Psy/Goa-Trance

JC 2K3

Apart from experimental and breakbeat stuff like Aphex Twin, Venetian Snares, Bong-Ra, Squarepusher etc. , this is the only genre of Electronic Music which I've gotten into properly. I started listening to some about a year ago and in recent months I've started to love it as a genre.

I love the likes of Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom, Prometheus and Hilight Tribe, although I've only heard an album or two of each of them. The most recent act I've gotten into is Vibrasphere. I just listened to their latest album, "Exploring the Tributaries" and I thought it was brilliant; a great mix of ambient, progressive and psytrance styles.

My questions to you guys are:
1. From the acts I've listed, what songs/albums would you recommend?
2. What other songs/albums by other psy/goa-trance artists would you recommend?

Keep in mind that I like the more progressive, alternative/experimental side of this music, the reason I like this and not mainstream trance is that mainstream trance tends to be too repetitive.

Scubadevils

My intro to Goa Trance was the following track from Hallucinogen. Puts shivers through me still to listen to it today. I would recommend anything by Hallucinogen...

http://www.discogs.com/release/12907

http://www.mediafire.com/?fmujonxhnz0

Simon Posford of Hallucinogen is also a part of Shpongle who produce some amazing music, well worth looking into...more goa but also downbeat, really excellent.

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Shpongle

Eat Static have covered a variety of genres over the years but have always touched on psy or goa - I would definitely recommend checking out a lot of their music. An early example and one of my favourite tunes is Lost in Time -

http://www.discogs.com/release/93987

http://www.mediafire.com/?blymbzt24m0

Also worth getting some Man With No Name tunes from the 90's on Perfecto and Dragonfly (which is another excellent label for Goa).

http://e.discogs.com/label/Dragonfly+Records

http://e.discogs.com/artist/Man+With+No+Name

Another great release was actually a mix by Paul Oakenfold (dont let that put you off) called "A Voyage Into Trance" - it is a perfect mix and collection of early excellent Goa Trance -

http://e.discogs.com/release/12454

Another heavier release then from Etnica -

http://e.discogs.com/release/86467

http://www.mediafire.com/?1zn4egjt2uy

There loads more early examples that I can dig out if you like...I wouldnt know as much about more recent stuff but no harm in digging out the older stuff first.

The only one I know from your list is Infected Mushroom - only have a couple of thier CD's but from what I hear you cant go wrong with any of them.

JC 2K3

Thanks a million for that. I'm loving LSD by Hallucinogen.

I'm surprised you don't know Astral Projection. AFAIK they're a pretty big name in the psy/goa-trance scene and they've been around for years. In fact, this song by Hallucinogen is very similar to AP's style.

EDIT: haha, I saw that BBC documentary on LSD and I'm recognising the voice samples in that track from it

Scubadevils

No worries, great tune...be sure to check out the others too.

I wondered actually over the years where the sample was taken from, must look up youtube or something and see if that BBC documentary is about anywhere.

Astral Projection rings a bell, may know to hear. I was more into techno, house, ambient and IDM (dont like that term really but it sums up a genre!) over the years, just dipped my toe into goa etc from time to time. Looking into it more now though too so cheers for the names you have listed!

JC 2K3

Felixdhc wrote:

I wondered actually over the years where the sample was taken from, must look up youtube or something and see if that BBC documentary is about anywhere.

Here you go

Here is just the clip of the kid who speaks in the middle of the song, if oyu're not bothered watching the whole thing, though I recommend it, it's a fascinating documentary

jonny68

Was never massively into it although the likes of early Astral Projection,etc some stuff is pretty good, i was always more into German and Belgian trance, much more uplifting, stuff on Bonzai Records, Eye Q,etc.

jonny68

Actually some of the stuff Danny Rampling was playing in the mid 1990's and Paul Oakenfold was top drawer as well.

fuse

Just started listening to psytrance aswell over the last few months. I like the more ambient/dub side of it, like you, no interest in normal trance. I'd even find infected mushroom difficult to listen to for too long. Sphongle is by far my favourite.
Here's a list of some albums that I'm liking:

Sphongle - Tales of the inexpressible (Excellent psytrance, not much of the trance beats but changing & flowing rhythms with lots of solo instruments, a good introduction to psy)
Highlight Tribe - Limboland (Organic Trance, live instruments playing trance, great rhythms & percussion)
OTT - Blumenkraft (Chill out, nice deep bass, soundscapes & vocals)
Bluetech - Prima Materia (kinda psydub, ambient album, nice and relaxing)
Entheogenic - Dialogue of the speakers
Hallucinogen - In Dub (Great psychill, a little more trippy than most)
OOOD - Free Range (Weird vocal samples, and a few great tunes in here using kinda metal riffs with trance beats, interesting!)

Hilight Tribe are playing Ireland this month, can't wait!
http://www.hilight-tribe.com/pgs_imgs/flyers/spritour07.htm

JC 2K3

Yeah, Hilight Tribe will be awesome.

Have you heard Vibrasphere's lastest album, fuse? If you haven't, check it out, it's great.

Thanks for the recommendations!

fuse

Heard of but haven't heard vibrasphere. Was meaning to have a listen but forgot them. Gonna get some as soon as I can and have a listen, I've read good things about them alright. Cheers.

Scubadevils

JC 2K3 wrote:

Here you go

Here is just the clip of the kid who speaks in the middle of the song, if oyu're not bothered watching the whole thing, though I recommend it, it's a fascinating documentary

Cheers for that, interesting to see where the sample came from.

Re Infected Mushroom, I got their latest CD the other day and its doing feck all for me. http://www.discogs.com/release/1016975 In fact, I hate it!

Shpongle on the other hand, spectacular...I got this one the same day as the other and it has barely left the car CD player all week -

http://www.discogs.com/release/462940

I would highly recommend it

nightfox

I have been listening to an unhealthy amount of Psy Trance lately...

The better would be Astral Projection, Hallucinogen and Infected Mushroom. A fav at the moment is Science is God by Astral Projection from the Back To Galaxy album... fantastic tune but then again the whole album is class.

Other groups I've been listening to are Transwave, Astrix, GMS and I found a bit of Chakra also. I have heard a bit of Skazi but I'm not into his style, too hardcore for proper psy trance tbh...

neutronyx

If want to listen to some Psytrance in Electric picnic. Neutronyx got a stage in the forest. Just on the other side of the showers and disable camping.
See you there

---

AFTERLIFE FESTIVAL 15th September 2007
ww.life-festical.com

JC 2K3

I won't be at EP...

But, sure I'll be at After Life anyway

Alkers

Where do you guys get your music? I find it very hard to find much apart from Infected Mushroom. New album is absolute rubbish though!