Patrick Dinklage
I knew some of the tracks from the artist's SoundCloud and hoped that they'd find a proper release one day, because they sounded exceptionally great for being unreleased. Finally, here we are! In my book, this is THE original goa trance sound, and I think this is the best goa release in recent years.
Favorite track: Tyssen Valley.
Unreleased Goa Records is very proud to introduce Man in A Room, a talented project from the United Kingdom, and his mindblowing album ‘Darker Themes With A Goan Twist’. Stuart Christie was into music from an early age: he learned how to play a keyboard and a piano (by looking at his sister who had piano lessons), progressed to create his own compositions of various genres, and discovered sequencing. In the late 80's, when rave was in full swing, he was fascinated by electronic music and started composing dance, house, and techno tracks. In 1994, he discovered Goa Trance through parties he attended in Tyssen Studios and Abbot Street in Dalston, London, where he developed a love for this music and went on to create his own tracks of this style. In December 1995, he went to India for Christmas, spending his time around the Vagator area in Goa, and attending parties at Disco Valley and Bamboo Forest. He stayed there six months in total traveling around the country. Upon his return to the UK in mid-1996, he dedicated his time to producing Goa Trance honing his skills along the way. He returned to India in January 1997 to travel for another three months in places he previously missed.
Stuart’s musical influences encompass a wide range of genres, however acts such as Hallucinogen, The Infinity Project, ManMadeMan, Green Nuns Of The Revolution, Alien Project, and Infected Mushroom, and labels such as TIP, Twisted, Dragonfly, Flying Rhino, Platipus, and Hook Recordings, were instrumental in shaping his own distinct style. Typically, Stuart's tracks have very few samples amidst multiple sounds that build an all-around rhythmic trance sound that flows in numerous directions. Massive beats are layered with a repetitive techno bassline and grinding acid riffs flange and modulate into an orgy of twisted transcendental delight.
In December 1997, Stuart submitted a demo tape titled ‘Darker EP’ to UK-based Future Music magazine, which contained the first 4 tracks of the present album. A lengthy article, that praised Stuart’s talent, was in particular dedicated to ‘Early Sun’. The track was described by the magazine as ‘a tripped-out acid trance soundscape, very much in the Goa mould, with a very Eastern flavour which smacks something like Hallucinogen’. It was also featured in the magazine’s CD compilation together with other readers' demos.
‘Darker Themes With A Goan Twist’ has been conceived as an extension of this original demo EP. It includes 9 spectacular melodic Goa Trance pieces produced between 1994 and 1998. The first six tracks were originally recorded on a Tascam DA30 DAT, and the rest originate from a cassette source. The majority of them were produced with the following gear:
A couple of tracks were recorded at different studios with slightly different equipment, such as Akai s1000, EMU, and some random synths.
Stuart never performed live at any official events, except for an infamous local party. He used to play only for himself and his friends, being literally a ‘man creating music in a room’. An aortic aneurysm in March 2000 prematurely ended his prolific writing period, as it greatly affected his ability to play and, to some extent, to create.
Unreleased Goa Records is particularly happy to pay homage to this artist’s outstanding musical heritage that fortunately survived for nearly three decades and is now officially available for everyone.
Exclusively available on Bandcamp are five additional tracks, produced around the same period, extracted from the artist’s cassettes.
Tracklist:
01. Power
02. Centrifuge
03. Tyssen Valley
04. Early Sun
05. Fine Thing
06. Synthadelica
07. Hypnosis
08. Drop One
09. Skiptrip
Bonus Tracks:
10. The Thing
11. Tweaker
12. Melody
13. Open Your Psy
14. Psy Mee
credits
released May 5, 2023
Credits:
All tracks written and produced by: Stuart Christie
Mastered by: Federico Draeke
Audio restoration for tracks 7-14 by: Federico Draeke
Painting by: Stuart Christie
Artwork [Lettering]: Federico Draeke
Executive producers: Vas Cosmogenesis, Federico Draeke
Catalogue number: UGR 046
DAT Universe sublabel, perceived as a logical continuation and the final phase of the “Unreleased Goa Project”, that exists since 2007. The aim is to release in digital format until now hidden and obscure Goa Trance tracks, or re-release rare albums.
supported by 10 fans who also own “Darker Themes With A Goan Twist”
Infinite just puts it out there..
keeping his style fluid, using different sounds available but always finding that Goa vibe. melodic, strong grooves that pick the listener/dancer up and carry them along. Andy Sampson
supported by 8 fans who also own “Darker Themes With A Goan Twist”
This is fucking good stuff bro. I just like how it's so filled, varied, playfull and alive, but not too busy like much newer oldskool trance can be. The sounds are just good, the vibes are epic. I'm pretty much in love with this. Have been dancing in the living room and will do so more and more for many days to come. The world needs more of this!!! <3
Update 30-06-22: Yeh, this stuff is so f***ing groovy and mind melting, it only gets better <3
Dance Baby!
DO try on different sound systems.YUM Helixir Jos
Tangerine explores the outer edges of electronic music, writing songs that hum and throb, full of eerie, staticky textures. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 10, 2022
Synths light up like blips of Morse Code on the latest LP from Jokios Kultūros, all of them ping-ponging between drum & bass rhythms. Bandcamp New & Notable May 14, 2023
supported by 7 fans who also own “Darker Themes With A Goan Twist”
Bought Silicon Trip and Enlightened Ape in the 90's... Amazing times for Goa Trance & Still STRONG albums today. Top Goa Trance... those were the daze... one of the Top produces of the original Goa/PsyTrance vibe respect. john-mcmlxxii