Bali based DJ El Didion has compiled this new CD from Turbo Trance records.

Things warm up very quickly here with the title track Groovy Pygmee Part I from French trance magnets Talamasca.
A glorious psyber Treasure follows by Inessense, And All That makes ManMadeMan the legendary trance project it is.
And there is much more to follow.

Triptych present one of their best tracks to date with the funky guitar but still very psychedelic Meegos. Tikal takes a fresh approach to retrodelic trance with Flow. Slow pace psytrance with persistent leads and crazy voice sampling.
Intelabeam deliver the bouncy Free Action to be followed by a misty and dirty funk Wizzy Noise remix to Elec3. Prosper contribute with a great atmospheric trance anthem titled Electro Grooves.
The closing track Psypilot rmx of Shadow of the Beast by Logic Bomb is perhaps the only unfitting choice here. A little rusty for this comp.

All in all crystal clear productions with warm and deep basslines. These tracks trap you on the dancefloor.
Pygmees Groove Vol1 might be the best work from the label to date.

7/10

Don't be put off by the artwork on the cover because this is as good as morning Israeli trance can get.

Dj Yani aka Hypersonic has put together a great psytrance compilation. A lot of fresh tracks with a morning melodic edge, fat basslines and full on.

Hypersonic dominate this compilation with 4 tracks, including a rmx on friends DNA and a stormer called Zuma recorded live at the Zoom festival in Switzerland. The rock sampling here steals the show. Larger than Life (Kamasutrance rmx) is still the best track out of the four with a memorable melody and fat beats.

Psy Craft and DNA deliver two great tracks in full on morning style.
Newcomers Stereomatic take a retro approach whilst Enta Project sound a little out of tune here.
The personal favourites have to be:

• The Gedi from Magnetica, a fat beat full on progressive psytrancer
• Best track comes from X-Noize and Assi, in the epic 15,000 Microgramms (a rather large dose of psytrance, don't you think?). The hypnotic melody combined with a dominant rhythm doesn't need a glorious morning to bliss you out. Great track.
  

Its great to see Phonokol back with such a killa CD!

7/10

Pixan recordings label manager presents Basstardz.

The style of the music is original. There is a dry taste to this psychedelia. Nothing is missing though; the sounds are carefully chosen and aired.

Zebra-N, Xatrik (best track with Frankie Five of Diamonds, Hypno, 3PLT, Seroxat and Toxic are the psytrance artists that stand out here.
Other names include Hyper Frequencies, Blisargon Demogorgon, Bon and Wizard Lizard.

Some of the productions could be better but overall this CD kicks butt.

6/10

Crystal Matrix records is out with its second part of the Hi Tech Pleasures series. This compilation promises to drive you away from formulated commercial music, helping you to explore the "area of full on trance underground". Does it succeed?

With 9 fresh tracks from new and established artists Crystal Matrix serves a blend of futuristic vibe on your psytable. There are a lot of new combinations in this sound, a mix of old, new, space and earth trance lines influenced and distilled from over 12 years of psychedelic trance music.

D-Tek and Zen-Mech vs Tactical Strike do a nice job of making their mark by following the promises of this compilation.
Basic with Sushi and Wasabi (don't forget our favourite Sashimi) manages to stand out with an inventive heavy sound to be followed by equally strong Delirious with No Limits.

Perplex is clearly winning here with a fresh full on blaster titled Freedom. Great sampling that comes with a tight and fast bassline.
Next Sirious Isness vs trance legends Spacetribe offer a new look at the Space sound that come back strong in this comp. Sharigrama follows with a great electro-retro psybass trancer.

Interactive and Z-Machine vs XPVoodoo finish this compilation with two good tracks.

Overall this is a very good fresh approach albeit not a revolution in psychedelic music.

6/10

Never before was Radioactivity more refreshing. Point Zero never fail to make the point with this new CD.

Things kick off with a Brazilian Vibe from Project FM. Don't know exactly in which frequency these guys are trancemitting but it's a good one.
Solar System Mastermind a very cool track with a solid bass and ear-friendly kick. You won't miss a beat as this psy monster paces along.
Then experienced Brazilian DJ Marcelo VOR teams up with Goblin to deliver a psy-electro full on mayhem titled Hackney 3AM. The track title obviously refers to the Hackney area in London, UK where many psytrance parties take place. Can be a little dodgy at 3AM otherwise :)

Lagun pieces together Ergenzomatic in techno psy fashion without missing all the right psychedelic elements.
You have to Just Trust Freakulizer who always come up with new concepts in the sound.
Next supertrance stars Psysex produce N G R, a slow pace but powerful piece of music.
Rinkadink pace steady with Jedi Vibes. Some great new sounds along great effects and a solid bass line.
There was only One Possibility for Simi to come up with the most inventive track of this comp. Great sampling here, voices and sounds of trance 2006.
Last but not least Vibra Kiss the Bass. With this kind of bass wouldn't you be tempted to give it a kiss? Another great psy-electro stormer.

Might want to check this one out!

7/10

New age mantra for a new age frequency, claims Digital Distortion records presenting their newest compilation Staring at the Sun.

A pool of fresh talent and usual suspects means that this comp is not short of surprises. The style is dark and full on and for those that like deep trance it's going to be a great experience.

The productions are good across the compilation and the sound consistent in a logical flow. Tracks that stand out come from Inneraction with Updating and Wizard Lizard with Morning Glory (very dangerous psychedelic by the way).

Other artists here are Stomp, Killer Buds vs Mental Sparks, Kali and Neuromotor.

5/10

The new compilation from Moscow, Russia based Deja Vu records titled Gnothi Seauton (from the ancient Greek, meaning know yourself) is an attempt to things dark and psychedelic.

There is a great range of promising artists towards the full on and dark atmospheric spectrum. Zerotonine, The Many Faces, Penta, Terminator, Furious, CPC, Kerberos and Suria all contribute with tracks here.

Victory from Suria stands out from the crowd with a well build atmospheric vibe strong in percussion and bass.

Overall this is a good compilation with care put into it. However Gnothi Seauton is lacking master production quality, which is so important these days. Perhaps a little more attention to the final mastering process would do the job here.

4/10

The new album by Hellenic trance pioneer Chris Tatitzikidis aka Igneous, co-founder of psytrance duo Magus, is one of those releases that you cannot ignore.
"Igneous" Chris has released music on most major record labels and travelled the globe. With this release he celebrates 10 years in music production with his best personal work to date, titled 'Skip Insect'. After the debut 'Encephalophagus' followed by 'Skint' this third album is taking us to further depths of a heavily rhythmic and esoteric trip.
This is also by far the most significant release for Headstick recordings (Thessaloniki, Greece) to date.

The magic of Igneous (previously known as Igneous Sauria) is revealed in the repetitive percussive textures, the deeply atmospheric sounds and a tribal struggle with the forces of psychedelia.
Be prepared to be surprised. The more you listen to this album, the more you realize that there is more to this unique blend of psychedelic music.

The sounds are eclectic and the beats commanding. The production quality evolves from crystal clear into booming with deep dark basslines surrounding your ears, placing Igneous in the avant-garde of psytrance producers.

There is always a fine line between deep and dark and this new album never crosses it. The sound is thoughtful, skeptical and some times even philosophical. An intellectual rhythm pattern that keeps you dancing, letting you trance free in a psy spiral.

The album opens with Skip Insect that has a retro feel and reminds more of the earlier days of Igneous Sauria. Stripped down with a jungle feel marks the turn to a more persistent and powerful beat.

The second track Amphibian gets things going with its imposing atmosphere and dramatic build up. This is a new sound for the night time and it kicks butt.

Dr Evil is another steady slow build up. The percussion is smashing the bass heavy core and the sounds keep adding to infinity.

Just get out is a more outgoing affair and here things get really deep with the fat bassline dominating.

Multispin is another classic Igneous work of art. The spiral is never ending. Sounds rotate around a solid bass in a twisting and twirling deep meditation mode.

Tb1 is a deeper journey and here Chris reaches his most esoteric side. There is something so honest about this track. In the deep dark tribal moments we don't feel alone, the sound is our friend.

The bright and fascinating vibe of Stay with Us (Fool mix) seduces the listener into an addictive and psyberplex structure. There are no limits here, voices from the deepest corners of the brain with no beginnings and no ends.

Stacked heads towards a morning feel taking the listener away from the night in minimal style.

Baking Powder is perhaps the weakest link here and although a great chill out finish such a track does not fit well with the highly innovative and fresh kicking sound in the rest of this record.

If you think that this is just minimal psytrance then think again, or better listen again.

This is truly psychedelic trance music without the ketchup.

9/10

Spliff records from Zurich, Switzerland released a new compilation titled Mythos Productions 2006.
According to Spliff "the CD tunes were build for the common today's listeners".

Does that mean Madonna and Britney Spears fans???

This compilation does feature some new mashed up psychedelia which could interest, well about anyone.
Some big guns such as Blue Planet Corporation mixed by Jirah and some fresh and more recent acts.

Other artists include: Spiritual Enhancer, Dizzy Mind, System Brothers, Burn in Noise, Backspace, Phanatic, Uriya, Feedback, XSI and T.K.Y.

It ranges from hard trance to psychedelic plus some more mellow tracks.
Overall quite good although it lacks a little continuity in the style.

4/10