30 In-Scene Psytrance Country Profiles History

30 In-Scene Psytrance Country Profiles
History, Activists, Parties, Contacts
An annual project by
2
WELCOME – EXPLORE THE PSYTRANCE GALAXY
welcome to the new edition of our annual Psytrance travel TRANCERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
which aims to improve understanding and communication between the local Psytrance communities on our planet and to make the world a better place.
However everyone and anybody seems to
be connected these days through social
media, we think, that the worldwide Trance
community requires a central place for global trance information.
This is why, on the one hand, the 2014 edition of the Trancers Guide makes massive use
of the social web's advantages, specifically
expanding the possibilities in the new permanent online section www.mushroom-magazine.com where you have access to many
more country reports.
Of course, our new print edition saw some
necessary editing. Unfortunately we can not
cover all the countries submitted online. But
the online TRANCERS GUIDE has numerous
countries and also lots of valuable links for
anything worthwhile knowing. This is how
the 2014 edition of the Trancers Guide makes use of the social web's advantages.
Any country report is online instantly and
can be shared with your friends! We invite
you to create your own country report. It’s
an easy job. Just answer some questions
at
www.mushroom-magazine.com/editcountry. The online version can be accessed
either through mushroom-magazine.com or
trancersguide.com.
The word which most of the reports carried
is CHANGE. A clear sign that trance on this
globe is very much alive, kicking and progressing. Change is life, and life is change,
and Trance is part of this life, yours and
ours. Innumerable souls on this planet are
moving to its beats, creating and partaking
in its culture. In this sense, we thank anyone
who contributed to this print edition, and
also everyone who shared his Trance universe at our online Galaxy.
Best regards,
Mat and the mushroom team.
More country profiles
you find online at:
WWW.MUSHROOM-MAGAZINE.COM
WWW.TRANCERSGUIDE.COM
CONTENTS
hh Australia
DJ Kamos
... 4
hh Italy
Marco Novelli
... 39
hh Austria
... 6
Tom Rom & Funny Astronaut
hh Ireland
Jon Subsaharan
... 40
hh Belgium
Katarína Bartovicová,
Joske Vranken
... 10
hh Israel
Yonathan
... 41
hh Brasil
Marina Tavares
... 11
hh Netherland
Back to Mars
... 42
hh Cambodia, Malaysia
& Singapore
DJ Boom Shankar
... 12
hh Transcend
... 43
hh New Zealand
Maia
... 44
hh Croatia
Rio & Zeko
... 13
hh Portugal
Artur Soares da Silva
... 46
hh Denmark
Dj Joel
... 14
hh France
Florence Croizat
... 16
hh Finland
Inkeri Tähti
... 18
hh North-Germany
Chaotix
... 20
hh South Germany
Boom Shankar
... 24
hh Wonderland
... 26
hh New Haling Festival
... 28
hh Greece
Mike Akida
... 30
hh Seili Mountain Gathering ... 31
hh Boom Festival
.. 48
hh Serbia
Zenitgalaxy
... 50
hh Spain
DJ Boom Shankar
... 52
hh South Africa
Andre Muller
... 54
hh Switzerland...56
Superkarlo, Corinne,
Dr. Magnus
Dj Sebastian Kos
hh Sweden...58
Pétur Azgeir
hh Thailand
DJ Boom Shankar
... 59
hh Hungary
Gerely Borbely
... 34
hh Turkey...60
Ozzycetin
hh O.Z.O.R.A. Festival
... 36
hh U.K....61
Rena (Psibindi)
hh India
Penelope Mohini
... 38
hh U.S.A....62
Kyle Fractaltribe
CREW
hh Publishing Company
FORMAT Promotion GmbH
Holstenstraße 103
22767 Hamburg
Germany
fon: +49 40 398417-0
fax: +49 40 398417-50
[email protected]
www.trancersguide.com
hh Publisher
Matthias van den Nieuwendijk
(V.i.S.d.P.)
hh Editorial Team
Uw Scholz, Roberdo Raval,
Matthias van den Nieuwendijk
hh Layout
Mat Mushroom, Olli Hume-Cook
hh Cover Artwork
Android Jones, remixed by Mat
hh Adverts
+49 40 398417-0
hh Distribution
mushroom, Psyshop, Area Agents...
3
AUSTRALIA – Experience the beautiful psychedelic culture
Psytrance culture is still strong in Australia, but the recent years have seen the scene’s taste diversify a lot more. Along with the strong psy, progressive and downbeat/ambient scene, there are also
many exciting techno, minimal, dubstep, experimental, house, breaks, glitch hop and IDM artists,
meaning the parties always have a great variety of tunes to please anyone’s tastes.
Pic: Rainbow Serpent 2013 Jonathan Carmichael, flickr.com/photos/72249211@N00/
Psytrance culture is still strong in Australia,
but the recent years have seen the scene’s
taste diversify a lot more. Along with the
strong psy, progressive and downbeat/ambient scene, there are also many exciting techno, minimal, dubstep, experimental, house,
breaks, glitch hop and IDM artists, meaning
the parties always have a great variety of
tunes to please anyone’s tastes. Australia’s
bush doof scene doesn’t attract your regular
bachelor and spinster crew. Bush doofers
dance in the dirt and slap the air with laughter and groans that are guttural and freesounding. These individuals have escaped
WEBSITES
hh australiens.net
hh maitreyafestival.com
hh losttheplotfestival.com
hh strawberry-fields.com.au/
strawberry/
hh tribeadelic.com
hh oztrance.net
hh royaldoof.com
hh earthcore.com.au/intro.html
hh earthfrequency.com.au
hh harmonizefestival.com
hh dragondreaming.net
hh re-gen.org.au
hh psyfari.com
hh fractangular.com.au
the picket fences and computer screens…
at least for the weekend. There’s a tinge of
tribal protest in their dress – scruffy dreadlocks and free-flowing music. And of course,
some might be under the influence of psychedelic drugs. Strong ones. In Australia, the
trend has gained popular and mainstream
notoriety in the last two decades with the
advent of youth-focused festivals. Walk onto
a certain Victorian proprietor’s land towards
the end of January, and you won’t spot cattle grazing behind rusting fences. Instead,
you’ll see a half-built pirate ship, rainbowcoloured tents and festival-goers dressed up
as mermaids and fairies. There’ll might also
be nymphs running around.
In NSW, there are festivals such as psytrance extravaganza New Psycle, Earth Frequency and Regrowth Festival; in the ACT,
Dragon Dreaming makes an annual appearance outside of Canberra; in central Australia, Wide Open Space brings bush doof
grandeur to Alice Springs, with an opening
ceremony involving electronica, indigenous
performances and a heavy metal stage. These festivals attract people searching for something new — they combine the light and
art shows festival-goers are used to with the
most cutting edge DJ sets complete with 3D
speakers and kinetic technology. They also
keep a focus on the indigenous cultures of
Australia and psychedelic expression.
hh subsonicmusic.com.au
Doofs often rely on word of mouth and so4
cial networking to get invitations out, and
reviews and photographs of them rarely appear on major websites. Instead, a mixture
of veteran and amateur journalists and photographers document the events through
their own blogs and websites. There’s an intimate feeling of community and safety, especially at these smaller events, which sets
them apart from mainstream music festivals
such as Soundwave or Big Day Out.
LABELS
hh Zenon, Weapon Records; Digital
Psionics; Illuminati Records;
Open Records; Up Records;
Secret Psyde Records; Adapted
Records; Peyotii Recordings;
Universal Dance Records;
Airglow Records; Sundance
Records; 3rd Eye productions;
PARTIES/FESTIVALS
hh Rainbow Serpent; Akasha
Festival; Strawberry Fields;
Earth Freq; Maitreya Festival;
Tribeadelic Ravelation; Dragon
Dreaming; New Psycle; Spring
Equinox; Indigo Evolution;
Subsonic
Text:
DJ Kamos
[email protected]
facebook.com/alex.
kamosbrine
5
AUSTRIA – High quality parties, good producers & a healthy scene
The Psytrance scene in Austria is one of the biggest in Europe compared to the size of the country.
Its history started before the mid 1990s. Trancers went to events like Garden Eden and Shambala
and around the turn of the millennium to Kobersdorf mill and the castle of Landsee. The legendary
Sonnenklang festival with around 10 dance floors and up to 8,000 visitors became the highlight of
the scene between 2003 and 2007.
Austria's biggest international yearly
open air events today are Spirit Base Festival at the border of Austria and Hungary
and the F.L.O.W Festival in July – lasting
both 4 days. The “Children of the Future”
festival of old-trancer DJ Goandi in September marks the end of every outdoor
season. During wintertime there is Paradise Winter Festival with its outstanding
deco concepts, the Paradise Summer Fes-
SHOPS
hh Aurin Fairy Shop
1070 Wien
Kirchengasse 25
www.aurinshop.at
fairy fashion & more
hh Blumen per Lumen
1070 Wien
Zieglergasse 88-90
www.blumenperlumen.at
Growshop
hh Puff and Stuff
5020 Salzburg
Müllner Hauptstr. 12
www.puffandstuff.at
Head, Grow
hh Schall & Rauch im Zentrum
4020 Linz, Bethlehemstr.9
www.schall-rauch.at
Head, Grow, Shisha
WEBSITES
hh paradise-festival.at
hh spirit-base.at
hh flow-festival.at
hh togethertrance.com
hh soundlabpirates.com/
hh aurinshop.at
hh cosmic.ag
hh otherland.at
hh twenty4seven.cc
hh weg-erbauer.com
6
tival will not take place in 2014. The beginning of the outdoor season every year
is the traditional 1st
May free party in Vienna of DJ Kajola and
zero gravity – here you meet all fraggles
of eastern Austria yearning for the summer that starts this day. The scene in Austria in the last years has been growing
and growing – this is the result of high
quality parties, good producers and very
healthy local scenes. Many local producers like Materia, Aioaska, Mayaxperienca, Ianuaria and Malice in Wonderland
had a big international impact and travel
around the globe from festival to festival.
Not to forget the Austrian based Record
Label 24/7 Records that is leading in its
musical genre. The centres of the scene in
Austria are Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg,
Upper Austria and Graz. Vienna gathers
the most important party tribes and locations. The well-established Cosmic – space
disco takes place on a monthly basis in
some of the best club-venues of the city.
The Soundlab Pirates tribe launched a
successful party series but also Echosphere and Synthesia represent regular
psychedelic/progressive events in Vienna.
Lucid Dreams gather the experimental
and Dark Psy crowds. The Together Trance
Project stands for Fullon and DJ Alezzaro's
Progressive Selection for more proggy
sounds. Weberknecht organises parties
also during the week. If you like spiritually
ritualised parties try the Avaloka parties
of Manuel and DJ Gobayashi. The central
Psy shop is the Aurinshop or Spaceland in
Vienna for flyers, info and getting in touch
with the Psy crowds. Also Salzburg has
a very lively scene with a lot of different
events like the famous Otherland parties,
in Tyrol Psybox makes a party nearly every weekend and has grown to one of the
most successful Psytrance events in Austria. In Upper Austria the biggest events
are Mondton, Progressive Selection and
Klangbewusstsein, in Lower Austria the
Pic: weg-erbauer.com
Tripudium and Böllerbauer and in Styria
the Trikaya and Together Trance, and not
to forget the Aum tribe of Vorarlberg.
Famous Austrian Psytrancers are VJ El
Geko (Psynema), the Phoenix Fire Dancers, Andi Astronaut, VJ Sikanda, the Extradimensional Space Agency, the makers
of the Goa Book - Tom Rom and Pascal
Querner, and many others.
Text: Tom Rom (Journalist and psyronmental activist) & The Funny Astronaut
facebook.com/tomrom24
7
8
9
Belgium – Though distinctive all of the genres are represented here
The Belgian Psytrance scene varies a bit from most of the scenes in other countries in the world. All
of the genres are represented here, however, progressive to a smaller extent. The two leading genres
in Belgium are old school/new school melodic Goa (mid 90´s style) and Fullon, both gathering up to
1.000 visitors during their events. If combined together, they can easily attract over 1.000 visitors.
The popularity of Darkpsy/Forest has an increasing
tendency, but the events are more underground and
having between 100-300 visitors. Both nitzhonot
and suomi also have small parties once in a while.
Festivals are very rare because of the high amount of
houses scattered through the countryside.The main
parties/festivals organizers who regularly organise
parties mostly focus on their own style.
Dacru parties are mostly full-on, occassionally
presenting old school too, and they belong among
the most successful events with 800 to 1,500 visitors.
Their traditional festival is organized in Ardennes
once a year.
Fractal Gate is a collaboration of more organisers –
Suntrip, Trance Dimensions and Full On Prod – and
without doubt their parties can be called legendary
on the Belgian scene. The parties always have 2
dancefloors, 800 to 1.300 visitors, delivering and
linking together the best of old school Goatrance and
melodic Fullon.
WEBSITES
hh facebook.com/Suntriprecords
hh dacru.be
hh facebook.com/fractalgate
hh facebook.com/B2Bproductionsonline
hh facebook.com/LostTheoryFestivalCroatia
hh losttheoryfestival.com/
hh facebook.com/
groups/126969847519
hh facebook.com/GreenTree.
Records
hh facebook.com/SitaRecords
DJS
hh Electric Lord, Anoebis, Phasid,
Yani, Norion, Nemesis & Oonah,
Ishtar, Agneton, Dark Euforia,
D-THER, Leech, Foose, Inada,
Ain Soph, Ferratek.
PRODUCERS
hh Digicult, Ephedrix, Bitkit, Agneton, Lani , Antares, Ephedra,
Others.
10
Pic: Shoot your Shot, facebook.com/pages/Shoot-Your-Shot-photography/117499898335482
Back 2 Basics (B2B) has been organising Fullon
parties for wider public for over a decade. Since
2007 B2B has been also hosting its own stage at the
famous Belgian Tomorrowland festival..
Lost Theory parties are Forest/Darkpsy with
occassional old school, mostly with 400 to 800
visitors. The crew also organizes the biggest Belgian
festival Lost Theory, but due to weather and legal
conditions happening outside the country, in sunny
Croatia. In 2013 the festival had over 5.000 visitors
and an outstanding line-up with big names such as
Hallucinogen or Laughing Buddha.
Other organizers include Old is Gold & Dance for
Life for pure old and new school Goatrance parties
for 200 to 800 people, GreenTree with their Fullon
and Psytrance parties for +- 500 people and Tribes
Gathering which organizes all kinds of bigger events.
Also From here to Eternity & Tibidibidi are organisers
doing smaller parties regularely with mixed Psytrance
styles in special & cosy locations.
Smaller event with a nice atmosphere, accessible for
free for everyone, regularly happening in the city of
Antwerp, which combines psybient sounds with a
picknick culture is Elektrik Picknick.
As for the labels, the two leading ones and internationally recognized are Suntrip Records and Dacru
Records. For Suntrip 2014 is a special year, as it exists
a decade. Within that period, it became the leading
world's melodic Goatrance label. The 2014 releases
include albums of Filteria, Shakta, Goasia & Ra. Dacru
Records belongs among the world's leading Fullon
labels, cooperating with artists such as Talamasca,
Electric Universe and U-Recken.
Other internationally known labels which should not
be missed include Green Tree Records (previously
known as Ganja Tree Records) which is smaller label
focusing on creative Psytrance and unique downtempo/chillout and Sita Records which was founded back
in 2009 and brings blasting Nitzhogoa & Nitzhonot.
Also Lost Theory Records, releasing Forest Trance, has
already a good reputation. Other labels releasing cds
include Goa Madness Records, Goalogique Records,
Cronomi Records & Megdroom Records.
One of the 2014 most important launches include
Thomas Moon, a solo project of a former guitar
player/producer of Lani. His new sound remains to
be influenced by psychedelic experiences, but has
a smoother tempo, resulting in a highly atmosperic
music.
Text: Katarína Bartovicová, Joske Vranken
facebook.com/katarina.bartovicova
facebook.com/joskevranken
facebook.com/pages/Anoebis/202926626775
Joske aka Dj Anoebis is manager at Suntrip Rec.
BRAZIL – The hottest Psytrance scene
If you are looking for stunning places, beautiful people and hot weather, you will love Brazil! On the last NYE
happened the biggest festival here in Brazil and one of the world's most important, Universo Paralello Festival.
The organizer is Juarez Petrillo, one of the DJs that brought Psytrance parties to Brazil. The main floor is dedicated to this genre, with the best artists inside and outside the country. Universo Paralello was my best festival!
I saw a lot of Psytrance projects that I was
looking for a while. The place is one amazing
beach at Ilha de Pratigi, Bahia The weather is
so hot, something around 40° degrees, so don’t
forget to drink a lot of water! The festival only
happens twice a year. On the next NYE Juarez
probably will make his other festival, 303
art Festival, at Caraíva, Bahia. Another three
festivals will happen in the next time. Terra em
Transe, at Praia dos Garcez, Bahia. Jacunda, at
Amazon, the jungle of Brazil. ReveillOz, at São
Paulo; which belongs to Dêfo Estilo Espiral.
In February is Carnival time with some
good options of festivals. The best-known is
Soulvision Festival, at Altinópolis, SP. I went
there for the last three years. There are some
new options for this holiday; one of them is
Zuvuya Festival, at Goiás, from Cymatic Lab. In
the next year will happen Solaris Festival, at
São Paulo; that belongs to Pedro Vidigal, from
Infinity Music.
We have festivals every month where you can
find a lot of Psytrance but also Goa Trance, and
all styles. In March happens Shivaneris Easter
Festival; at São Paulo. The festival started last
year, but is growing a lot. In April happens
Festival Mundo de Oz, one of the best festivals
in SP! The organizer is Dêfo Estilo Espiral. The
location is one beautiful waterfall! You will
find a heavy music style, like Dark and Forest.
In June starts the winter and the festivals don’t
stop. In July I will go to Festival Alternativo do
Kranti, at Chapada dos Veadeiros, GO. Goiás
has the best festivals in Brazil and this one is
very traditional! The organizer is one of the first
people to work on Psytrance parties in Brazil.
The first Psytrance DJs were Swarup, Ekanta,
Rica Amaral, and DJ Feio. They also made
the first Psytrance parties. They are the best
Psytrance DJs next to Burn in Noise, Zumbi,
Altruism, DJ Pedrão, DJ Pin, Mental Broadcast,
Rosa Ventura, Alexandre Zaghini, DJ Edu, Diksha, Patchbay. There is also a new generation
of Psytrance DJs, to name some: Earthspace,
Shekinah, Twelve Sessions. All these projects
are always playing at the best festivals around
the world. The most important labels are
pic: Murilo Ganesh, facebook.com/muriloganeshfotografo
Vagalume Records and Mosaico Records.
In August we have Respect Festival, at SP. The
organizers are Rosa Ventura, Alexandre Zaghini
and DJ Edu. September is the beginning of
spring, the perfect weather! Minas Gerais
doesn’t have beaches, only beautiful waterfalls
and one of the best festivals of the country,
Samsara, at Uberlândia. In the same month
happens Earthdance São Paulo! In November
happens Shiva Trance Festival; made by some of
the organizers from Shivaneris Easter Festival.
Text:
Marina Tavares
Colaboratter of Psicodelia, the biggest website about Electronic Music in Brazil, and worldwide websites. Writer of the label On Music.
[email protected]
ARTIST
hh Burn in Noise, DJ Pin
LABELS
hh Vagalume Rec, Mosaico Rec
PARTIES & FESTIVALS
hh Universo Paralello Festival
WEBSITES
hh Psicodelia, Soulvision Festival,
Festival Mundo de Oz
FUN STUFF
hh Don’t forget to taste Catuaba,
one sweet drink that you will
find only here... people say it`s
aphrodisiac...
11
CAMBODIA, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE
Hidden gems in the region giving you the chance of experiencing a more authentic vibe
Pic: Boom Shankar
Cambodia
Cambodia had some parties already
as well, the biggest one being Totally
Resurrected Festival which took place for
the second time last year near Ko Kong
(close to the Thai border) but is unlikely to
happen again. Still Sihanoukville has seen
smaller parties for 12 years. I hope that
Cambodia and Burma too will attract some
people willing to organize events as both
countries have everything a perfect Psytrance party needs! In addition the Meta
House in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Phen
throws smaller events from time to time
(funnily supported by the German Goethe
Institute!) and Anjuna Villa in Siem Reap
is the perfect place for smaller parties and
for hooking up with your fellow Psytrance
mates too.
Malaysia
Being a country of cultural diversity and
with a huge Chinese, Muslim and Christian
community, the country is very open
minded when it comes to travellers from
abroad. The Psytrance scene is rather small
but fully dedicated in the cause of promoting this alternative culture. The season of
12
2014 featured the second edition of a 3
day festival near Kuala Lumpur, organized
by Epic Tribe from Kuala Lumpur. Belantara
Festival was a beautiful family style party
in the middle of the jungle but still easily
accessible from Kuala Lumpur. It featured
the creme de la creme of Malaysian,
Singaporean and Thai Djs, and the usual
suspects from Europe, who hibernate in
Asia, were the cherry on the cake giving
the festival a truly international vibe but
with a full underground and uncommercial
approach. Belantara will take place again
in 2015, probably end of January.
Singapore
Being a tiny and very conservative business
oriented country, Singapore might not
become the next Mecca for Freaks, but
wherever there is restrictions there are
usually some guys pushing hard for acceptance of alternative cultures. This means
there are still occasional parties which are
fully psychedelic in nature, but due to law
limitations don’t last so long.
The Djs and artists you usually come across
when partying out are Radzy from Epic
Tribe who also represent BMSS Records in
the region plus By the Rain, a stunning Chill
Out producer who rocks big time as well
with his Psychedelic output. In addition,
Thesuperglo, Meyo or Oddicon are probably
the most well known Djs. In Singapore, Om
Project is a very active promoter and Purple
Hexagon Records is involved in many
events as well. Nstomp, Ayi, Modicum, Psy
Yang and Psychonerd are probably the
most known Djs.
The laws regarding drug use are very strict!
Malaysia and Singapore both still have the
death sentence for drug trafficking. Cambodia on the other hand has a very relaxed
policy especially regarding weed. Though
there has been some pressure of western
countries you can easily find what you are
looking for and normally nobody cares
what you inhale or consume. Mushroom
shakes are widely available too, as are all
other substances.
Text:
DJ Boom Shankar
BMSS Records / Transition /
SUN Festival
soundcloud.com/
boomshankar-bmssrecords
CROATIA – Psytrance is still kind of an underground movement
Growing psychedelic scene. Here nature wins. Psytrance in Croatia is still somewhat of an underground movement. Croatia is a small country situated on the eastern shores of the Adriatic sea, with
pristine nature landscapes and beautiful seashores. Our economy is not on par with the beauty of our
nature, so we can say there is no large profit in the organisation of Psytrance festivals.
The scene is relatively small, if we
compare it with other, larger countries.
The scene is being led by enthusiasts
from Osijek, Zagreb, Rijeka and Pula.
Somewhere in the middle of the nineties
new djs appeared on the scene (Marino,
Ganesh,Val Vashar, Kobayagi, Bifel,
Nesho), bearing gifts in form of psy
sounds. Some of the major productions of
that time were Mokk, Shuma, Vox and
Parrket. Several years later, new names
appeared and the developing scene,
namely Plasma Corp, Psilocybian, Hotep,
Deimos, Koorie, Neonsky, Riodario and
others. The first Psytrance festival was
Media Mediterranea which was held at
sites around the city of Pula (Barbariga,
Marlera, Levan Island) whose driving
force and main organiser was Dj Marino,
the revered founder of the Psytrance
scene in these regions.
Later came festivals as Future Nature
(also in Pula), Free Spirit (the island of
Cres), Underwater Overground (Šibenik,
Hvar, Pula – RIP brother Sheky), Life
Celebration (Pula), Lost Theory (Deringaj),
Modem (Primišlje), as well as some
smaller festivals in Osijek, Knin, Rijeka
(Mune), between those named before.
The organisers of the oldest ongoing
Pic: Kris Deplaedt • allnighters.net
Pic: Kris Deplaedt • allnighters.net
festival in Croatia, Future Nature, decided
to take a break this year, and the other
major 3 festivals are held one after the
other in the following order: Life Celebration festival, from 10. to 14. July (with
Cosmosis, Quantica, Zyce, Aes Dana, Journey, Sonic Wave Control, Vertex, etc.)…
it takes about 200km and 1 & half day to
the start of Modem festival, starting 15.
and finishing 21. July (with EVP, Reality
Grid, Tron, Grouch, Malice In Wonderland,
etc.), and about 100km and 1 day till
the start of Lost Theory festival, which
lasts from 22. to 28. July (with Koxbox,
Rastaliens, Laughing Buddha, Hux Flux,
Ajja, Braincell, Earthling, etc.).
When we’re talking about Croatia’s club
scene in the last 20 years, we can say
party events are fairly regular. We must
acknowledge Rijeka’s young and growing
Psytrance scene, as in the last couple of
years we’ve seen a rise in Psytrance Dj’s
and events.
Text: Rio & Zeko
(Riodario,N.S.,LCF,..)
soundcloud.com/riodario
WEBSITES
hh facebook.com/Mrunpage
hh myspace.com/plasmacorp
hh trancepleme.com
hh ministarstvo-psihodelije.com
hh pistolerobreaks.org
hh zvuk-prirode.hr
hh lifecelebrationfestival.com
hh future-nature.info
hh modemfestival.com
hh vashar.com
Pic: Kris Deplaedt • allnighters.net
13
DENMARK – A growing scene in the north
The Danish scene has developed a lot the last couple of years. Denmark has always had a big
amount of producers and within the last years, the amount of new Trance producers has exploded.
This has also resulted in new labels like
MindDesign Records and 432 Records
founded by Phaxe, Morten Granau,
Vice and Dj Joel are the results of the
explosion of the scene. Progressive is the
dominating music style, but the last year
dark psy and hi-tech has started to move
fast, but it is still very underground.
The party scene is huge compared to the
size of the country and new organizers
pops up on a regular basis. Lately there
has been a big change of the crews
organizing the events, which has given
the scene a needed fresh blow of air. The
parties are mainly concentrated around
Copenhagen. At Psytrance parties you
will find people from all layers of society.
The party scene is not dominated by the
typical hippie type, but a mixture of all
kinds of people, which makes the scene
quite colourful. The type of people at the
parties varies a lot depending on which
organizer is doing the party. Some parties
has dress code restrictions, typically
regarding heavy tattoos.
It is a well known fact that some festivals
has been “invaded” by large numbers of
Danish people, due to the lack of Trance
festivals in Denmark because government
restrictions and heavy prejudices towards
psychedelic music. Especially the “fitness
guys” with their big muscles and lightly
dressed blondes with silicone breasts
standing on the dance floor. Some people
dislike this, but some people also see it as
a beautiful thing, that our music brings
people from different cultures together,
which opens up an opportunity to learn
from each other. At the end of the day,
we are all made of the same flesh and
blood and we are all here to dance and
have fun, no matter how you look. And
this describes the Danish party scene
very well.
Text:
Dj Joel (Spin Twist Tesseract)
[email protected]
facebook.com/dj.joel.rowdy
14
ARTISTS
DECO & ART
hh Phaxe, Morten Granau, Vice,
O.T.B, Flowjob, DJ EMok, DJ Joel
hh Bohemian Groove, Ambient
Technology, Trancers Paradise,
Twisted Universe
LABELS
hh Iboga Records, 432 Records,
Dynamite Music, MindDsign
Records, Triptonite Records
PARTIES & FESTIVALS
hh Elements, Area 55, Playground,
Psy Olympics, Tuben, Crunch
MORE PARTY INFO
hh Preferred music style in Denmark: Progressive
hh Parties are starting and closing
when? 23:00 - 06:00
15
FRANCE – the public accepts Psytrance culture and lets it grow
Unleash into the magical dance of FRANCE musical note and flow into the groove of EVOLUTION...
Up for a change ? France is bowling and it is time that we realize we can be the change we want
to see in this world. This country is going through a real awakening whether it is in event organization, artistically or politically.
At least one party if not more is being held
every week in a natural and/or an unusual
location, bars are being besieged creating
a real « Before » culture. There have been
parties organized by Gaia Concept, on
Sunday, driving more than a thousand people. There are new festivals being created.
Unfortunately, this year, will be Hadra’s last
festival in the beautiful mountains of Lans
En Vercors. There has been a feminine touch
blowing over the movement. More women
organizing parties, artists name figuring
often on the line up, being lives or DJ’s. Social causes are being defended and money
collected to help out different humanitarian
organisations. Artistically, some old comers
are making a true come back, creating new
labels, production studios and organizing
parties.
The «new school» with its new and fabulous
energy is creating a new mainstream,
sharing and respecting the old ideologies.
Parties have been coordinated between
the old and new school and had extremely
strong and positive results. Boundaries
outside the movement are being broken and
the public is accepting the Psytrance culture
and making space for it to grow. Mixture of
genders at parties is often heard. Electro,
progressive, house, dark Psytrance are often
played in the same night. People from the
«Free» movement are joining in. The population is getting tired of politics that cannot
hold up to promises and on the contrary let
the extreme right take advantage of the situation. The politics have tried to go against
the entertainment workers and bring out a
new regime for this particular statue, trying
to make the hard situation of working in the
entertainment field even harder. Anyway,
a solution to the large economic hole has
been taken into consideration. Instead of
finding new solutions, outside their boundaries and usual thoughts and patterns. In
periods of crisis, there is an openness for a
new vision offering changes and ideologies
by the masses. This is also the time when the
best artists are being discovered and a real
16
Hadra Festival - pic: Bobby C. Alkabes, www.bobbyalkabes.com/
creative movement can emerge. There are
rumours that this is on the way. The worldwide manifestation for the legalisation of
marijuana has had some extremely positive
feedback in France. This could be a pacifist
solution to France’s economic burden and
gang fighting.
It is up to each one of us to take the
responsibility to realize we are part of a
whole and that we all need each other to
make the switch as comfortable as possible.
That everyone's ideas, opinion and thoughts
have to be listened to. This is no time for
ego, competition or domination, there is no
better or worst, we are all in it together. They
are just differences but those differences are
actually advantages. They are what make
us human. Ideas can come from the music,
the legalization of marijuana, from the autosufficient villages… All ideas are good.
We are artists of our destiny, of our life and
to a greater degree of our community and
civilization. It is up to us to decide how we
want to design it and what legacy we want
to give to the new generation and to the
children. Our world is a beautiful place and
we do need to take care of it.
Text:
Florence Croizat (Limpts)
French Editor for the Psytraveller Magazine
Mushroom Magazine
French area Agent
ARTISTS
hh Talamasca, Hiligh Tribe, Total
Eclipse, Hyperfrequencies, Klement, Absolum, The Antidote,
Tikal, Aes Dana, Atyss
LABELS:
hh Electrik Dream Music Label, Ultimae records, Mandala records,
Bus Records, Hadra records
PARTIES & FESTIVALS
hh The most important party organizer is Gaia Concept. It has
been throwing parties for more
than twenty years. However,
Gaia Concept do not have a
festival and Hadra festival still
remains the number one festival in France. Due to political
change, this year will be there
last one, so not miss out.
DECO & ART
hh Artistes Associés, Organik
Garden, Artistes Associés, Les
Lucioles, Art Manif, Cosmo
Vision
WEBSITES
hh Forum Trance Goa
hh France Psytraveller Magazine
hh Trance Project France
17
FINLAND – Magical forest parties in the nightless summer nights
Finland has been known for crazy forest parties and crazy indigenous psychedelic music, and the scene
in the country has extended roots in the old-times Goa culture. However, and especially in the music,
the European currents have reached the shores of Finland as well, and alongside the traditional psychedelic punks Texas Faggott, Squarefeet, Freakdance Records, Antiscarp Records and others there have
come out numerous artists with a straight out Psytrance production.
The ones to watch out for, among others, are
Evocatone, Vertical, Rye Smugglers, Nebula
Meltdown, Kirna, Cosmic Delusion and
Soladria, and some of them you can also
catch frequently playing abroad.
Deejays are also active and performing
in Finland as well as abroad. Those you
should definitely go to listen are Tim Duster,
Yonagual, Miazu&Polly, Dogora and Terva
for example. The Finnish party culture is very
active in other fields too. The decoration
collective Flowers of Life has already
established themselves at international
festivals and the newcomer DekoTukos are
following with their amazing innovations.
Many performance groups have also come
up recently, among them Luovius and Mood
for Hoop.
Finnish Psy people also travel a lot – you will
meet them in most of the European festivals
and you can’t really miss a Finn in Chapora
in Goa as Finnish people escape the freezing
northern winter to warmer latitudes like
India. Finland still has a small scene, but a
dedicated one. However, many people are
interested in the scene and the music and
the parties gather a lot of audiences these
days. Last summer we saw the biggest
dance floor ever when 10.000 people
stomped in a park in middle of Helsinki to
the tunes of Tristan and RajaRam in a party
produced by Thirteen Production.
The parties are many and especially in the
summertime you can find a party almost
every weekend in most big cities, such as
Helsinki and Tampere. The underground movement is especially strong in the Helsinki
area. At underground parties there is also
techno, drum and bass, dubsteps and other
genres, with Psytrance being the biggest.
The most notorious party organizers at the
moment are People of the Butterflies, Aura,
7th Heaven Lab and Goa in Helsinki and
Futuristics in Tampere, but numerous smaller
collectives and groups arrange gatherings
in the urban underground venues as well as
in the forests.
18
Pic: Photographer unfortunately unknown
Though a small country by population, we
still have 3 different festivals during the
short summer. Kosmos Festival took place
this year for the first time in early June and
will continue next year with their three stages and healing area. Lawatanssit in the end
of June will feature Psy line up and many
old school names from Finland and abroad.
Metsäfestival will take place in July with a
massive international line up.
All in all, Finland has become one of the
Psytrance destinations in the world. But
be warned, this applies only in summer
– Finnish winter is also freezing the party
scene, but not completely, as you can find
cozy cottage parties every now and then
around the Finnish country side in the winter
too, along with numerous club events in city
environments.
WEBSITES
WEBSITES:
hh kosmosfestival.fi
hh www.kosmosfestival.fi
hh lawatanssit.com
hh www.lawatanssit.com
hh metsafestival.fi
hh www.metsafestival.fi
Text:
Inkeri Tähti
facebook.com/johannainkeri
[email protected]
19
NORTH GERMANY – Rebirth, Commercialisation, Fragmentation
Just back from the Psy Experience with a
tan, after last year's deluge it was Caribbean and really nice. Equally good news
from the Hai in den Mai by the Waldfrieden
team which once a small summer startup
has grown to a proper festival. Respect.
There is not much news this year really,
rather it seems to be a year of rebirths as
the remake of the Vuuv and the new New
Healing festivals show (both with new
management). We hope for success. Also
good that the Freqs of Nature festival has
re-established itself and now ranks among
the most beautiful events of the summer.
The experienced Goa fraggle can count on
the tried and tested, for example the Antaris
celebrating proudly its 20th anniversary this
year. We will help partying, you can be sure
about that. The longest-serving party which
has retained its spirit and where the freaks
of the first hour are dancing. Unabated
popularity is enjoyed by festivals as Waldfrieden, Psycrowdelica or the W.W.T. events
(Psy Circus, Indian Spirit) too. Not to forget
festivals which apart form many other
musical styles keep the Goa flag up. On top,
of course, the Fusion always proofing to be
the lucky pull, from the ticket raffle alone
or the Bachblueten festival and the Zurück
zu den Wurzeln festival deep in the heart
of Berlin. Let's stay in Berlin because in the
cold season we also want to get bass-ed.
Besides heaps of commercial piss-take Goas
featuring expensive entry and tacky lineup
there are interesting locations as well as
20
the well-known KitKat Club, the M-Bia, the
Malzfabrik or the M.I.K.Z, where you can
enjoy great parties again and again. The
yearly highlight on Psylvester, the Odyssee,
probably THE new year party in Germany
one really should visit.
In good old Hamburg apart form the Juice
Club, still run by OV Silence, the Catonium
commends itself as as permanent location.
Good organiser teams are e.g. the Elbelfen
and the Psy Spirits Team: the Spirit of
Moksha was grand. Of course, I cannot
mention all well-known and good people
here, the list would be endless, sorry. The
same 'not much of news' applies to the
north German hinterland: at Lueneburg,
Frank with his Holographic Universe parties
still does well and the Garage is still under
construction after danger of collapse. Kiel
remains firmly in hand of Johan and Baum.
At Luebeck Traumwelten are called for and
at Bremen Leon swings the ceptre with his
Hundertmorgenwald. Also, the Ding Kollektiv makes itself heard. Too bad that many
Goa organisers would rather go commercial
than mind spirit and good lineup. The
continual fragmentation of the scene really
makes me sad. In the old days, everyone
danced to good
Psychedelic Circus 2014 – pic: Akisutra Projekt
Behind the first impression of nothing new in the north you become aware of beautiful events,
a 20th anniversary and unabated popularity, but also fragmentation
WEBSITES
hh mushroom-magazine.com
hh goabase.net
hh psyshop.com
hh antaris-project.de
hh vuuvfestival.de
hh wald-frieden.de
hh psytraveller.net
hh chaishop.com
hh interzone-pa.com
hh wald-frieden.de
Text: Chaotix
facebook.com/marc.chaotix
hh antaris-projekt.de
21
VUUV FESTIVAL – Rebirth of a legend
VuuV is back! After a well-deserved
creative break, Germany’s oldest Psytrance
festival celebrates its glorious rebirth,
featuring all we love and more: an amazing opening to cheer the cream of the
international Psytrance scene, lit up by the
legendary VuuV laser-show, a state-ofthe-art soundsystem to blow you to bliss,
the world’s most exciting artists of light,
fire and music doing their magic – and of
course YOU there on the dance floor to
celebrate with us!
Combining fresh ideas and beloved
traditions, they will elevate the VuuV to
yet another quality level. With their new
decoration concept for the festival site,
the days will be just as magical as the
nights – so better expect to walk around
four nights and days with a big grin on
your face and a sparkle in your eyes. We
can’t wait!
LET’S VUUV TOGETHER.
vuuvfestival.de
facebook.com/vuuvfestival.de
facebook.com/
events/729268270418406
Pic: Heribert Seeger, Licht & Schatten
SHOPS NORTH GERMANY
22
hh Handelsturm
Thai-/ Chillkissen & more
Fashion, Eso Living
www.handelsturm.de
hh Bong Bong
22525 Hamburg
Kieler Str. 563c
040-67381508
Head, Glasbläserei
hh Der Acker Growshop
12277 Berlin
Großbeerenstr. 171
www.der-acker.de
Head & Grow
hh Om Shankari
22765 Hamburg
Hahnenkamp 12
040-3903847
Fash, Head, Jewel
hh Scorpio Headshop
41061 Mönchengladbach
Bismarckstraße 19
02161 / 2940420
Head, Piercing
www.scorpio-shop.de
hh Absinth Depot Berlin
10178 Berlin
Weinmeisterstraße 4
030-2816789
Absinth
hh Udopea Headshop
20357 Hmburg
Schanzenstr.95
www.udopea-hamburg.de
Grow, Smart, Head, Herbs
hh The Headshop
40213 Düsseldorf
Burgplatz 2-3
01211-8549003
Headshop, Schmuck
hh Kaya Growshop
10437 Berlin
Schliemannstr. 22
+49 (0) 30 4478677
Grow, Head
hh Günstiger Headshop
31135 Hildesheim
Roonstr. 1
www.smoketown.de
Head
hh THC Headshop
01099 Dresden
Alaunstr. 43
www.thc-mfg.de
hh EasyGoing
35745 Herborn
Westerwaldstraße 4
www.headshop-easygoing.de
FESTIVAL A-Z
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23
SOUTH GERMANY – a blossoming scene targeting global sound
It all started back in the mid-90s: Influenced by the first full moon gatherings in Switzerland,
promoters such as Legende or Druidenzirkel started the Goatrance movement in the South. DJs
like Cosmix or Matthias were among the first ones who gained international reputation, uniting
Trancers throughout the region. Munich became an international centre of the movement in the
mid-90s when Natraj Temple, South Germany’s first Psytrance club, opened.
Pic: Boom Shankar
This was the place where SchmoX family
was founded, still one of the biggest promoters and deco teams in the South. Around
Stuttgart, the Goa Noah open airs used to
be the biggest back in the days, as well as
the Gathering of the Tribes in Frankfurt. Also
there were countless underground events
in the Black Forest, in caves or on the hills
of the Allgäu, around the lake of Constance
(Bodensee) or in old castles around Heidelberg. Nowadays, the scene is blossoming
WEBSITES
hh sangomarecords.com
hh schmox-family.de
hh villanachttanz.de
hh gotec-club.de
hh facebook.com/AliceImWummerland
hh facebook.com/sangomarecords
hh facebook.com/kannibalenmassaker
24
with dozens of parties every weekend, from
Psytrance to Progressive to Dark and Forest,
sometimes easy to find, sometimes more
hidden as fully underground. The hotspots
are Heidelberg and Mannheim, the Bodensee region with Constance or Ravensburg,
Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Freiburg, Munich in
Bavaria and Frankfurt or Darmstadt in Hessia. Promoterwise, SchmoX Family, I.B.W.,
Weltenbummler, Freshbeatz and Alice D in
Munich and Bavaria, Jesus Raves and Harlequins in the Heidelberg area and BMSS
throughout Baden Wuerttemberg and the
whole region or, if you head further North,
Marburg Virus or Bohemica in Hessia, are
the ones throwing the most known events
in the South. The Kannibalen Massaker is one
of the best known festivals in Bavaria, which
used to combine Trance with World and Alternative music, but nowadays consists of
two festivals: the Kannibalen Massaker and
the World Music Festival. In addition, the
Psychedelic Happiness Festival in Bavaria is
worth mentioning as the organizers party for
a cause: usually all income is donated to social projects, showing that Psytrance is more
than just a hedonistic lifestyle. Alice in Wummerland in Mannheim is becoming one of
the biggest parties throughout the year with
more than 2000 people attending each edition. This party series takes place twice a year
in the MS Connexion and has hosted all big
and small artists you can imagine, guaranteeing the perfect reflection of all our scenes
trends. Speaking of clubs or regular venues,
the Villa Nachttanz in Heidelberg or the Gotec in Karlsruhe are locations worth checking
out! Label-wise, BMSS Records and Sangoma Records are on the forefront of releasing
music from a wide spectrum of psychedelic
sub-genres, achieving a deep impact on the
global sound. Regarding producers, Datacult,
Android Spirit, Ioshua, Atma, Sequoya, Frechbax, Zeamon, Ri-Moticon or Sonic Tickle are
well known, but there is no South-German
Sound yet such as e.g. Hamburg with its offbeat sound. There is a big Psytrance output
via DJs such as Daksinamurti, Boom Shankar,
Alexsoph, Sgary, Saltaux, Padawan, Takttrauma or Tamasukra and Marco Scherer, Fohat,
Psypha, Flo Phone, Cosmix, Okin Shah or
Anam Fio are well known for their Progressive sound. There is also a big Dark community
clustered around Munich with Joshi or Mutaro. On the other hand, Stargazer, Zeitteiler,
Yoachim Augenstern, Minimus and Diadora
are well known for their exquisite Chill Out
sets. Regarding decorations, Noffi Art, SchmoX, Jamas or Freshbeatz are heavily booked
throughout the year and visual artists such
as Vjane Juladi or Sumishii Aran are quite
active with full 3D-mapping, interactive installations and stunning performances.
The legal situation regarding drugs is still
very strict, so make sure you don’t drive under the influence of any substance as controls before and after parties are very common. The police has the right to make sweat
tests if they have any doubts you might be
sober, so watch out! In clubs, security usually
checks for age and for any illegal substances.
In case you haven’t been partying in South
Germany - now is the time! The landscapes
are astonishing, the climate very warm, the
families united and our food (and the beer!)
is as well supayummy!
Text: Boom Shankar
facebook.com/DjBoomShankarBMSS
www.BMSS.eu
www.soundcloud.com/
boomshankar-bmssrecords
SHOPS SOUTH GERMANY
hh Grow-Bonn
53111 Bonn
Franzstraße 37
www.grow-bonn.de
Grow
hh ProGrow
58455 Witten
Cörmannstraße 25
02302/1799995
Urban Gardening
hh Near Dark Gmbh
53773 Hennef (Sieg)
Bonnerstr. 11a
02242874160
head/grow wholesale
www.neardark.de
Pic: Boom Shankar
hh BONG Head- & Growshop
60594 Frankfurt
Elisabethenstr. 21
069-624242
Head, Grow, Smart, Shisha
www.bong-headshop.de
hh Neutral
60311 Frankfurt/Main
Fahrgasse 97
069-59609591
Head, Smart, Grow, Shisha
www.neutral-ffm.net
[email protected]
hh New Asia Headshop
68159 Mannheim, F1, 10
www.new-asia-headshop.de
Head,Shishas,Absinth
hh Planet Blunt
76646 Bruchsal
Wilderichstr.13-21
planet-blunt.de
Head- & Growshop
hh Holzkopf
90403 Nürnberg
Albrecht Dürer Str. 35
0911 - 2857000
Spiel, Jonglier, Eso
[email protected]
Head, Grow
hh Grashüpfer
97493 Bergrheinfeld
Hauptstr. 69
Textildruck, Head, Grow
www.grashuepfer.eu
25
WONDERLAND – with freshly detailed infrastructure
21.-24.08.2014 – Waldfrieden, Stemwede-Wehdem – Germany
Wonderland is a well-established name of the European festival summer – however, this year’s
program stirs excitement even amongst long-standing fans.
When the Waldfrieden Wonderland lineup
was published some months ago, longstanding fans and newbies agreed: This
is special – and it’s gonna be huge! Have
a peek at the music program yourself…
Apart from a great variety of sound, reaching from deep and driving Psytrance to
Progressive in all its shades plus some delicious Techno acts, there is a whole world
to explore beyond the dance floor. As the
central part of the festival location is owned
by the Waldfrieden crew, they have much
more possibilities to create a great infrastructure than events that are constructed
26
within a few weeks. For instance, there’s
now a beautiful Healing Area at Wonderland which offers yoga, shamanic excursions to inner space, reiki massages, and
sweat lodges. Another notable novelty is
the hammock Chill Out tent by Eureka where you can experience the laid-back side of
Wonderland. The small but very exclusive
shopping area in the valley offers a range
of organic foods, clothes, jewelry… and
even a hairdresser for the most daring party
heads! The promoters keep up the good, old
‘fresh fruits for free’ tradition and promised
that dressed-up visitors will receive a little
present. Apparently it’s all about the details
this year: Surprise performances have been
announced just like free hot showers for
the festival guests.
Wonderland supports arrival via public transport, the closest train stations are Lemförde
and Rahden, each connecting to the main
travel routes. From Thursday a free shuttle
bus will pick you up and bring you to the festival. Early arrival is definitely worth it as the
official warm-up party starts at 6PM!
www.wald-frieden.de
27
NEW HEALING FESTIVAL – Authentic Energies
25. - 31.08.2014 – Preddöhl/Prognitz – Germany
The NEW HEALING FESTVIAL offers its visitors a unique mix of topics, ranges of experience
and a sound-musical programme way beyond the commercial ambitions of the tran(c)sformationindustry.
It is about vibrations and has been since
the beginning of time. The big question is,
what has this got to do with us ? What are
we and primarily why are we here?
By all means we are here to love us and
our potential; to realize our own vibration. Looking through history shows that
we are on an explorer's voyage at each
given time towards new lands; towards
new lifeforms and new experiences. Therein nature supports us with her treasures, her presents but also with permanent
impulses.
Occasionally quantum leaps happen only
because through considerable and extensive input of courage and willingness to
risik as well as: through the application of
special methods.
The psychedelic party culture knows of
these secrets at least some of the original
party pioneers knew about the mystery
of Elysium and you still find significant
traces of this genuine metaknowledge to
the left and right of the since then welltrodden paths of the habitual user.
In the meantime the times have changed
dramatically. Everyone faces new challenges which also call for new ideas, methods, ways, but above all: new decisions.
The NEW HEALING FESTVIAL offers its
visitors a unique mix of topics, ranges of
experience and a sound-musical program28
me way beyond the commercial ambitions
of the tran(c)sformation-industry.
A competence team of experienced and
motivated light, sound, and love warriors
collects many authentic beings and targets specifically those who are carried and
and inspired by a clear vision of peaceful
and friendly communal together; those
activists and enthusiastic ghost souls who
know how to set sustainable and valuable
impulses for the general good.
The programme of the NEW HEALING
FESTVIAL presents the best, most innovative, most authentic energies; embedded
in a modern stone circle-monument of galactic harmony. Become part of this new
movement of the Neo New Age and discover your path towards your cosmic home.
www.newhealing.de
29
GREECE – many new talents and upcoming Djs
Since 1991-92, Psytrance parties have always been around, popping out the golden years of 1993 2000. Then the years of glorious Samothraki Dance Festival arrived between 2001 and 2003, when
over 30.000 people, from 80+ nationalities gathered on Samothraki island to celebrate the start of
the international outdoor festivals' era in Greece and the birth of a festival that left a mark on the
global psychedelic community's consciousness, as one of the best events of its kind.
Pic: Labis La, facebook.com/LabisLaPhotographer
In the coming years (2004 - 2012) only few
festivals managed to attain international
status and establish a name in Greece too.
Surely Butterfly Festival (2005 - 2007) and
Aurora Festival (2008 - 2012) were two of
them, inviting many artists to each edition
and attracting thousands of people. Amorphia came back in 2010 and since then, they
blast Greece with monthly events! Presenting classic & headlining artists but also
many new talents and upcoming djs. Amorphia was the one team that re-presented
the massive decoration concept at parties,
inviting Flowers of Life, Vortex, BOTN and
others, to create an amazing atmosphere!
Amorphia organize some of the biggest
events in Greece at the moment. The newest and most promising Greek Festival
is Free Earth Festival, to be presented for
the second time from 14–18 August 2014.
The festival is a joint venture of Amorphia
30
& Akida and with the support of many
international festivals, crews, labels and
agencies. 2014 festivals of Greece are:
Earthdrop on July, Free Earth & PLUR &
Seil Mountain Gathering – all 3 in August!
The sounds played nowadays in Greek
parties are mostly day time psychedelic
Trance ("Fullon") & night time psychedelic
trance ("Forest"). I don't like categorizing,
Trance for me is one and united and different forms are good for different times!
Afternoon Trance ("Progressive") has also
a part in the scene, mostly in Thessaloniki
parties but recently also in Athens. Some
of the most important artists and djs of the
Greek Trance scene are (in random order):
Doc, Orestis, Archaic, Rideen, Conwerter Zik,
Kulu, Dr Sammy, Ordo Ab Chao, Dark elf, Full
Face, Hi Profile, Krama, Mindphaser, Teo. The
best deco teams of Greece are BOTN based
in Thessaloniki and Nikoxil based in Athens.
WEBSITES
hh amorphia.gr
hh facebook.com/ItThePlace
hh cropcircle.gr
hh flyingagaric.com
hh no-more.gr
hh psyshopdruid.blogspot.com
hh amorphia.gr
hh midiradio.net
hh diceradio.gr
hh facebook.com/Travellers.
FestivalGuide
Text:
akidapromo.net/
facebook.com/mikeakida
SELI MOUNTAIN GATHERING – A new era of festival in Greece
27. – 31.08. – Seli Ski Resort – Greece
1500m height, more than 100 artists in 5 days & 6 nights in the North of Greece, including a massive amount of features & facilities never seen before in the country’s history after Samothraki!
Movement Recordings & Movement
Dark Roasted, the main edm labels
responsible for the major trance,
techno & house events in the North,
present SMG, a very unique and
non-commercial gathering, meant to
be an opportunity to wave good-bye
to summer and welcome the coming
indoor season with all artists having
contributed to the previous one together with new add ons from artists
sharing the same ideas trying to raise
the scene & provide a never-seen
before organization in Greece.
At the foothills of Vermio, you come
across Veroia, the capital city of the
regional unit of Imathia. It’s about
14mi/24km far from the ski centre.
It’s a place full of historical and archeological sites and with Byzantine
churches, looking really impressive.
The National Ski Center of Seli is the
second largest in Greece and one
of the best-organized. It is situated
at the southwest part of Vermio in
1500–1900 m height. Seli is a very
cosmopolitan ski center and attracts
thousands of visitors from all over
Greece. It is 95 km far from Thessaloniki, 24 km from Veria, 20 km from
Naoussa and 74 km from Kozani.
Visitors from Athens & Thessaloniki
have the chance to come to ‘SMG’
via shuttles departing from Athens &
Thessaloniki and returning back at the
end of the event. Minibuses will be
also available from the center of Veria
city for transporting people to the Seli
Mountain Gathering. For visitors from
abroad, in collaboration with Filippidis Travel Agency & Ticket4All.gr we
have a very special offer. All foreign
visitors can contact info@ticket4all.
gr via email to book their trips with
free ground transportation from SKG
Makedonia Airport in Thessaloniki to
Seli Mountain Gathering! For visitors
arriving by car, local authorities &
municipality of Veria will provide
road-signs & assistance for easier
routes to the mountain!
SMG opens its doors for campers on
the 25th, music starts on the 26th,
and the official opening is on the
27th, let's you get introduced to the
new location. The SMG program which
starts on the 27th and runs till the end
featuring Chill Out, Ambient & Dub,
with Yoga to Prog Trance for noon &
Psy/Forest after midnight together
with showcases of dance, juggling &
more. SMG encourages everyone to
come prepared with 'enhanced' costumes - while during the SMG organized
catering, café/bar, chaishop/Healing
Area are offered 24/7.
A special market/expo road will be
featured next to the Main Stage,
where all visitors are able to have a
taste of talent/skills, art creations &
showcases of local & international
artists & designers, from clothing to
jewelry, hair styling & make-up art,
alternative art forms & healing Yoga/
Reiki! Do not miss the chance to visit
the extreme playground area of Seli
Mountain Gathering, that gives the
chance to all extreme sport lovers
to enjoy mountain biking & hiking,
paintball, archery, climbing & a
variety of special activities!
Hot showers & WC units will be
available in all areas of SMG, from
camping area & rooms, to bar/catering & market. A huge parking lot
will be available also for all visitors
arriving with cars. Fully-organized
catering, café & bar will be available with all kinds of coffee, snacks,
finger-food, grill, traditional flavours
as well as exotic cuisine will be provided to all the visitors! For the best
possible care & safety of all visitors,
crew & artists, in collaboration with
Tsiflidis Security, a huge team of
security will be ‘online’ 24/7 in ALL
areas of SMG as well as the national
rescue team & the Red Cross, for a
unique experience in Greece! 3733
Special Deco, installations VJ &
mapping by: Looney Moon (IT), Delta
Process (IT), BOTN Team (GR)
selimountaingathering.
movement-recordings.net
31
RW
AY
NO
MA
RK
DE
N
19:
Psy-Fi
Festival
S
12: V
16:
05: A
02: Freq
GIU
BEL
GER
MAN
Y
UP
TE
A
D
IRE
LAND
NET
HER
LAN
D
FESTIVAL MAP
2014
UNITED KINGDOM
07:
Midnight Sun
CZ
M
FRA
NCE
15:
Hai in den Mai
Wonderland
AI
N
SP
TUG
POR
32
07:
Midnight Sun
The Festival Maps list big international festivals which are presented
from mushroom magazine and make no claims of being complete.
04:
Life Celebration
Festival
O
SL
13:
Blackmoon
Festival
LY
11:
Boom Festival
14:
Hadra Festival
AUS
ITA
AL
SWITZ
ERLAND
17:
Sonica
Festival
AUGUST
E DE
N
JUNE
01 Tree Of Life
11 BOOM Festival
JULY
12 VUUV Festival
18.-25.6. • Izmir, Turkey
electreelife.com
SW
ESTONIA
4.-11.8. • Id.-A-Nova, Portugal
boomfestival.org
7.-10.8. • North-East-Germany
vuuvfestival.de
02 Freqs Of Nature
3.-8.7. • Niedergörsdorf, DE
freqsofnature.de
LATVIA
13 Blackmoon Festival
20.-24.8. • Italy
blackmoonfestival.com
03 Spirit Base
LITHUANIA
3.-6.7. • Rajka, Hungary
spirit-base.at
S
U
R
14 Hadra Festival
21.-24.8. • French Alps
hadra.net
04 Life Celebration
POL B
AND
ZEC
H
UKRAINE
10.-14.7. • Pula, Croatia
lifecelebrationfestival.com
ELA
Y
VUUV Festival
New Healing Festival
Antaris Project
qs Of Nature
15 Wonderland
22.-24.08. • Stemwede, DE
wald-frieden.de
05 Antaris Project
11.-14.07. • Stölln, Germany
antaris-project.de
16 New Healing Festival
25.-31.8. • Preddöhl, Germany
facebook.com/newhealingfestival
06 Ayata Festival
17.-21.7. • Turkey
ayatafestival.com
17 Sonica Festival
28.-31.08. • Italy
sonica-dance-festival.eu
07 Midnight Sun
16.-22.7. • Vaeroy, Norway
midnightsunfestival.net
08: F.L.O.W. Festival
ROM
ANIA
OZORA Festival
CROATIA
IA
SN
INA
BO D
AN EGOV
RZ
HE
MONTE
NE-
27.08. - 31.08. • Greece
facebook.com/
selimountaingathering
09 S.U.N. Festival
19 Psy-Fi Festival
10 O.Z.O.R.A. Festival
20 Beat Patrol
22.-27.7. • Hungary
sunfestival.info
28.08. - 02.09. • Netherlands
psy-fi.nl
29.7.-3.8. • Ozora, Hungary
ozorafestival.eu
BULG
MACE ARIA
DONIA
GREECE
18:
Mountain
Gathering
01:
Tree Of Lfe
30.08. • Austria
beatpatrol.at
TUR
KEY
HU 10:
SERBIAALBANIA
OV
E
NIA
17.-20.7. • Wiener Neustadt, AT
www.flow-festival.at
VA
Y09:
S Beat Patrol GASUNRFestival
N
18 Mountain Gathering
08 F.L.O.W.
MOLDO
T20:RIA
SLOV
03: Spirit Base
AKIA
06:
Ayata Festival
33
HUNGARY – change had positive effects on Hungarian scene
Although the international breakthrough ties it to the 1999 Solipse, Goatrance was already present
in Hungary next to techno, acid and house in ‘93-’94
It was mainly thanks to OLEG (Deepsmile /
S.U.N. Festival), LAKI LU (Cinetrip / Skylab),
KENGURU and JIRZIJ (Psybaba Records) and
their enthusiasm and dedication to the style
that the first parties were organized and taken
to exceptional places like the Neo-baroque
Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, the largest medicinal bath in Europe or the
10,000 capacity Danube Beach dating back
to 1938, Budapest’s trendiest disco club or a
several hundred year old Buda crypt.
The open-air parties started spreading in the
second half of the 90's: from spring to autumn more and more outdoor gatherings took
place in the wilderness, in scenic environment,
mainly by a lake (Dunavarsány)
or on the banks of a river (Halásztelek), to
mention just two legendary ones.
And while essentially the biggest artists came
to pay their respects at Hungarian Psytrance
events, the local scene also bore its own top
guns like AURAFOOD, KALUMET, IRGUM BURGUM, TRIPPY HIPPIES, PARA HALU, INSECTOR
or CHROMATIC.
These are the foundations O.Z.O.R.A. Festival
began on, proving to be a landmark in the life
of the Hungarian Psytrance scene stepping
out into international limelight. One of the
unique features of the gathering is given by
WEBSITES
hh y-production.org
hh facebook.com/pages/PsyBaBaRecords/51669858055
hh facebook.com/Avatar.Events
hh goa.hu
hh facebook.com/deeprogevents
hh facebook.com/FutureTribeBookingAgency
hh facebook.com/theproblemchildren
hh records.vmind.net
hh facebook.com/
groups/114209892085821/
hh facebook.com/pages/V%
C3%A9greP%C3%A9nt
ek/162173882907
34
the location itself, which is a space that continually, with each new year, keeps evolving,
growing with long-lasting structures and installations where today some of the most
singular lectures, theatre and circus performances, movement and healing courses are
held and the ever-expanding visionary art
exhibitions colour the powerful Psytrance/
Fullon sounds.
And though many felt sad when the organizers went their separate ways, the debut
of the S.U.N. Festival last year, organized by
the team leaving Ozora, made it clear that
the change definitely ad a positive effect on
the Hungarian scene.
Considering that the two festivals follow
each other, and because of the contrast
between them - think of the mainly progressive-based line-up and more Oldschool
styles of the gathering characteristic of the
S.U.N. team - they complement one another.
An addition to the extensive local offer is
also the Inner Waves Festival (earlier Inner
Sanctum) organized in mid-July, mainly moving along the Dark Forest strand, while its
4.49 strength lies not only in the amazing
surroundings but also in the outstanding
Hungarian performers.
Naturally, as in many other places around
the world before, two years ago Hungary
also saw the number of psytravellers and
festivalgoers reach a critical mass and the
scene, which had been entirely
underground until then, suddenly experienced a stupefied reaction by society and
the authorities when faced with such an
unknown phenomenon. Luckily however,
following the 2012 power-demonstration,
the Hungarian police only conducted
traffic stops and identification checks last
summer — It’s important to note here that
Hungary has one of the strictest drug laws
in the EU and driving under the influence
of alcohol is also handled with zero tolerance by the authorities. Naturally, it’s
not just during festival season that you
should visit the country since there are
several parties in the countryside or Budapest every week with international and
local artists organized by the Hungarian
veteran and upcoming labels like Y-Production, Psybaba, AvatarEvents, goa.hu,
Deeprog, Future Tribe, DaBudapest, Visionar Mind, Rf-crew, Thermal Team, VégrePéntek! or Labirythm. As for the gourmets
— we can only say that the famous Budapest ruin pubs have another star next
to the much-loved Hungarian pálinka:
and it’s the carefully home-brewed craft
beers, up to 20 different kinds to choose
from in some pubs.
Text:
Gerely Borbely
facebook.com/olrajtovics
35
O.Z.O.R.A. FESTIVAL – A unique festival experience
29.07. – 03.08.2014 – Dádpuszta, Hungary
O.Z.O.R.A. stands for an exciting festival vibe from another dimension – have a look at the lineup,
it speaks volumes! However, the festival in Hungary is just as popular for all the entertaining and
inspirational stuff going on beyond the dance floor.
O.Z.O.R.A. Festival – Pic: Shahar Ratzenberg, facebook.com/Shaharrzphoto
For instance there is the Chambok House,
a place for intellectual and spiritual input.
Daniel Pinchbeck, Graham St. John, Olivier
Bernard, Damarhur Tigrilla and Raja Ram
have been announced for this year, among
many other artists, musicians and activists.
The daily round table talks, which proved to
be very popular last year, will continue this
summer. Another area is the Dragon Agora,
a part of the festival that is spectacular only
for its architectural beauty. The wooden
Dragon has grown, and it accommodates
yet another house: The ARTibarn. The
name speaks for itself, as the place will
accommodate many workshops like
glass-blowing, body-painting, board games,
textile, ceramics, and re-art. Speaking of
art: The Art Gallery is another essential part
of O.Z.O.R.A. The large exhibition area is
crowned by the Tower of Visionary Art, a
structure that symbolizes the colorfulness
of the visual culture of the scene and trans36
forms it into a psychedelic playground
experience. Besides many great works
from psychedelic and visionary artists
the Art Gallery presents live painting,
workshops and lectures with Android
Jones, Ihti Anderson, Pap Norbert, The
Vienna Academy of Visionary Art, Jake
Kobrin, Emma Watkinson, Subliqida, Lele
Cosmo and Tony Cuboliquido, Biosand
and many others. Performance art and
acrobatics are represented by more than
100 international circus artists who shall
deliver a continuous spectacle. Last but
not least O.Z.O.R.A. makes significant
progress towards sustainability this year.
More than 400 green outdoor toilets will
be built on the festival site, replacing the
portable ones used previously - and the
transport of them, as they had to be replaced twice a day which resulted in a lot
of CO2 pollution. The advantage of these
facilities is that they do not need to be
emptied and, based on rough estimates,
80% of the waste can be used to fertilize
the fields around the festival later on.
Sounds exciting? Tickets are still available
on O.Z.O.R.A.’s beautiful website, as well
as via hadra.net and, for UK folks, on accessallareas.org – Arrival via public transport is easy and comfortable, as the crew
organized extra coaches for the train
from Budapest to Simontornya. It departs
from Déli Pályaudvar (Southern Railway
Station) and usually stops at Kelenföld
Railway Station in Budapest. From
Simontornya there are shuttle busses for
around 3 Euro. Of course there’s also a
shuttle from Budapest airport, a shuttle
from Italy and busses going straight to
Lost Theory when O.Z.O.R.A. has finished
– check it out on the website!
www.ozorafestival.eu
37
INDIA – Psy Scene on a real smooth high
If countries had assigned personalities, then India would suffer from multiple-personality disorder,
but not of the negative kind. Rather, the many faces of this country mesmerize the souls that visit.
For the wise traveller, who knows which places to explore and which ones to avoid, a trip to India
can be an esoteric experience facilitating mental expansion.
Goa was the drop that started the flood of
psychedelic music. The first hippies arrived in
the 60’s, bringing with them rock music, and
Eight-Finger-Eddie helped light the torch of
the hippie parties. The 80’s saw the shift to
the electronic genre and with the influence of
artists such as Goa Gil, the 90’s witnessed the
birth and the rapid spread of Goa Trance. In the
2000’s authorities imposed a ban on outdoor
music after 10 p. m. and last year there was
another serious crackdown on outdoor parties
and bars in Goa. This lead to a rise in the
number of silent parties, where the party-goers
wear headphones to bypass local laws...when
there’s a will, there’s a way.
Although EDM remains the genre that is
played and preferred by a majority of the
population, there’s been an increase in the
number of native Psytrance artists. Spinal Fusion, the head of Profund Records, is one of the
top Psytrance Djs. There’s also Karma Konnect,
who owns Shivlinks Records. He’s performed at
the Full Moon Festival, as well as the Solstice
Festival. Abduction Investigator is a project
that’s being pushed by two artists, who’re are
ARTISTS
hh Psycho baba
LABELS
hh Blue Moon Records
PARTIES & FESTIVALS
hh Beyond Spirit Festival, Shiva
Squad Festival, Mountain
Madness
PARTIES & FESTIVALS
hh www.whatsupgoa.com
hh www.mypartytravels.com/india/
goa-beach-parties
hh www.festivalsherpa.com
hh www.bluefrog.co.in
hh www.facebook.com/ArudraFestival
38
attempting to use psychedelic music to activate chakras and assist inter-dimensional travel.
Then there’s Terra Moto, an internationally
renowned producer in darkpsy.
At the moment, the Indian Psy-scene is on a
real smooth high. Sphongle’s Simon Posford
aka Hallucinogen kicked off Twisted Records
India tour early in the year. Agartha Records
Label Promo Tour 2014 had Crazy Astronaut
doing a five city tour in February.
A slew of festivals just happened; there was
the first edition of the Himalayan Music
Festival, held near Dharamshala. This was
followed by the Cokabana Teknival Festival,
held in Kasol, which is known as the Mecca
for those who care for pot and tokes. Next
came the Kundalini Festival, set in the exotic
hills of Manali; if there was one festival you
should have attended, then this was the one.
Parvati Peaking, held in the Parvati Valley aka
the Amsterdam of India, is considered to be
the mother of Psytrance festivals. One thing for
sure, one does not go to the Parvati Valley for
the natural beauty, if Malana Cream, rings a
bell, then you’ll have understood.
This year, the good party folk of Delhi, have put
on their Psytrance dancing shoes, since there’s
a Psytrance gig every alternative weekend.
Progressive-psy is ruling the roost. Neelix will
be playing at the famous Blue Frog in Delhi
and Mumbai. And there’ll be a pre-party at
Haus Khaus Village featuring GMS & MAD
MAXX. Pebble- The Jungle Lounge in Bangalore, has attracted Raja Ram, Sesto Sento and
Avalon, to name a few. Pune has a number of
clubs such as One Lounge and, Stone Water
Grill which hosts incredible Psy-parties.
To experience the best side of Goa, start booking tickets for October. Visit Hilltop, an open
air location which turns into a mini-utopia
when the music’s playing. Club Westend is
another cannot-miss hangout. Anjuna, is lined
with quaint beach shacks that play Psytrance
all day, every day. Shacks such as Curly’s, Hippies, Sonix and UV Bar are very popular. Unlike
in most parts of India, in Goa shacks, one can
pull out one’s joint and smoke. No one will
flinch, and if you run out of the ‘smokables’,
ask the waiters, they’ll hook you up with your
heart’s desires. By December, the party scene
is in full bloom, so visit the Sunburn Festival,
which celebrates a range of musical genres. If
you want to explore the less commercial side
of Goa, go to the south side which has sublime
beaches such as Palolem..
Text:
Penelope Mohini
edit by mushroom magazine
[email protected]
ITALY – from a long story, changes over the years
From mid 90s Goa Trance music and events have started spreading.
Definitely the most important and the oldest
music project is ETNICA and PLEIADIANS
both formed by Italian duo Max Lanfranconi
and Maurizio Begotti from Milan. They have
been spending most of their lives on Ibiza
(Spain). They have been producing quality
Psytrance for about 20 years and playing on
tours at every corner of the world. They are
even today considered one of the best live
projects in the global scene.
Nowadays the most talented and famous
Italian projects are ILAI for full-on psytrance,
HYPOGEO for dark-progressive and ELEGY for
pure progressive psy style and some others
projects. These young artists have beed launched by various crews, that over the years
have built up some of the greatest parties.
Today some of the active crews are QUARION
TRIBE, NAC, DIFFERENT REALITY, MONKEYSEXPLOSION, BELIEVE, GOA PROJ., FREESPIRIT,
EUDAIMONIA, PSYFLY and others.
Regarding music production, some
important labels have been born and the
best known are NEUROBIOTIC, MAGMA,
PIXAN, VELENO, LOONEYMOON, MMH,
BLUEHOUR, MENTALDROP and more.
As far as events/festivals are concerned,
worth mentioning are BLACKMOON,
SONICA, HUMAN EVOLUTION, SUMMER
CELEBRATION, GOALAND.
It can be surely stated that the Psytrance
scene in Italy is in continued evolution
and there are often projects coming in and
going out.
Text:
Marco Novelli
DJ / Producer /
Event Organizer
[email protected]
39
IRELAND – the people tend to gravitate towards deeper styles
The Emerald Isle can truly be described as a jewel in the crown of Western Europe. Rolling hills, lush
green forests and miles of breath-taking coastline make it an ideal setting for psychedelic shenanigans. Arguably one of the greatest assets in Ireland is its people, who within the realm of Psytrance
tend to gravitate towards deeper styles and away from the more obvious, commercial choices.
This manifests with bookings like Fagin’s Reject,
Southwild and Giuseppe featuring at any number
of the legal and “semi-legal” events organised
across the country. 3 am curfews in clubs have
driven the scene underground in two distinct
ways. Promoters will often host big name internationals in a legally sanctioned club environment
but arrange a private after-party for friends (old
and new) and family. The preference, however,
is to hold mini-festivals and bespoke events in
remote countryside locations; this is where the
magic of the Irish Psytrance scene can be enjoyed
to the fullest.
A good example of this ethos can be found on
a visit down south, where EARTHSTAR GATHERINGS not only host regular club nights in Cork
city, but also the excellent Dream Gathering
festivals which incorporate the scenic nature
and free spirit that best encapsulates the Irish
scene. Northern Ireland is left to the very capable hands of Lah Narrad and his TONGUE ON
THE ROOF crew, who host some of the most laid
back, tripped out and enjoyable parties on offer
anywhere in the country. With a huge emphasis
on quality music and friendly vibes, these are a
must for any psychedelic traveller! And a trip to
the west of Ireland would not be complete without paying PLANT a visit at one of their truly
magical events, such as Psychedelic Samhain or
40
Sundown Gathering.These events, though underground, are completely accessible in very special
locations away from prying eyes. Promoters such
as NEUTRONYX, PTCONNECTION, and SPUD
have all built solid reputations in the capital city,
Dublin, where on any given weekend you might
enjoy world class events featuring top local and
international talents.
Dublin based label SUBSYSTEM RECORDS is a
great illustration of an Irish entity that has extended its reach beyond local shores. SUBSYSTEM
RECORDS has enjoyed global success with releases from artists such as Gaspard, Kabayun, Illegal
Machines and Occular.
Psytrance culture has been firmly established in
the Irish music community for well over a decade
via household names like LIFE FESTIVAL and TRIPLAG MUSIC. More recently however, we have
seen a resurgence of activity though newcomers
like MISTIQUE DÉCOR, MAKLANAKA ART and
GALACTIC GROOVE RECORDS, all of whom are
representing psychedelic media in a world-class
fashion. This weaving together of both new and
established threads, bundled with an uplift in the
Irish economy, cheap European flights, excellent
internal transport links, and amazing food (and
drinks!) all make Ireland a very exciting place
to visit and one that should feature highly on
anybody’s list of psychedelic destinations!
WEBSITES
hh life-festival.com
hh subsystemrecords.com
hh earthstargatherings.com
hh triplag.com
hh Producers: Astara, Bionic,
Dogarian, Hanuman, Harmonic
Frequency, Jocid, Kriya,Liftshift,
ReBoot, Supergroover, Tulpa,
Whrikk
hh DJ's: Ainur, Anand, Annunaki,
Anti Shanti, Backflash, Bart,
Darzid, Dogo, EDS, Fatcat DePousse, Fluffy, Gnome, Jiggi, Kalanarmada, LSDave, ManDraQ,
McManus, Mart Fader, Nilezz,
Oczean, Polo, Polzitiv, Psylatino,
Psychonotik, Riches, Saaf, Satyr,
Shaggedelic, Shawnodese, Tila,
Viris, Wichuri, Z and Zen.
hh Labels: Boom Records, Psyde
Effect Records, Ozmali Records,
Retroshaman Records, Sourcecode Transmissions
Text: Jon Subsaharan
soundcloud.com/
subsaharan
facebook.com/subsaharan
ISRAEL – State Of Trance
For more than a decade Israel has been one of the main destinations for Trance music. All ads in
the state for this music started around the mid 90s.
Since then Trance started getting more and
more conscious party-goers who wanted to
experience the 24 hours of constant rate.
From distributing flyers to directions by
phone-voicemails to the Internet age, the
scene has undergone a process of development and awareness into the 2000's. Today,
the Trance Scene is bigger than ever! From
the 24h UnderGround parties of 500-600
people to 3 day Rave with more than 10k
in the middle of the desert or up in the
green North.
Today, Israel is without a doubt the most
spoken target of Trance Music around
the world. If it's by the main productions
known as "Moksha" (S.U.N Festival),
"U.N.I.T.Y Festival", "Groove Attack", "Solaris", "Psilosiva" and by the Underground
projects that keep the pure vibes secretly
and pure.
On the other side, we have a row of artists
that represent the three letters "ISR" on
every event around the globe such as:
Ace Ventura, Captain Hook, Ritmo,
Symbolic,Vibe-Tribe, Freedom Fighters,
Bizarre Contact, Perfect Stranger, X-Noize &
Major 7, Sesto-Sento, on the biggest labels
as well with a huge history behind each
and every one of them.
As far as we can go, we GO !
There are 2 main booking agencies as well,
"Fm-Booking" & "Sonic Booking", their
work has gone way beyond Israel's border.
It's really a FULL HOUSE here :)
But as the time's have changed, so have
the politics around the parties as well.
The POLICE are against our Freedom to
party around Mother Nature's "back yard".
To get a permit for a rave or even a 24h
party is almost impossible, the authorities
have become really really strict about
having Trance parties. And the sad part is
it's getting worse from party to party. Ticket
prices have risen because of these matters,
people are really pissed off but refuse to
understand the organisers that are making
every effort that can be made. Even the
oldest organisers are really struggling to
bring us the High Class events we are used
pic: Doof Festival
to. But as far a I can say from "Behind the
Scenes", we don't need to be worried…
they will NEVER stop :)
The Summer has begun, the HEAT is rising
and we have lot's of beautiful parties on
our way! So if after the European Festival
season you feel a need to visit one last
location to taste the "Israeli-Core" … we
are definitely your next stop!
May we ALL have a wonderful Festival
Season & come back home with memories
for the years to come!
Show Love, respect the Nature, feel the
Vibes & never forget to Smile :)
ARTISTS
hhAstrix, Captain Hook, Perfect
Stranger, Infected Mushroom,
Azax Syndrom, Psysex,
Bizarre Contact, Ace Ventura,
X-Noize, Astral Projection,
Ritmo, Loud, Skazi, Sesto
Sento, Lish, Rocky, Hujaboy,
Ultravoice, Atomic Pulse,
Sub6, Visual Paradox, Yotopia,
System Nipel, Mindwave,
Yahel, Weekend Heroes, Easy
Riders, Yotopia, Aerospace,
Oforia, Shulman and many
more.
FESTIVALS
hh Doof Festival, Satya Festival
WEBSITES
hh www.isratrance.com
Text:
Yonathan
hh www.psytraveller.net/israel
41
NETHERLANDS – Variation is the key
In 2014, Psytrance in The Netherlands has been diversifying, with more crews making events in
various styles of music. You can now find parties with Progressive Psytrance, Dark Prog, Dark Psy,
Forest and even faster styles like Psycore and Hi-Tech. As well, more parties of good quality are
happening across the country.
Pic: Yura Moonlights Photography
A new addition to the international Psychedelic circuit is the Psy-Fi Festival taking
place in August. With an impressive line up,
it promises to include The Netherlands in the
agenda of European festival goers. Another
festival that is traditional is the Solstice Festival at the Ruigoord in June. Also with an
international and local line up, it is one of
the highlights of the year.
Amsterdam has yet another classic open air
made by Bom Voyage on Kingsday in April
(previously Queensday). With foreign and local
artists, this party is a unique gathering that is
still free for all. The same crew also makes club
parties with a varied music program and an eye
for detail in visuals and decoration.
Focused in Progressive Psytrance, Samskara
organizes monthly events for a faithful following at Club Lite in Amsterdam, either on
Sundays or Fridays. More organizations in
Amsterdam are Trance Orient Express giving
monthly parties at the Ruigoord church, DAF
and their famous free outdoor parties, Trancending, Equinox, Namaste, Innervisions
and Hightech Pleasures.
Around the country you have The S-Xperience with big events at Vasim in Nijmegen,
Pyschedelic.FM in Delft, Global Aura in
Eindhoven, 3rd Bit and Progress in Trance in
Leewarden, Twisted Extractions at Baroeg in
42
Rotterdam, Grass Events in Breda, Area 52
in Utrecht, Kosmic Fusion and Shut Up &
Dance in The Hague, Stichting Vrij Feesten
in Hilversum, Psy-Experience and Up Projects in Groningen.
Many people enjoy Progressive and Full
On in The Netherlands, but Dark Psy, Forest and Dark Prog are rapidly becoming
more popular. Other styles that are gaining attention are Psycore and Hi-Tech,
played in the parties made by N2O.
All this musical variety is boosting the
number of local artists. There are new and
known producers: Astara, Bionic, Dogarian,
Hanuman, Harmonic Frequency, Jocid, Kriya,
Liftshift, Odr, Ozmali, ReBoot, Rev, Supergroover, Tulpa, Whrikk and Zen Mechanics.
And several DJ's: Ainur, Anand, Annunaki,
Anti Shanti, Back to Mars, Backflash, Bart,
Bluestorm, Darzid, Dogo, Dr. Vinni, EDS,
Fatcat DePousse, Fluffy, Fluofreax, Gnome,
Gopa, Hikuri, Ions, Jiggi, Kalanarmada,
LSDave, ManDraQ, McManus, Mart Fader,
Nilezz, Oczean, Paul B, Pim, Polo, Polzitiv,
Psy Clone, Psylatino, Psychonotik, Resi, Riches, Rob, Roland, Saaf, Satyr, Shaggedelic,
Shawnodese, Tila, Viris, Wichuri, Z and Zen.
Parties are often well decorated by deco
and visual crews who excel in what they
DRUGS
hh THC is allowed in small
amounts. Mushrooms are
illegal, but truffles are still
allowed.
SHOP
hh Kokopelli
Warmoesstraat 12
1012 JD Amsterdam
fon: +31 (0)20 4217000
www.conciousdreams.nl
WEB SHOPS
hh www.zamnesia.com
hh www.wholecelium
hh www.shayanashop.com
hh www.azarius.com
do, like A Thousand Errors, Anahata Project,
Chi Deco, DAF, Locus Pocus, Nuns with Guns,
RandR, Spiral Spectrum and Vaya Con Dia's.
Text: Back to Mars
facebook.com/djbacktomars
soundcloud.com/backtomars
backtomars.net
TRANSCEND – connecting people & art on European dance floors
2013 saw the birth of Transcend Trading, a Dutch based company born from South African roots,
bringing with it a new concept for the psychedelic dance floor. After last years successful collaborations, Transcend will again be combining visionary art and handcrafted projects, interactive
& live art, 'interconnecting' people and art in all its forms on some of the most prominent dance
floors of Europe.
Pic-credit: RandR Projections @ Cosmic Freak Show
Rene Beining will perform a live spray art paint
session at Freqs of Nature
(DE) creating a unique commission for Transcend Trading
while Janis Lipstovs (WorldBridger) will rig
out the Transcend Art Space with his décor.
For S.U.N. festival RandR
will provide an extraordinary visual experience and
live acts will include a Janis
Lipstovs art sculpture.
Carin Dickson and her
South African Artescape
team will do their magic on
the dance floor of The New
Chapter of the legendary VuuV.
An exclusive Carin Dickson exhibition will
take place in the Transcend Art Space on that
dance floor combined with a black light installation by Steven (Ozmali) Hekkeleheikever.
For the 2nd edition of Psy-Fi in
The Netherlands Transcend
is proud to be collaborating with the infamous Neil
Gibson to create a "3D Gibson
Galaxy”. Steven (Ozmali) will once again join
Transcend with his black light installations to
frame the Gibson Galaxy. Dineau, the kitchen
that rocks!, will create Raw Art Food.
This time round the Transcend Art Gallery
will be illuminated by projections from the
Portuguese based, Tree of Light.
Throughout the entire summer tour digital
works by graphic artists Julian Graham
(Aumegamega) from South Africa and Erl
Dekker (Error) will be on display.
Transcend Trading is also supporting the re-establishment
of the Greek psychedelic
trance community and again
joins the Free Earth gathering
i n
Ancient Olympia, Peloponnese. Free
Earth has entrusted the market management to
Transcend who is putting her artistic spin on the
entire market area for a new psychedelic ”shopping” experience.
Transcend spotlights humanitarian projects worldwide. One of these projects
include, “The Rubber Project” from the townships of
South Africa founded by Austrian artist Sikaa
Hammer. Transcend is constantly on the
lookout for new, innovative, artistic projects
supporting less fortunate global communities.
If you are interested in sharing your projects please contact us at: [email protected].
LINKS
hh www.transcend-trading.com
hh www.artescape.co.za/
hh www.rubberproject.com
hh www.dineau.nl
hh www.tree-of-light.org
FACEBOOK
hh Neil Gibson Creations
hh Bodypaintlily I.N.Love
hh aumega-mega
hh Fullmoon Art
hh ozmali
hh treeoflightart
TRANCEND
ON THE FESTIVALS
hh freqsofnature.de
hh antaris-project.de
hh sunfestival.org
hh vuuvfestival.de
hh free-earth-festival.de
hh Psy-Fi.nl
43
NEW ZEALAND – home of enchanting range of Psytrance events
Lush forests, rugged mountains, relaxing hot springs, long sandy beaches - no wonder New Zealand
is such a popular destination for travellers, psytrancers and fans of The Hobbit. Spring and summer
(November to April) in these South Pacific islands offer an enchanting range of Psytrance events, from
small bush doofs to the full power multi-facetted transformational festival experience.
The Golden Bay – Nelson area has become
a mecca for Psy parties in New Zealand, and
you’re likely to find an outdoor doof happening
most weekends over summer.
Luminate is currently the largest Psytrance flavoured event, set in a stunning mountain location in sunny Golden Bay, late Jan-early Feb. This
environmentally conscious festival attracts several thousand travellers from around the galaxy for
an 8 day immersion in alternative and psychedelic culture. Featuring in the recent Bloom documentary on global transformational festivals,
Luminate appeals to a vibrant diversity of those
seeking mind expanding stimulation. Circus performers, workshop presenters and a cranking
tribal drum circle complete the heady mix.
New on the scene with a successful first event
last year, Twisted Frequency looks set to kick
new years off in style, with everything from
high tech and dark psy to dubstep and live music. Alien Nation has been running for 13 years,
serves up a tasty menu of psytrance to dubstep, takes place in February in a scenic location
close to Nelson, and has a faithful following of
hundreds of hedonistic alien freaks.
Many smaller bush doofs thrive by offering a
broad range of electronic genres, and specialise
in a homegrown, grass roots feel and a friendly
vibe. Discombobulation in mid Jan is a good
example offering a genre surfing line-up of all
sorts, by a scenic river close to Takaka. On the
south island’s west coast, Karamea festival offers a mostly dub, roots and DnB lineup.
In Christchurch the Massive crew have a long
history of outdoor events every Solstice &
Equinox, with genres including Psy, Techno and
House, whilst the Psy-Pirates run great little
Psy-doofs such as Voyage and Primordial.
NZ producers with intergalactic reputations
include Antix/Fiord, Pitch Black, Grouch, Tom
Cosm, Isaac Chambers and Mr Squatch. WizdumB founded Cosmic Conspiracy Records in
2003 and also produces as Tripinstumble.
Maori culture has inspired many in the art of
poi spinning. Home of Poi has a great selection
of all things spinning and twirling with fire, glo
and uv versions. Circulation Festival in Novem-
ber offers a wide range of circus workshops.
Jugglers Rest in Picton is a cool backpackers
to stay at welcoming party freaks and jugglers
alike. Wharariki Beach campsite is a good base
to explore Golden Bay and enjoy this focal
point of alternative living.
Home to Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, you
can take a tour around various film locations
throughout NZ. Track down party toys, info, and
buy tickets at any of the Cosmic stores in the
major cities.
Text:
Maia – Organiser and cofounder of Luminate, Psytrance dj, sacred activist,
lives in Golden Bay, grows
organic food and cuddles her two pet pigs.w
WEBSITES
hh luminatefestival.co.nz
hh twistedfrequency.co.nz
hh aliennation.co.nz
hh massivenz.com
hh circulation.co.nz
hh antixlive.com
hh cosm.co.nz
hh cosmicconspiracy-records.com
hh jugglersrest.com
hh whararikibeachholidaypark.co.nz
hh cosmiccorner.co.nz
hh homeofpoi.com
44
both pics: lightstyle
45
PORTUGAL – An epicenter of psychedelic culture
Psytrance has a love affair with the Portuguese country. When in 1994 the first Goa trance party
happened in Portugal few would guess that nowadays the country would be a super power of
Psytrance on a world scale. Thousands of people attend trance events on a weekly basis, the biggest festival of psychedelic culture (Boom Festival) takes place here, there's a wide variety of djs,
producers, labels and fans from all walks of life.
20 years on since its advent in Portugal, Psytrance helped shaping several generations.
And it keeps growing and blooming!
Several reasons have contributed to it. Beautiful landscapes with mild weather year round,
permissive laws that decriminalized individual
substance use, easy licensing for outdoor
events, friendly culture and groovy people to
party with!
It is impossible to mention Goa and Psytrance
without mentioning Good Mood, the organization behind Boom Festival, that kicked off
the scene here back in 1994 and with regular
events since 1996. Later on, Hipnose productions brought in variety and new music, and
in the North of Portugal Quest 4 Goa was
the most active. Several organizations came
to life in the following years. Some examples
are Crystal Matrix (organizer of Freedom Festival), Samaveda, Psy Art, Fusion Productions,
Cosmic Gate Festival, Free Flow and hundred
others. Some are into the revivalist wave and
they're doing ZNA Gathering.
All these psychedelic gatherings influenced
small crews to organize parties. On a national scale, Lisboa and Porto are the epicenters,
smaller scale cities such as Covilhã, Leiria,
Aveiro, Coimbra, Bragança to name just a few
hold crews with regular events and their own
artists.
On the music level, local trancers are no different from the current trends of music: there
are people for all tastes! Dark and high tech is
active, forest lovers keep growing in numbers
Pic: Pierre Ekman, pierreekman.se/
while the full-on lovers still have an attraction
to the Israeli vibes. Progressive crowd is varied
and it also gathers people from techno and
house scenes, while the open mind trancer
takes it all. Goa trance is now back again,
after the late 90s when it went forgotten,
smaller crews are now building upon the new
and the old.
Portugal, a country of 10.5 million (plus 5 million emigrants) is at the very core of Psy culture. Its brother country Brazil has the biggest
population of Psytrance fans worldwide and
the whole scene was born in Goa, a territory that was Portuguese for 500 years. On the
festival level, Boom Festival has been writing
the compendium not only about Psytrance but
also about contemporary psychedelic culture
gatherings: on arts, culture, music, interculturalism, psychedelic science and sustainability.
With such synchronicities, there's something
psychedelically special going on here!
Text:
Artur Soares da Silva
facebook.com/
artur.soaresdasilva
WEBSITES
hh www.boomfestival.org
hh pt-pt.facebook.com/cosmicgatefestival
hh pt-pt.facebook.com/Fusionproductions.Porto
hh freedomfestival.eu
hh facebook.com/ZnaGathering
hh visitportugal.com
46
47
BOOM FESTIVAL – Big Bang of sustainable festival culture
According to the dictionary, a boom is a ‘sudden increase, as in popularity’. In this respect Boom
Festival really started a boom: A truly multinational boom of sustainability and eco-friendliness in
the Psytrance scene.
Pic: Pierre Ekman, pierreekman.se/
Hands down: Boom has been and still is a major
quality standard for the world of Psytrance festivals, not only in terms of party pleasure. Take
compost toilets, for example. Today they are all
over the place. But 8 years ago? It seemed to be
some kind of exotic eco-art installation when 20
of those wooden, elevated booths popped up at
Boom in 2006. They made history: Six years later
there are 186 of them, they are the only system
at the festival. And obviously they are becoming
more and more popular at other events, as well.
It’s a boom – and a perfect example how the
psychedelic gathering with the same name is
much more than an open air party - It’s a vivid
example for sustainability.
The philosophy of Boom is based on a ‘reuse
– recycle – compost’ mantra. Looking at the
architectural aesthetic of the festival, from the
monumental dance temple to all the other
areas with their countless small details, it is
surprising that the last edition was build from
70% recycled and reused materials, including
almost 50 tons of plastic and 45 tons of wood.
Looking at the sophisticated infrastructure, it’s
just as surprising to know that areas like the
Liminal Village and most of the workshops
and offices in the background are working ‘off
the grid’, in other words: They are powered
exclusively by renewable energy from the site.
The awarded greywater treatment system at
48
Boom might well spark another eco-trend. It’s
100% organic, takes advantage of evaporation
and pollutant-absorbing plants, and allows the
festival to clean 100% of the wastewater from
shops and showers.
Another world is possible - Beautiful words,
yet they call for action. Boom successfully
demonstrates how it can work: In 2012 peo-
ple from 116 different countries gathered at
the festival, making it the most international
event of the scene. They left with an experience that goes far beyond some epic party
moments, they left with a takeaway-message
that started a boom of sustainable culture in
harmony with our planet!
boomfestival.org
Pics: http://tinyurl.com/ImagesByAdamTaylor
O N E N E S S | M U S I C | A R T S | E N V I R O N M E N T | C U LT U R E | LO V E
IDANHA-A-NOVA LAKE – PORTUGAL
THe Festival Of PsychEDElic Culture
W W W . B O O M F E S T I VA L . O RG
F B - B O O M F E S T I VA LO F F I C I A L PA G E
YO U T U B E • B O O M W E B T V
49
SERBIA – crossroad of the cultures
Unique experience guided by the Balkan spirit. Serbia is located in South-east Europe and with
its seven million population makes one of the hotspots of this part of the world known for its
beautiful landscapes, Mediterranean climate, excellent food, hospitality and good quality music
scene.
Trance pioneers who started this genre
in Serbia were young clubbers known as
Xperiment Org. This organization, where
some of its members are still active
nowadays, are the most responsible for
bringing trance music to Belgrade in
1994.
Serbian Trance musicians influenced
and shaped global music scene as did
some pioneers of Serbian Trance culture.
Some as Alternative Control, Frequed
Frequency, Species, Prosper marked the
beginning of the Trance culture and
performed at various festivals around
the world. Psytrance culture is even an
important part of Serbia's biggest brand
- Exit Festival, an award winning summer
music festival officially proclaimed as the
'Best Major European festival' at the EU
Festival Awards in January 2014.
During the several years around the
2000s, Serbia’s one music clubs was
voted as one of the top five places for
Trance music in the world. Its name was
Barutana club, situated inside the Kalemegdan fortress, historical park fortress
in the centre of Belgrade, near the confluence of the river Sava to Danube. On fortresses on the Danube, you will discover
some of the most magnificent remaining
fortresses in Serbia, with a unique look
at the formidable strength required to
create them. Barutana’s cave-like interior
and the terrace was a true attraction –
for Djs and visitors. Despite economic
and political problems the country has
faced in the past two decades, people of
Serbia still keep cheerful spirit, and faith
in better future. Moreover, psychedelic
music represents one of the best music
scene in the country and is successfully
preserving its tradition.
Text:
Zenitgalaxy
Bojan, DJ, party organizer, label owner, working in
ngo zenit creative society
soundcloud.com/djmanda
50
ARTISTS
DECO & ART
hh Zyce, Ectima, E-Clip, Talpa,
Lyctum, Middle Mode, Man
Machine, Sonic Entity, Sideform, Dash, Sattwa, Gammy
Yagammi, Kanibal Holocaust,
Jesus Raves Ascent, Tropical
Bleyage, Pion, Solar Kid, Sound
Control, Magnetik. Alternative
Control, Frequed Frequency,
Species, Prosper
hh Zenit Creative Society, Wicket
Forest deco team, Synthetic
Evolution, Saša Prokic Deco,
TamTam fashion
LABELS
hh Tesseract Studio, Ultiva Records,
Psymoon Records, Ultragroove
Records, Zenit Galaxy Records
PARTIES & FESTIVALS
hh Exit Festival, Forest Sound
Festiva, Elektro Bašta
PREFERRED MUSIC:
hh Progressive Trance
PARTY DATA
hh Entry free: 3-6 euro
hh Beer: 2 euro
hh Water 1.20 euro
hh Attendance: 200-1000 people
hh Traffic controls: Blood alcohol
test by traffic police on the
street only. NO drug tests
CURIOUS
hh Vampire is the only Serbian word
which was accepted worldwide.
51
SPAIN – ideal for hibernating and kickstarting the season
The ideal country for hibernating through the winter and to welcome the open air season.
Spain is actually the country on the Trance map with the first open air festival kickstarting the
season as well as the last ending it.
Transition Festival – Pic: Boom Shankar
Transition Festival, around Easter,
near Seville in Andalucia, is the first
festival. It is a cooperation between
BMSS Records from Germany and the
Transition crew from Almonte. It saw
its 6th edition this year, attracting more
than a thousand travelers from all
around the world who united in Trance
for 6 days and danced to the tunes of
Atmos, Lucas or Penta. Transition will be
back in 2015, make sure you join if you
want to start the season early and are
up for an underground family gathering
in the amazing nature of the National
Park of Donana.
The second festival worth mentioning is
Connection Festival which takes place in
the beginning of October, in Andalucia
as well. Whereas Transition is the kick
off, Connection which is organised
by Red Dust is the closing festival.
Temperatures will still reach more than
30º, making it the perfect spot to finish
the open air season. Connection focuses
more on Goatrance rather than Psytrance, the perfect festival for the lovers of
the oldschool vibes. This years line up
hosts artists such as The Muses Rapt,
52
Transwave or Pleiadians alongside local
talents and international friends.
The third festival worth mentioning
takes place in between: Furthur Festival
kicking off in early summer is located
near Madrid, Furthur has a far more
holistic vision, combining Trance with
World Music, bands and performances.
This is a very special event organized by
people who want to go for a different
approach and have succeeded with it for
more than a decade.
Beside these rather big events there are
countless smaller open airs and indoor
events throughout the year. Being
known as a very psychedelic city (which
is perfectly reflected by the art of Gaudi)
Barcelona is clearly a hotspot for our
scene. During the summer months the
city and its neighbouring areas host regularly smaller events done by different
crews, but the area is unfortunately still
lacking a bigger festival.
La Gomera, an amazingly beautiful
Hippie retreat since the sixties still
has this special vibe going on which is
peaking in the Panorama Parties which
are usually held during full moon,
something truly authentic and worth
checking out!
When it comes to artists, producers
and labels Spain is becoming more and
more well known on the global circuit.
Producers such as Lupin, Painkiller, Ying
Yang Monx, Hypnoise, Psycho Abstract,
Mekkanikka, GMS, Keemiyo, Mutiman,
Yar Zaa or immigrated artists such as
Etnica and Pleiadians who live on Ibiza
and Djs such as Hell Blau, Jana, Fluoelf,
Lord Flames or Basslion are wideknown
and rocking. Labelwise consider Nutek
or Maharetta as being very active.
Because of the financial crisis, and no
one has money, entrance fees or drinks
at the parties are usually very cheap.
The situation with drugs is very liberal.
Still, be careful.
Text:
DJ Boom Shankar
BMSS Records / Transition /
SUN Festival
soundcloud.com/
boomshankar-bmssrecords
53
SOUTH AFRICA – Growing phenomenally and busier than ever
Psytrance has continued growing phenomenally since inception in the “early days” of the 90’s,
with the long summers in Cape Town, this year has been busier than ever. During the short winter
period, indoor events will be buzzing in every major hub in the greater CPT region.
Pic:
Photography,
Pic:: Aumega
Boom Shankar
Pic: Aumega Photography, facebook.com/Aumega.photography
The epicentre of this culture has
been busy this season, with outdoor
day events as early as June and Aug
hosted by Sirius, a growing trend of
progressive international events over
the last 2 years. The usual suspects
Alien Safari continue hosting their
annual Sprung, Flying Circus & Masqued Ball events, Vortex rebranded
their annual events to Open Source
& Parallel Universe, with Rezonance
NYE, Earthdance & Origin still being
the largest events of the season.
Well established Groovy Troopers,
The Village, Beartrap, MMD, Psynopticz, Afriscot, Ultranoize, Mind
Cultivation & Organik have continued growing and has hosted some
of the most anticipated events this
season featuring the very best local
and international artists. Local squat
parties and private gatherings have
been on the rise, and this year has
also seen the birth of a few promising new event companies, starting
to make an impact of their own.
54
The progressive wave has continued,
with the weekly Equinox gatherings
a standing feature. Equinox, Love &
Light, & Sirius have hosted some of
the biggest international progressive acts this season, consistently
pushing production to a new level
as well.
In Durban, Psyforia & Festivals Of
Light have been growing at a steady
pace. In JHB, Fu-Cha, Tswaing, One
Festival, Revolution NYE, Teknotribe, Psyology & Red Eye continue
hosting bigger and better events. In
the Eastern Cape (PE), Earthdance,
Wacky Woods, Vertigo Festival & the
events at the Gwaing River mouth
still feature prominently.
& Ital amongst many more…
Labels like Nano, Timecode, Kaos
Krew Records, MMD, Nexus and
Psyology remain unhinged in global
psychedelic music culture, making
a great contribution to psychedelic
music globally. Some of the more
recent local production talents have
featured strongly this .
WEBSITES
hh psymedia.co.za
hh 3am.co.za
hh cttp.co.za/
hh facebook.com/pages/Kaos-Krew-Records/284833368238402
hh callapizza.co.za
hh aliensafari.net
This year some favourites made a
welcome return to SA shores, alongside a host of new artists, including
Captain Hook, Class A, Antispin,
Sinerider, Symbolic, Mad Maxx, XSI,
Aviation, U-Recken, Eartling, NOK,
Pixel, Loud, Easy Riders, Audiomatic
hh intothevortex.co.za
Text:
Andre Muller
SRI LANKA – Small island, BIG trip
Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, you can hear her breathing.
The scene in Sri Lanka is Mushrooming and has imminent potential, The Island has a crazy natural
landscape and so much to explore and the landscape represents a lot of our favourite psychedelic music.
The scene is young and just emerging but we
find that it is also key to have a purpose and
the vibes that are forming reflect and feel like
something amazing is about to happen on
this small island. We have an emerging psychedelic art scene and there’s loads of of new
talent coming forward. Events are organized
in smaller scales by groups of individuals who
are single handedly driving the scene forward.
There is unimaginable natural beauty to enjoy
and we feel that psychedelics and proper
psychedelic festivals can help to keep the
islands natural beauty unchanged, we hope
that more and more Psychedelic travelers
converge to paradise island. The Atman tribe
has organized some epic memorable events
at some mind blowing locations including
Tangalle & Arugambay and we look forward
to much much more from them. The Atman
festival was a special event and one f the
very first of its kind that happened on the
island on a large scale. Spirited records has
also been coming forward with some great
new talent as well as some healing vibrations
of their own. SPIRITED, a collective of three
multi-cultural and multi-talented artists who
united their visions to give birth to an amazing new Live Performance. A collaboration
project between Austria and Sri Lanka. They
Pic: The Bludge
organized a mini festival at the beginning of
this year. The island is full of natural wonder
and you can pretty much organize your own
little gathering in solitude. Vantana Vuchithra
records, has also been organizing smaller
scales events of their own with the likes of
Deminiac Incomniak. The big ears movement
has an acoustic experimental session every
Saturday in colombo, they are a collection of
young musicians who experiment with sound
and play live sessions for small audiences.
WEBSITES
hh atmantribe.com
hh spiritedsounds.com
hh vantaravichitra.com
Text:
Bludge
[email protected]
thebludge.com/
55
SWITZERLAND – Dancing in the clouds, trailing chimeras
Psytrance is booming in Switzerland where you can feel the Psybass very close to the stars at the
little big parties. It is a crazy Psyland with two sides, the French part with hard psychedelic over
146 bpm and the German part with shaking ass psychedelic around 140 bpm. If dragons, elves and
trolls became alive then surely here. breathtaking locations in enchanted forests, near weatherworn ruins of castles and among majestic mountain tops lets you forget the real world quickly.
WEBSITES
hh mysticalforum.ch
hh goatrance.ch
hh goa.ch
hh visionofhemp.ch
CLUBS
hh ampereclub.ch
hh tunnelclub.ch
hh emottion.ch/stairsclub-web
hh ugbuelach.ch
FESTIVALS
hh Summer Never Ends, One Love
Festival, Burning Mountain,
Reisefieber, Accoustica Open
Air, V.I.R.U.S., Visionen Im Raum
Userer Sonne, Psychedelic
Carneval, Mystica
INDOOR LOCATIONS
hh kulturfabrik.ch
hh sedel.ch
hh rotefabrik.ch
pic: Superkarlo
ARTISTS
hh Liquid Soul, Ajja, Braincell, Solar
Spectrum, Gaspard, Electrypnose,
The Peaking Goddess, Psyberpunk,
Terranostra, Sebastian Kos, Solaris,
Müstik, Cosinus, Tezla, Midimal,
Digitalist, Drumatik, Subconsciousmind, Braincell, Biotec,
Sensual Squeak, Rastaliens ...
LABELS
hh Flying Spores Record., Aphonix
Records, Peak Records, Freak
Records, Moonloop records, Underground Sound Promotions,
2to6 Records
DECO
hh 3d-Deco-Team, Nils Psyberpunk,
Trudi's Tribe, Extreme Inflatables,
Waldwichtel, Mountain Beat Culture, Mag-Design, Psy Wizzard
56
But once 5.000 freaks are storming a deserted valley, the idyll - exactly what needs
to be preserved - evaporates. As everything
is very close and open space is rare, except
in the high mountains, it is hard to even
find party locations. Additionally excessive
bureaucracy and exorbitant costs make life
difficult for organizers. On the other hand,
eco-culture and quality are held very high
in the country as well as nature’s intense
protection by law and the government's
influence on big parties’ infrastructure does
have advantages for visitors: Swiss parties
are usually superbly organised.
Yet, the last edition of the Summer-neverends-Festivals visited by more than 10.000
enthusiasts did indeed mark a new visitor
peak but also met with infrastructural
limits. Therefore it will only be taking
place every two years, which makes sense.
Sadly enough, entirely disappeared has the
Somuna-Festival, high up above the Emmental and only accessible by rope way. Yet,
Marbachegg is still one of the most exciting
locations at all. In 2014 the One-Love-OpenAir will newly enchant the legendary witches dancing site Bellaluna, lastly hosting
the disrupted Atmosphere-festival.
In terms of trance Switzerland has both
the variety and the extremes. French and
Italian Switzerland are no white spots on
the festival-map any longer, though not as
active as the German part. In the German
part a lot of organisers are focused on off
beat and progressive parties or to the other
extreme of the sound scale hitech/psycore.
Many established crews in the bigger cities
have moved to organise technoid, progressive parties. In the French and Italian part
SHOPS
hh BREAKshop
Concepcion Gschwend
9015 St. Gallen
Gaiserwaldstraße 16a
www.breakshop.ch
Head, Grow, Shisha
hh Secret Nature GmbH
3600 Thun, 3011 Bern
secret-nature.ch
CD, Herbs, Smart
pic: Superkarlo
twilight Psytrance, darkpsy and forest music
are still going strong in the underground.
Despite this, in the long run, it will remain
difficult to lure international party guests,
because a Take-Away-Pizza costs 14 Euro
- an awful lot of money many materially uninspired fraggles do not want to
spend. Therefore, the local trance scene
stays very much local within the forested
underground. More than 300 people are
already perceived as too commercial to
achieve the homely atmosphere of a decent
open-air. On the opposite one should realize
that Zurich remains to be the location of
Europe's largest street dance, where many
a Goaheads temporarily joins other tribes
of the electronic dance music, where many
different genres fuse into one bubbling
mass up to one million dancers. In terms of
guests this Psytrance party had been the
largest by far, ever, however it's history. In
the wake of this mega-parade, to be sure,
there still thrives Daydance, for example,
soon to have 10 editions, and the beautiful
young Phoenix-Festival. Which as the
Burning-Mountain-Open-Air has found new
managers in the makers of the UG-Club and
grew despite beyond 1.000 guests within a
few years notorious rumours. This open air
is directly located at a small, ice cold glacier
river (called Inn), in one of the most natural
landscapes and in immediate neighbourhood to the Swiss national park.
Indeed, the Alps with their many innumerable variations are still worth a longer visit and
offer the best setting for manifold discoveries. If you shop in a supermarket, expertly
circumnavigate the many speed traps and
sleep in the '1.000 stars'- hotel then even
Switzerland becomes affordable. Above that
there is plenty of free fresh fountain water,
hardly any theft, it's not seldom that you
meet helpful natives. And sometimes, while
secretly looking around during a party, you
will become astoundingly aware that really
not one single guest is simply standing!
So, whoever wants to explore Heidiland
certainly encounters weird perfectionists
with rather a hang for eccentricity, but will
be able to party so heartily and ecstatically
as almost nowhere else on this globe.
hh Hanf Tempel GmbH
4056 Basel
St. Johanns-Vorstadt 18
www.hanftempel.ch
onlineshop
hh Werners Head Shop
8005 Zürich
Langstrasse 230
www.wernersheadshop.ch
Head & Grow
hh Grünhaus AG
8048 Zürich
Herostr.7
www.gruenhaus-ag.ch
Head,Grow
hh Fourtwenty.ch
3011 Bern, Kramgasse 3
3063 Ittigen, Worblentalstr. 30
Grow & Head
hh Nachtschatten Verlag
www.nachtschatten.ch
Publishing Company
Text:
Superkarlo, also Corinne, Dr.
Magnus, Dj Sebastian Kose
edit by mushroom magazine
57
SWEDEN – Discover the magic of the Swedish forest!
The Psytrance scene in Sweden is growing right now as weeds. One can practically find a party
every weekend in this big country.
One can practically find a party every
weekend. In southern Sweden the SFA
(Skåne Party College) and MOA Experience
offer progressive and a little Fullon
often aided by our progressive Danish
neighbours. In Gothenburg, several new
organizers have come up: 'Northen Lights'
(mostly progressive and a little Psy),
'Electronic Culture' (mostly progressive
and Psy), 'Connected Network' (mostly Psy
and Fullon); The Genesis Project (mostly
progressive Trance) which run the 'Genesis
Festival'. Flexible is the oldest active organizer and still has traditional celebrations
on Christmas Day and May Day on the
old ship 'RioRio'. The 'SkrimmelSkrammel'
crew have a few parties every summer,
typically with first class dark prog, and
darkpsy live acts plus wicked DJs. Momento Mori, Love Darkness, Carpe Noctum &
Tivoli Massacre (Altius Birthday) offer top
notch darkpsy and awesome deco! In the
Stockholm, Techno State are the biggest
organizer making big parties with internationally known Fullon and progressive
acts; for more psychedelic, progressive and
zenonesque tunes, SPDIF make good treats
with phat lineups, and for darker forest
tunes, check 'Mind Gamers'!
During the summer parties move out to
the fantastic Swedish nature. The first
big outdoor party is 'Daylight Open Air'
(May), then 'Love Forest', an annual hippie
gathering for 4 days (late May). In early
June there is 'The Dance Of The Planets' in
southern Sweden, a spiritual Psytrance gathering for all ages, and 'Rhythms and Tones
58
with Blue Hour Sounds offering first-rate
psychedelic music. In Midsummer, the huge
'Forest Star Midsummer Festival' (20-23),
an incredible celebration in a magical Urla
forest near Hjo.
A a fine tradition has become the smaller
'~ Safari ~ Return to Mission' outside
Stromstad. In late June the 'Connected
Network' has 'Connected Forest' in the Gothenburg area. In July there is the 'GENESIS
FESTIVAL 2014', packed with international
live acts at an old military airbase. A
week later there is 'Hur Gör Djur' in the
southeast of Sweden, 4 days full power
psychedelic celebration of the darker kind!
At the end of July you have the 'Connected
Network's' biggest party: 'Connected
Experience' outside Gothenburg.
On the same day 'Mind Gamers' have their
recurring event 'Once Upon A Time' in
Stockholm. Also check the darkpsy event
'Momento Mori', outside Gothenburg in
early August. The season's conclusion,
28th of August, is 'PROJECT EVERGLADES', 4 days in a magical forest between
Gothenburg and Oslo offering more or less
the entire spectrum of Psytrance. The lineup
features both international acts such as Ital
(CHI), Sonic Species (UK), Paracozm (BR)
Noctilus (DE) plus our Swedish acts such
as: Hellquist, Alter Nature, Altius etc..
Psy-Sweden is happening this summer. It is
truly magical to be standing and stomping
to psychedelic tunes in the Swedish forest.
Hope to see you there soon
BooM! 3016
PARTIES & FESTIVALS
hh Project Everglades, Forest Star
Midsummer Festival, Genesis
Festival.
ARTISTS
hh Hellquist, Locig Bomb, Artax,
Procs, Derango, Hallucinogenic Horses, Carbon Based
Lifeforms, Atmos, Hux Flux,
Leenuz, Triptaktik, Nangijala, Diffus, Altius, Cyko,
Makadam, Kluster, Krumelur, Human Blue, Son Kite,
Vibrasphere, Ticon, Ibojima,
Imajica, Andromeda, Tegma,
S-Range, Vance, Solar Fields,
Etnoscope, In Your Phase,
Grydemix BK, Wizack Twizack,
Medecinmannen, Beyond
Value, Shamantra
LABELS
hh Hypnotica Rec, Troll´n´Roll
Rec, Horsepower Productions,
Creon Rec
TRAVEL
hh Good connections to south
Sweden with buses and trains!
hh A law in Sweden says that you
are allowed to camp anywhere
for 24 hours. So a tent is a
good option :)
Text:
Pétur Azgeir
[email protected]
edit by mushroom magazine
THAILAND – a change of people, spirit and atmosphere
A warm climate, beautiful beaches, a shanti lifestyle and the astonishing friendliness of the locals
have made Thailand and especially Ko Phangan one of THE places.
Since the first Full Moon parties at Had Rin
beach, back in the late 80s or early 90s, there
has been a massive increase in the number
of people! Psytrance gets more and more
replaced by Techno, House and Minimal resulting in a change of people, spirit and
atmosphere.
The best parties are scattered around Ban Tai
on the south coast of Phangan. Ban Sabaii
is the perfect balance between Psychedelic
and Progressive and has a very positive vibe!
Leung and Jo Moontribe are also responsible
for Thailand’s New Years Eve festival, the
Experience Festival on the neighbouring
island of Ko Tao which rocked big time in
2013/2014 with more than 2k people.
Halfmoon Festival takes places twice a
month, set in beautiful jungle. It features
mostly Progressive Trance artists and attracts
around 2500 people. Shiva Moon, one of
my favourite spots, also twice a month, is a
smaller and more psychedelic party with a
large number of freaks. Black Moon recently
moved to another location in the centre of
the island, worth checking out! Finally, there
are the notorious Full Moon Parties on Had
Rin beach...worth checking out once, but
maybe not twice.
Previously all parties were free but nowadays
they charge around 300-600 Baht (8-15
Euro), an exception is Ban Sabaii which is
still free. Best place to meet all your friends
before, during or after parties is still the 7/11
(Ban Tai). Another place to chill out and meet
other people is Baylounge (between Ban Tai
and Had Rin)! Another hotspot is Ooze Bar in
Bangkok, in a street parallel to Ko Sarn Road.
It is a small open air bar run by Jacky and his
family who is also the organizer of the exceptional Moon Mountain and Valentrance,
only recommendable to those who really like
Psychedelic and don’t mind being stuck on a
raft in the middle of a a stunning lake near
Kanchanaburi (3 hours north of Bangkok)
in the middle of a lush natural reserve for 3
days. If this sounds tempting, connect with
the Ooze Bar. It takes place around xmas
and around mid February usually, but dates
pics: Halfmoon Party (top) and Ban Sabai (bottom)
are subject to change. A maximum of 200
people, up to 10 rafts towed together, a
massive sound system plus excellent djs: one
of the best parties!
A new festival is Lost in Paradise (between
Bangkok and Kanchanaburi) in a beautiful
coconut tree forest, organised by the
Psyhead Community from Bangkok plus their
friends. The 2nd edition will be 16-18th of
January 2015!
The best known artists are Sabaii Sabaii who
is nothing but a legend as he kicked off the
whole scene in Thailand, Jacky, Leung, Koi,
Note and Tripical who both write their own
music as well as Tripical Note, and all the
foreigners who got stuck in Thailand such as
Jo Moontribe, Apnea or Suddha plus many
many more.
Keep in mind that the drug laws are very
strict! Better check your bags twice, don't
consume in public, be careful!
Text:
DJ Boom Shankar
BMSS Records / Transition /
SUN Festival
soundcloud.com/
boomshankar-bmssrecords
59
TURKEY – Kickstart into Psy Culture
Back in March 2006, a full solar eclipse was not the only thing that hit Turkey with a bang - that
legendary festival “Soulclipse” was the kickstart of Psytrance in Turkey. A lot of young promoters
had started to sustain this ever growing movement with small underground indoor & outdoor
events all over the country.
Today, the biggest organisation there
is 'Tree of Life festival'
(organised by U-Recken) with already
three successful editions under their
belt. The festival is taking place every
year in a mind blowing forest location
called 'Karagol Lake' near Izmir with
visitors from all over the world. With
its high quality level of production,
this festival is definitely one of the
better festivals out there on a global
scale. Starting this year Tree of Life is
also organising a brand new festival
called 'September Ritual' in Kastro
Beach, right on the shores of the Black
Sea with lush forest and a lake, only
two hours from Istanbul. Both events
are organised by Tree of Life Festival
& Mind Manifest Project - an organization company of Tmx Mind with
10 years of experience and numerous
outdoors (Shanti Mind, Elemental
Evolution Festival to name a few).
Tmx Mind is also one of the most
talented night music DJs in Turkey
today. Right after Tree of Life, you can
go for a swim at a new festival with
a real 'ONE LOVE' vibe, called 'Freaks
in Love' featuring some really good
international and local artists located
at Pamucak Beach of the ancient city
Ephesus in Selcuk/Izmir, organised by
Sami Sami, supported by his friends
enamoured of psychedelic culture.
But more great festivals will take
place this year in Turkey. The biggest
one, 'Ayata Festival', for the first
time in July 2014, by a very lovely
Turkish crew - all well experienced
and professionals in the psychedelic
scene. The festival area is located in
Gökçeova near Dalaman Airport, 1750
meters above sea level at the top
of Sandras Mountain in the Muğla
region of Turkey and feature a great
international line up. Two more festivals are taking place in September.
One of them is 'Shamballa Festival'
60
TRee Of Life – pic: Allessandro Ragazzon
which is going to be the 2nd edition
this year, on the beautiful rocky
Cappadocia Area, (organised by
Psysari – a local organizer, promoter
& DJ since early 2000; also one of
the former organizers of 'Psy Files
Festival' and Orhan Kalender - who
has been responsible for numerous
indoors & outdoors in Turkey since
early 2000). Another nice one is
'Psy Boutique Festival' (formerly
'Sundance Boutique') founded
in 2010 by Bahar Canca & Judit
Langer - a smaller yet really friendly
gathering with quality line up on a
beautiful beach located in 'Butterfly
Valley', south of Fethiye - a place
that, in three words, you can say is
no less than heaven on Earth.
Turkey is a gateway to almost every
country in the world. You can find
cheap direct flight rates to many of
the touristic areas such as Istanbul,
Antalya, Izmir, Dalaman, Ephesus,
Cappadocia and so on. The Mediterranean climate, tasty food and
warm hospitality of the locals make
it a perfect place to visit during
festival sessions every year!
Text:
by Ozzycetin
[email protected]
www.facebook.
com/ozzycetin84
UNITED KINGDOM – Home to Psy-Trance
The UK scene has certainly evolved over the past 10 years. Home to a multitude of popular psyartists and labels, the scene has continued to flourish, thanks to an injection of fresh energy from
today’s younger rave generation, fused with the experience of Psytrance veterans.
London still remains the epicentre of the UK
scene. Parties continue to thrive most weekends
in clubs and squats. It is not uncommon to see
multiple well-known parties advertised in one
weekend, which can be a headache for promoters, but the revellers end up being spoilt for
choice! Most line ups consist of home grown UK
and international favourites, and parties accommodate for most psy sub-genres. Artists are now
being brought together through collaborative
organisations such as ‘Psy-Sisters’, a unique
collective formed of female artists, with a vision
to support and promote one another through
online platforms and events. Social media also
plays a big part in connecting the psy-scene
through specialised online groups and forums. It
is now easier than ever before for party goers to
access information about the scene and events.
The UK’s passion for psychedelic music has also
expanded to regions outside of London. Scenes
have spurted and evolved in Bristol and North
England.
In Bristol the psy-community has a strong family
vibe between the various local crews, who
share a vision to take Psytrance to the next level
through well organised and professional events.
The legendary Tribe of Frog, Planet Shroom and
Triplicity crews have been hosting colourful and
spirited parties for many years. Other regular
pic by Psibindi
parties include: Jellyfish, Quantum Bleep,
Psyanide, Psyberdelica and Psypirates. A few
free parties have also manifested with thanks
to Ninja Hippies and Psychedelic ResistDance.
Dance floors can get packed with up to 1000
revellers attending the larger events.
In Northern England events such as Illuminaughty, Kanyini and Tribal Sphere keep the psy-scene
alive and kicking, and in the far South party
goers can expect a good old stomp at Tribalistic
and Psycho events hosted at popular venue ‘The
Barn’ in Portsmouth.
Over the years, popularity of Psytrance in the
UK has experienced highs and lows, just like any
other dance genre. However, with an influx of
new, young energy and continued dedication
from the old skool ravers, the UK scene will
continue to blast dance floors for generations
to come.
Special thanks to DJ Tetrasound, Bristol and
Reshma Biring (Resh Media) for assisting with
this review.
Text:
Rena (Psibindi) DJ, Vocalist
and Producer signed to UK
based label Aphid Records
ARTISTS
LABELS
PARTYS
hh Amethyst, Aphid Moon, Beardy,
Champa, Continuem, Dhuna,
Dickster, Eat Static, EVP, Gelika,
Hypnocoustics, Juno Reactor,
Killerwatts, Kraken, Lorraine,
Lucas, Mark Day, Matt Lorraine,
Mechanimal, Mentalogic, Miss
Piskey, Neill Moore, Nuky, Occular,
OOOD, Orchid Star, Psibindi, Psyana, Psycommando, Psymmetrix,
Renegade DJ, Sati, Sinerider, Sonic
Species, Touch Tone and many
more
hh Alchemy Records, Anuki Media,
Aphid Records, Arkona Creation,
Bom Shanka Music, Catawampus
Records, Cyan Fuschian Promotions, Dream Creation, Free Spirit
Records, Higher Taste Project,
Kundalini Records, Liquid Records,
Mutagen Records, Nano Records,
Psy-Sisters, Psynon Records, Revolve, Triskele Management, Twisted Records, Wild Things Records,
YSE Records, Zero 1 Music
hh Acid Monkey, Astral Circus, Atom,
Chrysalid, Cohesion, Earthdance,
Elixir of Life, Group 4 Peas, Inspiral, Mad Dreams Made Actual,
Omniscience, Pan Galactic Space
Disco, Pendragon, Psy-Sisters,
Return to Source and more
POINTS OF INTEREST:
hh Head down to Camden, London,
for culture, markets, food stalls
and alternative shopping
61
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – Resurgence
The US is a unique area of the world for Psytrance. Due to the number of cities separated over a large geographical distance, the culture is spread around the country. You can find Trance gatherings
all over throughout the year, featuring diverse sounds and aesthetics unique to each area. Still very
underground, communities are tight knit and support one another.
You would recognize many of the same
faces after a few parties in one area. There
is a thriving culture of local homegrown
DJ’s and producers. Parties mostly feature
these acts and fly over one or two acts
from elsewhere in the world. This provides
opportunities for those aspiring to increase
their involvement within the scene. You can
find all varieties of Psy parties. Outside the
scene must be creative to avoid complaints
and unwanted attention.
The northeast is resurging with new energy.
Many long time Psy organizers have retired,
making way for the next generation. Led by
Fractaltribe (MA), Respect Gatherings (NYC)
& Radial Engine Tribe (NY), each crew
has their own open-air festival during the
summer and indoor events throughout the
year. Fractaltribe is known for large-scale
immersive atmospheres while featuring
a smooth variety and flow of psychedelic
ARTISTS
hh Kabayun, Lunecell, Mubali,
Merkaba, Nikroma/Kromagon,
ManipulatioN, Parus, Bodhi,
Progress, Random, Smoke Sign,
Primordial Ooze, Braindrop, Ghreg on Earth, Annunaki, Tectum,
CinderVOMIT, Justincaseboy,
Ascension, Luuli, Coral
ARTISTS
hh www.geomagnetic.tv, Anomalistic Records, Pure Perception,
Auraquake, JellyFish Frequency
Recordings
DECO
hh Nephil9, Global Village, Fractaltribe, Wizart Visions, Neural
Patterns, Holetribe, Krikett,
Psynesthesia Deco
WEBSITES
hh www.facebook.com/groups/
eastcoastpsytribe/
hh www.fractaltribe.net
62
music throughout the event with Psytrance
as the pinnacle. Respect Gatherings focuses
it’s sounds on progressive/Full on with
funky driving basslines and is driving the
scene in NYC, while Radial Engine Tribe is
known for high-energy dark Psy & suomi
with parties that can last for days on end.
There are 2 crews in the southeast:
T.O.U.C.H. Samadhi’s features its 11th annual edition of Equinox based in Deerfields,
NC. Pure Perception puts on 'Welcome to
Pangea' in the Appalachain Mountains
(south of Asheville, NC) and is it’s 7th year
- both intimate gatherings, which can reach
up to 600+ people.
In the Midwest check out Spacecamp
Psyfari & Mindoutpsyde (Iowa), Chilluminati
& Cosmic E.g.g (Minnseota), and Eldritch
Crew (Indiana).
As to the west coast: In SoCal, Moontribe
Collective are famous for their parties in the
Mojave Desert. Psytribe are known for their
annual campout events Spring Freakuency
& Halloween’s Psychedelic Freak Show featuring international headliners & Funktion
One soundsystems. Pulsar puts on regular
events in the SoCal area.
There is an abundance of Psy up in NorCal
as well. Pulse SF organizes many club
parties. Red Marines, a Russian crew, brings
over Parvati style and night acts. Symbiosis
produces a large festival with multiple
electronic music genres and has several
international Psytrance headliners. You
can also catch Goa Gil play 24 hour sets at
Party Baba’s events.
Deco & psychedelic art are prominent. Tapestries and stretch fabric are popular and
a few homegrown deco artists are brought
around the country such as Nephilnine
Deco (NY) for her UV lycra installations and
Wizart Visions (NY) for her extrasensory
tapestries. Global Village Productions bring
well-known airbrush lycra installations.
Neural Patterns (Texas) creates impressive
geometrical UV string art installations and
stages. The emerging deco concept that is
picking up popularity is projection mapping
and digital art. Digital artists Android Jones
& Sam Farrand (NH) are 2 to keep an eye
on who produce astonishing visual images.
Zebbler (MA) is the video mapping mind
behind all visual stage setups “Shpongletron” and has gone on multiple tours with
Shpongle.
Text:
text contribution by
Kyle Fractaltribe
edited by mushroom magazine
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/
thefractaltribenetwork
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