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V/A - Apsara (Suntrip Records 2005) CD
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DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jun 9, 2005 18:41
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V/A - Apsara
Cover: http://tinyurl.com/b6lzc
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 music”… 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
  On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion... |
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Rah
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jun 9, 2005 19:55
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Aes dana and Ka-Sol are real mind benders... nostalgia, nostalgia
elementoftime.net
musique à la carte in mp3 & wav.
Sonic-energy.net
Reviews, interviews, downloads, articles. |
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DeathPosture
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jun 9, 2005 23:06
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Due to an unfortunate mix-up my copy has one wrong name on the tracklist...
The real name of track #2 is: Yesod - "On The Edge Of Time"... Sorry for any inconvenience...
/DP
On really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion... |
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..::PsySacred::..
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posts :
194
Posted : Jun 10, 2005 07:54
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Apsara Kicks Asssss |
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Rah
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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498
Posted : Jun 10, 2005 13:44
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no mail today  maybe tomorrow...
i want to get past this samples!!
elementoftime.net
musique à la carte in mp3 & wav.
Sonic-energy.net
Reviews, interviews, downloads, articles. |
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-Abatwa-
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Jun 10, 2005 14:20
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Goa trance at its best, this is a wicked release. I'll do a more detailed review later but just like to say dont miss this. Suntrip Records is impressing me.
`Bottomless wonders spring from simple rules, which are repeated without end` Mandelbrot |
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psionic nomad
IsraTrance Senior Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Jun 11, 2005 14:44
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nice indeed......2nd release from Suntrip Records 
quite impressed by this quality release with some good selection of old school.
some real nice tracks....1,5 are ma fav but track 06 by ka-sol is the *one*.......u bet!
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moondancer
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Jun 11, 2005 17:16
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OK let me start with a little story here : once upon a time (around 1996 – 1997 to be exact) I had my first encounter with what I later discovered was called « goatrance ». Late at night I was watching a French music TV station on a Friday night and suddenly there was this insane track playing. Trying to compare it to the other commercial crap played was like trying to compare a stroll through the park with the first step on the moon… it was off the scale! I thought “This is it. The perfect track. It is impossible that a human being can create something better than this.” and then the next track came and woaaaahh it was even BETTER than the last! My heart was beating fast, I was litteraly shaking from the adrenaline rush and found it hard to be able to sit down. I thought “ok THIS is it. A track that is even better is simply inconceivable.” and then the following track came. OH MY GOD!! How is it possible? This is EVEN better than the last!! And so on, the show lasted till around 2-3 AM and abruptly stopped making way to the usual commercial crap… I was left with a very rapid heartbeat and shaking. Needless to say that it was almost impossible for me to go back to sleep afterwards... Anyway, fast forward a few years later and it’s a whole different story. Psytrance became something else, melodies were banned and when they made a comeback they ended up sounding really childish. The whole continuous adrenaline rush was replaced by a general feeling of boredom in the wait of hearing one track that would give you a certain jolt. Sure every now and then there was a new artist promising to “bring back the oldschool vibe” but let’s face it, the standards were set so incredibly high in the mid 90s that anything else simply faded in comparison…
Buying a comp only to have one or two decent tracks has sadly become the norm these days… until now that is. I simply cannot remember the last time I listened to a comp from first track to the last feeling EVERY track is better than the previous one.
Anyway, on to my review:
Aes Dana opens this comp with a VERY nice midtempo track (which is kindof a surprise for me since usually Aes Dana is associated with very laid-back downtempo chill-out). What’s even more surprising is that he makes use of the continuous bassline drone that has become the trademark for fast-paced dark trance… but he manages to put it into a midtempo airy uplifting trance! Weird huh? well, it all works out very well. And with this the journey begins… (PS when’s the last time you referred at a comp as a “journey”?)
Things pick up with Yesod . Now correct me if I’m wrong here but doesn’t the main melody (the one that starts around 4:30) sound a LOT like the one in Juno Reactor – Pistolero ? Although whereas Pistolero is a wacky track, here it all sounds very mystical and oldschoolish. I like this a LOT (but I’ve already told you that I loved every track here so…) and as a little treat, the flute melody is reproduced with bell chimes in the last few seconds. I really like that effect
Then on to the next chapter of the journey… again some flute notes in the beginning which nicely links it to the last one. Oldschoolish melodies all over here and on top a slowly progressing flute giving it a very mystical atmosphere. Then a little 303 kicks in around the climax. Ahhh, it feels like it’s 1996 all over again 
Now on to Lost Buddha . I’ve heard him talk a lot on this forum about bringing back the oldschool vibe but I’ve never heard anything by him so I was curious about this… and I wasn’t disappointed, again, the oldschoolish vibes and very MFGesque synth presets certainly bring back some memories. And of course the use of that beautiful 303 will bring a big smile on your face. I’m definatley wating for more material from this dude.
Ah and now comes Filteria . The first thing that surprised me is that this time around his sound is less “wild” and more dreamy. Sure it’s 143 BPMs but the “hurricane of sound that’s ready to tear the roof of your house” effect isn’t there anymore. It sounds less like Pleiadians – IFO and more like… Pleiadians – Boarding Pass to Balagan … hey I guess the dude really likes Pleidaians But again, dismissing Filteria as a Pleidaians clone is missing out on all the fun. Also the melody that comes in around 2:40 sounds a LOT like the one in Electric Universe – Transmissions … The dude really knows how to make great music!! I for one am happy to hear Filteria’s more dreamy side, it's a welcome change.
So if Filteria isn’t the climax of this comp what is? Well it’s Ka-Sol !! First of all you might wonder just what the hell is Ka-Sol doing on a melodic morning trance comp? Well, believe it or not, Ka-Sol has become the MASTER of melodic morning trance lately! I was caught by surprise too when I heard him live a few months ago… His style is almost unrecognizable compared to his older stuff… but it is SOOOO good!! Actually I must confess that the main reason why I bought this comp was to finally be able to listen at home one of the killer tracks he played live. For me Ka-Sol represents the FUTURE of oldschool. You see, I don’t mean to point fingers and rest assured that I DO love and cherish each and every track on this comp… But one thing has been bugging me a bit: “newschool” artists stick a bit too close to the oldschool formulas (similar melodies, similar synth presets, use of the 303 etc…). Now I’m NOT saying that this isn’t a good thing… just that, well, it has been done before already. BUT with Ka-Sol it’s all different: he manages to bring the huge adrenaline rush and crazyness all by creating a 100% new sound!!! I remember his friend D-Dave from BotFB raving about “maximal” music… Well this is truly how I can describe this: MAXIMAL!! Swirling distorted synthlines (Schlabbaduerst represent ) on top of a deep deep kick with layers and layers and layers exploding in your face every minute!! And as if it wasn’t enough it all builds up to a HUUUUUGE climax at 6:20. Good God this stuff could give you a heart-attack!! The whole track lasts for 8:31 minutes… but in the end it seems too SHORT!!!
Then things calm down a bit with Ypsilon 5 … not that the track itself is slower paced (actually it’s 6 BPMs faster than the previous) but because Ka-Sol’s climax was so powerful that it kindof eclipses this one. Still this is a very potent track on its own and for me it’s their best effort to date
Now things really calm down with Goasia . Again, this track really feels like it was made in 1996 and the master tape was left in a drawer somewhere... But that’s how we like it Mystical goatrance is here once again.
And then it’s back to Earth with Radical Distortion . The melody around 4:20 reminds me of the classic MFG Vs Astral Projection – The Sleeper Must Awake . nice And then it’s over…
Conclusion Again, I must emphasize on the QUALITY of this release: I simply find it incredible to find a 9 track comp with 9 gems and 0 fillers in the year 2005. This will in many ways make you think that it’s 1996 all over again by the quality of the track selection, the mystical melodies, the use of the TB -303 and other very typical oldschool synth presets. But for me Ka-Sol really steals the show here… For a long time he has been setting the TRUE standards of dark trance (contrary to what Parvati and Goa Gil have been telling you for the last 4 years...) and he has apparently decided to set the new standards of morning trance now. And maaan this simply takes the very high level set by AP, Pleiadians, Transwave, MFG, etc. in the mid 90s and make them seem weak in comparison!!! But again, I like each and every track here, this is TOTALLY worth your money. If you are to buy but one comp this year then this should be it!! 10/10
PS one regret: if the people behind Suntrip decided to bring back the oldschool days then why not go out full way and make this a double-CD comp? maybe next time?
“I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.”
Charles M. Schulz |
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Erevos
Started Topics :
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122
Posted : Jun 16, 2005 14:20
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Come on we want more Ka-Sol music!
As long as Schlab 7 seems to be frozen and Schlab recs in general...Mars and Anoebis,do something!
I LOVE Christer's fantastic melodies but i also love some old tracks like Waspnest and Flying Carpet 
I vote for a Ka-Sol vs Marchaos split album 
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moondancer
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Jun 17, 2005 00:27
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Quote:
| I vote for a Ka-Sol vs Marchaos split album |
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how bout Ka-Sol Vs Filteria? I heard Filteria say that he really digs Ka-Sol's new style and they both live in Sweden, so it might not be such a far-fetched idea after all
“I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.”
Charles M. Schulz |
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Lost Buddha
Lost Buddha
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76
Posted : Jun 18, 2005 17:07
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Thank u very much for the great rewiew on this compilation and for rewiewing my song. Im so happy to find people like you that still appreciate the way of the spirituality and light.I also would like to thank all the people thats buying this compilation and thank u so much for appreciating my work and SunTrips.
Big Hug ,
Filipe. |
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Pavel
Moderator
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312
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Posted : Jun 18, 2005 19:33
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Filteria track is sensational.
Everyone in the world is doing something without me |
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X-static
Started Topics :
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32
Posted : Jun 20, 2005 22:52
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For me , Goa trance is the music that opened the door into psychedelic world , back in a days. It was my favorit music and it always will be! When I heard Filteria album , I was amazed that someone still makin this kind of music. And now Im so happy to see diferent artists bringin back the old school!
Thanx and respect to all the artists from Suntrip Rec.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can't wait for more!
Favorit: ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best release of 2005 for shure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Astral Waves
Astral Waves
Started Topics :
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Posted : Jun 21, 2005 00:12
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Quote:
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On 2005-06-20 22:52, X-static wrote:
For me , Goa trance is the music that opened the door into psychedelic world , back in a days. It was my favorit music and it always will be! When I heard Filteria album , I was amazed that someone still makin this kind of music. And now Im so happy to see diferent artists bringin back the old school!
Thanx and respect to all the artists from Suntrip Rec.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Got my copy today...
I agree here, there's magic in that cd,there's artists and labels still working hard to make wonderfull complex melodies!
Layout is very positive, uplifting and made with in a very good way.
I love the cd ring! wow! props to Mars + all involved in that compilation.,nice job guys, don't give up!
...And let's do more true Goa spirit music!!
Favs: 1!!!,3!!!,4!,5!!!,6!,8!!(was impressed by Goasia track since we released him on Peace Therapy, nice evolution, you're ready my friend =)
Gabriel/Zen/Astral Waves
Psybient/Downtempo psytrance album "Mystique" released!
Bio: http://www.altar-records.com/bio.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTbHtcTFYNA
http://www.altar-records.com
http://www.digitalys-studios.com |
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