profitism

I am still trying to establish why it is anyone might feel compelled to post an entry on what music they might have. In particular, why I would feel compelled to do so and whether it really pertains to the subject matter that I have emphasised in this diary. All the while at the same time whether I really need to bother with worrying about these things - probably not. In any event, the compulsion is because I really enjoy it, and who knows, you might too. Also, music can be made a very big part of psychedelic self exploration, and this stuff tends to feel especially suited to that task. So, in this post, probably the first of many, is about the following cd's that I enjoy, with extracts and links to what some other people have had to say about them:
Cell - Phonic Peace; Various - Portal of Perceptions; Various - Chilling Goddess; Puff Dragon - Sazanami & The Kumba Mela Experiment - East of the River Ganges.

For the really green and more curious amongst you, the following extract from the (ever evolving) description in Wikipedia under Psybient:::
"Psybient, also known as "ambient psy", "ambient Goa" and more commonly within the Goa/psytrance scene as "psychill", is a genre of electronic music that combines elements of psychedelic trance, ambient, world music, new age and even ethereal wave. It often has many dub influences and can also sound somewhat like glitch. Psybient pieces are often structured around the concept of creating a "sonic voyage" or "musical journey"."

Some Resources:::
Psymag; their Chillout Releases Archive has the most comprehensive listing of psychill i've ever seen. Release notes are attached to each release.
PKS/ chilltriberecords; writes a lot of reviews - available @ Discogs. Discogs is a nifty site that you can use to keep track of what cd's you have and/or want etc.
Psyshop; well, is actually a shop. World and Chillout music available from here. They ship quite fast internationally and accept credit cards etc.
MORPHEUS; the reviews you find here are quite surreal, they tend to limit themselves to the more ambient/ downbeat.
DeathPosture; writes an awful lot of reviews. This is a link to his blog which has links to all the reviews he's written. Check him out @ Discogs as well. DP normally review a cd track for track which is quite helpful.
Psynews; forums on all things psy, cd reviews by year released.
PSYREVIEWS; should speak for itself. Their reviews are quite... colourful, mostly involve psytrance releases.
Last.fm; somewhere that you can listen to this kind of music on an audiostream.
Isratrance; also forums on all things psy, cd reviews by most recent post, interesting to watch people fight with promoters when crap cd's get good reviews.
IDSpiral; get your psychill here if Psyshop don't stock it, the shop is just a part of it though - IDS presents a few variations on the theme... "A journey to the core of chill is as much a journey to the core of each and every one of us in the minds of the creators behind IDSpiral.

Chill, however, is not simply relating to a moment of relaxation, much rather it refers to a deeply insightful place of reflection and realization, a space we too often go amiss in the western world, governed by fast fading desires and the breathless pursuit of our wants.".

Cell - Phonic Peace I was impressed by Cell who appeared on a compilation called A Magical Journey. Phonic Peace really has its moments and the last track "Orange" is one of my all time favourites. I thought the PSYREVIEWS review was a bit harsh and if "the much cleverer and more rewarding stuff out there than this" is the likes of Gaudi or Blumenkraft I would not be convinced - this sounds like an entirely different style compared to their output. To be sure there is plenty of foreign vocal warbling and an excessive amount of tabla, but this is quite distinct from track to track. The 4/4 track - White Call - is not really that impressive, but not so bad as to give the cd a 3/10. From "PKS" @ Discogs::: "Track 5 goes even deeper and more mystic. Here we get some down tempo beats and a quite dark sound picture. Still, totally relaxing, with flute sounds, ethnic voices etc. Track 6 has the sound of water, an owl, flute, tribal drums and deep, floating vibes. Some of you will probably recognise the flute in this one from other tracks. Very tribal, beautiful track that will do good in the chill out areas this summer. Track 7 takes another direction. This one has a very atmospheric vibe, and it builds up to a stumping trance track. Still it is very relaxing. Chill out you can dance to... Track 8 slows down again, and we get a beautiful floating journey with a really nice, little melody, which Cell has proven several times that he is really good at. The last track on this album is also one of the most beautiful chill out tracks I have heard by this guy. The Indian vocals are melancholic, and we get som breaks and a totally relaxing melody." Promotional Text taken from @ Psyshop::: "Indica Music presents the first long awaited album from Cell, aka Alex Scheffer. With many tracks already released on top ambient compilations from recognized labels, he's one of the most talked about chill out artists in the scene nowadays.We can describe his music as a mixture of acoustical instruments and ethnical rhythms with electronic beats and digital loops." Review taken from PSYREVIEWS::: "While the whole chilled-psychedelia market is kind of saturated at the moment, stuff has to distance itself by being very different (Gaudi, for instance, or Chilling Matenda, or even Blumenkraft in its day) or by being very good as a package (the Floating Point and Mountain High records for starters.) Whether Phonic Peace will do it for you generally depends on your tolerance for sampled peasants wailing and tablas. Yes, it’s hippy chill alright. It works best on Lord Of Silk, which actually progresses into a decent tune in and of itself, rather than disappearing into sample-CD-heavy ‘authentic’ instrumentation. But for the rest of it, it’s repetitive and self-indulgent, with identical themes and sounds cropping up all over the place. This whole thing of bringing eastern sounds into music isn’t big and it isn’t clever; the Beatles were at it forty odd years ago, it was almost shit then and it’s definitely shit now. Cell’s stab at 4-4 (White Call) is shambolic and sounds like something Roy Aquarius did in 1997, and while the deeper chill tunes may be immaculately-produced and sound amazing in the small stoned hours (Phonic Peace For Tibet, Magic Karma) you can’t help but feel a little patronised by it all. Why are we being doled out this National Geographic musical orientalism? Are you preaching to me? Are you coming over all Baraka on my ass? Nine tracks of tabla’s and wailing with a variety of different beats whacked underneath them. There’s much cleverer and more rewarding stuff out there than this. 3" Review taken from MORPHEUS MUSIC REVIEWS::: "Tracks interfade creating a flowing whole where the mood is consistently Asian but always evolving with new shades and fresh nuances. Classical male Indian singers and chimes interlace cutting edge programming and production. Crystalline arps and crisp beats accompany lush flutes and tablas - electronic drones and pulsing basslines lurking beneath. Cell presents a softer side on Phonic Peace than you may have heard on a number of previous compilations and this is very welcome. The final track 'Orange' is one of my favourites where flickering d'n'b loops creep imperceptibly in over a bed of chilled melodic electronics and the semi-classical voice of Meena; building in intensity hurried tablas keep pace all the while until the concluding dissipation when the lazy pace of the opening returns once more." From "BrettFromTibet" @ Isratrance::: ""Phonic Peace" takes us on a holographic carpet ride from North Africa to Tibet via the Middle East and India. The mystic moods and sensual atmospheres that are evoked during this journey feel even richer than the ones on French ambient classics such as Saffi Brothers’ "Mystic Cigarettes" or Toires’s "Qued". The mastering on this disc is absolutely perfect. It comes out of the speakers so crystalline clear, warm, and vast -- it feels easier for me to ‘‘disappear inside’’ than any other music in my collection. I highly recommend listening to this during a sophisticated chill-out session, yoga, or meditation. Cell’s music does more than just give me great pleasure when I listen to it. There is a rare quality to this album that is both other-worldly and soothing; it actually liberates me on a spiritual level. I feel deeply inspired, comforted and completely unafraid of life whenever this is playing on my headphones or Hi-Fi. It’s as if these sounds are a glimpse into an ethereal paradise that I am eventually destined for. Just listen deeply enough, and you too will experience this glorious state of "Phonic Peace."

Various - Portal of Perceptions I was lucky enough to pick this one up locally - Psyshop never seemed to get it in stock. It gets two big thumbs up from me - if you stumble across it be sure to pick it up. Promotional Text taken from @ Psyshop::: "Compiled By Pete Pan and Wabi with a gentle mix by Aes Dana. Just relax and let Celestial Dragon take you on a journey through the various styles of modern chillout mastery." Review taken from PSYREVIEWS::: "There’s something very different about this album, it manages to get a journey from start to finish and it manages it well. All the bases are covered, and the flow from each tune into the other is impressive, making this a worthy investigation for late night laid back herbalism. 8"

Various - Chilling Goddess Peak Records put out an interesting psytrance compilation cd called Peaking in Tongues. I was so taken by it that I decided to try their chillout compilation. I was quite happy that I did. Last week I got their more recent release Chillogram, and at this stage it seems to have been an even better buy. From "PKS" @ Discogs::: "There are mostly quite unknown artists on this compilation, but first out is an artist that most people who follows the chill out marked these days should know about, Aes Dana (Vincent Villuis) from France. Aes Dana has released several strong albums on Ultimae Records, but here he gives us a new, fresh floating track. Totally chilled abient with some whispering voice samples. Track 2 is by a new artist called Astral Waves from the US. Here we get Asian vibes, with some sitar, chilled drums and some praying vocals. Nice and ethnic. Track 3 is by another fresh artist called Capsula (Yosi Shamay). Here we get some relaxing guitar vibes, chilled beats and some nice psychedelic swirling sounds. Track 4 is by the compiler himself, Master Margherita (Moreno Antognini). Here we get several humming vocals and some guitar. Mystic vibes all the way through. Then we get a track by an artist who has a pretty cool name called Lucid Picnic (Serhan Berberoglu). Here we go even deeper into mystic vibes. This one sounds a bit darker, mostly floating all the way through. Track 6 is by a guy who is getting a very good reputation for his chill out tracks these days, Cell (Alexandre Scheffer) from France, here in a collaboration with someone called Kalifrogz (E. Brandy & C. Fabulet). This is a really deep track, with the sound of water, spacey sounds, relaxing down tempo beats and a beautiful melody. My favourite track on this compilation. Great one! " Promotional Text taken from @ Psyshop::: "A springtime celebration conceived by the Swiss labels crew and compiled by Master Margherita, 'Chilling Goddess' is a glimpse into the lighter side of Peak, inviting you to kick back, suspend your worries and float for a while Whether you like slow dreamy pads, that shpongly sound, the ethnic vibe or powerful chill beats, this compilation will delight you with its broad range of music and intelligent evolution. Mastered by Aes Dana, 'Chilling Goddess' is a carefully selected chill odyssey featuring well-known artists and and upcoming talents." Review taken from MORPHEUS MUSIC REVIEWS::: "Otherworldly astral chillout - dark in places, soft and caressing in others - but consistently emotive and evocative. Peak Records have put together an album that takes us on a journey through strange and foreign terrains - where unusual synth voices, tribal pulsings and rhythms, ethnic flutes and psychedelic sensibilities work together to send our imaginations reeling." From "DeathPosture" @ Psynews::: "Well, I must say that Peak Records again surprise me positively… Last years full-on compilation Peaking in Tongues was an instant smash, and now the Swiss collective have proven that they also can put together high quality chill compilations… Besides from a couple of the really dark, minimal tunes in the second quarter of this CD, I like most of the tracks here… The diversity is rich, and we get a taste of most kinds of chilled music… From dreamy beatless chill-out, over dark gloomy ambient, to trippy tribal ethno dub... A diversity that should satisfy most fans of rich chill-out music… Diversity rules! I’m really looking forward to the next chill compiliation from this magical Swiss collective to grace our ears… And I do not hesitate to recommend this to fans of chilled, mellow soundscapes… Enjoy!"

Puff Dragon - Sazanami Another release that I am really surprised never got reviewed by PKS, Morpheus, Psyreviews or DeathPosture, because it is a superb cd. It sort of reminds me a little of Cell's Phonic Peace but maybe a little more adventurous, if you need to choose between the two I would stick with this one. Promotional Text taken from Psyshop::: "This led to his new project, Puff Dragon, a more mellow, relaxed vibe that combined the crystal-clear production style that he'd picked up from trance with smokier, phatter beats and the endless echoes of dub. While still rooted in an electronic style, Puff Dragon tracks are notable for the live elements that carry the melodies, like the warm, breathy Indian vocals on 'Skin as Soft' (a remix of a Makyo track), or the ecstatic, ascending violin solo on 'Sazanami'. The album veers from the cinematic, epic rush of 'Qi Gong', all swelling strings and swooning Asian vocals, to the electro-dub echo-trip of 'Spacefunk', and the wash of electric piano and filtered breaks that closes things out on 'Shimmer'." From "abasio" @ Psynews::: "So to sum up, this is a really nice release. It's floaty and dreamy. The beats are really good throughout and each song's progression is patient. It never tries to do too much and so does so much more than some albums that try too hard. If you are a Dakini fan you will love this. If your not you might still love it. Because each song has a slow patient progression you might not like it from just hearing samples but I would recommend taking a risk if you like floating dream chill out music." From "derek" @ ethnotechno::: "For the most part Good does good. In fact, the layers of "Qi Gong" and the more techy "Chinese Radio" really explore his ambient mind, the use of Japanese stringed instruments and tricked-out flutes on the latter playing nicely within the more electronified synthesizers. He has a tougher time with "Marine Drive" and the opening "Sazanami," where beats lack significant structure, making 7-9 minutes a bit long."

The Kumba Mela Experiment - East of the River Ganges Has quite an epic feel to it this, complete with a pretty abstract initiation that feels like the begining of some kind of festival that builds up into when it finally starts to begin. Some serious dubbed out moments in an otherwise very cultural atmosphere, I like this cd a lot! The Dub Trees cd that Psyshop mentions is also a nice treat, although it seems to be a bit less accessable than this. From "bomble" @ Psynews::: "Every moment of this production is intricate and beautifully produced - there's never a 'filler moment' let alone a filler track. I caution anyone who doesn't like 1) Indian influenced music 2) Roots/dub 3) Trippy trippy samples ... that you won't like this either ! However if you like to take the journey - you like the dub trees/celtic cross albums or you just want to try something new then this is the one to get. I don't want to go into too much detail about the tracks - this review will get ridiculously long - but I really want to get across the splendour of this release as a whole. Briefly, track by track : 1) deep, mystical, eastern influenced, 2) funky, energetic & building, 3) dub & roots, blissed & tasting of Orb,4) check the Henry of Rawlinson sample probably the most amusing tune I've ever heard! 5) deep dub, full power dub trees style... oooooh!, 6) bit darker & slightly spooky - breaks & electro beats ..., 7) Indian & dub ...warm & psychedelic at the same time... total bliss !,8) crazy sample, big tough beats & trippy high frequency bits, 9) dub & roots style - sit back and sway ...,10) goodbye from Terence." Promotional Text taken from Psyshop::: "Following on from Youths acclaimed Dub Trees album of last year comes... ... the hugely anticipated 'East of the River Ganges', a sublime album of ten chilled out tracks from Youth and host of collaborators including - The Orb, Suns of Arqa, Tangerine Dream, Dreadzone and Uri Geller. Inspired by the awesome 'Kumba Mela' (the gathering of holy men that converge on the River Ganges every 4 / 12 / 64 years), the album was originally meant to be a loose soundtrack to a documentary being made on the festival." From "dimm" @ ethnotechno::: "If you're a Dub fan, you MUST have this cd. The quality of production and vision are unmatched by any other trance-dub effort to date, with only Shpongle coming close with their catalogue. Originally created as a soundtrack for a documentary about the Kumba Mela [at times the largest gathering of humans in one place at one time on the entire planet, able to be seen from outer space as a big brown dot...] the album has reached many more people than the film itself. With the vigorous pumping of hardcore basslines under ethereal ambiences, the Kumba Mela promises to take you to the actual event in your mind... as long as you hold that tab of acid on your tongue for ten more minutes before it completely dissolves...."