mahoney

Hallucinogen - LSD Artist: Hallucinogen Title: LSD Label: Twisted Date: 2002 Track listing: 01. LSD (Synthetic Rmx) 02. LSD (Oliver Lieb Instrumental Rmx) Review: So, some more remixes of the beloved classic LSD track from Hallucinogen. These tracks is more club-oriented then all the previous remixes done (except the Oliver Lieb then). The Synthetic remix is a sunny club-tech remix with all the ingredients you get from the original, just add a more clubby bassline and some other more clubby details and you get this one. He has done a beautiful work with creating a sunny and very emotional atmosphere around the track and the melodies is still VERY hypnotic and explodes after a break in the end with the well known sample. This might not be something for you who are totally allergic to clubby elements and rythms, but I think you should atleast give it a try in your phones, because this is great shit! both for home and floor. Oliver Liebs Instrumental remix is exactly the same as the one released on the Mi-loony-um EP but this is as it says, instrumental. I suggest you to go for the one with samples in, it feels a little bit empty without them. Besides of the (for me) pointless b-side, this was still really worth getting for the Synthetic version alone. This is not magic, but still beautiful.

Manmademan - Desire Artist: Manmademan Title: Desire Label: Flying Rhino Date: 1999 Track listing: 01. Desire 02. Halt Production Review: I finally got the hands on the plastic piece with one of my all time favourites, Manmademan - "Desire". It´s from the time when Manmademan started to make the more progressive-styled music they are creating today, but it´s from the beggining of their evolution so it´s quite much more uplifting then most of their new material. "Desire" takes of with the nice childish girl laughter and evolves into a pumping morphing progressive track with a big portion of spaced out effects and voices a´la Eat Static. Also has to mention the beautiful male-voice which is floating around just before the track reaches it´s climax, a killer for both home and dancefloor fully packed with friendly atmosphere and alot of happiness(!). "Halt Production" was new for me, but it was a pleasent surprise. This is also an atmospheric affair with some nice flute-plays and a repeating choir-sample. A really nice b-side, maybe not with the dancefloor qualities as "Desire, but still a beautiful piece of work. If you like this then you should get your hands on the "Karahana / Goldust 12" which was released a bit later then this one - two dancefloor bombs, filled with energy just as "Desire". Take care.

mindebender: about the sellsers, my friend who was the one who got his hands on this record, a man stopped him in central Oslo and asked him if he was into Techno. He got a bunch of cd´s, and he also bought a cd by Mathuresh (same label). Quite lucky that he was stopped, if you think of that my friend was dressed in black clothes and has a shaved head (?!?), I´ve had these cd for some month(s) now, and I still think it´s great music, but all these messages can be a little bit bothering sometimes, even if the most of them makes sense..

Sri Hari - One But Different Artist: Sri Hari Title: One But Different Label: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Date: 1997 Track listing: 01. 06'42" The Path of Yoga 02. 05'55" Damodarastaka 03. 07'21" Paramatma 04. 05'31" Jazz Maharaja 05. 08'16" Mata Bhumi 06. 08'08" Spread The Chanting 07. 04'27" Radhe Govinda 08. 08'54" Shivaranjani Raga Review: Sri Hari is a project from the great Ian Ion (more known from his work with Frank E as KoxBox and Saiko-Pod). I´ve only got this cd for about 3 days, but it has been spinning all since then, so I´ll give it a shot, it´s not a very easy cd to review . To beginn with, this is a totally blissful journey with a high relaxing. It also got a lot of spiritual messages, mainly through all the voice-samples through the tracks. You can find them in every track, and they are about yoga (in the great jazzy "The Path of Yoga"), about how it is to go to work every day and pay the rent ("Jazz Maharaja") or simply just hindu-singers (mostly often spiritual songs or speeches). But it´s much more then the hindu part on this cd, they all got (except the last one) these peaceful and veeeery relaxed totally beautiful and sunny (sometimes spacey) melodies and effects. Mostly often you have a rather slow beat in the tracks, or sometimes nice sunny (sometimes faster) drum'n'bass beats or ! some tribal drumming. It also got alot of funky and groovy eighties/early ninethies synth-lines and beats, and sometimes a 303 jumps in for a short shift . The work he have done with the singers is very nice, and there is in all the tracks really beautiful parts of singers (the male-singer in "Radhe Govinda" is just great) or just relaxed atmospheric voices. The tracks shifts between being a beautiful tribute to life and moder earth and being totally groovy music with funky beats and synth-lines. Many tracks just gives me the feel of waking up on some sunny place, totally blissful. The production is ofcourse excellent and beautiful, and track 6 ("Spread the Chanting") also Frank E is involved. At many times you can feel the funky and groovy feel that a lot of the Saiko-Pod and KoxBox (their album "The Great Unknown") tracks got, so Ian seems to be a big part in thoose projects, and he seems to be one of the best producers there is in the scene. The cd ends up with a praisi! ng song to hinduism, alot of sitars, some drumming and a male! singers singing about Hare Krishna. It accelerates but then fades out and ends up the cd. All in all, excellent beautiful relaxation-music with a rare groove and alot of influences such as drum'n'bass/garage beats, house- and jazz-elements and alot of feel of the eightees. No bad tracks and Highly recommended!

What I rescently read in an interview with Marcus and Seb they are a bit tired of all the dark and hard progressive music released nowadays. This cd-release proofs that, it´s 3 remixes of one of the most harmonic tracks from the Kites ?perspectives of?? album. It was one of my personal favourites on that album, and if you haven´t heard the album version, don´t worry, that one is included aswell (track 3, Original version). Track one is the Dj Nukem Remix which is the most club-oriented track on this release. Hard pumping beat and the tribal drums that you get in the original get´s some space on top. It´s not superfast, but very very progressive with the female-voice swooching by (which is the most significant thing from the original), good for your warm-up sets? The second dance-oriented version is the Flow Mix, and this is a BOOMBB for all dancefloors! It´s a remix by the Kites themself, and I couldn´t imagine how wounderful it would feel on the floor hearing this before I first experienced it. Hard, fast, tribal but still with the harmony that you get from especially the original version. I can´t really imagine how they could have done this track any better without changing the original to much. The samples and voice,, sooo beautiful. Will leave you floating around the floor with a big smile on the face, that´s the effect it had on me, perfect building, perfect music. Enough said, the Original version is the album-version. The softer version of the Flow remix, not that pumping, but still very beautiful and tribal. The Downbeat mix, which you also can find on the excellent Chillosophy comp. on the same label, is the laid-back one. Irregular beats with all the harmonic swooching sounds and echoing effects that you´ll get from the other tracks in one track. Laid-back melodies and vocals and lyrics that fits perfectly by Lisa Thelin only makes it even more enjoyable. Some waves hitting the beach ends this release, which I only can say is high quality music, extremly proffesional production, espescially the Flow Mix (!!!), the original and the downbeat scores high for me. If you rather by it as a 12?, then it´s available, but you only get the two previously unreleased tracks (Dj Nukem and Flow versions). Recommended for all electronic music-lovers.

Jacques Gelée - Autopilot Artist: Jacques Gelée Title: Autopilot Label: Sunset Date: 2002 Track listing: 01. 07'26" Autopilot 02. 08'04" The Trapper Review: Christian Vogel & Tom Knopp is Jacques Gelee, and this project is something really reaaaly good!. Christian is the only one I know something about, and that is that he usually releases more techno and club-oriented music,,, but anyway, the a-side here is called "Autopilot" and this a pure jewel. Totally grooovy and body melting music, with a good package of weird and totally grooovy delicious details and technoish-melodies. This is the type of tech-trance you got from the great comp. "Otherwise" that was released on Baluns, and this track would have been one of the top tracks on that comp. for me!. It got some scando-elements aswell, some Atmos-like effects, but elseways, pure tech-trance. The b-side ("The Trapper") is nothing for me compared to the first track, still slow music in the same spirit but noot at all such a great groove as in "Autopilot". A tooting sound allthrough the track, and the electro-vocoded voice that gets some space in the last half is reaaly nice, a n! ice track, but not excellent. This release just follows up the so far great greeeat year of 2002!

Star Sounds Orchestra - Trommler Artist: Star Sounds Orchestra Title: Trommler Label: Spirit Zone Date: 2002 Track listing: 01. Techno Beat 02. Trommler Review: Finally some new tracks from the warm psychedelic and hard-drumming Star Sounds Orchestra. "Trommler" is a warm and groovy track, with a bass-line which got an excellleeeenntt grooove and warmth and together with a deep/warm kick and sunny and playful melodies makes this to one of my absolute favorites so far in 2002. It´s rather slow and you get some "trommling" in form of warm tribal drumming aswell. "Techno Beat" is a bit more pumping and the bpm has risen, but just a bit. It has, as "Trommler", a very friendly and happy feel over it but it´s more progressive and plays around with warm bass, tribal percussions and other sunny elements. It progresses through some rather friendly acid lines and they are playing around with samples all the time, like they always do. It reaches its goal when in the last part of the track the very trancey and friendly melody comes in, the klimax is reached,,, very nice, but I would recommend to pitch it up just a bit to get maximal effect, it ! feels a little slow sometimes. The track end up with a long spaced-out outro and fades out. This is one of the best 12"´s I bought so far this year, right now I prefer the groooooovy "Trommler", but both tracks are reeeeeally nice... An album will arrive later this year from what I´ve read, and lets just hope it has the same high quality as this

V/A - Goa Trancendental Artist: Various Title: Goa Trancendental Label: Rumor Date: 1996 Track listing: 01. Children Of Dub : Cascade 02. Optica : Rising High 03. Matrix : Train Of Thought 04. Digitalis : Kyphi 05. Cosmosis : Afterglow 06. 100th Monkey : Schumacher Levy 9 07. Bass Meditation : Symbiotic 08. Unreality : Birth Of Mankind (Dub Mix) 09. Delph : Leaves 10. Alien Mutation : Sea Of Colours 11. Astralasia : Alien Love Song (The Soundtrack) Review: A very nice pure trance compilation from "Trip" or "Rumour Records", quite hard to get any info from the cover/booklet (can´t even get info about the release year). All tracks here has a very friendly and peaceful atmosphere and a soft and rather slow drum. Also a very spacey track selection, mostly non-psychedelic. I guess "Afterglow" by Cosmosis is the one that the most of you have heard of, and that´s the style of the most of the tracks (one of the slower tracks though). The cd ends up with a beautiful (as always ) and very spaced out ambient track from Astralasia. This is a very good cd for homelistening and chillin which works for me most of the time. It gets a lot of time playing in the background when I´m chillin or whatever I´m up to, no bad tracks.

SRange comes here with his first release since his wounderful "2001"-album, and I can tell you I wasn´t dissapointed this time either . The b-side is Noma´s version and it´s a powerful progressive-journey. It takes of with some samples of the soulfull and hearthripping melody which you hope you´ll get more off later on. The first break comes in with the very nice echoing sampling "Whatever door you open... my brain". After this you get a full journey of beautiful melodies and soundscapes and the morphing sounds that only Noma can create, ending up with a total explosion of all the beautiful sounds and samplings. You can really hear that it´s Noma doing this remix, and I just like him more and more, he can create both very good pumping progressive music and very beautiful more morning oriented music... I want more from Noma . The a-side, which is remixed by S Range himself, is more of a groovy and spacey remix of the same track. It´s not heart-ripping as the first one, it´s more a track that just puts a smile on your face. It´s aswell very well produced and excellent sounds and melodies which all comes together in the end and hopefuly makes you´re body move and your mind smiile. An excellent release from Spiral Trax, and I´m really looking forward for more releases from these two progressive-masters. S Range - "2002" is the only info I know at the moment, juuummy!

Electric Tease - Fever Artist: Electric Tease Title: Fever Label: Automatic Date: 2001 Track listing: 01. Fever 02. Sizzler Review: The more trance and house oriented side of Transient, Automatic, seems to be releasing some real quality music. "Fever" takes of very pumping tribal and groovy but evolves into a more atmospheric and really wounderful track. I just love the use of the woman-voice sample coming in, it floats sooooo nicely and it´s really beautiful and the great drumming coming in doesn´t make it worse. The percussions and drums is very housey in a very good way, very powerful and top quality production! "Sizzler" is another tribal story which slowly builds up and makes the drums stronger and stronger. This one is more trancey then the A-side, but it still got the house groove and rhythm and actually also some short lyrics. Nothing compared to the A-side though, which is really great piece work. It could work as warm-up music at some psychedelic-parties, especially if it´s hold on some club. If you like any of the progressive house music, then I don´t think you´ll get dissapointed, the a-side ! is real quality...

Shaman - Unbrutal Artist: Shaman Title: Unbrutal Label: Digital Structures Date: 2002 Track listing: 01. Unbrutal 02. Supha Oupah 03. Pitch Tweaker Review: The Shaman from Sweden arrives with his debut EP on Digital Structures (the only label he has released music on so far). B1: "Supha Oupah", which is my favourite here, is a very hard, psychedelic and tribal piece of work. Very driving and all these psychedelic and gnarling effects together with the tribal drumming makes this a real bomb for the dancefloor. If you like the harder stuff from our dear Son Kites then you´ll propably like this one. "Pitch Tweaker" is a totally different story. Pumping kick, a quite simple floating atmospheric "melody" and on top of that at some parts tweaaking psychedelic noises, not a terrific track, but still nice and will propably fit in many peoples more progressive morning sets. So now some words about the extremly brutal track called "Unbrutal" (?!?). The definition of irony , it´s fast, hard, agressive and filled with horror,, with one word, it´s brutal! It´s caused by the very chugging industrial monotoneus bassline, agressive hard hitt! ing percussions and percussion-like effects,,, a lot of creepy and spoooky effects makes it even more horrifieng. It´s brutal in the same way as Source Unknowns "Blond Sexy Doped Babes", and that says it all, doesn´t it? So, you got here three quality tracks, two nightstormers and one flooating morning track on one EP, very price-worthy if you´re into this kind of music. Take care!

Youngel is the best "stomper" from Son Kite... ever !

12 Moons - Northern Star / Blind Man's Vision Artist: 12 Moons Title: Northern Star / Blind Man's Vision Label: Dragonfly Date: 2001 Track listing: 01. Northern Star 02. Blind Man's Vision Review: Michael Andersen, the guy behind 12 Moons, has released a loooot of stuff the past year. His project 12 Moons seems to be ranging between very beautiful/sunny morning trance and more dark and hard progressive trance. This release is off the sunny kind. "Norhtern Star" has a very loud, bright and short kickdrum and on top of that really warm and sunny repetive melodies and effects. It progressess with different layers of these warm elements and it ends up very beautiful and touching with some very bright choir-like sounding ingredients put on the top. The b-side ("Blind Man´s Vision") is in the same style as "Northern Star" but this one is not as touching and you can find much more groove and actually some funky elements in this one. Two very beautiful progressive tracks and very nice production I would say. The best atmospheric release from 12 Moons so far for me and it´s fun to hear that not all the releases from the Gothenburg area sounds a bit similiar. Take care!

Magneticom - Zero Kharma / Polyphon Artist: Magneticom Title: Zero Kharma / Polyphon Label: High Society Date: 2000 Track listing: 01. Zero Kharma 02. Polyphon Review: Magneticom comes here with two slow, very twisted and mindbending tracks. "Polyphon" is has a very dark and druggy feel all over it, very chemical/weedie. The druggy melodie sounds quite much like some flute with a whispering like sound (not as light as a usual whisper from a human ). There is also some echoing voice samples, mainly a male-voice which gives the track a even more hypnotic feel, but also some female-sounds (not words) and some short samples that sounds like taken from some mystical native ritual. I get the feel of some very mystical experience deep in some dark jungle by night. "Zero Kharma" got the same rather slow bpm, but the darkness and mystic-fell is gone. This is a track more built on veeeeryy gnarly and mindbending melodies. The use of the samples is quite the same as in the first track (the male-voice). Veeery druggy tracks, very nice for your more twisted chilly moments. Could propably be in use for some warm-up dj aswell, when the people just stan! ds and floats slowly with the music. Excellent release! Take care!

dieznyik: I´ve heard the original Pawn now .) and i AGREE!, it´s better, it feels like they have cut the melodie a bit to much in the remix. To bad it isn´t released as a track (just on a mix-cd) =/

Ticon - Electricity / Skunk Funk Artist: Ticon Title: Electricity / Skunk Funk Label: Digital Structures Date: 2001 Track listing: 01. Electricity 02. Skunk Funk Review: So, Ticon is back with a new release after their success album "Rewind". What I know is that they have been a very attractive act around the globe (espseiclly for the Germans?) and while also releasing music under their pseudonym "New Disco Science Alliance" I guess there hasn´t been much time over for the Ticons. But now they´re back and for all the Ticon-lovers out there, you woun´t be dissapointed! The A-side, "Electricity", is actually something new from Ticon. It has a lot of new ingredients that you aren´t used to hear from Ticon. Ofcourse it´s progressive and the "Ticon-kick" is there which has a big part in making this track a floor-filler, but you aren´t used to hear beautiful melodies that brings up sadness/emotions on you (atleast not for me) that you can find in this track. I got the feel as I get from some of the more atmospheric Logic Bomb stuff I´ve heard rescently. When I looked at the release notes on this one I read that it would be "new style Underworld l! ike floorfiller"!?! And yes, you can clearly hear what they mean, it´s the voice-samples . There is a looped sample added in big parts of the track that sounds exactly like taken from Underworld. Very fun to hear that Ticon is evolving, in a good way aswell. Ofcourse I think this Underworld sampling stuff woun´t be a ingredient in forthcoming releases, but it´s nice to hear some experimenting which makes the track quite unique. Give it some listens before judging it, atleast that´s what I needed to get into the track, hopefully it will grow on you to. Now it work like an uplifitng bomb for me, nice . "Skunk Funk" is more of a classic Ticon track. A very pumping progressive Ticon-track witch takes of quite dark and even a little bit scary with warped industriell effects. But as many Ticon-tracks it´s progresses towards a lighter and more atmospheric feel. A hard-hitting kick, a lot of effects and percussions and a beautiful atmospheric/sad melody is what you can expect from this track, nothing new or unique in anyway but still a very nice Ticon-styled track. I´m holding the A-side as the current favourite but I like both these tracks a lot, more then many other releases from Ticon that I´ve heard which makes this a great release for all lovers of the atmosphere of progressive trance.

Yes,, ok, I agree that there are some stuff, but if you look @ 90% of what is released, then it´s rhythm that rules, no doubt ! take care.

Trimatic - Kyoto / Slovant / Matter Of Grasp Artist: Trimatic Title: Kyoto / Slovant / Matter Of Grasp Label: Baluns Date: 2001 Track listing: 01. 09'48" Kyoto 02. 07'43" Slovant 03. 07'33" Matter Of Grasp Review: So, time to review the latest release from Trimatic which actually is a project by our dear Son Kites, and I can assure you, this is aswell top quality stuff! It takes of with "Kyoto", which starts with a heavy rhythm and crunchy vinyl-like effects and some easy bongo drumming. Ok, nice you think, sounds quite much like the other rhythmic stuff which is being released (Pope of Gegga and acts like that), but then it starts to build and you´re starting to see the light... a baseline joins the party, and ofcourse more percussions of all kind which is being layered upon each other comes in.... the energy starts to build... and suddenly the a new much more friendly baseline and it starting to get really sunny ... Tribal elements, some weird voice samples and a very nice looped sunny melodie comes in... and suddenly there is a break (a break = no kickdrum). Now, it really starts to take form, all the sunny elements is now heard and a wonderful sunny melody, very beutiful!... Th! e Sunny elements keeps coming in as all the other friendly layers which has been used in the tracks comes in,,, and then the journey starts to end (!?!). This track has so many different phases and turns that it really becomes a fantastic journey, there is ups and down, for some people maybe even lefts and rights ). Progressive tech-trance for the mornings which without doubt gets top grade from me, lovely! The second track ("Slovant") starts in the same way as the first one, but with a more repeating chugging /"dirty" baseline which follows us through the whole track. The ingredients in this track is a some really dirty percussions (which sometimes actually smash! you right in the face, but please let it hit, do not parry ), a veery psychedelic voice sample saying "psychedelic" fading in and out through almost the whole track and dark/warped/chewing effects which only the Son Kites can create. A very hypnotic dark tech/trance track, which will keep going around in you´re head even after you´re needle has left the record. If you have heard Son Kite´s "Good Town" (which I actually liked more then the "Where´s my drum" track on the same EP!) then you have something to compare with. They got the same hypnotic dark "forrest" feel but "Slovant" is a little bit slower, more technoish and the rhythm is heavier (=more technoish?). What can I say,,, Excellent!. "Matter of Grasp" is the night-time track on this EP. It takes of with a veery "chemical" blipping loop and chugging baseline. Ofcourse you can later in the track find the massive layers of percussions and also the warped effects is there. Percussive tech-trance for the night-times, that is the best description I can come up with. Not my fav here, but I can say that it´s top quality stop and you woun´t get dissapointed if you´re into this kind of night-time music. All in all, a top!! EP for me and definetly the best I´ve heard from the Baluns record label and for sure one of the best from the MPDQX label group aswell (including Digital Structures), give us more ). Take Care.

yes, I can agree on that opinion.. but I like it a lot, when I´m in that moood.. , anyway, glad you liked it a bit so I didn´t fool you completely then

Pope Of Gegga - First Go / Porn-Bass Zero Artist: Pope Of Gegga Title: First Go / Porn-Bass Zero Label: Baluns Date: 2001 Track listing: 01. 07'24" First Go 02. 10'05" Porn-Bass Zero Review: So, another release from Pope of Gegga for the MPDQX label group (consists of Baluns and Digital Structures), but the first one that I came over from this southern Sweden act. Both tracks consists, as usual when something comes out from Baluns, of heavy rhythms, a repetitive bass line and a loooot of repetitive percussions layered upon each other. All these ingredients really makes this music very hypnotic for some people. The first track feels a little bit more experimental because of the strange repeating sample and the swoooching and gnarling effects, while the second is more of a groovy tech-trance track with a housey feel. The second takes of very repetive with moaning effect but it transforms into a track with alooot of great beautiful atmosphere and it´s also faster then the first one which makes this one to a great morning track. Veeeery progressive in a good way, great production! This track is the stronger here which makes it to my favorite of these two, except when I really need that hypnotic, repetitive music (which actually happens now and then). So, even if I prefer some other artists that releases on for this label group (for the moment especially Son Kite´s side project Trimatic), I would say that all in all I got a nice impression from this first experience of Pope of Gegga. Anyway it´s really interesting when many different music buyers can like the same releases, so a lot of progressive trance-, tech/house heads can enjoy this at the same time, enjooooy.

Etnoscope - Das Fug / Referize Artist: Etnoscope Title: Das Fug / Referize Label: Digital Structures Date: 2001 Track listing: 01. 09'54" Das Fug 02. 07'24" Referize Review: So, a new realese from the southern parts of Sweden where artists like Ticon, Son Kite, Tegma and many more produces their work. I was thinking about the discussion that was in the forum a while ago: "what is most important, melodies or rhythm", and I´m quite sure that the guys behind digital structures/baluns would take the second alternative and this release isn´t any excpetion. These two tracks are two very driving tracks which is basically based around steady rhytm, a hard kick, a LOT of whirling synthetic percussions and a good portion of psychedelic noises. The first track is maybe a little bit more twisted and more driving, while the second feels a little bit more german/minimal with for example some roaring effects ála Intact Instinct. Both tracks builds up an energy in the same way that Son Kite does it, very dancefloor friendly! All in all a very nice debut on Digital Structures for this/these young swede/swedes and if you like the style of Son Kite or similiar art! ists this release is something for you. Quality progressive trance from Sweden, as usual .

This one was far over my excpectations... powerful and very psychedelic and very well produced!

TIP strikes again, this is the best full-on in a very long time.

Bad Lieutenant is such a masterpiece, as good as the older Atmos stuff!

Just downloaded a few tracks, and sorry, bu I have to agree to the above writers, this sucks big time. Don´t like anything about it.