Anakoluth is back with another psychedelic odyssey into the depths of outer space and the human imagination. The Beyond Reach EP from Cronomi Records features four kaleidoscopic tracks that blend the cavernous rhythms of deeply minimal psytrance with dazzling cosmic melodies and hints of old school Goa trance. Anakoluth’s clean technical style has already won the respect of fans around the world, and with this release he exhibits an evolution in both sound production and musical arrangement. This release has been mastered by Colin Bennun @ the Stooodio, Bristol, UK.

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Released under a Creative Commons licence for noncommercial usage. Be sure to download Anakoluth’s Dwelling In The Void EP if you enjoy this release!

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Flying Rhino Records remain one of the most important labels in psytrance history. Slipstream is one of their most pivotal releases; it marks the point at which they fully embraced the implications of the “progressive” concept of electronic music authorship that has since become one of the dominant movements in the global psytrance scene. Slipstream builds on developments heard on Turbulence, the second compilation in the “Flight” series of compilations. The liner notes for Slipstream outline the intention behind the release:

“With this album we have tried to blur the lines between Trance, Techno, and Hard House whilst staying true to our heritage. This is the album that defines Flying Rhino’s new style… Evolution without compromise.”

Atmos opens the compilation with one of his most famous works: Klein Aber Doktor. This song really deserves its own write-up; it is the prototypical progressive psytrance anthem. Timeless.

Slide (Pete Martin) released his debut album Unstable in 1998, cementing his reputation for insanely chaotic yet devilishly funky psychedelic trance. Slipping in under the radar, Confusional State signified a major turning point in Slide’s career. No longer would chaos reign; it was subsumed beneath the funk, wrapped in a slick outer layer of gloss and polish. The results are magnificently smooth and utterly irresistible.

Stoop & Fidget is a collaboration between Gus Till and James Monro, both key figures in Flying Rhino history. Mudless is similar to Rumbling Toon in some ways; it develops gradually, stirring more and more psychedelic elements into the brew, eventually reaching a sustained peak of activity. This refined approach is an acquired taste, certainly—but the sheer quality of this song should be obvious to all listeners.

Next up, Kopfuss Resonator provides Holy Water, a piece of psychedelic techno similar to what can be heard on their debut album, Spect-® Module. German engineering at its finest.

Venom AKA N-Tropic follow with Try It, another pumping psychedelic techno track. It zips and whirls but never manages to drive the point home.

Dragon’s Freak The Greek builds on Venom’s insectile aesthetic, ratcheting up the intensity. This has a little more going for it but it still feels noisy and incoherent. I am intrigued, however: could one argue for this being an early precursor of the “darkpsy” style? A curiosity.

Bus (Gus Till’s solo project) restores interest with Something’s Always Out There, a fantastic work of cinematic psychedelic trance that shimmers with creativity. Something about the way in which Gus manipulates sounds in this song promotes a sense of awe and wonder. Blissful listening!

Blue Planet Corporation’s Micromega marks the climax of the compilation; this is the closest thing to classic Goa trance one will find here. Bubbling acid lines and chattering breakbeats leap through the air as the song opens up. Awesome stuff, and it can also be heard on BPC’s debut album, Blue Planet.

The compilation closes with Tribal Chord Projection by O.J. Project, a mysterious artist that might be an alias of Massimo Vivona. This is a stripped-down piece of progressive trance characterized by tight rhythmic programming and extremely deep atmospheres. It sounds a bit like the opening number by Atmos but lacks the same kind of spark. Although it is not the most successful offering on Slipstream it is easy to understand why it was selected for the compilation.

Slipstream is arguably one of the more important releases of 1998. It helped to pave the way for the rise of the minimal and progressive trends that dominated psychedelic trance for the next three to five years. Aside from being historic, Slipstream also makes for solid listening years down the line; its appeal is long-lasting. I would recommend this to all collectors with particular emphasis on anyone interested in the development of progressive psytrance.

Although DJ Bim had previously released Vibration 1 and Vibration 2 with Com.Pact Records, Goodfellas is the first official compilation on Medium (later Midijum) Records, his own label. Medium was heavily involved in the rise of progressive psytrance in the aftermath of the golden age of Goa trance. This compilation straddles the boundary; it features a blend of minimalism with hints of the old school sound.

Goodfellas did not receive a full vinyl release; instead, four tracks were put out on a sampler EP from Medium. Several of these songs can also be found on the 2CD Reincarnation compilation, an early “best of” compilation also from Medium.

The compilation opens with Return Of Shalam by Amourphous, better known as Noma to Scandinavian trance fans. This is deeply minimal and very forward-thinking for its time. Every sound has its place; the arrangement is about as stylish as can be. Pulsating rhythms and alien sound effects warp time and space into an all-consuming nothingness. This is a quintessential example of minimal psytrance in action.

Vapour is a one-off collaboration between the original line-up of SBK (Linus Wessel & Sebastian Krüger) and Jeppe Ornkilde of Phony Orphants. Sneaky Spasm isn’t much to speak of; it has a plodding tribal groove and a smattering of errant synth-lines, but doesn’t manage to muster up a memorable moment.

Next up, Tim Schuldt’s snarling masterpiece Pretty Poison receives an interesting remix treatment from Oforia. Taking the edge off, Ofer has crafted a devilishly effective alien epic. The wailing guitars are drowned in muddy atmospheres and a fiendish bass groove, conjuring a very unusual sound. The only thing missing is that last powerful moment when the guitars really kick in, but given that this remix is intended to be much more ethereal, it isn’t that much of an issue. This is an excellent reinterpretation of a great song.

Something Weird is easily the best of the compilation. Tim Schuldt and Space Cat join forces to deliver a darkly melodic example of psychedelic trance. Much like Schuldt’s collaboration with X-Dream (as The Groupie Syndrome), this collaboration brings out the best in both producers. Just listen as that sinister bass line crawls up from the depths of the main breakdown to a metallic blast of full-on energy. Awesome!

CHI-A.D. (Dave Young) digs deep with Machine Brain, an entrancing piece of psychedelic trance that straddles the borderlands of progressive and old school Goa trance. If you’ve heard Anno Domini you will know what to expect here. Quality stuff!

Johann Bley’s remix of an otherwise uninteresting old school Goa track by Evolution doesn’t really do it for me. The spirit is there all right—but the production style is rough and unpolished. The same could be said of the Mark Woods track; Goa fanatics might get a kick out of it but the rest of us aren’t likely to. Both tracks can be safely relegated to the dustbin of history.

M-Sphere concentrates on a cheerful, easygoing mood on Space Cam. Bubbly melodies progress through a series of pleasing transformations while simple beat structures loop and repeat beneath. Not bad, but nothing extraordinary either. I prefer M-Sphere’s later work.

Many of the early Medium compilations are a mixed bag in terms of quality and style, and this one is no different. I’d say this fares a little worse than most of DJ Bim’s releases for one simple reason: the old school tunes really flounder. Instead of tracking this one down it might be more worthwhile to grab Goa-Head 8 and the aforementioned Reincarnation compilation.