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Psynews BEST OF 2008!


travbrad1001

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Another year of great music has gone by, and it's time to vote for your favorite albums/compilations of the year.

 

There are only a few rules here:

 

1. The release must be from 2008. If you are unsure of the official release date, myself or other pysnewsers should be able to help you.

 

2. They must be albums/comps that are from the general psy scene, and the type of album you commonly see reviewed on psynews. Full-on, Goa, Dark, Forest, Progressive, Suomi, Electro-trance, Ambient, Chillout, etc. I probably missed a few, but I think you get the idea.

 

3. Older albums being re-released can be voted for if they include new elements, new mastering, etc. EPs are also allowed.

 

 

 

The voting will be split into two general categories, chillout/ambient/downbeat and trance/upbeat. If you are unsure of which category the album falls under, just ask and I'm sure someone will be able to help.

 

Please make 2 separate top5 lists for each of these general categories. If you only listen to trance, or only listen to chillout/ambient, then it's okay to just make one list. Check out last years thread for examples of how it should look.

 

 

It should be formatted like this:

 

CHILLOUT

1. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

2. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

3. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

4. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

5. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

 

TRANCE

1. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

2. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

3. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

4. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

5. Artist Name - Album Name - Label

 

If you don't know which label released the album, then just list Artist/Album and I will try to figure out which label it was on. You can also list more (or less) than 5 albums if you wish, but only the top5 will get points. You may edit your post as many times as you like, up until the deadline.

 

The scoring will be the same as last year. Your #1 album of the year is worth 5points, #2 is worth 4pts, #3 is worth 3pts, #4 is worth 2pts, #5 is worth 1pt

 

The deadline for getting your votes in is March 1st, and I'll try to get the votes counted up a few days after that. If there is a general consensus that more time is needed, I may extend the deadline.

 

 

So start figuring out what your favorite albums are, the more votes we get the more accurate the results will be :)

 

Also, thanks to moni for setting up last years thread. I basically just copied it :P

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Good year. I have real difficulty choosing which among my top four trance CDs should go at number 1, so the deciding factor has been my desire to give high scores to albums that nobody else will vote for. Same goes for my top two downtempo.

 

Trance

 

1) VA - Multiple Personalities 3 - Manic Dragon (read my review here)

2) VA - Acid Transmission - Trishula (read my review here)

3) VA - Midnight's Shared Blossom - Osom Music (read my review here)

4) OOOD - Fourthought - Phar Psyde

5) Talpa - When the Somberness Becomes a Game - SunDance

 

Chill

 

1) VA - Raindrops in the Forest - Psyber Tribe (read my review here)

2) Orbit Constructions - Androneda - Demon Tea

3) Distant System - Spiral Empire - Celestial Dragon

4) VA - Healing Ananda (Disc 2) - Gaian Mind

 

e: in case you're wondering what the colours are about, every year I write each entry in the colour which most closely matches that of the album's cover. It appears that this year I have gone for albums whose covers are dominated by very boring colours.

 

e3: forget all that shit. Here's my last-minute choice:

 

Psytrance:

 

1;OOOD;Fourthought;Phar Psyde

2;Overdream;Wonderwise;Avatar

3;VA;Multiple Personalities 3;Manic Dragon

4;VA;Acid Transmission;Trishula

5;VA;Midnight's Shared Blossom;Osom Music

 

Chill:

 

1;VA;Raindrops in the Forest;Psyber Tribe

2;Orbit Constructions;Androneda;Demon Tea

3;Distant System;Spiral Empire;Celestial Dragon

4;VA;Healing Ananda (Disc 2);Gaian Mind

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Psytrance:

 

1;Artifakt;The Magus;Timecode Records

2;Talpa;When The Somberness Becomes A Game;Sundance Records

3;Tickets;Dreaming of Places;Timecode Records

4;Electrypnose;Funked Up;Digital Psionics

5;Predators;Cosmos;Geomagnetic tv Records

 

 

Chill:

 

1;Easily Embarrassed;Idyllic Life;Cardamar Music

2;Blue Pilots Project;Flight For Everyone;Klik Records

3;Temple Hedz;Between Worlds;2012 Music

4;VA;Gourmet Scavenger;Omplette

5;Ott;Skylon;Twisted Records

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Hang on a moment with the posting of your charts, we are discussing the best and most efficient way of compiling the data. Could yall just hold back for a couple of hours, so we can work things out? :) No harm intended! :)

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Ok so here it is!

 

After some discussion we came to the conclusion that it would be best if you enter your data in the following way:

 

Psytrance:

 

rank;artist;album;label

rank;artist;album;label

rank;artist;album;label

rank;artist;album;label

rank;artist;album;label

 

Chill:

 

rank;artist;album;label

rank;artist;album;label

rank;artist;album;label

rank;artist;album;label

rank;artist;album;label

 

Example:

 

1;OOOD;Fourthought;Phar Psyde Records

2;Ace Ventura;Re Boot;Iboga Records

3;VA;Sea Of Vapours;Zenon Records

 

etc etc

 

Please try and do the correct spelling (less work to correct stuff later), If there are dots (.) or commas (,) or colons (:) in the artist/artist/label, replace then with a space (see Ace Ventura above which is Re:Boot originally)

 

Use VA for various artists, nothing else!

 

NO spaces between the ;. No colors, no fancy formatting.

 

This way, it will be easier to compile the data and publish it in a timely manner.

 

And of course, we inspire discussion to each release or chart, it would be nice to hear what why you think like you do etc etc :)

 

Have fun voting people!

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Chill

 

1;I Awake;The Core;Ultimae

2;Bluetech;Phoenix Rising;Somnia

3;Mystical Sun;Energy Mind Concioussness;Cyberset

4;Hol Baumann;Human;Ultimae

5;Distant System;Spiral Empire;Celestial Dragon

 

Psytrance

 

1;Ticon;2am;Digital Structures

2;Ra;9th;Suntrip

3;VA;Little Worlds;Glowing Flame Records

4;Symphonix;The Wild Life;Blue Tunes Recordings

5;Kino Oko;Alphabetically Divided Highway;

 

Cheers and happy new year!!

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[...]

 

Please try and do the correct spelling (less work to correct stuff later), If there are dots (.) or commas (,) or colons (:) in the artist/artist/label, replace then with a space

How about apostophes?

 

Also, what is the standard method of referring to one CD of a two CD set (as is the case with my number four chill release, the first disc of which is not chill)?

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How about apostophes?

 

Also, what is the standard method of referring to one CD of a two CD set (as is the case with my number four chill release, the first disc of which is not chill)?

Like you did will get me a result in the counting in the end, so that is fine, it will only seperate where there are Semi Colons, meaning that it would then look like CD 2 of ananda whatever gets a vote :) I mean, Of course its easier if you just put the whole cd, if its a 2 cd with chill and upbeat, but better to seperate to make sure you say its a 2cd set. :)
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Psytrance

 

1;VA;Midnight Storm 3;Nexus Media

2;Furious;Supremacy;Technical Freaks

3;Artifakt;The Magus;Timecode

4;Wizzy Noise;Renaissance;Harmonia

5;Brethren;The Price Of Prophecy;Spectral

 

 

Ambient

 

1;Orbit Constructions;Androneda;Demon Tea

2;Ishq;Timelapse In Mercury;Virtual World

3;Colourform;Visions Of Sunya;Virtual World

4;Indigo Egg;Ixland;Celestial Dragon

5;Pan Electric & Ishq;About Time;Absolute Ambient.com

 

 

 

edited: 21/02/09

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You can edit until we close the voting, of course :) But edit the ORIGINAL :)

Cool thanks!

I wait for a new pile of cds including Crop Circles and more, so it's 100% sure that I'm gonna change my results :)

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Yep, I know that! :)

And man I'm jealous that you have already listen to the new Tickets. I'm still waiting for it. Is it really that good?

Yes, it's good. Definetly better than Slug's new. But I think I have to relisten Brethren again.
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My Top 5's (still some cds to come, but I can change it if necessary)

 

Trance

1. Ra;9th;Suntrip Records

2. Va;Goa Times;Shivlink Records

3. Crop Circles;Tetrahedron;DAT Records

4. Procs;The Lonely Land of Tada;Manic Dragon Records

5. Va;Opus Iridium;Suntrip Records

 

Ambient

1. Hol Baumann;Human;Ultimae Records

2. Gus Till;Aquana;Aquana Records

3. Orthonorma;Time 2 Wait;Sunline Records

4. Evan Bartholomew;Secret Entries Into Darkness;Somnia Records

5. Irezumi;Endurance;Snowblood

 

I know there are 2 Suntrip cds in my 10 cds, but I swear I would have voted them as well if I didn't release them myself! :)

Otherwise a relatively weak year from Ultimae I noticed... But I know next year will be SMASHING (CBL, Huva, Solar Fields & Sync24!) so I forgive them :P

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Trance

 

1;Ra;9th;Suntrip Records

2;Jikkenteki;Flights Of Infinity;Par-2 Productions

3;Crop Circles;Tetrahedron;DAT Records

4;VA;Sundrops;Suntrip Records

5;VA;Opus Iridium (Disk 1);Suntrip Records

 

 

Chill

 

1;Hol Baumann;Human;Ultimae Records

2;Distant System;Spiral Empire;Celestial Dragon

3;Ott;Skylon;Twisted Records

4;VA;Opus Iridium (Disk 2);Suntrip Records

5;Entheogenic;Flight of the Urubus;Universal Symbiosis Records

 

 

Honorable Psytrance mentions

 

 

6. O.O.O.D.;Fourthought;Phar Psyde Records

7. Electrypnose;Funked Up;Digital Psionics

8. Amithaba Buddha;Goa Gate;Phototropic Records

9. Cybernetica;Nanospheric;Unreleased

10. Talpa;When the somberness becomes a game;Sundance Records

 

 

These threads are great. I become aware of other great stuff I missed. :drama:

 

The new OOOD - Fourthought album is really worth checking out. See my full review here, towards the bottom of page 1.

http://www.psynews.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=54100

 

The new Electrypnose - Funked Up is great(!), and my favorite album by the artist since Subliminal Melancholies. Tasty recommendation!

http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=7541

 

Hol Baumann - Human is really worth checking out too in downtempo. Thanks for the recommendations! Samples below

http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=7097

 

 

BEST 2008 GOA/PSY ALBUM IMHO

RA - 9TH

 

Samples = http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=7266

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GOA/PSY/PROG/FULL ON:

 

1.Ra;9th;Suntrip Records

2.Talpa;When the somberness becomes a game;Sundance Records

3.M.E.E.O.;Highlight me please;Demon Tea Records

4.Kino Oko;Alphabetically divided highway;Tribal Vision records

5.VA;Sundrops;Suntrip Records

 

(still some to purchase that will almost certainly change these 2 lists during the next months...)

 

CHILL/DOWNBEAT/AMBIENT:

 

1.Astral Waves;Mystique;Sunline Records

2.Hol Baumann;Human;Ultimae Records

3.VA;Opus Iridium;Suntrip Records;2nd CD of 2CD

4.Hibernation;Some things will never change;Aleph zero

5.Anahata;Conduktor/The unmade sound;Area709 Recordings;2nd CD of 2CD

 

 

edit 02/03/09

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psy-trance:

 

1;VA;The Blood Vol 03;Skitzophrenik Lifeform Records

2;VA;The Blood Vol 01;Skitzophrenik Lifeform Records

3;VA;The Blood Vol 02;Skitzophrenik Lifeform Records

4;Gorump Peyya;Mystery Of Nitzzy;The Fifth Element Records

5;Trimada;Left Behind;Mechanical Dragon Records

 

 

chill:

 

1;Vataff Project;Kalitz;Aleph Zero Records

2;Distant System;Spiral Empire;Celestial Dragon Records

3;Ishq;Timelapse In Mercury;Virtual Musical Reality

4;Pan Electric And Ishq;About Time;Absolute Ambient

5;Satumnaisuus;Kaleidoskopedelia;Oletustila Records

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Unfortunately this year I missed out quite big time on ambient releases (yeah, I know, what a shame ... I didn't even buy Ease Division 3 even though I actually really wanted it ... spent the money on games, aww aww), so I'm going to vote only for trance:

 

1;Atmos;Tour de Trance;Spiral Trax

2;Audiomatrixx;Variations;AP Records

3;VA;Bakkelit 2 1;Spiral Trax

4;Ticon;2am;Digital Structures

5;Materia;Out of Tune;24/7 Records

 

Atmos is definite first place, that album is wonderful. The long waiting really got rewarded big time. No more words needed, read my review (or the other ones) for that one and just go listen to it! By the way, my vote here is for the CD version ... but I don't think you need to differ between the formats, the CompactStick just has bonus tracks from the music point of view...

Second place goes to Audiomatrixx. I really like the light and uncomplicated melodic upbeat-ness and kinda warm atmosphere of this morning progressive, it's perfect for me. Puts a smile on my face every time. Also the cover is one of the best ones 2008 IMO ... describes the lightness of the music well.

Third place gets Bakkelit 2.1 (in the listing above I replaced the dot with a space as requested) ... a funny number, but I can understand the reason why they picked it (since Spiral Trax went down for some time as you might recall). I thought it would be like the first Bakkelit, a few good tracks and some not that good ones ... and I bought it only because of the Agent 17 tune at first. But then I got very positively surprised, there are really good tracks on this one practically from start to finish! That's how a great compilation should be.

Fourth place gets Ticon. Some may complain that it is not psy and whatnot, but I still wanna mention it. First I thought it's not that good and to be honest, a true masterpiece I wouldn't call it, but I had to come to the conclusion that there are actually some really good tracks on it that I like a big lot and this together with the pseudo-snobby (so "snobby" that it's actually arsing the snobbish-ness - at least to me it appears like that) atmosphere makes it actually a really good craft.

Fifth place finally goes to Materia's Out of Tune, the only non-prog in my list. At first I despised it as generic fullon and that it's bad and such ... but then, on a party, I got to experience that it's actually better than I thought because I got to experience what awfulness actual fullon really is. Maybe that experience distorted my judgement a bit, but I am now of the opinion that this release is actually good. And besides the local scene deserves my support too ^_^

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as it looks now:

 

Psytrance

 

1;M.E.E.O.;Highlight me please;Demon Tea Recordings

2;Atmos;Tour de trance;Spiral Trax

3;Electrypnose;Funked Up;Digital Psionics

4;Braincell;Frequency Evolution;Growing Flame Records

5;Ticon;2am;Digital Structures

 

Possible changes/Also worth mentioning: Kino Oko-MDA, AKD-Processing, Para Halu-wide range,

 

Chill:

 

1;Ott;Skylon;Twisted records

2;Bluetech;Phoenix Rising;Somnia

3;I Awake;The core;Ultimae

4;Pan Electric & Ishq;About Time;Absolute Ambient.com

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I'm sorry to say that so far, I haven't bought much of the releases dated 2008. This is my humble vote:

 

Psytrance/Upbeat:

 

1;VA;Chronika Chapter III;Boshke Beats Records

2;VA;YggdraSounds;Yggdrasil Records

3;VA;Opus Iridium;Suntrip Records <-- Disc 1

4;VA;Children Of Jah;Revolve Magazine

 

ChillOut/Downbeat:

 

1;VA;Opus Iridium;Suntrip Records <--Disc 2

 

Other:

 

1;Dream Theater - Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs);Atlantic/Rhino Entertainment Company

Edited by psytones
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