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Talpa - The Art Of Being Non


Psychosis

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Artist...Talpa

Title.....The Art Of Being Non

Label...Sundance

 

In July of 2003 I posted a topic about an upcoming psy-trance producer called Talpa. I posted a link to download his live set at the Transplant 10 show last year. Well finally over a year later his label has finally released his album. What a damn wait it has been too...

 

I wrote a long and in-depth review but fucking AOL froze up and I lost all of that post...god dammit! Anyway, here is a shorter review...

 

Following are short descriptions of each track, followed by a conclusion :)

 

 

TRACK DESCRIPTIONS

 

01. First Ray Of Light

Do you like shpongle? Well then this is the song for you! This opener is a nice trippy but chilled track full of a a mesmorizing flute that flows in and out of your soul like a needle through fabric. There are weird, eerie and crazy effects bouncing all around your confused brain sending you into psychedelic overload. If that isn't enough then the percussive ending will get you ready for what is next to come...

 

02. My Kingdom

You want energy? Come no further than the first track on the album. It's full on psychedelic and melodic energy that's never resting. It charges every cell in your body and then sweeps you off your feet with gorgeous melodies that sound almost gothic-church-like. Before you know it your back thrusted into the mayhem and your skull gets blown apart from all the musical madness. This is quality psy-trance.

 

03. Trust No Goblin

Imagine eating a quarter bag of psychedelic mushrooms and then getting shrunk and placed inside a goblins mind. If you can't imagine what that would be like then listen to this song and you'll have a pretty good idea. No, seriously...The effects and sounds in this song are weird, demented, twisted, playful and at times almost laughable. A true testament to psychedelic effects and manipulation.

 

04. No Place To Hide

Funk, groove, energy, melody you name it this song has got it. It's full on and attacking but playful and very groovey at the same time. The melodic sections are very energetic and get you moving. The effects are twisted and funky and they carry you towards an amazing energetic ending which almost sends you flying through space.

 

05. Dragon Tale

This song is full of top notch fun energy with great vibrant synths to move you like your quantum leaping through a psychedelic portal. Definetly one of the highlights of the album, it catches your attention and never lets go. If this album was Infected Mushroom's "Classical Mushroom", "Dragon Tale" would be this albums "Bust A Move."

 

06. People Are Animals

With a weird vocal sample that talks of drug induced hallucinations of people turning into animals starts off the track you get propelled into a frenzy of crazy effects and goove. While all the psychedelica is keeping you in a whirlwind you get attacked by a monsterous melodic climax which rapes you soul with it's musical glory.

 

07. Flybeereligion

This crazy song, is funky, tripped out and everything inbetween. Mid song incredible melodies soar through you as your lifted in amazing psychedelic energy thats only rivaled at the end of the song when a more dreamy melodies swoop in to carry you off into la la land. Definetly another highlight.

 

08. The Moon

With a great dark vibe and eerie singing vocoded vocals this song tickles you in all the right places. The vocals, while good, are not the most amazing thing you've ever heard. There is really no climax like in the previous songs but the whole vibe of this track is enough to satisfy anybody at this point. It's eerie and groovey enough to make you grandpa run around in drag and dance like a witch calling upon a spell.

 

09. Rebirth

The final dance track on the album is a winner as well. It contains a great bassline and amazingly trippy effects which play around with your senses. The build up is great and the climax is even better because it's full of the desired energy you want and the chaotic psychedelica your mind could possibly handle. It's a great song to end the dance portion of the album.

 

10. Back To Dreaming

Just like in the begining you are treated to another chilled out trip fest. This time you have a strange string instrument and a flute to carve into you. The flute invites you to dance with it's beautifully groovey melody while the psychedelica once again masturbates your senses until you have reached an sensory orgasm, which after listening to this album you surely have already done, 9 times.

 

 

CONCLUSION:

 

In my opinion there are 3 Psy-Trance producers which have made themselves famous by being the best at what they do and those artists are Infected Mushroom, Simon Posford (& Raja Ram), and Astral Projection. Those 3 are the veterans of this genre and now that their time is almost up the new commers are coming along to make their profound statement within the psy-trance history books.

 

One of these new hopefuls is Talpa. Like the greats of the past Talpa has decided to not follow trends but make them...he is part of the bold, the brave, and the light at the end of the dark tunnel full of wannabe's.

 

Talpa has created an album that is not only aurally pleasing but also very original. While it has the same "Je Ne Sais Quoi" as Infected Mushroom's "Classical Mushroom" it also carries the intelligently twisted manipulation of effects that Shpongle so creatively pioneered. The soundscapes are not only extraordinarly rich, vibrant and colorful but also unique and creative. This album may have influences of artists past but thats where it ends. Talpa has taken brilliant ideas and turned them into his own vision. He has created possibly one of the best psy-trance albums of the past couple years. An interesting fact was that all but one of these tracks were created years ago, some where even made back in 2000. This has been the work of a great mind, and hopefully in the future he will continue to make vibrant albums such as this.

 

If you are a fan of psy-trance and are desperatly in need of some phenominal and orginal music then head over to Psy-Shop or Saiko Sounds to purchase your copy as soon as possible.

 

 

 

 

- Daniel

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Just listening to it, sounds very good! 'The Moon' track i could guess is the only new track you are talking about, which i think is heavily influenced by Younger brother, while the more old tracks are very influenced by IM. But enough of that, 'The Moon' track is my favorite so far.. but this is different also from the shit coming out these days, i think this is going to be one of the best albums for me in a long time.

 

i have only listened now to about it 30min, but had to comment something already. :/

 

Buy it or download it, it's worth it.

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The Art of Being Non is one of the best albums of 2004, period!

 

Track 2 is very impressive. It is just wild, crazy, energetic, catchy, amped-up, once again CATCHY.... the key here is catchy, and I am so hooked on some of the melodies on this album. There is not ONE BAD or HALF-DECENT track on this whole, entire album; not even close! I can unquestionably tell that lots of work went into each and every track. This is a very UNCOMMON, sometimes even RARE case. Now I am NOT, at least not right now... going to throw this into the group of awesome albums that have earned their classic status, not just for their enormous, ambitious, and MASTERFUL work but with TIME as well... However I will say that basically... not since the first several albums of Hallucinogen, Infected Mushroom, Astral Projection, Pleiadians I.F.O. and FEW OTHERS, have I really, REALLY liked every track on an album, and considered each and every track for sure well above average. That is saying something very meaningful.

 

This Talpa album has KILLER tracks on it, like tracks 2 and 8 are really, REALLY up there. That MELODY is just so fucking great in track 2! I actually really like how this album starts out, with the actual chill/ down tempo in the beginning, because it does NOT rush to impress; it BUILD'S UP to whats coming! I hate how albums start off with the 303 kick or whatever and never build up, the albums that put their best track(s) in the beginning, FUCK THAT!!! You'd think those albums are meant for the clubs ONLY because every track starts with that, bum, bum, bum, bum... but this one is versatile...!

 

This album was one of the biggest surprises of 2004 for me. .

 

Talpa has some VERY catchy melodies.

 

Thank you Talpa for this cool, impressive release.

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Psychosis, you have a fucking fantastic way of describing tracks! :)

I'm just halfway through listening to this album and already have to say yes, this is one of my highlights of this year, too. Only thing that irritates me once in a while, mostly in track 2 and no. 4 towards the end, is this "rave sound". Sometimes it fits in nicely, as in Dragon Tale, but in places it's this high-pitched sawtooth-modulated something that IIRC found its way into techno from some Korg box and has been overused so much by commercial <censored> that I've come to expect the next thing to be a screaming "Scooter" when I hear it. But, well, nobody's perfect, and I still love this disc.

BTW, can anyone understand what the Serbian? Russian? text in track 1 says?

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Well let me weigh in here with a dissenting opinion – I very much DISLIKE this album!

 

It has great production in terms of all sorts of sound effects and layers and that sort of thing (track 3 is genius!), but the sum of it all just turns me off..

 

What is the deal with all this machismo sounding “scary” psytrance”? This is like Bad Trip music or something – seriously, I don’t understand what the appeal is with this type of trance… I mean, WTF is going on here?!

 

I’m going to go out on a limb here and wager that this artist is no more than 22-23yrs old, definitely no more than 25…

 

 

This album, like the Misted Muppet album, has this overly hard, sharp, harsh, grating, and driving sound. The melodies have this frantic, jabbing-on-a-keyboard type feel to them – it’s all very compressed and claustrophobic sounding.. Track 2 is one of the most unpleasant pieces of music I’ve ever heard… It’s all so relentless and aggressive, this album is like drinking vinegar or something….

 

This is the “Testosterone Sound” in all it’s glory, and I’m so sick of it..

 

This is why women don’t like Psytrance music!!! – seriously, this album is so full of mean, nasty vibes, and Violent manly man ego-bullshit type stuff going on… Angry and tough sounding men, soulful and sweet sounding women – cliché’s of the Primitive Ages appearing yet once again –yuck… A Paternalistic, Male-Dominated society is fit to produce music like this…

 

I want cheerful, beautiful, joyous, spacious psychedelic trance music.. This music doesn’t make me feel groovy, or want to dance, or smile and bob my head about, or laugh, or sing, or gobble some San Pedro and go swimming in the ocean, or anything like that,

 

This music and it’s vibe is depressing and overdone –

 

- I think this all started with the Lone Deranger album (which I like actually), and then came the Gathering, and then various Dark Soho/Xenomorph/Delta etc type offrings, and then Misted Muppet, and now The Art of Being Non.. I’m so over this type sound, and I have GOT to start listening to albums online BEFORE buying them from saikosounds..

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Don’t get me wrong, I love dark psytrance – X-Dream, Hux Flux etc etc – there’s different types of “dark” though… X-Dream could be called “mechanical-dark”, Hux-Flux “funny-dark”, Infected Mushroom “cartoon dark”, Halluciongen “twisted dark” etc etc… The Talpa album and the Misted Muppet album though are more of a “violent dark”

 

This Talpa album though has a distinctly hostile or “mean” type sound to it, and specifically there are violent overtones – and violence always = men… I don’t like the way it sounds… I can’t see the comparison toe IFO either – the vibe is totally different…

 

The sound production is very neat and trippy except for the bass – is it me or is the bass WAY underproduced in this album? Honestly I can’t tell if the basslines are any good because it just putters along behind the wall of other noise…

 

I dunno I think I should listen to some other types of music for awhile, or just listen to the classic albums and not be too hopeful about new releases these days, I’m just setting myself up for disappointment…

 

I listened to Alpha Centauri, LSD, and Solstice last night in the car driving home and was just totally transported with trance-bliss – fuckin amazing music, really puts some of the stuff nowadays in perspective… Felt the same way listening to Classical Mushroom the other day – that album is just SO much better than any of this Misted Muppet type stuff, I hadn’t listened to Classical Mushroom in like 6 months and I’d forgotten how awesome it was…

 

Is there enough acid going around in Europe these days? There’s been a HUGE acid shortage in the USA after that Missle Silo bust in 2000, and I’ve heard Europe is having trouble too… The music these days sounds so un-inspired compared to some of the older albums – I think maybe the artists are deficient in acid molecules in the brain – with no acid they just have pot to smoke… People can say what they want but as the greatest psychedelic composers of our time – Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Simon Posford, Hux Flux, Infected Mushroom, etc etc have shown, where you have acid you have the generation of new idea’s… Novel Music, stuff that’s cooked up right outta hyperspace….

 

Alright then, end of rant, sorry to sound like a grumpy old-timer because I’m really not a lot of the time…

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healium:

Talpa's style is kinda hard to define.. You can't tell it is just hostile or mean music, cause it is not (listen to "No place to hide", especially starting from 5:15.... Does that melody sound hostile or mean to you? It sounds very happy and joyous to me.

 

Each track is a story of its own and what I like the most about Talpa's music is the wonderful atmosphere that he manages to make throughout his tracks. There are some pretty original ideas and tricks in his music ("My kingdom", "No place to hide", "Flybeereligion").

 

I really don't mind scary and horror moments in his music (as a matter of fact, I like that), but it is just me, I like dark medieval scary melodies and all that good stuff :)

 

Well, what else can I say... De gustibus non disputandum est.

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Hhhmm I think I've set a personal record for number of unpopular comments in one thread...

 

You are right however that this album has it's moments - I really like the the last few minutes of the 1st track and that melody at about 5:30 on track 6 is insane too, not the keyboard one after it, the first one....

 

All in all though I find the music grating, crowded, and just plain unpleasant, doesn't have "it"....

 

Lepton - I liked the Talpania and Kalashari tracks much better as well...

 

Anyway, I do commend the artist on a fine and elaborate composition - he's obviously very talented and I look forward to the next installment...

 

Terse and choppy is the prose, tis then time for bed :)

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Tasty, tasty release. Massive cheers to Talpa and Sundance crew :D Not my usual cup o' tea, but I'm bloody glad to have this. Really nice stuctures to the trax plus I love those melodic/eerie keyboard lines!!!

 

Rock the fuck on Goran!! More please..........

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Talpa – The Art Of Being Non (Sundance Records) October 2004

 

1. First Ray Of Light

2. My Kingdom

3. Trust No Goblin

4. No Place To Hide

5. Dragon Tale

6. People Are Animals

7. Flybeereligion

8. The Moon

9. Rebirth

10. Back To Dreaming

 

 

So i've been visiting my Psychiatrist lately. He's always been very kind to me and giving me the best medicine available to suit my musical craving.

So he recommended me the new compilations from 3D Vision and Mind Control. I refused and told him that this stuff doesn't do it for me anymore. It softens the pain but it doesn't do anymore than that.

I told him, stop giving me fluffy placeboes, i want the real stuff. I want something to remind me the old days, when i started to listen to Psy Trance. I want the madness of Infected Mushroom's Gathering, the twistedness of Hallucinogen's Lone Deranger and the melodies of Classical Mushroom.

Last weeks he recommended me Misted Muppets and Synsun. It worked well, especially Synsun, but the comedown was painful. It still lacked the depth of the stuff that i was looking for.

But today the Doc had a big grin on his face. He told me that he might have something that just might move some cells in my beaten brain. With quick yet determined move he pulled a CD from his “special patients” shelf and it had Talpa written over it.

Who’s Talpa I asked the Doc. “Trust me man”, he replied. It will only do you good.

And it did. This CD returned the smile to my face. It’s twisted, it’s melodic, it’s full of surprises and ever changing melodies, percussions, basslines and whatever. It’s evil, happy, dark, light and most of the time it oozes talent and unbelievable skills. Something you might expect from experienced and aged producer, but this is Talpa’s first album. The most surprising bit is that Talpa, Goran Juric, is from Serbia. Not really a place yet known for its Psy Trance artists, but I hope that Talpa paved a way for more Serbian talents.

So, is this album any good? Yes, it is. This is true Psychedelic Trance, with capital P.

This is by no means a copy of Infected Mushroom or Hallucinogen like some people tend to think. It does indeed borrows some influence from IM and Simon Posford, but it has plenty of fresh ideas inside. There is no point in going track by track review here, because I see this album as one big master piece. But if I would be asked what are my favorite tunes here I’d mention: 1,3,4,6 (starts off with amazing sample), 8!!! (One of the best vocal tunes this year. Really reminds me Fly Agaric – I see myself), 10!!

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Well every track on this album rocks. My Kingdom is fucking awesome. I can't wait for another release from Talpa.

 

Nough said. ;)

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some tracks reminds me a lot of a couple of tracks from Unusual Suspect (The finger, good time all the time ...)

 

The first track is awesome but it could have continued on the fast lane for at least 5 more minutes. Very cool flute use ;)

 

I hate vocal tunes but there's something about "The Moon" that just grabs me, such a beautiful piece of work :o

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This is my take on Talpa...

 

After reading all the positive reviews on the net and listening to the samples,

I decided Talpa would be my cup of my tea so I bought it...

 

...and it´s cool, there are a couple of groovy tunes,

but it is a bit dissapointing as a whole.

 

Maybe I read too many reviews, I was expecting dark and

what I got was definately not dark, sometimes even bordering on cheese.

Í´m not saying the whole album is like that, but there are more than a couple of

tunes that get carried away by the melodies and sometimes turn into a

bit of a shit fest.

 

Now let me set it straight, to those that are expecting a new Lone Deranger,

or whatever, don´t get your hopes up.

 

This is a solid trance album, but it doesn´t come close to anything ever done

by Hallucinogen. I personally think Misted´s release was much better. The melodies, the production, everything. This album is above average for sure, but not much else.

 

Although to each his own, if you like the sounds of the samples then check it out.

 

All I´m saying is, don´t get your hopes up like I did.

 

ps: to those that said this album is dark and especially to the fool that

said this album is violent, I just have one thing to say,

RUN HOME TO YOUR MOTHER!

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hmm.... it's violent the way a 1000 mic acid trip would be violent, not in the way that males like to beat things up.

 

First track really grabbed my attention when I first heard a sound sample. I wouldn't mind a whole album of tunes like that. :)

 

This is somewhere between Classical Mushroom and the Lone Deranger, just like everybody's been saying. It may not be quite on the level of those two classics, but it's damn good, and quite original compared to most releases I hear these days.

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Mm, I haven't given a completely accurate listen yet, but this is in my opinion just as bad as most psytrance that's been released in the last 6 or so years.

 

Everything is too sharp and loud, where are the dynamics?

 

I feel like being ran over by a truck after listening to music like this, where is the subtlety and depth?

 

Technically this is superb, there is a LOT of technically interesting stuff going on, there's a great variation to the tracks and there are melodies, which I'm fond of.

 

Somehow this just lacks soul & spirit SO badly.

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This album doesn´t sound like Lone Deranger at all,

I really don´t know where you guys get off saying that.

 

Some parts of some of the songs do sound a bit like

Classical Mushroom though, but that´s because of all

the piano and keyboard sounds he used.

 

Anyway, grahf: do yourself a favour and buy a dictionary.

Describing music as violent is fucking retarded.

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first of all... how many times must I repeat that reviews section is for REVIEWS!!! You are welcome to speak of whatever you like in the General section (music-related) or the Off-Topic.

 

 

So then... this is indeed one of the best 04 releases, highly original especially when listening to all the crap that's being released these days... HOWEVER I got this album the same day I got Filteria and well... it's kindof pale in comparison... I feel I would've rated this MUCH higher if I didn't hear the Filteria album the same day...

 

Anyway, I'll try to be objective about this: it brings back that oriental mystical feeling. The intro track is something VERY wierd, it reminds me of Mystical Experiences but with an "angry" beat, some voices even sound a bit menacing. It's down-tempo but definatley NOT chill-out. It's the kind of track you listen to in the chill-out room which makes you get up and go to the main floor. And those mysterious synth lines kicking around minute 4... oh maaaan it feels like my brain is tickled. Reminds me of the first minutes from Orbital - P.E.T.R.O.L.

 

My Kingdom sounds a bit "noisy" for me, don't really like it, the "melody" tends to give me a headache

 

Trust No Goblin is more to my liking. Again those oriental influences although it's not oldschool, it's something else...

 

No Place to Hide is again a bit noisy for my tastes... but there's a nice melody in the last minutes :)

 

Dragon Tale is pretty average...

 

but then comes People Are Animals oh baby that's the stuff!! Some freaky 1:30 sample on tripping, I'll try to give the transcript here (sorry if it's not 100% accurate, BTW if anyone knows where this was taken from, please tell me!!):

"She says –quote – I was looking at my friend Linda… Suddenly feathers popped out on to her skin. Her nose curved into a beak. She had an eagle’s face. I looked at my boyfriend Johnny, he was turning into a bird too! So was Linda’s boyfriend. We were at Central Park zoo. I couldn’t move, I wanted to cry but no tears would come. “Oh God” I heard myself yell, “People really are animals!”. I started laughing hysterically but in the inside I didn’t feel funny. I started to run away from the others through Central Park until I stopped under a stone bridge. Johnny kept following me. After a lot of time I went up on the bridge. Johnny always had been my source of security. He said that LSD was brutal but that it wouldn’t hurt me. He said that I’d see beautiful colours and hear musical notes but I never did. Instead I saw awful things, people looked like monkeys, cracks in sidewalks became big crevasses you could fall into. Finally after about 8 hours the drug started to wear off. I was depressed for days afterwards."

So after the freaky sample comes a very deep drifting atmosphere, which of course is on the dark side. There's a sound sounding like a woman's voice singing that seems to dig deper and deeper inside you. Then comes a "scary" melody which I find a little cheezy myself... anyway, the track continues and it just takes you further and further. Definatley one of the best tracks released this year!!

 

Flybeereligion actually reminded me some old Cydonia but I didn't find it as good...

 

The Moon is the best track here IMO. There's a woman's voice which is INCREDIBLE!!!!! It's not a vocal track, it just has a beautifull voice which kicks into key moments. Ohhhh maaan it sounds soooo perfect!!! And the breakdown around 4:30... BEST BEARKDOWN EVER!!!! (OK, maybe not THE best but should be among the top 5). Where's the girl who sang in that track? I want to marry her!! ;)

 

Rebirth is more on the minimal side of things. It's nice but sounds a little conventional when compared to other tracks here.

 

Back to Dreaming brings back the oriental infulences. It's down tempo but again isn't really chill-out either, it sounds a little harsh. But I like it :)

 

Conclusion if only I got this at another time than the same day I recieved the Filteria album... Anyway, I do like this one a LOT as well, I like those oriental influences comeback. I've heard people say that this is influenced by old IM but personally I've found more resemblances with Cydonia - In Fear of a Red Planet . That doesn't mean it's a copy or anything, it is a highly original release. I'm definatley looking forward to this guy's next release!! :)

9/10

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just wanted to add that the downtempo tracks (1st and last tracks on the album) are growing on me more and more. Those flute melodies send shivers down my spine!! Shpongle is NOTHING compared to this!!! Today I must've listened 100 times to those 2 tracks (I hope my neighbours like flutes )

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  • 4 weeks later...

My personal view to this album is:

 

Best album I have heard in 2004. The Misted Muppet From the Legend is second in my list, so I seem to be as many others in this board.

 

But I don't think that these 2 albums are from the cheesy popular new fullon clones. I have listened almost all samples this year at psyshop.com and most ( not to say everything, but very few exceptions) stuff sounds extremely bad to me.

 

So I guess this album (together with From the Legend) is somewhat a reminder of classic stuff...

 

Anyway.

People are Animals is this years second best track in my opinion (1st is TIP - Stimuli (Hallucinogen rmx) and The Moon has OUTSTANDING elements (although it has some flaws IMO as well)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Talpa - THE ART OF BEING NON

2004

SUNDANCE RECORDS

Update: 2008

 

 

Track list

 

1. First Ray Of Light

2. My Kingdom

3. Trust No Goblin

4. No Place To Hide

5. Dragon Tale

6. People Are Animals

7. Flybeereligion

8. The Moon

9. Rebirth

10. Back To Dreaming

 

 

Wow. This is one hell of an album. Dynamic, sharp, crisp, creative, complex, dark, moody, and danceable!

 

 

01. FIRST RAY OF LIGHT is one of the best and evolving downtempo songs I have ever heard. Interesting. Creative. Different and catchy. This is a strong and memorable opening. I find it interesting that the artist chose to put this as the first track. Chilled tracks are often put towards the last. Placing this song here helps build the albums anticipation for the more climactic, energetic songs to come. Anyway, it would have probably been just as effective as the closing song, but it makes the track flow more unique and I actually prefer ithere. The last third is excellent. I appreciate the final act because the artist took his time to develop the song in a way that kept me involved until he unleashes his saving the best for last assault. This song starts out good and gets better, more catchy and groovy as it progresses. Now this is how you innovate and make a strong downtempo track. Nice work! The part around 5:13 forward is awesome. Talk about an evoluton into greatness. A

 

02. MY KINGDOM is a massive. This is arguably the best dance track on the album, along with, well we're not at that yet. Posted Image This track (nice beginning by the way) is aggresive, angry, dark! Wow. Great use of chopping up that melody when mixing it too. Its melodic, fast, rough, and when you're in the right mood, especially if you're angry, working out, driving fast, and/or need a boost of energy, (amongst other things) this track is great! I believe a word associated to this song over time may be bad ass. Some people will say this is too much, too chaotic. The song maintains fireball, not-give-a-fuck attitude. Interesting drives take place in between its climactic melody lead. The song rhythm changes too, more energetic, driving, relentless. Talpa's darker work is strong and intense. Great track! A-

 

03. TRUST NO GOBLIN has a very interesting, playful opening several minutes. The beat around 2:10 is good, and around 2:50 is great, driving. Crazy, creative, vicious and fun, this thing takes off at around 4:00 with a powerful, sledge hammer drive. It goes through so many little twists and turns before getting to this monster truck drive. I love the foundation, both interesting, original, and flavorful. The ending is darkly fun with a skit of sorts. Unexpected and nuts. I love it. This further develops the artist's dynamic and darkly humorous personality in a savvy, fun way. Once the thing takes off around 4:00, the song is a firestorm rocket, a mad cannonball appealingly determined to clear everything in its path. Awesome track! A-

 

04. NO PLACE TO HIDE - Good opening. Again, Talpa has it down with intriguing openings. I really like the mixiing of voices and odd, little sounds in this one. The part from 3:580 - 4:37 for instance is awesome! Those random clinks and clanks, voice bits creates a melody in itself. Yes! This was the first track to really impress me. This is like an intro to Talpa's focus on detail and ability at mixing in many little sounds. This creates a whole something else as just one more melody or sentence of sounds in a paragraph of music. I've done thousands of hours of experimental mixing before so I instantly notice details and finely crafted work, details. It deepens the experience too, proving that there's more behind the mirror than ever imagined. The transition is good too followed by a stronger buildup, more energy. This is a good and/or great track with excellent mixing. B+

 

05. DRAGON TALE has some interesting parts, but sounds too much like Infected Mushroom. I feel this song loses much of its luster because of the so-known style it takes or oh, is inspired from, regardless if its a new song. Once that quick piana starts I just can't get IM out of my head and so I tend to lose interest on each listening. Sometimes I even skip to the next song to hear the more original stuff regardless of any originality that may exist here. Also, the song doesn't exactly have the most engaging or catchy melody. The main melody is fast and honestly, it wears off as the track progresses. I listen as it as it goes through it's predictable motions. Again and again. I expect better from such a talented artist. I hope Talpa's next album has no songs where I think, "Yea...that sounds like Infected Mushroom." This song is OKAY and my least favorite here. C+

 

06. PEOPLE ARE ANIMALS - Very strange, interesting opening. This becomes so catchy as it progresses, and when the beautiful, dark melodies begin, this song touches musical greatness! However, I still feel that there is something holding this song back from achieving overall greatness, although those eerie melodies are so great! This song just takes a bit too long to pick up from the time the story ends... and I respect the unique, trippy-souding story, dialogue-filled opening. Maybe it could have been slightly shorter to enhance the music part, although some people may find the first part even better than the second. An imaginative, beautiful song nonetheless. In the future maybe little to no dialogue in the beginning... just pull us in, build it up, and elevate it into something awesome. Another great track with excellent melody/sound work! A-

 

07. FLYBEERELIGION has an interesting opening. Talpa does a great job creating strong introductions. Apparently most artists don't think about this and therefore their openings are forgettable and lame. Ha. How wrong so many artists will be. With this song I like the fun voice bits tossed around the beats, literally creating like melodies with cut up voice samples. This isn't the only track to do this either. It picks up, gets more psychedelic, the music stops for a couple seconds... then a very catchy melody comes in that rocks, although the style seems close to Infected Mushroom, the melody is original, melodic, and quite catchy. This is where the song really picks up, before dropping and lifting up once again with even more changes, alterations, sound effects, etc... and with new melodies, tunes, and rhythm! I like change so much, and Talpa has put the work in to keep the tracks spontanous and unpredictable! The melody around 5:18 is wonderful. B+

 

08. THE MOON is arguably the best song on the album! The female voices are excellent and the melodies and beats really compliment them! A-

 

09. REBIRTH is a pretty song with an atmospheric, Eastern Indian jungle opening. The track seems to play it safe, taking less risks, and maybe that's what Talpa was aiming for, a more calm, simple song after the relentlessly exciting ones throughout the middle tracks 2 through 8. In doing so it's less intricate, stylish, and unique. I'm not captivated as much as the others with exception to Dragon Tale. So what does this have going for it? Well, it's fairly dark, twisted and psychedelic, filled with little Psy sounds around a driving rhythm. Around 4:30 take place some skipping OOOHHH GOOOD voices. But it isn't until around 5:25 that a bubbly intermission takes place. Gone is the music. Suddenly, a fresh wave of gripping melody work appeaers like a whale coming up towards the surface of the ocean. Around ten seconds later this melody work becomes the fore front of the song. It's great! This was unpredictable and turned an driver without clear direction into healthy world when all hope appeared to be in question. Talk about an almost decent song that totally revives itself and everything we've heard before it in its final minutes. Rebirth actually sounds like an appropriate here. B

 

10. BACK TO DREAMING - A nice closing, which is too harsh and fast to be down-tempo / chill, and its still a decent song. However, its grown a bit irritating and repetitive the more I listen to it, with the bells shaking sounds over and over again... its still well done but it just feels a bit weak as the final closing on this album. I would have expected more as the final song from this artist, after hearing the so-much-more memorable other songs, which for the most part, are really up there, I'd think he'd want to end his album on a more powerful or impressive, if even down-tempo note, but oh well. It's a solid close, just nothing spectacular or super memorable. B

 

 

In conclusion, The Art Of Being Non is not far from being haunting/intense masterpiece. It's an awesome album with many impressive moments, parts, and at least several super songs around a handful of good/great ones. This is a very interesting and free spirited release. The mixing and general sound arrangements are excellent. I really enjoy the parts that "jump out" and GRAB or SURPRISE you. I hope the next album doesn't have a track that is even slightly familiar to Infected Mushroom, though I only really "sense" that with one here (track 5). This is a very imaginative, creative, and unexpected release from a very talented artist with great attention to detail and a devilishly fun imagination. I really hope Talpa's next album capatilizes on his best and most imaginative, catchy (intricate, dark, wild, layered, melodic, random, intriging, atmospheric, super songs) work here, adding lots of new ideas. Replay value and lasting appeal is high here. Every song is different and varied with ideas and sounds from those around it. In short, Talpa - The Art of Being Non is one of the top best Psytrance albums of 2004 and of the 21st century. Another provocative/trippy release like this one would be amazing.

 

 

Favorite songs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8.

 

 

A-

 

Or

 

9/10

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Talpa

 

08. The Moon - B+ - This is arguably the best song on the album! The female voices are killer stuff too, and the melodies and beats really compliment them!

 

215118[/snapback]

most definately jon - i really enjoyed the album in general but its track 8 which gives it its own personal shine :D ...and I usually hate vocal psy-trance!!

especially michelle adamson stuff...my opinion mind!

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