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Chi-ad - Eyes of Gaia. (digital format) June 2008
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goa-ganges
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
66
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594
Posted : Oct 30, 2008 11:45:20
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The return of one of the godfathers of Goa trance. Chi-ad needs not to be introduced, if you are a serious psy trance fan. His brand of ambient-vortex trance somehow helped to create the mystic image that fascinated, and still fascinates, those who got in touch with Goa in the golden days. His tracks were featured in compilations such as Goa-Head and Destination Goa. After a hiatus of four years, Dave released Eyes of Gaia in June 2008. This time Chi-ad tracks are available in digital format only, as Dave seems to be firm in the current trend of digital-form merchandise.
Eyes of Gaia is a must-have for serious psychedelic fans, and his brand of trance is still the same: strong beats, relenteless bass line and his trademark hypnotic synth effects. And what really caught my ears were the beautiful ¨in a spaceship¨ effects that are really hypnotic and makes Chi-ad tracks unique.
Eyes of Gaia:
1.Hint of Goa: as the title of this track says, the main theme of this album is Goa. And Dave surely delivers it to his huge fan base with a melodic intro. Hint of Goa starts with a crystal clear ambient sound with a subtle touch of cytars and a low beat that binds all the well build effects that last to the end of the track. I am still amazed at Dave´s ability in building beatiful ambient textures, as in his early 90s tracks.
2. Realignment(vision mix): another beautiful introduction with a ¨lost in space¨ feeling to it. Soon a hard kick bursts in and you can feel that the strong beat and the melody combine to create a deep hypnosis. Realignment is one those ¨stomp your feet to the rhythm of the beat¨ that will make crowds crazy.
3.Quantum Flux: After another ambient intro, a fast kick will wake you up from a deep trance. The hightligh of this track, besides the ever-present melody is the fat, mowing bassline that is reminescent of good Goa tracks.
4. Earth Bound: a perfect appetizer of the so called neo-goa, Earth Bound is a mix of old school effects and a very 2008 beat, reach of layers and a faint throbbing 303 like sound behind it all. After a beautiful ambient pause, there´s this sudden burst of energy at 5:34 that reminded me of the atemporal magic of ¨the flame¨, one of Goa´s most beautiful tracks ever.
5. Edens Vale: Perhaps the most Goan track of the album, this track is a dizzling hurricane where your mind gets confused when trying to put apart the layers in it, and there you are in a trance without realizing it. Beautiful textures, synth effects, melody and a fast beat that is unique to Chi-ad.
6.Sense of Presence: Hypnotic from zero second, brings back to life a bassline that I am sure you haven´t listened since old Goa days. Melodic and dry at the same time, it´s my favorite track in this album. At 3:42 it just goes flying! That´s what Goa, and neo-goa is all about!
7. Cause and Effect: The hardest track of the whole album, another fascinating bassline that can drill thru a wall is matched with a spatial texture simply hypnotic. At 3:04 Dave throws another hurricane right inside your brain! get read for the amazing vortex he creates with bassline and melody! But at 5:16 things around you will spin even faster; get ready.
8. Night Shadow: Like the last tracks, Dave accelerates and throws in very well build trance inducing effects that are rare to hear in today´s trance. Behind the hard drum, a weak atmosphere and coating it all a galloping bassline that will send the dance floor flying at 4:48! Amazing track!
9. White Fire: the closer of this beautiful sequence send us back to track 1, with a smoother bassline and sweeter trance indcutors and the most noticeable 303-like effect so far. It reminded me of early Goa tracks, and it´s one of those tracks that you don´t know if you dance to it or if you just stop in dance floor and let the energy bathes you. Beatiful!
General Review: As a serious psy and goa fan, I must say this is the first album I felt like reviewing in years. Why? Just because Eyes of Gaia is outstanding, is beautiful, well constructed, the production is amazing, and most of all is PURE TRANCE, something you don´t see so much these days.
Dave is a genius and if you listen to his tracks you will realize that he has a fine-tuned perception of what will touch your senses and what they will cause to you. Last, he is a master of putting people in a pure state of happines on the dance floor.
10 out 10!!
Well done Dave! You are really welcome back!
PS. I read somewhere that Dave pre-produced 4 tracks, but decided to let them out of Eyes of Gaia. Nonetheless, they are available under the MS-EP tracks.
I will review one of them, the last one, because it is a gem!
¨Spectral Light¨: one of the most beatiful neo-goa tracks released so far, it is a pure Chi-ad track: it starts with a sweet melody enveloped by a hard kick that little by little takes control of the track, until there´s a explosion that sends everything flying from mid-track on. This track is one of Dave´s best and I just can dream of seeing him live soon.
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goa-ganges
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
66
Posts :
594
Posted : Oct 30, 2008 11:46
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Sunai
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
1406
Posted : Oct 31, 2008 09:24
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great album!..realy masterpiece!
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XwhiteRabbitX
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
25
Posts :
529
Posted : Nov 2, 2008 17:38
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really amazing album, by one of the true goa godfathers- that special kickin vibe with those old bass lines and twisted melodies..
wish i could see this guy live once, just once, desert location just before sunrise, a california sunshine drop and big ass speakers- this is the ultimate of goapsy sound! |
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BrettFromTibet
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
61
Posts :
749
Posted : Nov 5, 2008 17:57
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This is an amazing, extremely well-done album! Among the best of the neo-Goa albums I have ever heard.
While this is its own new sound, it keeps the energy alive from a day when trance was truly psychedelic and it made people fly... and a time when I was willing to sell eveything I owned and leave it all behind in pursuit of a magical and inspiring vibe.
Get the .FLAC, the production is great and it is sparkling with beautifully subtle sounds and details!
RECOMMENDED.
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BrettFromTibet
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
61
Posts :
749
Posted : Nov 5, 2008 18:45
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A cheers for the lossless digital release... I'm glad to see the crummy, cracked plastic CD join the ranks of the 8-track and caesette tape! |
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