I prepared this post to provide some insight into the making of Ektoplazm’s Greatest Trips, a “best of” compilation highlighting some of the finest music I’ve had the pleasure of distributing via Ektoplazm, the free music portal I launched in the mid-2000s. The site grew from humble beginnings to become a major focal point for psychedelic trance culture and netlabel lovers online, with more than 50 million tracks served to music fans all over the world as of 2013. (Not familiar with the background story? Check out the beginner’s guide to Ektoplazm.)

I began to lay the groundwork for a “greatest hits” project in 2011. I went about it methodically, working my way through every release on the site to identify some of the best tracks in every style I made a home for on the site. I ended up with a huge pool of candidates, far more than I had imagined I would have to work with. It took countless hours of patient, considerate listening to reduce that initial pool to just a hundred songs or so. Eventually I arrived at a set of balanced and complementary set of songs that I feel faithfully represent the sound of Ektoplazm.

My intention is for Ektoplazm’s Greatest Trips to be a real journey into sound, not just a disjointed collection of tracks. This required me to make some difficult decisions, some of which may prove to be unpopular. Not only are some of Ektoplazm’s most beloved labels and artists not featured here but entire styles are missing or underrepresented. Hopefully people realize the trade-offs involved in a project of this scope, or at least appreciate that I did my best to be inclusive. I encourage everyone to treat this particular tour of the site’s history as just a starting point. There is much more to discover by digging through the archives.

The musical progression of Ektoplazm’s Greatest Trips follows a classic model, mirroring the passage of time through night and into morning. It begins with a downtempo introduction before building up through techno and techtrance into darkpsy and forest music. From there it shifts into full power psychedelic trance with twilight and Suomi influences. Next up is an exploration of the modern synthesis of old school Goa trance spirit and new production techniques. Quirky and unusual morning music follows, leading into deep trance, psy dub, glitch, and other forms of music at the deeper end of the spectrum to ground out the trip.

Each and every song included here is previously released on Ektoplazm but several have been fixed or remastered. This is noted in the full credits (available below). The artwork (pictured above) was produced by Jonah K.

Even though you may have heard many of these songs before I am very excited to share this project with the world. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to host so many brilliant artists, many of whom are featured here. I genuinely hope you enjoy every minute of this journey into the music of Ektoplazm!

Full Credits

Brujo’s Bowl – Healing With Sound [Arkona Creation] 2011
W&P by Saxon Higgs, U.K.

SeaMoon – Tricky Transients [Chillbasement] 2010
W&P by Simon Neumann, Germany

Sephira – Learning To Walk [MerKaBa Records] 2011
W&P by Matthew Crick, U.K.

Alic – Going Down In A Blaze Of Glory [Digital Diamonds] 2012
W&P by Volker Jakubzik & Adam Zawadzki, Germany

Trevor McGregor (Kalumet) – Elephant And Castle [Digital Diamonds] 2010
W&P by Zoltan Vajda, Hungary

Anakoluth – Delphic Haze [Ektoplazm] 2008
W&P by Roman Hunziker, Switzerland

Opsy – Her Ghost In The Fog [TesseracTstudio] 2008
W&P by Vladislav Radulovic AKA Kanc Cover, Serbia/Croatia

Excizen – Renesans 63 [Ektoplazm] 2011
W&P by Miroslav Bako, Serbia

Radioactive.Cake – Good Night [Uroboros Records] 2011
W&P by Robert Hundt, Germany

Kino Oko – Red Rose Flow [Digital Diamonds] 2009
W&P by Grzegorz Magnuszewski, Poland

Re-Horakhty – Dungeon Keeper [Forest Freaks] 2011
W&P by Saulius Trunce, Lithuania

DoHm – Sharange Varange [Ektoplazm] 2010
W&P by Domas Gudelis, Lithuania

Cenotes – Gnomadelic [Silent Existence] 2010
W&P by Domas Gudelis & Armantas Bakas, Lithuania

Farebi Jalebi – Who’s Who In The Zoo [Silent Existence] 2011
W&P by Adipraj Butalia, India/Australia

Invid Mind – Woogygoo [Alkhimia Records] 2011
W&P by Nancy E. Molina, Argentina

Mubali – The Other Way Around [Ektoplazm] 2012
W&P by Gregory Farley, U.S.A.

Dissociactive – Extrasensorica [Sun Station Records] 2009
W&P by Vyacheslav Iskanyan, Russia

Wizack Twizack – Expanding [Independent] 2010
W&P by Tommy Axelsson, Sweden

The 1134 – Ghost Train [Independent] 2011
W&P by Aeon La France & Etienne Grunenwald, U.S.A.

Cybernetika – Molecular Probe [Ektoplazm] 2011
W&P by Lars G., Germany

Oxya – Mindhunter (Remastered) [Ektoplazm] 2010
W&P by Joey Dianos, Greece; remastered by the artist in 2012

Sienis – West Meets East [People Of The Butterflies] 2011
W&P by Eki Jokisalo, Sweden

Escape Into – Ooze In My Eyes [Enlight Records] 2012
W&P by Dan Flict & Werther Azevedo, Brazil

Talpa – Unusual Chair [Pyrethrum Records] 2011
W&P by Goran Juric, Serbia

Faradize – Darknight Castle [Ektoplazm] 2009
W&P by Maxim Kucher, Israel

Overdream – Land Of Carnivore Plants [Sun Station Records] 2011
W&P by Maxim Kurushyn, Ukraine

Artha – Astral Body [Cronomi Records] 2010
W&P by Michal Baczek, Poland

Kadasarva – Cybermind [Sun Station Records] 2011
W&P by Alex Volkov, Ukraine

SubConsciousMind – iRemberem oGa [Ektoplazm] 2009
W&P by Raphael H., Switzerland

Screw Loose – From Fear To Eternity [Neogoa] 2010
W&P by Saša Dukić, Croatia

Trinodia – Human History [Underground Alien Factory Records] 2010
W&P by Daniel Eldström, Sweden

Amygdala – Wintermute [Ektoplazm] 2011
W&P by Andreas Riemer Christensen, Denmark

Jikkenteki – Another Kick In The Head (Remastered) [PAR-2 Productions] 2008
W&P by Rennis Buchner, Japan/U.S.A; remastered by Colin Bennun (OOOD)

Ekoplex – Twisted Root (Uncut) [Ektoplazm] 2010
W&P by Ray Vincent, Canada

Theobroma – Thinking Like Dolphins [Yo Soy Records] 2010
W&P by Pablo Herbon, Argentina

Magic & Witchcraft – Spiral [Ektoplazm] 2008
W&P by Pauli Komonen, Finland

Clone – Inside The Grove [Ektoplazm] 2008
W&P by Gordon Brown, Canada

M.E.E.O. – Wildebeest (Remastered) [Mental Sauce] 2010
W&P by Mathias Eriksson, Sweden; fixed and remastered by the artist

Etnoscope – Odin’s Kraft [Ektoplazm & Panzar Produktionz] 2010
W&P by Rasmus Alanne; vocals by Linda Jonsson; voice fx by Ludvig Engelbert, Sweden

Maharishi – Call Of The Ancients [OUIM.net & Space Baby Records] 2011
W&P by Borislav Lazarov, Bulgaria

Perfect Blind – Syncope (Remastered) [Akashic Records] 2010
W&P by Igor Čeranić, Croatia; remastered by the artist

Easily Embarrassed – Moon People [EE Records] 2011
W&P by Jeffrey van der Schilden & Nick van der Schilden & Peter Spaargaren, The Netherlands

Radioactive Sandwich – Chongo (Remastered) [Radioactive Sandwich Records] 2011
W&P by Slice One & Slice Two, U.S.A.; fixed and remastered by the artist

Globular – Squabbling Gods [Gliese 581C] 2011
W&P by Morison Bennett, U.K.

S.E.T.H – Flight Of The Igloo [Fish ‘n Trips Records] 2012
W&P by Luke Burns & Paul Kearney, Australia

Wolfen Technologies – Caveman [Triple Drop Productions] 2011
W&P by Tom Chant, U.K.

Hypnagog – Tiny Little Pieces [UP Records] 2009
W&P by Felix Greenlees, Australia

Auma – A Collision Of Craniums [Enig’matik Records] 2011
W&P by Luke Peart, Australia

Hinkstep – Dreamland Dub [Omnitropic] 2011
W&P by Jonas Tegenfeldt, Sweden

Pharoelidae – Vector Equilibriums [Ektoplazm] 2008
W&P by Akhentek & Margonaut, Canada

Special Thanks

I am eternally grateful for all the help and support Ektoplazm has enjoyed all these years. Without the contribution of thousands of artists, label owners, studio engineers, graphic designers, community supporters, reviewers, and other music lovers, none of this would be possible. Thank you all, each and every one of you!