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Radical Distortion / Mendark "Purple Energy" (Unicorn 2005)
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PKS
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Nov 21, 2005 09:40
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Unicorn Records is a psytrance label based in Greece. Now they are out with an album done by Radical Distortion (John Spanos & Nick Polytaridis) and Mendark (Nick Miamis). They go a melodic direction in psytrance.
Radical Distortion Vs. Mendark "Purple Energy" (Unicorn Music) 2005 (UMCD007)
1. Radical Distortion – Equilibrium
2. Mendark – 3 On A Teree (Feat. Sunhize)
3. Radical Distortion – Skunk Pack
4. Mendark – It Came Up To The Mind
5. Radical Distortion Vs. Mendark – Purple Energy
6. Radical Distortion – The Halloween Project
7. Mendark – The Only Way
8. Radical Distortion – Inspiration
9. Mendark – Psycho Filler
These guys are an example of several trance artsists who hasn’t left the old melodic goa trance style yet. Here we get melodies and old school goa trance vibes in most of the tracks. Not very modern sound pictures here, but it is actually quite nice to hear some old school vibes again. Some of the tracks are also a mix of old school vibes and modern soundpictures. One of my favourite tracks here is track 2, which is a stumping track with some mystic vibes. Quite dark and mystic. Also track 5 which Mendark and Radical Distortion has made together (which has the album title) is a pretty cool pumping track.
Some of these tracks sounds a bit simple and outdated in my ears, but you also get some nice old school vibes here that will for sure make some of you nostalgic.
PKS
More reviews at:
http://www.trance.net
  CHILL TRIBE
CTRCD01 QUALITY RELAXATION
CTRCD02 RELAXED JOURNEYS
CTRCD03 EAR PLEASURE
CTRCD04 WOMBATMUSIC - Shameful Silence
CTRCD05 POLYPLOID - Grow Your Own
CTRCD06 IAN ION - Gringo Locomotion
CTRCD07 SUNKINGS - Before We Die |
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Psychedelic_Mustache
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Dec 17, 2005 02:13
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Artist: Radical Distortion vs Mendark
Title: Purple Energy
Released: 2005
Label: Unicorn Music
Catalog: UMCD007
Cover Art: http://tinyurl.com/924cz
Tracklist:
1.Radical Distortion - Equilibrium
2.Mendark vs Sunhize - 3 On a Tree
3.Radical Distortion - Skunk Pack
4.Mendark - It Came Up The Mind
5.Radical Distortion & Mendark - Purple Energy
6.Radical Distortion - The Halloween Project
7.Mendark - The Only Way
8.Radical Distortion - Inspiration
9.Mendark - Psycho Filler
The other day I was discussing the Unicorn label with one of my friends. I've previously only been familiar with the work of their chilled sublabel Cosmic Leaf, but it turns out that Unicorn has been around for years. Now I dont know how well this friend of mine know the label, but he told me that this greek output was a notorious Nitzho-crew releasing stuff he would not even dream of listening to, none the less purchasing. Well, If that was the case in the past, things have definently changed. This is ceirtanly melodic stuff, and to many of todays darktrancers and progheads this might just be a bit over the top. But nitzho? No way! The only track I've previously heard from theese guys was the Radical Distortion track on Suntrip's Apsara comp, which I actually didn't find all that good (The track not the comp). Because of this my expectations were not to high diving in to this...
Let's see how it turned out..
01: Radical Distortion - Equilibrium
"Sometimes...You've got to close one door to open another....". The first track of this album sets the mood imediately. It's light, it's uplifting, it's melodic and most of all it's oldschool. The basslines, the melodies and the beats all create a euphoric feeling, like the one so often present in melodic goa of the mid-90's. It's been done before, ofcourse, but thats besides the point here. Ok track as an opener to the album.
02: Mendark vs Sunhize - 3 On a Tree
On this track Mendark colaborates with someone called Sunhize, a character I'm not familiar with. The track is darker than Equilibrium, but it's by no means dark in comparison to the outputs of the current darktrance scene. It's a pretty pumpung track, the main focus here is bass and percussion together with an overall "mystic" vibe . The production also sounds somewhat modernized compared to alot of the other tracks here, and I'm pretty sure this would work wonders on a dancefloor with the right crowd. It's hypnotizing and puts a smile on my face. One of my favourites on the album.
03: Radical Distortion - Skunk Pack
The track opens with a bunch of distorted voice-samples from some movie I don't really recognize. As the beat kicks in I become somewhat sceptic as the bassdrum is slightly distorted. Gabber? Luckilly no, and this element is also toned down throughout the track. Still it's a pretty "hard" track, and my guess is this is a track that won't be to everyones liking. It has a massive takeoff at the end with lot's of fast-paced melodies, squeaking and the full monty. I find it charming, and it's most ceirtanly dancable.
04: Mendark - It Came Up The Mind
Now this is a real groover. A typical goa kick, some heavy bass and then the rest is all atmosphere and energy, perhaps with with the weight tipping slightly towards the latter element. Floating synthsweeps together with more oldschool melodywork and a variety of bubbeling noises makes this a very plesant experience for both body and mind. Nice.
05: Radical Distortion & Mendark - Purple Energy
In this track we meet Mendark and Radical distortion together, and this is another example of a track where the production and general sound seem somewhat modernized. The rolling basslines here could be the one of almost any full-on act, but the rest of the track does not seem to fit in to the narrow space that makes the borders of this hated and loved genere. there is a sense of building throughout the track, and it follows a pattern of intro - building - takeoff - and then fades into an outro. The melodies here are perhaps slightly darker than those on alot of the other tracks.
06: Radical Distortion - The Halloween Project
Now this is one of those tracks that really gets me in that good ol' flip-out hippie-mood that I remember so well. It's as melodic as it can get, it's massively multilayered, yet most of the melodies have a simple and naive quality. there are several build-ups and takeoffs - this is a track that would have torn appart any dancefloor in '96 and I'm pretty sure it would get alot of people movin' today as well. Excellent track!
07: Mendark - The Only Way
This is another pumping offering, again ultra-melodic and very uplifting. You have your breakdowns, your buildups, your peaks and your takeoffs. You might notice how I'm not extraordinarlily enthusiastic now, and this has it's reasons. For me this track is a good track, no doubt about that, the point is that this could have just been any old' good track. besides I think it might have been nice with some variation at this point. Still, as a stand-alone track it's pretty decent.
08: Radical Distortion - Inspiration
First of all I love the intro of this track. Somewhat tribal, and mystic. There's some synth-choir together with a voice-sample mumbeling something about an alien life form. I can't really make it out. Then the bass kicks inn, and it all starts building. Very trance-inducing, layer upon layer of melodies together with the monotonus, round sound of the goa bassdrum. This is also sort of dark, but not really ofcourse. Very enjoyable track!
09: Mendark - Psycho Filler
Okay, I'm inclined do dislike this track just because of the horrible title, but let's not do that, it just wouldn't be fair now, would it. That being said, this is the track I find the weakest on the album. The melodies lack emotion, and it just sounds somewhat uninspired. It's all about the body and energy, and not too much about the mind, and that sort of turns me off.
Final remarks:
In 2005 there has been several Goa releases allready. Comparing this to for instance Khetzal would not be fair, this is much more dancefloor oriented stuff. Overall I think it's a pretty damn strong collection of oldschool tracks,and a coupple of them are brilliant. Listening to the album as a whole might be a bit too much, though and If I where to point my finger at something I would change it would spesifically be to loose the last track and perhaps add a bit mor variation. That being said - I really enjoyed this! If you're enjoying the whole goa-revival and want more of it, this is the thing I'd get right now.
Tomas(Psychedelic Mustache)
Get it here
Saikosounds: http://tinyurl.com/7knn4
Psyshop: http://tinyurl.com/95poe
Beatspace: http://tinyurl.com/74a2m
juno: http://tinyurl.com/b3kya
Trance-Shop: http://tinyurl.com/dp4md
More reviews, interviews, articles and a forum with all positive vibes: www.sonic-energy.net |
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headbot
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Dec 19, 2005 00:03
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..::PsySacred::..
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Dec 19, 2005 22:57
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at first i would to thanks to Thomas with his great reveiw , well there is good choise for listening to old school goa with some morning sounds .. this one was a good old school goa with morning sound album rlsed in this years also with khetzal's album and one compilation called Apsara was my highlight in goa scene...i like this album and some tracks there are very nice..this is time to back to old schoool goaa and close ur eyed and trip to sounds and shaking ur head 
my fav : 2(!),4,5,6(!!),7(!),8(!!!),9 |
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headbot
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Feb 3, 2006 01:50
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reviewed by Tigo
http://www.psychedelicplanet.com/reviewPurple_Energy.php
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Purple Energy: indicates spiritual thoughts. Purple is never a strong point in the Aura. It appears only as temporary "clouds" and "flames", indicating truly spiritual thoughts. But this time I got a whole CD full of musical fuel to drive my spiritual thoughts far longer than ever before.
Mendark and Radical Distortion has created great basis for a very powerful experience by this album. As the first tones fills up the air around me, I can almost feel my aura stretching out as my body feasts on the psychedelic energy coming towards me in full range from my speakers. Soon I gain so much energy that I can't stand still anymore. My feet start to move around while nodding my head to the rhythm as it starts slowly and takes more and more effect, closing my eyes to focus fully on every millisecond of the wild music. The deep, deep tones moving slowly, like faithful rocks forming a solid ground, while multilayer fillings supporting the melodies in the most intelligent way.
The effectfull sounds and technical details are overwhelming when filling every tiny bit of time out. As I enjoy the music, holding out my hands in the air I can almost feel how the energy are coming at me in soft waveform. Touching the excited air with my fingertips, feeling my aura expand even more, and more, and more, ending out filling the room in an intense way of purple energy so powerful that I now must see it for my self.
Slowly I open my eyes while focusing by my third eye, still feeling so relaxed in my eyes as if they were a sleep, I now clearly see the air like a sea of purple water. The baseline, pumping so intense that thick wave's flush around and the clear thin melodies trickles in the corners of the room, like little fountains contributing to the very complexity of the wave surface.
I can stand here for hours, enjoying myself and these fresh waves of music, made in Greece by great and skilled artists. I can imagine what impact it will be to join a party on such great music, beeing surrounded by fellow species, full of joy and full of love, dancing for several hours, having only this instant purpose in life; to feel every spilt second of the present.
I now deeply understand the purpose of the cover art, showing how cubes of this purple energy is stored like frozen water in ice cubes. The energy is for you to use, as you please and the best of it is; that afterwards there is absolutely no dripping to clean up in contrast to the melted ice ;-). Pure purple energy, totally absorbable - enjoy.
www.cosmicleaf.com |
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headbot
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Feb 3, 2006 02:04
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Comments of Freeze magazine review/Greece
rated 90%
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"....Pleiadians,Ux and all the glory of the old days inside this abum , making it an ideal gift for yourselves. The only way to euphoria! "
www.cosmicleaf.com |
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