DeathPosture
Fingering.Nuns.On.Mars
V/A - Apsara
Hi-res cover: front + back
Artist: Various
Title: Apsara
Format: CD (jewel case)
Label: Suntrip Records (France/Belgium)
Cat. #: SUNCD02
Distribution: Arabesque
Date: 6 June 2005
Track listing:
01. 07’22†Aes Dana - Digitalys
02. 07’05†Yesod – On The Edge of Time
03. 09’14†KhetzaL & Chaï (Avigmati) - Babylone Beach
04. 08’57†Lost Buddha - Metamorphosis
05. 09’01†Filteria – Tiny Universe
06. 08’31†Ka-Sol - Skraqp
07. 10’04†Ypsilon5 - Titanium
08. 08’18†Goasia – I’m Ready
09. 07’51†Radical Distortion - Communication
.m3u-playlist: http://tinyurl.com/b6mxt (all tracks)
Review:
Full-blown goa-trance anno 2005!
The 26 celestial damsels of Indra's court are known as apsaras. Well versed in the art of music and dancing, they are said to be able to change their shapes at will and sometimes lured men to their deaths… Girl power!
Suntrip Records is the brainchild of Mars & Anoebis from psynews.org… They revolutionized the scene in 2004 with the extremely melodic Filteria debut album Sky Input… An album that got rave reviews and IMHO still holds a position as one of the best albums released in 2004… Now they are back with their second release – a compilation dedicated to bringing us more old-school melodic goa-trance made with modern production techniques… A look at the tracklist reveals a mixture of well-known names and upcoming stars… Let’s get up-close and personal with the apsaras…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: Aes Dana – Digitalys [120 BPM]
We kick things into motion with a nice chilled tune by Aes Dana… Vincent Villuis from France is still the undisputed world chill champion - and the Ultimae label boss has yet to disappoint me… This tune is beautifully executed – somewhere in between arpeggio ambient and blissful downbeat… The subtle melodies are made up by floating synths and a smooth rhythm section… The heavily cut-up female voice samples are dreamy and add to the overall feel-good atmosphere created by Vince… This cracked a big old smile on my face… ;o)
#02: Yesod – On The Edge of Time [142 BPM]
This is the debut by Yesod (Fredrik Ekholm) from Sweden… As the BPM counter indicates, it’s time to dust of the dance-boots and move towards the floor… The intro is swamped with bells, flutes and floating pads…Within the first minute the track is in full effect with twirling razor-sharp flute-melodies in the foreground – and a steady bassline in the background… Very, very melodic and very, very old school… It’s an instant flashback to the extremely naïve and uplifting melodies of the early 1990s… The breakdown rules and not since The Infinity Project’s Mystical Experiences and the first Shpongle album have I heard such a wicked flute-line… Nice!
#03: KhetzaL & Chaï (Avigmati) - Babylone Beach [145 BPM]
Avigmati consists of KhetzaL (Matthieu Chamoux) and DJ Chaï from France… KhetzaL already released tracks on Ultimae, Agitato and Kagdila – but until now I haven’t heard any of his work… Anyway, this track has a very spiritual intro… Reminds me of ancient TIP ambient… A deep, pounding bassline is soon introduced alongside one of many melodies… Twirling synth melodies are interweaved between harmonic pads in the background, soothing flute lines and a discrete bassline… The lengthy break/build-up/take off is nothing less than amazing and sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it… I’m guessing this will cream a few pants the first time people listen to it… Damn, it’s good! This is what uplifting, melodic goa-trance is all about… Brilliant!
#04: Lost Buddha – Metamorphosis [139 BPM]
“Next we have another kind of un-composed musicâ€â€¦ As far as I know, this is the first released track by Felipe Santos from Portugal… Ahh, just listen to those ripping acid sounds in the intro here… Mmm… Tension is building from the first second and you just know this is gonna be good… And sure enough, before you know it we’re in the middle of a multilayered frenzy of melodies… Works absolute wonders in my living room – and I’ll bet my life saving this track can pack any trancefloor around the world in a matter of seconds… It’s very intense, very uplifting, very joyous and very good!
#05: Filteria – Tiny Universe [143 BPM]
“That means that our whole solar system could be, like, one tiny atom in the fingernail of some other giant being... That means, that one tiny atom in my fingernail could be one little tiny universe!†Filteria has become synonymous with the resurrection of highly melodic, multilayered, modern goa trance with a torrent of climaxes… Jannis Tzikas from Sweden released his highly acclaimed debut album Sky Input on Suntrip Records in 2004 – and ever since I’ve been eagerly awaiting more brain fodder from his talented hands… And finally the wait is over… Jannis takes a new path here, with a very original dubby intro… Tension is building, layers of FX are added and soon the track is in full effect… Highly uplifting, thrilling melodies are dancing around between spacey synth lines and analogue thrusters… Again the Pleiadians link is evident, but when it’s this beautifully executed no-one is complaining… Get ready to soil yourself again for the climax halfway thru… Fucking hell Jannis – I’ve missed your sound so much! I can’t wait for the second album… Stellar track!
#06: Ka-Sol – Skraqp [142 BPM]
HOLY SHIT! Finally a new track by Ka-Sol… Christer Lundström has released some of the most mind-blowing tracks ever on Schlabbaduerst RekKords… And sure enough, this is very hard, extremely twisted psychedelic trance… Raw and gritty – dark and distorted – trippy and immensely psychedelic… And simply massive! I find it really hard to describe this – you have to listen to fully understand what I’m talking about… Trust me! Though darkish, there are still loads of melodies here – exported straight from the deepest, darkest Swedish forests… This is mushroom trance if there ever was mushroom trance… Those demented acid-lines will scare away any non-believer! Grrreat! Monumental track!
#07: Ypsilon5 – Titanium [148 BPM]
When David Lilja from Sweden released his debut album Binary Sky on Tranceform Records in the beginning of 2004 it was such a relief… Old school melodic goa trance was back with a vengeance. Unfortunately he didn’t release anything after that… Until now when the Suntrippers are treating us to this super-fast track… David’s style still reminds me a lot of old Astral Projection/Man With No Name – with his rapid happy-go-lucky uplifting goa melodies and pounding basslines… It’s a very good track, but it’s not as good as the previous tracks here… And also it’s maybe a couple of minutes too long… Funny thing is, this would have been the stand-out track on any other compilation released in 2005 - but hey, the competition is fierce here… ;o) Ok track!
#08: Goasia – I’m Ready [144 BPM]
This is my first encounter with Goasia dance music… Unfortunately I haven’t heard the tracks Balint Tihamer made for the Kagdila compilation Pure Planet… I did however hear his very nice chill track on the Cosmicleaf compilation Chill On Ice… That was a pretty nice track, and so is this… The intro is übercool with very crisp sounds – and a digital bird! And then Balint takes us on a long journey – constantly changing direction, but never losing the overall focus which is leading us to the much awaited climactic ear orgasm… Highly melodic, evolving, melodic psytrance with rich goa influences… Nicey nice!
#09: Radical Distortion – Communication [136 BPM]
The sun has set and the apsaras are dancing like there’s no tomorrow! John Spanos & Nick Polytaridis from Greece have been in the game for years, but somehow I’m not familiar with their music... Anyway, this is more in the same vein – melodic, multilayered morning trance… Though a little less organized at times – and dare I say, a little cheesier also? It’s definitely very uplifting and super-super melodic… It’s not a bad track, but I could’ve wished for a little more edge here… Decent track!
What a nice, long, nostalgic trip down Melody Lane… Just like the Filteria album, this second Suntrip Records instalment is like a breath of fresh air… Nothing like it has been released for quite a while and such is brings something fresh into our scene… Diversity rules!
As you can tell, I like the middle part of this album the best… A few of the tracks sounded a little flat somehow compared to the rest… As DJ tools all tracks will work wonders I’m sure, and for home listening most of them are outstanding…. But rest assured, there are no fillers here – it’s all good! Also the cover-art deserves a special mention – it looks absolutely wicked! Well done!
To conclude, this is a brilliant compilation – and very, very different from anything else released recently… When listening to this, you are constantly reminded of the good old glorious days of goa-trance… The style that so many of first fell in love with – and a style that obviously still is very much alive, evolving and kicking in 2005… I hope it never dies - and with visionary people like the Suntrippers, I’m sure it never will… I give this compilation my highest recommendations – and urge everyone with a healthy interest in melodic goa trance to give it a listen… You will not be disappointed! Enjoy!
Favourites: 3(!), 4(!), 5(!!), 6(!), 8
DeathPosture
External links:
Suntrip Records: http://www.suntriprecords.com
Trance Shop: http://tinyurl.com/8b5ft
Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/chp59
Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/9z9ez
PsySale: http://tinyurl.com/be9zg
Unicorn: http://tinyurl.com/9t7h6
Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/77mt3
Juno: http://tinyurl.com/dshfr
Hi-res cover: front + back
Artist: Various
Title: Apsara
Format: CD (jewel case)
Label: Suntrip Records (France/Belgium)
Cat. #: SUNCD02
Distribution: Arabesque
Date: 6 June 2005
Track listing:
01. 07’22†Aes Dana - Digitalys
02. 07’05†Yesod – On The Edge of Time
03. 09’14†KhetzaL & Chaï (Avigmati) - Babylone Beach
04. 08’57†Lost Buddha - Metamorphosis
05. 09’01†Filteria – Tiny Universe
06. 08’31†Ka-Sol - Skraqp
07. 10’04†Ypsilon5 - Titanium
08. 08’18†Goasia – I’m Ready
09. 07’51†Radical Distortion - Communication
.m3u-playlist: http://tinyurl.com/b6mxt (all tracks)
Review:
Full-blown goa-trance anno 2005!
The 26 celestial damsels of Indra's court are known as apsaras. Well versed in the art of music and dancing, they are said to be able to change their shapes at will and sometimes lured men to their deaths… Girl power!
Suntrip Records is the brainchild of Mars & Anoebis from psynews.org… They revolutionized the scene in 2004 with the extremely melodic Filteria debut album Sky Input… An album that got rave reviews and IMHO still holds a position as one of the best albums released in 2004… Now they are back with their second release – a compilation dedicated to bringing us more old-school melodic goa-trance made with modern production techniques… A look at the tracklist reveals a mixture of well-known names and upcoming stars… Let’s get up-close and personal with the apsaras…
Let me take you thru the tracks…
#01: Aes Dana – Digitalys [120 BPM]
We kick things into motion with a nice chilled tune by Aes Dana… Vincent Villuis from France is still the undisputed world chill champion - and the Ultimae label boss has yet to disappoint me… This tune is beautifully executed – somewhere in between arpeggio ambient and blissful downbeat… The subtle melodies are made up by floating synths and a smooth rhythm section… The heavily cut-up female voice samples are dreamy and add to the overall feel-good atmosphere created by Vince… This cracked a big old smile on my face… ;o)
#02: Yesod – On The Edge of Time [142 BPM]
This is the debut by Yesod (Fredrik Ekholm) from Sweden… As the BPM counter indicates, it’s time to dust of the dance-boots and move towards the floor… The intro is swamped with bells, flutes and floating pads…Within the first minute the track is in full effect with twirling razor-sharp flute-melodies in the foreground – and a steady bassline in the background… Very, very melodic and very, very old school… It’s an instant flashback to the extremely naïve and uplifting melodies of the early 1990s… The breakdown rules and not since The Infinity Project’s Mystical Experiences and the first Shpongle album have I heard such a wicked flute-line… Nice!
#03: KhetzaL & Chaï (Avigmati) - Babylone Beach [145 BPM]
Avigmati consists of KhetzaL (Matthieu Chamoux) and DJ Chaï from France… KhetzaL already released tracks on Ultimae, Agitato and Kagdila – but until now I haven’t heard any of his work… Anyway, this track has a very spiritual intro… Reminds me of ancient TIP ambient… A deep, pounding bassline is soon introduced alongside one of many melodies… Twirling synth melodies are interweaved between harmonic pads in the background, soothing flute lines and a discrete bassline… The lengthy break/build-up/take off is nothing less than amazing and sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it… I’m guessing this will cream a few pants the first time people listen to it… Damn, it’s good! This is what uplifting, melodic goa-trance is all about… Brilliant!
#04: Lost Buddha – Metamorphosis [139 BPM]
“Next we have another kind of un-composed musicâ€â€¦ As far as I know, this is the first released track by Felipe Santos from Portugal… Ahh, just listen to those ripping acid sounds in the intro here… Mmm… Tension is building from the first second and you just know this is gonna be good… And sure enough, before you know it we’re in the middle of a multilayered frenzy of melodies… Works absolute wonders in my living room – and I’ll bet my life saving this track can pack any trancefloor around the world in a matter of seconds… It’s very intense, very uplifting, very joyous and very good!
#05: Filteria – Tiny Universe [143 BPM]
“That means that our whole solar system could be, like, one tiny atom in the fingernail of some other giant being... That means, that one tiny atom in my fingernail could be one little tiny universe!†Filteria has become synonymous with the resurrection of highly melodic, multilayered, modern goa trance with a torrent of climaxes… Jannis Tzikas from Sweden released his highly acclaimed debut album Sky Input on Suntrip Records in 2004 – and ever since I’ve been eagerly awaiting more brain fodder from his talented hands… And finally the wait is over… Jannis takes a new path here, with a very original dubby intro… Tension is building, layers of FX are added and soon the track is in full effect… Highly uplifting, thrilling melodies are dancing around between spacey synth lines and analogue thrusters… Again the Pleiadians link is evident, but when it’s this beautifully executed no-one is complaining… Get ready to soil yourself again for the climax halfway thru… Fucking hell Jannis – I’ve missed your sound so much! I can’t wait for the second album… Stellar track!
#06: Ka-Sol – Skraqp [142 BPM]
HOLY SHIT! Finally a new track by Ka-Sol… Christer Lundström has released some of the most mind-blowing tracks ever on Schlabbaduerst RekKords… And sure enough, this is very hard, extremely twisted psychedelic trance… Raw and gritty – dark and distorted – trippy and immensely psychedelic… And simply massive! I find it really hard to describe this – you have to listen to fully understand what I’m talking about… Trust me! Though darkish, there are still loads of melodies here – exported straight from the deepest, darkest Swedish forests… This is mushroom trance if there ever was mushroom trance… Those demented acid-lines will scare away any non-believer! Grrreat! Monumental track!
#07: Ypsilon5 – Titanium [148 BPM]
When David Lilja from Sweden released his debut album Binary Sky on Tranceform Records in the beginning of 2004 it was such a relief… Old school melodic goa trance was back with a vengeance. Unfortunately he didn’t release anything after that… Until now when the Suntrippers are treating us to this super-fast track… David’s style still reminds me a lot of old Astral Projection/Man With No Name – with his rapid happy-go-lucky uplifting goa melodies and pounding basslines… It’s a very good track, but it’s not as good as the previous tracks here… And also it’s maybe a couple of minutes too long… Funny thing is, this would have been the stand-out track on any other compilation released in 2005 - but hey, the competition is fierce here… ;o) Ok track!
#08: Goasia – I’m Ready [144 BPM]
This is my first encounter with Goasia dance music… Unfortunately I haven’t heard the tracks Balint Tihamer made for the Kagdila compilation Pure Planet… I did however hear his very nice chill track on the Cosmicleaf compilation Chill On Ice… That was a pretty nice track, and so is this… The intro is übercool with very crisp sounds – and a digital bird! And then Balint takes us on a long journey – constantly changing direction, but never losing the overall focus which is leading us to the much awaited climactic ear orgasm… Highly melodic, evolving, melodic psytrance with rich goa influences… Nicey nice!
#09: Radical Distortion – Communication [136 BPM]
The sun has set and the apsaras are dancing like there’s no tomorrow! John Spanos & Nick Polytaridis from Greece have been in the game for years, but somehow I’m not familiar with their music... Anyway, this is more in the same vein – melodic, multilayered morning trance… Though a little less organized at times – and dare I say, a little cheesier also? It’s definitely very uplifting and super-super melodic… It’s not a bad track, but I could’ve wished for a little more edge here… Decent track!
What a nice, long, nostalgic trip down Melody Lane… Just like the Filteria album, this second Suntrip Records instalment is like a breath of fresh air… Nothing like it has been released for quite a while and such is brings something fresh into our scene… Diversity rules!
As you can tell, I like the middle part of this album the best… A few of the tracks sounded a little flat somehow compared to the rest… As DJ tools all tracks will work wonders I’m sure, and for home listening most of them are outstanding…. But rest assured, there are no fillers here – it’s all good! Also the cover-art deserves a special mention – it looks absolutely wicked! Well done!
To conclude, this is a brilliant compilation – and very, very different from anything else released recently… When listening to this, you are constantly reminded of the good old glorious days of goa-trance… The style that so many of first fell in love with – and a style that obviously still is very much alive, evolving and kicking in 2005… I hope it never dies - and with visionary people like the Suntrippers, I’m sure it never will… I give this compilation my highest recommendations – and urge everyone with a healthy interest in melodic goa trance to give it a listen… You will not be disappointed! Enjoy!
Favourites: 3(!), 4(!), 5(!!), 6(!), 8
DeathPosture
External links:
Suntrip Records: http://www.suntriprecords.com
Trance Shop: http://tinyurl.com/8b5ft
Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/chp59
Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/9z9ez
PsySale: http://tinyurl.com/be9zg
Unicorn: http://tinyurl.com/9t7h6
Saiko: http://tinyurl.com/77mt3
Juno: http://tinyurl.com/dshfr
