Various ‎– Hypnotic Sounds - 17 Trips In Trance

Various Artists
Hypnotic Sounds 17 Trips In Trance
1996 Hypnotic

I was back in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and stopped by a local record shop and found this little compilation from Hypnotic. This sub-label of Cleopatra was pretty killer in the 90’s with electronic music giving us a mix of Trance, Goa & some Industrial. Their compilations were plentiful but hit-or-miss (I stopped collecting them because of that) and I did enjoy the lenticular cover fad they started. They had some of the big guns (FSOL, System 7, Juno Reactor) and some lesser knowns that sometimes surprised me but often felt it was all a bit vanilla. This is a pretty good one - let me know what you think.

1. The Future Sound Of London - Expander (Remix)
2. System 7 - Mektoub (Youth Mix)
3. LCD - Gear Boxing
4. Kraftwelt - Deranged (Überzone Mix)
5. Astralasia - Madam
6. Juno Reactor - Feel The Universe
7. Giez - Organ Gents
8. Cathexis - Implant
9. Kinder Atom - Space Laxative
10. Anubian Lights - Jackal And Nine (Biocosmic Energy Mix)
11. Bypass Unit - Rare Bones
12. Nature™ - Yes, It's Possible
13. Aqualite - Wavemaker
14. R-Escape-R - Escape
15. Din - Travesty
16. Holophonia - Detritus
17. Komakino - Outface (G60 Mix)

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Various ‎– Best Of Techno - Volume One

Various Artists
Best Of Techno - Volume One
1991 Profile Records

This is the first of an epic series of four released by Profile Records highlighting the early days of Techno. All great tracks from some of the biggest at the time. Takes me back to some memorable late night warehouse hunting. Who doesn’t remember dancing in front of the speaker wall to “The Bullfrog”???

1. Zone - Eternal #2
2. Program 2 - More Energy
3. G.T.O. - The Bullfrog
4. Voodoo Child - Voodoo Child (Brainstorm Mix)
5. G.T.O. - Listen To The Rhythm Flow
6. Speedy J - Evolution
7. Andromeda - Gazza
8. Rhythmatic - Take Me Back (Bass-Head Mix)
9. Trance Media - Disco Therapy
10. Nexus 21 - Self Hypnosis
11. 9-10 Boy - Robocop
12. FUSE - F.U.

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Various – Bar De Lune Studio Sessions

Various Artists
Bar De Lune Studio Sessions
2003 Bar De Lune

Gear change. A little Lounge-esque compilation from Bar De Lune. Mostly 12” remixes by their label roster at the time. Although “Mi Corazon (Patife X Madzoo Sessions Mix)” kinda drives me crazy, overall it’s a nice listen - Something for your next dinner party. Have to note that it’s one of my favourite packaging designs for CDs, simple top loading slip-case.

1. Fragile State - Every Day A Story (4 Hero Electric Fusion Remix)
2. Mettle Music - Capture (Chris Lum’s Frisky Remix)
3. Dust - Where You Wanna Be (Roots Manuva Remix)
4. Al-Pha-X - Mi Corazon (Patife X Madzoo Sessions Mix)
5. Dust - High (Gus Gus Remix)
6. Radar - Running Away
7. Al-Pha-X - Rain
8. The Egg - Venice Beach
9. Fragile State - Panacea (Jimpster Remix)
10. Christophe Goze - Barcelona (Faze Action Remix)
11. Mettle Music - Better Days (Deep Mix)
12. The Egg - Lost At Sea

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Juno Reactor – Conga Fury

Juno Reactor
Conga Fury
1996 Blue Room Released

Let’s keep the Goa thing going… Ben Watkins aka Juno Reactor has worked with a multitude of artists including Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Budgie (The Creatures/Siouxsie and the Banshees), Eduardo Niebla & Traci Lords to name a few. On Conga Fury he teams up with the South African percussion act Amampondo. The result… a fast paced tribal masterpiece with killer percussion. Add on a couple tremendous remixes of tracks from the brilliant Beyond the Infinite and you got yourself a righteous single. Remember that Liu Kang VS Jade Battle?

1. Conga Fury
2. Magnetic (Remixed By Robert Leiner)
3. Feel The Universe (Remixed By Koxbox + Ian Ion)

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Eat Static – Epsylon EP

Eat Static
Epsylon EP
1995 Mammoth / Planet Dog

Spewing from the Somerset space rock band Ozric Tentacles, the duo of Merv Pepler & Joie Hinton were my first introduction to the Planet Dog label. Since then I've always thought they were the apex of Sci-Fi Goa Trance and still spin Implant on a monthly basis in the home studio. Taking their name came from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (so cool), they span many forms of dance music & showcase great energy & creativity. They also have an abundance of side projects and exclusive mixes out there for our pleasure. These days Pepler continues the Eat Static brand as a solo project after Hinton left in 2008. This US Mammoth release contains the Lost In Time single from 1993 which is brilliant.

1. Epsylon
2. Dionysiac
3. Peeow!
4. Undulattice (Uforic Remix)
5. Lost In Time
6. Gulf Breeze (Zetan Mix)
7. The Brain

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Various ‎– Essenchill

Various Artists
Essenchill
2002 V2

I know the market is over flooded with “chill” compilations but this is a good one. Mixed by Nitin Sawhney it has a wide range of artists & styles with a couple exclusive mixes I believe. Mandalay & Underworld appear here so it can’t be too bad right? 

1. Alex Gopher - The Child
2. Rinôçérôse - Mes Vacances Á Rio
3. Nitin Sawhney - Sunset (KV5 Remix)
4. Ian Pooley - Coracao Tambor (Needs Remix)
5. Underworld - Cups (Salt City Orchestra Remix)
6. Mandalay - Deep Love (Onda Underwater Remix)
7. Abraham - Blue For The Most
8. Jungle Brothers - Brain
9. Ninety-9 - Willow
10. The High Llamas - The Space Raid Remix (Kid Loco Remix)
11. Elbow - Powder Blue
12. Mercury Rev - The Dark Is Rising
13. Grandaddy - So You'll Aim Toward The Sky
14. Ben Christophers - Hooded Kiss
15. Aimee Mann - Save Me
16. Heather Nova - Gloomy Sunday

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Various ‎– Loop: Cut & Paste Groove Collection

Various Artists
Loop: Cut & Paste Groove Collection
1998 PopMafia

This is a pretty damn good compilation from a label that had only 5 releases. I remember grabbing it at a Hastings in New Mexico of all places after being thoroughly disappointed in their selection of electronic music back in 98. It’s has some exclusives from Bugs, Dropcycle & Honeypot along with some of my favourites like Meat Beat Manifesto, Halou & Perfume Tree. A electro/dubby/downtempo delight overall, cool artwork as well.

1. Coldcut - Atomic Moog 2000
2. The Grassy Knoll - The Innocent Criminal
3. Halou - I'll Carry You
4. Bugs - Only You
5. Bentley Rhythm Ace - Who Put The Bom In The Bom Bom Diddley Bom
6. Lecture On Nothing - Forward To Victory
7. Bran Van 3000 - Couch Surfer
8. Perfume Tree - Can't You
9. Honeypot - Happiness Hangover
10. Meat Beat Manifesto - Transmission (Stately Pleasure Dub)
11. Mindphaseone - No Need To Wave
12. Pistel - Skin Up
13. Dropcycle - Nightvision 2.1

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