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 »

Release Data

Artist: Beat Bizarre
Title: BBEP
Label: Iboga Records
Format: MP3/Lossless EP
Released: 2007

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 »

Release Data

Artist: Protonica / Suntree vs Given
Title: Doxy002
Label: D Oxygen Records
Format: MP3/Lossless EP
Released: 2008

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.

Release Data

Artist: Poly 61
Title: Hirabo Invaders EP
Label: Thirteen Productions
Format: CD EP
Released: 2001

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 »

Release Data

Artist: Sensient
Title: Zone Effect EP
Label: Zenon Records
Format: MP3/Lossless EP
Released: 2007

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.

Release Data

Artist: Darshan
Title: Mind Merge / Ephemeral
Label: Flying Rhino Records
Format: Vinyl EP
Released: 1997