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Innovative psy from 2002-2008?


Mindbender

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Hi all!

 

[i didn't mean this to be a long post, but decided to re-introduce myself, taking some space. If you just wanted to help without reading crap, jump to the point where you start seeing album names. Thanks.]

 

Some of you might remember me from, well, the days of way back... I used to be quite active here. Lately I've started lurking about, mainly for reviews, and have noticed many old names are still here. This is my first login. Back in 2002 I don't remember having to register...

 

Anyway, nice to see some of you are still alive and from what I can gather, rather ok too. ;)

 

I got semi-turned-off from psy about 5 years ago, as there started to be too many releases, particularly as most of them had no innovation what-so-ever. It became to hard to listen to what was released, too hard to find the gems among the chaff. And maybe I had heard a bit too much psy as well - I got turned off by most stuff just sounding like it had been done before (including also often the stuff that "did it" in the first place). Plus some other more minor issues... Oh, and the major issue of DJ's apparently lacking any musical taste. It seems all that matters for being a DJ is that you have the very latest, preferably unreleased, tracks and that you can beat mix. No matter how soulless the music is. No matter that I might hear maybe one sound, one melody, and one rhythm I haven't heard before in a whole DJ set, of course all three distributed among three different tracks. At least that's what I feel it's generally like in London. Some positive surprises come up once in a while, though, which is utterly refreshing. A DJ with musical taste!?! Who would have imagined!?!

 

Ok, time to end rant//

 

Anyway, after not going to too many parties over the last half a decade (roughly 4 a year), I've managed to cherry pick a few that have restored my faith in trance. And thus I also want to get some new (trance) music - getting bored of listening to the same old, same old...

 

 

So, after checking stuff here, myspace and here and there elsewhere, I have started to formulate a shopping list, mainly by reading people here mentioning stuff in passing, following it up etc... In the days of old, it used to be simpler, as I could order smaller batches from Chaosunlimited, as the UK-internal postage wasn't that much. Now I am mainly thinking of psyshop and wirikuta, as they are in Europe. Saikosounds seems a bit far. First things first: how up-to-date am I with shops? Anything I should know before placing an order? Psyshop or Wirikuta, which is better? Or equal? Anything else i should know? I thought I would place a massive order to save on postage, but then open only one record per week, so as to have time to get to know each one.

 

 

 

I probably should start by trying to give you a sense of my taste. Off the top of my head, here's some trance that I still bother listening to:

 

Hux Flux - Bring Your Own Bios (probably the best track ever), Cryptic Crunch, old singles/comp tracks

Logic Bomb - old singles, some comp tracks

Hallucinogen - bits here and there, Angelic Particles and mi-loony-um on top of the pile

Beast single

IM - Psycho, Classical Mushroom, My Mommy Said, bits here and there

Prometheus - Corridor of Mirrors, Ok Computer, older singles

Process (+Prom) - half of first album, Clarity from Deep Fog, Dealing With Demons (w Tristan)

Juno Reactor - bits here and there

S>Range - Singles released before 2001 (album)

Orion - Neu

X-Dream - Panic in Paradise, Irritant, first 2 albums, radio rmx (the track)

Spirallianz

Deedrah - reload (album)

Cosma - Simplicity

Haldolium - Pi-symptome

Atmos - up to and including 1st album

Bus - pretty much all of it, Bullet in particular

Kox Box - 1st and 3rd albums, bit of the latest

Accu - Polemik

Son Kite - Colors

Texas Faggott - Hoosianna, some of petoman's peflett

Eraser vs Yojalka - Home Deep Home

Sam Spacey/Swan & Spacey

Silk - GM Telephone

PsySex - Bionic Bong 2001 + Survival Kit

Bigwigs - some tracks before fraktalik fraternity

Parasense - Boomerang

Morphem - Hypnotone

Prana - Geomantik (album)

Sandman - half of Witchcraft

Reefer Decree - Curved Air (filur rmx)

 

Plus of course of lots of other bits here and there, pretty much across the board from Isra (Voojoo Rituals, IsrAliens 2) to some prog (FR, Iboga, Spiral Trax); from some Suomi (but generally don't like the too low production values) to some old Goa (but mostly I am bored of the old goa sounds).

 

Feel free to suggest stuff that I might like based on the above. I want music that stands out of the mass, that doesn't sound quite like anything else. Music that is emotional and clever. Oh, and complex and subtle are usually good. Quirky too. I don't want stuff that sounds like everything else out there... I am looking at you, modern psy-full-on (but quite a lot of prog too). Yes, I'd like innovative full-on, but not the typical stuff I hear too much at parties. And good, innovative, prog tends to really fire me up these days.

 

I've bought everything I want from Twisted Records already, so no need to suggest anything from them.

 

 

Ok, so then to some stuff I've been planning to buy:

 

Based on *samples*, I've given a rating of 0-5 for some of the stuff I am considering. If there's no number, I haven't listened to samples. Feel free to comment on them regardless. When I felt I had something to say, I've marked it with *. I won't buy everything here, just the "best". But I know from experience that some albums grow on you, while others wither and this is something that I can't judge very well on samples, thus, I would appreciate your comments.

 

 

5 Perfect Stranger - Learning = Change

Perfect Stranger - Changed

* This is what inspired me to buy some new music. I saw them at Glade and was blown away (the highlight of the festival). Then I thought buying just his albums would be bad value (due to postage), so tried to figure out other new stuff, which became a bit of an obsession and has taken too much of my time. Here's the result.

 

3 AMD - Bigfish

* Everyone seems to rave about this. Seems "just" good prog to me. What am I missing?

 

Wingmakers 2

* mainly for the Prometheus track (I've always been a fan), but doesn't seem a bad comp.

 

4/5 OOOD - Free Range

* Used to hate old OOOD, but seems they've matured. Or I've changed?

 

2-5 MEEO - Highlight me please

*nuts. Opinion changes each time I listen from shit to awesome

 

Ott Skylon

* Will buy. Decided.

 

4.5 Loud - Abstract

4.5 Loud - Some Kind of Creativity

* will get both: nothing quite compares and they sound good.

 

3.5 BUS - morebusinesslinkyouthere

* saw Gus live maybe some 20 months ago, really liked it. The samples from this album sounded somewhat similar, but just not as good. Again, am I missing something?

 

3.5 Luomuhappo - Pogo... 30....

* people rave about this, yes, sounds good to me to, but *that* good? Really?

 

3 Kiwa - On the Frequency

* I love Hertz, but the rest seems just usual Kiwa (have previous 2 albums, don't listen much)

 

Nuclear Ramjet - Mission to Sedna

* Lots of praise here, unfortunately it's sold out everywhere (haven't listened, but first album sounded promising to me, yet not quite there)

 

Hujaboy - Black Belt

* am I confused or was this that nitzhonot dude? Any good, anything new?

 

4? Kindzadza - Waves from Inner Space

* dark in itself is not a value to me, but I love older Hux Flux. However, this doesn't quite seem to flow the same way, or have melodies as much. Not quite sure what to make of it.

 

3 Voice of Cod - We Are Free

* myspace samples of upcoming album sounded fantastic, but wasn't quite as impressed with this.

 

Freaked Frequency - FF

*supposed to be somehow special: myspace samples are so-so IMO. Give me the same basic melodies, but improve (=complicate) the rhythm section, twist and modulate the melody-sounds more (and use other sounds as well for melodies), add some fitting noisy, crunchy and glitchy sounds, AND give me some breaks without the in-your-face melodies - THEN I WOULD BE DROOLING! I don't mean offend, just not my cup of tea, but in an annoyingly specific way where I can see how it could have been my cup of tea.

 

That reminded me that I downloaded Jikkenteki's album, which he kindly offered for free and was thinking somewhat similar: It's almost a masterpiece (closer than the FF stuff I've heard), but he should really recruit another person to the group to do the low end, the groove, plus nicer rhythm section. Great melodies, but that just isn't enough. Almost there. 10 points for effort. And more general sound-crazyness (modulations, noizes), wouldn't hurt.

 

Xenomorph

* The old stuff used to sound to me like childish "I wanna be evil and a bad-ass"-sort of stuff, not managing to pull it off, but someone again praised newer xenomorph here... Haven't listened.

 

4.5 Fuzzion - Black Magic

* Will get this. Liked his old trance and this sounds just FRESH!

PS. Really like the Chordless myspace sample that seems unreleased.

 

3.5 Reefer Decree - Point of You

* Frames of Sound was a bit too samey for my taste. This seems better. Samples were nice. I was just wondering, would I actually listen to this (does it stand out enough)?

 

5 Haltya - Book of Nature

* I got the first Haltya album; was weird and unusual, some nice ideas, but like most Suomi, too chaotic and without direction. From the samples, it sounds like this one could be first Suomi-album I could really call a master-piece. Need to hear it at home, though. Will buy. Borboleta Purpura made my jaw drop.

 

Ticon

*what is his best stuff so that I can check it out?

 

Vibrasphere

*as above. I have Lime Structure, but never listened to it much. Actually, haven't listened to it in years. Because didn't like it then. Tastes change, should try again... But anyway, I was under the impression they've got better since.

 

2 Texas Faggott - Pilluminati Cunt-Roll

* same old fags, no self-control. Still they make the occasional master-piece track among a forest of tracks that are weird, funny and innovative, often with several good elements, but that somehow still manage to break my ears by going to far or by not clearing up the junk. Gotta love them for what they do, even it's usually not really my thing. The samples of "Who needs Koneisto" sound really promising.

 

1.5 Texas Faggott - Kinigin

* as above, some bits sound promising. But I get the feeling that even they are starting to follow more their own formula. Ok, it's not someone else's formula, but sounds too familiar, having heard lots of Suomisaundi already.

 

3.5 James Reipas - Personal Trainer

* Some quite good bits. Might check it out.

 

2.5 Astroschnautzer - Debut

* Yes and no. I haven't quite heard this exact same thing before, but I've heard rather similar stuff...

 

3.5 Vishnudata - Dreamforce

* again, decent prog, but is it really anything new?

 

3 VA Ultrapop 2

* funky, original, can't complain about that. It's just that with most of the samples, something didn't quite click. Maybe better than I rate it now.

 

4 Bigwigs - National Heroes...

*promising couple of samples. I really liked the stuff they started with, before fraktalik fraternity. Need to listen more thoroughly.

 

3.5 Digicult - OotW

* Very typical melodic full-on. I might still like this in small doses, as it sounded rather good for typical full-on.

 

4 Matenda - Natural Development

* Liked some matenda's stuff before on comps, though not the 1st album. Melodic progressive. Nice.

 

3 Zub Zub

*Nothing particularly wrong, nothing amazing though.

 

3? The Zap

Benji, but not quite there. I like "because", which is not on the album.

 

4 Logic Bomb - Sonic Algebra

*would probably get this already purely out of principle, but some tracks sound rather good too... yet not really anything surprising.

 

3.5 Ace Ventura - Rebirth

* again, good prog, but is it anything more?

 

Ian Ion - Gringolocomotion

*the few samples I hear were so good that will probably get it... And I have faith in Ian Ion.

 

 

Ok, below are more stuff that I've picked up mainly by lurking in the forum and reading your texts. But these ones I haven't got around to listening yet.

 

Concept

VA Universo Parallello

FREq remixed

Furious

Psykovsky

Hamish

Flowjob (heard especially that support normality should be great)

Zen mechanics

flip flop

ans & allaby

yotopia

quantize

daily basis 2

latest Juno Reactor

Atmos - 2nd brigade

Tegma AtWi80mins

Human Blue - BBB

Moon Spirits - Moonkeys

 

Tip.world comps: I used to like them, but seems they've gone down hill. Some I'd like to ask about:

Red

Purple

Digital Collusions

2.5 God Save the Machine

* This I even listened to - sounded like well-made, but typical full-on - not new

6 stringadelica

imagi:nation, day 2

 

 

 

Most of the above list was from the last year or two... I checked less carefully backwards beyond that. Basically, I'd like to hear about anything good after 2001. I might have some of the 2001-2003 stuff, but not that much. After that, hardly anything.

 

 

 

 

Some other non-psy music that I am interested in, usually would like a recommendation of what album to pick up if I would take one:

 

[More of] Dead Can Dance - what are the good albums?

iTAL tEK

Venetian Snares

Pendulum

Proem

Kattoo

Secede

Stendeck

Kettel

Far Too Loud doesn't have an album yet?

 

 

 

While I am now looking for trance mainly, some chill suggestions would be welcome. People here seem to rave about Ultimae: where to start?

 

Some examples of chill I like:

Shpongle (duh!)

FSOL

Silence (Pete Namlook + Dr Atmo)

Dead Can Dance

Briskey

DH Krill

Cinematic Orchestra

Ott

Abakus

Alien Soap Opera

Opak

 

 

 

 

 

Whoa!

 

I didn't really mean to write at such length.

 

 

Actually I am being a bit of a selfish asshole here, asking you guys to help me out, as I could simply read more reviews and listen to more samples, but frankly: I've done probably close to 100 hours of that already and I am starting to be sick and tired of it. T'was fun to begin with, now I just want to place my order and listen at my leisure. Plus I don't have internet at home (staying at work after hours to do this stuff and I'd rather be home). Thus the plea for help...

 

While I wrote at length, you don't have to. Any little will be of help, I am sure. Suggesting one or two albums I haven't listed, or eliminating some based on what you gathered about my taste, or telling me to reconsider something I didn't find that appealing... Every small effort welcome!

 

Thanks a lot everyone, nice to see that this forum is still active!

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I see you've already found out about Loud. Which I think is one of the best artist hitting the scene for a long time. Get that Hujaboy album too. I think it's very good and mature full on.

 

I think you should check these too:

Krumelur - Paranormal 2006, The Shaker/Nowhere EP 2008

Artifakt - Artifakts 2003, Artifakts II 2005, The Magus(!) 2008

Scorb - Scorb 2003, Ipso Fvcto 2007

Error Corrective - Fade Instict 2007

Menog - Emotions 2005

Principles of Flight - Nighttime Lullabies 2006

 

These popped up in my head.

There are samples of these artists on saikosounds/psyshop/whatever so just go knock yourself out. I hope you like something I've mentioned. Good luck!

 

Edit: Also, welcome back! :)

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For Ultimae a good place to start would be:

Carbon Based Lifeforms - World Of Sleepers and Hydroponic Garden when they r re-released!!

 

as for the ones u can get from their web shop (click here) I would suggest VA - Albedo (to get a taste of different artist on the label) or Aes Dana - Memory Shell!

 

But as u can see (in their web shop) they r low in stock at the moment, but as mentioned in another thread that is going to change in the near future! :)

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Derango - Tumult

Procs both albums

sattel battle - sounds cool

va - schizm

 

Sanaton records, you can download some nice music on their website to get an impression of their style

 

If you like the previous recomendations you also should check va - yggdrasounds and their previous va nine worlds

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Some other non-psy music that I am interested in, usually would like a recommendation of what album to pick up if I would take one:

 

[More of] Dead Can Dance - what are the good albums?

iTAL tEK

Venetian Snares

Pendulum

Proem

Kattoo

Secede

Stendeck

Kettelo

Far Too Loud doesn't have an album yet?

Proem's last album is more on the ambient side than the album before, which i prefer because of the additional glitchy sound.Plus,there's a second live set cd as well which is class.Socially Inept is also really good.

 

Kattoo's first album is my favorite and there's loads of variety inside like.Thing is,there is loads of aggressive breakcore along with the sweet atmosphere so if you don't fancy the breaks that much then go for the other two albums.By the way,you can download the albums on mp3 from free going to his website and leave a small donation in case he saved you from buying them without at least knowing :)

 

Stendeck has got two amazing releases and going for a 3rd one pretty soon.His last album Faces is beyond words really.The style is really close to some sort of atmoshperic neo-industrial mixed with IDMish breaks and a ton of melodies and it's so nicely done it actually sounds pretty psychedelic.

 

You can find samples and free tunes of them on LastFM,

Stendeck

Kattoo

Proem

 

Good luck with the hunt.

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Mindbender: It's impossible to help someone who refuses to download illegaly. It would be so much easier if you could just download all of those albums, listen to them, and then decide which ones are worth buying. We don't know your taste as well as you do.

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Hey, Mindbender! Never seen you around, but welcome back :)

 

4 Matenda - Natural Development

* Liked some matenda's stuff before on comps, though not the 1st album. Melodic progressive. Nice.

Cheers, this is a great album ^_^

If you liked that one I bet you like 12 Moons - Solid State ... trancy and warm, be sure to check that one out.

You also could try Matenda's chill albums...

 

Check out Solar Fields - EarthShine aswell!

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Hey I never knew he does chill stuff! I've only listened to a few of his prog stuff which aint bad really, I'll have to check it out.

Yeah :)

 

The second chill album people tend to find better than the first I might add. Although I actually prefer the first! For example the first song, Smiri Se, is on my list of the best ambient pieces ever!

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Mindbender: It's impossible to help someone who refuses to download illegaly. It would be so much easier if you could just download all of those albums, listen to them, and then decide which ones are worth buying. We don't know your taste as well as you do.

That's the logical thing to do :clapping:
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That's the logical thing to do :clapping:

not valid for my recommendations!

 

they're of such a divine greatness you don't even need to check a sample before buying!

 

jk, but I support Mindbender's attitude :)

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Thank you all for your replies! I did check samples of ALL the trance you recommended. Time for buying chill / breaks / IDM is later (though soon). Thanks for the info anyway - it will be helpful then.

 

The stuff I liked a lot:

Nystagmus - The Immaculate Percetion (especially the track Ananda. Among the best stuff I've heard EVER. Pure aural orgasm! Thanks frozen dream! Is there anything else like this someone could think of?)

Sattel Battle - Sounds Cool (especially the track 'Sounds Good')

Principles of Flight - Night Time Lullabyes

Artifakt - The Magus

Menog - Emotion

VA - No Tone Unstirred

VA - Schizm

Hiyarat - Collision

 

Which probably half of what you guys suggested (and even the rest was good), so well done, thanks! I have money to buy some of them for now, the rest probably later.

 

On another note, there was quite a lot of forest crazyness there. It fits the description of music I was asking for and I like them, but... To balance my purchase a bit, would anyone know of any clean, smooth and dreamy goodies?

 

 

 

 

Mindbender: It's impossible to help someone who refuses to download illegaly. It would be so much easier if you could just download all of those albums, listen to them, and then decide which ones are worth buying. We don't know your taste as well as you do.

Actually, I don't refuse to download illegally. It's just that I don't internet at home (long story). And I can't install software on my work computer, so all downloads are via www for me. Actually, back in the day when before my lapse from trance, I noticed that sharing music P2P actually increased the amount of music I bought as I got to sample more of it. Yes, it's true no one knows my taste as well as I do, but you've all still been very helpful!

 

 

 

You've got Hallucinogen and Prometheus on your list, so maybe you should check out their joint project Younger Brother. Their first album Flock of Bleeps is fantastic.

Cheers, but got both albums. Flock of Bleeps is indeed good, but not so good I'd use it to describe my taste in music. However, after an initial disappointment in Last Days of Gravity, I've learned to love it A LOT.

 

Thanks again! And feel free to keep them coming!

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4? Kindzadza - Waves from Inner Space

* dark in itself is not a value to me, but I love older Hux Flux. However, this doesn't quite seem to flow the same way, or have melodies as much. Not quite sure what to make of it.

Yes! This is an awesome album.

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I must mention my favourite album from 02-08 period : MIDI MILIZ - NON STANDARDS. Nuff said. For now. :D

 

Also SIENIS - FROM A NUTTER PERSPECTIVE, KINO OKO - LOST ENTERTAINMENT, BIGWIGS - NATIONAL HEROES OF THE SONIC PARALLEL

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for smooth, dreamy trance check out Distant System - Spiral Empire, and as mentioned before Solar Fields - Earthshine

also Mystical Sun - Deeperworlds

 

for something more or less close to abakus and ott try Tripswitch - Circuit Breaker

 

from what is available at Ultimae shop i'd suggest VA - Oxycanta and Aes Dana - Memory Shell and earthshine as i mentioned before

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On another note, there was quite a lot of forest crazyness there. It fits the description of music I was asking for and I like them, but... To balance my purchase a bit, would anyone know of any clean, smooth and dreamy goodies?

 

Vishnudata - Dreamforce and maybe you should also check the suntrip releases, like khetzal - corolle

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NEW KINO OKO ALBUM!!!!! Not very psychedelic, but fresh as a newly picked spanish watermelon ;)

I guess what is psychedelic depends a lot on the person you ask. I found this not only awesome and fresh, but also psychedelic (fed my imagination). Sometimes too much of everything leaves no space for yourself. Less can be more. But I also like stuff that's choke-full. Question of balance.

 

 

 

Ok, I think I've come up with a list of stuff to buy - a sort of starting point for getting back into the scene. Or perhaps better described as the peripheries of this scene, as that's where all good stuff seems to being going on...

 

From Psyshop (cheapest):

 

Sattel Battle - Sounds Good

VA - Chronika III

Principles of Flight - Night Time Lullabies

Loud - Abstract

Loud - Some Kind of Creativity

Ian Ion - Gringolocomotion

Fuzzion - Black Magic

Kino Oko - Alphabetically...

Matenda - Natural Developments

Menog - Emotions

Perfect Stranger - Learning = Change

 

 

From Wirikuta (better selection, bit more costly). I'll probably get these first and buy the Psyshop stuff in about a month:

 

Haltya - Book of Nature

Nystagmus - The Immaculate Perception

VA - Chronika II

Solar Fields - EarthShine

VA - No Tone Unstirred

Logic Bomb - Sonic Algebra

 

 

 

That still leaves quite a lot of stuff "unbought", but have start somewhere.

 

Thanks to everyone for your help!

 

And I don't mind getting yet more suggestions... As I'll order more in a little while.

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