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antic604

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Posts posted by antic604

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    People are all very busy, lots of time spent on social networks, psynews comes on top...

    Reviewing times may be over.

    Look at what they do on IMBD which is an old platform : just a mark / 10

    Look at what they do on RottenTomatoes which is a more recent platfom: good/bad + 3 lines of review.

     

    Maybe that's what we should do. And integrate in in facebook or soemthing.

     

    Yeah, which is what I proposed on previous page - what do the admins / mods think of that? Can adding a poll be somehow automated? What do you think about the rating scale I used / proposed?

     

    https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/71868-va-acid-disco-zion-604/

    https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/71846-jbc-arkadii-white-tigers-empire-hado-records/

    https://www.psynews.org/forums/topic/71839-globular-holobiont/

    Nitzhogoa? Where do u draw the line?

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    Heh, this is going to get even weirder if this Balkan / Slavic sound popularized by Lunar Dawn, Goasia, etc. catches up. For people from Western Europe, Scandinavia, Americas or Asia they probably sound 'exotic', for me it just sounds like folk music from my region, or - sometimes - a medieval minstrel song. Which is not bad - quite awesome, actually! - but there's very thin line between this being enjoyable and cheese, aka the Nitzhonot territory.

     

    In the end, does it really matter to "draw the line"? For me it's usually not that I dislike certain type or style of music on a principal basis, just specific releases or artists that get on my nerve. In this time & age you can usually listen to stuff before buying, so I try not to bother myself with setting artificial boundaries here or anywhere else.

    • Like 2

    VA - Acid Disco (Zion 604)

    in 2016

    Posted

    R-8192941-1457259617-9160.jpeg.jpg

     

    Track list:

     

    1. The Square - We Dream Of Wires

    2. Skizologic - Chase Your Mind

    3. ON3 - Basic

    4. Space Cat - Kreak Remake (Zion 2016)

    5. ON3 & Skizologic - The Cure

    6. Libra - Reality

    7. 2minds - Pic & Roll

    8. Union Jack - Papillon (LOUD Vs Domestic Remix)

    9. The Square - No Limitations

     

    Review:

     

    After a string of retrospective releases Zion604 started recently putting out contemporary music, promoting their in-house artists like Skizologic, The Square, ON3 or 2minds.

     

    Acid Disco is - as the title implies - heavily acid-driven compilation, mixing their own artists with some of the old-school heavy weights (Space Cat, Union Jack). Contrary to my expectations, it's not really heavy, dark and/or hard-hitting assault on senses. For most of the time it operates in mid-tempos (usually below 140BPM), with as much of emphasis on spaces between the sounds than at the sounds themselves - the music rarely gets very dense and the acid-lines tend to be smoother, less distorted/screamy, to certain extent it's like a progressive trance equivalent to night-time acidic goa. As a result, this is more funky-acidic, than crazy-acidic and because of that can get quite trancey or hypnotic at times. Only two things I didn't like is some tunes venturing into 3/4 time-signature which simply doesn't work for me and the fact, that a lot of it sounds the same just like Nano Rec., Bom Shanka Rec. or Suntrip Rec. artists tend to operate within pretty narrow "sonic palette". If someone told me this was an artist album, I'd believe them. Still, there's nothing wrong there - it's a very solid compilation and that sound (think last year's awesome Skizologic "Robotized") is still fresh and largely unique.

     

    While not on par with Zion604's earlier releases, it's worth checking out even more so if you are collecting physical releases - the digipak is just gorgeous!

     

    3/5

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    But why do you need reviews when you can actually listen to whole album before you buy it? Eh?

    I don't have the time to listen to everything that's out there, for example. Also following favourite reviewers allows me to find music I'd never thought of checking out. Lastly, for me it's always interesting to see how others perceive music, which elements resonate with them, what is important and what works.

    • Like 1

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    Wasn't this site made to replace the old "trip" website ?

     

    I'm here since Feb 2000, so I'd say no. Children - the original creator of goatrance.fr - was posting a lot of his reviews on trip (in his unforgettable style "Track #... is a bad track, Track #... is a good track" :)) and was encouraging users there to check his new forum. For some time they were both active I think, so I don't think it was meant as a replacement - just a complementary source, like isratrance.com (RIP)

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    A lot of valid responses there!

     

    How about we try something else and allow for reviews in a form of poll, with standardized voting ranks? This way 1st reviewer would only have to post the cover, tracklist & some links then copy / paste the poll options from review guidelines (or maybe there's a way to automate it?) and then anyone would be able to cast their vote, leaving - or not - a short comment?

     

    I've updated the Globular "Holobiont" and JBC Arkadii "White Tiger's Empire" reviews like that, because due to number of replies & feedback I can't figure out what's the consensus there... ;):D

    • Like 2

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    Not really thought of that before but that makes a lot of sense. I still think it would be good to open up the review section for more discussion though.

     

    Sure, that wouldn't hurt. I wonder how many 'active' members we have (as in visiting the forum say daily) and what percentage of them actually post reviews? I mean everyone is entitled to express their opinion, it doesn't have to be technical or from the position of great experience & knowledge - just how it makes you feel, etc.

     

    I guess biggest issue is people don't know about this site, but also my fear is they don't care for this form of providing feedback anymore... :(

     

    Again I feel like the first post requirements are not that much at all, so I don't think that is it.

     

    Personally I've got no time anymore. Back when I made reviews I had plenty of time to do that.

     

    Yeah, lack of time is a constraint. My approach - and I'm only trying it recently - is to have an open text editor somewhere in the background while doing something else (e.g. working) and then just putting a short sentence or even few words, when something strikes me with the music I listen. Like that I have a skeleton or framework for the review, which can be quickly fleshed out and completed.

     

    :D:lol: ya I kind of realised that.

     

    If you want to review it, please go ahead. Dont bother about the fanatics. Its your review, you write what you've experienced. :)

     

    I'll think about it. But I need to listen to that 3rd CD first (which has that clipping track, hence I avoided it so far...)

    BlackStarrFinale

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    @Luis,

     

    Any chance for old - or new - album being physically released by Neogoa or other label? "A New Name" was a standout tune on V/A "Epoch of The Terrans" for me and I'd gladly spend money on full album! :wub:

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    Even IFO hasn't been reviewed yet. People were dying to hear that one.

     

    Can you imagine what would happen if someone dared to criticize something about it? They'd be torn to shreds... And I personally have few issues with it, so I better shut up before I feel the urge to leave psynews.org again... ;):D

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    I think what happened was that some years ago we tried to make the reviews more just reviews and didn't allow discussion that wasn't directly reviewing the music (comments on the review, asking for recommendations for similar music etc) and this kind of killed the review section.

     

    Honestly, I don't think this did it.

     

    I think it has more to do with the general shift of how people consume music - if years back you could only buy music via Psyshop / Beatspace / SaikoSounds the only way to share your thoughts about it was a dedicated forum, e.g. psynews.org, psymusic.co.uk, isratrance.com, etc. Nowadays, a lot of people don't buy the music at all limiting themselves to "free" sources like Youtube, SoundCloud, numerous netlabels (Neogoa, Ektoplazm), etc. or buy it digitally via paid streaming services like Spotify, Google Music, iTunes, Bandcamp, etc. They also follow the artists directly via Facebook, Twitter and the like. It's natural then, that if they want to provide feedback they'll do it then and there - in comments sections, via on-site voting systems, etc. Which isn't bad, but encourages very short, emotional reactions rather than in-depth and though out reviews. And it's scattered all over the web, instead of being concentrated in one (or just few) places. I think this killed the review / discussion sites I mentioned, not strict moderation.

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    Well, even that is changing, Toi Doi is not even reviewed after a month... Everyone was begging for more psychedelic, more crazy goa, and once it is there... it is forgotten like that...

    Heh, that's because I've not bought it yet - waiting for Morphic Resonance to order both ;):D

    Music reviews

    in General Psytrance

    Posted

    Agree. What really discourages me personally - and I'm not as active as I was years back... - is that even if there is a review posted, usually there's not much discussion unless it's a Suntrip, Neogoa or DAT release that get proper attention.

     

    I feel that people left here are basically just fans of those 3 labels - nothing wrong with it, but sure as hell it doesn't help.

     

    Indeed, where's everybody else - the darkpsy people? full-on people? prog people? dub/chill people? Isratrance and psymusic.co.uk, psytrance.pl, discogs' goa/psy group are basically dead... Is everything now happening on Facebook or Reddit? Or - God forbid - on comments section in Youtube videos? ;):D

     

    I'm too old-school for those new, fancy means of communication :unsure:

    • Like 1

    JBC Arkadii - White Tiger's Empire (Hado Records)

    in 2016

    Posted

    Re: White tiger. Arcadii is from Ussuriisk, a city in the Russian region which is often referred to as a home of Siberian tigers (they are called "Ussuriisk tigers" in Russian). Maybe the tiger reference comes from here (however White tiger is a breed of Bengalian tiger, not Siberian tiger).

     

    Wasn't aware of that, thanks! :)

    Re: the album. Sounds like someone is trying to make "the most goaish goa in the world". Well produced (however to my ears these acid lines are too ear-piercing sometimes) and has all the right elements but for me it seems a bit too predictable and formulaic. On the other hand, I think most "true to fom goa" fans will feel right at home with this album

     

    I'd have to disagree here... The albums is far from formulaic goa (that is Suntrip's territory, no offence...) and it follows the recently observed trend of including folk-influenced Balkan / Slavic / Turkish / Arabic melodies, popularized by Lunar Dawn, Goasia, etc. Being Polish I find it a welcome departure from phrygian (Indian / middle-eastern) scales so prevalent in classic goa.

    • Like 2
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