLAC Mdk

Artist: Eleusyn Title: Carbon EP Label: Joof Records Date: April, 2011 1. Eleusyn - Arcas 2. Eleusyn - Kosmodrom 3. John '00' Fleming & The Digital Blonde - Oxygene (Eleusyn remix) Who is up for some more E-mantra goodness? Ok, ok I see you in the back. Yeah, me too. I recently wrote about how busy I was, but this guy trumps me. Everyone loved the spacious goa trance masterpiece Arcana in 2009 with its spiraling melodies and trip inducing atmosphere. This year he released a downtempo album called Visions of the Past (which I hope to acquire soon) and another 4 tracks with Suufi Astrolab on Astrograms (ditto). Emmanuel Carpus has proven his ability with every track he releases and is one of the pillars of the new school goa trance movement. Can it be called a movement anymore? It's been going on for almost a decade. Once again he teams up with Reasonandu for their 2nd EP. The first was the very good Phantasm reviewed here. I would describe the Eleusyn project as goa trance with an outer space trance appeal. Sounds great. Arcas- Like a fat guy at the drive thru I sometimes don't wanna wait and the guys oblige me. The track starts with a nice beat as synths sparkle all about. The main lead shines brighter than a reflection off a windshield as a new one rolls in. It's got a ravey quality to its sound and it builds nicely. It is isn't long before the 303 rumbles into focus providing a nice taste of warmth. The layering is delicious and you can hear the E-mantra sound very easily. It bubbles and flows just the way I like it. Kosmodrom- I think this one is my favorite. With drums echoing deep in the distance a sample is spoken (I think he says "The Ladies must love" but don't hold me to it) and numerous synths trickle above the bass line. This one is more driving with a darker edge. Nice 303's giving it that old school feel, but also cold space leads making sure you know who is producing this. Hear the guitar riff? It's nicely done, subtle not overpowering. The whole track is seamless and fluid allowing you to just go with the flow. Oxygene (Eleusyn remix)- I have only heard the Jean-Michel Jarre version so I have no idea what these 2 guys did to it. More layers and more delicate synth work start off bringing yet another space vibe. That telltale melody is front and center and thickened up a bit. This leans more towards psy than goa in my ears, but that's just me. Nonetheless it brings back memories of a time long ago when I lived in Paris with my significantly older girlfriend. It's not bad, but I don't think it compares to the first two tracks. Anything that has E-mantra associated with it interests me. He has such talent that it's a blind buy. 6 bucks for 3 wavs is steep though but it is so worth it. He has that floating, meditative style that carries the mind away with great melodies and super production. A perfect companion to their Phantasm EP. GoaStore Beatport Mdk

Best Uptempo 2010 1. Alienapia - Goapocalipsis 2. Amithaba Buddha- Myself In The Mirror 3. Crossing Mind - The Holographic Paradigm 4. V/A - Energy Waves 5. V/A - Goatronika 6. V/A - Temple of Chaos 7. V/A - Protozoa 8. V/A - Midnight Storm 4 Acid Rain 9. Nolax - Turning Point 10. V/A - Beach Atmosphere Best Downtempo 2010 1. Asura - 360 2. Galaxy - Everlasting Tone 3. V/A - Earth 4. V/A - Vital Signs 5. Astropilot - Solar Walk

Back in the day when I fancied myself a knob twiddler, I had an RM1x and enjoyed making songs. Hell, I made at least 40 of them. Granted the memory was limited and since I used it as a stand alone synth and sequencer I couldn't really expand my horizons. Well I have long since parted with the Yamaha beast, but I still have the files saved on a disk. Does anyone have a program or know of a way to convert the RM1x files to wav or mp3? Mdk

I have heard Motion Drive's latest In The Dirt and it was pretty good. Some outstanding tracks interspersed with good ones. No filler. I have reviewed a lot of Tesseract's stuff and it has been top notch. Between them and Iono I have my progressive fill. Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Feldgrau Label: Timecode Records Date: November, 2010 1. Electrofeld - Brethren 2. Stealthy Rockers - Phyx & Artifakt 3. Skull & Bones 2 - Principles of Flight & Phonic Request 4. Recovery - Sub Zero Well, well, well...what do we have here? Timecode is one of the premier South African labels that has released some of the best psytrance. Ever. High energy, twilight stalk your girlfriend who really isn't your girlfriend though she would be if she gave you a chance and really got to know you what is her problem why won't she call she is such a bitch sitting over there and laughing I'll show her music. Times are hard and I believe Timecode is trying to go to a digital format which would obviously be more cost effective. But it makes me wonder, are we witnessing he demise of this once proud label? Only time will tell. Feldgrau means "field grey" and was the uniform color of the German army from 1907-1945. See what you can learn from Wikipedia? What? What the f*ck is an encyclopedia? Oh, those things. I remember when people used to go door to door and sell 'em. I guess their on some hard times now. Al Gore's internet totally killed those guys, I kinda feel sorry for them. Nah, screw those guys riding around on their bicycles with their suits and handing out Jesus pamphlets...Jehova's what? Oooohhh...sorry about that. Anyway, this is a 4 track EP with some very familiar names. Brethren, Phyx, Artifakt, Principles of Flight...interesting. Electrofeld- Who ordered a dark helping of tech-trance? Here you go. It bounces slowly with clanking and screeching synths that are building the tension. The break comes with some nice percussion and gives me a Rob Zombie House of 1000 corpses feel. Yikes. Hi there. It's not until the end where it begins to get trancey. I liked its hop, perhaps this is a new direction for them. Or maybe they're just proving they can do other things. Either way, pretty cool. Stealthy Rockers- If you would've told me that Artifakt made a trancier track than Brethren I woulda slapped yo momma. More darkness and techiness also with a nice bounce. Like the previous track there is a lot to listen to here, but then again that's the style ain't it? Deep wavering synths, percussive noise, insightful sample...it's all here. Good track. Skull & Bones 2- I'm not a big fan of POF and the Phonic Request disc was a little too dark and noisy for me. But now I have my big boy panties on so we'll see where that gets me. Really? You think I've lost weight? Well, I have been working out more. Next month I hope to get back into my Star Trek uniform. It's symphonic and theatrical just like you would expect. Strings, loud and aggressive synth, and even a small build up. The synth is punchy though, but it just doesn't appeal to me. Recovery- So, the newest artist in the bullpen is left to bat cleanup? Shrewd, gentleman. And by that I mean risky. But with the deep rumbling bass line and groove it pays off. The key change and melody is very infectious and did you see that? No of course you didn't. I was dancing like no one was watching. It's got the chaos of an Artifakt while maintaining the melody of the label's rich history. It's a pounding track really and I think the best on here. Good job. Well, I feel that maybe a little luster has fallen off the Timecode diamond. The power is still there, and it continues to be dark with some really nice melodies. However, it pales in comparison to a huge part of their previous work. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the tech-trance stuff as it shows a great deal of imagination, but I think the trick is to successfully weave it with what has been their bread and butter for so long. This is a good EP, but these guys have set such a high standard that I can't help but be a little disappointed. I believe it was Dylan who said "The time's are a changing..." and Timecode's style seems to have proven that. I don't normally rate individual tracks, but if you held a gun to my head, in the order of best to worst for me was 4,2,1,3. Juno Download Beatport Mdk