Jump to content

DoktorG

Members
  • Posts

    160
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    30

Everything posted by DoktorG

  1. I can't help but comment on the cover art. A cartoon banger on chitty bang bang? What looks like a giant sausage is tied to the roof of a VW Beetle. And then a gaggle of aliens and freaks watching some Victorian gentleman wrapped in a saddhu's cloak presenting a chalkboard lecture next to a supposedly Hindu temple on "No karma, just physics"? But physics is karma; Newton's third law "action and reaction are equal and opposite" is as concise a statement of the law of karma as any. I thought hey maybe I'm being uncharitable so I took a brief listen to the first track - I'm afraid I didn't last more than about 15 seconds. Wtf that is some hilarious cover art and it seems the contents are equally dire🤣
  2. Psychoid "Manic Organic" Koyote Records 2000
  3. I listened to Codex last night on vinyl - I love this album and it is the one closest to the first, as I said. Brian Eno? The golden era for this artist is 1978 to 1984. Anything from then is great. My personal favourites include "Ambient 1: Music for Airports", "Ambient 4: On Land", "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts", "Fourth World: Possible Musics", "Apollo" and "Pearl". However, he's been having an Indian summer of sorts in more recent years, and some of these releases like "The Equatorial Stars", "Small Craft on a Milk Sea", "The Ship", and "Foreverandevernomore" are good too. I highly recommend O Yuki Conjugate, especially Equator. Have fun listening...
  4. All good; I will listen to Flux again. As you say it is a departure and I wouldn't really compare it to Shpongle in that it is mostly a fully ambient album - I just thought it was quite limp compared to Klaus Schulze, or Tangerine Dream, or Brian Eno, or Lustmord, or O Yuki Conjugate, or other ambient greats. All the Shpongle albums are excellent and Nothing Lasts might be the most obviously psychedelic of them all. I liked Codex VI because it is dubby and a bit darker and reminds me of Are you Shpongled?, which is still my favourite and the one I listen to most. I've also listened a lot to Ineffable Mysteries; I'm not sure why.
  5. Thanks for alerting us to this. Lots of brief, flippant answers in this interview. Simon is a proper humble human, so of course he's hypercritical of his own work. Also, he has genuinely moved on from the Hallucinogen days so it is faintly embarrassing juvenilia for him. Ironically, however, for me "Flux and Contemplation" is by far his weakest work yet. I couldn't even bring myself to buy it, and I was really keen to do so until I heard it. Similarly, Underworld's "Second Toughest in the Infants" and Leftfield's "Leftism" and "Rhythm & Stealth" are classics, but since then...
  6. Thanks for those replies. "Vinyl-only" would be more grammatically correct to indicate tracks released only on vinyl before, but hey the Twisted copywriter might not be either the most grammatical or the most correct writer ever 😉 It seems we will just have to wait and see in the absence of more specific information. Everyone seems to have loved the album remasters, so hopefully this will be just as good. Now could we please have a vinyl release of "In Dub" and "In Dub (Live)"! ~*~
  7. The press release for the Hallucinogen singles box set states: "You won’t want to miss this phenomenal collectors’ edition, which will include the only vinyl pressings of some obscure Hallucinogen masterpieces alongside familiar favourites, all beautifully remastered and in gorgeous sound on 180g vinyl!". I'm curious as to exactly what tracks never before released on vinyl it will contain - does anyone know? ~*~
  8. Back cover of 3xlp Transdimensional signed by Nik Wenham and Kerry Palmer.
  9. If you listen to Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles, then those vibes are clear in the intensity, the loong progressions, and spacey elements in Transdimensional. Goa didn't come from nowhere... I also love Second Phaze by the way, not to mention RA, but these have less of those prog/space rock aspects.
  10. Loving the home made "decor" - reminds me of the diy parties we threw... I'm just wondering what track had guitar on it? Perhaps it was just played live? This is not an entirely arbitrary question - D5 had their roots in psychedelic space rock (think Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles etc that morphed into Planet Dog and the crusty festival tradition in the UK). This is perhaps especially apparent on the brilliant and highly desirable 12"s that came out on Intastella Records around the time of Transdimensional. If you listen to tracks like "Transfix" and "Trans Xpress" this space rock and prog rock influence is clear, though it is there in the epic aspect of all their tracks. ~*~
  11. Ok, thanks so much for clarifying. However, I don't see the point in going for this ultra-expensive option, particularly if "the sound quality does not differ from pressed vinyl". One thing is for sure, I won't be paying E185 for any 2 x lp of any sort.
  12. Lathe cuts are typically into polycarbonate rather than vinyl, and usually cost in the region of 30 Euros for a double-sided 12" disc.
  13. Ok, but then why exactly is it so expensive? 185 Euros on the Bandcamp page.
  14. Yes, the next two Xenomorph albums or tracks could be titled: "The Dunbar Number Theory" "The Cult of Alienation" 😅
  15. Suntrip Classix Vol. 2 - Mars 2023 Battle Of The Future Buddhas – Into Heaven 8:45 MFG – Pure Energy 9:23 Denshi-Danshi – Mariposa (Live Remix) 7:56 Morphic Resonance – Psychedelic Hell 8:13 Radical Distortion – The Dreamer 7:34 Khetzal – Gather Your Herds 9:12 Nebula Meltdown – Alnitak Sunrise 7:29 Asura Vs. Aes Dana – Elie 9:58 Super compilation from Suntrip, the second in their Suntrip Classix series. I can sum up my feelings on this one by saying what a bliss it is to have Battle of the Future Buddhas on vinyl, but plenty of other great tracks too. I feel that this compilation is better than Vol 1, mainly because the tracks are all corkers, but also because it is quite carefully curated and has flow. Battle of the Future Buddhas "Into Heaven" - What can I say, Songs From a Forgotten Memory is a titanic release and the best album of 2021 for me, so this is just a beautiful track that sounds incredible on vinyl. Please Suntrip release the whole album on vinyl. A+++ MFG "Pure Energy" - I'm also a big fan of MFG and rate The Prophecy as one of the greatest Goa albums. Happily "Pure Energy" does not disappoint. Once it gets going after a dreamy intro that modulates between the pretty and the eerie, this track has a slapping rhythm section and bubbling synths leading to the main 303 melody that rips along with, you got it, pure energy. This is quite a blissful track very much in the Israeli tradition. A Denshi-Danshi "Mariposa (Live Remix)" - That Denshi-Danshi's "Mariposa" is probably the weakest track on the album shows just what a quality compilation this is. A swirly track with a memorable pixie-like main melody, I have nothing critical to say about it. A Morphic Resonance "Psychedelic Hell" - What a storming track. Now we see that the 3 openers, excellent as they were, were just an extended bubbling build up and we reach boiling point with Morphic Resonance's heavy duty stomper. This track comes from City of Moons, still Morphic's best album in my view, and takes no prisoners - there's a relentless, pummelling, punishing heavy metal quality to this track that whilst dark in a sci-fi way bursts with energy and confidence. Great track. A+ Radical Distortion "The Dreamer" - The segue between "Psychedelic Hell" and "The Dreamer" is perfect, both tracks are in a similar tempo so djs can very easily mix the two together. I love the slight waver on the lead 303 melody - o'er am I getting the psychedelic shivers? A Khetzal "Gather Your Herds" - We come down from the peak of the Morphic Resonance and Radical Distortion tracks to the blissed out Khetzal track. This track features one of those melodies that once it gets lodged in your head won't get out - a joyous ear-worm melody that reminds me of the happily naive days of Platipus Records. Luckily this bliss is balanced by the fact that this track is quite long and unfolds in an epic, almost stately, fashion, or else it might have been a nursery rhyme. A Nebula Meltdown "Alnitak Sunrise" - The revelation of the compilation for me as I hadn't heard it before. What a flipping great track this is. The production values are superb and it sounds just glorious on my system on vinyl - an audiophile experience. Featuring a slapping beat and gated choirs, this is a very old school track that also reminds me of Platipus Records. A+ Asura vs Aes Dana "Elie" - The comedown is this beautiful track with Indian chanting and an epic quality. Classic track. A+ Not a single track that I don't rate at least A - impressive. Just as impressive is how carefully curated this VA album is, slowly building towards a peak and then slooowly coming down from that peak into relaxation. If you want a party at home, you can do a lot worse than just putting this compilation on. It is also noteworthy how old school this compilation is - it even has Platipus Records style vibes towards the end and it doesn't get more old school or more childishly happy than that! Good job Suntrip Records! ~*~
  16. You make an excellent point about the power of the herd mind Kriestof. I too have experienced a disappointing level of fashion bitchiness at trance parties - leaving aside appearance, one I remember so clearly had everyone marching like zombies staring at the "superstar" djs and if you didn't "dance" in the same way people would look nastily at you. To be fair, plenty of other parties have been happily wilder and freer. I have my own theories about this, but if you are interested check out "Dunbar's number", which is fascinating scientific research into the human brain and herd mentality.
  17. Great news that there is a new album on the way; if it is anything like this ep it is going to be good. As you point out Kriestof, the three albums he has done are differently themed: Cassandra's Nightmare is cinematic horror, I would describe Qlippoth as spirit possession, and Demogoguery of the Obscurants is the conspiracy theory album. What is constant is not only the creepy gothic darkness, not only Xenomorph's ability to conjure clear feelings and images in the imagination, but also the strong minor key melodies (perhaps it might be true that "the devil has the best tunes"?). Even if you don't like darkpsy, like the one commentator on the first album who described it as "painful to listen to", it still has its place in the darkest hour before the dawn in the all-night trance dance ritual. ~*~
  18. Xenomorph Negative Time 2023 Suntrip Records Negative Time 8:20 Danger On The High Seas 8:27 Lost In An Old Junkyard (Tow Hook Mix) 8:08 First up a complaint - I wish Suntrip would use vinyl mailers with corner protection and a STRONG box - this is the third order that has arrived with battered corners. Still, the vinyl plays with rich, warm, powerful bass from Tim Schuldt's mastering for 45rpm. Mark Petrick is Xenomorph, the first horror trance or darkpsy act. I wonder who had the guts to play out Cassandra's Nightmare (Koyote Records, 1998) in the late 90s? Oh boy, there may well have been some E'd up or acidified hands-in-the-air ravers chundering in the loos if someone put on any of the tracks from this album or the 12" that accompanied it. Sure, there were also UX, Orichalcum and the Deviant, Cydonia, and Planet Ben back then, but they didn't go for the jugular in the gothic fashion of Xenomorph. Influenced by metal, industrial, darkwave, classical, film, he was a unique artist and that is invariably inspiring. How many artists have the distinction of inaugurating a whole genre? "Negative Time" features midrange 303 fluttering and weaving, and then a simple 5 note melody towards the end. Nice subtle track and quite mellow for Xenomorph, verging on progressive. It reminds me of a lesser-known track called "Inner Spirits", a once off collaboration between Mark Petrick and Dominic Sangeet (not to be confused with DJ Sangeet) on Organic Records in 1998. Both tracks are quite chilled, but have an epic quality from spiralling melodies that culminate in an uplifting explosion towards the end. Petrick can easily do Goa bliss, though he is not at his most original doing so. "Danger on the High Seas" is darker, featuring a chewy bassline, and reminds me of Xenomorph's brief incarnation as the Brighton Trash Department, which was a short-lived collaboration with Dara Lee of Koyote Records. Brighton Trash Department did one 12" in 1998, featuring the awesome track "Costa del Goa" which is a dark sea shanty featuring a wonderful spoken word sample. "Costa del Goa" summons a spectral shipwreck through swirling mist and features clanky, twinkling sounds building to a massive minor key melody. "Danger on the High Seas" is nearly as atmospheric, which is saying something. It achieves this by similar salty sea dog samples, but also by carefully chosen sinister synth sprinkles. As "Costa del Goa" has it: "this is some spooky shit we got here". "Lost In An Old Junkyard (Tow Hook Mix)" is my favourite track on the ep. This track has such a great industrial rhythm section with the metallic percussion and foursquare beats that Xenomorph is well known for. Then sulky bass moog creeps in stealthily. Then the eerie treble melody rains from an empty sky. Then comes the haunting ghostly acid. Moody voodoo from the master. So there we have it: another devastatingly great dark Goa trance production by the ever-reliable Xenomorph. It is a wonder that Mark Petrick continues to make great tracks that barely glance at fashion ("fashion is something so hideous that we need to change it every six months" Oscar Wilde). He just continues in the forever-now of timeless trance. For me, this is apparent not only in the notion of "negative time", but also in the uncompromisingly uncanny Xenomorph sound - any of these tracks could have been on Xenomorph's first album. Don't you go changing now Mark, y'hear. ~*~ PS - I would be keen to hear about people's favourite Xenomorph tracks. I would include the aforementioned "Costa del Goa", "Antimatter", and "Dying Sun", but my favourite may be "Malkuth Temple" (not that I've ever heard a less than very good Xenomorph track).
  19. His music will live on, echoing in the 5th dimension... 🙏
  20. Here's what I enjoyed of 2023, ignoring all distinctions between singles, eps, albums, compilations etc and not sticking to the format. Some merit. ~*~ 1. Prana Sense of Unity Matsuri 2. Xenomorph Negative Time Suntrip 3. Triquetra Access Denied Suntrip 4. Vaporized Human Odyssey Digital Reprints 5. VA Suntrip Classix Vol 2 - Mars Suntrip 6. Morphic Resonance Extrasensory Perception Suntrip 7. Proxeeus Weep From Within Goa Madness 8. Fractal Glider ZactoGlider DAT Universe 9. Artifact 303 A Trip Down Memory Lane Global Sect 10. MFG MFG World MFG Music 11. Alienapia & ShivaOm FOA Global Sect 12. Ovnimoon & Atlantis La Esperanza Ovnimoon Records
  21. Please would you delete all the links to pirate sites with free downloads that you have posted. I'm sure the artists would appreciate that. Thanks very much. We look forward to your detailed reviews, especially of things which you think are really good and recommend that all should listen to.
  22. Completely agree Tsotsi. I clicked on the link and was appalled to see the new Xenomorph ep, for just one example, for free download on this Russian site - I ordered the vinyl of this ep from Suntrip records directly and it hasn't even arrived in the post yet. A free flac download is a slap in the face to me, let alone Mark Petrick and Suntrip Records, and suggests disrespect.
  23. Darn, I was hoping I could safely ignore another absurdly over-priced galloping horse or machine gun clone. Unfortunately, however, I'm just going to have to shell out, because this sounds great! Classic Prana percussive sensibilities are to the fore, not to mention blistering acid and atmospheric ambience/samples. ~*~ PS - it is highly unlikely to be 3 lps based on the 7 tracks on 4 sides that are the preview tracks.
  24. Thanks for your comments Draeke; it is good to get a production perspective. I personally find the trifold for 3 vinyls a real pain to use - you have to lay the whole cover out flat to get the middle record out and put it back - a palaver. It may be even more expensive, depending how it is made, but in my opinion and experience the box set is best for 3 vinyls or more. Very easy and convenient to use and looks great. If the box is too flimsy, then you are back to problems and a sturdy box may cost of course. Another option, utilised by quite a few record labels like Matsuri who squeezed the 4 vinyls of Prana's Geomantik in one, is the super depth single sleeve. This probably requires just the right stiffness of cardboard and the right dimensions to be useable, but it can work. If done properly, this is a better solution for 3 lps than the gatefold or trifold I think. Just my 2c from a user's perspective. PS - the mastering on this Blue Planet Corporation release is better to my ears than the mastering jobs on previous Dat Records vinyls.
×
×
  • Create New...