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 »

Purchase Options

More Information

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 »

More Information

Poly 61 is an obscure Finnish Goa trance group with only a handful of songs in their discography. Thirteen Productions released this surprisingly authentic CD single in the dying days of the old school movement, just as minimal and techno influences were taking over. It never seems to have made it to the major web shops and ultimately seems to have suffered from a lack of proper distribution. Had it been released two years earlier I suspect it would have been a major hit but, as fate would have it, this release slipped through the cracks.

Musta opens the release in style, immediately drawing the listener into a mystic realm of Eastern melodies and tribal-organic beats. There are numerous hints of acoustic or real-world instruments in this piece: a dash of xylophone, a hint of panpipes, and so on. Every instrument is integrated into the whole—there is nothing gimmicky about their usage. The results are very balanced, offering both musicality and emotional depths. My only complaint would be that the duration of this piece is somewhat too short!

Hirabo Invaders is another captivating trip into the heart of old school Goa trance spiritualism. Spiralling lead melodies and free-flowing cosmic atmospheres fill the air while energetic beats churn beneath. It ends up sounding a bit like an ad hoc blend of Ubar Tmar, Elysium, and BTI-era Juno Reactor. The arrangement isn’t as polished as the others but the nostalgic enthusiasm of the piece more than makes up for it.

The Squaremeat version remains faithful to the spirit of the original while providing a completely different interpretation. Changes have been made in the rhythm—Squaremeat infuse Poly 61’s exotic Goa trance mysticism with a mild dose of Suomi-style funkadelia. The tempo has also been decreased, deepening the groove and giving every sound a little more breathing room than on the hectic original. As a result, this is a very good remix.

The Hirabo Invaders EP is an obscure relic of a lost age of Goa trance. Often it is found that rare releases are rare for very prosaic reasons—they aren’t very good—but this is one notable exception. Poly 61 successfully in capture the authentic spirit of the old school masters. If Poly 61 had continued to develop their sound we might regard them as an important forerunners of the modern Goa trance movement alongside artists like Dimension 5, Ra, CHI-A.D., and Electron Wave. Although Poly 61 didn’t remain active in the scene long enough to make a lasting impression at least they provided history with this hidden gem.

More Information

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 »

More Information

Darshan exploded on to the scene in 1997, signing with Flying Rhino Records to become one of the hottest new acts in Goa trance. Headed up by Grant Collins and Mark Robinson, Darshan seen as the spiritual successors to the Green Nuns Of The Revolution, a legendary act that had been slowing down since the days of the Afterburner EP (1995). Trance listeners—especially in the UK—continued to demand high-energy acid trance, and this is exactly what the duo provides on this, their debut release.

Mind Merge is an intense piece of psychedelic trance that assaults the listener with fast rhythms and screeching high-end leads. The central sample, taken from the movie Scanners is key to the experience: “Telepathy is not mind reading. It is a direct link of two nervous systems separated by space. I want you to make a link from your brain to his heart. I want your brain… to make his heart… beat faster.” This is the cue to increase the speed of the song—the BPM surges upward, eventually reaching something ludicrous like 155. Naturally, all of the psychotic acid melodies that have been swirling around begin to explode, and the energy level shoots through the roof. The results are dazzling even if this classic sounds very dated by now.

Ephemeral isn’t really any different than Mind Merge. This is another blinding tune loaded with sinister melodies and bristling hard trance beats. It comes to a somewhat unexpected conclusion and doesn’t manage to distinguish itself in the same way as the A-side.

This record might sound a little rough around the edges but its an acknowledged “golden oldie.” Darshan provides an ecstatic piece of trance history here. Serious collectors will want to own a copy for sure.

More Information

Total Eclipse (Loic Van Pouke, Serge Souque, and Stephan Holweck) were among the earliest pioneers of psychedelic trance. Along with artists like Man With No Name, Hallucinogen, Astral Projection, and Juno Reactor, they helped to define the scope of the burgeoning mid-nineties Goa trance movement. This vinyl record is perhaps their most overlooked early 12″ single; neither track received nearly as much exposure as hits like Aliens, Waiting For A New Life, and Can’t Do That. Is this due to the innate quality of the music, or is it just a matter of chance?

A tangible sense of mystery pervades the opening moments of Toxic Caterpillar. The call of a loon sets the scene; deep in the woods, under the cover of darkness, strange forms of life begin to emerge from the trees. Warbling organic bass stirs in the undergrowth, a light rhythm sets down a hypnotizing beat, and characteristic electric blips sparkle like fireflies. Building gradually, this song unwinds with a playful assortment of prominent leads. To draw a comparison, this sounds like a bridge between Delta Aquarids and the more stripped-down style of tracks like Area 51 or Pulsar Glitch—both from their second album, Violent Relaxation.

Far Beyond Speech compliments the flip-side in numerous ways. Distinctly insectile motifs can be heard throughout the song—clearly we aren’t out of the woods yet. With tension levels running high, the mood becomes much more serious. Sinister melodies lash out, harmonies intertwine, and the trip intensifies. There is something eminently primeval about this song; it seems to allude to something buried deep within the human psyche. Of course, this is precisely what kind of territory the early Goa trance artists were interested in exploring.

As it turns out, this old Total Eclipse record is a really solid piece of work—not exactly a hidden classic, but certainly very good. The fact that each song compliments the other certainly adds something to the quality of the release. For CD buyers, Far Beyond Speech can be found on Distance To Goa 1 and the more obscure Cosmic Cubes 2. Toxic Caterpillar is available in a number of places, but I think the only full release was on Phonokol’s Goa Vibes 1. If you enjoy Total Eclipse be sure to hear this single!

More Information

POF (Product Of France) is an obscure mid-nineties label with a diverse output that ran the gamut from hard techno to psychedelic trance. Although international acts occasionally released with POF, their focus was mainly on French producers such as Joking Sphinx, Amanite FX, and Amtinaoüs. As O.V.N.I., Pascal Eloy released a pair of vinyl singles with POF; the first came out in 1996, whereas this one is from 1998. If my memory serves me right, O.V.N.I. was known more as a live performer than a studio artist. This may explain his predilection for loops and simple progressive arrangements! In terms of sound, I would lump this project in with artists like Nüw Idol, Yum Yum, Multiplex, The Secret, and Moonweed—it isn’t exactly psychedelic trance, but there was a time when this sort of thing crossed over quite nicely.

Trajectory combines a throbbing kick with a shuffling assortment of percussion. Scratchy acid leads pierce the air, simple melodies flutter around, and the mood becomes cheerful and upbeat. Key moments feature an extraordinary atmospheric surge: beautiful pads wash over the rhythm, and—at times—it can begin to sound a little like something by Blue Planet Corporation. This epic is the best of the lot by far. CD buyers can find it on Tantrance 7.

The first of the B-sides is not at all appealing. Reflection is a strange hybrid, sporadically fusing the Amen break with meandering acid sequences for no reason I can discern.

Fountain is slightly better—at least this song seems to tell a cohesive story. This is a carefree sort of tune, bouncing along with a merry groove, clad in shimmering morning melodies. The breakbeat loops return, but they remain in the background for the most part. This track is quite progressive—it takes its time getting to the point, and sounds better for it.

The Trajectory EP might fare well with UK trance fans and nostalgic listeners fond of the more uplifting side of the late-nineties. Nowadays, there isn’t anything remotely fashionable about this kind of straight-forward electronic sound—it was behind the times even in 1998. Still, as one who was around back in those days, I can admit to appreciating some of the more salient qualities of this record. The feelings expressed are genuine, even if the production value isn’t anywhere near as crisp as what contemporary standards demanded. If you collect vinyl and would like to add something from POF Music to your collection, this might be worth trying.

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.

More Information