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Artist: Unusual Cosmic Process Title: Aquatic Label: Uxmal Records Date: June, 2014 1. Under the Water 2. Transformation 3. Cosmic Blue (Phase 1) 4. Sanctuary 5. Aquatic 6. Whales 7. Cosmic Blue (Phase II) 8. Tardigrate Take a deep dive and submerse yourself into this aquatic wonderland and you shan't be disappointed. Unusual Cosmic Process is the project of Ukrainian Armen Akopov and I've heard a couple of his releases previously. Unfamiliar with this artist? Check out his track Legend on the Neogoa release Turlitava from 2011. If varied psychill is your thing this one hits all the right notes. The tracks are lush and fully packed with a very dynamic sound. Those sounds echo off each other as if leagues beneath the sea in tracks like Cosmic Blue (Phase I) which transitions from a smooth ambient to a bouncy breakbeat. And those transitions recur frequently in a track like Whales where he combines a whole bunch of styles it can't even really be put into a box. The second part of Cosmic Blue is one of my favorites with it's progressive march. He weaves real instruments with electronica and effects to give the album a floaty yet organic feel. Hell, at times this reminded me of a Jan Hammer production minus the cheese. The tracks are long for maximum immersion and I think he shines when he focuses more on the ambient production. The breakbeat stuff is really good too, but with the length of the tracks being what they are it tends to sound a little generic. Still all in all this was a great release from a great musician. Psyshop

Artist: Zonka Title: Remixes Part II Label: Uxmal Records Date: April, 2011 1. Sideform - Deeper Unity (Zonka Remix) 2. Sideform - Low Rider (Zonka Remix) Someone asked me to throw some bones towards the progressive crowd so here goes. Zonka is the co-founder of Mexican label Uxmal Records and while their progressive isn't on the same level as Iono Music or Tesseract's they do have some great tracks. The first EP of remixes is a perfect example of that. Which leads me to believe that Mr. Zonka should make more music. Or at least produce a few more remixes. He takes two Sideform tracks (neither of which I've heard) and it's magic. This is bubbly and dreamy melodic progressive. Replete with effects to just plunge you into the moment. Groovy and right in my strike zone with zero wasted space. Recommended for a quick progressive shot in the arm. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Suduaya Title: Come Back To Life Label: Uxmal Records Date: March, 2012 1. Snow and Stars 2. Cellular Memory 3. Patience 4. Amethyste (feat Sati Bodisattva) 5. Eternal Angels Uxmal is a Mexican label that has been quite prolific, seemingly releasing an album or EP every week. Their progressive trance has never wowed me, but their downtempo efforts are usually quite solid. Suduaya is Louis David Roquefere from France and here he mixes mournful electric guitar and slow beats with lush pads. It's like viewing a panorama from an exposed mountaintop. Emotional. Thought provoking. Uplifting. Having been atop many a mountain you would think this would appeal to me. And it does. At times it's cold, but always clean. The vocal in Amethyste has a Fifth Element quality about it mixed with anime. I liked the ep and thought it was good. Not great, but good. Psyshop Beatport Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Progressive Request Label: Uxmal Records Date: August, 2011 1. First Days ABSTRACT SUNRISE 2. Kailash SUDUAYA 3. Remix Yourself BADBUG 4. From Human Blood CYKLONES 5. Ipanema NATURAL NOTES 6. New Mysteries MEANDER AND RIDDEN 7. Super Heroes SENSIFEEL 8. Orion Smoke SUBSISTENCE 9. Levitator STRATIL "Some individuals it's true are more special...this is natural selection." Very true. The cream rises to the top and that also holds true with music and the labels that release it. While Iono and TesseracT occupy the penthouse of progressive music, Uxmal is fighting with the balding security guard in the lobby. Nothing personal of course, but as of yet none of their releases have set my hair on fire. Well welcome to the east side cause you're movin' on up! Kinda. At least your rental application has been received. This label from Mexico has discovered the winning formula with drifting melodies and smooth atmosphere. The tracks are soft and comfortable perfectly content to act like warm blanket fresh from the dryer. Best track? The Suduaya effort is delicious. Now, this is not to say they are ready for the big time. In the past I found that a lot of tracks on Uxmal compilations droned on without much evolution. They'd find a melody and groove and ride it out to a mostly boring conclusion. From Human Blood is a let down while Super Heroes is signigicantly less super. So there are a few tracks that see the label slipping into old and unfortunately comfortable habits. Because of that I can't recommend this as there is better progressive out there. But at least they're trying right? Progressive Request? Ok, I request you make better progressive. Psyshop Goa Store Mdk

Artist: Naes Title: Behind The Shadows Label: Uxmal Records Date: 14-04-2012 Style: Progressive Trance Tracklist: 1. Behind The Shadows (06:33) 2. Flowers (06:58) I discovered this EP a view months ago while going through some music that was just released at the time. Actually I didn't really know what to expect, other than that the cover of this album gave me a clean and smooth feeling. As soon as I started to play the music, I fell in love with it straight away. The first track 'Behind The Shadows', is a clear progressive bouncer with a lot of psychedelic background effects and echoes from time to time. The style of Naes (Copenhagen, Denmark) is not everyday progressive, it could be described as deep progressive psychedelic trance and the track 'Flowers' is no different. The depth of the songs somehow reminds me of the older deep Scandinavian trance, but much faster with pumping baselines and newer background effects. Still the emotional trip the listener can go through during the song maintains the same. These tracks are dance-floor killers, I'm sure of it. They are lively, keep bouncing but at the same time give you the opportunity to think over your thoughts while dreaming off to whichever positive place you can think of. It's totally worth buying! Links: http://www.beatport....-shadows/881201 http://www.psyshop.c.../uxm1dw063.html http://www.uxmalrecords.com/ http://soundcloud.com/naesuniverse http://www.facebook.com/NaesUniverse1

Artist: Various Title: Encoder Operations Label: Uxmal Records Date: March, 2011 1. Deep Connection - Sensogram 2. On Beat - Stratil 3. Sugar Rush - Synesthetic 4. Blue Bottle - Woodwise 5. Not amuse - Elecdruids 6. Human Extinction - Helber Gun 7. Time Code - Pakman 8. Circle of eight - Natural Vibes 9. Flow Control - Twins "We wouldn't be the first lifeform to wipe itself out...but what is unique about us is...we did it knowingly." This is the third physical release by the fine gentlemen from Mexico. Most of the artists are new to me, but like a blind date it could work out. Compiled by co-owner Zonka it begins with a very dreamy and flowing track from Sensogram. Powerful and melodic, great way to start. On Beat is slightly stipped down, but crackles with energy like a downed power line. Good use of effects. If the next track was the Sugar Rush, then how I felt after was the power nap. Wasn't a bad one, but nowhere close to the previous two in terms of interest. Woodwise keeps the nap alive with some filler. ZZZzzzzz.... Not Amuse forgot the "d" but remembered to bring thick atmosphere with an absolute gem of a break. It becomes more aggressive as it comes out of said break as well. Trying to lighten the mood (not really) is Helber Gun which is a project worth watching. They bring more of the lush outer space atmosphere that was found on their From Another Planet EP. The break has that awesome sample and is one of the stars on this compilation for me. If I wasn't staring at the computer I would've said that Time Code was part of Human Extinction. Same bass line, same gallop...did somebody fall asleep at the wheel? It's drifting but lacks the lush feeling of the track before. Circle of Eight has it's groove shoes on with a funky popcorn arpeggio and reminds me of clubs I wasn't cool enough to get into. The last track...meh. Having listened to their releases, I must compare this label to second string players. Sure they have some good tunes on occasion, but they're not yet there in terms of giving you quality minutes like Iono or Tesseract. Now it could just be that they are shooting for more of a minimal pumping vibe and I'm more on the layered melodic frequency. As always taste is subjective. But let's focus on the positive, because there were some really good tracks here. A tip of the hat goes to Sensogram, Elecdruids, Helber Gun, and Natural Vibes. Not bad, but a compilation I would pick and choose from. Psyshop Beatspace GoaStore Mdk

"when melancholy speaks" is a new chillout compilation compiled by lemonchill now available at psyshop: http://www.psyshop.c.../uxm1cd009.html

Artist: Various Title: Acai Com Guarana Label: Uxmal Records Date: November, 2011 1. Fowling Peace ABSTRACT SUNRISE 2. Physical Disorientation PROTOACTIVE 3. Nebulosa STRANGE DOCTORS AND VIRAM 4. Ultimatum G25 5. Gonne without saying EROTIC DREAM 6. Old Man PAKMAN 7. Power System SUBSISTENCE 8. Cosmic Coffe TACIT 9. Dia De Chuva AUSTRALOPTHECUS A Mexican label brings you 100% Brazilian progressive trance. A lot of money must have changed hands if you could pry these artists away from Carnivale. Most of them are unfamiliar to me, but that's fun. Like going to see a magic show Oh man, I hope this turns out better. Fowling Peace- "Everything's evolving." It's a bouncing track with searching bass sweeps. Sure it doesn't have a lot of melodies or twists and turns, but it does have an organic quality that grabs you. Sounds very earthy and full. Physical Disorientation- One of the projects I am familiar with produces a track that is everything I like about progressive trance. A consistent swing with lots of melody and far reaching effects that floats as if time was standing still. Pretty dreamy. Nebulosa- "We know it's hard to acţept yourselves as vibrational. But it's easier to accept yourselves as emotional." Another great track that fills each space with percussive echoes and synth riffs. It's rich in sunshine and floaty vibes, shimmering like the sun. Ultimatum- Thinking man's progressive here. At first I thought it was pretty light, but that break really opened things up for me. It also changed direction whilst keeping the flow intact. I imagine this is less about dancing and more about pondering the universe. Gone Without Saying- This is the other project I know and he flies on the lighter, housier skies of trance. Still uses the same tricks like washes but add vocal hits as well. Nice, but nothing earth shattering. Old Man- One of my favorites. The bass sweeps get me every time. It's another fairly simple track that is put together well. Shimmering leads balance it out as more synth hits give it a wide open appeal. Not overloaded just driving. Power System- This track has an electric feel that corresponds to its title. The lead sounds like a live wire that threatens as big washes tumble down. Another cool thing is the leads themselves add a percussive element to the mix. Cosmic Coffe- Cosmic Coffe? Oh...I see what you did there! Guess it won't be long until Starbucks puts a very weak and mass produced version on the market. I swear, those stores are like herpes...outbreaks all over the place. This is a drifting piece with echoing effects that accumulate as the tracks progresses. Nice breaks as well along with shiny synth runs. Sweet. Dia De Chuva- I can't tell you how many times I've sat down and played the tabla during a thunderstorm. Well, I'll tell you...it rhymes with hero. But that's exactly what's happening here, with a slow bounce and a melody composed of sadness. Some cool alien sounding effects escape from the rainforest but then it morphs into a faster tempo complete with a very ethnic lead. Which I really don't like. Meh, can't please everyone. Next time leave the snake charmer at home. Congratulations to these guys on a very good compilation. With the exception of the last track, this was full of very good progressive tunes that followed a winning formula. Not too heavy, but still melodic and dancey. Good time music. Psyshop Beatspace Goa Store Mdk