CANADA: The Northern Psychedelic Trancescene

Author: machinelf

The psytrance scene in Canada is a very diverse culture, due to the large land (6000km from coast to coast) and demographic area (#1 western country in multiculturalism). The origins of the scene in Canada starts as early as 1994 from early productions from eXperience productions to Black Light Activists in 2000s to Tech Safari in 2010s (and many many more!) While we are not the most populated country for it’s size, there is a fully active psytrance community from all over. From weekly festivals in the summer in Ontario and Quebec to weekly psytrance club parties in Vancouver, one is surely to find what any psychedelic warrior wants!

Over the years, the scene has exploded with a significant amount of amazing Djs and live artists, and one could find any well represented subgenre of psytrance one can be looking for and festivals are becoming more and more well produced with international significance and recognition.

The most active scenes in Canada are in Montreal and Toronto, followed by Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Winnipeg.

ARTISTS

Important Artist from Canada:

Virtual Light

More artists:

Ekoplex, Zentrix, Noj Nor, Atheria, Spacey Koala, Mydä, Psyentifica, Kloud9, Blue Lunar Monkey, Nailik, Planet B, Rob Eckhardt

LABELS

Important Psytrance label from Canada:

Tech Safari Records

More labels:

Ektoplazm Records, Area709, Altar Records

PARTIES & FESTIVALS

Important Party/Festival label from Canada:

Eclipse Festival (Tech Safari – Quebec)

More Parties/Festivals:

DECO & ART

Important Deco artist from Canada:

Neuromantix

More Deco artists:

MORE PARTY INFO

Preferred music styles inCanada:

Full-on, Forest, Progressive Psytrance and Progressive Psychedelic Techno

When parties are starting? When they are closing or have to close?:

Toronto usually start at 10pm and are allowed to go until when the venue will allow (usually between 4-6am) Montreal often starts at 10pm, and depending on the liquor laws and permits, until 3am (alcohol permit) or until the venue allows (no alcohol permit) Festivals are at least 3 days long, and go as long as 10 days.

Are there clubs that open in the morning, is it easy to find one, do peoples have open private afterhours…:

Montreal often has official and / or unofficial after parties. If a it’s a private event, one can usually find a place to after party. Toronto is usually private, but usually open.

Tell us about prices. Average entry for a party (small – mid – big-sized), beer, water etc.:

$5 for local / weekly events $20 for an average event (usually with a headliner or new/out of town decor) $30+ for multi room high production events Prices are in CDN Water is usually free / easy access to taps. You are looking to spend an average of $5 for a drink.

Are there traffic controls after parties / festivals, which kind of tests are used?:

Usually festivals will have drug screening / harm reduction booths, as well as some parties in Ontario and Quebec. (Trip Collective and Grip) West coast (BC, Alberta) is more active in the drug screening and harm reduction, and has more presence. (Karmik)

PSY-SEEING IN CANADA

Points of interest:

Alternative Thinking – Toronto Shanti Baba – Toronto Psychonaut – Montreal Studio Sundari – Montreal

Best places for activities:

Noir Restaurant in Montreal and Toronto, Eat in darkness
Bampot Teas, Hookah, tea, plounge and food spot in Toronto
CN Tower – Toronto Tamtam – Drumming, chill, music, venders in Montreal

Best place to eat:

Toronto: Harvest Kitchen, O Noir, Hogtown Vegan, Round Venue, Nazareth Ethiopian, Alternative Thinking
Montreal: O Noir, Aux Vivres, The Green Panther, Poutineville

WEBSITES

Website #1:

Ekotoplazm
Psytrance / Psychedelic free label

FUN STUFF

Something curious from Canada:

We have a desert in British Colombia called the Okanagan Valley, a rainforest called the Great Bear Rainforest, plains across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Mountains in BC and Ontario, eat the poutine in Quebec…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Name:

DJ Machine Elf

City:

Toronto

Info about the author:

Promoter of Psytrance / Progressive events in and around Toronto (Zodiac Collective and Timewave Productions) (Since 2005) Co-ordinator of Solstice Gathering (Om Reunion Project) organizing the Spore Stage (Psytrance, Psychedelic, DnB) (Since 2010) Psytrance, Techno and Tech-House DJ (Since 2005)

Authors Email:

elfinthemachine@gmail.com

Your favorite Psytrance music ?

Morning and Nighttime Full-On

CANADA: The Northern Psychedelic Trancescene