Avihen Livne, more known as Cosma (r.i.p) was one of the most original and innovative artists ever coming from Israel. He died in the most symbolical way possible. Just before the release of his new album 'Nonstop' was finished, read on

Cosma, was loved by many but is now unfortunatly missed by many.

Some time in late january Avihen Livne finished the last track to be featured on his coming album 'Nonstop'. Followed by this release Avihen was scheduled for a world tour to promote his new album. So to prepare for his big trip he decided to take a vacation in Goa, India. On his way back to the hotel after a visit at the beach he was involved in a tragical motorcycle accident, he was hospitalized but despite all the medical efforts he passed away. The news spread all out through Israel and the rest of the world, now cosma only lives in our memories. I have been waiting for this moment, a moment to pay my respect for someone who I think is one of the worlds best psytrance producers and artists!

I don't think it has ever been this hard for me to write a review.., My speakers are maxed out, ive never had my volume this high! To honour a great musician im gonna listen to this album as loud as I can, I want to hear every sound, every tone and every melody.. why?, becouse I know this is the last I will ever hear from him!

01. The Time Has Come
02. Lemon Light
03. Freedom
04. Nonstop
05. Ethno-Bialick
06. People on Hold
07. Keep Going
08. Yok Yok
09. Minimal Vertical


It is with sad feelings but at the same time with huge excitement I put the cd in my stereo and press play!

01. The Time Has Come,
A drum hit starts the album.., An atmospheric base enters the track along with sound effects and a voice saying "The time has come" just before the rumbling kick ass basses starts pounding in my room. Cosma's choice of percussion and hihat sounds fits so good together with the cool effects of new and pure sounds I've never heard before. After a while those typical and dreamy cosma melodies enter the track so perfectly, they sweep on and on in a very dreamy state then the track breaks out and ends with beautiful pads who fades nicely into the next track.

02. Lemon Light,
The pads who functioned as an outro in the time has come starts this track., Cosma's unique short sound effects continues to pund in here. A few clap sounds enters the track and slowly some more percussion sounds sweep in followed by a short break and at 6:00 i realize how much thsi track reminds me of Cosma's former album 'Simplicity' with it's progressive beats and progical build ups! Just as in the track before it sweeps into the next one.

03. Freedom,
Sweeping synths and lots of reverb suddenly breaks into a hard and pounding rymthmical baseline followed by fast hihats and full-on sound effects. Atmospherical sounds and a full-on rythm who quickly gets stuck in my head. Avihen has put some nice groovy sounds in together with the vocals sung by himself going "the land of freedom" which works as a build up which sweeps onto a few melodies with much work behind who slowly fades out from the track and also end it, this track fades into the next!

04. Nonstop,
Effects sounding like bells starts this track, a few percussion sounds starts and suddenly ends and breaks into one of the phattest cosma basses I've ever heard, rythmical hihats goes in.., and one of the coolest and most original voice effect I've ever heard are used in one of the breaks and smashes into more great hihats. My foot is constantly tapping to the phattest cosma track I've ever heard. Nice rumbling and fast synth sounds enters and breaks after a while into a short moment of silence which ends fast with a big break and the fresh sounds of great rythm and simplicity. That bell sounds again together with some other effects and after that a rythmical dark pounding sound enters together with some voices of childs screaming something i can't understand. A huge sweep enters and the fastest, most pounding atmosphere together with the full-on baseline slowly mangles my head into tiny little peices. Wow what a track, I can't describe this better then i have done right now, I can tell Avihen must have worked hard on this as i feel this track is some kind of a peak in the middle of this album, and ops the track faded into the next without me even hearing it which i think is the point.

05. Ethno-Bialick,
Slow and dark sounds breaks into a slow 75 bpm beat which makes me realize that this is the first time ever hearing a chill-out track from this wonderfull musician. What a great way to follow the previous track, from full-on pure Israeli force to the chilliest beats. The track slowly build up to a very dreamy one which fills me with hope and views of perfection as the piano sounds enters and together with a break are used to power-up the rythmical aspects of this track. After a while the track ends and I'm waiting anxiously for what to come next.

06. People on hold,
The beats enters with a percussional wise intro which immediatly shows me the chill tunes have ended and a new rumbling dark baseline together with nice claps and filtered voice telling me Im on hold. A sudden break followed by more hihats and bright synths. A wonderfull melody enters and then another one, i wish i could describe it better to you as the next break is filled with very rythmical sounds going along with the hihats and some other full-on noises. A silent break still going in a modded beat is used as a break while more percussional noices and claps enters together with that sweepy synth played earlier in the track, a slow fade out which breaks into the next track.

07. Keep Going,
Rumble rumble, darkness and a sampled psychedelic voice. Boom, fast bass and great kick is followed by hard claps and minimal hihats, which is soon filled in with nice effects and rythmical noices. Another sudden break which is somehow long is shortly after followed those rumbling bass sounds together with that great voice sound heard earlier. At 6:00 the fast bass rumble on and on, this is what i love about psytrance. This monotone feeling of joy which never ends untill the track is over, it ends with the same voice and fades into the next track.

08. Yok Yok,
Beep!! ..slick break and smack. kick and another wonderfull bassline which almost makes my mirror fall of the wall. A very nicely chosen voice sample which breaks into the same bass together with some new minimal hihats and some cool bright effects. Those sweet pads which is heard earlier in some of the tracks starts going and an excpected break arrives and that pad fades in together with those groovy bright sounds and dark pad. BreaAAk! Smack, guess what, bassline changes and the hihat sounds changes which is all a part of a breakdown in the track and a nice cosmic melody enters which at 5:30 continues in a long melodic melody and breaks into a great full-on track perfect for one of my sets as it contains so much weirdness and happyness at the same strange time, the track ends with a long outro and fades into the next.

09. Minimal Vertical,
To judge by the name im expecting a minimal track but i soon get to understand the meaning of Vertical minimality at 1:00 it goes off into one of those basic beats, a nice break and some nice hihats enters and the bassline changes a little which is pretty cool. A melody fades into the track slowly followed by a long break and slow buildup going together with nice effects and that nice melody. The track starts rumbling and goes into an atmosphere i can't describe with words. Very minimalistic and beautiful and suddenly it fades out but unfortunatly doesnt fades into another track.

Conclusion:
This Album is something very special to me, a somehow religious experience to Israeli music going from full-on to chill, from chill to minimality. This album had made me miss Cosma even more. An all a round very atmospherical full-on album filled with unique noices and rythms and many track i will personally use in my dj sets this summer.

It has been an honour for me to write this review, as Cosma has tragically passed away and left us. All tracks are very symbolical and filled with philosophy in a very unique way. Let me put it this way and maybe you will understand, The time has come for one of Israels greatest artists, he has been sent to freedom but wants us to keep going nonstop no matter what. Now doesnt it sound strange that every track can be reflected to the loss of Avihen. This fills me with questions I might never get an answer to!

This is something every psytrance/trance lover should not miss, an outstanding show of Avihen\'s production skills, get it now. Order it at HOMmega productions website.

Personally I want to thank Limor Mazor for being a great friend and for giving me this great oppurtity to review such a nice album.

Cosma, Rest in Peace.