Peace, Love, Unity, Respect. Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.

Down at the very core of it all, it seems, trance and Christmas have much in common. Although it's still premature to think about an X-Dream holiday album, or tracks like "Jingle Bell Trance," "Psychedelic Christmas," or "Oh Dance, All Ye Faithful," it doesn't have to be just the thought that counts when shopping for your party mates. This year, unlike any other before it, let it be the gift!

"Vision Quest Presents: Gathering 2002"

(4,800 yen, release 12.23)

While the rest of us played at The Gathering, a dozen video cameras were hard at work, capturing thousands of hours of party and behind-the-scenes footage.

Produced by visual magicians Tokyo X-Ray for organizer-label Vision Quest, the DVD contains about 60 minutes of live act and DJ footage in addition to interviews and music videos for Kox Box's "911" and Space Cat's "Tranceformer."

The bundled CD, "Amphibians," is a nine-track gem with Space Cat & Talamasca, Oforia, Skazi, Xerox, Infected Mushroom, Orion, Dino Paras, Shanti and Spectrum.

"Hotaka Mountain Festival '01 '02"

(3,800 yen, release 12.21)

This double-CD and DVD compilation from Music of the Sphere is a collection of about 30 live and DJ tracks from the 2001 and 2002 Hotaka festivals, held in Gunma Prefecture.

The DVD contains music videos done in 5.1 surround sound that accompany a collection of more than 500 photos from both festivals.

Artists on the CDs include Rovo, Kaoru Inoue, Audio Active, Kinocosmo, Infusion, The Orb, Holeg, Ubartmar.com, The Bays, System 7 and more. The DVD artists include Shukriya, Juno Reactor, Gocoo, Snog and more.

"Macau Cafe"

(2,100 yen)

Now for something really different! "Macau Cafe," Volume 2 of the Balearic Lounge Collection released Nov. 29 by Solstice Music, conjures up soft images of lazy evenings cuddled with a loved one, campfires burning against a moonlit night . . . Absolutely sexy, relaxing stuff.

"I'm happy with it. This is real music," Frederic Holyszewski (aka Deedrah, Synthetic, Dado and a member of G.B.U.) said in an interview with The Japan Times early last month.

Holyszewski has two tracks on "Macau Cafe" under the name Federico Baltimore. He is joined on the album by Etnica, Lenny Ibazarre, Sergio Mendoza, Eric Paque, Jhon Doe, Sphongle, P.S.O.I. and Solid World.

Compare the Baltimore/G.B.U. and Etnica tracks to those on "Electronic High 3" (below) to get a real appreciation for the musical diversity being demonstrated here.

"Electronic High 3"

(2,190 yen)

Solstice Music expands upon the success of its Electronic High series with a release that will jolt you right back into the mystical fog of Lake Motosu.

The nine exclusive tracks here play like a tribute to this year's Solstice Music Festival with headliners Alien Project, 1200 Micrograms, Etnica, G.B.U., Logic Bomb and Synthetic, plus The Antidote (DJ Serge), Kox Box (Frank'E) and Bio-Tonic (who didn't play Solstice but got an Antidote remix of "Magic Interface").

"Electronic High 3" is a great companion to numbers 1 and 2. For a real SMF 2002 flashback, play it alongside the "Usual Suspects" compilation by Dimitri DKN released earlier this summer.

Solstice Music is on a roll, having added some eight new titles to their catalog this year.

Domino mixing for two

In half a year, she'll be "Momino!" Just a few weeks after noting her 30th birthday comes news that Domino is expecting . . . a baby. The "release date" is expected to be in July. Cool!

According to Domino's manager, Fumi Itoh, this does not by any means mean the end of Domino's stellar 15-year career.

In fact, Domino plans to keep going right up to very last minute, according to Itoh, although her schedule will be pared back to possibly one gig per month. And maternity leave looks likes a great time for Domino to go back into the studio for another album. (Hmm . . . a Domino family Christmas album?)

You can catch Domino tonight for the Amateras party at Club Fire in Yokohama; on Dec. 27 at Pylon in Tokyo; Dec. 28 at Club Holly's in Fukui; Dec. 29 at Club Atom in Shibuya, Tokyo; and on Dec. 31 at Bay Side Jenny in Osaka.

Party Picks:

Saturday

"ToGetHer" free party in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park. Only DJ Ask is listed, starts at 1 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m.

"The Dark Side of the Moon" at Junk Box Tokyo Bay in the Shibaura district of Minato Ward. Start time is 11 p.m., 3,000 yen at the door (2,500 yen with flyer). DJs 901, Aki-F, Jay, Satori and Karma.

Junk Box is a nice little place with a great sound system and just as hard to find the first time as Cube326/Slinky: Cross Kaigan Dori, turn left and start walking. Junk Box is about 10 to 12 minutes up the sidewalk, right after a short rise in the street.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

Psychedelic 32 Hours 3 Labels Party. This one is a little confusing. It's being held in the underground parking lot at Odaiba Minami Futo near Telecom Center Station on the Yurikamome Line. Starting at 10 p.m. Sunday, the full party features six live acts and 13 DJs from ZMA Records, Neurobiotic Records and Compact Records. It looks like a good mix of domestic, Israeli, Greek and Brazilian talent.

However, there are three different prices listed on the flyer (7,000 yen, 6,000 and 5,000), that seem to correspond to when you arrive. No Web site listed, but the "total information" number is 090-5216-9978.

Also on Sunday:

Astro-Base at Luners (Azabujuban). Live act Astoron (PsyNews/JP), plus DJs Kotaro (Equinox), Joel (Sound Fort/New World), Yoshidance (54/Musicmine) and Bamboo (Astron/Psynews). Opens 10 p.m. At the door 3,000 yen. E-mail: [email protected]

Wednesday, Dec. 25

TK Presents, Synthesized Trance Vol. 5 at Womb in Shibuya, Tokyo. DJs Mike Maguire (Qube/ UK), Ryo (Solstice Music), and DJ Cunt. Live acts Tetsuya Komuro and 245 Experience. Starts at 10 p.m. At the door 4,000 yen. E-mail [email protected]

Dec. 28

Mike Maguire in Church at The Church in Ueno, Tokyo. DJs Mike Maguire, KWAV, Jiji (Posivision), Minoru. Opens at 10 p.m. Admission 3,000 yen, or e-mail [email protected] for advance tickets. The Church is located across from JR Ueno Station, next to Ueno Park.

Dec. 29

Password after-hours party, by Zodiac, at Slinky Tokyo in Shibaura Ward. DJs Ziki (True Trance), Kemal (Zodiac), S7E7V7E7N (Historia/Zodiac) and YSK (Cosmic). Starts at 7 a.m. Ziki, Kemal and Seven are especially good morning DJs.

Later at a-life in Nishiazabu, Tokyo, it's Xavier Morel, Mike Maguire and Ryo. Starts at 11 p.m. Check the a-life Web site for more details.

Jan. 4

2003 New Year's Celebration, Return of the Cube 326 in Shibaura. This party starts at 4 a.m. and goes late in the day. DJs Domino, Mike Maguire, Xavier Morel and resident HigeMasa. This one's gonna be fun! Check the Cube326 Web site in the days ahead.

Contact at Cube326, by Zodiac. Starts at 10 p.m. Live acts Uni and Theoreme (both always good at Cube), and DJs Osho (Uni), Kemal, Seven, Ta-Ka and Nori.