Mindsphere - Inner Cyclone

[Jon Cocco]

MINDSPHERE - INNER CYCLONE
2007
METAPHYSIC RECORDS



Track list

1. Painful story ... 10:59
2. Mindrama ... 10:03
3. We have a dream ... 07:48
4. Wasted years ... 08:43
5. Operation side ...10:37
6. To infinity ... 09:34
7. Inner cyclone ...11:15
8. Fusion ... 07:36


Supposedly this is the fifth release by Metapsychic Records. This artist's strongest tracks produced between 2003-2006 were selected for the album. At first I was surprised at how good this release was. It may just be the most unique style for a main album in the 21st century I've heard since Khetzal's Corolle! The artist and company behind this album are sharing it for free and that helps a lot in getting an artist and company name out there. Metapsychic Records released a real gem here. So all of you new-school Goa artists take notice! This is how you innovate AND make something VERY CATCHY. By coming up with something unique and passionate to you and going all out. Based on the AMAZING opening track, I feel like I'm in a Goa-driven tornado/cyclone. That is LITERALLY the cylindrical sound that the entire song is implemented in (SAY WHAT?! ). As the album progressed I noticed that more relates to the concept of Inner Cyclone! The artist created 8 Goa tracks around the general whirl wind concept of a powerful, intricate, and flavorful tornado with dark/light, sad, happy, contemplative, chaotic, unpredictable elements, moments of mystery, etc., etc. There is an abundance of atmosphere in this tornado as well. It's pretty awesome actually. I like the album so much that I'm writing the review here... ahhhhh... okay on to the tracks!

1. Painful story is a powerful, infectious, and imaginative CYCLONE twister of an opening. If this doesn't excite you, I don't know what will. From mid to down tempo, to uptempo, etc., the kick drum manipulations, (change ups) are ridiculously catchy, and how they affect the music and mood. I love things like these (as if I've heard anything like this before )). They add dimension to the song, all while varying the feel and not keeping me bored for a second. y the kick drum change ups, such as those found in the opening track. I love the differing speeds of the kick drum. The whole song goes through varying moods and remains interesting throughout, but the general feel is immersive, atmospheric, unpredictable, and dark. Excellent track. A

2. Mindrama is the first song to continusously stay with the beat for the most part. It's very old school Goa sounding. The vocal samples are pretty cool. The quiet moments around the kick drum add character. There are some interesting tribal influences. The melodies skip, minipulated to varying speeds a la old school Pleiadians in the last third and they seem inspired but played with differently than old-school Pleaidans. They're fun. It has some good Eastern Indian influences but the leads, while pretty good, are not that gripping. Lack of key changes makes this song feel less dynamic in comparison to the first too. But it's has a more lush traveling sound than the opening too. The ambient notes work give this number an emotive edge. This is a pretty good track, but no where near as exciting or as eventful as the first. B

3. We have a dream is a more driving, energetic piece as opposed to the last track. The album is now becoming more strong as it progresses, like a tornado collecting debree, rage, and strength as it moves forward. The chill element in the second half is excellent, very catchy. I'm noticing that these unexpected breaks in the tracks make the song so much more interesting and multi-dimensional to listen to. From 5:24 to around 6:40 has one of the most lush and catchy sound rhythms I've heard all year. I love how well this melody fits into all of the other layers. It's beautiful. A small clicking, echoed sound compliments the big picture. These little details stand out. They add definition to an already attractive, swirling intangible presence. There are excellent usage of ambient notes too. This is a much stronger song than the previous number because the sounds and melodies here are more engaging, capturing, attractive, and powerful. A-

4. Wasted years is actually less driving than the previous song. It's very emotive. The change up around 2:08 is great coupled with a very catchy, momentary melodic sound. This may be the more intellectual, pondering part of the tornado that doesn't think so much as to move too slow. As with the previous songs, the music escapes the kick drum. Such an action takes place here for the melody to harmonise with an emotive ambient section. In doing so, a strong melody at 3:12 pulls the wind into a deep, meloncholy ambient trance direction until 4:54. The kick drum returns, igniting an ambient metamorphesis and back into the metaphysical, supernatural realm of Goatrance. The change up in the main beat towarads the end is great. This is a very creative, emotive, and interesting song throughout. B+

5. Operation side is the third driving, relatively faster Goa number on the album. The other songs in this nature were tracks 2 and 3. The ambient notes coupled with Goa influences are beautiful during the first half. Around 3:55 appears to be a moment of slowdown as an interlude of sorts collects various streams of well orchestrated Goa melodies. It sounds like their are 5-10 new layers all flowing within the same tight band during this moment. More catchy melodies arrive to support them, outside the band so to speak. Things begin to pick up speed as the middle approaches. The melodies and various sounds now evolve into being more quick and aggressive. Such details in sound animation is great, especially at around 6:40. The whole song lifts off into a more developed, ascending character! These elements are so creative and interesting. I love how this song develops as it moves forward; it's filled with beauty, changes of scenery, strong melodies, atmosphere, and complexity. Like an angel shooting for a closing light in the distance, surrounded by darkness, this piece seems to be moving towards something huge. B+

6. To infinity is... excellent! Wow this is awesome and one of the top best Goa tracks of 2007. First it was Khetzal's Trancefuzion on Suntrip's V/A - Twist Dreams compilation, with exception to Transwave's Backfire and D5's re-release. Then it was Goasia's Sunrise on the from the debut From Other Spaces album. This number currently makes one of the top three best Goa songs I've heard all year by a new school artist on a 2007 album. It's a hurricane, bursting with infectious streams within streams of sounds, contagious rhythms, style, substance, and a furious and exciting lead Goa melody. Many strong elements and details take place throughout the track, though the middle is fairly less arresting than the first and (energy returning) third act. This storming, intricately flavored song clearly appears to be the peek of the tornado, where all of its powers are at their strongest, most destructive, and gorgeous. The artist did a superb job with this song. A-

7. Inner cyclone is difficult to compete with the previous monster. But having a darker edge works to its benefit. Things are beginning to slow down but that is when a tornado is often at its deadliest, most volatile I believe. That said, this song is not slow. The aggressive sounds create an intensity at times that some of the songs lack on this album. This track is loaded with sounds, less controlled and chaotic than most songs on the album. It's a creative work of art that involves a plethora of things going on at once. There however lacks a strong, congruent Goa lead that the previous number had. Towards the last third, a powerful, swimming Goa lead arrives like streams of relatively high pitched melodies. These create an infectious Goa band and captures some clarity comprised of chaos. The concept is interesting and I presume the intent here was not to make an elegant song but an abstract song to compliment the dark and present tornado's insides. Although not as infectious and massive as the previous song, this number becomes very strong as it progresses, especially during the final third. It's unique and different. How it evolves is interesting. The ending is great. B+

8. Fusion is an Ambient piece. The end of the journey is sad and slow. It seems appropriate to coincide with the death of the tornado. The sounds are light, soft, and beatless. Accomplished here the end journey of contemplation and spirituality. I feel like something or someone died and their spirt is going to heaven, or returning back to nature and/or the Universe, through a celestial, tornado-shaped lighthole (as opposed to a blackhole) vortex opened up in the sunny sky. This final number is emotive and peaceful. Unfortunatley it becomes more repetitive less interesting, the more it progresses. I couldn't help but think more work could have been done to make this song more compelling and emotional, even without beats as this is. The artist succeeds in closing the album's journey, but this is not exactly the most memorable Ambient, closing song either. B


In Conclusion, whenever I hear an album like this, given out for free, it brings both joy and surprise to me. Can things in life actually be appreciated and free? The answer is yes, yes, yes! Of course! My thought is wow... all of this wonderful time, work, and energy has been invested in something not compensated, imaginative, and fun. And I feel this sense of disappointment for the artist too. Even though I'd love to see a world not dependent on money (you grow tomatoes, I grow cucumbers and we share, for instance), I don't understand why this album was not distributed via Psyshop, Saikosounds, etc. However this album deserves, at the very least, to be appreciated by anyone interested, and/or who has a passion for Goa-Trance. If this is indeed Metaphysic Records last release, they went out with a bang. This artist has created enough strong tracks for a great album, and this is it. Inner Cyclone for a debut album by a main artist, even a sequel, has one of the most fresh, distinct, and catchy Goa style I've heard since Khetzal's Corolle. This is one of the best Psychedelic Goatrance releases from 2007 and in New School Goa.

Favorite Tracks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

B+

Download the album FREE curtesy of the artist and label (a huge THANK YOU!!!):

WAV version:

http://www.psynews.o...one-MPR_wav.rar
(Special thanks to Mars@ Psynews.org for this support and contribution)

http://download.sdsa...one-MPR_wav.rar

MP3 version:

http://www.psynews.o...PR-2007_mp3.rar

*Temporary Links*:

MP3 320kb/s version:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mx13sm
http://www.fileflyer.com/view/6UFBrAN
http://www.megauploa.../fr/?d=743OVZZN

*Torrent *:
http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3918448/

[Sideffect...]

9/10 subtle old skool tracks, nice story and crystal clear sounds...

 

masterpiece imo,

 

thanx for the review jon

[Ormion]

That's a great album. Although some tracks don't stick in the mind, it's great old school-ish Goa.

To Infinity is indeed a fantastic track with great melodies. Pure uplifting experience.

Painful Stories is awesome too. It has a melancholc feeling in it, especially when the key changes.

Overall 9/10

I really don't understand why this album was not distributed via Psyshop, Saikosounds, etc.

+1

 

New Goa must be released in cd format. It's the only way to recognition IMO.

[mars]

I moved several messages here from to http://www.psynews.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=50244 for further discussion about pressing this CD or not. I could maybe add some infos on costs and work needed, and former Metapsy guys of Minsphere himself could also comment on the feasability...see you there

[longloststar]

Excellent album; haven't heard a goa tune as powerful as Operation Side, since Filteria's Navigate. My only complaint is that Jon Cocco's latest avatar is extremely gay.

[rino]

My only complaint is that Jon Cocco's latest avatar is extremely gay.

[Jon Cocco]

Excellent album; haven't heard a goa tune as powerful as Operation Side, since Filteria's Navigate. My only complaint is that Jon Cocco's latest avatar is extremely gay.

Haha. There I changed it. Waiting for changes to take affect. Hope it's less, you know, for you

 

I love tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the last third of track 7 on here. The opening track is great too, epic. I love the wind concept in alteration and shifting sound with the music. I love the key changes. The [actual] innovative cyclone effect gives emphasis and versatility to the songs involving them. Track 6 is an elaborate rush. Wow I want to hear more songs on that echelon level, but it isn't the only super song here. I love the combination of elegancy, beauty, and power and aggression of this album. It's like the perfect balance. This guy needs to work on this ambient songs however, as the last one is almost too depressingly slow and plodding. It's creative and warm but somehow has this transient, empty effect when remembering it in retrospect. A slow beat and a more catchy melody emphasis and movement would be cool. There is something satisfying about this album and I find myself intrigued to return to it again and again. The artist seems to have combined light and dark to greatness throughout the powerful tornado concept tracks. But the execution has been done in the infinity spirit of Goa-Trance.

 

May this artist please make a super sequel and have Suntrip Records see what they think.

 

2016 Update - IT HAPPENED. HE / THEY DID, and they fully re-mastered Inner Cyclone too via double album. The debut sounds so much better now. And the sequel called Patience For Heaven released in 2012, sounds very different (less dark, melancholy at times and more vibrationally raising filled with light and several gorgeous tracks AND it's really good as I re-listen to it again.

[Jon Cocco]

Bump, for awesomeness. Track 6 is amazing.

[qa2pir]

This has been so unmusically squashed during mastering that it's not even listenable.

 

Don't bother downloading this.

[Trance2MoveU]

This has been so unmusically squashed during mastering that it's not even listenable.

 

Don't bother downloading this.

Sarcasm?

[qa2pir]

Sarcasm?

Would have been dumb as a sarcasm, don't you think?

 

No, seriously. If you don't hear that it's squashed to hell, just analyse it in Audacity or something. It's a brick wall, basically.

[qa2pir]

 

Look. The soundwave has pretty much the same amplitude throughout. This means that instead of feeling an increased intensity when elements are added, we will just hear each sound a bit less, and they will add up to an equal sum. It also means that when the music breaks down to reveal the basic elements, kick and bass for example, it will continue to be as loud as during full climax. It is also during these minimal passages that I found this music to be the most listenable (although it's quite brickwalled even there).

 

These are good compositions, and it's a shame someone didn't even bother smashing them with style. You would achieve the exact same result by importing the mixdown into your DAW of choice and slapping on the first limiter you could find in your VST folders.

 

Why did they even have to smash them in the first place? This is not a commersial release. People who are into it enough to download independent goa trance from the internet are probably into it enough to know how to handle the volume knob on their soundcards or in winamp, and raise the volume if they want more sound.

 

Fuck the loudness war.

[longloststar]

Whatever, it sounds fine. Personally Im hoping for a second album from this guy.

[Erezblm]

real classic... great music...

old school goatrance right from the sources...

I like it.

and he realy should try suntrip...

I need some time to love those tracks more, but i can feel that with the time, its going to burn in my head...

[HolyLight]

Yes this is a great collection of tracks, i really hope he gets a real CD in the future! He deserves it for sure, i really like how he has implemented a turkish oriental feel to the tracks.

[frozen dream]

9/10 subtle old skool tracks, nice story and crystal clear sounds...

 

masterpiece imo,

 

thanx for the review jon

ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha +111 for the crystal clear remark xD xD xD

 

turns out this was mastered by a pure rete just as i thought from the beginning! :drama: nobody who makes music himself or with the smallest sense of self respect releases music this bad sounding!!! i wonder if mindsphere even heard these mastered versions?

[Sideffect...]

ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha +111 for the crystal clear remark xD xD xD

 

turns out this was mastered by a pure rete just as i thought from the beginning! :drama: nobody who makes music himself or with the smallest sense of self respect releases music this bad sounding!!! i wonder if mindsphere even heard these mastered versions?

if it was good mastered it would be, it sounds very crystal clear for a bad mastered album imo,

I knew it before I downloaded it that it was bad mastered,

so I use my EQ/turntable to adjust it and notice that the intention was to make it crystal clear,

 

EQ adjustment + very good soundsystem and 5 times listen equals my conclusion

 

I understand your post, of course, it was more the production itself, should have been more clear

[qa2pir]

if it was good mastered it would be, it sounds very crystal clear for a bad mastered album imo,

I knew it before I downloaded it that it was bad mastered,

so I use my EQ/turntable to adjust it and notice that the intention was to make it crystal clear,

 

EQ adjustment + very good soundsystem and 5 times listen equals my conclusion

 

I understand your post, of course, it was more the production itself, should have been more clear

No. It's the mastering. Look at the waveform I posted above. Music doesn't look like that if you don't mess with the mixdown using compression with the intention of making it a brickwall.

[frozen dream]

if it was good mastered it would be, it sounds very crystal clear for a bad mastered album imo,

I knew it before I downloaded it that it was bad mastered,

so I use my EQ/turntable to adjust it and notice that the intention was to make it crystal clear,

 

EQ adjustment + very good soundsystem and 5 times listen equals my conclusion

 

I understand your post, of course, it was more the production itself, should have been more clear

 

new world order needs people like you

[Sideffect...]

new world order needs people like you

you really don't like me

 

 

it's funny

[Darkarbiter]

+1 to the very shitty mastering. This is a great album... but will fall short of the amount of listening/playing a great album deserves because of that mastering. Definitely some great tracks there.

[GusSarcoffa]

Great music, sucky mastering. I guess there's a story lurking in there about what happened to the original wav files and why we'll never hear this gem polished up and given the treatment it so richly deserves.

 

It's a shame. I'd pay for a remastered CD in a heartbeat. As it is, it's tough to listen to. Kind of like being locked out of an awesome party and pressing your ear to the wall to hear the music inside (OK, not that dreadful but still. Modern production standards are so crystal clear it's jarring to hear something so squashed and muffled).

 

Mr Mindsphere, please don't give up! You have the gift of Goa. A follow-up release would be wonderful.

[Guest Cosmogenesis]

Hello to all of you guys!

 

As one part of the former Metapsychic project, I will explain you exactly, even if this release was published a year ago, what was wrong with the audio quality of Mindsphere's album, since there is a big misunderstanding there. Some persons wrote their own interpretation and it seems that they simply want to downgrade this release : instead of writing some feedbacks about the album tracks, I noticed mostly some very harsh comments as "shitty", "sucky", "smashed" mastering, etc. Really I would have rather prefered simply the words "bad", "uncorrect", "very bad" mastering, at least to respect Mindsphere's work. I would have appreciated positive and negative critics about the tracks and not about mastering.

 

Actually the mastering problem was created by some people who tried to "destabilize" the Metapsychic project last year. I should remember you that Metapsychic was an initiative by some goa lovers working with their free time and not a professional label, that we didn't have Tim Schuldt or Colin OOOD to master our release. We had though the great luck that Colorbox did master our first VA/ and I'm still thanking him for it.

But anyway, let's not talk about all those stories again, past is past.

 

So what's wrong exactly? Some of you will be surprised to learn that the audio bad quality doesn't come from mastering issues, but from the music production itself... Ali 'Mindsphere" just turned too much the compressor, the tracks were simply too heavily compressed from the beginning. We wanted to do some important modifications when me and my partners first heard the album. But it was impossible to do it, because Mindsphere lost all his FL studio tracks projects. So the tracks were unretrievable and we had to work with this problem.

In those conditions, even the best mastering would have been unsuccessful to find some solution and what Bobby/Aerosis did for us with his mastering was trying to diminish the problem but not to solve it...

 

That's the reason why we wanted at first to release the album for free, just like the others Metapsychic releases at that time. Besides that, most of the tracks were old and we just wanted to use them for a promotional use, because Mindsphere was working on a totally brand new album for us that would have been released later in cd format.

Then, me and Octodur realized that the music of the promo album was amazing and we had this dilemma: should we release it for free because of the sound quality or on cd? We decided finally to do the necessary to release it on cd, because me and Octodur didn't mind to invest 1000-2000 euros in this project. We thought after all that people would have enjoyed better to get it a cd in their hands, since goa music on cd was rather rare on the market at that time, so we could bring at the same time our small contribution. And about the sound quality, well, we thought that people would have remembered that the oldschool releases from the golden era were not all perfectly arranged and mastered, and that music counts first.

 

Hope that my explanations have helped you better to understand the context and the reasons of the problem. Then if you still want to bash the album for bad mastering...

[GusSarcoffa]

Little did I suspect that my remark would trigger the full explanation of why the sound quality is "less than wonderfully perfect" (how's that? )

 

I'm grateful for the explanation and I'm sure others are too. It's a tragedy that Mindsphere lost the FL tracks.

 

And seriously, I apologize if you took offense at my characterization of the sound as sucky. Maybe it's a cultural thing but here in the NW USA "sucky" is no more pointed a characterization than "very bad;" they're synonyms. At least, I think so.

 

The music anyway is fantastic and I hope Mindsphere will produce more (and back up his HD!)

[qa2pir]

Good to have an explanation. I'm sorry because I've bashed Aerosis before in other threads, thinking he was responsible for the poor sound quality.

 

I can just say "good luck" to Mindsphere with his new project and "turn the threshold up a bit"