Mind-Dala – Sonic Dragon

I have to admit I’m almost lost for words. This was a farken hard review to write, and those that know me know how much I love to rant and ramble. Mind-Dala is an album that completely reaffirms your faith in psytrance, telling you that there is decent and original fullon coming out these days, and also reminding you about why you got into this music in the first place. Born On Mars teases before it drops in, and when it does it’s well and truly feeding time at the zoo. The production is pure gold, with sounds that make you keep on cranking your speakers up till they shake. Subtle sounds are drawn in to build up to a succulent peak, where a perfect slab of melody comes in and sets things really spinning. Compressing Time is bloody marvellous and all, a deeper sound but no less kaleidoscopic… in fact it’s nice to hear Mr P in a more restrained, mature style than his previous output. The way the breakdown picks up into a lazy but dust-fuelled drop is simply sublime – it’s this whole natural and unforced sound that makes it so appealing. African Soul rolls along delightfully, sounding to me a lot like the kickin’ ness of Alchemy records at their best, fused with the clean sound of Altom. It all hangs together nicely. Brainsnake is among the finest bit of fullon I’ve heard this year, there’s a deliciously twisted melody hidden in there than slinks and slides around the place. It picks up into a mesmerising final run… that’s impossible to work out quite how it all fits together… like it’s hung from individual streads from high up in the rafters. Mind-Dala has a deep and expansive sound, one of the best examples yet of that fully-immersive sound Mr Peculiar’s best at. It’s totally absorbing and very psychedelic, with suggested melodies hovering in the background and this gorgeous, full-surround feel to it. Timeline sees things get mellower and summery… with a fluid bluesy guitar peppered over a wonderfully perfect backbone… seriously lovely stuff this folks… overwhelming. If you only check one of the samples on Saiko Sounds, make it this one! Crystal Energy is another winner, it’s the sort of tune that would be a definite standout if it appeared on a compilation. Its gnarlier than what’s come before it, but no less fluid… sounds escalate incredibly deftly, building up into a real stomping soup… seriously mindbending stuff. It’s been a while since anything fullon affected me like this… until the next track comes on. Silver Clouds is nothing short of genius, as the whole album starts to come together. Sounds get picked up like debris in a storm, and glide around in a wonderful pattern. Once again what’s staggering here is the feeling that comes out from inside the music. You almost forget that you’re listening to a load of computers; this immersive quality is a real winner and the depth of emotion that comes out is second to none. I’m almost out of superlatives, but Yellow Solar Human closes the album in a truly classy way, with that restrained and measured approach creeping back in. And this is what sets Mr Peculiar apart from the others. Going back and listening to other fullon, it just seems too forced… too laboured, too stressed and too clichéd. Mind-Dala is a wonderful, brilliant lesson in how psytrance should sound.