Morpheus Trance - Christy Doran: In Trance We Trust

Renowned Switzerland-based guitarist Christy Doran's In Trance We Trust is a musical dreamscape you cannot quite pin down but may never want to escape. The album unfolds like a sonic labyrinth, twisting and turning through genres and moods with the cool confidence of a seasoned psychonaut. Doran, wielding his six-stringed wand, conjures textures that oscillate between otherworldly and hypnotically familiar. In the marketing one-sheet, Doran declares, "There is no boss"—a nod to the democratic ethos of the trio as they execute this album based on his compositional ideas.

The opener, "Desert Flow," sets the tone with a mystical ambiance that immediately transports the listener. A pulsing and perky rock rhythm anchors the piece, while Doran's guitar work floats and shimmers like a mirage on the horizon. This is not a display of technical pyrotechnics but rather a masterclass in vibe curation, spatial awareness and the art of inducing altered states through sound. And yes, it works like auditory alchemy. The guitarist adds a subdued Eastern flavor amid avant-garde dialogues and speedy unison choruses. Moreover, the band builds momentum as they revisit the primary theme with an ascending intensity that threatens to pierce the stratosphere.

"Starry Sky" finds the trio embracing a solid rock groove, with Doran's effects-laden guitar riding atop drummer Lukas Mantel's delicate tom hits. The interplay ventures into the netherworld as Doran's sustain licks, nuanced with reverb, dissipate into the cosmic ether. However, Doran and Mantel engage in a musical duel that generates enough heat to ignite a supernova.

"Bali Sketches" opens with Mantel's fervent cymbals and bell-like implements, setting the stage for a hypnotic yet dynamic Indo-jazz rock motif. "Small Round" presents a more off-kilter theme, framed by Wolfgang Zwiauer's pliant bass and Doran's ominous lines. Doran's touch demonstrates a chameleon-like ability to shift from delicate whispers to earth-shattering roars without warning.

There is an undeniably cinematic quality to the entire project. One can easily imagine these tracks scoring a late-night sci-fi film, where reality and dreams blur into a kaleidoscopic haze. Yet for all its ethereal qualities, the album rarely drifts into self-indulgence or ambient navel-gazing. Every track feels purposeful, whether it is pushing you deeper into the trance or offering a moment of lucidity amidst the sonic fog.

In sum, In Trance We Trust is a sonic journey that demands to be experienced in full, preferably in a state of undivided attention. Doran proves to be a masterful pied piper, luring listeners into a world of sound where time becomes elastic and reality bends. So, you may want to crank up the volume and prepare for cerebral expansion. After all, in Doran's capable hands we are not just passive listeners but active participants in a mind-bending musical séance. As the final notes dissipate into silence the listener could be left pondering: did they just experience an auditory hallucination or catch a fleeting glimpse of musical transcendence?

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