Basilisk

Hello everyone! I'm bumping this ancient thread to announce that I'm reviving my Essential Selections project on my new DJing and music fandom blog, located here. Some of you might remember the original version of this project but this new version is much more ambitious. I now include more styles, a consequence of having developed a much broader taste in music, as well as brief descriptions of each release. I just published the first entry, a list of what I consider to be the best and most noteworthy albums of 1995. Hopefully I'll be publishing additional entries throughout the coming years

I got curious, against my better judgement, and yeah... WTF is right. Talamasca is technically competent, and the idea is sort of cheeky good fun, but the end result just sounds bizarre. I don't think classic Goa trance really works with the mash-up or megamix format. Side note: I was amused to hear Transwave's Land of Freedom in there, seeing as how that was a tribute to Man With No Name (who is also featured here. That would make it a meta-tribute, would it not?

I'm several years into completely restructuring my entire collection, listening through, and at least provisionally filing and rating absolutely everything. Since I am mostly interested in working with this music as a DJ all albums and compilations have been dissolved into their constituent parts and scattered to wherever each individual track belongs. Somehow it is all magically coming together... and hopefully I'll end up producing some interesting mixes and maybe even a few articles from all this work some day.

I've always disliked build-ups that don't deliver... now you can hear entire sets of this sort of thing, apparently. I tend to look for some combination of complexity, nuance, and style in whatever music I am listening to, and the bog-standard umpa-lumpa psy-prog with stripped-down returns is exactly the opposite of this. But, much like triplets/offbeat bass, people seem to absolutely adore the stuff. Incidentally, it is funny as hell that some of the same parody videos are still doing the rounds years later... Loud's "10 reasons" video has 4.5 million views by now! And people seem to have taken it as an instruction manual, not a warning? I wonder if anyone has ever dared to drop it at a festival...

I wish I could get copies of Gus Till's Best of the Rhino Years without the terrible mastering job. Still not sure what went wrong here, everything sounds like mud. https://www.discogs.com/Gus-Till-Best-Of-The-Rhino-Years-Vol-1/release/987060 https://www.discogs.com/Gus-Till-Best-Of-The-Rhino-Years-Vol-2/release/1138541

This is an interesting channel. I really should get around to doing something similar to demonstrate my approach to mixing; YouTube has a lot of potential for DJs these days, especially if you want to make a spectacle of yourself

Several aesthetic features of the genre (e.g. ambient intros/outros, ending with a bang, non-standard track structure) probably originate with the use of cassette and DAT tapes in the earliest years of the scene. In some sense, the emphasis on access to obscure or unreleased material and programming/storytelling over technical mixing ability is a matter of tradition, but it doesn't have to be that way. Personally I really enjoy mixing psytrance as if it were house or techno, finding different ways to layer, blend, and combine source material. Plenty of my mixes involve 2 to 4 minute-long transitions between tracks, and occasionally 3 or 4 deck mixing. But I will admit to being less enthusiastic about mixing modern upbeat psytrance in this fashion; there's often way too much going on for aggressive mixing to yield satisfying results.

Psy-Harmonics has many experiments with punk-psychedelic fusion in their catalogue. Experience is a good starting point, especially the opening track (which isn't on YouTube, unfortunately): https://www.discogs.com/Various-Experience-Psy-Harmonics-Volume-5/release/150829

Cheeky fun from a former psytrancer

I'm looking forward to what comes of this

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MFG? Awesome I'd also love to see a remastered/unmixed/BPM fixed edition of a few MFG classics like Psychic Resonator and much of Project Genesis.

Something for the early 1990s techno/trance crate-diggers: https://humanbeings.bandcamp.com/

I'm curious if anyone knows the dates of production for the tracks on this album... or at least which two tracks are the new ones (Dancing Shiva and Fluid Dynamics are my guess)?

Sounds interesting! I also hope to see a remastered version of The Best of the Rhino Years some of what's on those CDs is borderline unlistenable...

I quickly skimmed some samples and don't understand the negativity. The last album was fantastic and this sounds really cool too.

I am constantly impressed with the amount of effort that goes into these excellent re-releases. Some mistakes when dealing with such old source material is entirely understandable IMO. Sorry for the drama and hate you gotta put up with, but keep doing this wonderful thing you do

Just stumbled upon this without reading the promo and was impressed with how well the producers nailed that proto-Goa vibe... this is what I've been hoping newer artists would try! And then I read the rest now I'm burning with curiosity...

Thanks for sharing this here... I should emphasize one point that seems to have gotten lost in translation: although the label in question ripped plenty of tunes from Ektoplazm many commercial labels were also affected. I've seen some people sharing this status framing it as a problem with Ektoplazm, Creative Commons, or free distribution, but it's not exactly the case. Major labels register tracks with third-party services that scan sites for copyright violations, something that Ektoplazm presently doesn't have the resources to do, but the same goes for anyone else. Anyway, I'm always going to do what I can to fight for the rights of the labels and artists I help with distribution but we'll all have to remain vigilant for shameless operators like the "label" responsible for this mess.

Thanks and here's another one for the pile... PROTOTYPES 2 Zen Lemonade - Zodiac Guns (2002) Bedrock - Voices (Freelance Icebreakers Remix) (2000) Ballroom - Passenger (Steve Porter Remix) (2001) James Benitez - Star Chaser (2003) Medway - Release (Lexicon Avenue Remix) (2001) Krüger & Coyle - Prock Rock (2004) Paris & Sharp - Aphrodite (2001) Pete Lazonby - Sacred Cycles (Quivver Remix) (2000) Vision & Canedy - Aeroplane (2004) Blakstone - Superfrill (2002) Chab - Matica (Matrix Mix) (2000) Nathan Fake - Outhouse (Main Mix) (2003) Holden & Thompson - Nothing ('93 Returning Mix) (2003) https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-prototypes-2/

Hi everyone! It's been a little while since I shared any mixes here so I'm going to catch up by posting four at once. Two of these mixes feature modern psychedelic techno sounds whereas the other two explore different facets of classic electronic dance music. All are live recordings from shows I've played in Taiwan and none were planned in advance. EARTHFEST 2015 Der Interpret - Landfall [Traum Schallplatten] Spektre - Reverion [Toolroom Records] Flembaz - Lichen [blind Arc] Trilingo - Kalix [Digital Diamonds] Trilingo - Luzoba (Ben Rama Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Ark-E-Tech & Mecca - Look At Yourself [bassic Records] Zentrix - Dust (Mydä Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Boris Brejcha - Spacecraft To Mars [Harthouse Mannheim] Stephan Bodzin - Ix [Herzblut Recordings] Flembaz - Lubrsune [Digital Diamonds] Stoertebeker - Artificial Structures [Techgnosis Records] Ben Rama - Emergent [Digital Diamonds] Mydä - Offtopic [Digital Diamonds] Beat Bizarre - Amplifucked [iboga Records] Alic - Ma Soul [Digital Diamonds] Oliver Lieb - Altiplano [Fris!] Flembaz - Orobas (Ken Zo Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Stoertebeker - Setzt Die Segel [Techgnosis Records] Daäna - Absentia [Digital Diamonds] Extrawelt & Dominik Eulberg - A Little Further (Not On A Map) [Cocoon Recordings] https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-earthfest-2015/ * CONCRETE DREAMS Ben Rama - VALIS [Digital Diamonds] Progus - Arus [blind Arc] Luis M - Interferenz [Digital Diamonds] Alic - Ostkreuz [Techgnosis Records] MYDÄ - Wawawikked [Techgnosis Records] Bratenschneider - Destiny [Digital Diamonds] Spektre - The Grudge [Phobiq Recordings] Quite K - Visya Exhale (Excizen Remix) [Horns And Hoofs Entertainment] Snok - The Placescape [blind Arc] Jitter - Acida [Digital Diamonds] Sensient - There Will Be Mud [Zenon Records] Flembaz - Dungeons & Dragons [ADN Music] Triforce - Misty Moon (Doppel Remix) [bassic Records] Luis M - Chang3 [blind Arc] Stoertebeker - Setzt Die Segel (Terrakroma Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Ben Rama - Initiate (Trilingo Remix) [Techgnosis Records] Ken Zo - Gordon Dawat [Techgnosis Records] https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-concrete-dreams/ * FREETEKNO FAKTORY MX Experiments - Neutralizing Agent [solstice Music International] (2006) K.U.R.O. - ReCALL [Maniac I.Q. Records] (2004) Authentik - Solid [d.Drum] (2001) Boo Reka - In Hell X Hell [Agitato Records] (2002) The Delta - Warp [solstice Music International] (2006) Chris Liebing - String Theory (Picotto & Ferri Remix) [Evolution] (2004) Spirallianz - Soulprint [spirit Zone Records] (2003) Wizzy Noise - Demented Drum (Part 1) [Candyflip Records] (2003) DJ Exanimo - Fear & Loathing [Neurobiotic Records] (2002) Vibrasphere - Out Of My System [Digital Structures] (2001) Psychaos - Mad Lane [Atomic Records] (1999) Cydonia - Funky Monkey [Vision Quest] (2003) Nerve - Nervous (Etnica Remix) [Pinwheel Records] (2002) BLT & Danny Makov - The Rain Song [Tokyo Dance] (2004) Logic Bomb - Melogic [booM! Records] (2000) S>Range - Boom [Acid Casualties] (2000) Cosma - People On Hold [HOM-Mega Productions] (2003) https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-freetekno-faktory/ * PROTOTYPES The MFA - Two Billion Year Journey (Dirty Fours Mix) (2004) Krüger & Coyle - Space Boy (2004) Vision & Canedy - Check The Sound (2005) Mainline - Narcotic (2000) Minilogue - In A Deeper Motion (2002) Dub Disaster - Sausage Dip (Philo Remix) (2004) Katai - Turn Of Time (Dub Mix) (2002) True To Nature - In My Room (2007) Shmuel Flash - Chilling Moments (Bedrock Dub) (2002) Circulation - Turquoise (Different Gear Remix) (2001) Amber - Anyway (Steve Porter's Mix 2) (2003) Atlas - Compass Error (Tarrentella & Redanka Remake) (2002) Perry O'Neil - Numb (2005) Medway - Resurrection (Chris & Kai Remix) (2005) Guy J - Lamur (Henry Saiz Remix) (2009) https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/dj-basilisk-prototypes/ * I've got a bunch more on my Mixcloud profile if you enjoy these: https://www.mixcloud.com/Basilisk/

I previously ran a crowdfunding campaign and hesitate to do another for several reasons. It is a huge amount of work, for starters, and it means I'll probably spend months working on the campaign and fulfilling all the perks/rewards rather than, you know, actually working on Ektoplazm. Moreover, I feel a little uncomfortable running another campaign given what was promised last time (a new web site) versus what I have been able to deliver (2+ years of new releases on the current site, which isn't something that would have otherwise been possible). I'll have more to say in a future blog post but for now I am relying on community support in the form of donations.

Ektoplazm isn't dead. It's hibernating Sorry to have to close the doors to new applications but the situation won't last forever. Keep an eye on the blog for updates, use Bandcamp in the meantime, and feel free to submit your release when things open up again; I don't discriminate against previously released music! I should also mention that I don't mean to ignore anyone, I'm just really burnt out (and broke) and have hundreds of email inquiries and release applications backed up in my inbox. Thanks for your patience

No, it is not too specific. Consider why we classify music in the first place: to help us understand musical diversity and find more of what we like (or avoid what we don't). Classifying music is tough work if you're trying to jam something into the proverbial pigeonhole of a genre (a mutually exclusive category) but much easier if you think in terms of style (a nuanced non-exclusive description with differing degrees of specificity). I follow the principle of parsimony in determining what styles are a part of the musical taxonomy at Ektoplazm, which is to say, I am interested in the least complex taxonomy that most accurately describes the music on the site with respect to the actual topography of music taste and listening habits in the wild, which is always changing. I believe this approach has value, particularly for anyone new to the culture and overwhelmed by its musical diversity, but it certainly isn't meant to be definitive. The purpose of Ektoplazm's taxonomy is mostly to point people in the direction of more music they might like, something known as signposting. I welcome dialogue about whether or not the existing system achieves this aim or not. Actually, I've had a lot of fun posing questions to Ektoplazm's 130,000+ followers on Facebook any time questions of style come up. The original taxonomy mostly reflected my own personal understanding of psytrance but in recent years it's been shaped by the community.

Come at me bro