Like, really cruising along. Even for a typical "this month's going by fast", this month's been going by fast. I suppose there is some benefit to it: the quicker we can get through this sloppy-soggy weather, the better. This small chat's already getting dry though, so let's just move right on to the recap.

Four reviews here, and it's an assorted bunch. J' takes a look at prog-house vets Spooky's latest single (The Nebula EP), and I had a listen to a debut single from new trance duo Trend (titled, um, Trend E.P.). On the album front, Fedde le Grand finally comes forth with his debut long-player (Output), while the less-famous Alex Theory offers us a CD of groovy dub-funk on his Saturn Returns. I scoped both of those out, and you can scope the reviews for them in the links below.













Fedde le Grand - Output

Spooky - The Nebula EP

Alex Theory - Saturn Returns

Trend - Trend E.P.

No, really. It's entirely coincidental, it is. We're just going through one of those funny moments where J' and I keep alternating the reviewing load. I'm sure we'll both come correct, working in unison again soon enough. We must! In the meantime, here's what made it into the archives in the second half of October.

It must have been Simon Berry's month, as I took in the other big release from the famed acid-trance man, Union Jack's Pylon Pigs (first, of course, being Art Of Trance). Also, I took a look at Jamie Jones' debut long-player, titled Don't You Remember The Future -does he meet the expectations set out by his hit single Summertime? Plus, a glance at a fresh trance single from a couple chaps from Eastern Eupope, N-Tone and Sergey Romashkin -Need Love's the name of this one.













Jamie Jones - Don't You Remember The Future

N-Tone & Sergey Romashkin featuring Lorraine - Need Love

Union Jack - Pylon Pigs

This time, it's J's turn to take the lead. And hoo, did he ever. Are you trying to outdo me here, bro'? Making up for lost time? Does it matter? Five reviews is a lot tho' -let's see what we got.

Well, some trance. Art Of Trance, to be specific, in the form of a Retrospective. However, J' being J', he very well couldn't let a bunch of new progressive releases go unnoticed, one in the form of breaks (Retroid's DJ mix Evolved Breaks), another in the form of house (the Jackpot Reunion EP), and yet another by way of association (Way Out West's We Love Machine -not really prog, but they're known for it, so...). Oh, and also some album called Kaleidescope by a guy named Tiësto -perhaps you've heard of him?













Art Of Trance - Retrospective

Blue Amazon & Shango - Jackpot Reunion EP

Retroid - Evolved Breaks

Tiësto - Kaleidoscope

WayOut West - We Love Machine

I mean, I surely couldn't have done this update on Thursday -that was opening night of the NHL. Gotta, like, watch hockey. Just... gotta. Then, mini-crisis involving roommate and car being towed. There goes that Friday.

So, here we are, on Saturday, finally with our update. Nothing from J' at this time, as he's been on a bit of a reconnaissance into the heart of England (re: club hopping in Man), but I have three reviews nonetheless. A debut album from the collaboration of John '00' Fleming and The Digital Blonde (00.db), titled Heaven & Hell; a sophomore effort from Montreal native Tiga, titled Ciao!; and the latest released from Israeli transplants Infected Mushroom, Legend Of The Black Shawarma. Click below to check 'em out.













Infected Mushroom - Legend Of The Black Shawarma

Tiga - Ciao!

00.db (John '00' Fleming & The Digital Blonde) - Heaven & Hell

Things keep moving along here at TC at a steady pace, despite a brief bout of the flu impeding some progress. Mostly an assortment of odds'n'sods here, as we wait for the fall release schedule to finally kick in full force. We have some trip-hop care of Flying Lotus' Los Angeles, an entree of electro-mosh from Longwalkshortdock's Casual Tea, a side-helping of progressive house served up from Domased Electronica's Mermaid, and a Random Review dessert of, er, 'electronica' with the Deepwater Black compilation. Hmm... I suddenly could use some sushi...













Deepwater Black: Inclonation Vol. 1

Domased Electronica - Mermaid

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

Longwalkshortdock - Casual Tea

Honestly, I can't explain it. Sure, we've had some largish updates in the past, but more than half-a-dozen? That's some serious writing going on here. Perhaps it helps that, instead of just covering another in an endless stream of quickly-forgotten releases that comes out during the summer (labels seldom expect to sell records now, as everyone's blowing money on vacations instead), we've taken the time to look back at older releases. Some of it ties into what's happening in the EDM sphere at large (Warp 20th anniversary), while others are just done at whim (though with a little more forethought than a typical Random Review). Anyhow, there's a lot to get into here, so let's not waste time.

As mentioned, Warp has reached its 20th year of existence, so what better time than now to check out a couple releases from their peak years as leaders in the electronic music domain (well before they decided to sound like any other indie rock label with post-rock albums). In this case, J' had a listen to the little-known Sabres Of Paradise release Haunted Dancehall, while I delved into the fourth album from Aphex Twin, Richard D. James Album. Rounding out a few more older releases is Goldie's Saturnz Return (reviewed by J') and Tiga's American Gigolo (reviewed by I).

Fast-forwarding to more recent times, J' checked out a couple overlooked prog albums from Dousk (Kind Of Human) and Jaytech (Everything Is OK), while I had a look at a single by newcomer Asuuma (Seventh Level).













Amuuna - Seventh Level

Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album

Dousk - Kind Of Human

Goldie - Saturnz Return

Jaytech - Everything Is OK

The Sabres Of Paradise - Haunted Dancehall

Tiga - American Gigolo

Sorry about that. Got a bit of Tiga on the brain lately, though it's been unbearably hot lately. Figures as soon as I decide to go on vacation, my destination predicts rain showers.

Yep, going away for a little while here, so this will be the last update for a week or two. Leading us into this month of August are a few reviews too. J' checked out another single from Iyla Mosolov, this one in the form an EP titled Chilled Colors; also, J' got his hands on yet another 'trance anthems' compilation from Gatecrasher -how does this one stack up against the rest? Meanwhile, I had a listen to The Field's sophomore effort Yesterday And Today. Plus, I finally got around to part four of my wildly infrequent five-part series of reviewing the entire works of Oliver Lieb's L.S.G. project, this entry being his foray into downtempo, Into Deep.













The Field - Yesterday And Today

Gatecrasher's Trance Anthems 1993-2009

L.S.G. - Into Deep

Ilya Mosolov - Chilled Colors EP

Due to such busy work schedules, the little lady at home decided we needed to hire out a couple maids to give our apartment a thorough cleaning, a most perfectly sensible idea. (even if the scheduled day and time of the the service conflicted mightily with my own, but since she was paying, I was in no position to dictate terms. Anyhow...) So, everything's going fine and all when, out of the blue, one of the maids accidentally knocks over two of my CD towers. Good God, no! All the CDs in these towers lay strewn across the floor, some even slipping from their jewel cases. And, to make matters worse, they were dislodged from their already random order into an even more random order back into the towers. Oh! Ahh! I can't stands no more!

Huh? What do you mean I'm overreacting, dear? Hmph, well, let's see how you react when I mess up your shoes! Mwa, ha, ha!

Bringing things back to virtual reality now, we have four reviews in this update here at TranceCritic. In fact, we even have two albums here that could fit into the trance category (although I'm sure some heated debate would arise from that). First, J' checked out a fresh album called Illusions from a fresh producer named Mikas; meanwhile, I had a look at the sophomore effort from Irish jock John O'Callaghan, Never Fade Away. Also, I finally got around to having a go with DJ Hell's critically-praised 2-CD album Teufelswerk, and J' scoped out d'n'b veteran LTJ Bukem's offering to the FabricLive series. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled TC-browsing.













FabricLive 46 - LTJ Bukem

Hell - Teufelswerk

Mikas - Illusions

John O'Callaghan - Never Fade Away

If only this weather wasn't so good, if only, if only...

Summertime makes it incredibly difficult to sit inside at a computer and hammer out music reviews, it really does. Just ask poor J', who's been spending a good deal of his time migrating from residence to residence (er, hence his current lack of output). And the vacations just won't stop, if I have any say in it. Mmm... music festivals...

So, another pair of reviews to touch upon here. The latest release from Solar Fields -Movements- came out way back in the winter, but it really is much more of a summer album, so I decided to check it out at this late stage instead. Also, another 'summery' release, in the form an Ashtech/Polcari collaboration titled Meditronica. Click below to check 'em.













Meditronica - Meditronica

Solar Fields - Movements

Financially broke, that is. Gads, but is being a music junkie ever an expensive habit. Constantly buying new music, paying premiums for old classics, club-hopping and festival funtimes, not to mention all that travel/shipping cost. Who'd have thought the 'free music' era could be so costly?

In the meantime, there's a couple reviews to touch upon here. I checked out Laurent Garnier's latest offering, Tales Of A Kleptomaniac. Also checked out is Louderbach's sophomore effort, Autumn, apparently intentionally released either a half-year too early or a half-year too late. In addition to these album reviews, J' decided to do some event reviews, as he managed to catch three perennial acts all in one week: 2 Many DJs, Orbital, and Sasha. While that may not be as wicked awesome as seeing Neil F'n Young and Banco F'n de Gaia on the same day at Glastonbury (*cough*), it's still right up there nonetheless. Click here to check out his reviews.













Laurent Garnier - Tales Of A Kleptomaniac

Louderbach - Autumn