Hallucinogen – Twisted

Hallucinogen is the stage name of Simon Posford (born 28 October 1971) an English electronic musician, specializing in Psychedelic trance music. His first studio album, Twisted, released in 1995, is considered one of the most influential albums in the genre. In particular, the first track, "LSD", which remains the defining sound of Goa trance to this day.

This should be in the top 10 Goa albums by one artist / group. Twisted, IFO, cosmology, forever after, dragon tales, juggling alchemists, implant, being amongst those 10.... the other two? Who can say. Amongst the many many great Goa artists, few seemed to be able to keep it together for a whole album but Mr. P does it twice!

Classic Psychedelic Trance album. One of the very first few psychedelic trance albums I listened to back when I was almost 14 and experimenting with various different drugs. (I'm 25 now.) Along with The Gathering and Classical Mushroom By Infected Mushroom and Trust In Trance by Astral Projection. First psychedelic trance albums I ever listened to.

Twisted is in my opinion one of the best psychedelic trance albums of all time. Features popular tracks like LSD and Shamanix, although the entire album is amazing. It should be noted on this page that the version of Alpha Centauri on this album is a remix or the album version. The original version is much shorter in length and was released on The Alpha Centauri EP in 1994, track 1 of 2.

I have listened to this album on both amphetamines and psychedelic hallucinogens, and it really is a great trip. Simon Posford really let's you feel the synthesized instruments and warped sounds.

Track 1. LSD - This track was originally released in 1994 on The Alpha Centauri EP. Track 2 of 2. It's a great opening track for the album and very emotional towards the climax.

Track 2. Orphic Trench - Another amazing track. The lead acid synth really takes you on a great trip.

Track 3. Alpha Centauri - Awesome remix. I prefer it slightly over the original.

I won't go on with the tracks, but prepare to have your mind blown.

The mastering is also perfect, professional, and good. General production is great. Highly recommend this album to new-comers to Psychedelic Trance. It's an essential of any collection.

5 out of 5 stars.

anybody knows if the song Orphic Thrench is on any compilation album?
Alguien ssabe si la cancion Orphic Thrench esta en algun album recopilatorio?
thaksss gracias!

I bought my one not long after it came out and found it to be indispensible, also I got it signed, could never part with it now, its essential listening.

It's been only 5 months that i discovered Posford's Psytrance (I only listened to Shpongle and Younger brother before)... and am like waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
This man is just phenomenal. I tried to listen to more psytrance artists but i couldn't find the same impressions.
He's expressing his soul into music... First i listened to The Lone Deranger... i loved it, but when i heard TWISTED, i was entering a world of magical harmony.
Now I only listen to this album all day long.

It's quite a task to decipher this immortal album into mere words, but I feel obliged as plus twenty years later this album still gives me the shivers and amazes me with its technical superiority. This album was written I believe mostly in 1995, but some of it even dates back to 1994. The first Hallucinogen release ever, the LSD/Alpha Centauri 12" on Dragonfly Records, is from April 1994. So to just sum things up - the whole album was written in roughly a two-year period.

Musically speaking this album is nearly flawless in my ears. Hallucinogen has an uncanny talent in using weird yet strangely charming synth sounds and effects and manipulating them thru effect units like a mad scientist. The result? It may sound funny but the guy is still touring around the world playing these exact tracks! Okay, there's usually the combo-package with the latest Shpongle but still... this album carries such a staggering level to detail and brilliant songwriting that it still works on the dancefloor and gives you a great trip - even without stimulants.

I love the almost "punk rock" attitude Hallucinogen has on this album. It's raw, powerful, twisted (as the title would suggest...) and mysterious all at the same time. 'Twisted' feels like a perfect example of that 1994/1995 musical period when Goa trance was taking its form and was free of any pre-defined concepts how psychedelic music ought to sound. At the same time its maturity was years ahead of the game and still continues to inspire countless of artists - yours truly as an example. I truly believe 'Twisted' is the magnum opus of Hallucinogen. Now, I do think also 'TLD' is a great album, it might excel this album in its technicality, but it lacks the certain rawness and craziness that made 'Twisted' one of the standout releases in all 90s electronic music.

I think it's about time for a repress of this amazing masterpiece!

Simon Posford anal penetrates Martin Freeland with his debut album Twisted, considered by many as the quitessential album that defined a new era. Well, to me its good but not good enough to be enlisted into my personal favs since all tracks other than LSD lack creativity to my humble ears, artistically its successor The Lone Deranger surpasses Twisted in every respect, being both hypnotic and melodic at the same time.

I first ordered this album from the UK to the US back in around 1996. I consider this to be THE landmark psytrance album everyone interested in the genre must listen to start to finish. It's pounding and relentless in the audio trip it takes you on from start to finish. There is a "live" version of LSD which is my favorite psytrance track of all time but the album version still gives me chills as well. You simply must listen to this album along with some of the Rhino Records compilations from the mid-90s to really understand psytrance and what it's about.