Jules Hamer’s creative roots extend back to the late Goa period (1998) when he made a vinyl debut on Dimension 5’s Intastella Records and a single release on Transient’s excellent Dream Creation: The Sound of Freedom compilation. After three years without a release, he made a quiet return on Dragonfly, exposing a much more precise and minimal style than what was last heard from him. Once this single was released on the acclaimed Flying Rhino Records, Aphid Moon’s name began to stir up quite a buzz.

A Lot of Radio sets the mood without any delay: “is there life on other worlds?” Many more science fiction samples in the same vein will slide in as the track progresses. The rhythm section displays some of the finest high-tech engineering, with incredibly slick and precise percussion that provides a perfect foundation for the rest of the story. The atmosphere becomes futuristic and hypnotic, brushed by flames from the nozzles of well-oiled machinery on caterpillar treads. Streamlined jets swoop down from the heights trailing vivid psychedelic aftershocks. The short break is stylish yet powerful, kicking up the groove for the last stellar rush. The experience is fully immersive, right up to the point where the last beat drops and the final sample plays through: “no matter what else the aliens might be doing we figure they’re probably using a lot of radio…”

The flipside is home to Chi, a track which has sadly received no CD release anywhere. This is completely different from the brilliant A-side, but just as inspired. Lathered in sweet female vocals and drifting harmonies, this is a deep morning tune full of genuine emotion. The percussion is just as compelling, cycling through the bass-heavy passages with excellent design. The melodies are slightly hidden yet still distinct; there is nothing else that sounds quite like this. Heavenly!

Flying Rhino really lucked out with this excellent vinyl single! In the last days of the Rhinos, this 12″ is only matched by Blue Planet Corporation’s Digital Forward EP. This is, without question, Aphid Moon’s most successful flirtation with the deeper realms of trance. It is hard for me to understand how Jules could shift from the brilliance of this single to the full-on style he is known for today. Whatever the reason, at least this record is available to determined seekers. The unavailability of the B-side and dissolution of the label makes this one a collector’s item. Essential!

Compiled by Planet B.E.N. & DJ Maël, Generation of Psytrance 1 was released in November of 2005. Here we have a typical round-up of full-on material, similar in many respects to the approach heard on Spiritual Rhythms of Psytrance 1. With a cheesy cover and very little in the way of musical creativity on display, it is clear that this is yet another average release at best. I am reviewing this primarily to dig down and see if there’s anything worth saving (and there is)…

The opening track is typical Israeli full-on, with groovy bass lines and a friendly morning character. The sample doesn’t really detract from the song, luckily. This is textbook psytrance, with no surprises, but it could please fans of the style.

D-Tek’s remix of Ultraplex is a little more annoying. I’ve never liked this artist, and this typical full-on song with some silly samples about acid isn’t about to change my mind. Standard stuff, good for the TIP World and Raja Ram fans out there, and bad or uninteresting for just about everyone else.

Electric Universe, a favourite of mine, provides The Self is I for the third track. This is slightly less unruly than Blenn’s other recent efforts; the synth-lines sound more polished and in control, but it remains highly psychedelic for the dance floor. Here is a track full of powerful melodies, intelligent layering, and a truly full-on vibe. Introspective samples with an appropriate cadence appear in some segments to complete the picture. Boris Blenn has high-quality psychedelic trance down to a science. This one isn’t his best compilation appearance, but it is still good to hear, and a certain favourite from this release.

Mekkanikka & Inner Action combine to deliver a frantic CPU-style anthem entitled Highest Stage. The bass line is extremely bold and obnoxious, looping around in the mid-range without giving much of a bottom-end to this piece. Huge melodic riffs cavort around on top in between frequent drops and filter tricks. This energetic style of cybernetic psychedelic trance is sure to be a hit on some peak-time dancefloors, but it seems to lack some of the depth I crave. Take it or leave it.

Next up – Planet B.E.N. recycles a tune from his own previously released album entitled Full On. Why this formerly great artist made such an abrupt shift in production style towards the big room commercial anthem style is beyond anyone’s understanding. Music is My Space is typical of his new sound: brash and bouncy full-on riffs, cheesy guitar licks, and accessible vocal hooks. There is little or no depth here. While one can excuse new artists for their uninspired formula-driven full-on fuller, it is difficult to let an artist of Planet B.E.N.’s calibre get away without a drubbing. For what it’s worth, I think this is good for what he is trying to do, but I don’t personally find anything appealing about this style.

The sample work in A.X.L.’s Enjoy the Ride is enough to make me cringe. Hyperactive bass blasts wobble around alongside atonal leads and whiny guitar riffs. Electro Sun and Phanatic deliver a shiny filtered piece of morning trance flooded with big rushes and light melodies. Fans of Utopia and Trancelucent releases might like it, but I find it too flimsy and insubstantial to satiate. Blanka’s MC is also standard stuff, although it is a definate improvement over some of his other material. The corny samples about acid, drugs, and other nonsense do not help the cause, but the guitar riffs don’t sound so bad. Still, there is nothing to save this one from mediocrity.

DJ Maël teams up with Polaris for a Mission, exposing the light and melodic side of full-on. These relatively established artists come up with a good song every now and then, and this isn’t too bad. The powerful morning leads sound nice, African samples add a tribal dimension, and the driving rhythms keep it active. In the end, it’s not a favourite, but it also isn’t bad for the style. This track would have been much better with an intelligent use of layers.

Talamasca closes the compilation with the best track of the compilation: Ghost in Goa. This is composed in Cedric’s new style, which can be heard on songs like Overload and Roswell. I find that he has taken the best aspects of full-on psytrance and melded it with an old school mystic sound, forging an exceptional fusion. The sample usage in Ghost in Goa is a slight drawback, as there are some phrases that seem out of place, but aside from that – this track is great! This is loaded with distinct sounds: an elephant’s call, radio static, photon torpedoes, tribal drums, and more. The bass lines are sick, the builds are tight, and the lead melodies are very strong. This is a powerful dance floor epic!

The first Generation of Psytrance compilation sounds very much like a mix of full-on sounds from labels like Psytropic, Compact, Trancelucent, Mind Control, and Utopia. There is absolutely nothing ground-breaking – but is there anything worth saving? Well, yes, but not much. Planet B.E.N. is a master of gathering mediocre material and releasing it in large amounts, and this is just another anonymous CD to add to the pile. Luckily a pair of tracks from veterans Electric Universe and Talamasca save it from being a total dud, but these are best purchased seperately if possible. If you can stand to spend the cash to pick up a few reasonable full-on tunes, then perhaps the CD is worth the expenditure. Personally, I find this release to be less than average. Be warned!