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This is another questionaire response from mushroom magazines 25 years of Psytrance survey.
PsyTrance people tell us about their experiences during 25 years of Psytrance
Goa Trance has been, for many of us in the USA, a difficult road to follow, with many pot holes and bumps along the way. Altho I was able to get my hands on many goa records and CDs as an emerging DJ, I found myself writing trance in the basement of Space Dub Studios beginning around 1994. At that point I was doing my best to figure out how the various drum machines, samplers, groove boxes and loop synths were all supposed to connect into the computer, often preferring live sets without a computer at all. All I can say is that Colorado still hosts family sized DOOF parties in our open deserts, forests and wild mountain valleys. As the world of trance has exploded across Europe and much of the planet, those of us in Central USA have had to remain content with private humble gatherings focusing on our intimate friendships. However, 25 years later and here we still are, and we love psytrance more than ever with an expanding team of promoters and producers that span across the wide horizons of USA. We can finally say the the USA is showing serious gain toward a bright future in our trance culture.
What was your favourite festival of the last 25 years and why?
There are so many peak life experiences connected to Psytrance Festivals that choosing a single one out seems awkward… Performing psytrance for the Symbiosis Oregon Eclipse was certainly one of my highlights as a DJ producer, but when it comes to my favorite festival in the past 25 years, I think Tribal Gathering in Panama has to take the cake. Fortunate enough to have gone 5 of the 6 editions so far, I have developed close friendships and professional relationships that certainly deserve respect. Being held in a literal paradise on the Caribbean with exotic fruits and foods, let alone the amazing International Community. Tribes from all over the planet sharing wisdom and medicine practices, indigenous consciousness melding with modern alchemy. I am simply honored to have been involved with such a phenomenal showcase of life.
Which artist was for you the most important Psytrance Act of the last 25 years and why?
Tristan sticks out mainly because I began collecting his vinyl releases in the early 1990s. Considering how he is simply kicking ass, playing all the biggest and best festivals everywhere and keeping on top of the music like it is never ending. His sets are just killer and his skills are profound. Every time he plays he is smiling at people, making eye contact, sharing huge energy and is obviously having the time of his life. That is what psytrance is about for me, sharing love. I really appreciate seeing energy being exchanged between stage acts and the crowd. As a DJ and Producer myself I keep an eye and ear out for fresh material – Tristan is a main stay and has a massive amount of my respect. Tho please realize, there are dozens of artists whom I will not mention, who hold the torch for our community and shine on to our future.
Share your most intense Psytrance experience ever?
Well, intense can be interpreted several ways – but one year at BOOM Fest… I had been touring from SUN to OZORA then to BOOM and had been trancing a full month at that point. The cocktail of Mescaline, LSD, MDMA and other psychedelics had me awake a couple days when I stumbled into the Dance Temple for AJJA. Talk about clean chugging madness, the dance floor was alive with dust while my feet literally felt like they might fall off. The skyscape appeared to melt away. Intense is a good word for it. It was all I could do after the set to crawl back to my tent, feet cracked and bleeding, having lost my sandals somewhere out there.
Share your favourite photo(s) of the last 25 years
Tell us about your current project?
In Colorado, when it comes to psytrance we find ourselves having to do it all. Events, deco, promotion, DJing, production… you name it, I have done it. Fortunately things are picking up and the community to carrying more weight than ever. I have recently launched the Star Active Records label based out of the high mountains of Colorado. Aum Lab is my studio psytrance project, focusing on modern goa influences, the label follows suit. Working with other studio producers and currently asking label artists to get into remixing for one another, I feel hosting a music distribution hub is an important stepping stone on the road to becoming an international icon in psytrance culture. I also work with the Native Circuit production team and Rising Phoenix Collective to create other worldly trance parties in the deep recesses of Colorado and northern New Mexico.
