Cosmic Communication

Cosmic Communication is a joint production between Organic Records (UK) and BNE/YoYo (Israel) compiled by Ari Linker (later known as Alien Project) and Chris Organic. It is unusual for labels from different nations to work so closely on a release, and it is almost as peculiar to find two different DJs compiling material for single compilation. Linker, known as DJ Ari at the time, was also involved in the design of the goofy comic strip that appears on the front cover. The outer packaging has little to do with the music inside; the tone of this compilation tends to be quite serious. It is too bad the compilation is lightly mixed. Back in the day it was standard practice to blend the ambient parts of songs together to create a “seamless journey,” but I have always found it unnecessary. Here on Cosmic Communication the transitions are a bit rough at times, but there is nothing that can be done.

The opening track is a collaboration between MFG (Aharon Segal and Guy Zukrel) and DJ Jörg, an inspirational figure perhaps most known for mentoring Erez Aizen prior to the formation of Infected Mushroom in 1999. Much like Raja Ram, Jörg’s mere presence in the studio seems to bring out something special in the artists he works with. Pacubatinath was originally released as a “demo version” on the eponymous compilation debut from Jörg’s Shiva Space Technology label; it appears here in remixed form. This is the definition of powerfully emotional trance! Heavy synthetic kicks sprinkled with tribal drums provide the foundation, cruising along at around 138 BPM. The space above is put to work as ethnic vocals intermingle with an insanely gorgeous set of melodies. The epic feeling that results is nearly as astounding as anything in the MFG discography. Amazing!

Passenger (Guy Zukrel of MFG) immediately pushes the scope of the compilation into the long reaches between the stars with Air Man, a storming piece of cosmic Goa trance that gradually unfolds over less than seven minutes. Two key samples are employed with regularity: “we created a race of robots / air man from the planet Earth.” As one of the first solo releases from Guy Zukrel, the sound on Air Man remains very closely tied to that of MFG. As a fan of the group I really enjoy this piece but recognize that it is, in some ways, somewhat raw and undeveloped.

Izik Benisti, the central figure behind Cosmic Navigators, frequently collaborated with Moshe Kenan (Xerox) as he does here. Nasty Dream sounds much like First Tour (released on Future Navigators 1) or the two songs that appear on Hom-Mega’s excellent Full-On 2 compilation. This is the pure spirit of Israeli trance: energetic, melodic, driving, with a slightly mystic angle to the sound. It is good, but the other songs from Cosmic Navigators are far more memorable.

Space Intimacy is a collaboration between Seb Taylor (Shakta) and Yakov Biton, one of the original members of Growling Mad Scientists. After leaving the group, Yakov teamed up with many well-known artists to produce the Spiral Active Project album, released in 1999. Yakov demonstrably possesses an innate talent for working with other producers in the studio. This is certainly the case with Space Intimacy; Seb Taylor’s funky psychedelic grooves blend beautifully with the raspy organic rhythms of Yakov Biton. The resulting track is a captivating excursion into the gloomy depths of outer space.

MFG’s second offering is a short and energetic track by the name of Life Signs Terminated. While the style is appealing—especially for fans—this gives the impression of having been cast off from the studio without a final layer of polish. It has the sound one would expect without the kind of epic storytelling one will find in other songs from MFG.

Bells In Space starts strong with a heavy trance groove and the haunting bell melody alluded to in the title. This is the finest of the early Passenger songs, excepting perhaps his remix to Process Irreversible found on the aforementioned Full-On 2. Zukrel does a fantastic job capturing the cosmic sound with this effort. Excellent!

Chris Organic fails to impress with The Shaman, a nondescript piece of UK-style Goa trance that contains a number of hackneyed Terrence McKenna samples. Easily skipped.

The compilation comes to a close with Elysium’s dreamy remix of Hypnosis, a slow track by Messiah (Mino Vaknin) released with the Transient Dawn compilation in 1997. Although the original had potential, the production value of the piece proved to be detrimental to the desired effect. With a master’s skill, Elysium sweeps away all problems from the original, letting the inner greatness of this mystic gem shine through with crystal clarity. It makes for a beautiful way to complete the journey.

Cosmic Communication is a noteworthy Goa trance compilation that features a number of vibrant highlights. Despite being a somewhat random collection of tunes, many of these songs still sound fantastic years later. MFG fans are sure to want to check it out, as will those who appreciate Israeli Goa trance from this era. Pacubatinath and Bells In Space are the strongest songs here, although Space Intimacy and Elysium’s remix of Hypnosis are also very good. Since both labels involved remain active to this day, Cosmic Communication is relatively easy to procure despite being nearly ten years old. Fans and collectors of the old school style would do well to check this release out.

Release Data

Title: Cosmic Communication
Label: Organic Records / BNE / YoYo
Format: CD compilation
Released: 1998

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