Morphic Resonance - The City Of Moons

[MrAnarchy]

 

Artist: Morphic Resonance

Title: The City Of Moons

Label: Suntrip Records

Release date: 13. May 2016

Total runtime: 76:27

 

Tracklist:

 

1: Psychedelic Hell

2: In The Mouth of Madness

3: The City of Moons

4: Bad Dreamer

5: Chronos

6: Procyon

7: Mindwarp

8: Sun Project - Space Dwarfs (Morphic Resonance Remix)

 

I remember wishing for a crazy acid influenced goa trance release at the start of the year, and here it is in all its glory! The recipe is same through-out the album: fast, dark and acidic so I will just say how the tracks made me feel.

 

1: Psychedelic Hell: Christian leads us into the album with a dark track that pounds us from the start. A great opening track that let's us know that we have entered a cave riddled with exploding geysers of acid. No turning back now, not that you will want to. A

2: In the Mouth Of Madness: This track is perfect in every sence. If this doesnt make you get of your chair and hop around the room, nothing ever will. @6:45 had me flying. A

3: The City Of Moons: Here I was just hooked. I hadnt even listened to the whole album and I was on bandcamp, throwing my bloody 3 days worth launch money at this album as if it was Carmen Electra. It is a long track with amazing progression. A worthy title track. I pledge my allegiance to Morphic Resonance, first of his name, the moon-king and slayer of minds. A+

4: Bad Dreamer: Ok, now Im starting to perspire profusely. If you haven't been working out, you may feel tightness in your chest by this point. Don't say I didnt warn you. A very strong track with schizophrenia inducing acid lines. A

5: Chronos: You dont need drugs to hallucinate, just listen to this one carefully. A very psychedelic and creative track IMO. A-

6: Procyon: This one feels like a wheel rolling out of itself in a rhythmic fashion. Not as in your face as previous ones, but very impressive! A-

7: Mindwarp: Not as good as previous ones, but still good. A bit too repetitive for my taste, B

8: Sun Project - Space Dwarfs (Morphic Resonance Remix): Everyone knows the original track. One of the best S.U.N. Project has made. But what if I told you that Christian's remix makes it even greater even though all the elements of the original track are still here. My vocabulary isn't worthy of describing this track to you! It is one of those extremely rare remixes that actually surpass the original. It's like climbing to the peak of Mount Everest, setting up a ladder and standing upon it just to show that you can go even higher! A+ with a cherry on top!

 

Final grade: A

 

Final words: This is up there with "The World Beyond" by Neogoa for me, which is huge. This album is the first one that I own in a physical form (a cd) and it represents everything I love in goa trance. Thank you Morphic Resonance, and thank you Suntrip Records for releasing such a huge album.

[Anoebis]

Well, I know we released the album, but even then...

This album is a fantastic piece of art! I cant remember I last listened to a Suntrip cd so much, mostly after compiling it, I'm tired of it for a while... in this case I keep coming back, over and over and over again! The tracks are psychedelic, raw, crazy... A lot that was missing in modern goa trance! And they do wonders on the dancefloor! Boiling acid like the Green Nuns, with an industrial edge like Tim Schuldt, but with the melodies like Pleiadians!

Top 5 Suntrip cds ever for me... And it seems like discogs has the same disease: 5/5 after 16 votes, I didnt see that yet...

Favourites, 1-2-4-5-8

[Alek]

Fuck. This is excellent stuff... He's gone way beyond the "as good as Pleiadians" phase.

 

I'm living off grid for the next few months without electricity, and this album gave me the motivation to get the solar panels set up ASAP

[ritual om]

Well, i'll be brief and ripe.

THE GOOD
All tracks, have:
*really tight composition, with an amazing beat overall (stomping and aggressive kicks and bass),
*varying sequences (not formulaic at all),

*good percussion
*original psychedelic sounds and FX,
*nice atmosphere
*intriguing and raw synth sound presets (some remind me of the 'speed of light intergalactic infinite space' pleiadians used)

*lots of nicely tuned 303

 

THE BAD
*absence of thick pads, so absence of this kind of soundscape
*well, let me be more descriptive in this one, cause it is one thing that almost all nu goa lacks, at least in my ears:
While you get to listen all the good aspects, i described above, on each track, filled with psychedelic goa vibes, the climax builds intensely all the way, then suddenly you realise that the PEAK of the climax is missing.
You know, that melody that makes the whole track make sense and that will make you full of awe and all that complex feeling that we are so fond of in goa music.
In the end, the listener gets to cherish all the good aspects of each track, but is left with that unfinished feeling.

As we say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so a depiction of what i describe is this:

 

So much potential in the producer, i am really waiting for the upcoming releases.

 

Keep the spirit alive

[MrAnarchy]

Well, i'll be brief and ripe.

 

So much potential in the producer, i am really waiting for the upcoming releases.

Me too. He told me that the second album is going to be even better. Im gonna lose my mind if he manages to surpass the first one. He's gonna do great things for the psy-trance scene I feel it in my gut!

[Starkraver]

I know tastes and all that but 3 star ridge?

[Oopie]

I know tastes and all that but 3 star ridge?

Yes. Maybe I'm 1 in a million? I know it's a good album, I hear the producer tried hard, but it could've been better. Maybe I'm harsh and all, and I could go in extent why I feel like giving it such a grade but why? I definitely feel everyone should enjoy this release if they will, sure! I like his vision with analog machines and all. I'm just an old goa cock forgive me my ramble and bad taste.... x)

[abasio]

I was looking forward to this but I've given it two casual listens so far and nothing has struck me as being above average. I might need to give it a more focused listen and get in to the details to enjoy it as the casual listens revealed nothing like I've been hearing about this, it's been more a wall if noise with no movement or direction. I'm hoping it gets better on repeat listens, now I just need to give it a chance.

[technosomy]

I was looking forward to this but I've given it two casual listens so far and nothing has struck me as being above average. I might need to give it a more focused listen and get in to the details to enjoy it as the casual listens revealed nothing like I've been hearing about this, it's been more a wall if noise with no movement or direction. I'm hoping it gets better on repeat listens, now I just need to give it a chance.

have more listens... this is good

[Starkraver]

Yes. Maybe I'm 1 in a million? I know it's a good album, I hear the producer tried hard, but it could've been better. Maybe I'm harsh and all, and I could go in extent why I feel like giving it such a grade but why? I definitely feel everyone should enjoy this release if they will, sure! I like his vision with analog machines and all. I'm just an old goa cock forgive me my ramble and bad taste.... x)

Alright

 

I should buy it soon and give it more listens, I'll come back and comment on it then.

[MrAnarchy]

Im re-reading my review and have realised how horrible it is. :Cringe: I couldnt handle the fact that no one had reviewed it so I took it upon my amateur self

[Celaripo]

not innovative but it is a very well made album no doubt

you can hear the passion and hard work behind this

[MrAnarchy]

not innovative but it is a very well made album no doubt

you can hear the passion and hard work behind this

Concerning innovation, goa is a done deal Imo. You probably shouldnt expect it anymore.

[Starkraver]

What

[Dolmot]

The problem is that if you diverge even a slightest bit from a certain formula, people will come up with a new genre name for it, no longer accepting it as goa.

 

In the 90s the music was varied, yet we happily called it just "goa" or "psychedelic", the terms being largely interchangeable. Nowadays anything like Psy-harmonics' 90s releases would be instantly labelled as "temperate highland trance with dry winters" (Cwb) in Köppen classification, not goa. And then the same people wonder why "all neogoa sounds the same". Now there's a riddle.

 

Anyway, back on topic, the album is great. Even though I could possibly think of some better album released within the last 20 years, I still give this over three stars. It's going to get many more plays whenever I can handle the mayhem for 76 minutes. It has all the good bits that I've been missing for a long time.

[Ormion]

THE BAD

*absence of thick pads, so absence of this kind of soundscape

I haven't the album yet, but I already diasgree with that. I think newschool had enough pads.

I want my Goa raw not ethereal.

[ritual om]

Pads can also be in the intro or the breakdowns...

Pads are not strings, they can be formed in a vast number of soundforms.

[Jaza]

It's really, really good. At the top of the genre for what it tries to do, for sure.

 

For me it's an 8/10 album. The reason it drops points is the repetitiveness.

For all that it sounds great, a lot the tracks are similar-sounding. It's a hell of a sound, and it's great that Morphic Resonance now has his own trademark vibe that's not just "the new Pleiadians", but over 7 solo tracks I'd have liked a bit more variety. The Space Dwarves remix sounds quite fresh by the time you get to it at the end, and even that still has the clear Morphic vibe.

 

With that said, between this and his prior tracks Christian has definitely marked himself as possibly the standout young producer in the genre. I was lucky enough to be traveling through Osaka when he played there recently, and this stuff definitely does the job on the dancefloor. Definitely sounding more polished then when I last saw him in October 2014. Looking forward to revisiting it again at Lost Theory and Connection this euro summer.

I think it will be even more powerful again in the hands of talented DJs who can showcase it against more varied music. The darker, more atmospheric edge will really stand out if placed well in DJ sets.

Really looking forward to see where Morphic Resonance takes things in future.

[antic604]

A very good album, but not a 2nd coming of Jesus as some would make you believe

 

I really like the rawness, the simple - but effective - old-school production, straightforward arrangements with focus on building & release of energy. It's refreshing to hear "less complex" sound for once, instead of the boiler-plate swirly, ethereal stuff we get usually. However, the comparisons with Pleiadians and GNoTR are stretching it - sure, there are some similar sounds, atmosphere and overal aesthetic, but it's tangibly less evolved than their output. The melodic side of the music is rather simple, with short arpreggios that usually don't go anywhere and rely on repetition to induce trance state - compare that with Pleiadians' genious multi-layered sonic excursions and the gap is clearly there. Likewise, the 303-focus of the music is very welcome, but what's here lacks in creativity, texturing and funkiness of what GNoTR or Somaton/Shakta were putting out back in the days. On the other hand, it's very welcome to see a darker undertones in goa trance: industrial sounds, well-implemented guitars, overall dirty / gritty production reminiscent of Cydonia, Semsis, Menis, SUN Project, etc.

 

As others pointed out - there's clearly a very huge potential here and their next album(s) might be where it all "clicks" together and is taken to the next level. But having said that, in the here & now it's still a worthy addition to any respectable collection.

 

4/5

[abasio]

I gave this another listen and while I enjoyed it a bit more, I'm not feeling the love for this release. I realised as I got to Space Dwarfs and it really piqued my interest that until then everything else had been very samey. Space Dwarfs though is very good.

After listening to this is stuck on Pleiadians IFO and I can't see the comparison St all: totally different leagues if you ask me.

[Richpa]

Without any doubt The City Of Moons is one of the most anticipated releases in last few years and for sure it delivered massive and in-your face Goa trance. Unlike the Chromatic World, this one is more raw, got a lot more energy but for me personally it lacks some variety and focus has been shifted towards the more agressive rhythm section and acid-extravaganza a little bit too much. Not saying this in a bad way, but storytelling isn't the best out there and at some parts it might sound samey, and it would be perfect release if there were some noticable breakdowns/pads from time to time. However, I've heard it live and in DJ sets (a bunch of tracks) already and they indeed work on the dancefloor perfectly, it gives much needed energy, but it's hard to compare it with Pleiadians since most of the Pleiadians music doesn't build it self on agressive kick-drums or being overloaded with effects during the whole time, it's being structured. In my humble opinion, and probably due to the nostalgia factor I believe CW was the starting point but in terms of storytelling much more diverse, The Sphere was a step-forward and in the end The City Of Moons is the finalization of MR evolution in sounds. It went towards the more energy-driven and faster Goa trance and probably many people will enjoy in that route more.

Anyway, this album shouldn't be missed and it brings a lot of new things for everyone and I hope MR will continue to release music and evolve in his production and music. Congrats to all involved

[Manuser]

The problem is that if you diverge even a slightest bit from a certain formula, people will come up with a new genre name for it, no longer accepting it as goa.

 

In the 90s the music was varied, yet we happily called it just "goa" or "psychedelic", the terms being largely interchangeable. Nowadays anything like Psy-harmonics' 90s releases would be instantly labelled as "temperate highland trance with dry winters" (Cwb) in Koppen classification, not goa. And then the same people wonder why "all neogoa sounds the same". Now there's a riddle.

 

 

I disagree with you. Genres are useful for the listener so they can find the music they like. But I don't see why the producers should care about the "official" definition of a specific genre, it was a probem when Chi-A.D. tried to released Earth Crossing back in the early 2000 but right now I see many active labels that offer possibilities for the artists to get released, whatever the genre their music fits into (perhaps I am being naive which is also possible).

 

Back on topic, I listened to the album 2 times on youtube, and I liked it. I find it superior to most of the goa albums I have heard this year (so far).

Some details:

1- Dark acid goa opener, it has potential but not much surprise in this track. Pretty solid though, 7/10.

2- Nice keys changes right from the start (reminds me their Aurora Sidera track), more melodic than the previous one and still filled with many acid sounds. Surprising guitars coming for a visit. Very good, 8/10.

3- Best intro so far. Quickly develops into a dark goa wicked track but this time it has more emphasis on the melodies rather than on the acid lines, and the result is very psychedelic. Strong ending...Impressive track, 8.5/10.

4- Acid and acid again, in your face! Less surprising but it is working well, no doubt. And the part after the 7th minute definiely caught my attention! 7.5/10.

5- Kicklines follow the pattern of the famous Tandu - Alien pump (if my memory is correct ) very nice breakdown around 4:00 followed by some Pleiadians-like trippy sounds. Nice melody at 5:50 and more coming towards the end. One of my favourites and the most accomplished track melody wise. 8.5/10.

6- I like the bassline in this track, somehow it sounds different to the previous tracks, the atmosphere is more metallic, the melodies very short. A structure similar to some old school Oforia tracks... the most interesting part comes after 9:00. Quite impressive, 8/10

7- If I had to rate this track independantly I would give it a high mark, but the fact that it comes in seventh position does not do it much favour, it is quite solid but sounds too similar to the rest. A bit strange to hear a different (weaker) kick after the 2nd minute mark, something fishy. Good track though even if I don't fancy the kick, would fit nicely in a compilation. 7/10.

8- It is without a doubt a great track, but the reason why I can't rate it too high is the structure, it is the exact same structure as the original. Not sure what it is about this track but the Space Tribe remix also copied the original structure and changed the synths, Morphic resonance remix is better but still you could expect more risks. 6/10 (if you never heard the original you will be impressed).

 

What I like about this album: very energetic and enthusiastic music, big old school vibes and on the whole very psychedelic.

What I like less: as said previously, lots of tracks sound too much alike, variety is always appreciated.

 

On the whole, a very nice album and surely an essential for 2016. Overall rating: 7.5/10.

[MrAnarchy]

 

I really like the rawness, the simple - but effective - old-school production, straightforward arrangements with focus on building & release of energy. It's refreshing to hear "less complex" sound for once, instead of the boiler-plate swirly, ethereal stuff we get usually. However, the comparisons with Pleiadians and GNoTR are stretching it - sure, there are some similar sounds, atmosphere and overal aesthetic, but it's tangibly less evolved than their output. The melodic side of the music is rather simple, with short arpreggios that usually don't go anywhere and rely on repetition to induce trance state - compare that with Pleiadians' genious multi-layered sonic excursions and the gap is clearly there. Likewise, the 303-focus of the music is very welcome, but what's here lacks in creativity, texturing and funkiness of what GNoTR or Somaton/Shakta were putting out back in the days. On the other hand, it's very welcome to see a darker undertones in goa trance: industrial sounds, well-implemented guitars, overall dirty / gritty production reminiscent of Cydonia, Semsis, Menis, SUN Project, etc.

If there isn't much similarities with Pleiadians or GNoTR, why are you comparing the album with them? Pleiadians were great, but not that great that we should compare every single album with theirs. In releases after them, all I see is "Copies pleiadians style but not even close" argument way too often. Lets just rename goa trance to pleiadians trance and be done with it...

 

It's fine if you gave the album 1 star but I just think we shouldnt say: I rate it ______ because it aint as good as IFO.

[abasio]

I think he mentioned Pleiadians because people keep saying that this artist is the new Pleiadians. I personally don't hear it at all, and I'm guessing neither does Antic from his post at least as much as other posters have mentioned anyway.

[antic604]

If there isn't much similarities with Pleiadians or GNoTR, why are you comparing the album with them? Pleiadians were great, but not that great that we should compare every single album with theirs. In releases after them, all I see is "Copies pleiadians style but not even close" argument way too often. Lets just rename goa trance to pleiadians trance and be done with it...

 

It's fine if you gave the album 1 star but I just think we shouldnt say: I rate it ______ because it aint as good as IFO.

 

Sorry? Please read other reviews or the album thread in news / accouncements - there's a lot of comparing it to GNoTR, Pleiadians, etc. My comment is meant to challange that assumption, because it sets a bar of expectations that this album doesn't reach.

 

And I'm not rating it 4/5 because it's not as good as those artists (and I'm not a fan of Pleiadians...), but because it doesn't deserve - IMO - a full 5/5 rating on its own, at least in a way I understand a 5/5, i.e. a classic music, that everyone - regardless of sub-genre preferences - must own. It's not it.

 

EDIT: also, selective quoting FTW