Snapinho

Ok, let me add a not-so-mdma-first-time-festival-influenced review right here... (geintje, aqualung ) I've not spoken to anyone who thought this festival was better than the previous ones... The location was really great, huge camping, but the festival itself? Disappointing to say the least! Too many big names, so you don't really get a lot of suprisring new music. And needless to say, a lot of the big names were very disappointing, even to the point where they got straight, utterly and totally embarrassing. But let me name a few alright names first: I guess Electric Universe was alright, so were Seroxat, Azax Syndrom (surprisingly psychedelic for me), Mr. Peculiar, Astral Projection had its ok moments too, Andromeda was sweet as hell, Popstream was alright and Tristan was one of the nicest moments at the dancefloor. But... way too many german bulldogs, especially the first few days. I never really liked the vibe on the main dance floor, too many fucked up people and not enough friendly honest smiles. The alternative floor was better, but waaaaaaaaaaaay too small to be even compared to the other floor. Pathetic, really! I'm usually not the complainer, but this festival had a lot of wrong things about it. Decorations on the main floor were nice enough and so was the Chillout. We played two really nice sets, I think, a lot of non-psy-chill and a lot of very funny shit... Horrible sets: IM (to be expected, but bad nonetheless, with a very angry looking erez and a very wasted duvdev). Raja Ram sucked three different kinds of very big balls. His own DJ-set was cheesier dan cheesy and cornier dan beef. Tasteless! He made look Simon Posford indeed look like a god, cause his shpongle-set was pretty bad... In Turkey Shpongle was the most amazing thing I saw, but Raja Ram just CAN NOT mix! And this brings me to the worst performance I have probably EVER seen; 1200 mics. Pathetic is just a word for what these guys did. They obviously paid one of the GMS-guys big money to produce some easylistening trance, so these two old ugly and gay-ass talentless losers called Raja and Chicago could act like they can play instruments. There were bongo's, flutes and other weird instruments, all of which they pretended to be playing, but half of the time they were not even close to the beat, but it didnt matter anyway, cause you couldn't hear em. I doubt that they even played anything. The most embarassing must've been Chicago though. Before each guitar riff, he grabbed this little inflatable kids guitar and started airplaying it! Not only once, but throughout the whole concert! Dude... That was so embarassing, just to watch it. But even worse was the fact that the whole dancefloor was never fuller. It was the last official show of the festival and everybody seemed to really like it. They must've had some excellent drugs.... We tried to scream BOO!!! as loud as we could it, each time there was a break. I mean, come on, I think I ruined it for some people cause we got a lot of ugly faces but we really couldn't just stand there and do nothing. It was too much... Anyway: I had a fun time as I always do on festivals, I really loved playing in the chillout, met some nice people, but I doubt that I'll ever go back unless I get to play again. (and some more shameless selfpromotion: check out my set @ VooV as well! ) Nice meeting Santo, he looks exactly like his picture in the picturebook, that's how I recognized him. Now don't you reveal my identity you!

Not too fond of it... too much psychilled psychill for my taste. Not enough diversity and although there's definitely some good songs in here (son kit, agalactika, fsol), I think it's a little bit too much of the same stuff... But that's just me, mind you!

Wow, really amazing stuff. The 'Think Different' cover and Neelix' website are especially great. Original and sublimely produced. I'm very impressed!

Ok, I got a mail, which states the following: "Dear People Some shipments that have been send the period from 17 JUNE till 30 June are extremelly late to reach their destinations.IT apologies for the huge delay and made a statement on this situation on the local post office. We hope all packages reach their destinations untill 23 july as they told us from the local post.The delay was due to a serious database problem that lead the systems/p.c in the post to make some mistakes for at least 10 days. Those of you that won;t get the packages untill 23 july let us know please by email" So, it looks like its not really their fault. I'm giving them another chance!

Huh, you thought track 2 was boring and yet at your favorites it says: 2!! Have had a few listens and wasnt too impressed either. Sounded like I'd heard it all before. a bit Abakus like and other than that pretty much LSD-sounding. I wouldn't recommend it, I guess, but I might give it another try. The first track is my favorite, I think. BUt that's after just 3 listens.

You know what, I tend to agree. Doesn't age well at well..

oh shut up. if you haven't been to a party in 3 years, how do you know they suck? to me it seems that it's more of a personal problem, than a problem with the so-called scene...

The "let's all take some mescaline" is a good example of what I hate about 1200 mics. they're just CORNY!! But then again, I do like the guitar riff that follows it. I also agree on abasio's Deer Park, but then some lady starts singing after the intro and I immediately wanna skip the song. Just quit that. Please. We've heard it all before, yeah? btw: all of nick inzomniac's examples are just right. very deep, but not too obviously spiritual.. indeed what psychedelic is: it makes you use your fantasy, imagination and is very subjectively interpretable. That's an awesome sample! Is that from Derango? Other good example: on Capsula's Synthesis of Reality, there's a song called 'I know that I know' in which the sample is something like: "[...] but eh certainly to know that you're there you need an echo, you need an echo... there was a young man who said though, it seems that i know that i know, what i would like to see is the i that knows me when i know that i know that i know." haha, brilliant!

hehehe, exactly my point! good examples, nick. And that LSD one is from 'the Beyond Within' which is a movie about acid, but the sample works wonders nonetheless! I forgot one of the most important subjects that artists other than Eat Static shouldn't touch: Aliens!!

Weird voices (non pitched) that say random, normal stuff, can be highly psychedelic to me. Good [non-trance] examples are the Orb and FSOL. "ok, everybody online, looking good" The way that it's said, man, that's trippy. And what about the song 'Among Ourselves': "I think I'm a little bit afraid... fraid... fraid... " Brilliant! On the other hand, samples that too obviously refer to either drugs, shiva, trance or a combination of these are corny as hell. Yes, it's wonderful that people take drugs and that Shiva is the indian lord of destruction and wow, people do a trance-dance. Yippee-kayay motha fucka. Same goes for Leary, McKenna and the such samples. Agreed, Shpongle has some nice examples for they can be used in a good way, but man... I think the rule is: if you understand immediately what they mean, the fun is gone. And it's not nearly as psychedelic as can be. Now I remember an example (of a Cosmosis song? Dunno...) which says; "take it as far as you can!" Multi-interpretable and thus a good choice for me. And since I'm on this rant anyway, let's give it up for ladies singing some mysterious shit. Quit it! STFU Pleeeeeeeeeeeease! Well, I do know that it's personal, but it all sounds the same. Since lyrics are only one part of the music (and it's not the main focus which it is in most popsongs), don't make em as important. Make 'm background or don't put em in at all! There are exceptions to the rule of course, but I really can't stand any more of that Shanti Shanti shit. [/rant]

Horrible sample. Don't know the song, but don't like the sample: way too obvious. Too easy. (but this is offtopic... ok, ima open a new thread on this one) But yes, not much psy trance will survive time. That's why I named Shpongle and Ott. Hell, Shpongle's a classic already. I think maybe Hallucinogen and IM will survive, cause they've been such renewing pioneers. Others might've made great and original albums for sure, but I doubt that's the quality that will make albums a classic.

WTF, it took em a month and a half to make your order and ship it? Daaaaaawwwwwmmnnn... Bad publicity indeed!

Damn. It's been over a month since I ordered (and they urged me to order really fast too) and I still haven't received anything. I've had three gigs in the last two weekends and to be honest, I had expected the ceedees to arrive before the first one. Last friday or saturday I emailed them and I heard that Haris was in the hospital, but that he had sent the package already. Then why the hell does it take forever? Another thing: since I ordered, I've been on their mailing list and I keep receiving emails with even better offers. :S Then why did they rush me so much? The money's been written off my creditcard already, too. When I get my cd's finally, this'll be the last time I order there online, I think - despite the good prices. I've never ever had to wait so long! And Greece is even in the EU, FFS!! How long does it take for a package to get from Greece to Holland? Over a month? Should think so, unless they're personally bringing it by bike...

^ok, agreed that its all matter of subjectivity. But on the other side: you can't deny that certain albums (in general) can be labeled 'classic', objectively, in the sense that they had a certain impact then and are still remembered for that same reason. Somehow I'm thinking of the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper, Nirvana's Nevermind, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, just to name a few that everybody knows. In the psy-genre (I'm very much not into goa, so I can't really say anything about that) there are a few examples... Hallucinogen's Twisted, Kox Box's Dragon Tales, Infected Mushroom's Classical Mushroom etc... Hehehe I know I just named some pretty goa-ish albums, but I think I made my point. People certainly named a few good albums, but all in all, I think that very few of those will survive the cruel hands of time... IMO!

I'm pretty sure that Ott's albums as well as the first two Shpongles will go into history. Hell, they already are classics. How many people know this music? You don't even wanna know, they're very influential, no matter how you feel about them. Not many albums have that quality. Matter of fact, I doubt that most of the albums mentioned before me, are actually classics. What defines a classic? It has to be something completely new, it's got to be groundbreakingly good or very influential. Name some of the old albums that are classics nowadays and try to figure out why it is... You'll see, most of the before-named trance-albums aren't that special when you put it in perspective. It's not about what you like, it's about what will be remembered. And those two aren't always the same, you know...

wicked! thought I heard some oldschool infected mushroom in there as well.. cool stuff!

Well... they are kinda slow... I've bought a whole bunch of albums the 4th of june I think and still haven't received it. They did tell me they sent it last week, and I do trust em, but I've had faster shipments from Saikosounds, I can tell ya... Offers were great though - I must admit - plus they replied me very fast each time I had a question.

I've always thought Finland has the best and most open-minded scene, although I've never been there. Most online, free available albums posted by the artists themselves are Finnish. I'm thinking Electro Fluoro Punx and Troll Scientists, can't think of another name right now... Same goes for the music; wild, innovative, original, freaky and out-of-the-box. I love it!

very psychedelic! never saw it before, but it is just... really trippy!

I really like it, except for the big dj-head on the front... That's indeed a little too clubby for my taste. Backside is awesome, very subtle, professional and tight-produced looking. Plus I like the Smiley Tribe-font

hehehe, I just saw that today and it does suck. You can see part of a nipple!

Moni; I just thought it sounded degrading to call musicmaking a hobby, when most people would simply make music all the way, if they could live off it... It's not a career in the money-making-sense but I guess it is on a spiritual level (smt like that). Maybe we should make a list of underestimated artists and everbody that agrees that the situation is fucked up, should at least book on of them once... Another safecard (imo) is putting a so-called "live act" on the flyer. It sounds like a bigger party when you have a live act in the line up... even though the majority of the times the acts aren't really live. Could anyone explain what is the cause of not being booked. Whee, i'm having a big deja vu here, think i asked it before... But seriously: other than people playing the safe side. Why don't you get booked? Don't people know your name well enough? Don't you suck up to enough people? Or is it really because most party organizers only want 'big' names?

I love it. It's insane, absurd and psychedelic. I can see why other people wouldn't like it though. But I love it. Btw: if The Cloud Foundation lacks creativity, what about still one of the best and trippiest albums ever made.. but it's not a standout cover, now is it?

Capsula - Syntheses of Reality muy psicodelico! trippy chillout, like this album a lot!

Yeah, I don't agree with Moni either. It's especially because you can't live off making music that you have to have a 'real' job. Don't degrade it and call it a hobby (cause that's what you're doing. I think that if people could earn a living with it, they wouldn't need that other job... right?) And on another note: I do understand where both EP and Colin are coming from. Some people are just dicks and can't see beyond their own testicles. All they care about is big names, being succesful, making some money and a name for themselves. I guess that's why you always see the same big names on most festivals. Spinning chillout, I got somewhat of a similar 'problem', but I knew that beforehand. I still don't care (yet) as long as I get some respect and the chance to play my music before a crowd that appreciates it. But I guess that in the end it'll get frustrating, which is why I get Colin and Kris's point. After such a long time you'd like to get some form of respect for what you've been doing... And indeed, it's not about the money, but when people don't pay you, it is a certain form of disrespect. And to rant a little myself: I don't get why people see a difference between dj's that buy music to play on a dancefloor and dj's that buy music to spin on an alternative floor or in the chillout. To me the latter is an essential part of a good party, but most people (even organisers of big festivals like voov or fullmoon or soulclipse!! ) seem to view it as a necessity to keep the crowds happy. But they don't really have a heart for it. Maybe the same goes for EP; since he was rebooked as a chillout-act the organisers thought he didn't deserve to get paid anymore... Bleh, sorry for this whole offtopic-rant, but I wanted to give these more-underground-than-others artists some credit as well. And maybe it's time to book em on our next party, hehehe