Banco de Gaia - Last Train To Lhasa [1995]

Artist(s)
Banco de Gaia
Release title
Last Train To Lhasa
Label name
Planet Dog
Release year
1995

Archon

Gagi
TranceFix Crew
Jun 27, 2020
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Hello Katadunkass from Denmark.

Please include the year of the release in the title.

Enjoy our new forum!
 

Katadunkass

The Banhammer
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Jun 27, 2020
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F*ck, even people from Denmark can forget things!

I kinda dig the passive-aggressiveness
 
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Archon

Gagi
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At first I was like hmm...

This feels a bit messy and all over the place.

But then I was like hmm...

Holy balls, what an amazing track! I don't think I've ever heard anything like this!!! You can almost feel you're on the train, looking through the window at the mighty Himalayas. I can't tell you how much I'm impressed at this actually. Such a proper journey.
 

Katadunkass

The Banhammer
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Indeed, this track will absolutely grab you by the balls and take you through a journey - it's amazing
 

Archon

Gagi
TranceFix Crew
Jun 27, 2020
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Bump for an incredible ethnic trance track. Really not much of those around.
 

Katadunkass

The Banhammer
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The biggest crime against humanity is that there actually exists a "Radio Edit" of it, haha
 
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Archon

Gagi
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The most pointless Radio Edit there is, and I can say that without even listening. Can't possibly be any good, you can't shorten this track by a millisecond.

For more positive news, there are Extended Ambient Mix and the Very Extended Ambient Mix (which cap just over 12 and 18 minutes, respectively).


A 20th Anniversary release including some remixes and originals from the album:

 
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Archon

Gagi
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Jun 27, 2020
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Take a listen to the entire album. Love the ethnic influences.
 

Motion

Member
May 18, 2021
210 Posts
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It's been a decade since I've put on this album, I remember how good it is now. The track LT2L doesn't seem to loose any magic with age. The album was my first dive into Ambient Techno, which back then always confused me as a genre and I had a hard time finding more in record stores as the genre never appeared under any of the cataloguing or tags. Eventually I understood to ask where the FSOL and other 'dub' type records would be and Banco's records would be there too. I went years thinking Banco De Gaia was some Turkish man or Middle eastern individual, then finally landing on his British origin. In hindsight it made perfect sense as many UK producers in the mid nighties were producing this mix of ambient, dub, techno and trance compositions. 887 Structure is another great track from the album that I love (the flutes).

887 Structure
 

Archon

Gagi
TranceFix Crew
Jun 27, 2020
3,913 Posts
2,809 Thanked
It's been a decade since I've put on this album, I remember how good it is now. The track LT2L doesn't seem to loose any magic with age. The album was my first dive into Ambient Techno, which back then always confused me as a genre and I had a hard time finding more in record stores as the genre never appeared under any of the cataloguing or tags. Eventually I understood to ask where the FSOL and other 'dub' type records would be and Banco's records would be there too. I went years thinking Banco De Gaia was some Turkish man or Middle eastern individual, then finally landing on his British origin. In hindsight it made perfect sense as many UK producers in the mid nighties were producing this mix of ambient, dub, techno and trance compositions. 887 Structure is another great track from the album that I love (the flutes).

887 Structure
As far as I understand, he used a lot of samples for his tracks, so that's where you get the ethnic influences from. Hell, some of the samples/tracks on his Igizeh album were recorded inside of the Great Pyramid of Giza (or one of them). For this one, I'm not sure if he travelled to Tibet, but the entire album is inspired by Tibet, its people and political situation - just look at some of the titles: Last Train to Lhasa - the construction of the railroad connecting Lhasa and China, China (Clouds Not Mountains) - I mean it says it all.

My favourites are Last Train to Lhasa, and then Amber, China (Clouds Not Mountains), 887 (Structure), Kuos and Kincajou (Duck! Asteroid Extended Mix). All brilliant pieces of work. One of my favourite albums of all time.

His Big Men Cry album is also worth a listen, stunning piece of work as well.