Activa's debut album has opened up my eyes to a whole new style of trance that I never even bothered with before. Uplifting trance. I often here this music also get called just simply trance or even progressive trance.

Disc 1 - This World

16 tracks that are mixed together perfectly. Constantly I find myself listening to this album and already being 6 or 7 tracks in and I didn't even realize that the song has changed. Thats a sign of one good album! The CD starts with more uplifting material and contains several tracks with female vocals (Can You Feel It, Moments, They Never Change). Don't be scared off though - this is how you successfully mix vocals into trance. No cheese here.

Once we get to later in the album, things start getting more dirty and futuristic. (Terminal 5, War Game & Transmission to be more specific). Terminal 5, my personal favorite on here, is a prime example of what a sci-fi world far in the future would sound like. I can't stress enough how godly the mixing of tracks is on this album. Activa really is in a league of his own not only as a artist but as a DJ.

Disc 2 - Bonus Tracks

The first 4 tracks are essentially much slower and relaxed then the music on disc 1. Vocals play a much bigger role here and that might turn some people off but seeing how disc 2 is pretty much pure bonus material, I don't see how anyone can complain. If you don't like it, don't listen to it. The last 3 tracks are remixes. Its true that the bonus material can't really compete with the actual album but its a very nice addition to This World that Activa has created.

Thanks to Activa, i'm now a fan of this type of trance and I would suggest anyone with the least bit on interest in this kind of music to pick this one up ASAP... This is some of the best music i've ever heard in my life.

One final note... If you enjoyed this album it might be of interest to you to buy the digital version as well. It features the original mixes of most of these tracks which often add anywhere from 1 to 4 minutes in length to them. This World, is essentially all the original versions mixed together to fit within the 80 minute time limit. The digital version also contains several bonus tracks/remixes and the album mix (the entire album as 1 track) version.

Phrenitis is a lot less dark then Atrium Carceri fans are used to. Infact, I dare say a few tracks are even uplifting (Reunion). To me, this album is much more a soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic world as opposed to his usual horror feeling. That leaves us with the question, is it any good? Depends. Some fans will hate this change as I have no problem saying this album is "weak" compared to monsters like Seishinbyouin and Kapnobatai. Then again, Atrium Carceri is a act that never repeats himself and every album is something different from the last. I appreciate change and evolution, but it almost seems like it came too fast and sudden from Atrium Carceri. This is quality music my friends, just not evil and dark as we might have been expecting. I'm curious/dreadful as to where he might possibly go next with his sound. Hopefully back to darkness.

As if Incunabula wasn't biggest enough of a masterpiece, Autechre returned the following year in 1994 to release their opus - Amber. This album is almost difficult to describe. There certainly are IDM traits running throughout it but really this album transcends beyond anything a mere label can classify it as. Foil is like trying to start up an engine on some alien planet. Silverside is like being stuck in a nightmare. Nine is like being stranded on some desert island. And Nil... Nil is perfection contained within 1 single track. The solo drum-beat at the end leaves me breathless everytime. A timeless album that you only hurt yourself by not owning.

Disc 1 - Blue Energy

A re-release of the 1998 goa trance album of the same name. Blue Energy is considered a classic in the trance genre and for good reason. Amazing melodies and samples. Several tracks contain nature and wilderness sounds and really breath life into this production. If you're at all interested in how to properly mix goa trance with ambience then look no further. Jaïa's Blue Energy reeks quality.

Disc 2 - Blue Synergy

As far as I can tell, these tracks are rarities and compilation tracks from the same recording era as Blue Energy. Really nothing here matches the mood and theme of Blue Energy but its a helluva nice bonus to have these Jaïa tracks in addition to the album.

Both releases of Blue Energy are sold out and hard to find now but I would take the time to find this version over the single disc one. The re-mastering and bonus tracks are worth it.

I guess this album is considered progressive house but I usually just refer to it as electronica. 5 tracks are instrumentals and 5 tracks have female vocals. Zero Gold is nothing less then amazing and I find this to be a timeless release that I will be able to still enjoy 10 years from now! Its strange but I get memories from 90's anime while listening to this... El Hazard to be more specific. I'm not sure why. Inner Turmoil is a real gem on this album and the song always seems to get stuck in my head. Since this album, Pole Folder has only released vinyl and digital releases. I surely hope he makes a follow-up eventually because this album stands out in a dull sea of "house" artists. The female singers on this album really add to the beauty of Zero Gold. Get it.

Atrium Carceri was pretty much at the peak of his dark and twisted sound when he made Kapnobatai. This album takes elements from Cellblock and Seishinbyouin but it takes a much different turn by adding elements of fantasy and technology in the sound. The end result is pretty pleasing and you can't help but imagine a dark world that fuses medieval themes with futuristic technology (think of the original Quake). Atrium Carceri got much more rhythmic and industrial starting with this album. As with everything the man has released this one is a must have.

Fiction is certainly not your typical trance album. Elements of goa, psy and progressive trance are effortlessly fused with house, classical and electro to form one amazing electronica album. The track titles are dead ringers for what vibe you can expect. Orchestra 2.0 uses classical elements, From Tokyo has asian influence while Rouge Marine has some aquatic references. The Gate tracks serve as interludes and intros to the longer ones. This album marked a huge leap in sound compared to the 1998 "Blue Energy" album which was more or less strictly goa trance. The only thing unchanged is the fact that Jaïa continues to make quality music.

I find it hard to be able to compare this album to anything else out there. Tribal, Trance, Downtempo and Ambient all swirl together to create a unforgettable experience. There are shards of a male voice thrown in from time to time but the female voice, Alyssa, is the real treat vocal-wise on Sub Conscious. Phutureprimitive AKA Rain AKA Telepathik releases new music pretty rarely but when he does its always dripping with quality. This is the type of CD that one could never grow tired of and the only shame is the fact that its a rather unknown release on a even more unknown label.

I found this album to be a huge change in direction and sound for Boxcutter. Glyphic was more or less a more polished version of Oneiric but this 3rd album, Arecibo Message is an entirely different beast from Barry Lynn. The core of the music remains dubstep but there is a lot of other influences going on here: acid, house and even drum & bass. The end result is pretty pleasing and there are some real monsters on here (the title track is godly). In my opinion, Boxcutter has really proven himself of this album and I have no problem pitting him as a equal to the other king of dubstep, Burial.

In my opinion there should have been more ambient-driven tracks on this album because they really seem to steal the show on here. Iboga and especially 2082 really make Quantec stand out in a sea of boring dub techno artists out there. Sure all 10 tracks are good but I feel had there been one or two more ambient tracks there would have been a little more variety balance on this album. The rhythmic tracks tend to sound a bit similar to each other. Great listening to in pieces, but as a full album it seems to suffer a tad.