Prānā* – Cyclone

Deserves its classic status. Also, maybe a good album to show people who don't like goa for its perceived stereotypes; it has them all but in probably the least cheesy way possible. In goa trance, a lot of eastern religious are haphazardly used for titles and names ad nauseum, but this is a case where these guys lived by their name. That's what this music is--it's pure life energy, which is in fact self acknowledged with the sample on Starchild.

The tracks that make up Cyclone have a very punkish attitude from how the synths sound, riffs are phrased/arranged, and how it's mixed. Yes, this is a raw album and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's certainly a lot clearer than lots of their earlier works, some of which sound like they cut the master takes onto analog cassettes. The sound of this album has a great balance of grit and clarity though, and sounds very consistent.

The tracks are basically built on straight up saw riffage. Thess riffs are usually used in place of a proper bass line too, but the sheer vitality of these lines (maybe bc the very wide eq range) make it work. What keeps this album interesting is the killer drum programming which is very upfront, sampled effects, and melodic leads that are programmed in almost a fuguelike fashion with waveforms that nicely contrast the riffs. There are some nice surprises thrown in along the way too, like the 808 drums and synth kick on Future Space Travellers with Miranda. I'm not sure how that track sounds so in place with everything else even though the sonic roots had been changed up, but leave it to Tsuyoshi I guess.

Awesome cover artwork and sleeve design too. From that to the raw punkishness of the music, Cyclone oozes an untouchable "cool factor". I think this is an album almost anyone should enjoy. From very "comfort zone" goa fans, to fans of expereimental and millennium psy, to people who don't even listen to goa much at all.

Hard to pick a fav but I'll go with Moretsu. I think it might be the peak of the album, with the peak of the track being the screaming synth solo diving into what sounds like a sea of roaring robot cicadas.

I totally agree with chrichton’s review below. This is a great album. Funky, energetic, melodic and the synthwork is great. A very funny album to listen to. Great stuff.

Not sure what's going on with some of the reviewers below me but this album is pure psychedelic goa trance. It might be even better than Prana's next album, Geomantik. this is really where its at, no fluff.

If you don't like this I would suggest you check out the 12' for the song "Message for Eastedge" [trance mix] because for me that is an essential song from 1994 and a song I like a lot. Longer mix than what is found here as well.

super boring ... pfff what a waste of time ...

Yes :)

If there's one first album from an oldschool master which could never make it as a favourite of mine and which I will probably never file under "essential" or "classic" then it's Prana's debut. Sad, I don't know why, especially when I that this album contains one of my favourite tracks ever, Scarab.

This album is a collection of previously released singles and EP's, only track 9 seems to appear first on here. I think when it was released this album already sounded dated which is no wonder when considering that some tracks are from 1994. Production is also not top-class, even when making allowance for when the material was originally released.

The total opposite of what I said above goes for his second album, Geomantik.

This record could have been a masterpiece, unfortunately promising high moments lead to a rather boring result...We get in it and we get out it all in a sudden in search of a missing link between the atmospheres...Too many breaks inside the tracks make lose momentum.. Maybe too rich, too ambitious... In spite of all, must be listened to for this typical taste of the sound of the years 95/96 echoed by pieces like "Kiba" and "Taiyo"...

As infatuated with midnineties Goa as I am, there are albums from this period that doesn't really grab me. Cyclone belongs to this category, I'm afraid. It has its moments, no doubt, but over all seems a little out of focus. It's head on psychedelia too fast for both my feet & mind. Except, perhaps, for closing track Taiyo, where everything seems more focused.

Still, I will leave open the option, that put on at the right hour of nostalgia, more than just Taiyo could make me give the old bones a good shake. It may not have aged with grace, but it sure carries memories from the days.