PAR-2 Productions

Release Updates

2009-04-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

Just touching base on some releases. Cronomi Records has just released their new compilation "People Walk Funny" which features Subra's remix of Jikkenteki's "Automagic". You can get the CD at these locations (among others)
http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/crm/crm1cd002.html
http://www.beatspace.com/dettagli/dettaglio.asp?id=4832
http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display...ase.asp?id=7839
http://www.neptunwave.de/product_info.php?...products_id=862
http://www.techno.to/detail/?cat_no=CRONOMI002
http://www.goastore.ch/product_info.php?products_id=2996

As for Jikkenteki's next album "The Beginning Is At The End", we have received the files back from mastering. Now we are waiting on the artwork, after which it will be released through the usual channels.

Yes we are working on the shopping cart. Due to some server switching around, our regular access to updating it was lost, but we finally seem to have located the source of the issue. We will update it properly after "The Beginning Is At The End" is released. For those wanting to buy "Flights Of Infinity" email Jikkenteki at par-2.com directly and he will hook you up.

Overdue Update

2009-02-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

Finally a long overdue check in from PAR-2 land. Things have been hectic behind the scenes (again) in the past few months. After yet another move and some studio design issues, Katapult's studio appears to finally be in the green for reconstruction in what should be its final home after years of relocation. In addition Katapult and Jikkenteki (aka PAR-2) have released a track "Swamp Monster" on Ektoplazm's most recent compilation "Organic Circuitry". Download the release or purchase the CD HERE.

The long lost Zekazy has also recently been in touch. As some of you may or may not know, he has been busy in house circles in recent years under the name K!nk!e and for various reasons his trance production has been pushed to the wayside to some degree. Luckily he informs us that he's got a couple of new psy focused tracks finished and we're hoping to squeeze at least one more out of him for at least an EP release. We recommend Zekazy fans start sending him endless messages to get him back to work!

Jikkenteki has finished the writing of "The Beginning Is At The End", his third full album of the PAR-2 era. More information will follow but we are currently waiting on mastering and artwork. There are a couple of threads discussion the album at Psynews.org as well. Check HERE and HERE. Style-wise the new album is very dark and pushes some different elements of the Jikkenteki sound to the front. The trance bits and downtempo bits are both there, but there is a lot of stuff kind of in between that make the album difficult to classify.

Finally about the website. Some of you have noticed that the shopping cart hasn't been updated to in ages. Due to some changes in our hosting and some site based plans that didn't pan out we haven't been able to gain access to the cart to update it, but we are planning on redoing it as soon as possible.

New Jikkenteki Releases and Website Server Work

2008-09-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

Things have been quiet on the web front of PAR-2 Productions recently here. Jikkenteki's second album "Flights of Infinity" has been surprisingly successful as a free download at Ektoplazm and will soon reach 10,000 downloads. The actual CD is also available directly from us (email Jikkenteki directly at jikkenteki (at) par-2.com if interested), but due to some issues with our server we have been unable to update our webshop. On that note, we will be taking over the hosting of the site directly so it is possible the site might be down at some point in the next couple weeks when the transfer takes place.

In other news, Jikkenteki has a couple of new compilation releases. The first is on Cronomi Record's "Freshly Cut Tomato" feature Jikkenteki's "Super Power Mustard" written together with 11. The CD is available at most major shops such as Saiko Sounds. Also the net label Cosmic Flower Records has put out a new free net compilation feature the old Jikkenteki track "Boom Stick Gecko". The track is nearly 5 years old now, but still a good piece of early Jikkenteki work complete with a 7/4 time signature. Jikkenteki and Katapult (aka PAR-2) will have a track on Ektoplazm's upcoming new compilation as well. More details on that when it is out.

Jikkenteki - Flights Of Infinity Released! FOR FREE!!!

2008-04-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

Over a year after being completed, Jikkenteki's second album "Flights Of Infinity" has finally been released. There were numerous delays and a lot of waiting involved in getting it out to you, but probably the most important issue involves changes that have been happening the last couple of years in the business side of the dance music scene in general and the psy-scene in particular.

Simply put, psy-trance sales have been terrible as of late. While there are a combination of reasons for this, the end result is that it is nearly impossible for most labels to keep even, much less make a profit, these days. With "Mainspring Motion" PAR-2 Productions was hit hard with this reality. Nearly all comments on the album were positive, the full preview version was downloaded thousands of times, but the CD sales were practically nothing. This was among several factors that prevented us from having the money to print "Flights Of Infinity" and made the future for PAR-2 Productions rather dark for a while.

Our aim at PAR-2 has been to focus on newer artists, helping them get their first few releases and spread their name. For this reason we have been hesitant to abandon the CD medium, as most pf the business side of the industry takes artists with actual physical releases more seriously than those who don't. Unfortunately the costs and numbers of copies involved in the traditional printing and distribution process are making this nearly impossible in the psy-scene today, where fewer and fewer are actually buying CDs. Luckily some new printing options have presented themselves that enabled us to still offer physical discs for those still want them or want to support our efforts, while costing us considerably less money in the process by not forcing us to print several hundred more copies than we will ever sell. Making CDs available to those who want them, instead of the primary means of getting our music out there, has enabled us to shift goals to some degree and now the promotional aspect of getting our artists' names known has become our main focus.

We have long been friendly with the people behind Ektoplazm.com and right when our problems seriously came to a head, Ektoplazm was coming to the forefront as THE place to go for legitimate and legal free downloads of all things psychedelic. The new outlet they provide enables us to reach thousands more listeners than the current CD distribution model ever could have. Therefore, with the idea of promotion in mind, we have shifted to making our releases available as free downloads, while still of course having the actual CDs for sale for collectors, fans, people who prefer the medium, or people who want to support our efforts.

Jikkenteki's "Flights Of Infinity" is the first release in this new model and the results have been better than we had ever hoped, with nearly 4000 downloads in the first 3 weeks alone. Head over to Ektoplazm.com to download it now HERE. Or order the CD directly from the printing company HERE or at our webshop here on PAR-2.com as well.

PAR-2 Update (or "Where Have We Been?")

2007-11-16T17:51:00.000-08:00

Things have been quiet on the web side here at PAR-2 recently. We have been experimenting with a new site design a bit, but nothing is finalized yet there. So what has been going on since the release of "Mainspring Motion"? A lot and not much. The state of the psy-trance market, among other factors both professional and personal among the PAR-s staff, contributed to a bit of a financial crisis for the last half a year so things have been moving slowly since last July.

However, things are finally looking up and we are hopeful that the biggest victim in current release schedule, Jikkenteki's "Flights Of Infinity" will finally be printed in late Jan. or Feb. 2008. Zekazy informs us that "Be Your Own Boss" is progressing nicely. The third release in the works is a double CD remix project by Jikkenteki that is roughly half finished, but we have no word on when that will be completed at the moment.

Feedback on Mainspring Motion is finally starting to come in and its been pretty positive. Check out some comments here. Nov. 3rd saw the Mainspring Motion release party in at Club GEL in Akita, Japan. The event was great and the crowd was in good spirits despite some serious computer issues in Jikkenteki's live set (oh, the joys of modern technology!). Mainspring will also be available on Cytopia.org in WAV and 320 mp3 format sometime in the next few weeks so check back soon if you prefer the digital formats.

Mainspring artist Fizzy also had a release party in Tokyo last month, but unfortunately seriously injured his hand a few days before the show and was unable to perform his live set due to being in the hospital. Reports tell us the show was still a success and thankfully Fizzy appears to be recovering well. Best of luck!

Mainspring artist Prosect has been busy under his Sound Field and Sonify project names as of late. He has launched a new website, http://www.andivision.com/ and has released a couple of free digital EPs there complete in wav format. We highly recommend checking them out. In addition the Sound Field - Ascension EP has been released digitally by Oxygen records, which contains the original version of Tribalogic (which Amygdala remixed on Mainspring Motion). Check out the Ascension EP here.

PAR-2 Productions On Last.fm and Mainspring Motion At Saiko Sounds

2007-08-26T01:53:00.000-07:00

A few quick updates here from PAR-2 HQ. We have finally gotten around to uploading all of the PAR-2 Productions catalog to date to Last.fm. For those of you wanting to check out what we have released to date, all our releases are available there in full for previewing. Check the page here. On the "Mainspring Motion" front, it will soon be available for sale on Saiko Sounds here starting Aug. 31st.

"Mainspring Motion" At Psychedelic Garden

2007-08-03T21:07:00.001-07:00

Psychedelic Garden, one of Tokyo's major providers of all things psychedelic, now has "Mainspring Motion", along with PAR-2's other releases in stock. If you are in the Shinjuku area, drop by. Otherwise you can order from their site here.

Ektoplazm.com, the net's biggest and best source of legal and free psychedelic trance related downloads, has also been kind enough to host the free full length preview version of "Mainspring Motion" so those of you wanting to "try before you buy" can either download it here on PAR-2.com or head over to Ektoplazm.com and grab it while checking out all the other music they have available. Visit Ektoplazm.com here.

Mainspring Motion Now In Stock!!!

2007-07-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

We have officially received "Mainspring Motion" from the printers today! The CD will start to work its way into shops around the world in the next few days and weeks, but in the meantime it is available directly from us now! (check the web-shop) Be sure to check out the release page for a full preview of this journey through the sound of psychedelic trance.

PAR003 Various Artists - Mainspring Motion

2007-07-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

PAR-2 Productions Presents Mainspring Motion.

Mainspring Motion is a compilation from artists spanning the globe.

Amygdala - Oxylerator II

Anakoluth - Vaporizing Glares

ProSect - Tribalogic (Amygdala Remix)

Zekazy - Inspiration Drainer

Symphonics Vs 11 - D.B.S.S.

Fizzy - Hymn In Honor Of Symphonics

Jikkenteki Vs Symphonics Vs 11 - Three Blind Mice

E-mantra - Crop Circles

ProSect - Dr. Ivan And The Mad Peyote

Time, evolution, progression. In the world of music, nothing is static. The passage of time gives us variations on themes, revives old forms and gives us the tried and true. Time also brings listeners the unexpected, pushing the envelope and evolving into ideas divergent from which came before. PAR-2's belief has always been that a storming track is a storming track regardless of style, content or age. Rather than focusing on the narrow boundaries of what's "in" at the moment, Mainspring Motion is an exploration of many faces of psychedelic trance from its early days, to the present, and into the future. It is what it is, and it is what it isn't. A good track does not degrade over time. In fact, as time passes we realize the excellent qualities of a production and can look back to see the truly innovative forms that shaped music going forward. Good music will always work well regardless of stylistic variations.

The past gives us now, now gives us the future.

Keep your feet in the past, your attention in the now and your dreams in the future.

More information, pre-orders and full album previews coming soon...

Back And Ready For Action

2007-02-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

While things have been quiet on the web front, a lot has been going on behind the scenes at PAR-2 Productions. Katapult has rebuilt his studio from the ground up and "High Tide Mastering" is up and running under his control. Jikkenteki also relocated last month and the latest version of PAR-2 East Studios is also now back in action.

Musically we have some goodies up and coming. The long awaited second compilation, "Mainspring Motion" is now mastered and we have the first drafts of the art work in. Once the art is finalized it will be ready for production. "Mainspring Motion" features tracks from Prosect, E-Mantra, Amygdala, Symphonics, 11, Zekazy, Fizzy, Anakoluth and Jikkenteki. Look for it soon!

Unfortunately, Zekazy's "Be Your Own Boss" has been delayed as Zekazy's vision for the album and changed and he has started over from scratch. However work is well under way and what we're heard so far has been worth the delay. More news on this front as we get it.

Finally Jikkenteki's second album "Flights Of Infinity" has been finished and is off for mastering. Finished only 7 months after the release of "The Long Walk Home", "Flights Of Infinity" takes Jikkenteki's trademark "journey tracks" to the next level with five trance workouts clocking in at 72 minutes total. Look for the release of "Flights Of Infinity" later this spring.

New Server And More

2006-10-30T03:33:00.000-08:00

Due to issues with our previous server, we have just relocated PAR-2.com to a new location. We are currently bug hunting and redoing the webshop as we speak but all should be back to normal soon. Also, our email services are officially back up and running finally (after over a month)!

Outside of web issues, mastering and work on the art for Mainspring Motion is in progress. We'll let you know when we have some hard dates to announce. Zekazy is still working on his album and is taking some extra time to get it right. Jikkenteki is 50 minutes+ into his next album as well. We can probably expect this next spring, but those who enjoy his style of "journey tracks" won't be disappointed with a 31 minute trance epic being the centerpiece of this album.

Those of one interested in PAR-2 Productions downloads should head over to Cytopia.org. We have the majority of Neptune's Garden available in .mp3 and .wav formats. Jikkenteki - The Long Walk Home will also be available there soon in the same formats. Check them out HERE

Email Issues

2006-09-28T10:44:00.001-07:00

The host for our server has been having some problems and as a result our email server isn't working for several days now. We've been try to get this fixed but with no success so we aren't sure when the par-2.com email addresses will be working again. We will try and get this worked out ASAP, but in the meantime if you need to contact us, please contact Jikkenteki at "jikkenteki2000(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)jp"

Time Flies

2006-09-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

Seems like just a couple weeks ago when we reported we had returned from the excellent Earth Energy party in Yamanashi, but already the next Earth Energy is upon us on Sept 16th-18th. Again Jikkenteki will be playing a trance live set (Sunday at 6pm) and a downtempo live set (Sun/Mon night starting at midnight). There are some other great acts playing as well, including Optokoppler, Chromatone, Naveen and Japan's own Uni. Should be an excellent show. For more information see HERE

Speaking of Earth Energy, Psy16's new label, Sonic Traveler Music, as released their first compilation, Earth Energy: Resolution, which features tracks from artists who played at Earth Energy this year, including Hydraglyph, Optokoppler, Slum and more. Jikkenteki reworked one of his older live classics "I.S.B. Part I" for the release as well. For more information check HERE and watch the PAR-2.com webshop as we will be selling it soon.

Big news on the sales front: PAR-2 is entering the world of digital downloads. PAR-2 Productions releases will now be sold in 320 .mp3 and .wav formats on Cytopia.org. We've been looking around at our options for digital downloads for awhile now and we felt that Cytopia.org had the best deal having realistic prices on .wav files. The first track is up from "Neptune's Garden" and more will be following shortly. Also be sure to check out their other releases which feature some excellent work from their own artists as well as a number of tracks from the Iboga! See HERE for the nitty gritty.

And while we are on the topic of "time", PAR-2's next comp, Mainspring Motion, is entering the final stages of production. We now officially have all the tracks in, mastering has begun and the art is being worked on as well. We don't have an exact release date pinpointed yet, but we expect it to be sometime probably in November.

And finally while we are talking about releases, Tokyo's psy-haven Psychedelic Garden is now selling PAR-2's releases on their website. Check HERE for more details.

What's Cooking?

2006-07-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

The PAR-2 Crew members have safely returned to their respective homes after the gigs in Japan. "The Long Walk Home" release shows have been most excellent so far and the Earth Energy Party put on by Psy16 in Yamanashi was definately a highlight with Jikkenteki playing two live sets and Hydraglyph from South Africa coming over for an excellent live set as well. For some pictures from Earth Energy check out Psy16's page HERE

Zekazy has been busy as of late. Outside of working on his album which will be released here hopefully this winter, he will also have a track on the next PAR-2 compilation (see below) and has also released "Worker Or Wacko", a serious dancefloor storming, on Yellow Sunshine Explosion's new compilation "Tranceformers". Check it out HERE

Jikkenteki has been busy as well, despite having just released "The Long Walk Home" in June, he has work well underway for his next album "Symplicity" as well has working with Katapult on a new PAR-2 number. In addition he will be playing at the next outdoor Earth Energy party on September 16th-18th, again in Yamanashi. Watch here and the Psy16 page above for more info on this.

As was alluded to above, PAR-2's next comp is entering the final phases of production. Titled "Mainspring Motion", this compilation will feature tracks and collaborations from Prosect, E-Mantra, Amygdala, Symphonics, 11, Zekazy, Fizzy, Anakoluth and Jikkenteki. As always, the sound will be varied and anything but the "usual", ranging from pure goa madness to progessive smoothness to crazy experimental grooves. Look for a fall release.

Best to all from PAR-2 Productions

PAR-2 Productions Out Of The Office

2006-07-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

Just a note to let everyone know that the PAR-2 Productions crew will be at Earth Energy in Yamanashi Japan until July 17th to see Jikkenteki's two performances there. Because of this we won't be able to check our email until the night of the 17th so any orders taken until then will be taken care of on July 18th.

Hope to see some of you there...
PAR-2 Productions

"The Long Walk Home" News And More

2006-06-24T05:36:00.000-07:00

Lots of stuff to mention today. First and foremost, Jikkenteki's "The Long Walk Home" is making its way into various shops both on the net and in Japan. Currently it is available at the following locations.

Saiko Sounds

Quintrix

Psychedelic Garden

PAR-2.com (Obviously)

Yahoo Japan Auctions

Ebay

Once again France's Radio Altitude 97 FM 's Goa-trance show, "Pump Up The Volume" is showing its support for PAR-2 Production's efforts and will be featuring "The Long Walk Home" on their Thursday Night show starting this week, June 29th. For more information check HERE.

July 8th will witness the reunion of PAR-2 (the musical project) in Akita Japan's club Opusu (see the the flier in Japanese here and here). This will be the main event in the "Long Walk Home" CD release tour featuring 9 hours of music brought to you by the PAR-2 Crew, featuring Jikkenteki Live, PAR-2's debut Live set, long Katapult and Jikkenteki DJ sets as well as the DJ talents of Opusu's own Hikaru to fill out a complete musical journey going from downtempo to banging trance. For those of you in the area wanting more info email jikkenteki directly at par-2.com.

Following that, Jikkenteki will be performing twice at Psy16's Earth Energy party on July15th-17th. The first night will see a full Jikkenteki downtempo set (probably with a few PAR-2 tracks snuck in there and Katapult in tow) and the next day he'll be on the main stage doing a 90 minute psy-trance attack. The first 100 web pre-sale tickets will also get a free copy of "The Long Walk Home" to boot! For more info check HERE.

Last but not least, Jikkenteki's first post-Long Walk Home track has been released on a free mp3 compilation "These Boots Are Made For Stomping" on the netlabel Postunder Records. This comp also contains a track by ProSect, one of the artists to be featured on PAR-2's next compilation "Mainspring Motion". For more information and the download check HERE.

That's all for now... (no really, only that...)

PAR-2 Productions

Jikkenteki - The Long Walk Home Now Available!

2006-06-12T04:35:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that our second release, Jikkenteki - The Long Walk Home, is in stock! This 2 disc epic journey has been long in the making and we are happy to say it is available now! For more information and samples check here and for online ordering (only $13.00 USD for the 2xCD and shipping to anywhere in the world) visit our online shop here.

For those of you in Japan, be sure to check out Jikkenteki on his summer tour:

June 21st Underground at Serbian Nights, Kawasaki
July 8th The Long Walk Home CD Release Party 1 at Opusu, Akita (Jikkenteki and PAR-2 Live!)
July 15th-17th Earth Energy, Yamanashi (first 100 ticket presales will receive the album for free)
August 5th The Long Walk Home CD Release Party 2 at Opusu, Akita (Jikkenteki Live, Fizzy)

We hope to see some of you on the dancefloor this summer!

Best to all from PAR-2 Productions

Jikkenteki DJ Set May 6th

2006-05-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

For those of you in Japan, Jikkenteki will be DJing at Foundation on May 6th at Opusu in Akita City. Doors open at 10pm. This is a new event that Jikkenteki will be a resident DJ at. This month also features DJs from the Deep crew so there will be plenty of banging psy going on here.

Also in Jikkenteki news, "The Long Walk Home" is just about ready to go to printing. There were a few post production delays and some snags developed with events for the release party shows in Japan so the dates will most likely be changing for those shows, but the CD itself should still be available in early June. Stay tuned for more information.

PAR-2's second compilation, "Mainspring Motion" is also progressing nicely. The track compiling stage is completed and we are now waiting for the artists to get their final versions to us. Again, the tracks will be varied covering the sounds for psychedelic trance from the past to the future. Look for a fall release here.

Best to all from PAR-2 Productions

Upcoming Releases

2006-03-18T02:25:00.000-08:00

Jikkenteki's double album, "The Long Walk Home", is now finished and is currently being mastered while we wait for the artwork to be completed. Samples will be coming soon, as will another contest/give away as we get closer to the release in June.

Zekazy has also been hard at work on his album and the results we have heard so far have been great, covering a wide range of styles and vibes. Definately his best work to date. Look for it at the end of this year. We are also in the process of compiling our third compilation CD, currently titled "Mainspring Motion". We have roughly half the tracks decided at the moment, but are still looking for the "right few" to fill it out before the fall release.

Also in the works is an EP in the memory of our friend Symphonics (formerly of Phi, whose last track appeared on "Neptune's Garden") who passed away in a scooter accident while vacationing in Goa last January. We'll have more information on this as it becomes available.

Best to all from PAR-2 Productions

Jikkenteki DJ Set and Upcoming PAR-2 Releases

2006-01-26T04:49:00.000-08:00

For everyone in the Northern Japan area, Jikkenteki will be doing a DJ set at Easel at Opusu in Akita City this Sat. January 28th. This set will be on the progressive side of psy and focusing on the smoother side of trance. Party starts at 11pm and goes until 5am.

We also have officially confirmed that we will be releasing Neptune's Garden artist Zekazy's debut album! The album is tentatively titled "Be Your Own Boss" and we are looking at a winter 2006/2007 release. Also in the works are Jikkenteki's double album "The Long Walk Home" which should be released around June, to be followed by PAR-2 Productions' second compilation CD. We haven't finalized a title yet, but the theme this time will center around "time".

Finally, for those who are interested in picking up Neptune's Garden but would like to get all their music shopping done in one place, Neptune's Garden is now on-sale at Saiko Sounds for $9.95. Check here for more information.

Best to all,
PAR-2

Neptune's Garden in France

2006-01-11T04:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you in France, be sure to keep an eye on Radio Altitude 97 FM's Pump Up The Volume show on Thursdays (20:00-23:30) and the repeats on Tuesdays (22:00-00:00) as some of the tracks on "A Walk Through Neptune's Garden" will be played there in the near future. For more information check here

Also for those of you in the Tohoku area of Japan, Jikkenteki will be doing his usual monthly DJ thing at "Deep" on Saturday Jan. 24th at Opusu in Akita City (11:00pm - 5:00am). For more info check here (in Japanese)

"Neptune's Garden" Sales Locations And What's Up Next At PAR-2

2006-01-03T02:30:00.000-08:00

"A Walk Through Neptune's Garden" has slowly but surely gaining some attention and is now available at a few different locations. Obviously it is available here on PAR-2.com's webshop, but it is also available at a few other locations.

First and forthmost it is now available on Saiko Sounds http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=5297

Next, IT Record Shop in Greece has begun selling it and even proclaimed it "One of the best compilations in the last 5 years"
http://www.itathens.com/index.php?file=releases&specific=535

Rumour also has it that it is available in Sweden at Saturn's Return and in Tokyo at Quintrix.

As for what's next at PAR-2 HQ, Jikkenteki is working on the last couple of tracks for his upcoming album "The Long Walk Home". "The Long Walk Home" is a double disc concept album featuring one disc of psy-trance and one disc of ambient/freestyle madness. Tentatively we are looking at a release in late spring/early summer.

We have also begun the first steps of compiling our next compilation. In addition there is a strong possiblity that one of the artists on Neptune's Garden will also be releasing a full album here in the later half of 2006. More news on these projects when we get it.

Best to all in the New Year,
PAR-2 Productions

Long Time No See

2006-01-03T01:58:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since we've had a proper news blog going since the release of "A Walk In Neptune's Garden" stole its spot for awhile, but the news is back and ready for action!