Grand Avenue is the third release from Sweden’s Moonflower Records, previously known for a pair of techtrance compilations: Nocturnal Imprints and Electroscopic. Tony Comanti (one half of Kalimax) has assembled these tunes for Moonflower, initiating a shift in style towards the more fashionable progressive psytrance market. The contents of this compilation are by no means homogeneous; flavours of house, electro, and psytrance intermingle with ease. The cover design is simple yet appealing and nearly 70 minutes of music fill the disc, so the fundamental value of the release is established. The mastering was done by Son Kite, but doesn’t sound quite as good as most of their work for some reason. As for the tunes…

Chris Pointdexter, already known for a number of releases in the last days of Spiral Trax, opens the compilation with a light and bouncy progressive house track entitled My Baby. A prominent set of repetitive hi-hats powers the rhythm, while simple melodic tones evoke a warm summer afternoon at the beach. Cheeky and cheerful!

Gazing At The Sun is one of only two original Son Kite tracks released in the year following the widely acclaimed Colours project. The pioneering Swedish duo has been focusing more of their time on their Minilogue side project, and their blooming interest in bubbly electro bleeds through into this new offering.

Kalimax (Magnus Forsberg & Tony Comanti) made their debut on Tribal Vision’s excellent Inner Circle compilation with Demons, a deep drifting slice of Swedish progressive. Where Is The Party continues in this path, dealing out steady pulsating rhythms interwoven with serene atmospheric pads. Smooth, polished, and hypnotizing.

Tegma’s Needafix is an uncommonly hard progressive track loaded with ripping electric sounds. Repetitive vocal loops may get on some nerves, but it suits the aggressive drive. The big breakdown introduces slick melodies that sound absolutely stunning, and are sure to raise the vibe. The rest is just as good. Needafix proves to be a highly effective crowd-pleasing anthem!

For the fifth track, Ticon revisit their massive hit We Are The Mammoth Hunters, originally released on their 2001 debut Rewind. Ostensibly a live mix, this version shows that the talented Swedish duo have taken a shining to the classic sound of Simon Berry and Platipus Records. The bass line is straight out of the golden days of dream trance, and what a bass line it is! The drum programming is simply perfect, and the seductive atmospheric chords and fluttering voices sound just right layered on top. The big breakdown captures the spirit of the original with the same tight rhythmic contortions and distinctive mammoth noises. Ticon deliver the gem of the compilation!

Woup reflects the calmer side of Human Blue. Deeply synthetic tribal rhythms gradually coalesce, adorned by moody atmospheric details. The arrangement is extremely progressive, beginning on a minimal tip, eventually gathering small vaporous particles into a hypnotic whole. The song is divided in two by lush filtered vocals, but there is nothing new in the second half. This serene song is best used in a set as a mixing tool.

Perfect Stranger (Yuli Fershtat), in one of his first compilation appearances, drops in with the smooth and refined It’s All About. The composition is very straight-forward, with little to remark upon aside from an ethereal high-end melody that darts around from time to time. A light return from the sublime breakdown tickles the ear without becoming too involved. It is nice, but nothing special.

Cybertronic is an obscure Greek act here to share Let Feel You. This is an easy melodic progressive groover with clubby pretensions, as exhibited by the unobtrusive vocal work echoing the track title. The group has potential, but this is merely decent.

The compilation comes to a close with a remix to James Benitez – Not Over Yet by Parham & Plaza, originally released on a Plastik Park vinyl single. It is a very simple progressive house tune with a driving electro climax. Not bad, but not memorable either.

Grand Avenue is a compilation with several strengths. The assortment of progressive styles on display strikes a nice balance between cohesion and variety. The usual suspects—Ticon, Tegma, Son Kite, and Human Blue—provide good material for fans and DJs. A few of the offerings from the new or less known acts are admittedly weak, but nothing really upsets the flow of the compilation. It might not be at the top of the field, but Grand Avenue is still reasonably good. Seek it out if you are hungering for a handful of quality tunes from some of the top names in Swedish trance.

Release Data

Title: Grand Avenue
Label: Moonflower Productions
Format: CD compilation
Released: 2005

Chakra (Rami Shapira) and Edi Mis have a long history together, beginning with their time at The Penguin, an underground club in Tel Aviv, where they were first introduced to the electronic sounds of EBM and new wave during the mid-eighties. Infected by the acid house movement in 1988, they began to produce music in the years to follow. Edi Mis had some success releasing single tracks on Israeli compilations as well as an obscure vinyl on the German label Nephilim Records in 1994. Rami joined with Itzik Levy (Sandman) to produce a number of tracks as Witchcraft, a short-lived yet influential project around the same time. In 1996, Chakra & Edi Mis combined their efforts and released this full-length album on DJ Zoo-B’s Krembo Records. The Promised Land became an international success. It even made the UK dance music charts—a rare feat for Goa trance. Gigs around the globe increased their profile. Shahar of Isratrance recounts Chakra performing X-File and Liquid Troll in front of a massive crowd:

Those 2 tracks where played by Rami at the Israeli big trance demonstration, and I want to tell you that it’s just an amazing experience to see the energies they produced in 30,000 people.

Although they made a major impact back in the day, Chakra & Edi Mis did not follow through. The Promised Land has been their single critical success. What was it that made it such a hit?

Describing The Promised Land in an early review on the TRiP web site, Colin Johnson explains:

I’ve never heard anything like it. Someone in Israel has definitely let something through to our dimension with this offering. It just keeps at you in a totally unforgiving manner.

Jason C, founder of the TRiP review site, has this to say:

MAD is definitely the word here. In fact I would describe some of the tracks here as really VICIOUS, full of horrible sounds and often too repetitive: ‘wicked’, but not necessarily in the positive sense. There are some very good tracks, like the infamous “X-File” and the penultimate “Combine Harvester”. But it’s unlikely I will be listening to the whole album in a session again. My brain would die.

Listening to this years later, it can be difficult to grasp how The Promised Land was experienced. We are far removed in time from the early days of trance, when an album such as this was considered to be infused with a darkness so pervasive that it boggles the imagination. The standards of light and dark were vastly different in 1996, when acts like Man With No Name and Astral Projection ruled the airwaves and nightclubs with their uplifting style of cosmic trance. Chakra & Edi Mis fulfilled a desire to explore then-unknown realms of sinister intensity, and in doing so, became ambassadors of the trance movement for a brief moment in time.

The opening track—X-File, in its original form—features an ominous introduction that perfectly sets the tone for the remainder of the album. This is an acknowledged classic, best remembered for the harsh and sinister melodic themes that lead up to a euphoric cathartic denouement. The song passes through several stages, from the initial foray into darkness, the bizarre middle sequence filled with animal sounds and heavy didge, and the final run—a beautiful explosion of dazzling emotional riffs. X-File is a rare work of dance music that manages to transcend the outer limits of the dance floor, ascending into the annals of trance history. Fantastic!

Chakra’s Liquid Troll is the second all-time classic from this album. DJ Rodi earns co-production credits on this one. It carries the spirit of X-File into uncharted territory, borrowing many of the same devices while maintaining a distinct narrative. It kicks off with a creepy sample, stating “I heard this sound inside my head. I felt the trickling of liquid down the side of my neck.” This song is really about the unyielding build; the incremental progression towards the transcendent. The first few minutes merely tease the listener with trippy acid lines and shamanic voices. The real work begins to unfold as the track wears on, entering a series of powerful breakdowns that catalyze the energy levels. Although the vibe is unremittingly dark during the early moments, it turns over at the peak with another great sample, courtesy of Captain Nemo: “but there is hope for the future, and the world is ready a new and better life.” Truly, another tune for the ages.

Edi Mis intensifies the descent into night with Barbarian. The 303 riffs are out in full force on this one, simmering and bubbling through nine minutes of acidic abandon. A number of twisted breakdowns raise the tension levels nicely, and several convincing melodies stitch it all together. Barbarian is easily the best solo venture from Edi Mis on this album.

Brain In The Box has a rough sound, but still manages to weave a compelling spell in the first few minutes. The structure emulates that of the previous two without ever being nearly as effective. From the moody beginning, it builds energy, culminating in that enticing blend of dark and light elements facilitated by layered acid lines and some strong melodies.

Club Mad by Edi Mis alone has not aged well. The production quality sounds very rough, although that may have been intentional, as it imbues this acid-drenched monster with a relentlessly aggressive character. It grows to be quite mad indeed, as the title would suggest, but I do not find it to be a pleasant experience.

Chakra’s Hell Razor Puzzle opens with a sinister laugh and soon grows into a repetitive or hypnotic acid trance tune, depending on who you ask. Luckily there is some meat to this creation, as orchestral flourishes flare up at the halfway point. Bubbling sounds straight out of some Hallucinogen song invade for a time, soon to be eclipsed by a twisted melody. It all starts to sound like a video game after a while. Weird and unpolished.

The seventh track—Combine Harvester—is accredited to Combine, a one-off project from Edi Mis, Tal Cohen-Alloro, and Adi. Production quality is again an issue. The sound canvas is filled with all kinds of crazy noises, but many of them sound quite ugly or dissonant. Eastern melodies provide the authentic Goa feel, but it isn’t enough to redeem this unnerving mess.

Chakra & Edi Mis close the album with their second collaboration: Final Mission. This is much deeper and more intricate than the last bunch of tunes. The transitions are smooth, letting the storyline flow with ease. There are many details here: shimmering psychedelic atmospheres, ethnic voices, strange acoustic instruments, mystic melodies, and a touch of tribal percussion. The journey is not entirely cohesive, but it still works—the feeling of traveling is quite pronounced. Five years later, Psysex and Manitu remixed this song for the Hardcore Blastoff album. Final Mission makes for an interesting conclusion to The Promised Land.

The Promised Land may be a classic, but it is not consistent. Many reviewers have written that the best tracks more than make up for the bad ones, but I tend to look at the album as a whole. It starts out well with X-File and Liquid Troll, two excellent songs I still thoroughly enjoy, but it tanks soon after. Final Mission and Barbarian are fairly good, but the body of the album is tough to wade through. The Promised Land is an album special and dear to those who have been touched by it, years ago, but I have doubts about its enduring allure. New listeners, more accustomed to the streamlined sounds of modern psytrance, will probably have a tough time with this old school release. Without the entanglement of personal history—of hearing this, in the thick of a great party, many years ago—it would be hard to grasp why this is so highly regarded. My personal view is that the album is overvalued, but not without merit. As a vehicle for the delivery of a few fine tunes, it serves its purpose. As big as this release is, most old school fans have already heard it and made up their own mind. It is certainly collectible: despite the high profile nature of the release, it remains in demand. The Promised Land is a landmark in Israeli trance even if, in my opinion, the artists did not meet their full potential.

Release Data

Artist: Chakra & Edi Mis
Title: The Promised Land
Label: Krembo Records
Format: CD/Vinyl album
Released: 1996

Inter 1 is an obscure British label that released a handful of interesting vinyl records in the mid-nineties. Encens, a group consisting of Marcello Bonifacii and Dara Lee (the future founder of Koyote Records), released this noteworthy EP back in 1995. The sound is purified UK Goa trance in the classic style of Cosmosis and Man With No Name.

Instramentality is clean, upbeat, and nicely arranged. The rhythm is smooth and hypnotizing, and well-produced for the era. Complimentary sets of spiral melodies weave a compelling storyline, unfolding with prescient timing into a satisfying epic for the dance floors of yore.

Dialogue is a deeper affair, bubbling along at 130 BPM. It maintains the easy flow of the A-side; every sound has a sense of belonging. The long-running atmospheric themes, backed by simmering acid notes, conjure thoughts of space travel. It may be rather typical for the style, but it is a commendable example just the same.

Encens crafted some good tunes for this tragically overlooked single. It is particularly collectible due to a complete and utter lack of a CD release for either of these songs. Old school fans should try to seek this out if they enjoy the formative UK style.

Release Data

Artist: Encens
Title: Instramentality / Dialogue
Label: Inter 1 Records
Format: Vinyl EP
Released: 1995

Kiss The Future 3 captures the spirit of the final days of Atomic Records, the pioneering British label that ushering in a new age of innovation when they launched the very first in this series of compilations back in 1998. After a number of successful early experiments crossing industrial with psytrance, the label drifted towards techno and progressive house, opening up new pathways in psychedelic dance music as the new millennium dawned. Kiss The Future 3 proved to be their last original release after Atomic dissolved for inconclusive reasons. Even though Atomic had made a major impression on the psychedelic trance movement, their later releases did not fare so well in the eyes of the public. In retrospect, I find this sadly ironic, as the new style Atomic was pushing in 2002 was the direct antecedent to the wildly successful progressive psytrance movement of 2004 and onward.

As for the exact specifics of Kiss The Future 3, seaweed_pate at Psynews made such an accurate assessment back in May of 2002 that I am compelled to echo it here:

Most of the songs on this are very serious crossovers. You’ve got to remember that more than anything this is an Atomic release with the cold, funky, technoid feel behind even the fluffiest of the songs.

That sounds about right. Now, as for the tracks themselves…

M.O.S. possess one of the fattest techtrance sounds ever conceived. Alongside The Delta and Spirallianz, they are kings of the menacing mechanism; heroes of the heavy-handed techno meltdown. Teleport Terminal sounds very similar to some of the material on Drive, the third and final album from M.O.S., which was also released in the spring of 2002. Expect deep pumping rhythms, haunting atmospheres, and a steady unyielding progression. It makes for a rock-solid beginning!

Purple (Richard Kegg) and (Steve) Ronan collaborated a number of times throughout the Y2K era. Tiger Punch, alongside Hold On (released on Dragonfly’s Therapy compilation), is one of their more memorable productions. Big loping grooves and sparkling electro lines are laid down with impunity. I hear some influence from Quirk’s later productions in here, which is not a bad thing at all. Good tune!

Codebreaker marks the final release of the Bewes triplets, better known as Nucleus. This is a moody blend of techno and progressive with a light glaze of psychedelic noises. It begins to get interesting shortly after the half-way point when a dark droning lead swoops out of the bare bones atmosphere. Nothing else of note takes place. It’s a cool style, but the track is somewhat dull.

The French act N-Tropic provided impressive material for the Atomic Powder compilation, but their contribution to Kiss The Future 3 is exceptional. Copa Capana is highly experimental, fusing a droning techno beat with samba rhythms, flaring trumpets, funky guitar, and peculiar voice samples. Unlike some techtrance, this tune really evolves: the final third unfolds into a bizarre alien soundscape loaded with dissociative qualities. This brilliant gem is tragically overlooked!

Aphid Moon’s Zaphod is powered by an unwavering mechanical rhythm typical of Hamer’s work in 2002. Dropping to several seconds of absolute silence shortly after the three minute mark is not good, but the track grows to become much more dynamic after this relatively early interlude. There are some cool melodies heard in the remainder of the song, but the production quality is not as clear as it could be. I have a mixed response to this one.

Joti Sidhu, one of the original Atomic artists, provides one of his better techno-influenced offerings with Downpusher. Sleek and streamlined, with metallic acid riffs and a sick rolling bass line, this track is pure power. The name gives away the intent, as the general theme is one of descent. Sick!

Betelgeuse is Aphid Moon in disguise, back with a second tune for Atomic entitled Faker. This one is much better than Zaphod, with pulsating technoid rhythms, sawtooth bass lines, and dark droning melodies. The arrangement isn’t appealing enough to make it a favourite, however.

Updata’s Creeper, previously released on Atomic Powder, receives an excellent remix treatment by Magnat (Michael Kohlbecker). Although the faint melodies and gorgeous atmospheric chords stimulate an uplifting mood, the production technique has a definite edge. The techno-influenced percussion balances the smooth qualities of the higher frequencies. With the excellent composition and skillful, intelligent arrangement, it is easy to appreciate this magnificent morning-time epic.

Gus Till and Simon Ghahary, the former head of Blue Room Released, collaborate on Contact 4.4 as Tufftekk. This song features chattering breakbeat manipulations backed by a ponderous bass line and deep dubby kicks. Quaint cinematic atmospheres, reminiscent of Gus Till’s Zen Lemonade project, provide some small measure of charm. Somewhat different, but kind of bland in the end.

Kiss The Future 3 has a few shining moments, but doesn’t quite manage to achieve greatness. N-Tropic provides the most successful experiment, and the Creeper mix is very nice as well. There are a few other dependable tunes in the mix, as well as some filler of course. It is not everything one would hope for from Atomic Records, but that is how it goes some of the time. If you are curious about mid-period psychedelic progressive and techtrance or the history of Atomic Records, Kiss The Future 3 is worth checking out.

Release Data

Title: Kiss The Future 3
Label: Atomic Records
Format: CD/Vinyl compilation
Released: 2002

1996 was the year of Astral Projection. After the European release of Trust In Trance on TIP Records, interest in the Israeli Goa trance pioneers skyrocketed. Acting quickly, and with timely business acumen, Phonokol immediately moved to release a sequel to the group’s immensely popular debut. The Astral Files was born: a motley collection of new material, remixes, a collaboration, and two “ambient” tunes. No great advances in style or technique are evident. The Astral Files is more of the same; surplus material to glut the market, and little more. Die-hard fans would have to wait until October of 1997 for the release of Dancing Galaxy to have their expectations at least partially fulfilled.

Ionized, composed by Lior Perlmutter alone, doesn’t quite carry the usual impact of Astral Projection’s work. The high-pitched kick and bubbly synth work makes this one feel like Nintendo music in outer space. I still find it enjoyable, and it serves well as an introduction, but the years have not been entirely kind to this piece. It was well-regarded back in the day, but it seems to lack something without the input of Nissim or Haviv.

The opening track Zero is a classic authored by Avi Nissim and Deedrah (Dado), formerly one half of Transwave, a legendary group strongly influenced by Astral Projection. The seamless fusion between the style of these two artists results in an epic creation powered by strong analog rhythms and brash cosmic melodies. Zero is a captivating old school anthem! This song was also released on Transient 5. Solid stuff!

The remix of Enlightened Evolution is not, to my ears, significantly different from the original. I have never developed a preference one way or another, so I tend to default back to the version released on Trust In Trance. As I concluded in my original review, “it remains one of the all-time greatest early Goa trance anthems!” The same applies to this remix.

Free Tibet, originally composed for the Techno For Tibet benefit compilation, features all three members of Astral Projection. The beat is rapid, powerful, and layered in shamanic voices and excellent melodies. It would be fair to call this the logical successor to Mahadeva. A classic!

Avi Nissim takes sole responsibility for Maian Dream, another peak-time epic that sends my mind whirling into the cosmos. I have a nostalgic fondness for Maian Dream, as it is one of the very first Goa trance songs I ever downloaded, and it was instrumental in drawing me into this music. The gorgeous melodies, contrasted with the insistence of those hard-hitting snares, still works magic. It is a shame about the weak ending: the song merely fades away (a trance music no-no), but I will be lenient. This is still a favourite of mine.

Kabalah (New Age Mix) is an alternate version of the original classic from Trust In Trance. This version is softer, deeper, spacious, smoother, and more cerebrally complex in some ways. Unlike Enlightened Evolution, which sounds about the same, this one is noticeably different. It lacks some of the essential power and forthrightness of the original, which I prefer, but this is not so bad.

Three mixes of Time Began With The Universe were released on a Matsuri vinyl single in 1996. The End Of Time Mix appears on this album, and while it is not my favourite version (that would be the Another Time Mix), it is—once again—still decent. The sound is rough and marginally more aggressive than usual, with a number of catchy hooks and cosmic flourishes. Adequate.

The Concept Remix of Utopia puts a slightly different spin on the excellent original from Trust In Trance. Just as with the other two remixes, AP do not expand upon the greatness of their initial creation.

Electronic is the first of two ambient trance pieces, putting an icy chill on the tempo. Bubbling 303s stutter amidst mystic atmospheric pads, lightly backed by resonant bass and basic percussion. Ambience is more upbeat, but not very interesting. Both tracks are easily overlooked as album filler.

The Astral Files is the worst of the four Astral Projection albums released in the late nineties, but it isn’t all bad. The group set a very high standard for themselves, after all. Zero, Maian Dream, and Free Tibet are the tracks to keep an ear out for. The remixes aren’t that great, and the chill out tunes are fairly forgettable, leaving this album without much to string it together. Phonokol is still in business, so finding a new copy of this to buy shouldn’t be all that different. Essentially, if you have enjoyed the other albums from Astral Projection, you may as well pick this up to complete the set, but don’t start here. Astral Projection have much better releases to choose from!

Release Data

Artist: Astral Projection
Title: The Astral Files
Label: Phonokol / Transient Records
Format: CD/Vinyl album
Released: 1996

More Information

TRiP: Vintage review (1995 to 2003).
Psynews: User-submitted review forum.