Various – Destination Goa - The First Chapter

Not considered “essential” by some the Destination Goa compilation CDs are fairly simple to get hold on and usually at a decent price.

Starting with Technossomy’s Pyramid we’re soon enthralled in a sphere of psychedelic dance craze. Kick, slick & sick opener from the classic goa period. Gada-Gong takes over and sends me on a deep voyage with a killer first half on La Guerra. Yep, that’s a bad ass name for a good track that looses momentum towards the end. No worries. French legend Transwave lights at the end of the tunnel with a long track that lures you into believing this is chill-out, the snare drum enters and the track shows its’ face. Pop that golf ball, Rezwalker!

That’s a first third of the album and the best is yet to come.

I only know Chakra & Edi Mis from compilations but maybe that’s dumb. Final Mission is another classic goa example from the foetal period. The 16/16 notes rechnology could still leave you breathless when carried out with insitency and accuracy. Because the décor is tantilizing and the drama is NOT stupid but it’s the bass that keeps me coming back. Tufáan goes for a chemical attack with a border mental 303 lead. If these guys were not on drugs you can call me Einstein. But it doesn’t matter. If you haven’t been able to follow this without psychedelics take some. Music can have a higher meaning and why shouldn’t you be entitled to it? Etnica closes the middle section with Tribute and an early example of their talent. Sure, their later stuff is discussed but this is the bricks psytrance was built on.

In this unfair world Ganesh may appear a bridge. But when I least expect it a ghost from the past morphs me right back into dreams of a seemingly lost youth I am standing in a hallway of lights. The times I have tripped to this song is countless and it still leaves me out of words. And the funny thing is that back then I didn’t even know its’ name. Placed a no. 8 on DG1 one IS entitled to high opinions but Sirius Shuttle succeeds in the oddest of ways .. I Sevastano has the ungratefull task of closing and one is halfways expecting a chiller but Trance Express tries another trick.

All in all I’m thinking 3/5. Essential is nowhere near, obviously, and the battle with highly recommended is close but at the end 3 straight winners out of 9 middle borough ain’t enough. Still, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.