DoktorG

What an interesting project. It makes apparent Posford's compositional genius as one rhythm/melody flows organically into another with consummate ease, just in case that was not already obvious. The deep woody sounds of clarinet, oboe, and cello also add to my appreciation of this wonderfully whacky track. At times I felt the conventional rock/dance drum kit was overused and that the beat could be implied rather than stated. I also felt that it stuck a little bit too closely to the original and a bit of extemporisation might have added something. Imagine hearing a full symphony orchestra playing this live. A worthy project - thanks for posting! ~*~

I guess as you guys are gamers, you know this: Anyway, this notion that limitations are always and necessarily a problem is disproved by music in the last 10+ years. Limitations can be enabling, can encourage creativity. Pushing against, or otherwise surmounting and subverting, a boundary is a significant part what artists do.

Dear Patient It is always gratifying when a patient is keen to take their medication; all too often a rarity in the world today. These mycological spores may not work immediately as understated non-invasive long term palliative care is their aim, but let us know what you think. Hope you're feeling better soon... Dok

Devolution and the Soft Organic Edge One problem with "cutting edge" as a phrase is that it suggests the trendy, the sharp, the new, the hip. But what if the new is ancient, organic, soft? To pick up on Wadax's comment about the "evolution" of jazz and how after the cul de sac of extreme tempos in bebop we got Kind of Blue, I feel that Goa reached a kind of dead end with hyperfast hi-tech machine gun psytrance with this as an early example (ag, no man, I just wanted an opportunity to post this fantastic cover art): For me, the "cutting edge" is in fact a blunt edge that goes back to the roots of Goa in slower and more organic music. I think it can be found in the slowed up, dark, and extremely psychoactive swampdelica of Battle of the Future Buddhas, Katedra, Proxeeus. This is the opposite of showy music for the festival (which will continue). It abandons humanity's magpie love for shiny stuff, manifesting Goa's original love for nature in a more organic music and sound for the darker era in which we now live: I doubt that this will much appeal as there is no rap, no trap, no dubstep, no hyperbole. It feels ancient rather than new, but for me this is a step forward in Goa. ~*~

"There are two kinds of fool in this world: one says 'this is old and therefore good', the other says 'this is new and therefore better'" John Brunner I find it hard to disagree with Anoebis' and Magus Knight's comments above which question the idea that the "cutting edge" is necessarily evolution and progress. I agree that many find uniform galloping horse rhythm and telephone line storytelling to be devolution. For others, the "low rez" sounds of analogue synthesisers are archaic and unevolved. Darwin's concept of evolution (or the more contemporary synthesis notion of evolution) does not contradict or discount entropy, the reality of disorder and decay. There are many twists, turns, dead-ends, accidents in evolution. Devolution is always a possibility. PS - I want to personally congratulate all the artists old and new, quite a few of them on the Suntrip label, who make other basslines than the galloping horse. PPS - I cannot resist making fun of contemporary "enhancement": cheap, shiny, plasticky tupperware is indeed everywhere in evidence today.

Astral Projection "Into the Void" - AWESOME! I completely love this beautiful track with its apt samples, clear and direct structure, subtle bubbling details, harmonic pads, and chill-inducing melody - all leading to a powerful emotional and psychedelic experience for the listener, whatever their state of mind. For me, this track feels like being sucked into the void on a tractor beam of inevitability, suggesting that the artists integrated form and content. The sense of inevitability can come from lack of innovation, but in this case it arises from a zen simplicity that is deeply elegant and sophisticated, hiding the patient craft of decades. Almost all great art has this feeling of inevitability about it. Hence I appreciate the fact that Astral Projection have not changed their style; this track could easily be from 95. Change is good, but so is continuity if you have a winning formula. We can call this generic, but these guys created the genre. We travel into the void in the hands of the masters... ~*~

Ok, thanks for the information. I'm not entirely convinced; I have 2 glow in the dark t-shirts from Suntrip and they were E15 each on cotton (probably not organic). But thanks anyway.

Thanks for the heads up, but 34 pounds is a bit on the steep side considering that band t-shirts in different genres typically go for 10-20 Euros. This is double, if not more, that kind of price. Is this the fashionista ideology of paying/suffering to be fashionable?

I've been a fan of E-Mantra since his awesome debut album "Arcana", which is still his best work. I've tended to prefer his up-tempo stuff to his chill out, mainly because it strikes me as more original, whereas some of the downtempo material has seemed a touch generic and predictable. At times the downtempo tracks seem like Goa played at 33 instead of the 45 it was pressed at, if you see what I mean. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, but it can seem slowed up as a result. Now he's back with "Drifting", a downtempo album released on vinyl as well as other formats. This is generally a chill album with a serene atmosphere and gentle melodies admirably captured by the marine cover art. It is quite different to the more complex and psychedelic downtempo of a Shpongle or an Androcell. One of the things I really like is the way this album builds from chill tracks towards more uptempo stuff towards the end - it is quite carefully structured. The latter more uptempo tracks seem a bit better than the slower early tracks, suggesting that E-Mantra is better at trance than chill. The melodies in the slow track "Returning Home", for instance, are on the predictable side. However, when things speed up a little towards the end, so does the quality and interest. The breakbeats on "Sea of Eternal Gloom" are noteworthy and a welcome refreshment in a genre dominated by 4/4; this track reminds me a lot of Electric Universe psybreaks songs. "Farewell Philae" is also a noteworthy track with gloomy bass synths. The final track "Depth of Nothingness" is probably my favourite: steady pulsing beat, sawing synths, sprinkles of dewdrops - lovely. Another thing is how good the album sounds on vinyl. When I listened to it online initially, sometimes it seemed just a bit too chintzy and smiley for me. I've gradually become jaded with bright, shiny, plasticky software sounds. However, listening on vinyl now, that feeling has dissipated and instead the scale of the sound creates compelling mystery. Well done to Ensancha El Alma for a good mastering job. In conclusion, you get exactly what is written on the tin with this album. If you want to drift, this is the record for you. "Drifting" at times seems to be E-Mantra on autopilot, but in the right mood is soothing - who in this world does not need more of that? If only Suntrip Records would release "Arcana" on vinyl. Anoebis, are you listening? ~*~

Ostap Hirnyak is a Ukrainian musician known as Katedra. His superbly original debut album is here: https://globalsect.bandcamp.com/album/katedra-we-are-not-alone Slava Ukraine!

Knocking some of the shibboleths of a movement off their pedestals is not only a sign of decadence, a movement in decay, but also an important stage in identifying the classics that stand the test of time. Hence I read the comments above with some iconoclastic delight and some recognition. I completely agree with the insightful posters above that these are, or were, over-rated: Astral Projection "Trust in Trance" (good album, make that very good, but not in the league of "Dancing Galaxy" and "Another World") Hallucinogen "The Lone Deranger" (amazing sparkling moments but just a bit too cocky about its whacky schtick, such as the Celtic knees-up in "Jiggle of the Sphinx") Man With No Name (some brilliant tracks and very good production but Goa-lite) Green Nuns of the Revolution (infectious at times, but comes across today as hastily thrown together) The Muses Rapt (the cheddar detector was malfunctional) Infected Mushroom (first two albums are excellent; after that...) So there we have it: the greatest hits of Goa trance are reduced to smouldering ruins by the critics. The question all this begs is what, then, has withstood the test of time? But I think that's for another topic.

Surely no-one is surprised that Infected's prices are, erm, high. I'm sorry to be cynical, but they've mostly been making cheesy and commercial music since album number 2 in my jaded view. Moreover, if this is not a remastering that is really a pity as the mastering on the original triple vinyl is far from special.

There's an argument to be made that great art has mortality awareness, which lifts it beyond the merely fashionable or topical. As Ezra Pound said: "literature is news that stays news". I like this collaboration:

I think that Aleah knew she was dying when she recorded Hour of the Nightingale. Thanks for unearthing this "Jewel Stanbridge" gem! "Jewel Stanbridge" and "Julia Liane Stanbridge" are the names that Discogs uses: https://www.discogs.com/release/66424-Various-Caribbean-Eclipse The one review at the bottom says it all: "Not a single bad track here in my opinion, but the stand out track is withouth doubt the Binah - Crescent Suns track. An almost 12 minutes beautiful journey, given us by two of the true masters in the scene, Simon Posford and George Barker. But the track wouldn't have been the same without the gorgious vocals by Jewel Stanbridge. Her voice in this track is absolutely stunning!" ~*~

Swampdelica I only discovered this record now; I don't know which mix I am listening to, but this is interesting and original music. This is Sloa Goa with a relatively slow, measured, unhurried pace. The rhythms tend to the industrial and have a grinding quality to them, which at times seems a bit linear and monotonous; I occasionally wanted more syncopation and percussive drama and different drum and cymbal sounds. However, the simple rhythm section avoids the plasticky psytrance sound completely (yay!) and does tend to create hypnosis in the listener. Moreover, the simple pounding drums and pulsating bass are well balanced by rotating and whirling Goa melodies full of reverb and echo, often quite quiet and subtle, and most of which do not build to climaxes. I need to listen again, but I don't recall any vocal samples. This is the opposite of extroverted full on psytrance with its plastic rhythm section and bold shiny leads. Further, the bass is heavy and the sound is quite soft and muddy, almost lo-fi. The overall effect is entrancing - sucking the listener into a deep, dark vortex of murky intrigue. So whilst all the ingredients are familiar, the way they are mixed together is unusual enough that a strange new dish is created: introspective industrial scifi Goa that reminds me a bit of Semsis and Menis in the Koyote days. For me, the primary impression this record creates is of a swamp. I'm calling it swampdelica. Original! Just goes to show that there's more to this genre than we often think; imagination is the main limitation. Really hoping to see more from this artist. ~*~ PS - beautiful cover art!!

Thanks Jikkenteki. I should have mentioned Prana, Joujouka, Bass Chakra, Kailash etc. Lots of Suzuki's work involved breaks and dynamic use of percussion. ~*~

O'er, is it really me to kick things off? Ok, my top albums 2021: Uptempo 1) Battle of the Future Buddhas Songs From a Forgotten Memory 2) Khetzal Etamines 3) Artifact 303 From the Stars 4) Moon Beasts On the Edge 5) Various Carpe Noctem Downtempo 1) Entheogenic Animism (listed here as a 2021 release, though I'm not sure about that as Discogs says 2020)

Edgar Allan Poe would have loved this, seeing as he once said that the most poetic image was that of a dead woman (easy to get your knickers in a twist over that egregious sexism...). Nevertheless, whilst this album is an obvious accompaniment to Poe's femicidal classics like "Ligeia" and "Eleonora", or Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott", or Tolkien's Arwen, it is more than that. An all time great album in any genre in my opinion, there's enough darkness and determination here to make the fragile gossamer beauty truly transcendent. She sang so sweetly before she died.

Hello All I always liked psybreaks and wrote a number of reviews on Discogs about it. Most of it was a short-lived, primarily UK-based, sub-genre around 97-98 and here are the most significant releases in my limited and biased opinion: Cwithe Illegal Somaton Future Memories Digitalis Third State All Boundaries are Illusion compilation on 21-3 records Deviant Electronics Brainwashing is Child's Play Tristan Space Sage (Process remix) Germinating Seeds of Doda Upside Din Metal Spark Corrosive In other words, look out for the work of Andy Guthrie, Seb Taylor, Ciaran Walsh, Tristan, Shorn Rah. I feel quite strongly about this movement because if Goa had followed more syncopation, it might not have ended up in the straitjacket of 4/4 and one note bass that too often characterises psytrance. ~*~

The prolific Mr Kirkwood... until he devoted himself to religion after 2009. I'm listening to Wired again; it strikes me that there's something bluesy about his compositions, almost melancholic. It is certainly well-knit in that all parts work together to create a feeling. Going back to the original topic of this thread, I guess you probably know this already, but if not here is some tribal black metal with industrial and trance elements:

Ah Vienna - city of music. I listen to opera, btw; not only a fan of new trendy music. One of the places I would love to live! Look, I'm no expert in dungeon synth as I've only been getting into it recently, but take a listen to a couple of minutes of this and tell me it doesn't sound a bit like Klaus Schulze or Brian Eno or Tangerine Dream or suchlike. I'm not sure that much of the genre sounds like this, but there seems to be a connection. Love the idea of unreleased stuff getting onto a vinyl. I will gladly support that if you do a digger's or crowdfunding or some other way to support; and of course I will buy at least one copy. In fact, if I was a millionaire and didn't have to work, one of the things I would really love to do is release the best of neo Goa on vinyl. Suntrip are starting to do this, but very slowly. I understand it is not easy as lots of young hippies don't get vinyl (vinyl is tricky to get right and lots of kids don't ever buy any music period). There's an unrelated story of Sven Vath being invited to Goa in 94 or 95, the early days, and arriving there to blow away the crowd, but being unable to play because it was 45 degrees in the shade and all his vinyls warped! I really don't know how true this story is, or even who told it to me, but it tickles me every time. I must listen to Magnetrixx again; haven't thought of him in ages. I have the cd of Wired and the Somnam and Wired Remixes vinyls, but don't know his music apart from that. He definitely has some talent for melody in my view.

I'm a vinyl fiend (analogue is my first love; I build my own tube amps) so in the absence of Goa on vinyl (I have almost all the first wave Goa I want on vinyl) I went over to the dark side . Yeah, I admit it, I buy metal on vinyl (though metal is weird; unlike Goa where I like a lot of it, I dislike most metal). But I completely hear you about limiting one's obsession and controlling the budget. I manage it not by limiting genre, but by limiting edition - I will only buy first edition lps, not reissues (very few remasters sound as good as first editions - there's a lot of technical reasons why, though they become questionable in the digital era). That's the way I dice it. Lots of other legit ways to do it... I'm super happy to see that some psychill and trance is making it to vinyl as part of the vinyl resurgence - oh dear, wallet damage... At the moment I'm trying to decide which Solar Fields I should get (only got the first one on vinyl so far and it is a good pressing and mastering job). Thanks for the Viking recommends - I know Skald and Finntroll, but will look into the others. At the moment I'm more into dungeon synth than folky vibes; I'm enjoying Old Sorcery presently. There's a zone where some early electronica (Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk) actually sounds quite similar to ambient techno and trance which resembles some dungeon synth - they are all keyboard-based music styles so the instrument starts to determine the music it seems. I've only been to Innsbruck and Vienna once - loved it I have to say. Seemingly a bit of a conservative country, but lovely people nevertheless and the mountains... I'm a mountain lover and walking in the Alps was just heavenly. Whereabouts are you located? I've never seen so much tobacco smoking in my whole life though - that amazed me. Speaking of which, I prefer other means of imbibing smoke than whisky, but I hear you. In a cold climate those Islay malts really warm up the bits that are chilly. I think Lagavulin is my favourite, but there's a Bunnahabhain 18 that's really good too. Have a nice day!

Triquetra's second album Human Control begs the question of human control, or lack thereof, with its title. Personally I think that the very notion is deluded hubris; humans have never been in control, even of their bodies, not to mention their "minds". Thank goodness! Leaving big philosophical questions aside, can Human Control get me out of control? The answer is a resounding YES! Firstly, I really like the cover and its almost military minimalism that is pleasingly unusual for the genre and suggests the Alien movie franchise. However, the packaging of this album really leaves something to be desired. The too tight cardboard scratched the second cd badly; looks like it was just stuffed in there. Luckily, it plays ok, but still. The paper inserts were also mangled. This is a careless production job with inadequate packaging. Secondly, I'm not sure how much Triquetra evolved beyond their acid-drenched first album. The limited sonic palette they tend to use starts showing on this album, even though their basslines are just fantastic and it seems that our brothers in music have put work into their melodies, which are often squiggly, tweaky, and hence alien in flavour. The live album is inevitably a little rough now and then, but has that spontaneous feel that is hard to describe. However, whilst the sound of Triquetra has not evolved and remains mostly quite simple acid Goa, this is a huge advantage. Ignoring the manic layerism, stop-start peakism, and 16th note bass of most contemporary Goa and psy, Triquetra go for an old school sound that is full of dust. This is authentic to how the parties were in Goa; you had to drive your motorbike through the night, stumble through the bush in the dark, following the sound of the beat, all you had to eat and drink for hours was a chai from the chai mama tending her coals by the side of the dancefloor, you get the idea. This is not the sound of manicured hipsters grooming their fashion statement outfit in clean hotel rooms as they check whether they booked for the vip area on their smartphones. It is the sound of nature and the desire to transcend. I fucking love it! If you are a fan it is a lot of Triquetra music for you to enjoy. These dudes learnt much from the dusty, dog-eared tome of ancient, crusty Goa trance, and by staying true to the basic ingredients and spirit of this music, they've made 2 good albums now. This second one does feel a bit like they were treading water, but it is still a shining light of authenticity in the scene. ~*~

The Moon Beasts are Alexandre Cohen (that's Ephedra) and Jerome Lesterps (a.k.a Proxeeus). The name is goth cheese (presuming "moon beasts" are werewolf type creatures), the cover is unexceptional (though the colour combination is appealing), the music seems pretty straightforward Goa... Not much good then? Well, Moon Beasts pull a rabbit out of the moon with some innovative melodies and a good melodic sensibility, make that a crazy good melodic sensibility. On some of the tracks, they take the usual whirling Goa melodies and blow them up. They cram extra melodies in, they pitchbend, they use clashing keys, they warp and twist them in some way. One way or another, or several all at once, Moon Beasts are going to have fun with those melodies. There are a number of examples throughout the record, but take the maddening mosquito melody at 7.44 in "Sleeplessness" for instance - that is some skull penetrating, irritation arousing, skin piercing nasty sound to make a melody with, but Moon Beasts do it. Sleepless indeed. The vaporous ethereal melody in "Separate Species" seems breathily beautiful, until the 303 kicks in at the end and turns the track so intense it is almost ugly. The beasts are not a separate species; we are the beasts. The haunting three note melody that is the lead of "Demon Star" (wonderfully Lovecraftian name for a track) is worthy of any of the classics of Goa trance from the 90s. Weaknesses? Well, one might say that Moon Beasts pay so much attention to the melodies that they tend to ignore the rhythms a bit and they might have put more work into varied drum and bass patterns, but this is not a glaring weakness in the album. Tired of no melodies or the same old melodies? If you fancy the idea of some lunatic reanimation of Goa melodies then take a peek round into the dark side of the moon and go and join the Beasts. This crazy melodic sensibility seems set to blow up on their upcoming album. There's a preview track "Real Externality" that demonstrates a particularly intense messing with melody. It is also available as a white vinyl preorder here: https://moonbeasts.bandcamp.com/album/unexpected-turn-of-events Neo-Goa on white vinyl? Hell yeah - support the artists! ~*~

Yes, I've been buying from Steinklang and Napalm records for many years as I listen to a bit of industrial and atmo black metal/dungeon synth (Summoning, that kind of thing), amongst many other genres. Nytt Land's Ritual is readily available in all formats; quite big soft bass on this album, but a good recording nevertheless. There are still vinyl copies of previous album Cvlt available from https://www.kontaktaudio.com/ if you are into vinyl. I'm listening to it right now and the sound is good. Very difficult to find this vinyl elsewhere. PS - I don't mind the odd wee dram myself; more of a sherry bomb lover than an Island lad - it is a bit warm here for maritime malt. PPS - I suppose Muslimgauze must be one of the oldest industrial tribal/tribal industrial outfits.