E-mantra & Suufi Astrolab - Astrograms

[Trance2MoveU]

 

Artist: E-Mantra & Suufi Astrolab

Title: Astrograms

Label: Elektronica Records

Date: March, 2011

 

1 Searching Ganesha / E-Mantra

2 Praying Forest (Neurosect Remix) / E-Mantra

3 Dansul Ielelor (Eleusyin Remix) / E-Mantra

4 Telepatic Alienation / E-Mantra

5 Pompierul Piroman / Suufi Astrolab

6 Birds Are Flying Over The Dark City / Suufi Astrolab

7 Bicycles For Elita / Suufi Astrolab

8 Ambient Girl Outro / Suufi Astrolab

 

 

Purple monkey dishwasher. Ice cream sandwich toilet seat lawnmowers. Rocking chair turntable biscuit fans.

 

 

That crap didn't make a lot of sense did it? Well, almost as much sense as the ridiculous promo on the vendor sites. Do they hire people to come up with this crap? And pay them? Where do I sign up. And let's be honest if Kelly Kapowski can't figure it out what chance do the rest of us have?

 

This is Elektronica Records first release and they have landed quite the whale. Makes me wonder if Emmanuel has an interest in this label. If you love goa trance and have been listening to it the last several years then you undoubtedly know who is top dog. E-mantra has been wearing the crown for years now having released in my opinion the one of the greatest goa albums of all the new school releases called Arcana back in 2009. I've yet to hear him make a crappy track so when I see he is on a compilation, I buy it. He's earned it. His style is hypnotic and multi-layered with cascades of melodies that float amidst the stars. No, we're not dating. There are 8 tracks here with 4 done by E-mantra and the 4 others by some project called Suufi Astrolab. It would not surprise me one bit to fine out that is Emmanuel as, umm...well.

 

To begin with, check out that beautiful cover. It's like a nebula in deep space with more colors than a pack of skittles. So, you know...taste the rainbow.

 

 

 

Searching Ganesha- Pads, pads, and more pads. The bass rumbles in their aftermath and we are underway. The sounds are distant, like memories of your childhood. You know they are there, but you actively have to bring them into focus. The layers come in droves, thicker than 10 ice cream sandwiches. It really is dreamlike and the pan flute melody drives the outer space feeling home. Hypnotic and super smooth as leads pile on in all their filtered glory. Superb my friends, superb.

 

Praying Forest (Neurosect Remix)- This is the Neurosect remix of a track on Arcana. Whoever that is. I love the voice of the Ent from LOTR and all I can understand is the word Eisengard. Totally fits with the vibe. It bubbles like the original with loads of layers and far reaching consequences. Leads fade in and and get filtered to provide an otherworldly experience. Seamless and floating while twisting amongst the stars...this is the definition of awesome. Other than this..

 

 

Dansul Ielelor (Eleusyin Remix)- Another track off Arcana this time given the business by his side project Eleusyn. You know, the duo responsible for the Phantasm and Carbon EP's? Just like the last track I went back and listened to the original in hopes to compare, but I get swept away with the melodies that I don't even remember to listen for differences. So you will have to do that on your own, but what I think this does is move in a more dreamy trance direction. It's still goa and it is very atmospheric, but as far as I can remember, held close to the original.

 

Telepatic Alienation- More atmospheric deep space goa right down your pie hole. And you love it. I know I did. It moves progressively, with sounds echoing in the cold. Then the layers trickle in. It's never obtrusive, but eases in smoothly. Bubbling 303's sky piercing melodies, and deep hypnotica. Wonderful.

 

There he is again...I defy you to find a greater symbol of approval than Kevin Arnold. Doesn't exist buddy. Doesn't exist.

 

 

Pompierul Piroman- "Mike...Mike, you got a phone call. I dunno who it is, but they said f*ck your new school!". Yep, this sounds like 1997 all over again. Layers and dripping with that Street Fighter battle UX versus MFG...finish him! Rumbling bass and searing acid lines. This one's gonna get bloody.

 

Ooohhh...Ned Ryerson, you got knocked the f*ck out!

 

 

Birds Are Flying Over The Dark City- There are a lot of things I don't understand. Beyonce and Jay-Z. Insurance. How are you going to charge me for some sh*t that might happen? Cricket. Not the bug douchebag, the sport. For whatever reason, this made it onto a brilliant goa album. It is all over the map...ambient, breakbeat, psy, I mean it has it all. An absolute total mood and vibe killer. It's interesting, and I spent the most time on this track, which kinda sucks cause it is also over 10 minutes. The more listens I gave it, I liked it unfortunately I feel that it is sorely misplaced. But this is like showing up to a baby shower with a dildo...what the f*ck?

 

 

 

Bicycles For Elita- A breakbeat dub piece here, and I'm left scratching my head. It's not bad, but why put this here after such a mindbending goa trip? This reminds me of the Regenesis album by Radical Distortion. It's just a breakbeat riding a saw wave type sound, and contains none of the imagination that the previous tracks had.

 

Ambient Girl Outro- Holy deep bass Batman! That is rumbling with echoes in the background. Very short and not very memorable.

 

 

 

Seriously. What the f*ck? We were on the verge of another Arcana and then...what? First thing I want to know is who is Suufi Astrolab and why is he messing up this album? Is it an alias of Emmanuel? Does he owe this guy some money because I could loan you a few scheckles. Whoever it is clearly showed that they can craft an old school goa stormer, but this then descended into experimental territory. Average at best. There is a time and place for this type of music, but I didn't think this was it. I bring up Regenesis because that one did the same thing. Superb goa trance destined for greatness and then he screwed the pooch. I'm sure most goa fans will download the first 5 tracks because they are clearly worth it. The rest...no thanks.

 

 

Psyshop

 

Beatspace

 

Saikosounds

 

Goastore

 

Mdk

[frozen dream]

bicycles for elita is just the nicest dub track ever!!!!! and birds over the dark city is superb too!!!!!!! funky shit!!! i think the chillout tracks are of an equally high standard as the psytrance tracks!

 

e-mantra's tracks are slow deep trance and the melodies mostly never go too hectic, feels like floating in deep space all the time, the neurosect remix is a nice darker track too

 

i'd rate the full album a stellar 8,5/10!!!! some of the best stuff of the year!

 

very funny they finally decided not to use my mastering files, even though e-mantra asked me in the first place, ah well i missed the deadline anyway and sent in overcompressed files the first time so maybe they didn't trust the final versions i sent in the tracks on the cd definitely sound much more flat and shallow than mine so it's definitely not my work. i guess it's all about who's name is on the back cover in the end, regardless of the mastering. hah! you can find some samples of my mastering for this cd here

 

get this cd it's worth it!!

[Aspartic]

Yeah, that's the only reason for me not to buy it on CD. First half is awesome stuff by E-Mantra (can he ever do wrong?), but the rest is nothing like it. Well, just not my style.

[Sideffect...]

The first tracks are just remixes of the original E-mantra album

More melodic, faster, longer climaxes, what could work on the dance floor,

but they are nothing compared to the originals.

 

The chill out is not bad.

[Ormion]

These must be the only E-Mantra tracks that I like. They are slightly darker and colder than the usual. If only he decided to put more variation in his tracks. The Suufi Astrolab tracks are interesting, but not my cup of tea.

[frozen dream]

i listen bicycles for elita day and night