Various Artists – Beyond Trance

There’s trance – and there’s Beyond Trance

‘Beyond Trance’, the brand new compilation from the enlightened minds at Elektrax Progressive, achieves precisely this killer combination of classical and state-of-the-art, via ten brilliant tracks from some of the more innovatory producers at play on the global scene.

DJ Code from Taiwan sets things in motion with the electro-goa-tranced acid bliss of ‘Buddha’, while the Topo & LM remix of Hypnotic Hour’s ‘Blinkless’ is peak-time hard-edged psy material.

Psi Room’s ‘Dreams ov Shiva’, originally taken from the Psy Tekk vol.1 EP, gets remixed by Japanese producer MASA of the X-Tron fame. MASA returns to the early days of his goa-trance productions, best remembered from releases on German label GAIA Tontrager.

Stereo Underground from Israel goes more energetic and twisted in his ‘Taste of Low Frequency’.

‘Voyager’ by Chrono is more dark, moody, sci-fi progressive material, whereas M.A.Z.7’s ‘Fenix’ puts everything before it upside down; this beautiful trance piece is a true break in proceedings that works superbly!

‘Somewhere South’ by Hypnotic Hour takes the sense of the superb to ethereal new heights with ethnic and progressive influences, then Satsuma Headz (a.k.a Japan’s essential Takashi Watanabe) introduces a more earthly, housey, percussion-trance feel with ‘Stout’.

‘Summer Deep Thoughts’ by Gayle San, one of the best female techno DJ’s on the planet since the mid 90’s, delivers a deep and futuristic sounding techno piece with influences of pure goa trance and the planets beyond.

Chrono continues the vein (with an acid lick) on the psychedelic soundscapes of ‘Shpongle’, and wrapping up proceedings in a gorgeous way is FrameON with the masterfully crafted trancer ‘Frenton’.

Nothing quite like anything you’ve heard before, this most definitely is trance beyond trance, something to be listening to over and over in the 2010s.

– reviewed by Nina Phunsta

Beyond Trance Mix by DJ Chrono:

01. DJ Code – Buddha (Break Mix)
02. Hypnotic Hour – Blinkless (Topo and LMK Remix)
03. Psi Room – Dreams ov Shiva (Masa’s Back to the Future Mix)
04. Stereo Underground – Taste of Low Frequency
05. Chrono – Voyager
06. Hypnotic Hour – Somewhere South
07. M.A.Z.7 – Fenix
08. Satsuma Headz – Stout
09. Gayle San – Summer Deep Thoughts
10. Chrono – Sphongle
11. FrameON – Frenton