Something a little bit different here, a selection of 9 tracks from DJ Kristian of Psygate residency fame, the best UK Psy-Trance money can buy ? Find out here...

Aphid Moon - Superfly

Slowly building up with lots of effects & background noises, which must sound awesome on a powerful system it takes just under a minute for the kickdrum to join us and accompany them as we add a typically low sounding bassline, progressively adding hi-hats and clever usage of fx to take us forward. As we carry on, just before the 4 minutes mark we have a small breakdown, nothing too huge, just effectively changing us over a bit, and a stabby synth line is added, floating over the top of the rest of the tune and leading us to a breakdown, this one more prominent in the length and with the lead still there, it allows them to hang it out for a long time, slowly rising until the kick reappears and the track stays very similar until the outro for the last 30 seconds.

Error Corrective - Secret Lab

Getting into things very early with the kick & bassline, rolling along nicely through a menagerie of percussions and effects, which are always a big part of Psy-Trance anyway, this has a funky sounding melody and uses a riff that sounds very much like some old skool rave from the early 90s, but with the cutting effect that Psy gives us so often, very interesting listening and definitely retains a dark eerie mood for a much shorter track than the last one.

Fortu - Fiver
Almost straight from the off, the bassline, although sounding similar to the other tracks has definitely been tweaked here to give it a very prominent sound compared to the drumline and soon after is added a lead that sounds haunting, kind of like the sounds you could hear if you were watching a suspense film with ghosts & whatnot in! As found in a lot of psy tracks, there is a set structure, and a lot of tracks including this follow that, it's slightly different to the 'epic' trance you might be more familiar with but easily as effective for this genre. The track constantly builds throughout, be it with the intelligent use of fx, or more haunting sounds in places. Impressive.

Compressor - Saw Dust

Produced by a new duo from London, the title alone tells me that this should be fun! Taking a shortish intro, it sounds like a very windy night, before a hugely fast paced bassline layers over the top, and a kickdrum that has been slightly adjusted compared to the more 'full on' ones in previous tracks. High as always on percussive sounds & freaky yet cool FX, we slowly build towards the 3 minute mark, and get a taste of what I love about psy, awesome effects, emulating speed changes in the track, something I think a lot of Psychadelic producers pull off to an awesome standard. As we progress further I'm surprised but delighted to hear a breakbeat section, with a soft spoken vocal too, working hugely here, and fading out in a bit to a cool sounding short breakdown, after which our main elements are all back in force to take us towards the end of the track.

Dino Psaras - Daisy Cutter Remix

Giving us a speech to begin with, about a musician who yearned for peace, we are then taken to a slow kick, probably a good track to be early on in a set here in my opinion, slowly building with a bassline that brings Dino's 80s influences to the forefront, and with lots of cool sound fx, the low long-drawn out bassline is really deep and progresses slowly, making us wait for every new effect & instrument, and making a really effective job of doing so. After the wait, you'd hope it was worth it, and I really believe it was, as a funky melody accompanies the vast range of fx, and gives some listening pleasure. Probably the strongest track I've heard so far on this, intelligently produced to give maximum listener satisfaction.

Voice of God - Art of Feng Shui

Well with a title like this, it doesn't take a bunch of Mensa members to tell you that there's going to be an oriental feeling to this track, and it starts at the beginning with a lovely string pad, haunting and some frankly weird fx and a stabby melody, that after a while is accompanied by a kick and low bassline, not very prominent like in some of the previous tracks. Funky yet melodic too, this track is being said to be headed for some great things this year as a new original piece and I can totally see why comments like that have been made, as there is so much going on all the time that you can't get bored if you tried in the 8 minutes and a little bit more that we have here!

Tristan - Dawn Raider

Tristan aims to take us for a techy journey here through the use of percussions to try and take us away from some of the earlier darker tracks. With a bouncy kick & bassline as a strong step to be built on, he manages to do so, bringing the funky sounds of great Psy, along with cleverly arranged fx & percussion arrangements and plenty of 'different' sounding instruments over the top too, always having something new to be listening out for in the main long build up. Very well done, seemingly building forever and as a DJ it must be weird to realise that no sooner have you built up than you'd have to be mixing out, though hearing the track fully is also fun.

MumboJumbo - Mysterons (Annarchy vs Dickster Remix)

Dick Trevor bring us a remix, that aims to be funky yet laid back piece of music, and does so with slowly rotating fx and a wicked vocal sample, hypnotising us with eerie sounds, as well as the many other elements used. Very funky and definitely slower than a few of the other tracks here, it still does everything you'd hope for, tingling our spines with each sound used probably puts it best!

Cosmosis & MumboJumbo - Just Say No (The Melodic Mumble)

Well, with a title that suggests huge randomness and whacky sounds, we'll have to see if we're able to sue for false advertisment or not! Squelching noises & a pad begin the quest, as does a slow bass melody before the kick joins us for the trip. With a breakdown incorporating a snare, that's something in itself for this cd, first time I recall hearing one anyway... Including plenty of whacky samples seems to be the name of the game in this genre, and we have the customary few in here, with a melody that seems too be going somewhere but allows itself sufficient time, probably taking the scenic route to get there, though I'm not sure if this would be great driving music, maybe too hypnotic to allow full concentration! My personal favourite bit is the layering of 2 melodies and a funky tweaked throbbing effect on one of them adding to great diversity. Good stuff in this last section definitely!

Conclusion:
Some very diverse tracks in here, some are really full on, others more laid back, but all fit into the great sounds that Psy-lovers worldwide will appreciate, My diagnosis ? Buy a copy & see for yourself!