Astral Projection - Trust in Trance

Astral Projection defined the sound of melodic Goa trance with their amazing debut album Trust in Trance. Although it was originally released as a compilation of singles from Astral Projection, SFX, and Aban Don, it was re-released in the European market by TIP Records as artist album. SFX and Aban Don are both formed by members of Astral Projection, so this makes sense. At the time, the group consisted of Lior Perlmutter, Avi Nissim, and Yaniv Haviv. Following the release of Trust in Trance, Haviv left the group, leaving the name to the duo of Perlmutter and Nissim, who were originally producing under the banner of SFX.

Trust in Trance was one of the first Goa trance releases to make it big in the UK, appearing on shelves next to other “first wave” hits such as Hallucinogen’s Twisted, TIP Yellow, Order Odonata 1, and the Concept in Dance compilations. This ensured peak exposure for the Israeli trio’s best effort to date, and the album allegedly went on to sell tens of thousands of copies. That might not be much by major label standards, but it is quite a lot for a trance release!

The impact made by Trust in Trance is best understood through the words of fans and reviewers. I have gathered a number of comments clipped from the old TRiP review site to illustrate the incredibly enthusiastic response that greeted the release of this album. arfc@mail.algonet.se writes “This is the best music to listen to when you surf through your mind in the endless universe.” SHAQ calls it “the BEST GOA ALBUM I`ve heard. Absolutely brilliant stuff from the true MASTERS OF GOA – Lior, Avi and Yaniv.” Lastly, rob@open.org posted a particularly poignant series of remarks on TRiP sometime before July of 1997:

If there was ever such a thing as popular psychedelic trance, then Astral Projection will surely make the record books with this album, ‘Trust In Trance 3′. Despite the fact that this is truly a compilation of singles, or rather works of music which should be listened to individually, I am extremely excited about this release. Because if any one artist could ever be accredited with the popularization of goa trance, it most certainly would have to be Astral Projection. Not only have they successfully adopted the flashy, gigantic-chord-wielding, countless-melody-sporting, instantaneously appealing style that was pioneered over two years ago by Martin Freeland himself (MWNN), but more importantly, they have animated it, and given it some very essential psychedelic finetuning.

After the release of Trust in Trance, Astral Projection would go on to become the most famous psychedelic trance act in the world until Infected Mushroom broke into the mainstream in the early years of the 21st century. The influence of this album cannot be understated; the mid-90s Goa trance sound owes an incredible amount to the melodic power of Trust in Trance. Countless artists cite this album as a primary source of inspiration for their own work. In essence, this is one of the greatest psychedelic trance releases of all time.

Kabalah is a perfect introduction, digging deep into a euphoric head-space from the very beginning. Driving trance rhythms, energetic surges, heartfelt melodies, and powerful build-ups make this the enduring classic that it is. DJ Jörg is credited in the liner notes, but I have no idea what his imprint might be. Suffice to say, this is a trance epic for the ages.

Enlightened Evolution became Astral Projection’s first massive hit in the UK market when it was originally released on the TIP Blue Compilation in early 1996. It is an absolutely brilliant piece of high-energy psychedelic trance. The famous samples from Robotech will be widely recognized: “We have now taken first steps to bio-genetically transforming all of our hibernating population into humanoids… Enlightened Evolution!” This one hasn’t lost any shine or lustre through the years; it remains one of the all-time greatest early Goa trance anthems!

The Feelings begins like any other, but the use of an awkward guitar sound pollutes parts of the song with an ugly noise. The rest is composed with a victorious mood, foreshadowing the later development of the Nitzhonot style. Although it is the weakest track of the album, it isn’t terrible.

Utopia digs into more deeper territory with a throbbing analog underbelly, intelligent melodic progression, and excellent production value for the time. Similar in some ways to Kabalah, this tune encourages cosmic travelers to dream their way into rich inner worlds. The composition is tasteful and precise, with an energetic flow that remains fully hypnotic. Utopia is another classic!

Black & White is distinguished by a deeper, more serious sound. It isn’t dark so much as it is tense and dramatic, with a highly developed storyline leading through cosmic mysteries into a higher plane of consciousness. The layered melodies are simply relentless! This is another enduring favourite.

The legendary People Can Fly is one of Astral Projection’s biggest hits, and it remains the most memorable selections from Trust in Trance. The late breakdown – the most epic and moving of the album – is responsible for making this an anthem for all time. The sample is taken from the movie Kalifornia: “When you dream there are no rules, people can fly, anything can happen.” Thousands of trancers have had peak moments hearing this track out on the dance floors of the world. People Can Fly is one of the great classics of Goa trance!

Radial Blur is composed in collaboration with MFG, who released their own debut entitled The Prophecy later that same year. Guy and Aharon’s rough industrial bass character can be discerned without much effort, easily distinguishing this song from the rest. It isn’t quite as polished as some of the rest, but the aggressive rhythms and epic melodies are still good to hear.

Aurora Borealis, also known as Ocean (from the Balagan compilation), is more seductively uplifting than any other on this album. The smooth melodies nourish the spirit while the smartly repetitious and deceptively simple arrangement delivers the listener into trance. It still sounds incredible after all these years!

Still Dreaming (Anything Can Happen) is a chilled remake of People Can Fly. There is nothing new here, and the track isn’t individually remarkable when compared to other ambient trance of the era, but it serves its purpose as album closer well enough.

Trust in Trance is a masterpiece that has withstood the test of time. It remains easily accessible for first-times while being sufficiently complex for long-time listeners. The sound might not

Trust in Trance is a masterpiece that has successfully weathered the test of time. As an initiation into trance music, it is unparalleled. Trust in Trance remains easily accessible for new listeners while being sufficiently complex for veteran trancers. Several criticisms have been leveled against the album, most of which focus on the brash melodic style and seemingly homogeneous sound heard throughout the album. This is a question of taste; anyone who enjoys the cosmic sound of Goa trance should be able to absorb the distinct qualities of each piece. The album as a whole flows between tracks with the easy confidence of the artists in their prime. Nearly every track is a classic. There are one or two rough spots apparent to those with a critical ear, but these are easily overlooked when considering the album’s overall influence and historic importance. Anyone who enjoys the old school sound of Goa trance owes it to themselves to own a copy of Astral Projection’s stellar debut.

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