Switzerland

“Psychodelic Univers” is the name of the party. Dude… is this about psychos or what? And why can’t you guys come up with something different than Aliens, Sun or X? However, the venue of this party is a blast. A lush meadow right at the edge of the forest, and there’s even a wooden cabin which has been turned into a beautiful bar. The view up here is stunning, green rolling hills as far as the eye can see. It’s almost kitschy in its postcard perfection, even the mysterious shrouds of fog are not missing. It’s this moment that reminds me why I love these adventures so much. Outdoor events here in Switzerland usually start around 10 pm and they finish when the crowd is finished. Unfortunately some clubs close already at 6 am.

It’s getting dark. Illuminated by UV lights I enjoy looking at naked, big-titted fairies surrounded by glowing mushrooms and planets, even though they are the same since years. Also I like the crystal clear sound of this open air. The entry for this party is 10 CHF, including free water and fruits. A beer is 4 CHF and a drink 6 CHF. Fair prices. So the drink coupons I was given stand for quite an amount of alcohol- other than in some clubs, where my free drinks are finished after one cocktail, which costs around 10 CHF there. Talking about intoxicants: I’m sure the police will pull over some party people tomorrow. They do so frequently, and they screen drivers for all drugs except LSD.

Liquid Soul © by Tom Dror Photography

Sometimes I get a little pissed by how unprofessional events are organized, and I’m not only talking about small events. So it’s definitely a pleasure to play for professional promoters like Mystica. There are also lots of labels around which are actually not more than a Facebook page. Of course some other guys are doing a really good job, for instance Sinsonic Records, Fractal Records, Audioalchemist, Moonloops, Explosive Nature and Kumquat. However, quite all popular Swiss acts like Human Element, Electrypnose, Midimal or Liquid Soul are signed to foreign labels.

One hour later I’m DJing. All the multicoloured freaks are going crazy. I started with some rather experimental stuff, so now I have to pitch down a track from 140 to 130 BPM. I keep up a clubby vibe, eventually even dropping some Techno tunes. And it works, the people got more open-minded recently. Today you can hear quite everything that kicks ass. Whereas during the past years it seemed like there was offbeat Progressive, offbeat Progressive, and for a change some more offbeat Progressive. For those who are keen on Dark Psy, they should check out the French-speaking parts of Switzerland, there’s quite a scene there.

The biggest open airs like Burning Mountain or Summer Never Ends are held in beautiful Graubünden. There’s an amazing landscape, perfect for hiking with all its mountain panoramas. Another recommendation is the lovely Somuna open air at Marbachegg in Emmenthal. If you are in this region, you should also visit Thun. There’s a fairytale castle there and the beautiful Schadau Park right at the lake, where you can meet a lot of nice people in summer. In the old city there’s also a sweet little shop named Secret Nature (www.secret-nature.ch) where you can find good books, good music… quite everything us freaks are interested in!