So many years, music and memories flew by, yet there is nothing that fulfills me with more joy than the 1996 Matsuri Productions various artists compilation "The truth of communication". Yes, this is a full frontal all star old school attack, and though it may be a tight win, I've yet to come across a V/A release which would leave a longer lasting impression on me.

I do doubt, however, that I'd feel so attached to it if the opener wasn't Time Dilation by the legendary Pleiadians. Plain and simple, you need to hear it. No praise, no wasting words, no laudable adjectives - you just need to hear it. This is a track which single handedly ignited the interest for goa trance in the hearts of torrents of electronic music enthusiasts and afficionados back in the day. The final climax they pull off here is one of the most memorable moments of the genre. Its intensity and complexity have since been matched by half of a dozen other artists maximum.

As if the opener on its own wasn't a reason enough to buy this, Astral Projection are next up to bat with the best mix out of the three which were released on the "Time began with the universe EP" on Matsuri in 1996. A tad more sinister than your typical '96 Astrali gem, but oh my, it's just as epic as any other classic they crafted during their hey day. The melody introduced around halfway through the track is the stuff timeless goa trance is made of.
Quirk, another one of Matsuri's ace projects, drops Robotised, which is the best track they've ever done in my humble opinion. It's funky, with a groovy bass line and a heavy kick, with a whole wide array of demented and wicked noises and distorted melodies dashing in and out of the track. Quirky stuff.
Nervasystem is next with the aptly titled Whirling Dervish, with its flawless and slow build up, which keeps you waiting until your patience gets rewarded when some rabid acid synths eventually take control. Fantastic stuff!
The next three tracks live up to the previous bangers as well: Inscape is an alias for Indoor, and those of you familiar with their work know that Ofer Dikovsky & co. could do no wrong back then. Sedom is a no holds barrel banger with a rather harsh and agressive attitude. I love it, it's a favorite at old school parties and it only henced at the even more challenging efforts we'd later hear from these guys.
Typhoon are none other then the unforgettable french trio Total Eclipse. Though the track they bring to the table, Overture, may not have aged with grace, it remains a faithful and true to the heart testament to their amazing legacy and input. Total Eclipse are considered pioneers of the genre, and this is as good of a reminder why as any other.
Endora is essentially Electric Universe plus DJ Sangeet, and their track combines some break beatish elements, typical of the EU style back then, with some really uplifting and positive melodies. Far from being complex, Endorian Gravity just floats on and on while radiating energy.
The closing number is another unforgettable goa trance stormer, a collaboration between two true heavy weights, Tsuyoshi Suzuki and Elysium! It's one of the two tracks they've ever made together, but I wonder if they could have ever outdone it. It has a sample which instantly made history lifting dancers higher higher and higher, aided by a melody which defined the meaning of -epic- in goa trance. Clocking in at a little under eight minutes, it apparently seems short, but it's rather the hypnotizing effect it has on the listener which gives it the "Oh it's already over?" effect.

When you have the cream of the crop of the old school clashing over a sixty six minute compact disc released by Matsuri Productions, then you better know what time is it. Even without all the emotional value, I could not bare giving it anything under a 4/5. Best of all is, despite it being well over a decade old, it's fairly easy to track down for a very reasonable price. Fans who dig should also check out stuff like V/A "First flight" on Flying Rhino Records, "Infinity hz" on Matsuri Productions Tokyo, V/A "Pulse: a trip into psychedelic trance" and any installation of the Goa Raume series.