Jon Cocco

Xenomorph - Netherverse (2024) Suntrip Records 1. Sinister Contours 2. Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix) 3. War In Heaven 4. Negative Time (-L Di/-Dt Mix) 5. No Beginning No End 6. Nebula Of Souls 7. Subdimensional Anomaly 8. Abode Of The Damned 9. Netherverse It's so interesting to read the comments here. I found the the Negative Time EP (2023) fairly monotonous, lacking the visceral, dynamic energy of Mark Petrick's previous albums. A brief recap, Cassandra's Nightmare (1998) was like Goa chapters in a horror film. It took risks and showcased a new approach to Goa. Qlippoth (2003) was more mature and provocative. Demagoguery of the Obscurants (2007) was a concept album reflecting the uncompromising, tragic [old world] vision of the elites (the dark ones via cabal) phases ending with Nuclear Winter. Years later, Xenomorph singles began appearing on Suntrip comps. Petrick's style was more contemporary, less hard edged, technical, more melodic and smooth. It was with Suntrip that I felt something powerful, raw, daring, and organic just did not cross-over that made this artist so brazen, unrestrained, and impressive. Fast forward to Netherworld (2024), the first main album by Xenomorph in 17 years. 1. Sinister Contours starts with a strong kick drum, dark atmosphere, sound bits and synths that remind me of Demagoguery of the Obscurants (2007) to some degree. I like the dark Goa (sound/melody) work, though structurally the beat and bass line feel a bit repetitive. The synth via transition in the third minute open the door for more creativity, grit, and development, the latter fairly simple programming-wise. The tone is good, and I like the contemporary, modern approach to dark Goa here. I like how the middle act breathes before introducing oriental sounds and samples, adding intrigue. This segments felt a bit repetitive to me when crossing the seventh minute, and could have benefitted from more complexity via mixing and variety in arrangement. The last act gets more interesting via end of the seventh minute, but I felt the repetition in ideas before and after. Even the last minute is less than stellar. I feel like the artist could have incorporated more, surprised us, and evolved the second into third act, as well as the second half of Act 3 more tightly. This is a solid song that lacks the power of the opening track, Prognosis on Demagoguery of the Obscurants (2007), and I like it. B 2. Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix) is MUCH BETTER than Sinister Contours IMO, and my top, if not one of my top favourites here. I LOVE the ominous opening, the raspy samples (that somehow work with the), atmosphere and synths. I LOVE the space astronaut sound accent effects (end of first minute), and the sound/melody work is excellent. The song gets richer, more tasty and delectable as it progresses. This is a great example of duality, rather than pure dark-evil-- combining darkness with light. Then a key change at 3:30, and the song does possibly the most beautiful, transformational thing I've ever heard from this artist to date, completely elevating the journey into cosmic, transcendental realms of growth and development before sliding back into the dangerous void. Sure the beat and baseline are pretty standard, and I'm okay with that. It's everything on top of it that's riveting and so unexpectedly strong, evocative, and enjoyable! This (more balanced in duality) song is so innovative, catchy, and welcome from what I'm used to hearing from this artist. It's less hard hitting (beat-wise, synths, grit) than his other songs, and I'm okay with that. Even a transition in the fifth minute gifts us more jewels via sound/melody work. Maybe the second half of the last act could have emphasized more edgier synths, but I'm nitpicking. This is such a well done song. It's imaginative and beautifully helmed from start to finish. Excellent track! A- 3. War In Heaven is a return to harder hitting, darker content a la Sinister Contours. I notice some cross-over sounding synths early on that remind me of Demagoguery Of the Obscurants (2007). The sound/melody work is crisp and energetic, complimented by a voice sample, though somewhat simple in arrangement. The music improves. I love the blinking little synth effect at 4:03 (wish that reprised later) and how a voice sample transitions us to catchier elements. This has a jumpy (danceable) synths, and I love little dynamic progressions via 5:12. I'm a sucker for catchy transitions to new surprises, sound/melody work, good mixing, and like the nostalgic albeit contemporary synths approach. The last act brings everything together, like a dark albeit less dark (than previous albums) nod to his third album coupled with melodies had A Nightmare on Elm Street had a Goa song. That said, I feel as if the music is just a bit restrained in power, rawness, and delivery-- as if the artist is fairly reserved from unleashing more fiery power. I thought this delivered stronger than the opening, and I enjoyed the smooth, fluid production and delivery. B+ 4. Negative Time (-L Di/-Dt Mix) starts strong. We get a synth lead that breaks through like a tidal wave (beautiful effect) at 0:57 followed by more complexity. The first act is catchy, though repetition starts to sink in just before things shift at 2:40. We reach an interlude at 3:30 via voice sample that sounds like Lance Henriksen in one of his many intriguing character roles. I like how the tone grow darker in the fifth minute. The song's synths remind me of the third album to some degree. The third act merges fresh ideas and some really good melodies. The end of the sixth into seventh minute feature nice key changes, though the music here grew conventional. Nonetheless, I admire the dualistic rather than being dark-evil approach. I think there could have been more of a finale (climax) towards the end, as the final moments aren't as memorable. I like this song and found it better than Negative Time on the EP. B+ 5. No Beginning No End starts promising. I like the sound at 1:07, the dark undertone, the synth at 1:30 and the grittier sound at 2:35. This segment soon grows repetitive though until 3:18 where we transition to 3:30 (my favourite part) before more layers pile on. The forth and fifth minute's pile on and this is where I start to lose interest. The sound design sounds so conventional, repetitive, and uneventful. A voice sample transitions the third act, energy picks up via climax, but the arrangement sounds too similar and lackluster. More fire, grit, variety, complexity, evocative provocative feels and ideas would have been amazing here. The song feels like it needed more refinement, re-writing, or being replaced by something stronger. Is it me, or does this feel rushed? I'm not saying it's bad, but decent to FAIRLY good is the best thing I can say about it. B- 6. Nebula Of Souls starts great like a dark fantasy. I like the atmosphere, enchanting sounds and synths. The first act builds nicely. Little squiggly sounds mingle with soundscapes in ice-cold moving atmosphere. There's a recurrent synth that works. It grows delectably grittier, rougher, more aggressive, and less restrained as the song progresses. That said, the song follows one set path, direction, and conceptually, is pretty one-dimensional. But it packs some of that rough edged rawness I miss. Again though, the structure and sound design grows repetitive, albeit more powerful and emphasized, and I feel like we needed this... something with more visceral and aggressive. Why not add this intensity to a more dynamic, varied, and elaborate storytelling chapter? Doing so could have produced an album selling super song. In Act 3 the synths fall to the back as slow ambient notes carry this across the finish line, and while I appreciate the change, I feel like this was an opportunity to incorporate something more exciting and revelatory to spruce up the finale which otherwise feels somewhat melancholy and anti-climactic, especially after the welcome, harder edged albeit predictable structure/drection. B 7. Subdimensional Anomaly opens with soft ambient, inviting us into the ominous fold. The bass line here actually stands out for once. I like the evocative feel, synths, key changes, especially the synth lead in the second minute. It's excellent and accentuated by soundscapes following a voice sample that initiates stronger energy. Now we're gliding across the dark terrain. The music is good, though a little more involvement via arrangement would have spiced up the forth minute. The second half maintains the catchy synths, coupled with another voice sample. This opens the door to those punchy synths that remind of of Mark's third album (works well here). The song's less intense approach is well placed. Another complimentary synth joins ambient notes in the last act, reflecting sadness and contemplation. I think the second half of Act 3 could have developed a little more, creating more intrigue like the song's first two acts, and I admire the artist's more pensive, thoughtful direction. B 8. Abode Of The Damned as with Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix) showcases stronger storytelling throughout. The first act builds intrigue, acknowledging the underworld (the Great Below) conveniently excluded from modern academia, as it does not fit in with established associations, hence fiction-fantasy / folklore / conspiracy / advanced ancient civilizations, technology, Shiva, Krishna, etc. The first act is dynamic, offering a variety of tighter sound engineering. The second act has more grit and energy, a thumping beat. I love like the tone, evocative feels, gritty synths, distinguishing acts, and voice samples. But the second half of Act 3 could have stood out more, and the sound/melody work I found catchier in Dying Sun. All in all, this is easily one of the best songs on the album, and my favorite after Track 2. B+ / A- 9. Netherverse is an ambient-influenced downtempo number. The first half... we're floating in space, atmosphere. No beat. Not much happens. A synth arrives in the second minute as I start to grow impatient, hoping things are going to get going. A slow kick drum enters the third minute. It's okay albeit plodding. Again, I wait for this to turn into a powerful, downtempo gem, but the interlude in the forth minute leads to more of the same. There is a nice key change to the tune in the fifth and sixth minute (IMO the best part of the song), but other than that, not much happens. The song ends just as it begins to show potential in what could have been Act 2, but is rather the second half. I wish the artist developed this into a more powerful, memorable downtempo/Goa gem. In the end, it feels underwritten and underdeveloped. I was left wanting more. C+ CONCLUSION So few solid dark Goa albums seem to release now days that I want to savor what I like about this forth album until something better comes along. Its been 17 years since the last Xenomorph album. Mark's work has grown more contemporary since releasing via Suntrip. If you like this style coupled with some cross-over elements from his third album, you'll probably like this. I like it more than his Suntrip comp singles, and find numerous tracks ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 ) enjoyable, while others (5, 9) feel like write offs, fairly underwhelming. There are a few repetitive moments in numerous songs in that could have been tightened up. This is a dark Goa album that's less ambitious, less technical and meticulous, less hard-hitting and punctuated, less dynamic, less brazen, provocative, unpredictable, powerful, gritty, and risk-taking. Yet it has that all to some degree. It's smooth, very melodic (at times), danceable, to some degree conventional, and easy to digest. The album didn't exceed my expectations. Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix) impressed me the most if had to choose one song. I like that Mark Petrick's style isn't saturated in the bleak, nihilistic dark/evil of his previous albums. Times have changed. We evolve. Well some of us anyway. That said, I feel like more work could have been invested in some of the tracks, including (more specifically) producing more edginess in the second half of Act 3's which feel similar (a bit repetitive) to the first half of Act 3's. This happens in a few non Act 3 places as stated, but around that, for the most part, the album is pretty solid. His previous albums felt more organic, raw, determined, rough, chaotic, explosive and unrestrained, and I miss that-- the powerful magnetism that one blew me away, the technical wizardry, the moments of dark surrealism, awe, and inspiration. Innovation. Netherworld (2024) showcases healthy, dualistic sound/melody designs, and plenty of good/great songs. It's just simpler where I wish it was more involved. The more mainstream friendly approach arguably feels more Xeno-lite (not to be misinterpreted with light). I would have loved more complex, catchy developmental arrangements, sound designs, variety in baselines, beats, textures, details, accents (well accents are generally simple). The praise: "work smarter, not harder" probably makes more sense after 17 years, but how can one not compare the 4th album to the third and second considering they represent some of the best dark Psy/Goa albums ever released? The artist set the bar so high that not even he can top it. My suggestion is give this a couple listens and decide for yourself. I like to listen to an album enough to be able to identify the songs to the point they form an identity to the names, but that's me. One way of seeing it... we could have NOT gotten a forth album at all, and now we have something to talk about, which at least brings more energy to the forums. Also thank you Mark Petrick and Suntrip Records for making a new Xenomorph album happen after all these years. While far from what I consider superb, there IS some superb work here, and plenty solid work in general for me to enjoy. Cheers Favourite tracks - 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 Least favourite - 5, 9 ... the latter could have been so much more satisfying with more time in development. B Stream the full album on Suntrip's YouTube

I LOVE that they returned to what we LOVE (their first 3 albums) and updated some of their best songs with contemporary remixes, beautiful sound/melody work, and no singing that distracts and robs the music of its fun, visionary, and imaginative feel, essence and divinity. This is one of the biggest, most positive album surprises from IM since.. I don't know. It's been decades. When you do something that turns people off so many times, people lose interest and can overlook or arrive late to something special. In this case, a re-invigoration of old-stool translated to new-skool Goa-Trance greatness! This REMIX ALBUM has numerous songs and moments of pure magic and beauty, fire, heart, and spirit = GOA TRANCE 😍❤️ Praying this is a sign for something wonderful to come (such as a brand new Goa album at some point with all new Goa musical masterpieces in follow up to their first three albums. REBORN is a huge step in a positive direction either way.

I found this EP a bit monotonous and lackluster, though I like how the songs begin. The good news-- The fourth Xenomorph album Netherworld (2024) is better comparatively speaking IMO. The edgier it gets, the catchier it gets. I love the sound/melody work in Dying Sun (Sol Aeternus Mix), the higher energy in War In Heaven and Negative Time, the grittier synths in Nebula of Souls, etc. The album's NOT what I'd describe as evil-dark or as potently dark as his earlier albums, and that's fine with me because that other stuff was extremely dark and I no longer enjoy the potency of hearing such heavy dark music as much anymore. Here, the artist incorporates more duality via light/dark (easier to digest) rather than the EVIL/DARK all-the-time approach associated with earlier albums. There's still plenty of dark elements, synths, intros, samples, atmosphere, etc. Implementing more color or light (hope) in the darkness was somehow achieved while never being cheesy or soft. That said, I feel like Netherworld along with this EP's style could have fleshed the songs out more, showcasing greater depth, development and structure like his previous albums, more storytelling details, plot, and changes, more dynamic and powerful moments. The work invested at times feels a little under developed (less involved, rich, textured, and evolving) compared to the impressive heights of his first three albums to some degree. I still enjoy the songs though despite some shortcomings. That said-- It's great to see this talented artist back with a new album after 17 years! I don't want to distract from this thread talking about Netherworld (deserves a review thread) so I'll stop here. Hoping someone gets inspired to open a review thread on Netherworld now that it's released, at least on Suntrip's Youtube page.

Qlippoth is one of the strongest dark Psy/Goa albums of all time. On a side note, one day our experience will be more heavenly, and I look forward to that in ways that are positive. Freewill allows us (as souls having so-called human experiences, really in consciousness) to explore expressions a la projections via manifestations of duality, lower dimensions (inspiring Qlippoth for instance) in which there are four according to Buddhism. Love is Oneness. Separation comes from fear > trauma via cause and effect. There are paradigms of consciousness significantly darker than ours (that inspire darkness on our surface As Above, So Below -- and So Below, As Above via hermetics and the occult) that I have remote viewed and at one point turned back as it was painful and could have led to fragmentation (starting with becoming paralyzed with fear/trauma before empowering my consciousness with affirmative words that resonates higher vibration, thus turning fear into empowerment). This experience inspired me to read about soul fragmentation and negative polarization (reason for the Greys among other lower vibrational races such as the deros, etc.) which happened to many souls in the lower realms. These lower vibrational / frequency spaces in consciousness have the potential to negatively polarize one, if one chooses to stay and identify in such spaces for too long [when remote viewing]. The more aware dark ones sense / feel ones presence as ones vibration drops. Numerous people in another instance have gotten trapped playing the Elevator Game, or various other practices associated with the [dark] occult via secret knowledge. So be MINDFUL. I can say with certainty that these spaces exist relative to the projected dualistic manifestations (lower worlds). In the Great Below (there are literal lower vibrational spaces within our Earth along with higher vibrational ones perplexing physicists) seem to last forever, but nothing lasts forever via separation, fear. It is a soul's choice to explore higher/lower realms. Untangle from the illusion through infinite patience, love, acceptance, forgiveness, faith (over fear) regardless if one is spiritual, religious, or neither IMO. That said, because some of our minds collectively find this fascinating, these places I've remote viewed inspired Silent Hill (though SH was inspired by Hellraiser and Jacob's Ladder, the town of Centrailia close to where I grew up in Pennsylvania, USA, etc.). These inspirational expressions of manifestation including Xenomorph are authentically inspired and in that sense, connected to the lower worlds energetically, that stem from original cause, separation from Oneness, Wholeness, Love/Light. The root of separation / freewill allows for many creative expressions of expanded (and less expansive) consciousness in what appears to be a seemingly infinite amount of dimensions (realities via spaces in consciousness) existing in their respective paradigms (vibrational ranges) simultaneously. There exists agape (Unconditional Love/Light), and there exist separation from Unconditional Love/Light via lower dimensional paradigms, frequency ranges associated with dualistic consciousness. These spaces (many people call places) inspire us here and now, as our experiences here and now (generally) inspires our lower versions to overcome the perception of eternal suffering, to forgive, accept our wrongdoings that produce fear and guilt so that we can transcend old ways and behaviors through authentically awakening (expanding/raising our consciousness in ways that are positive and whole). Get off the karmic wheel and into the ascensional spiritual. There is truth to this relative to higher consciousness IMHO, higher truth (or we wouldn't be inspired to talk and write about it in this dimension, we know things go deeper). As with Clive Barker, Stephen King, and many other creative legends of dark content with substance and richness/texture, Mark Petrick (a legend in the world of dark psy/goa and beyond) tapped into something very dark, deep, and awe inspiring. He is a conduit, a channel, more than an artist-- a visionary, creator, probably a pretty cool soul with occult knowledge and awareness (duh!) who sees things more multi-dimensionally than we realized. He nailed the vision of the Elites (dark ones) with his third album, Demagoguery Of The Obscurants (2007). Mark Petrick tunes in, probably with crystals that magnify consciousness. He's aware. He knows. He produces super dark visionary songs and albums with a deeper purpose and meaning. You could argue that Qlippoth is satanic and I'd say, Ya think? We listen to and/or watch dark stuff all the time (inspired by darker spaces that inspire us here) that entertains, inspires, and feeds our minds, bodies, energetic vibration, etc. That doesn't mean someone is inherently or chooses to be evil. I anchor with the music to manifest my expansive/higher version here and now, but this isn't about me, but the WE. We over me because We are We, one love, one light. We vibe with darkness (in part) because associations trigger deeper (unconscious) associations that we remember as we increase in consciousness and untangle/transcend the lower worlds. Everything is connected. The book, The Disappearance of the Universe by Gary Regard puts this (and so much more) in perspective for those who are spiritually open and stick till the end. Your mind will be blown and you will begin to feel the emergence of your deeper awareness (higher self) coming to the surface over time. But I digress. Just hearing Qlippoth again after so many years inspired this comment. The artist's forth album in 17 years (!!!), Netherworld (2024) just hit Suntrip Records. Riding this spiritual wave we're on and wishing you all the best!

In the Mouth of Madness is my favourite song on the album. I'm engaged from the opening minute forward. Each act improves on the one before it. There's not an once of fat. Not a moment (like in Track 5 or 7) where I'm taken out of the song due to less-than-stellar choices choices. All in all, a phenomenal song from start to finish. I really like if not love tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 to this day. Not everything is for everyone. That said, the first half of City of Moons (album) impresses me to this as Tandu's Multimood's best 4 songs do if played back-to-back. Also, I love the refreshing, risk-taking approaches with tracks 6 and 8.

Yes and yes

I'm listening to this album for the first time in 2023, and now I see why. I skipped it after reading the reviews in 2006. I like the main melody that eventually arrives in Track 1, but the artist is capable of achieving so much more. The baselines are generic and repetitive. Hey, all you need is a beat sometimes on the dance floor! There's moments (Track 10) where it seems like he's enjoying the creative process (one of the better songs here), but that's few and far between. He places just enough little pay sounds to get away with calling this full on to the pay community, but it's not psychedelic, nor Goa, nor good IMO. The best part (for me) was turning this off and listening to one of his OLDER albums full of passion, ingenuity, heart, mind, and soul.

Good post! I'd love to see the forums flourish too and was surprised to see the shortage of reviews the past 1-3 years. I've been around - busy like many of you. It's nice to see the forums are alive! I disappeared in 2022 as energy went to other things-- self-care, surgeries. Editing our last short Indie film I directed. Then it's off to bigger things > https://jamesliakos.com And YES, I plan to incorporate GOA in features but I digress. I heard the new Morphic Resonance album (better than the second IMO), Filteria (some super tracks though I'm more captivated/impressed with Jannis' third & fourth album comparably speaking), and Khetzal - Examines (2021) I thought was superb, magical, showcasing some of the most beautiful, satisfying (sound/melody work!) Goa songs I've heard in some time. I just came across Chi-A.D.'s lovely 2020's song "Into the Light" and just opened a thread > General Psytrance. Also felt inspired to re-review Virtual Spirit (1997) after returning to CHI-A.D. lately. The artist uploaded virtually every release to her official YouTube page (attached below) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk96OhKUo6M0IXAPe7Da4cQ Sounds like its been a busy last few years for many of us, with energy going to numerous things as we evolve and grow. At times I feel very tuned in to the flow of the conscious process. It's cool to see many of us are still there. PS: It's okay to post shorter reviews. Do whatever inspires you in ways that are positive! Stay safe! Cheers

I just discovered this late in May of 2023. It's morning/Sunrise themed Goa, quite trancey. The video's from Chi A.D.'s Official YouTube page. I think it's beautiful. The song has an uplifting, elegant, sexy sunrise morning sound that I love, and the main melody gets stuck in my head. Positive vibes and thankfully not formulaic sounding, yet mainstream friendly in structure that makes it easily accessible to share with friends. I like! Chi-A.D. Official YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk96OhKUo6M0IXAPe7Da4cQ Jon Cocco aka James' Official Website (TV/FIlm) https://jamesliakos.com

Yes!!! Thanks for the head sup! She has an official page on YouTube for us fans called: Chi-A.D. Music YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/@Chi-ADMusic/videos One of her new (to me) songs! I love this.. so sexy, chill, elegant. Beautiful sound/melody work. She hasn't lost her touch.

I was feeling inspired to share more about this debut after listening through Chi-A.D.'s albums lately. 01. Healing Magic 02. The Ocean Also Dreams 03. Astral Warrior 04. State Of Mind 05. Serpent's Fire 06. Inner Energy 07. Paranormal Activity (Spooky) 08. Organic Forms 09. Sacred Vision Hats off to this artist for producing some of the most arresting introductions to songs. I just had to get that out of the way. Each song is like a chapter to a bigger, deeper spiritual story and vision about nature, our Earth, us our world collectively, and more. Virtual Spirit was my first Chi-A.D. album. I heard the artist's song Exit Eternity on a compilation and here I am almost 30 years later. IMO Hannah of Chi-A.D. is one of the most talented, imaginative, spiritual, visionary, and ambitious artists working today. I resonated with every album to healthy degrees except for the more full on Eyes of Gaia album that I found thin on magic, mythos, depth, exploratory elements, feels, and the overall free-spirited style and approach (memorable melodies, atmosphere, structures, etc.) we all know and love. Chi-A.D. began, at least for me with-- 01. Healing Magic is one of my favourite Goa songs, and what an interesting (leading us into the mystical) and developed introduction. It does a great job hooking us early on. I love how the artist playfully incorporates edgy snippets of synths early on. Some people mentioned samples being overused at times. I could see that with tracks 2 and the reprisal of the intro voice in Track 3, but I really like the Native American sampling here, as it establishes the earthy, spiritual nature of the album nicely. Moreover, there are numerous segments without them, where the music breaks out and breaths which is great. All three acts are strong, and the variety in energy, transitions, and sound/melody work keeps the chapter interesting and lively. It seems that a lot of work went into this, as it feels meticulously composed and arranged. I love the interludes. I love the dark and light, the tribal and mythical touches, synth work, the Native American sampling (very spiritual), the buildups are fun, the atmosphere, kick drum, baseline, and more. There's so many choices that make up the whole, and I love what the artist achieved. The song is danceable, fun, and has that special old-school something missing from most Goa now days. The atmospheric impact effects catchy too! All these little details add to how attractively entertaining the overall song is. I could have maybe done without a few samples saying "Healing Magic" but I'm nitpicking. This is an excellent song from start to finish. A 02. The Ocean Also Dreams used to be my favourite song on the album, and I enjoy it to this day. I first heard it in the 90's when I was getting into New Age music like Enigma and Downtempo / Chill Out. The artist's spirituality and love for the ocean, nature, and aquatic life really shows. The music is more relaxing, floating, and harmonious than the other songs. It's also less pure / Goa heavy and that's okay. The Goa influence grows more noticeably catchier in the second act. I feel that the sample "Whales and dolphins..." repeats a bit more than necessary, and arguably (to me at least) distracts from the beautiful, organic flow of the warm harmony. Nonetheless, the sound/melody work is good, uplifting, full of heart and feels-- a pleasant, unique, and unexpected surprise, strategically placed in-between two more energetic, psychedelic numbers. The slower, emotive approach here may not be everyone's cup of tea, as it deviates in style from Track 1 and is, more or less, the black sheep on the album. I sometimes think the last act could have stood out a little more, but the song is so pleasant. Less is sometimes more. This is a wholesome track breathing with life, love, beauty, balance and harmony. B 03. Astral Warrior -- I'll never forget the first time my friend and I put this on, captivated by the song's introduction and sample..."I have seen places that you can only dream of... I have been there..." The intrigue, allure to this artist's introductions are fantastic. Then the buildup and suddenly BOOM! The song takes off like a race horse, full of energy and excitement, aggressive and danceable! The song could have incorporated more innovative, refreshing development in the second half, as it grows a bit repetitive in ideas and execution by the end. Some positives are the first two acts. In act 2, the interlude coupled with voice sample reignites intrigue before briefly mixing in "I have..." like an accent (cut off- catchy) along with more grit to the synths, new sound/melodies, and substance. The aggressive, dance-friendly approach won me over in the 90's and I enjoy the song to this day, though I feel that the last act runs out of steam and could have used more inventiveness and ingenuity. Still, the song has a energetically cool and badass sound throughout, and I presume the Astral Warrior Remix (superior version according to numerous listeners and myself) was not yet produced since the original inspired it, duh! B+ 04. State Of Mind continues the storytelling approach with a shorter albeit engaging, warm, and gentle introduction (one of my favourite parts of the song which is often the case with Chi-A.D.). I love how the music begins, the gentle bong-esque sound, kick drum, and Goa sound/melody work. The beat is emphasized with claps. The music grows increasingly danceable, layered, and psychedelic, though the flute or windpipe (whatever type of instrument) softens the energy a bit. The first act is excellent. In act 2 a club-esque synth enters. It's dance-friendly and though a bit typical, works, though it's bit in my face and combined with the flute or wind pipe, I often feel energetically mixed between higher energy and wanting to close my eyes. I feel like the song loses some interest and grows a bit repetitive in ideas and sounds (those opening minutes felt tighter, punchier, tastier to me), past the halfway mark. In that sense, it doesn't stand out to me as Healing Magic and Astral Warrior did, and I'm all for softer, gentler approaches to Goa. In the presence of stillness and stillness of presence is where some of the most wonderful work, clarity, peacefulness, realizations-- consciousness resides, but I digress. There are lots of good ideas throughout this song, and numerous listeners clearly favor, appreciate, and enjoy it more than myself. In my opinion, I feel that it could have been better considering how captivating those first several minutes felt. I just feel that the song's second half is unable to match or elevate how catchy and refreshing the song's first half is. And yet even in the last act, the song continues to showcases tasty/edgy synth work that I love. My challenge has something to do with those two sounds (flutey sound and the club synth) that takes me away from how much I enjoy the rest of it. B / B+ 05. Serpent's Fire packs more feels, and has an intoxicating (captivating and emotive) opening. It's beautiful, coupled with complimentary sound/melody work. The first act is really special, followed by an interlude that curiously allows opportunity for fresh growth and development (something the artist often takes full advantage of in ways that are positive). The second act maintains the feels, elevating them with higher notes. A second transition showcases edgier synths... buildup, and climax-- the fire part of the song. This part is high energy, psychedelic, stomping, and danceable, though I feel it's overall sound, arrangement, and composition could have complimented the fantasy sounds around it better, as it's execution wise, it's a bit harsh and repetitive in contrast to how gorgeous the sound/melody work is. But I love the idea of incorporating fire and my perspective may be very different if I was on the dancefloor. Still, I love the mystical/fantasy feels, melodies, and warm atmosphere throughout this track. B+ / A- 06. Inner Energy is hooks me early on with sci-fi sounds / feels. The mixing is more dynamic in the first act, and the combination of Eastern Indian melodies along with a psychedelically wobbly accent-esque (lower pitched) synch works well early on. For me, the Eastern Indian melodies grow a bit tiresome and redundant as the song progresses. I would have loved more development, possibly in the sci-fi direction. Hearing the more minimal segments showed me what could have led been, leading to more intoxicating terrain. Alas, the artist wasn't inspired to go in that direction. Nonetheless, more complimentary changes and variety would have been nice, as the song's second half sounds fairly similar in ideas to the first. That said, the Eastern Indian melodies are nice and compliment the lower pitched undertones. Moreover, the artist finds ways to improve the music and brings virtually every established sound and melody together into a sweet fusion by the last act. The song simply feels less less memorable, interesting, captivating, and eventful to me, and that's how I felt about State of Mind to some degree. B 07. Paranormal Activity (Spooky) has IMO such a great use of an accent-- more naturey in the form (or formless sound) of a tastefully echoed chirpy effect utilized differently throughout the track and while effectively allowing it to take a breather in all the right spots before allowing its freedom more often than not. This works so well. Around it, I find the melody/sound arrangement and composition more memorable. The song's design is full of complimentary ideas and sounds, and pops/stands out because of the accent. Listening to each act feels carefully crafted, choosing when to supply and take a beat (break) from said accents before switching it to the exact variation and timing that feels right. Maybe I just have a sweet spot for catchy/unique accents a la Khetzal, Space Cat, etc., etc. All in all, this is one of the more fun and memorable songs for me. I really like the overall tribally sound, flute, sound/melody work, and chirping bird (whatever that is) that emphasizes the danceable nature of the song that keeps things free, fun, and light. A- 08. Organic Forms is the most chill out song here since the second song. It's deeply entrancing and floating in subtle ways and melodic. The mid-tempo ambient and trance with Psy/Goa development deeper in that's excellent, great! You could argue that it's a nice background song and very little happens, and you'd be missing the complimentary state-of-mind and the whole thing. The song is intended I infer, as are all of the chapters here, to fit into the spiritually visionary storytelling whole. Another great track! B+ / A- 09. Sacred Vision is a conundrum for me. The first downtempo act is so earthy, beautiful, heartfelt, tribally, conscious aware/wise and mystical. As the song progresses, the second act transitions-- increasing in energy. The buildup is catchy as the song's energy increases, though it increases so much so that we shift into a seemingly less natural uptempo approach with intense and aggressive synth work that seem to underscore and overpower the magical and poignant mastery of the Navajo / Shamanic, downtempo influenced approach. While the second half of Sacred Vision incorporates some others the first half's ingredients, the song's direction becomes so energetically intense, that I feel jarred from the wondrous, uplifting, and spiritual effectiveness of the amazing opening minutes. I would have loved for the song to continue in the downtempo direction. I don't want to speculate on what inspired Sacred Vision to sound less sacred in the second half, for lack of better words. Numerous listeners also seem to have fell in love with the first half, and I think a couple refinements could have brought more joy to the whole. It's challenging for me to rate this because the first chunk of it is no less than a solid A. B+ / A- CONCLUSION Virtual Spirit is full of passion, beauty, innovation, and imagination from start to finish. There are no bad tracks here. The debut showcases sensitive, emotional, and heartfelt songs and elements, along with numbers carrying fire and intensity. Although I find Anno Domini superior and one of the best sequel albums in Goa Trance, everyone starts somewhere, and for a debut, the pros far outweigh the cons. Every song seems mindfully crafted with love and care. If not for taking risks, we wouldn't have hits like Sacred Healing, Astral Warrior (which naturally inspired the improved remix), the fun dance track Paranormal Activity (Spooky), and more. Naturally, when it comes to songs and albums, we all have our favorites. Not everyone is going to like or love everything. That said, my biggest constructive criticism if I were to provide one, is that there are a couple tracks, or parts of tracks (4, 5, 6, 9) where things start off great, except for (at some point) a certain synth, sound, idea, or change in composition and direction that sounds less synergistic to me, from the rest of the track. This is probably most notable in Sacred Vision, a beautiful piece of work that shines brightest in the song's first half. For me this is also apparent in the type of Fire approach a la Serpent's Fire. I love the idea. I just like the execution, e.g., sound selection and arrangement/approach could have sounded more synergistic, complimentary, and satisfying to the other sounds. The Ocean Also Dreams on the other hand could have used a few less repeating samples IMO. That said, creative freedom is essential, and without it, Chi-A.D. wouldn't have created so many beloved treasures, so I praise the risk-taking, even if some inspire feedback via constructive criticism. For me, Chi-A.D.'s music is more than music. It symbolizes, deeper, more expansive, higher consciousness. I consider Chi-A.D. one of the best electronic artists, right up there with Astral Projection, Hallucinogen, Juno Reactor, Pleiadians, Cosmosis, Transwave, MFG, Khetzal, Filteria-- the best of the best. It's so interesting and inspiring to hear how far this artist has evolved since 1997, like ripples in a galaxy, flowing throughout the Universe. Through every choice-- every moment of being and forgiveness allows us to untangle our consciousness from the split / separation-- from the fear and guilt associated with our collective consciousness-- from our falling out with Infinite Creator / unconditional love, IMO, hence duality, the lower realms-- and inspiration to ascend higher-- to be whole again, beyond space and time in ways that are positive. But I digress! Something tells me that we have yet to fully experience and comprehend how deep this all goes regarding spiritual influences and intentions beyond [that inspires] the music. I'm personally, and believe more of us collectively are becoming more conscious-- whatever that means in respect to where we are headed, a higher octave [vibration] of love. Thank you Hanna for producing so much wonderful from your heart and soul over these decades. Highlights: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, and the first half of 9. B+ if I were to grade it, and I'm caring for ratings less and less as I get older because, spiritually speaking ,it just feels so subjective for me to slap a grade on something as if that's the answer when it's subjective. I love you for appreciating my reviews over the years when I had more time and interest writing them (circa 2000 to 2018-ish). How time flies. Pretty soon we'll be living in the 4th dimension (on the way to the 5th), and remember there's truth to everything that's said, so we'll see each other in the expansion for real at some point Love and light PS: Chi-A.D. Official YouTube Check out her song Into the Light... just beautiful ... A

Now in 2023+ I feel like we're all-- at least most of us becoming more conscious that many people born male or female (XY / XX) have been feeling a connection and/or dilemma with feeling like the opposite sex, primarily because we have all been boys and girls spiritually for those open to the belief in reincarnation which I'm convinced there is truth too relative to spiritual growth, development, and evolution, so that we can reach higher levels of wholeness, understanding, consciousness (like Infinite Creator experiencing his / her / they / their / our creation) and the manifestation of so-called realities that are really just that-- spaces in consciousness. So let's focus on the higher, more vibrant and expanded consciousness like a lot of music we love that is NOT limited to third density inspiration IMO. We're all conceived with XX chromosomes before birth relative to our sex organs that are later (for males born with genitals) XY chromosome. But we all start off as XX, so the female energy is really inherent in all of us from an earlier state of energetic being (before embryo development) which I find interesting. We all share female energy to some degree. Dave is no longer Dave. Her name is Hannah. This helps me understand the level of female energy (elegance, heart, emotion, beauty) that I absolutely adore in Chi-A.D.'s music. Naturally, those that identify as males can also express elegance, heart, emotion, beauty. I'm simply saying there is a female energy to Chi-A.D.'s music that seems more put in perspective for me now. At the end of the day, I LOVE Chi. A.D. and this spirit who's produced such magical songs. Overflowing with passion from the heart and soul. Anno Domini is a masterpiece that deserves to be experienced in a deeper state. An interesting experience I had listening to Anno Domini a while back: I fell into a deep trance where my conscious awareness remained intact (presence in stillness). Eyes shut in a dark room, I allowed my body and mind to relax and sink into the music, being completely open and vulnerable... At some point, I was moving without walking, e.g., floating forward, deep, and I mean DEEP (!!!) underground-- subterranean areas with clear blue and green crystals illuminating the dark. Vibrant, brilliant in color and light. Crystals illuminating the dark. LUMINESCENCE In retrospect, I feel like I was really observing real spaces deeper within our Earth. Fast forward 1-2 decades later. My understanding is that there are places deeper within our world that are not accessible to third density beings, humans, or eyes. We must reach a higher vibrational level and octave in consciousness and love, respectively, in order to experience deeper truths regarding they / them > the advanced conscious beings of Telos, the inner Earth within our Earth, the City of Lights. I mention this in retrospect because I feel like I was remote viewing caverns fairly close to, and just outside of Telos when listening to Anno Domini. And get this. The answer for entry is in us. Our higher consciousness + hearts & higher mind is the key. Music can help unlock blocks in our minds thanks to the heart (love) and mind (imagination), gratitude (attracts reasons to be thankful), forgiveness (let go, make peace), compassion, empathy, mindfulness, and joy. Good attracts good. Wholeness attracts wholeness! Maybe one day we will reincarnate and/or manifest in the New Earth literally, for real. Or when our 3D planet is no longer habitable due to all of the toxins that are vibrationally lowering, maybe at some point we'll feel inspired to return with protection (of our vibrations) and advanced technology to repair 3D Earth so that Earth's surface vibration rises (As Above, So Below) and we can experience a version of Heaven for real, right here on Earth with magical, heavenly sunrise gatherings and more. I'm thinking 4th density. And with increased consciousness we will experience a greater comprehension of light (UV / X-Ray, etc.) so everything will appear more vibrant, crisp, and beautiful in that sense. I intuit the sun via gamma is related to Earth's rising vibration. There's a process / cycle to the awakening as we continue to raise in vibration. My understanding is that humans are just beginning to awaken to deeper truths of who we are and realizations to our reality, Earth, and beyond (it's not what we think it is), but I digress. I wonder if she has interest producing a new PURE GOA (classic style and obviously more contemporary for our time now) album by Suntrip Records? This music is sooo spiritual, beautiful, aware, inspirational, magnetic, danceable, and engaging!

Well said, I agree Trance2MoveU My FULLY Re-Written Review (2022) Technossomy: Synthetic Flesh 1997 FLYING RHINO RECORDS Track list: 01. Breathe 02. Pyramid 03. Kozmotron (1 And 2) 04. Synthetic Flesh 05. Skinflint 06. VTOL 07. Pleiadian Landing 08. Elektron Bender 09. Chug Oh man, what a mixed bag this album is (at times) with some great and outstanding work! 01. Breath takes a minute to get going. The first minute sounds awkward to my ears and could have been shorter, or replaced with a more interesting, beat-free intro before the catchier sound/melody work that arrives at 1:04 and 1:16. Once there, we get some actual music, and although this song doesn't come close to the best tracks here, it's one of the more underrated ones IMO. I like the dreamy synths and feels, atmosphere, and emotive approach. Furthermore, the tempo change (to more urgent and energetic) in Act 3 coupled with sound modifications and Goa scapes is the best part IMO. The song feels homogeneously structured, and to be fair is more suited for home listening / exercising, etc., than dance floors. B / B+ 02. Pyramid is the harder, more aggressive, and psychedelic. The synths and trippy sound work blend well. This is more danceable than Breath which people are bound to like. That said, I don't find the song as stellar as some others, and not to take anything away from what works. My only real constructive criticism is that the song goes on for too long in the last 1-2 minutes and begins to sound like it's spinning its wheels when it should have ended more solidly. B+ 03. Kozmotron (1 And 2) -- The staccato melodies in Act 1 more or less work and grew repetitive-- It's as if Goa sounds are present without good arrangement or structure. Act 2 see's improvement. After a brief transition around 3:05, the music re-emerges more bouncy and psychedelic, although the arrangement could be better. Thankfully everything improves at 3:57 thanks to catchier mixing and the inclusion of an Eastern/oriental synth a minute later was pleasantly surprising. We reach an interlude. Slow. Intriguing. Here the tempo downshifts. The music grows darker, still psychedelic. It's refreshing from where the first act and quickly grows edgier, more tense with a rattling accent that's quite catchy! Act 3 further develops with a cool key change, fresh synths, and accents to boot. As with Breath, this song's grown on me and gets better as it progresses. B 04. Synthetic Flesh ... Tribal drums. Squeeky psy-sounds. Unique. Some of the PSY sounds I find a too jarring early on. Some will love this TRIPPY approach. I find the first act unenjoyable, but the song really improves around some less than satisfying elements. Act 2 is catchier, more focused and refined until the LOUD ALIEN SYNTH EFFECT takes me out of the music. But the darker, aggressive tone and development that follows along with the buildup and drum change up is very cool. But then that loud alien synth effect returns and ahhhh--- but the song is so psychedelic and kick ass wild and fuck yes in the last act if you can let loose to this sort of thing. I admire the artist and taking risks and it's weird, sometimes I really enjoy this song straight through while other times-- it's all about the energetic state you're in. B 05. Skinflint starts promising, interesting early on. We're treated to various brief moments of synths that come and go, but little stays to actually engage and develop! I was starting to enjoy the synth work from 2:27 to 3:20, but then it exits without further growth and is REPLACED with an annoyingly loud sound-- WTF??? Then that hopeful synth from 2:27 returns only to quickly exit. Talk about tedious! A nice melody arrives via 6:48, but leaves us too soon in the dark again. Again, again, again. Why??? Why is this song produced the way it is?! At around 8:03 there is a pretty cool, somewhat promising in the 11th hour fusion of sounds.... that, oh wait, they're gone before I could finish writing this sentence! Talk about an exercise in frustration! D 06. V.T.O.L is comprised of four extremely well crafted parts as if each part is a marvelous tower connected to a cosmic castle (or something). Each with a different design with different leads, moments, mystery, etc. Any one of these parts could have been a complete albeit one-dimensional Goa track. The artists decided to go all out and the result is, consensus wise, their masterpiece! At the end of the forth tower or section, all appears to combine for a 5th (like a secret) part. It's like a final showdown bursting with energy! It's beautiful and so creative like the rest of the song that gets substantially catchier as it progresses. This is one of the most unique (in a good way), involving, thought out, ambitious, and well constructed Goa songs and my favourite song by Technossomy. I'm right up there with you guys! Sure a re-mastering could and likely would improve this further. It deserves it and is so close to perfect otherwise! What a beautiful, cool, kickass epic work of art! A 07. Pleiadian Landing is a nice return to melodic rhythms but after hearing V.T.O.L., how can I not feel let down? Hearing it separately-- NOT NEXT TO (RIGHT AFTER VTOL) , I'd say it's maybe one of the better songs via melody work. The music cuts out towards the end and the combination attractively returns with a rising melody. I think the previous song spoiled me so much that I don't even know (at times) how to rate this NOW SEEING what this artist is capable of! C+ / B- 08. Electron Bender is easily the best song since V.T.O.L. Man I love it! Excellent synths, structure, mixing, arrangement, direction throughout. The song's fun, danceable, psychedelic, interesting, CATCHY!!! I could go on and on. The main melody raises this up the bar at 3:08, but by then the artists have built a solid foundation and act with not a flaw in it. Moreover, they incorporate the kickass main theme (sound) at 1:30 which will define and redefine one of the best Goa songs as the artists' vision unfolds. I find this song so engaging, psychedelic, and unconventional while being user-friendly in all the right places. The voice samples and ambient notes compliment; the latter provides feels to the otherwise cosmic gem of an oddity approach. Songs like this and V.T.O.L. to me show a more advanced level of applications and musical theory from these artists. They're so talented, passionate, and creative! Additionally, the song gets catchier as it progresses as a classic Goa song often does, more refined, and addictive sounding. A- 09. Chug starts with interest and a catchy dark synth that works well. This cool moment is unfortunately soon RUINED BY SOUNDS THAT DO NOT COMPLIMENT AND THROWS OFF THE DARKER FEEL, PRODUCING A MISGUIDED SONG FROM WHERE THIS COULD HAVE GONE AND WHAT THE SONG COULD HAVE BEEN! Chug turns into a slugfest because of a LACK OF creative, catchy development and direction. If you cannot make a story interesting or engaging, how can you expect readers (listeners) to stick with your content, so to speak? As with Skinflint... Chug is such an oddity coming from the same artists who produced such badass work. Why not make them all killers or at least good? D / F CONCLUSON WTF are crappy songs like Skinflint and Chug doing on an album with old school classics like Elektron Bender and especially V.T.O.L. ??? This album is such a conundrum to me (at times) due to certain songs being so stellar while some others are so bland, boring, and dull. The result is an album more known for its classics than being a classic album in and of itself IMO. I don't recall a Goa album with such highs (so high) and such lows (so low) since maybe Universe 13 somehow made its way onto Pleiadian's Family of Light album, a disastrously boring slog some-freeking-how green lit between Head Spin and Modulation. It makes a world of difference and is so appreciated (just like when people behave and are genuinely wholesome to one another) when artists are consistent with high standards! The best songs remain (at least for most of us) just as wildly nostalgic and catchy, classics to this day whereas the few others make me what they were smoking/ingesting or thinking? Classic album? Well that's subjective. Certain tracks YES, others WTF. Classic album? Not to me but that's my opinion and I'm not getting into it. But a few of us can agree to disagree and some of the killer work here-- it's super, yes, classic for sure! V.T.O.L > Vertical Take-Off And Landing is freekin > I LOVE IT. ONE OF MY FAVOURITE GOA SONGS!!!! Electron Bender > Not nearly as groundbreaking as VTOL but so different, catchy, groovy, and cool! And that's not all! Favorite Songs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 (!!!!!), 8 (!!!) 7.5 / 10 = B (but again, IMO) PS: For fans of their GOOD shit, I found more kickass work by them.. tracks like Rejuvenation!

Yes!!! I've been replaying MFG's first four album's recently and enjoying them so much. I also really like their 4th album (The Message, 2001) and appreciate the psytrance with Goa influences approach being that it's thankfully NOT like their fifth album (Message From God, 2006) that sounded too formulaic and routine via Full On structure, bass line, beat, and also lacked layers (stems/waves), atmosphere, visionary ambition, detail, and imagination-- though some of the accents and melodies were catchy/good/classic MFG associations, the overall 2006 album paled in comparison to their first four. WHY? s still my favourite MFG track 20+ years later. It's amazing how just one word can be so powerful and influential. But their are numerous MFG tracks I enjoy listening to more frequently if that makes sense, songs I find more fun and easily accessible, and yet that song is something special. Literally asking God WHY? ... Just-- Why? There is so much meaning in this track that can be interpreted and related to differently, personally, by so many people in so many ways. A song with intent and meaning if I ever heard one, WHY? IMO is outstanding, not just on a technical, visceral level, but on an existential, philosophical one as well. Despite some constructive criticisms, e.g., Voices is still the weakest song IMO, and the first half of On Mars and The Creation respectively could have been more eventful and interesting/satisfying, Project Genesis is a cybernetic fan's wet dream and one of the best Goa albums ever produced. This deserves a re-mastering to clear up those muddled stems/waves from old mastering (I presume) which would bring this album to a whole new level greatness. PS: Not sure what happened to Phonokol anymore. I ordered so many albums from them in the 90's and guessing they don't exist anymore, as their web address appears invalid. Oh well. What's meant to be will be. It's a super album regardless.

This is the definition of a magnificent release in GOA TRANCE. God I WISH Pleiadians were inspired to produce songs, albums-- even a song, an album this amazing anymore. You'd think with today's software programs and mastering, people's consciousness raising-- the imagination is unlimited! IFO is the crown jewel of Goa Trance if I were to choose one pure Goa Trance album, and this re-mastered with super IFO remixes by the artists in addition to their best rarities, SINGLES, and COMPILATION songs is why we have certain emoji's Etnica - Live In Athens is also superb too! Just that beautiful sound!!! I have less than zero interest comparing them.