Psychedelic trance
Psychedelic trance or psytrance is a form of electronic music characterized by hypnotic arrangements of synthetic rhythms and mesmerizing melodies. It first broke out into the mainstream in 1995 as the UK music press began to report on the exploding trend of Goa trance. Since then the genre has diversified immensely and now offers considerable variety in terms of mood, tempo, and style. Some examples include melodic full on, dark ("darkpsy"), progressive, suomi, psybreaks (generally quite rare), and psybient or psychedelic downtempo.
The original Goa trance (or "old school") was often made with popular Modular synthesizers and hardware samplers, but modern psychedelic trance is typically made with VST and AU software sampler applications. The use of analog synthesizers for sound synthesis has given way to digital "virtual analog" instruments like the Nord Lead, Access Virus, Korg MS-2000, Roland JP-8000 and computer VST and AU plugins like Native Instruments Reaktor. These are usually controlled by MIDI sequencers within Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) applications. Emphasis is placed on purely synthesized timbres for programming and lead melodies. Tempos range across the spectrum depending on the style and approach of the individual producer although speeds between 140 and 150 BPM are common.
types of trance
1.psy breaks
2.full on
3.dark psytrance
4.progressive psytrance
Psybreaks
Psybreaks or psychedelic breakbeat is a form of psychedelic trance originating in the mid 2000s, splicing Breakbeat basslines and rhythms into otherwise heavily Psytrance-influenced tracks.
Psybreaks are best performed Live, allowing the DJ control of the spontaneous beat holdbacks, by reading the dancers. Break beating psy happens without losing the constant superfast tempo when the beat picks up, and brief pauses are also fast natured. Notable artists include Far Too Loud.
Full on
Full on or melodic psytrance (also referred to as morning trance, club psytrance and Isra-trance) is a style of trance music, a form of psychedelic trance firstly originated in Israel at the early 2000s. Melodic psytrance draws its main influences from more radio-friendly genres such as uplifting trance (Nitzhonot and vocal trance) and electro house, futuristic melodies, occasional electric guitar performances and usage of vocals. The expression “full on” is taken from the first out of a seven compilation albums series, and the first album ever to be released under Hom-mega Productions in 1998, titled Full On. Some other sources say it comes from the Fullmoon festival's name.
Dark psytrance
Dark psytrance (also called killer psytrance, darkpsy, horrortrance or simply dark) is a darker, faster and more distorted form of psychedelic trance music, with tempo ranges usually from 145 to 165 BPM. Originating in Russia and Germany, the style has recently expanded to other countries worldwide.
The term "dark psytrance" was first used by audiences to describe harder-sounding psychedelic trance, while the name killer psytrance is a more rarely used term (with its use depending mostly on the geographical area).
Unlike more mainstream forms of trance, dark psytrance generally does not use vocals, though sampling is common, with speech and other kind of samples usually being taken from different kind of movies (especially horror movies), or occasionally from other tracks. Sometimes sampling elements form other genres of music is done as a mockery of the original tracks.
The atmosphere and theme of the tracks often resemble those from genres such as dark ambient, musique concrete, darkcore, cybergrind, power noise and industrial music. More atmospheric and deep sounds haunting and Gothic at times (examples of this include Parasense, Kemic-Al and Xenomorph). Use of glitch techniques can often be found in dark psytrance music (examples of this would include Kindzadza, Cosmo, Highko and Noosphere).
Progressive psytrance
Progressive psytrance (also referred to as minimal psytrance, psyprog) is a style of psychedelic electronica developed in the early 2000s, developed as a sub-genre of psychedelic and Goa trance. Progressive psytrance is distinct from progressive trance which is more similar to progressive house.
Progressive psytrance combines the elements of minimal sounding progressive electronic music and complex developments of psychedelic music. Its heritage can be traced back to the developments of minimal techno, tech, and minimal house. The style of progressive psytrance can be described as generally darker and edgier than mainstream trance. It is also slower in tempo and is more progressive than melodic psytrance.
Currently, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany have created the most renowned minimalist labels. In the last couple of years Australia has added its own artists and labels to the minimalist trance scene.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
goa full moon party
Goa the land of natural beauty, snugly sitting between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is an ideal place for all those who crave for periods of solitude from their stressful life. But apart from its rejuvenating therapy it certainly peps you up with its rollicking nightlife. Favorite destination for the hippies years back, it serves as a great hangout for all those who are looking for fun. Full moon party on the Goa beaches is a common phenomenon. The throbbing nightlife comes in full bloom when young girls and boys dance to the tunes of Goan music. The dances on the beaches and the stringing of the guitars accompanied with drinks makes the most of the Goan nightlife. Drugs are also used in such parties. The inviting beaches, the friendly people, and the flavored cuisine in abundance create a perfect ambience for such special parties.
Anjuna beach is a focal point; there are many bars and nightclubs where young gather from sunset until midnight. Reasonable discotheques and restaurants stretch out on to the beach. Beach parties are Goa's pulsating center. There are clubs located at Anjuna and Vagator area that are known for their non-stop all night music. They are more famous for its drug scene and trance music.
goa parties
Goa Trance music doesn’t really make sense to most people until they hear it on drugs at a party, preferably on acid. Until that point it’s not much more than a bunch of repetitive beats and irritating samples of people saying ´hey, this must be heaven, man!´
I’m one of the converted but I’m not sure it’s exactly easy listening music and not the kind of thing you’d play at your grandmother’s funeral. As a means of self-discovery through dance though, it’s a unique medium that allows you to voyage through the night.
No one seems to agree much on what makes good trance. After every party, no matter how great a time everyone had, there are always but always people bitching about the music. The tracks were too old, they were badly mixed or the DJ wasn’t stoned enough. Perhaps one of the worse things about the whole phenomenon of the trance movement is that it spawned a whole new generation of music critics who consider themselves expert in the field.
Perhaps this was because the music was so personal, melding as it did with your particular trip. Either way the music gave you the waves but it was up to you to surf them. At it’s best dancing to trance could be better than sex. At it’s worst, however, it became a cruel, mental torture that messed your head up all night.
In Goa I usually went to bed early and the woke up at around 3:30 am to go to the party. That gave me time to shit, shower and get my party gear ready. I’d need my torch to find my way through the jungle to the beat that was already calling me, money to buy my drop of acid and fluids and I learnt to take a packet of dehydration salts with me.
By the time I found my way to the party it was hoped that most of the darker characters had already gone home and soon the cooler crowd would be arriving. Old Goan mamas held reign on their chai mats, serving tea and cakes to stoned freaks who had no idea which pocket their money was in. The DJ occupied a discreet post somewhere to the side and there was minimal lighting on the dance floor itself.
The night could be hellish. Many people actually liked it that way, dancing through the dark in a painful anonymity, exorcising their demons before the dawn. Then with dawn you’d hear a wave of motorbike engines and feel a new energy taking hold of the party. The light began to grow and you’d suddenly realize what a beautiful place you were in. The dance floor swelled and hundreds of people would suddenly go wild as the DJ unleashed a new mood.
Goa Trance music doesn’t really make sense to most people until they hear it on drugs at a party, preferably on acid. Until that point it’s not much more than a bunch of repetitive beats and irritating samples of people saying ´hey, this must be heaven, man!´
I’m one of the converted but I’m not sure it’s exactly easy listening music and not the kind of thing you’d play at your grandmother’s funeral. As a means of self-discovery through dance though, it’s a unique medium that allows you to voyage through the night.
No one seems to agree much on what makes good trance. After every party, no matter how great a time everyone had, there are always but always people bitching about the music. The tracks were too old, they were badly mixed or the DJ wasn’t stoned enough. Perhaps one of the worse things about the whole phenomenon of the trance movement is that it spawned a whole new generation of music critics who consider themselves expert in the field.
Perhaps this was because the music was so personal, melding as it did with your particular trip. Either way the music gave you the waves but it was up to you to surf them. At it’s best dancing to trance could be better than sex. At it’s worst, however, it became a cruel, mental torture that messed your head up all night.
In Goa I usually went to bed early and the woke up at around 3:30 am to go to the party. That gave me time to shit, shower and get my party gear ready. I’d need my torch to find my way through the jungle to the beat that was already calling me, money to buy my drop of acid and fluids and I learnt to take a packet of dehydration salts with me.
By the time I found my way to the party it was hoped that most of the darker characters had already gone home and soon the cooler crowd would be arriving. Old Goan mamas held reign on their chai mats, serving tea and cakes to stoned freaks who had no idea which pocket their money was in. The DJ occupied a discreet post somewhere to the side and there was minimal lighting on the dance floor itself.
The night could be hellish. Many people actually liked it that way, dancing through the dark in a painful anonymity, exorcising their demons before the dawn. Then with dawn you’d hear a wave of motorbike engines and feel a new energy taking hold of the party. The light began to grow and you’d suddenly realize what a beautiful place you were in. The dance floor swelled and hundreds of people would suddenly go wild as the DJ unleashed a new mood.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Goa Trance parties
Goa Trance parties began in the late 1980s in the state of Goa, India and they can take place in unusual locations such as on a beach or in the middle of the forest, although it is not uncommon for them to be held in conventional locations like clubs. There have been attempts to formalise parties, such as those held at Bamboo Forest, into commercial events, which was initially met with much resistance. The need to pay the local police baksheesh means that they're now generally staged around a bar, even though this may only be a temporary fixture in the forest or beach.
The parties around the New Year tend to be the most chaotic with busloads of people coming in from all places such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and the world over. Travelers, beggars and sadhus from all over India pass by to join in.
However, with the proliferation of Goa Trance music across the globe, parties are now being held at locations all over the world. Among the most notable of these parties are the Full Moon Party held monthly at Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand and several events held in Byron Bay, Australia as well as Israel, Japan, South Africa and Scandinavia.
Goa parties also have a definitive visual aspect - the use of "fluoro" (fluorescent paint) is common on clothing and on decorations such as tapestries. The graphics on these decorations are usually associated with topics such as aliens, Hinduism, other religious (especially eastern) images, mushrooms (and other psychedelic art), shamanism and technology. Shrines in front of the DJ stands featuring religious items are also common decorations.
The sound of Goa Trance
Goa Trance is essentially "dance-trance" music (it was referred to as "Trance Dance" in its formative years), the original goal being to assist the dancers in experiencing a collective state of bodily transcendence, similar to that of ancient shamanic dancing rituals, through hypnotic, pulsing melodies and rhythms. As such it has an energetic beat, almost always in 4/4 time and mainly consisting of 16th or 32nd note patterns played in both synth and percussion parts. A typical track will generally build up to a much more energetic movement in the second half then taper off fairly quickly toward the end. The BPM typically lies in the 130 - 150 range, although some tracks may have BPMs as low as 110 or as high as 160. Generally 8-12 minutes long, Goa Trance tracks tend to focus on steadily building energy throughout, using changes in percussion patterns and more intricate and layered synth parts as the music progresses in order to build a hypnotic and intense feel.
The kick drum often is a low, thick sound with a large amount of sub-bass frequencies, and is thought to be the origin of the term doof, a label for dance music and Goa Trance in particular. The music very often incorporates a great deal of effects, much more so than other forms of dance music, and are often created through experimentation with synthesisers. A well-known sound that originated with Goa Trance and became much more prevalent through its successor, psytrance, is the organic "squelchy" sound (usually a saw-wave which is run through a high-pass resonance filter), known to sound especially good on psychedelic drugs.
Other important pieces of equipment used in Goa Trance include popular analogue synthesizers such as the Roland TB-303, Roland Juno-60/106, Novation Bass-Station, Korg MS-10, and notably the Roland SH-101. Hardware samplers manufactured by Akai, Yamaha and Ensoniq were also popular for sample storage and manipulation.
A popular element of Goa Trance is the use of strange samples, often from sci-fi movies. Those samples mostly contain references to drugs, parapsychology, extraterrestrials, existentialism, OBEs, dreams, science, spirituality and other things that could be deemed as "mysterious" and "unconventional". For an extensive list of such samples, see
Goa Trance is essentially "dance-trance" music (it was referred to as "Trance Dance" in its formative years), the original goal being to assist the dancers in experiencing a collective state of bodily transcendence, similar to that of ancient shamanic dancing rituals, through hypnotic, pulsing melodies and rhythms. As such it has an energetic beat, almost always in 4/4 time and mainly consisting of 16th or 32nd note patterns played in both synth and percussion parts. A typical track will generally build up to a much more energetic movement in the second half then taper off fairly quickly toward the end. The BPM typically lies in the 130 - 150 range, although some tracks may have BPMs as low as 110 or as high as 160. Generally 8-12 minutes long, Goa Trance tracks tend to focus on steadily building energy throughout, using changes in percussion patterns and more intricate and layered synth parts as the music progresses in order to build a hypnotic and intense feel.
The kick drum often is a low, thick sound with a large amount of sub-bass frequencies, and is thought to be the origin of the term doof, a label for dance music and Goa Trance in particular. The music very often incorporates a great deal of effects, much more so than other forms of dance music, and are often created through experimentation with synthesisers. A well-known sound that originated with Goa Trance and became much more prevalent through its successor, psytrance, is the organic "squelchy" sound (usually a saw-wave which is run through a high-pass resonance filter), known to sound especially good on psychedelic drugs.
Other important pieces of equipment used in Goa Trance include popular analogue synthesizers such as the Roland TB-303, Roland Juno-60/106, Novation Bass-Station, Korg MS-10, and notably the Roland SH-101. Hardware samplers manufactured by Akai, Yamaha and Ensoniq were also popular for sample storage and manipulation.
A popular element of Goa Trance is the use of strange samples, often from sci-fi movies. Those samples mostly contain references to drugs, parapsychology, extraterrestrials, existentialism, OBEs, dreams, science, spirituality and other things that could be deemed as "mysterious" and "unconventional". For an extensive list of such samples, see
Goa Trance parties
Goa Trance parties began in the late 1980s in the state of Goa, India and they can take place in unusual locations such as on a beach or in the middle of the forest, although it is not uncommon for them to be held in conventional locations like clubs. There have been attempts to formalise parties, such as those held at Bamboo Forest, into commercial events, which was initially met with much resistance. The need to pay the local police baksheesh means that they're now generally staged around a bar, even though this may only be a temporary fixture in the forest or beach.
The parties around the New Year tend to be the most chaotic with busloads of people coming in from all places such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and the world over. Travelers, beggars and sadhus from all over India pass by to join in.
However, with the proliferation of Goa Trance music across the globe, parties are now being held at locations all over the world. Among the most notable of these parties are the Full Moon Party held monthly at Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand and several events held in Byron Bay, Australia as well as Israel, Japan, South Africa and Scandinavia.
Goa parties also have a definitive visual aspect - the use of "fluoro" (fluorescent paint) is common on clothing and on decorations such as tapestries. The graphics on these decorations are usually associated with topics such as aliens, Hinduism, other religious (especially eastern) images, mushrooms (and other psychedelic art), shamanism and technology. Shrines in front of the DJ stands featuring religious items are also common decorations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)