Lauryn

Suria- Dark Side of the Sun CD 1

Killer Buds - Interfiber Skunk (Ketuh Records, 2005) Artist: Killer Buds Title: Interfiber Skunk Format: CD Label: Ketuh (Portugal/Austria) Cat. #: KTHCD009 Date: May 2005 Track listing: 01. First Step 02. Optical Activity 03. I Got The Virus 04. Interfiber Skunk 05. Spells And Temptations 06. Anti-Gravity 07. Orbital Interference 08. Goa Bombay Cartoon Review: Killer Buds or Mad Scientists? This is the ninth release from Portuguese-born and Austrian based record label Ketuh Records, and the second full length album to be released on the label. From Brazil, Enzio, Tarcisio and Marcelo, collectively known as Killer Buds, are a Ketuh Records staple, appearing on the past five Ketuh compilations as well as having upcoming releases on Fragile Planet and Ketuh Records. In varying mutations, you may know them as having produced in the past or present under the names Insect Seeker, Incosequent, Natural Noisy Maker, and Ultrasonic. 'Interfiber Skunk' is Killer Buds' debut full length release. 01. 'First Step'- And an aptly named track to begin our journey. I'm instantaneously drawn in by the bassline in this track- not only is it an extremely prominent force driving this track onwards, but it also has an intense sound presence and loads of movement, resulting in a somewhat mysterious groove full of anticipation. The main theme is introduced using a light-hearted, fuzzy, liquid synth sound and a melody that creeps along with the groove, reminding me somewhat of CPU. Quick clever change-ups, rewind fx, panned zooming buildups, short chopped up usage of samples, and an underlying breakbeat appearing at 4:06 all contribute to the effectiveness of this track. I must also mention the excellent usage of dynamic changes- this track just keeps gaining momentum with each breakdown and resulting build up. No doubt we are only seeing the Killer Buds intensity at about a 3 here, but a very strong first step indeed! 9/10 02. 'Optical Activity'- If there ever was a track that could both make you want to freak out on the dancefloor and kick back, relax, and whatever, all at the same time- this is it. Settling us into the essence of the Killer Buds sound, we recognize a bassline equally as groovy as the first track. The main synth sound of 'First Step' has been further embellished with a stereo echo effect, creating a larger sound. It is also complemented by a second more drippy synth squeezing itself back and forth through the main melody. After a breakdown at 2:41, the bassline kicks back in at 2:53, with a more laid back groove and comfortable melody that both give the track room to breathe and allow the subtleties to break through. Quick, random, and somewhat goofy usage of samples that make you think "huh?" all lead to a SPLAT!! at the end. Good for the start of a nighttime set. 8/10 03. 'I Got the Virus'- Consider the first two tracks on this album as a warm up to what Killer Buds really have to offer- then put this track on. The trademark bassline sits slightly further back in this track, allowing the underlying breakbeat and powerful snare to share the spotlight. Change-ups in this track are highlighted by the usage of turntablist scratching fx- this part I love and for me it never gets old! The main synth sound used in the previous tracks sits further back here as it is contrasted by main melody- a simple, pure sound with slight delay. Further along in the track, both sounds share equal weight. At 3:41 the bassline changes to a more straightforward groove, laser sounds all around, preparing us for the final buildup...which I won't give away. I love the structure of this track, the perfect amount of breakdowns and start-stops, great usage of fx as well as the goofy mad scientist samples...I'll definately be playing this one in my dj sets- A Killer Track! 11/10 04. 'Interfiber Skunk'- A beat with a distinct electro feel to it, and some evil bubbly sounds start this track off. Soon after, the bassline kicks in- much like before, a groove with lots of movement, only this time with a more bouncy elastic feel than in previous tracks. The two contrasting synth melodies return, only now both sounds have a wider and slightly distorted feel to them, giving way to still larger sound than we've heard before. A punchy snare is added into the mix, sealing this track's fate as a dancefloor smasher. 4:42 greets us with a massive, gratuitously drawn out, yet super stompingly effective build up- the first of its kind on this cd in fact! Following this, the melody is brought back in, only it's not as defined as it was earlier in this track...and therefore sounds a bit fluffy to me, but it shouldn't matter because by this point, everyone will be rocking out too much to even notice!! 9/10 05. 'Spells And Temptations'- Ominous bells in the distance, a dark rainy night, and an ethereal woosh, lead us to the voice of a mysterious old man who describes to us the secret that is "the virus". With many of the same elements and themes used in 'I Got the Virus', I saw this track as somewhat of a sequel to what we've heard previously. Zooming lazers and various squiggly fx add a more psychedelic feel to this groove. A rather long introductory sample takes us to the main melody of this track. Here is a good example of one of Killer Buds' strengths- these guys can jam pack a track with samples, and totally make it work. I noticed this first with 'Everything is A Copy' off of InKrypto. Using numerous chopped up samples in a single track they weave together vague kryptic stories that despite their presence, never take prominance over the central melody. A massive buildup at the end leads to ??? One last question- Should it be 'Spells and Temptations' or 'Spells and Incantations'? 8/10 06. 'Anti-Gravity'- Zooming in instantaneously, my expectations are set for a slamming track. The bassline is groovy with lots of subtle movement, the synth sound is goofy, bubbly, the melody funky. There is a distinctly tribal feel to the percussion in this track that I haven't heard in previous tracks. At 2:12, gravity befriends us, and we're falling down into the abyss of a 6/8 groove, which is accompanied by the original melody along with various delayed 'mad scientist' samples. Stomping along in slow motion, we then feel a silence- until a warbling woosh tosses us back into a massive buildup in which gravity fails us and snare rolls abound. Finally, we are pushed forward into a familar groove in which the bassline and snare patterns are somewhat reminiscent of a goa trance style of years past. 5:08 brings together the differing melodic lines in this track, and it is here, for the first time on this album, that the distinct syles of the three individuals creating this insanity that is the Killer Buds, truly stand out. 9/10 07. 'Orbital Interference'- The peaceful dawning of a new day. Just kidding. The bassline on this track is harder, more raw sounding, more distorted, and with a slight electro influence. Its different than we've heard previously, and it completely drives this track. The fills are unique, ranging from scrambled noise to slowed down 6/8 beats to a stuttering bass- always keeping you guessing. Tribal percussion, 3:00 brings us a panned and filtered breakdown leading us into a slight bassline change that does much to drive this track onwards. Silence and the sound of a flute, I'm thinking possible breakdown, until the kick and bassline slam back in, slowly building back up, the bassline panning along with a snare roll into silence, and then its Killer Buds melody all the way. Overall- 0% predictable. 100% satisfying. 10/10 08. 'Goa Bombay Cartoon'-Swooping in for the final approach, you must ignore the title of this track or it will spoil the fun. We've got a massive, crisp sounding bassline as well as a strong punchy snare to start us off. A stuttering zoom and a trace of animation leads us into the main synth line (more percussive than melodic) that haphazardly stutters, skips, and meanders its way through the other elements in the track. Around 1:50 an epic (is it really goa??) melody begins to creep in, along with a buildup, and yes, soon enough we are full on mocking some old goa melody. A comical skid into a "wooooo-whooo-huue-huue-huueeeeee!!!", lazers abound, and a more classic Killer Buds melodic line builds us up into "that's a good one!". The bassline slams back in more straighforward and driving than before, the (dare I say) cheesy goa melody over takes the Killer Buds sound, complemented by yet more lazers which all lead up into a breakdown that's over before you can say "huh??" The final buildup and resulting madness is massive, over the top, killer buds style, going out with a bang as always. 10/10 Favorites: 1,3(!!!), 4, 7(!!), 8 Overall: Dark, Melodic, a totally massive sound all around- killer very strong production. The strength of this album lies in the expert ability of Killer Buds in manipulating spoken samples throughout this album that tell a story that we never quite understand. This is a fun listen from start to finish, these guys have a great sense of humor and its very refreshing to hear that shine through in their music. At times, in certain tracks the melodic lines and bassline can seem a bit monotonous and repetitive. However, overall, this does not detract from the effectiveness of the album as a whole. Go back and listen to "Another World" off of Suspended Reality and you will see just how far these guys have come. One of the strongest upcoming acts from Brazil. Watch out for these guys- they will take over the world. 9/10

Benza- Benza (Demon Tea) or Benza- Retrofuterism (Sonic Dragon) Benza is a professional jazz musician and you can for sure hear the jazz influence in both of his releases. Also of mention- Mr. Peculiar-Crunchy Nutter, the last track on his 'Elements' album. It's downtempo, but with definate jazz influences...

Way back when...Wizzy Noise used to be my favorite...Cyclotron and Elektro Theater were excellent albums...after that tho, I wasn't such a fan of their music. To me, this new sound is far too melodic...and Overvoltage, I didn't even make it through listening to the entire sample on saiko sounds. Punk City is ok in the parts where it isn't so melodic...when it is, it just starts sounding like the newer x-dream, which I totally was not a fan of. I think I'll be passing on this one....

Gappeq does... Regarding the Shift album, I was totally impressed with this...and pleasantly surprised! The production is excellent! My favorites at the moment are Strech, Closer, and Push It....

Check out more of the stuff from the Touch Samadhi crew...a lot of them play darker stuff... www.touchsamadhi.com Blue Spectral Monkey, Moksa, and SOT all have mixes posted on the site...

ohhh...the newer Wizack Twizack tracks are much better than the ones on Ctrl-Alt-Delete... Also, I can't believe no one has mentioned Nabi Records or Mistress of Evil Records...both labels have but out some really great dark psy compilations. The Australians- Hefty Output and Pondscum also have some really great tracks out on Ketuh Records.

Night/Morning: Ketuh Alchemy Last Possible Solution Fragile Planet Progressive: ZMA Zenon Downtempo: Ultimae ...too hard to pick just 3

VA- Psionic Circus (Digital Psionics) and the exact track at this moment would be.... DARK NEBULA AND SCATTERBRAIN-Crash and burn

Mr. Peculiar or Rastaliens

Saturday, May 21 Dallas, TX Mistical Productions proudly presents GRAPES OF WRATH featuring ~MAIN STAGE~ Grapes of Wrath Denmark - Parvati Records With this exclusive live American appearance, Grapes of Wrath storm through Texas for the very first time, bringing their signature style of fast paced dark twisted weirdness. With a bonus DJ set, this sick duo will be playing for over 3 hours! Definately not a show to be missed! Amanda San Francisco, CA - Mistress of Evil Records DJ for San Francisco's dark psy trance label, Mistress of Evil, Amanda has shared the stage with a whole host of international artists. Now she brings her female energy and unique style to Texas for the very first time! Lauryn Boston, MA - Mistical Productions Lauryn is best known from her energetic jaunts up and down the East Coast, blowing up dancefloors with her dark funky full on sounds. Yet, Lauryn has also been exploring the gentler side of the psychedelic sound, as she consistently evolves the already impeccable style that has made her a Boston crowd-pleaser. This will be Lauryn's first Texas appearance! ~with local support by~ Mist Dallas, TX - Acidance Records, Inpsyde Media, Mistical Productions This local favorite returns to mess with Texas one more time.Have your "metal horns" ready and your dancing shoes on! The thick vibe this rising international talent creates will cause you to kick up some dust like no one else on the local scene. Uhm Dallas, TX - Mistical Productions Skywise Dallas, TX - Mistical Productions Plus, a MistProd "free-for-all" with all of you favorite Texas psy trance djs spinning on multiple decks. ~DOWNTEMPO STAGE~ Gift Culture Dallas, TX - Artificial Music Machine Riding on the success of his debut album, Gift culture will be playing a live set. His signature sounds are guarenteed to please! Dr. NO Austin, TX - Texaliens Co-Founder of the seminal Texas psy crew, Texaliens, Dr. No returns from his hermitage to melt your mind with his own brand of bizzaro weirdness. ~plus~ Eckoe Houston, TX - Mistical Productions, Texaliens klapton Dallas, TX - Mistical Productions Mellow Dallas, TX - Mistical Productions Bob Dallas, TX - Mistical Productions ~all the other jazz~ VENUE: This virigin forested location is located roughly 70 miles from downtown Dallas, Texas. Camping will be allowed. The gates will be open Friday May 20 from 12PM (noon) to 12AM (midnight) and on Saturday May 21 from 12PM (noon) to 3AM (Sunday). No entry allowed after 3AM Sunday morning. We do encourage you to arrive early during the daylight, in order to get your camping space set up properly. And remember, if you plan on camping, please bring a trashbag with you. Help us leave this beautiful location in the same condition as when you arrived. Leave No Trace. Detailed directions to the venue will be posted here on the 16th of May. This will be a rain or shine event! Sound will be running from 10pm Saturday all the way through to Noon on Sunday. So bring your stompin' shoes! This a show for adults only, ages 18 and up. A valid photo State Issued ID must be presented to gain admittance to the venue! Entry: $20 presale until May 10th. $25 presale after May 10 and through May 19th. $30 at the gate. NO presales will be accepted after May 19th. Presale tickets can be purchased via the Mistical Productions website - www.mistprodonline.com We hope to see you at the show!!!

This is in Toronto I'm guessing?

Totally agree with you on this! Ketuh releases are some of the best full on stuff thats coming out these days....always unique and interesting tracks on their comps and always featuring new and upcoming artists...killer underground label. Basilisk you disappoint me!!! cause I know you have good taste in progressive psy! ...wondering which full on labels you consider not dodgy... VA-Bioplex (Perplex & Statistikka) was the name of that comp...This is where I first heard Gappeq's tracks...good stuff, but he's definately developped as an artist since then...the new stuff is much better. The Transdriver tracks on this are some of my favorites

Cell-Phonic Peace (Indica) ...just came in the mail today

VA-'In Krypto' (Ketuh Records, 2005) Review: This is the eighth release from Portuguese-born and Austrian based record label Ketuh Records. Compiled by DJ P_Mac, Label manager of Ketuh Records and resident Boom Festival DJ. With a string of solid, quality releases over the past year, Ketuh Records (besides quickly becoming one of my favorite psytrance labels) has earned a solid reputation world wide for its style and its "off-the-beaten-track" philosophy. 01 Gappeq -'Theory Of Everything'- From Czech Republic comes Gappeq, Jiri Tomasek, his sound has been developing and evolving quite nicely as of late! With releases on Sundance and Oxygen Records, in addition to Ketuh. His ideas are fresh and original and this track is no exception to that. A light melody along with a nice driving bassline starts things off with a bang. An eerie and larger than life synth melody is soon introduced, taking center stage in this track. A funky breakbeat in the background gives an bouncy feel to this track, and ambient pads add an air of mystery to it all. The main synth melody slides up and down, with a key change at 3:35 a nice lead in to the more scattered complex melody adding even more to this funky groove. Think drum and bass meets psytrance at sunrise and you'll get the idea. This track is pretty much unlike anything I've heard previously and for sure will turn heads on the dancefloor. 10/10 02 Zebra-N - 'Almost Lost It'-I first heard Dutch producer Paul Eifferich aka Zebra-N on 'EST 2nd Session'(Doof). He has since released on Trishula and Ketuh Records. A mad scientist sample starts this one off, blending with a scratchy synchopated synth line and a bassline that I'm totally digging. The darker funky sounds of this groove have got me dancing around my room We are all aware of the predictable element that pervades much psychedelic trance music these days. Not true with this track! Zebra-N is a master of unpredicatability and anticipation. Starting at 3:30 I'm waiting for the buildup, incoherent crowd samples, bubbling synth sounds swirling around, a short, distorted melody, stretched out snare rolls, all leading up to- a single beeping sound, lasting *just* long enough. The rhythm slows down *just* enough, I'm totally expecting this one to come back in with a bang. Instead, it's a full on tribal funky groove, much like the start of this track. Am I disappointed? Of course not! Perfect for dropping early in a nighttime set and faking out everyone on the dancefloor. 9/10 03 The Farting Parrot - 'Intellectual Rectum'-Well, Israel's Ariel Sela could have called himself Single REL, but I'd so much rather listen to music from The Farting Parrot. Zooming synths and a slow, plodding beat lead us into a more driving kick(ass)/bassline combo. Scratchy synths combine with video game-ish fx to create a melody that is complex, yet delivered in a somewhat subliminal manner-the listener just bounces and floats along nonchalantly with it all. An in-your-face groove, dark but by no means linear- this one is all over the place. The breakbeat breakdown is killer and unique! Various samples are used throughout, however, they are all expertly embedded within this track- Farting Parrot's got far too much to let out in his music to let someone elses words take center stage for more than a second. I don't know what makes more of an in-your-face statement, the artist name, the track name, or the track itself. Good for building a nighttime set...although this one left me slightly expecting more... 8/10 04 Insect Seeker - 'Russian Sounds'-From Brazil, we have a side project of Marcelo and Tarcisio of Killer Buds. This is their second release on Ketuh Records. The track opens up with majestic sounds of dawn, an early build and some delayed synth fx combine with filtered percussion to create a killer groove. Mysterious and randomly placed delayed drips of melody add to the confusion. With each slight variation, this track keeps tossing us deeper and deeper into the madness. The breakdown returns us to a place of melodic, pleasant & peaceful solitude-a refreshing changeup. The beat is filtered and panned- before tossing us back into the groove once again. This time the bassline has more movement, the percussion sits more in the forefront, and an ambient synth melody is introduced, adding even more to the early morning feel of this track- dark with a little bit of light, just how I like it! The track development is killer, ever evolving and growing, with many quick & clever changes. This one just keeps going and going and going. Excellent production!!!!! 9/10 05 Double R.E.L - 'Viva La Wav'- Ariel Ram+Ariel Sela=Double R.E.L.=killer music from Israel. These guys first caught my attention with "My Beloved One" on EST Session 2(Doof). Since then, none of their other releases have really caught my attention until...enter Ketuh Records. A mysterious and dramatic opening to this one. The bassline comes in strong, driving at 147bpm. Synth lines collide with one another, expertly weaved together creating a truly psychedelic atmosphere. Amidst the swirling chaos however, it is the bassline that makes this track! Think israeli full-on bassline meets dark chaotic madness- and it's surprisingly effective! Insane breakdown-buildups, great usage of samples, I can't give away all the surprises. This track is a true gem! Viva La totally killer track! A true stomper!!!!!!!!!!!! 11/10 06 Hefty Output - 'Ghb (Remix)'- From Australia are Dan Verbi and Tim Hanlon, new to Ketuh Records, this is their first release and its heavy music for the night to the max! A long sample to start off- perhaps the drug samples are a bit cliche, but will wait to see how this one develops. raw percussive fx and an underlying breakbeat- I can definately hear the Damage influence here and I'm totally digging it! This is true psychedelia! Raw, dark, dirty, swirling, squeaking synths, lots of distorted sounds, frequently inserted samples, stretched out fx. It's a tossup as to whether there are TOO many samples in this track, in the end I think it adds to, rather than detracts from the effectiveness of this track. I feel this track strays a bit at times, slightly losing focus and drive- this is not entirely a bad thing, for it just means these guys must have too many ideas and therefore, just need to makes more tracks! With an upcoming release on Ketuh Records (KTHCD010), and their mutual ADHD diagnoses running rampant (hehehe this explains so much! ), I'm very intrigued to see how their sound will develop! Overall, a fresh, killer, raw, underground sound from down under! The more I listen, the more I like. 8/10 07 Pondscum - 'Output 1-2 (Remix)'-Ketuh continues the madness with yet another Aussie debut- this time its Luke Danielewski, and his full flavored musical project Pondscum. Well, if the fact that I've listened to this track about 4 or 5 times through, getting so lost amist the insanity that I forget I'm writing a review is any indication, this track is one hell of a psychedelic creation! A monster bassline and synth lines oozing psychedelia from all directions. There is a more minimal, hypnotic feel to this track. The beat has an almost disco-like feel to it- killer groovy raw & dancable. Eerie, piercing, ambient pads interspersed with schizophrenic synth lines that seamlessly babble along. Each sound used in this track stands on its own, is distinct, deliberate, and contributes to the overall effectiveness of the track. Dark, minimal & psychedelic. WOW. An excellent debut! So easy to lose yourself in this track!!! Can't wait to hear more(kthcd010)!!!!!!! 10/10 08 Paranoize - 'Fucking Evil Noise'-From Israel comes Alex Ladyzanskyi aka Paranoize. This is a pretty straightforward dark psy track that reminds me of Azax Syndrom expecially. A bouncy 16th note bassline, along with squeaky synth sounds, and an eerie melodic line make for a particularly stomping groove. I'm liking the breakdown-buildup, and when the track kicks back in, the intensity is increased with the addition of a rocking snare sound and some raw acid synth lines. Very nice percussive fx used throughout. A real slammer! Good for the end of any nightime set! A well produced track, just not my thing 7/10 09 Killer Buds - 'Everything Is A Copy'-From Brazil, Enzio, Tarcisio and Marcelo, collectively known as Killer Buds, are a Ketuh Records staple, appearing on the past 4 Ketuh compilations, as well as recently releasing their full length debut album on Ketuh. One word describes their sound- massive. No messing around here- we're immediately tossed into a driving bassline and acid synth melody. Dark, yet psychedelic with more of an epic feel than previous tracks on this compilation. A totally massive sound all around- killer very strong production, Perhaps the main melody and the bassline could be changing up a bit more, and this slight monotony takes away from this track a bit. However, its very clear to me that depite all of this, this track would absolutely destroy any dancefloor! Going out with a bang! Nice way to end the compilation! 9/10 Favorites:1(!!!), 2, 4, 5(!!!), 7(!!!), 9 Overall: A true journey from start to finish! A descent into psychedelic mayhem which showcases veteran Ketuh artists, well known newcomers to Ketuh, as well as P_Mac's latest psychedelic discoveries. The names are fresh, the sounds are unique, and the production is killer. What has disappointed me lately in the psytrance world are labels which have defined a specific sound as "their own", and artists belonging to that label who are altering their sound in order to better cater to the label's sound. Ketuh Records is for sure not of this mentality! The label should be promoting the artist's sounds, not the other way around! And this collection of artists, tracks, and sounds proves that this is exactly what they do. This one won't be leaving my cd player for a long time! 9.5/10

Rinkadink- 'Pirate Signal' (Alchemy Records, 2005) Artist: Rinkadink (South Africa) Title: Pirate Signal Label: Alchemy Records (UK) Catalog#: ALCD016 Format: CD Released: April 2005 1. Pirate Signal 2. Metal Endo 3. Basshead 4. Marauder 5. Wavefront 6. Dads Power Song 7. Techmology V3 8. Broken Collaboration 9. Native American Beauty Review: The sixteenth release from London based Alchemy Records, this is the highly anticipated follow up full length album to last years killer debut "Rabbit From Darkside" from Rinkadink aka Vana aka Werner Van Jaarsveld. Rinkadink originates from Cape Town, South Africa, but is now based in London and has spent the last year since his debut release spreading his unique, funky, fun, psychedelic style across the globe as well as in the studio creating more killer music. Since 'Rabbit From Darkside', Rinkadink has expanded beyond his South African roots, in the past year releasing tracks on Maia Records, Beats & Pieces, Hadra, Planet B.E.N., Sirius, as well as Alchemy. 1.'Pirate Signal'- The album opens with static confusion...a partially inaudible sample...some jamaican guy(???).. "enjoy!" and then we're immediately tossed into the trademark Rinkadink groove- you know, the one that makes you want to jump up and dance around your room...yeahhh...that one some very nice uplifting melodic lines to start things off. The bassline is deep, the groove, laid back and funky as hell, and its got that killer gritty dirty no nonsense snare that I LOVE. The melody builds, a quick breakdown, and a second more raw sounding synth melody is introduced, which nicely complements the smoother sounding earlier melody. The final breakdown-buildup is massive Rinkadink style, nice filtered fx, and then it all drops out- "enjoy!", and then the groove comes back together. A nice cross between dark, mysterious, and ethereal and more upbeat, bright and uplifting....not too dark, not too light. Perfect for breaking out of the rabbit hole....10/10 2.'Metal Endo'-A slow, plodding start to this track and we're into a groove with a distinct 6/8 feel to it, chopped up samples interspersed among various squeaky fx, and some swooping ambient pads in the background lead us into the first breakdown. Following the introduction of more mechanical, glitchy synth sounds, the track maintains a steady groove throughout. The first breakdown brings us the main melody front and center, a filtered buildup, Rinkadink's trademark snare rolls, and the atmospheric pads fall and fade away, leaving us once again bouncing and shuffling along. The final buildup of the track involves some more acid sounding synths, some very nice start-stutter-stop-starts, and slamming back in for one final chunky groove. For sure Rinkadink has yet to throw the mayhem into full gear. He's just giving us a taste of what is to come... 7/10 3.'Basshead'- An airy, twinkling melody, along with some static vocal samples, the groove kicks in and vocal fx combine with more acid sounding synth stabs, a funky and somewhat goofy feel to this track. A darker, mysterious melody develops along with the use of inaudible vocal samples in the background creating an overall atmosphere of chaos, madness, and confusion in this track- nice! Many quick and clever breakdowns and this track keeps slamming in again and again. Rinkadink is one of the few artists who in my book can pull off these massively epic snare roll buildups, and he does it so well! The final buildup to the sample "basshead" and then were tossed back into the groove once again. I'm not so much a fan of the alarm sounds interspersed throughout, but the rest of this track is so much fun, that it's easily overlooked. 9/10 4.'Marauder'- I am going to come right out and say that I really disliked the first 2 minutes of this track. I was just about to conclude that not even the dope wolf howl sample could save this one-then I waited 10 more seconds-and bam! An almost sitar-like melody was introduced...a somewhat goofy (what the fuck in a good way) element with a slight retro disco feel- what can only be described as one of the most original breakdowns i've heard in a while, and poof! just like that its a killer groove. Did that track really just do that?? The rest of this track is a nice mix of funky grooves, goofy inaudible samples, stretched out buildups, quick unique breaks, oozing synth sounds combining with a sharper, brighter synth melody that bounces over the top of this track, the final breakdown-buildup and resulting melodic groove is raw and powerful! 8/10 5.'Wavefront'- Am I playing video games here or am I listening to a psytrance track? Or is it quite possibly some mutation of the two that doesn't involve sampling Super Mario Bros.?!?! The static of the 'Pirate Signal' is heard once again- keeping this album tied together quite nicely. We're falling into an opening buildup-breakdown nicely sliding into a groove complete with atmospheric melodies and glitchy synth sounds. 2:25 brings a killer breakdown!!!! nice one!!!!!! (can't give the secret away any more than this ) yes...Vana definately showing off the old school video game influence here, it's twisted and the melody's got this uber-happy goofy bouncing along feel to it that i've only heard previously in more suomi-style psy. 4:50 brings a killer breakdown buildup, lots of very nice start-stops, and before long we're bouncing and floating along with this one once again. kick ass! did I win??? 9/10 6.'Dads Power Song'- A spooky sliding synth melody starts this track off, as a galloping bassline fades into the mix. I'm still totally loving the raw, metallic feel of the snare in all of these tracks. The sample manipulation is brilliant, complete with scratching effects. Now, when you sampled the Delta ebonics spoof on your last album ("Hope was Closed"), its kinda hard to out-do yourself when it comes to samples- "what happened? we had a lot of fun but they had a lot of other catch phrases I could believe I was the first one to use the phrase whyyyiiii don't think so" comes close though (see track 8). A more scattered, melody is introduced and bounces around for a bit. "drop the bass" nice tastefully used raw, slightly distorted pounding old school rave kick building into a groove that meshes together a spooky mysterious melody along with short manipulated vocal bits. A slightly dissonant synth sound adds more even power to this track. It's crazy, it's wacky, it's all over the place, and it totally works. 10/10 7. 'Techmology V3'- This track, in contrast to others on this album thus far, showcases Rinkadink's more progressive melodic side. We start off with a driving kick/bassline, some nice percussive fx, and an overall funky melodic feel. Around 1:45 the bass drops out and we are left with an airy floating melody that soon takes center stage in this track, atmospheric vocal pads in the background add to the overall ambiance. The raw bassline, percussive sounds, and rhythms contrast nicely with the smooth, somewhat somber, subtle melodies used throughout. What this track perhaps lacks in chaos and mayhem, it most certainly makes up for with emotion and sophistication in melody. An in your face, full on, progressive melodic bomb! A beautiful morning track! 9.5/10 8. 'Broken Collaboration'- An early buildup, and the introduction of a more driving, in your face bassline and my expectations are set for an all out full on blaster."all right-saturday night- i have no date no date and my all rush mix tape- let's rock" inaudible chopped up samples intertwining with various short synth stabs and melodies bounce around for a bit before introducing a more straightforward synth melody. Despite the numerous snare rolls and breakdown-buildups full of anticipation...the melody in this track somehow holds it back, preventing it from reaching its full blast potential, and it could have been much more glitchy and quirky. However, the sample is killer, best on the album. 7/10 9. 'Native American Beauty'- 'its one of those days, there was this electricity in the air' The beginning of this track introduces a melody with a distinct jazz influence to it, leading us to an early buildup, some nice raw sounds and orchestral synth stabs (which I am not much a fan of, until they are nicely manipulated later on in the track). I've been waiting all throughout this album for a track along the lines of "You Are Not Who You Are" (Hadra), well, this is it! A mysterious flute melody is introduced, once again some nice sample manipulation building up to silence. The original melody takes over here and we are unexpectedly thrown into a downtempo groove just long enough to make me want to hear a downtempo track from Rinkadink- tossed back into the groove- then into a breakbeat buildup, a very nice change-up from the snare roll buildup!! A slightly more laid back groove than previous tracks, winds down this album. 8/10 Favorites: 1(!!!), 3, 4(!!!), 6(!!!), 7 Overall: It's always refreshing to see an artist who's music you love stay true to their unique style. Yet, it's equally as refreshing to see that same artist having grown and developed as a musician since his last release, while at the same time, also incorporating many new ideas and influences into his new music. Rinkadink has done both and produced an album that not only stands out among the myriads of psytrance releases these days, but also one that is fun and enjoyable to listen to start to finish. 9/10 + bonus points for a killer set in London last month