khogg

In an earlier topic, someone reccomended: Abakus - That Much Closer To The Sun Samples at: http://www.abakus.me.uk/ It sounded so good I ordered it... anyway check it out.

There is a new Galaxy album?

“I prefer trance to be instrumental. I think lyrics are a cop-out. Just a trick to get people to listen to it. Lets get back to serious music. We’ve had 30 years of three minute pop songs with lyrics, so I don’t want to hear any more.” I also agree with that. I find lyrics just plain irritating/distracting and usually pretentious or silly. It's true there are a couple of exclusive mixes on In the Mix, but I still always think of it more as a mixed compilation rather than a real effort to release a true artist album full of new fresh material. Either way, it's my least favorite release I have by them.

It seems that all musical artists must peak and eventually decline. When you look at Astral Projection, they have given us more great music than most musical artists can ever dream of making in their creative lives. I would agree with Slavkovski, Trust in Trance 3 was them at their raw best, followed by a slightly more polished Dancing Galaxy. Of course, Another World is also very good by normal standards, so is Trust in Trance 2, and the Astral Files. Quite an impressive list when you think about it (not to mention all the older compilation tracks they released in various places). In The Mix wasn't really an album anyway, so I don't count it. But what about Amen? Well, discounting the first track, which I always skip, it's a pretty solid melodic goa/psy album. The only "problem" with it is that it's quite naturally being compared to their earlier outstanding works in the peak of their career. I think they have mellowed with age and lost some of that raw edge, so the album doesn't have the same spark or instant appeal that their earlier stuff did. Having said that, if some other artist put it out, how would it be received? Quite favorably I would think, expecially in this day and age when people routinely cry out for anything sounding like the "old days" ... anything with a hint of goa in it. However, my reason for saying this is not to defend them in any way. People are of course entitled their opinons. My own feeling is just that it's not so bad, both for Astral Projection, and in general for Psytrance. I still have no trouble finding more stuff to buy than I can really afford, and I look foward to releases from artists like Astral Projection and Electric Universe because they are usually still pretty good and remind me of older times I look back on fondly. As for this track "Mahamudra," never heard it and don't care to. I just hope that their upcoming album will not be pure club trance. I'm not expecting anything ground breaking, just hoping for something decent and goaish. Ideally, I imagine a varied album, without too many cheesy samples (see track 1 of Amen), with good melodies, no full on baselines, and just a touch of that inspiration they demonstrated back in the 90's. And hey, if in the mean time they can make some money by cranking out a couple of radio hits I'll never listen to, more power to them.

"In the first place it was the complexity and detail within the music that got me hooked." So true. But, like Krize says, it's not all bad. You really can find some good stuff out there, you just have to look harder. Infact, I'd even go so far as to say that just as much good stuff is released now as in the 90's, just much more extra crap is released all around it. Not every release is something to look forward to like before.

I saw a copy of Transwave - Helium (new) go for over $30 US on Ebay recently... yikes. But D5 for 77 pounds!!! That's ridiculous. Yeah, I had Cycles of Life on CD #2 of Trancentral 4, but it was mixed, so blah... I think on Symbiosis it was the only place to get it unmixed? Or was it unmixed on Trancemaster 11?

It's a crying shame that what used to be such a great label back in the day has been reduced to it's current state. I used to always check out their releases, but now I see an album or compilation by them and without fail it's the same uninspired recycled crap. Sad. Even by regular full on standards, the artists they showcase/release are usually not that good. It seems now that Dragonfly is the only remaining old label that ever releases anything I ever want or consider buying. How things change.

Transwave - Cycles of Life Great song. I used to have it on a mixed cd. It was only released on a few (3 at most I think) compliations, 2 of which were rather obscure.

Hey, that's really good!

How about: VA - Butteryfly Dawn Ott - Blumekraft Banco De Gaia - Maya VA - Sky Dancing: Nada Masala Vol. 1 Ooze - Where The Fields Never End To name a few...

The samples sound just like standard full on. Can anyone confirm this or give an opinion? I really liked the first but this doesn't sound that exciting except for maybe a track of two.

I find most "good" chillout uplifting. These music magazines have to fill space and so they blab on using all kinds of trendy buzz words and it frequently means very little in my opinion.

Exactly.

If they don't forget to add some music to all the raspy acidic sounds, it should be quite interesting.

Also, I don't think you have to be a progressive die-hard to like this. It's just good period. Everyone who likes psy-trance (in the broadest meaning of that term) should check it out.

I know this has been reviewed here before, but I gotta say this is simply stunning. I just got it and can't stop listening. Best cd I've got in a while. Wicked start to finish and very crisp clear sound. Mmmm... delicious. Apparently this is Freq's second album? Anyone heard the other? Any good?

"progressive deep ful on" .... "blah blah blah blah"

First: Hypnotic Trance 4 Latest order: Son Kite - Colours, Freq - Strange Attractors, Ott - Blumenkraft Just came home from a trip and found those 3 CD's waiting for me!

Prana had a *few* good tracks back in the day, but were never outstanding ("Alien Pets" is their--or should I say his?--best ever track). Geomantik (as an album) wasn't inpiring back then and certainly isn't now. My recollection of it is a couple of decent original songs and a bunch of lame remixes of early early not so good goa. Don't buy it. That's my honest recomendation. I will now take cover and get ready to dodge bullets.

I wish they would rerelease the earlier ones instead of this. Maybe they will...

So is the best album. It's meaningless, but it's fun to toss your vote in the pile.

I think layered, rich, textured progressive can be very psychedelic, just in a different way than traditional psy-trance (if there even is such a thing).

Astral Projection - Dancing Galaxy

Never heard it. Love his older stuff though.

If you have the time to buy and Ebay your heart out, I think it's a good deal. I just don't have the money or the time right now.