Various – Shangri La (Goa Trance Compilation)

The 1729 track is the main reason to purchase this if you like it since it's only found here in a hard copy. I do like that track....so this one goes into the collection. The Baseline baby track is also an excellent track and the Climax Absolute track is only found on this comp so this release is worth picking up if you are an ardent collector of Classic Goa Trance. Released in 1995, but many of the tracks sound more like 1993.

Interesting French Goa compilation here. Perhaps predictably, the better known outfits (Transwave, Prana, Virtuart) produce the outstanding tracks. Unfortunately, most of the other tracks are average to weak. There's an interesting light, whimsical, delicate touch to most of the tracks, though it is by no means uniform. Not so much acid or marching tekno on offer here. The closest to that is Bassline Baby; the weakest track on the comp. It is kind of strange that Goa never quite took off in France like it did in England, Germany, Israel, South Africa, for instance. It is not that I'm fascinated by nationalism, but I still find it an interesting question, partly because Goa always seemed quite a post-national, global, cosmiche melting pot of a genre. It didn't have much purchase in America, maybe because American tourists were going to Mexico or the Caribbean? Anyway, the point is that there was a small French scene, and a unique one, if this compilation is anything to go by. ~*~

Ok Transwave's tracks are great here but the best track is EA 1729 - The 25th code..!!!
A REAL oldschool goatrance track, only for this you have to find this compilation.
The rest is not worth that much.

More of a real collectors item than a must own release, but there are some bona fide classics here.
First and foremost, the opening and the closing tracks by Transwave are possibly the best two from their debut 1995 release, "Hypnorhythm", so if you are one of the many who don't own it yet, maybe you're chances are better of finding them here, on "Shangri La", than hunting down the aforementioned EP.

You then get two other relatively obscure gems, Le Venus De Psy Law by 2 Puissance 30 and the superb acidic classic by Bassline Baby, Altered States. These tracks I listed are all much harder to find on their original releases, which are all heavily sought after in collector circles, and thus fetch ridiculously high prices, so getting hold of this compilation should be an excellent bargain for most seeking out neglected numbers from the hey day of the genre.

Unfortunately, the other tracks don't really live up to the fame of the four absolute killers I mentioned above. Which should imply that apart from making you a proud owner of a rarity, you won't feel like you're possessing a fundemental part of old school goa trance history.

Those who reckon they must have each and every known documented piece of the history of psychedelic music most probably already own this, the rest of you might want to invest your money in a safer purchase. There are plenty better various artists releases out there for far more accessible prices.