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Trance Music and Goa
If you have ever been or will be in coastal Goa, especially in North Goa around Anjuna, Arambol or Vagator beach you will surely come across psychedelic trance rhythms and accompanying fluorescent decorations present in the graphics of some places and clothing. Their presence is not accidental and results from the long-standing presence of the Hippie subculture, who gave birth to the electronic music known in Goa as Goa trance and later Psytrance.
Origins of Trance Music in Goa and Hippies
Goa trance culture is deeply rooted in the hippie and spiritual movements of the 60s and 70s, emphasizing peace, love, freedom and unity. Parties in Goa are often characterized by elaborate decorations, UV art and a strong sense of community and sharing experiences. However, the Hippies have created something so great that it is not just music or intense parties; it is a way of life. This is the choice you make when you truly understand the essence of Goa trance culture.
In the early 60s, Goa, a small coastal state in India, was the most popular host for hippies and backpackers. It was the Indian spiritual practices, friendly locals, beaches and above all, legally available hashish that made it one of the best affordable places for spiritual retreat for almost half of the 20th century. The definition of Goa back then was - Goa is not just a place, Goa is a state of mind. These words primarily emphasize the spiritual nature of Goa as an ideal place for inner development.
Eddie eight finger, the father of the Hippie tribe, discovered Anjuna beach as a place for the first parties, which initially took place around bonfires and to the sound of Pink Floyd or Red Zepelin. Then, in 1977, Eddie started the Anjuna Flea Market - a place for the exchange of goods between traveling Hippies. Today, the Flea Market has a global character, but you can still encounter elements of Hippie culture or meet older representatives of this culture.
Later, Full Moon parties began to be organized, during the full moon the first experiments with trance music combined with the extension of sounds began. It is also worth mentioning the presence and easy access to hashish and LSD, which were symbols of parties due to the inspiring effect after their consumption.
One of the first artists experimenting with trance music in Goa at that time was Goa Gil. Gil, apart from having an unconventional personality of an eccentric spiritual traveler, was inspired by music and its creation, and it was trance that gave him unlimited freedom to create and develop new sounds. Gil had a very interesting concept of this music and dance when he said that dance is an active meditation. When we dance, we transcend thought, mind and individuality to become one in the divine ecstasy of union with the cosmic spirit. This is the essence of the trance dance experience.
In the 80s, more and more DJs began to make special mixes, which were edits of different versions of a song, to extend it more and more. It was a kind of breakthrough in the concept of music, a journey into space and back. DJs playing in Goa during this period included Fred Disko, Dr. Bobby, Stephano, Laurent, Ray, Fred, Antaro, Gil and many others.
The Decline of Trance and the Birth of the Psytrance Baby
In the history of Goa trance, the mid-90s were the height of Goa trance’s success, when Goa was visited by record numbers of tourists seeking harmony and transcendence in the sounds of this music. As the scene flourished, the number of tourists visiting Goa began to outnumber the locals. Towards the end of the decade, Goa trance experienced a so-called “commercial death” with the newly emerged psytrance sound; the new sound was rather minimalist, but as electronic music technology advanced, producers began to incorporate more complex rhythms, faster tempos and a wider range of electronic sounds. This progression marked the transition from the early Goa trance sound to what we now know as psytrance. Psytrance spread quickly, gaining popularity in Europe and other parts of the world. Many of Goa's original projects began to fade away, while others adapted to the psytrance genre. Many publishers followed suit, with one of the largest trance labels, TIP records, being renamed TIP World.
Difference Between Trance and Psytrance
Goa trance and psytrance share a psychedelic ethos, but differ in musical composition. Goa trance is typically characterized by tempos of 130 to 150 BPM (beats per minute), characterized by repetitive, hypnotic rhythms and melodic, often euphoric synth lines. It often incorporates elements of Indian music such as sitar and tabla, and has a characteristically warm, analog sound.
Psytrance, on the other hand, tends to be faster, ranging from 140 to 150 BPM or higher. characterized by repetitive, hypnotic rhythms and melodic, often euphoric synth lines. It often incorporates elements of Indian music such as the sitar and tabla, and has a characteristically warm, analog sound.
Psytrance, on the other hand, tends to be faster-paced, ranging from 140 to 150 BPM or higher. It is known for its intricate, multi-layered soundscapes and greater emphasis on complex, driving basslines and percussive elements. Psytrance often employs a wider range of electronic sounds, including digital effects and samples, creating a more futuristic and mechanical feel compared to the organic warmth of Goa trance.
Subgenres and Evolution
Over the years, both genres have diversified into numerous subgenres. Goa trance has seen the emergence of styles such as progressive Goa trance, which incorporates elements of progressive house, and new school Goa trance, which combines traditional Goan sounds with modern production techniques.
Psytrance has an even wider range of subgenres, reflecting its evolution and global influence. Some notable subgenres include full psytrance, characterized by high energy and prominent melodies; dark psytrance, which features darker, more aggressive sounds; and psybient, a more downtempo, ambient sound. Other subgenres, such as progressive psytrance and forest psytrance, continue to push the boundaries of the psytrance sound, each with unique stylistic elements.
Psy Trance as a musical version of LSD
Although most people do not spare criticism for this type of music, greatly reducing its value and spiritual significance, understanding the essence of trance music is, contrary to appearances, more complicated and requires deeper involvement or experience on both the emotional and spiritual level.
Music through high tempo and multi-layered electronic melodies creates a beautiful and stunning experience, transporting you to another dimension comparable to the state after taking a drug. Music becomes a drug, a transcendent version of LSD. "Trance means any state of consciousness or awareness other than normal waking consciousness. It is a heightened state induced by meditation or stimulation of our senses." Raging trains of thought, allowing you to listen to the rhythm of everything around you and inside you.
An exciting element of psytrance is the use of samples, often from science fiction films or works of great thinkers. These samples mainly contain references to OBE (out of body experience) and dreams, time travel, spirituality and similar mysterious topics.
Goa trance developed from an atmosphere of harmony and understanding. One of the most popular forms of meeting were festivals and parties. Apart from India, Goa trance parties started to take place all over the world. The innovative underground club Megatripolis had a great influence on the popularization of the sound in London. The club combined New Age ideology with Rave culture, presenting a wide range of cross-cultural ideas and experiences, trippy for the 90s. While one of the first Goa parties in Germany was the (still running) VuuV Festival in 1993, in France it was the Gaia festival. Boom Festival in Portugal has been considered the “holy grail” of psychedelic trance parties since 1997 and is still going strong.
Psy-Trance celebrations are not only about music and dance. They are also about sensational and cultural feelings present in every place, passed down from generation to generation through celebrations. Thanks to this, a common understanding was reached that this type of event is like a ceremony or ritual, in which the main element represents harmony between the people involved. This helps to transmit higher vibrational energy or good vibrations leading to a higher state of consciousness.
Summary
As can be seen from the above analysis, trance and psytrance music has a lot in common, with the then pristine, spiritual and free state of Goa in India as the place of its birth and development. Without a doubt, the presence of the Hippies, especially personalities such as Eddie Eight finger or Goa Gil, who had a huge impact on the popularization and evolution of trance into a unique psytrance, which differs from trance music, for example, in the number of beats or the different rhythms. Both genres continue to develop, enchanting the audience and evolving over time, each of them making a rich contribution to the tapestry of electronic music. Both genres, thanks to the appropriate sounds and vibrations, are also supposed to help in the exchange of energy, stimulate our senses and transport us to another higher state of consciousness. Celebrating trance music at festivals is one of the most popular forms of experience, so if you want to experience something truly amazing and spiritual, it is worth going to a trance music festival.
