3 Spores From Space - Cosmosis

Track 3 Synergy by Cosmosis 1998
Originally released on Transient Records on double vinyl and CD format. Cover painting by Tim Dow
#psytrance#psy#goatrance
SLEEVE NOTES (from CD)
Synergy: Blow by blow description
1. The Ultimate Sin
Apparently, Aldous Huxley once remarked to Timothy Leary that the original sin may have been the consumption of mind expanding plants "the eating of the fruits of the tree of knowledge". What is the apple? and what does it represent? The two "bridge" sections are what I imagined James Brown's rhythm section (Clyde Stubblefield and Bootsy Collins etc.) would have played after an apple or two.
2. Intergalactic Fluoro Funkster
The idea for this one was to create a groove to which, rather than stomping your feet to, you could wiggle your bum to. Incidentally, in case you didn't know, you are becoming an intergalactic fluoro funkster and in May 2012, all fluoro funksters will trancend this MEST (matter, energy, space and time) dimension and enter the ideational realm where James Brown rules and Bootsy Collins is Minister for sub bass.
3. Spores From Space (a microscopic trace)
Did magic mushroom spores travel across the void of space carried by solar winds? Or were they brought by benevolent extra terrestrials with our own interests at heart, with the intention of providing us with a tool to allay our self destructive nature? Or is this just a load of old cack? If so, Albert Hoffman must be an alien in disguise or at the very least, an undercover agent working for them.
4. Moonshine
You may have seen it yourself, A clear black night sky full of stars with the full moon casting greeny pinkish blue pearloid reflections upon the glassy waves as they arch over to break onto the beach at night. This track was inspired by just such an experience, New Year's Eve night/ New Year's dawn 1996/97 Wangamata, New Zealand (high summer). So beautiful it hurt.
5. Higher Access
This was an experiment in allowing the track to have a mind of it's own. I started with a fat and chunky groove, after which I followed or developed all of the "accidents" that I made in the studio that sounded good to my ears. My job was to create some order from the chaos by listening to what the track was telling me, then selecting those sounds and parts which were "asking" to be used. This journeyesque track is the result.
6. Turn On, Tune In...
Features the voice of the one time "most dangerous man in America" Timothy Leary, urging us to turn on, tune in and drop out of the destructive, competitive, consumerist rat race, and to follow our own spiritual path. Yep, sounds like the anti-christ to me. Especially designed for the more psychedelically inclined, with more emphasis on the shapes, textures and sonic spaces than on melodies.
7. Down At The Crossroad.
After an interview on a dance radio station in Greece last summer, Jez and I were taken to lunch by the radio D.J and a few radio staff. After a while of chatting, the interviewer asked in a rather concerned tone whether what she had heard was true, about psychedelic trance in fact being a devil worship cult. I looked at her in the eye and replied with a look of po faced seriousness, that it was indeed true, and if she was ever to come to the U.K. that Jez and I could take her to one and we could all worship the devil together. At which point she physically jumped about 2 inches off the chair as if I had suddenly sprouted a pair of red horns and a tail. I took the next 5 minutes explaining to her that I was joking and that it wasn't true. Poor woman to this day I don't think she believed me. I must say I thought the d.j.s and producers on the trance music scene were beyond such judeo/christian superstitions, looks like I was wrong. After all, I suppose the devil does have all the best tunes. Heh heh heh.
8. The Big Bang Boogie.
The original kick drum sound, the entire space-time continuum exploding into existence. On a recent tour of Colombia, it seems I couldn't escape the influence of Salsa music, seemingly emanating from every window and doorway in downtown Bogota and Cali. I gave them some trance, they gave me some salsa, seems like a fair exchange to me.
credits
released May 1, 1998
Bilbo Bagginz (William Halsey)
Additional credits: Jim Cheese - Spores In Space
license
all rights reserved

[@leonidagolfre4233]

After so many years of psytrance I was forgotten the amazing beauty of goa trance. Blessed are we who have been able to ride these waves

[@AboveEmAllProduction]

still come back to synergy, this for sure my 2nd fav off that album. such a legendary and unique sound - nothing sounds similar! stellar music. from a stellar artist! up there with simon, astral, x-dream, mfg....

[@michalispassalis8639]

still remember this song on the dancefloor as a student coming from greece , studying in southampton, and going every friday in London (Brixton)...to make the story short ..it was with this song that our eyes met and our souls touched with this girl that eventually became my wfie..traveling together 20 years now..having a son called Odisseas ...and happily me and my wife seeing him slowly finding his ithaca... thank you so much Billy ..woo woo..from Greece mate

[@BillyCosmosis]

Nice one! You're very welcome Michalis

[@tomamarinkovic7328]

Back in the dayz this track was a kickin in my room for a long time, unbelivable true pionire of new sound in trance music

[@BillyCosmosis]

Cool! Glad ya like!

[@StrangePsyDays]

amazing how not outdated this work is compared to a lot of other stuff from exactly the same period.

[@BillyCosmosis]

Thanks. Glad you think so! I've thought a lot about why some tracks (and some of my tracks) stand the test of time and some don't. I think if a track focuses lots of good musical ideas and has an interesting arrangement that develops the ideas as a coherent piece of music, it tends to last. If an approach is mono-maniacally focused on production (which so many modern tracks are) that often comes at the expense of thought put into the musical ideas, and the result tends not to last.

[@StrangePsyDays]

thank you for your insight into that, its an interesting topic.

[@FractalMachine]

@@BillyCosmosis i can't even count the numbers of gems i've heard that when it comes to the musical ideas, explode with creativity, which seriously lack in production quality. but even sound that isn't particularly clean and crisp has it's own kind of charm. additionally, keeping with the gem analogy, production is the process of polishing. but even glass can be polished. you don't want something just to be shiny, you want it to be beautiful first and foremost.

[@BillyCosmosis]

@@FractalMachine Or, as the saying goes, "Ya can't polish a turd" 😊

[@MrWicoe]

@@BillyCosmosis Well, I think it's both, which is perfectly demonstrated by this track (and the entire album)... if you just keep the main melody (which is brilliant) but remove all the ear candy (those weird percussion sounds, reverb hits, etc), the track will lose most of its charm, at least for me... I think it lasts because every time you listen to it, there is something new/subtle/fun, plus the music, of course!!

[@lemozzytron]

Unique style, originals ideas and arrangements.

[@BillyCosmosis]

Thank you! Glad you enjoy

[@Psy-BR]

WOooooooooooo niceee!! sweet... lov it... thank you dear hugs from the Psychedelic.com.br team

[@BillyCosmosis]

You're welcome :)

[@rasmuslaks5447]

My all time favorite, goosebumps every time. Thank you

[@BillyCosmosis]

:) You're welcome!

[@AboveEmAllProduction]

nevermind the insane leads - that bassline though.. throughout this album. so engaging and interesting patterns, and the sound is so special. the bassline on Moonshine is my favorite off the album. Well that song in its entirety is magical. ive tried reproducing the sound of your leads and basslines for YEEARS but its so hard =) ill get there though :p

[@BillyCosmosis]

The bass line on Moonshine was a Waldorf Pulse btw. Not that it cannot be reproduced with any half good VSTi these days.

[@AboveEmAllProduction]

awesome information :D