Got this album only a couple of days ago together with Jaia's Fiction and Phony Orphants' It'cetra after reading a number of reviews claiming these albums together with only a few others (Ticon and P.O.T.S. I presume) competed for "best progressive album of 2005". So, an excellent opportunity to add my 2 cents on some 2005 releases, unbiased and ready for a 1st class progressive ride :o)!

Antix does not let me down. Wow! Other than sex, is there anything better than the comfortability of progressive trance when it's made the exact right way? With Twin Coast Discovery I instantly knew I was in safe hands. These guys know how to put a progressive track together!

Let me give you an example, track 2 The Inkling. We start of with big drum and percussion, a wavy synth quickly kicks in providing the track a psychedelic spin, 1:00 hi-hat starts pumping, FX and break accord steps in, 2:00 the momemtum has now been built up, but still holding the horses, 2:27 bass starts adding a couple of notes and now we're on our feet, break, introduction of lead melody, 3:52 break ends and another build-up begins, and then 4:50 head on dancing.

This description fits any number of trance tracks, most readers will know. The point here is therefore only the simple one, that the boys from Antix knows how to put a formula to use the right way! Still, there is variety on this album and, for instance, a beatiful track 8 with vox to end this album. Yeah, no fillers here and a couple of quite outstanding tracks. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8 comes to mind, but really all tracks have their own charm and characteristica.

In comparison with Jaia's Fiction I like Antix' TCD better, but then again I find that TCD also harbors more safely in the trance genre with only a few leaps into house oriented land. And when this is done ...?! Well, just get the record and skip directly to track 4 Cold Night and find out what I mean. The bass here ... luv it, luv it!

In conclusion, another bull's eye from Iboga and a must-hear for the progressive follower.

Lush, plush, antics…

Antix is the brain child of Australian twins Barton & Hayden Strom… The debut album Lull was released by Iboga Records in 2003 and is still holds a leading position among the most acclaimed progressive trance albums ever released… That’s quite an accomplishment and the expectations for the long-awaited follow-up have been enormous… But if anyone can pull it off, it’s Iboga…

Loads of people have already dubbed this the best progressive house/trance crossover album of 2005… I don’t agree… This album is indeed very good, but personally I prefer the more edgy Tegma and Beat Bizarre albums over this… But this comes in as a close third...

As always with Iboga, the quality level is extremely high… Personally I could’ve wished for more edge here – sometimes it gets a little too epic and well-polished for my tastes… But overall, it’s a nice album. The production is flawless and the cover-art stands out as highly original… Well done! I can’t say I like this album better than Lull – it’s equally good and they complete each other nicely… Fans of rich, groovy, well-polished progressive trance/house with immediate crossover potential will most definitely get pleasure from this… Enjoy!

Favourites: 2, 4, 5, 6(!), 7