
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!
OOOOOOoooOOOOhhh!!! Thank you so much!! I discovered psytrance near around the creation of ektoplazm! I listened to a lot of psytrance from chillout to full power (not often beyond, I don’t like darkpsy or forest…except some killer shots from ektoplazm!!!!!), Seriously, without lying the amazing collection which is on Ekto, is at top for all subgenres!!In the huge production, you picked the best and we can have for free in good quality!!Amazing! Especially for us, we love the funky way of suomi style since years but we never had the occasion to dance on it in a party…And websites with suomisaundi style are too rare. Thanks for this wonderful experience and thanks for this ektotripz sounding like a dream!!!
Simply stunning compilation, also f’ing cool album cover, many thanks from South Africa (:
Pro made compilation. I always download music and do a little disablement of the tracks to do music mixes. Also a nice cover artwork (if you like more demonic entities in your house why not downloading it?)
List of symbols on cover:
Hexagram (x1) (hex symbol – for making curses.. im not sure if the artist was trying to curse the album, us, the site, or just he wanted a fancy looking thingo.. the last is well.. not pobable.. to much of it in this cover)
Triangle (x7 .. can be 8. but I’m not sure) (spell casting symbol.. what spells he was casting?)
All-Seeing eye (x4)
Illuminati (circle with a central dot inside) (x4)
Autor logo has moon (cresent) in it (can be a tribute to demonic princess named Dayna).
Wow. Stunning. Just wow. My synesthesia went to the roof listening to this 😉
What a great compilation. Impossible for me to listen in one sit, but great nonetheless.
An immense thanks for you and everyone that has collaborated in these tracks.
thank yu sooooo much ist beatiful all the productionc
It remains one of the best albums ever! I was actually hoping you would make one ever couple of years