V/A - Opus Iridium (2xCD) Uptempo/Downtempo

[Goa-Head]

Mind you, I didn't say that this release is bad

 

I was merely surprised that it didn't blow me away immediately upon 1st listening :wank:

[Sideffect...]

Mind you, I didn't say that this release is bad

 

I was merely surprised that it didn't blow me away immediately upon 1st listening :wank:

so didn't we

 

just said maybe give it another try, you just listened to it once, you say...

 

read before you reply

 

peace

[HolyLight]

Mind you, I didn't say that this release is bad

 

I was merely surprised that it didn't blow me away immediately upon 1st listening :wank:

 

I feel the same a bit..for example artifact303 track i had allready heard since he posted it in the promo section so it was not a new track, afgin track was also released for free here in promo section before this cd came out, shaktas track was the one i had highest expectations on and it seemed promising but really when hearing the entire track it is really not on par with his older tracks such as micronesia, arsim on acid, misra indica, etc it sounds more like he made it in a hurry and overall it sounds much more vst/digital then any of his previous tracks made in the 90´s

 

The radical distortion track i find to be annoying because it has the bass on top of the whole track like a cloud of cheese, and it sounds like they try to immitate mfg old style with pretty poor result because i dont hear any story telling its just random notes going up and down in that israeli scale!, reminds me a bit of omegahertz kind of greece uplifting/cheese. The track i need to listen more to is ethereal i think because their previous tracks i have learned to like over time since they arent as direct, more floating type goa wich is great when executed well.. the other tracks i dont even remember

 

The ambient cd might be good need to find time to listen to it.

 

Overall compared to other new school goa trance releases i think pyramidal trancendense was better since it had more of a theme to it and the track selection was made in a pretty clever way, Astrancer-Dzog Chen! thats the type of track i would have liked to hear on this cd with good mastering.

 

I have noticed that a lot of people enjoy artifact303 track on opus iridium and i can understand why since its probably very nice on the dancefloor, but i liked his ancestors track and and trip to the sun more, since they had better 303/audio realism bassline parts, but i heard some rumours he will release some nice tracks soon

 

Overall i think that its would have been a cooler idea to make one cd for the morning/light goa style and the other cd for dark/night goa style

A new talpa track would have been nice or something like that, to much of this love plur ethno baba hug goa lately i think.. there are lots of people who enjoy the more serious tones of this genre as well, i mean something in the veins of old UX or MFG, or Slinky Wizard.. something really twisted.

 

Cheers

[Baloeba]

true, some tracks are not unreleased, but it's spectacular to hear the Afgin one perfectly mastered, just as feelings, and we still have 17 other unreleased tracks I think

 

About the ambient side, Entheogenic I didn't like so much, too typical imo, this downtempo side is truely something unique for me, great storytelling... I see the ambient scene is splitting as well in a more world fusion style, and a more deep trance/ambient side (Ultimae), this fits the deep trance/ambient side.

 

I agree this is typical goa trance, but that's a good thing, lol, actually it is the first real goa release in almost 5 months... Maybe our problem is that we are trying to compare it with Alien protein etc, albums that are the best of a decade of music...

[advance]

Ahh, it's great to see Afgin get the respect he deserves

 

He kicks major ass - one of the major reasons I go to "doofs" / nature parties in Israel...

 

As for this album - I'll get it soon, and we'll see... but I can't wait to hear Artifact303's track.

 

Even though, my first thought was - "damn, why couldn't it have been a new Artifakt track?!"

[healium]

I quite like the downtempo side - very good chill..

 

The uptempo side is pretty good as well, and has some great moments, but there's a pretty serious lack of innovation - If I was told that all the tracks were made by the same artist I'd probably believe it - it's goa in the Astral Projection/Pleiadians style, and done with very little originality...

[abasio]

Various Artists

Opus Iridium

Suntrip Records 2CD

2008

Tracklist

Uptempo

1.1 E-Mantra - Voyager II (10:25)

1.2 Shakta - Ten Times Around The Sun (6:32)

1.3 Filteria - Birds Lingua Franca (9:32)

1.4 Artifact303 - Feelings (9:24)

1.5 Ajna - The Art Of Happiness (9:12)

1.6 Radical Distortion - The Dreamer (7:37)

1.7 Afgin - From The Heart (Tribute To Wonderboy) (10:17)

1.8 Ethereal - Moondawn (11:02)

Downtempo

2.1 Mindsphere - Frozen Sleep (8:03)

2.2 Solar Fields - Confusion Illusion (Remix) (7:27)

2.3 Electrypnose - ChillinBerlin (10:59)

2.4 E-Mantra Secret - Prophecy (7:12)

2.5 Aes Dana - Lysistrata (7:57)

2.6 Asura - Altered State (7:26)

2.7 SiebZehn - Bongalore And Beyond (8:11)

2.8 Astral Waves - Contemplation (9:36)

2.9 Ra - Road To Shiraz (6:06)

 

Suntrip Records the newschool Goa label that never seems to disappoint are trying to treat us with their 10th release. A 2CD compilation showcasing Suntrip’s sound today. The 1st CD has a variety of big names in the newschool Goa scene presenting their upbeat work & the second has a some of today’s best ambient produces offering their goodies. With such mouth watering prospects expectations were pretty high & I wasn’t let down. There is a lot of really good music on this 2CD & even the less good tracks would probably be standouts on other compilations. I suppose ambient fans would listen to the downbeat CD first & trance fans would listen to the upbeat CD first. Having listen to both a variety of times in both orders I can say I prefer to listen to the upbeat CD first, let it blow the shit out of my brain & then let the ambient tracks seep into my mind that’s now been cracked open & take me away into a soothing journey through inner spaces.

 

Upbeat

 

1. E-Mantra – Voyager II

The compilation starts at full throttle with Mantra – Voyager II, it’s well structured & has nice psychedelic sounds all over the place with a rather spacey atmosphere. It has good build ups & nice breaks but while this is a good track for me it’s lacking some spark to make it amazing. It’s interesting throughout with a lot of variety in the music but I just don’t feel wowed when listening to it. So close but just falls short.

 

2. Shakta – Ten Times Around The Sun

Shakta impresses me more with the track 10 times around the sun which to me has an old Astral Projection feel to it with emotional melodies that manage to get into the gut & churn it around. Once again I feel a very spacey atmosphere but this one is in a more bright & bubbly way, just a shame it’s so short.

 

3. Filteria – Birds Lingua Franca

Getting even better here with what Filteria offers us. Filteria is one of those artists that just seems to get better & better over time. This is quite possibly the best I have heard from him, it’s got loads of energy, subtle percussion under the main beat & is just dripping with psychedelic madness. Add to that wonderfully evolving melodies & you have one jaw droppingly good track.

 

4. Artifact303 – Feelings

This track is another mind blowing one. It really has the feel of the good old days of Goa, it manages to reach into your stomach & twist into a knot while simultaneously spitting acid ridden serotonin into your brain. Simple yet affective melodies, a nice punchy beat and spacey ambient atmospheres. Stunning track a very welcome return to the roots of Goa with a nice modern touch.

 

5. Ajna - The Art of Happiness

This track I find to be much more acidic than the others. The melodies are sharp & cut through the air like a knife then stick in my brain then they flit about just causing havoc. After they have knocked everything down inside my head there is a mix of sonic cascades, little trippy sounds & soft vocal samples that sound like nothing on a casual listen but that really send my brain into hyperspace when giving this the attention it deserves.

 

6. Radical Distortion - The Dreamer

This is another track that puts me in mind of Astral Projection from their Trust in Trance, Dancing Galaxy days. The melodies are very similar & the samples used also make me think of AP. A bright spacey atmosphere with energy & feeling but nothing particularly original until the last couple of minutes when they manage to fuse that Astral sound with more modern ideas adding a nice twist.

 

7. Afgin - From The Heart (Tribute to Wonderboy)

A beautiful melody starts the track followed by some long drawn out synths adding a great atmosphere that is never broken through the track. The atmosphere feels like it’s taking me away through the stars & all the other elements are just viewed from this journey. The synths the energetic beat that drives the movement faster & even the LSD sample don’t affect the journey like atmosphere I get from only really top class trance tracks, of which this is one. An emotional ride through the deepest inner mind & the outer reaches of the galaxy that just keeps getting better & better, the melodic twist around the 6 minute mark is intensely powerful & it continues to evolve in an awe inspiring way. The best track on the Uptempo side for me, it’s the sort of track that gets inside your head & lays little eggs of joy that hatch later unexpectedly when you suddenly remember how good it is & your friends have no idea why you are suddenly smiling far too much.

 

8. Ethereal – Moondawn

Another track that feels like it’s straight out of the 90’s but been polished up to today’s production standards. It has a very glossy feel on top of it’s galactic atmospheres. It’s big, dreamy & slick like travelling through a trippy hyperspace tunnel with the walls whistling by like light in the darkness of consciousness. Beyond those walls is something I cannot comprehend but that is hinted at by the music that emanates from there. In tracks like this I always like the vocal samples as they give me a feeling of radio waves racing through space for all eternity & when I hear them it could be millions of years after they were said & an incalculable distance from where they originated and the sample in this track gives me the exact same notion. An all round great track to end on.

 

This is a damn good compilation & really gives me hope that there is life in the scene and not just life but hard hitting psychedelic madness inducing life that will make your mind just trip away merrily while the body moves itself in trance. 6 of the 8 tracks on this CD are worth the money alone & having 6 of them along with 2 pretty great tracks makes for one worth while purchase.

But then there is even more.

Downbeat

 

1. Mindsphere – Frozen Sleep

We kick off the downbeat CD with a slow journey through a cold dreamlike atmosphere. Long drones & cold slick melodies float around in the first half to be accompanied in the second by a deep rumbling bass that gives room for the percussion to come in. There is no BPM listing on the back of the CD so I was expecting it to be beatless all the way through. Although slow they are quite obviously there. A nice track, it feels like I’m walking through fog listening to this.

 

2. Solar Fields – Confusion Illusion (Remix)

A very nice remix of the classic Confusion Illusion by Solar Fields. I loved the original on Blue Moon Station but for me this remix is even better. It’s very rare that I prefer a remix to the original but from this I get a more spacey, trippy feeling. The steps up in intensity seem more pronounced as they seem to come out of nowhere & over all it arrests my attention a whole lot more. A great remix of a great track.

 

3. Electrypnose – ChillinBerlin

Electrypnose follows on from his Subliminal Melancholies album here with a cold glitchy track with an undertone of melodic solitude. There are scratchy beats twisting basslines & slick spacey sounds that cut through the atmosphere like a hot knife through snow. I quite like Electrypnose’s style but for me there is always something missing that makes it not great. When listening to the Subliminal Melancholies album I am entertained but never wowed. This track though shows potential that his sound is getting more emotional or at least more in tune with my taste as the final part of the track is great. Very impressive.

 

4. E-Mantra – Secret Prophecy

While E-Mantra’s upbeat track fell just a little short of wowing me, his downbeat track manages to knock my socks off. The piano melody in the middle is sublimely cold & melancholy wrapped up in a big bundle of spacey ambient. The atmosphere gets wider & wider until finally I feel like the openness is almost oppressive. It always stays on the light side though, never crossing over into dark.

5. Aes Dana – Lysistrata

This is the best track on the album & the best track I’ve ever heard from Aes Dana. It starts of cold with a droning atmosphere, the air crackles in a creepy way & then the synths come in with the steady 4-4 beat. The real beauty of this track though is the vocal/melody. I’m not sure what it is, some kind of synth but it puts me in mind of lost souls desperately crying out to the intruder that has stepped into the ocean of lost souls & trying desperately to scramble up & escape the tedium of the nether world that tortures them eternally. It’s beautiful in a really depressing way. Such emotion was an extremely pleasant surprise. Great Track.

6. Asura – Altered State

This is a typical Asura 4-4 track. “Like trance on horse tranquilizers” is a wonderful way to describe it. I think whoever spawned the phrase was trying to be negative but I think it perfectly sums up Asura’s style & I love this style. It’s definitely an Asura track but it’s also like nothing I’ve heard from him before. The sounds are more Earthy & the melody curiously ethnic yet not like his Lost Eden album. Like mix of all Asura’s styles over the years in one track. Well structured & psychedelic enough to get lost in. Pass the ketamine.

 

7. SiebZehn - Bongalore And Beyond

While the last few tracks have sounded very much like Ultimae (no bad thing I know) this track takes a much more old school ambient Goa route. The melodies, the beats & the whole feeling of this track makes me feel like I could be listening to the second CD of an old Spirit Zone compilation or the relaxed side of Total Eclipse’s Violent Relaxation. As old school as it is though it still has a modern touch allowing it to sound fresh & significant in today’s market.

 

8. Astral Waves – Contemplation

This is a strange track & sounds rather strange following on from Bongalore And Beyond as it’s much much darker. It starts off with dark slave labour like sounds. I’m put in mind of Orcs from The Lord of the Rings movies being forced to build some dark evil structure. However as the track goes on it gets lighter & more natural sounding. In such contrast to the beginning I’m sure I can hear the sound of children playing in the background. The melody is bright & it really gives you something to think about, dark oppressiveness to bright hope in just a few minutes.

9. Ra – Road To Shiraz

Ra finishes us off with another super relaxed track. There’s soft background percussion & a pronounced flute melody replaced later on by some Spanish guitar. There are great vocal chants subtle enough to not get annoying, they sit under the melodies perfectly and just add to the atmosphere rather than distract from it. A nice way to round of the compilation although I’m curious as to how this would sound without the flute or guitar as it could be a very interesting piece of pure ambient without those melodies.

 

This downbeat CD is just as strong as the upbeat one if not stronger. For me this CD was more instantly gratifying than the first CD but it has stayed great & hasn’t got boring after a lot (& I mean a lot) of listens. I still can’t get over how good the Aes Dana track is. I would pay the money for that track alone but it’s surrounded by 8 other top quality tracks trippy enough for long summer afternoons, early morning sessions or deep meditation.

 

So, 2 journeys for the price of 1 & what journeys they are. The first CD takes me acing through the universe & through other dimensions cracking my head open as it does & the second CD seeps into my the unprotected mind & oozes psychedelic soothing goodness. I am very happy with this release. Thank you Suntrip Records.

[djzen]

8. Astral Waves – Contemplation

This is a strange track & sounds rather strange following on from Bongalore And Beyond as it’s much much darker. It starts off with dark slave labour like sounds. I’m put in mind of Orcs from The Lord of the Rings movies being forced to build some dark evil structure. However as the track goes on it gets lighter & more natural sounding. In such contrast to the beginning I’m sure I can hear the sound of children playing in the background. The melody is bright & it really gives you something to think about, dark oppressiveness to bright hope in just a few minutes.

Hello and thx for your complete review of this great V/A

 

Well if possible I'd clear one point: the intro is made with Tibetan bowls and Tibetan chants surrounded by low octave pads.

I'm sure you already know that Tibetans like to have those really deep meditations while chanting their mantras and rubbing their big bronze bowls.

This is it! So it's not Orks from T.L.O.T.R

 

A deep meditation (so the title of my track) starts then enlightenment follows in a more contemplative way, as your words described very well.

[abasio]

Hello and thx for your complete review of this great V/A

 

Well if possible I'd clear one point: the intro is made with Tibetan bowls and Tibetan chants surrounded by low octave pads.

I'm sure you already know that Tibetans like to have those really deep meditations while chanting their mantras and rubbing their big bronze bowls.

This is it! So it's not Orks from T.L.O.T.R

 

A deep meditation (so the title of my track) starts then enlightenment follows in a more contemplative way, as your words described very well.

Not knowing how tracks are made I can only comment on what I hear & how they make me feel. Sometimes I'm wide of the mark

[Timää]

hallo

[frozen dream]

hi there gelfling

[Sawfly]

hallo

[Jon Cocco]

This is an awesome compilation, period.

 

I have probably heard it 20+ times since I got it, straight through, both CD's. And it is still excellent. But I don't want to overdue it, or I'll get sick of it because of my own inability to take space from something and let it breath when I truly appreciate it. So I've removed it from my car CD player.

 

Now to get back to listening to the long awaited RA album titled 9th. It's one of those albums where the samples don't give it proper justice IMO because the songs are always evolving in the spirit of Goa.

[node1]

Having listened to the Downtempo CD on continuous repeat for the last 8 hours, i'm wondering why my ears aren't bleeding. This is an exquisite piece of audio-nirvana for my mind. With some of favourite artists (Aes Dana, Solar Fields, Asura) and artists that i have heard of but not had the chance to listen to i find that every track on this CD is incredible.

 

I already knew Aes Dana, and Solar Fields would produce exactly what i expected from them, brilliance, but i guess i was very pleasantly surprised by Asura with their breathtaking piece Altered State, and Electrypnoses' Chillen Berlin ... All of the artists on the downtempo CD have been brought together to create a special collection of absolutely crafted magic.

 

Would like to say big kludos and almihgty thanks to mars & anoebis @ Suntrip for this liquid heaven i can absorb through my ears... "Thankyou!"

[soldierovdoom]

A lovely compilation. It really showcases how the quality of suntrips' music has increased over the years, espescially compared to Apsara. Nice to see this label entering into the realsm of down tempo as well. Thank you to Mars, Anoebis and Afgin for the lovel messages and signings in my booklet, it mean a lot you are all great blokes. All the best for the future

[frozen dream]

this cd only gets better

 

especially the shakta i've gradually started to appreciate very much

[Ormion]

especially the shakta i've gradually started to appreciate very much

+1

Good old Shakta

[Sideffect...]

+1

Good old Shakta

but it's not shakta ? I heard so many different things, better ask jos himself...

 

it's sounds shakta to me, the kick...

[Ormion]

but it's not shakta ? I heard so many different things, better ask jos himself...

 

it's sounds shakta to me, the kick...

What do you mean?

[frozen dream]

What do you mean?

something beyond our everyday comprehension

[Sideffect...]

What do you mean?

wasn't it said that this track was not from the original shakta,

first-two pages of this topic ?

[HolyLight]

wasn't it said that this track was not from the original shakta,

first-two pages of this topic ?

wtf

[Sideffect...]

wtf

that was my same reaction, read my review you'll notice

 

probably some idiot posted that, well I don't follow psynews every day so

[frozen dream]

seb taylor aka shakta, right?

[amphiton]

This is stunning!

 

My favs are E-Mantra, Artifact303, Afgin and Ethereal. Artifact303 looks very very promising! That's the most played morning tune by me People say they like Filteria's track here, it's not my cup of tea but people (ang orgs) ask me to play that tune all the time... o_O

 

The chill CD is even better, Mindsphere blows me away Some notmycupofteas in the end, but in general Opus Iridium is something unique in the world of psytrance!