Sandman (2) - Psycho Toons

A masterpiece! I remember when I first purchased this album I was quite disappointed. I was hoping for something along the lines of his first album, 'Witchcraft' -- dark and apocalyptic. That does not describe this album at all.

Luckliy I decided to give this album a second chance. This album is much more mature than the last. First, this is a real album, not just a compilation of tracks by Mr. Levy. You can very much tell that he sat down with the mindset of creating a complete work which will take you on a journey. The artwork and the tracks are clearly built around the idea of Psycho Toons. We are given the added bonus of the tracks fading into one another, which is so important to maintaining a 65 minute trance.

The light and the darkness can be found on this album. Sandman seems to move between them with ease, giving the effect of being on a very smooth rollercoaster. And indeed this coaster is fun, because Levy never seems to take himself too seriously during this album -- no posing, if you know hat I mean. The tracks are thoughtful and complex, with patient building of layers, weird noises all around, crystal clear production, and all the twists and turns required to keep one's interest. More dynamic than 99% of the last few years' psy-trance releases.

To top it all off the artwork provides a humorous mindf**k, especially the back cover and the inside of the front cover. The art seems inspired by the old Wile E. Coyote and Roadrnner cartoons, but it's much more. Very detailed. Accompanying artwork always has a huge influence on the feelings and the colors&things I see while listening to an album, and I'm very happy with what they chose. It gives you a good reason to go buy a copy instead of settling for a burned copy =)!