Talamasca is the psytrance project of Frenchman DJ Lestat.
Recommended listening for fans of psytrance.
1999 - Sinaï/Halloween
2000 - Beyond the Mask
2001 - Foxual and the Genetic Monster
2001 - Genetik Monster EP
2001 - Musica Divinorum (Part 1) (Part 2)
2001 - Magnetic Fields <Missing>
2003 - Zodiac (Part 1) (Part 2)
2004 - Made in Trance (Part 1) (Part 2)
2005 - Illusion World <Missing>
2007 - Obsessive Dream (Disc 1) (Part 1) (Part 2)
2007 - Obsessive Dream (Disc 2) (Part 1) (Part 2)
For several years now, Hospital Records has released a mix CD, showcasing the label’s finest talent. Here are all five instalments of the series. These releases show some of the world’s best liquid funk, the most soulful drum n bass out there.
Hospital Mix 1 [192]
Hospital Mix 2 [192]Â
Hospital Mix 3 [192]
Hospital Mix 4 [192]
Hospital Mix 5 [320] (Part 1)Â Â (Part 2)
Another of my favourite albums, Tri-State is a smooth and delicate trance album. Late-night listening at it’s finest, it’s hard to pick just a few outstanding tracks as the album is best listened to as a whole. There is a good balance between instrumental and vocal tracks. Highly recommended listening.
Outstanding Tracks:
- Air for Life
- Alone Tonight
- Indonesia
Download Part 1
Download Part 2
This is the first drum & bass album I ever bought, after having heard only one track from it, too. I have no regrets whatsoever- it’s a stunning album from start to finish. Excusing the pun, this is some of the most soulful drum & bass I’ve ever heard. Liane Carroll’s smooth vocals perfectly complement Tony Colman’s musical style. Both a great place to start if you’re new to the genre or if you’re already well-versed in the ways of jungle and are looking for something new and exciting.
Outstanding Tracks:
- Remember the Future
- Hanging Rock
- Far From the Shadows
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Air’s Moon Safari is one of my favourite albums of 1998. It is in a word, soothing. Every time I listen to it, I can’t help but melt away into my chair. It’s hypnotic, really. If you’ve never heard Air before, this is a great place to start.
Outstanding Tracks:
- Sexy Boy
- Talisman
- You Make It Easy
Download
A fairly good compilation which kinda sits on the fence between psytrance and progressive trance; not as hard as Infected Mushroom, not as soft as Above & Beyond.
Outstanding Tracks:
- Andromeda - Oxygene
- Ibojima - Situations
- Chromosome - Genetic Superstar
Download Part 1
Download Part 2
Moby’s debut, self-titled album just doesn’t get the respect it deserves. It wasn’t greatly influential or critically acclaimed, but I really think it characterised the sound of techno music in the early ’90s. Not many people make music like this anymore.
In a way, I miss the early days of techno; sure, it’s not incredibly complex music in terms of harmony and structure- but it was ground-breaking, pushing electronic music ever closer to the mainstream.
Outstanding Tracks:
- Drop A Beat
- Next Is The E
- Go
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Blue Lines is widely considered to be the first trip-hop album; it holds the defining sound of the genre and when listening to other artists, one can trace the elements back to it. Blue Lines is dark, brooding and beautiful, maintaining a deep atmosphere. Track 6, Unfinished Sympathy is widely considered to be one of the greatest songs of all time (NME, MTV2, various polls) and in my opinion, rightly so. It is an incredibly dynamic piece of music and has a duality of texture- at first the percussion is hard and almost uninviting, but the strings and vocals are warm- a perfectly balanced contrast. In between these fits the piano, sharing characteristics of both. There notes are distinct, but there is just enough reverb to smoothly fit them into the mix.Outstanding Tracks:
- Safe From Harm
- Be Thankful For What You’ve Got
- Unfinished Sympathy
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Saltillo is the one-man project of Menton J. Matthews, a member of the band Sunday Munich. A multi-instrumentalist, Matthews plays violin, viola, cello, piano, bass, guitar and banjo, as well as doing all the electronic work himself. This is a truly emotional album, fusing acoustic sounds with electronic. Downbeat trip-hop for the most part, Matthews sidesteps into drum n bass territory briefly to add a little variety to the record. He also makes clever use of vocal samples, many from Shakespearean texts, others seemingly from movies. This combination gives the album a timeless feel; I feel that it will definitely age in a similar manner to the works of Portishead and Massive Attack. Easily my favourite album of 2006, Saltillo has created a bitter-sweet record with true emotional depth.
Outstanding tracks:
- A Necessary End
- A Hair on the Head of John the Baptist
- Backyard Pond
Download
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