BBEP is a five-track digital single from the influential Danish psytrance group Beat Bizarre. It features three original compositions and a pair of remastered classics, both of which are sure to appeal to longtime fans. As one of the leading artists on Iboga Records, Beat Bizarre is known for a distinctive blend of clean, cold, and minimal psychedelic grooves. Resonance is the name of the game; every Beat Bizarre song seems to take up an immense amount of space. Continue reading the rest of this post »

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Cytopia // Digital download shop selling MP3 and WAV files.

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Iboga Records // Label home page.

The second release on D Oxygen Records is a split single featuring music from Protonica and Suntree vs Given. As with every other release on DJ TV’s Oxygen imprint, the songs of Doxy002 blend the best of psychedelic progressive with upbeat morning trance to achieve an intelligent crossover sound. There are no gimmicks here; this is pure trance designed to captivate the mind, body, and soul. The packaging and presentation is up to the standards of Sound Field’s Ascension EP, the first output from D Oxygen. Distinctive cover art and professional mastering by Tim Schuldt and Audialize mark this digital single as a high-end release. Continue reading the rest of this post »

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D Oxygen Records // Label home page.

The Zone Effect EP is the first digital single from Sensient (Tim Larner), an Australian producer largely responsible for bringing minimal psytrance back from the brink of oblivion. Predictably enough, both songs are composed in his signature style: dark, heavy, brooding, and extraordinarily powerful. In terms of sound, this EP is close to that of AntiFluoro, Sensient’s third album, released in 2006. As always, the level of production is very high, offering clarity, fatness, and an immense sense of space. Continue reading the rest of this post »

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Psynews // User-based review forum.
Zenon Records // Label home page.
Sensient // Artist home page.

TimeDrained is a progressive psytrance project formed by Martin Schultz Hinrichsen (Nox Lupi) and Rasmus Tue Jørgensen (Pythagoraz), both from Denmark. Their sound is very much a blend of Beat Bizarre and Frogacult with a little Vibrasphere thrown in for good measure. Dilemma is their debut full-length release—eight tracks featuring smooth progressive beats drowned in glistening atmospheric manipulations and organic sound textures. Continue reading the rest of this post »

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Saikosounds // Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong.
Wirikuta // Physical mail order shop based in Austria.

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Discogs // Detailed release data.
Iono Music // Label home page.
TimeDrained // Artist home page.

In Search Of Water is the first substantial offering from Swiss producer Midimal (Christian Merki), a rising star in the progressive psytrance world. Midimal’s discography is sparsely populated—featuring no more than a handful of songs released on obscure compilations—but he has accumulated many years of experience as a DJ and producer in the Swiss psytrance underground. Subtitled “a dive into progressive realms,” In Search Of Water is a concept album unified by the presence of aquatic themes in the choice of track titles, the use of samples, and the overall feel of the music. Midimal’s bright and melodic style rests comfortably with the likes of FREq, Motion Drive, Vaishiyas, Zen Mechanics, Lish, Yotopia, and Liquid Soul (who also mastered this CD). Unlike many other progressive psytrance acts, Midimal has not absorbed any of the electro influence that is currently fashionable—this is pure psychedelic trance for the morning hours! Continue reading the rest of this post »

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Saikosounds // Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong.

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Discogs // Detailed release data.
Frakasound Records // Label home page.
Midimal // Artist home page.

Pulsar is the seventh CD release from Oxygen Records, a label known for their focus on psychedelic trance for the morning hours. DJ TV has compiled an interesting line-up of artists from around the world for this release. With contributions from as far afield as Brazil and South Africa, he manages to shake up the usual European line-up with several different approaches while maintaining a common theme. As always with Oxygen Records, impressive graphic design ensures this CD will make a nice addition to your collection. Each individual track is also available for purchase from the usual online distributors. Continue reading the rest of this post »

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Saikosounds // Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong.
Wirikuta // Physical mail order shop based in Austria.

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Discogs // Detailed release data.
Isratrance // User-based review forum.
Oxygen Records // Label home page.

Oxygen Records is an established boutique label specializing in a smooth fusion of progressive grooves and full-on energy ideal for the morning hours. Label owner DJ TV has recently founded a “sister label” by the name of D Oxygen Records to make headway in the expanding digital media marketplace. The first release from this new imprint features a pair of unusual tracks from Sound Field (Andy Yakovlev AKA Sonify), already known from the release of the full-length Audio Surfin’ on Oxygen in early 2007.

On the title track, Sound Field renews his association with Threshold Productions (Torsten Edwinson) of Sweden. Previously, Andy and Torsten released the No More Silence EP on Baroque Limited in 2005. Cruising along at 130 BPM, the thick and chunky rhythms of this progressive floor burner instantly establish a catchy groove. Before long, mystic atmospheric themes soar skyward as a dazzling set of subtle melodies unfold in the middle reaches. The sample, taken from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, certainly contributes to the otherworldly mood: “But that sunset! I’ve never seen anything like it in my wildest dreams. The two suns! It was like mountains of fire boiling into space.” Whereas electro influences dominate modern progressive psytrance, Ascension restores faith in the vibrant effervescence of deep and truly psychedelic trance. Enchanting!

Tribologic represents the more energetic side of Andy’s work as Sound Field. With the tempo raised to 142 BPM, the pumping robotic beats surge forth with impunity, nicely complimented by the patter of light tribal drums. Strange female vocals are littered throughout the song, spicing up the sparser moments with another touch of the alien. This song takes a little while to build steam but the mesmerizing leads that emerge in the later moments are worth the wait. These melodies that come whirling in from the outer darkness invite comparisons with those of Corridor Of Mirrors, the recent album from Twisted Records artist Prometheus. The results are quite satisfying, once again. As a side note, a remix of Tribologic by Amygdala is available on the Mainspring Motion compilation from PAR-2 Productions.

The release of the Ascension EP is a great beginning for D Oxygen Records. Breaking with convention, Sound Field explores pure psychedelic trance with two distinct approaches, both of which yield success. Look for the Ascension EP at Beatport, iTunes, and many other digital download shops.

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D Oxygen Records // Label home page.
Sound Field // Artist home page.

Ultrapop 2 is the second compilation from Fabularecords, an independent label founded by Loopus In Fabula in 2003 to provide an outlet for their distinctly unconventional style of electronic dance music. Although the label operates within the psytrance realm, the Fabula sound defies strict classification. They’ve carved out their own niche—a mutant blend of styles jokingly referred to as “funkypsydiscoteknimal.” True to form, Ultrapop 2 sports a diverse array of weird and groovy selections from around the globe. This will surely be of interest to those listeners and DJs who exhibit an appreciation for the experimental fringe of progressive psychedelic trance. Continue reading the rest of this post »

Purchase Options

Saikosounds // Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong.
Wirikuta // Physical mail order shop based in Austria.

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Isratrance // User-based review forum.