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Qiujan - Ritual To The Light


Bill

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Artist: Qiujan

Album: Ritual To The Light

Label: Self-Released

Released: January 2015

 

Qiujan's "Ritual To The Light" debut (indeed, debut) is a huge and successful artistic goa endeavor. Even Basilisk, curator of Ektoplazm.com, seems to think so as this album has been the featured main-page release for nearly a month as of this writing. And if you cannot take the recommend of a gent who listens to hundreds of submitted releases each year, well, then, who can you take tips from?

 

Ambitious is the first characteristic that stands out about "Ritual To The Light." None of the six tracks dip below 10-minutes in length and none pander to subscribed modern trends. The album feels similar in flavor and approach to another Ektoplazm darling in Jikkenteki who, too, put together monstrously long tracks without giving the listener a wasted second. It should be said about Jikkenteki that the producer was a true artist, projecting forth artistic psytrance that always felt like it was presented from an honest point-of-view.

 

Cut-and-paste the name Qiujan into those last few sentences if you'd like - the same compliments should be echoed onto his work.

 

The ten-and-a-half minute "Ancestors Presence" opener is by turns funky, compelling and wholly accessible. Beyond that point, however, a little extra work is required to get the pay-off and that is not to say that some elements of every track are not immediately rewarding. This is some pretty heady stuff in parts,though, a lot of swirling, twirling goa euphoria, layers-upon-layers of fascinating effects and a drive forward that never seems to stop for breath.

 

The follow-up in "Old Truth" is relentless sensory overload, a wicked good goa overdose of dancefloor-ready beats and mind-expanding hallucinogenic appeal. "New Era" is a high-quality stomp-fest, "Vibrating In The Stars" is part outer-limits space story and part driving, full-on physical workout and the 16-minute, hyper-active "Light Truth" conclusion is the ultimate climax to a superb and demanding journey.

 

Things zip by pretty quickly in this "Ritual To The Light" despite how long many of the tracks stick around and one thing Qiujan does extremely well is direction change, sometimes quite dramatically, midway through many of these offerings so where you begin each journey is never where you will end up. Repeat listens, or repeat journeys on this cosmic roller coaster of sound, are a must.

 

Available for free play or download at: http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/qiujan-ritual-to-the-light

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sometimes you hear an album just once and you know it's fantastic. No confirmation is required. I had that experience with Chromosome - DMT Cowboys.

 

Ritual To The Light, however, takes a while to appreciate, probably because of the track lengths. I have now listened to the whole album 4 or 5 times, and think it's an early addition to my future "best of 2015" list. This is an impressive debut.

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Thanks for this nice review and the carefull listening. it hits the spot quite good i find.

 

my music doesn´t work the same always... as the tracks are long and the stories sometimes evolving slowly, its needed to take your time to listen to it. i even specially enjoy it, lying on the bad and let myself flow in this music. usualy it takes me to intensiv lucid journeys after a while.

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  • 1 year later...

A rare proof that rolling basslines can work together with goa trance. Although I would not say this is typical goa trance, in my opinion this is simply a mix of different kinds of trance, very morning stuff with top quality sound.

No doubt for me that this album belongs in the top 5 best of what I have heard last year. Thanks God there is still music with personality around :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Oh wow! Now this is soooo pleasant. I love the long tracks , hints of acid ;) , the variety, the playfulness. Aah, I feel bad about not listening to it last year, I would have definitely voted for it. :/

 

Great stuff! Thanks to the artist for the lovely music. Looking forward for more. Thanks to Bill for putting up the review , if not for that I would've definitely missed out on this one. And yes, completely agree with you on Jikkenteki.

 

@Manuser, if only Martian Arts were to read this thread, he would be so happy with Psynews :lol:

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

This is fantastic from start to finish.

Definitely one of my favourite albums from 2015.

It's hardly got any samples (just one "konichiwa" sample repeated in one track) and it is just pure instrumental journeys.

Great stuff. Get it now!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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I'm not getting the overwhelming appeal. I'm glad for the artist, but this type of trance doesn't appeal to me. The long tracks invite me on a long ride, but I find the destination...disappointing. With track lengths of this magnitude this is an example of having to invest the time to appreciate an album. And for me it's a lot of work. Hell it's a lot of work for most people. In a track that is 15 or 16 minutes long there should be something to captivate me, but no. It just goes on and on and I find myself bored. Waiting for some magical moment that never arrives.

 

But I'm ok with it. I'm happy for those where this hits all the right spots. I'll just be the surfer that watches everyone take this wave in. There will be another. There always is.

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  • 1 year later...

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