Guest mo Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Hello people! I'm a graphic design student in England. I have an essay to write and need peoples' opinions. I am writing about psytrance culture and how it's currently underground. In my essay I would like to argue why psytrance is underground and not mainstream with the likes of the crappy trance churned out by Ministry of Sound. And, do people trip on psytrance beats or is the trip cannabis induced? If so, does this have an effect on its acceptability in mainstream clubs, i.e. you can't get thrown out for taking an E coz you can't smell an E tab a mile off? What taboos surround psytrance culture? Are there any resources anybody knows of that can help me? I will gladly send people a finished designed artefact of my essay which I'm hoping will include a CD or minidisc recording of a completely trippin psytrance set! Many thanks for your help. Mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ciotera Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 The cannabis part is totally off.. People who were high at the psy parties that I have been to were either rolling, shrooming or were on acid - none of which have any smell.. As to why it's not mainstream.. well, quite simple really.. because we don't want it to be. You see, we are the marginalized anti-social elite of the electronic music scene, and we want it to stay that way.. Good luck with your paper though.. Here, let me stamp that pass, so that they let you out of our underground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest doublehelix Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 "As to why it's not mainstream.. well, quite simple really.. because we don't want it to be. You see, we are the marginalized anti-social elite of the electronic music scene, and we want it to stay that way.. " well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kakoolalajwal Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 All this is quite interesting... But arguing that we goafreakers are "marginalized anti social" dudes is a bit strong i believe.... Of course I feel being a kind of guilty living in an Western country.. when we see what goes around us and that we don't move a finger for the unfortuned people.. Yesterday for exemple i've seen a tv-report about Aids problems in China, which totaly shocked me.. Something is going reeeally bad wrong on this lovely planet. But this does not mean that i should f..k off my neighbour only because he is completely in the establishment.. having so negative feelings won't never be a solution and won't change anything.. I keep having faith in the human beings, tomorrow will be a bright sunshiny day, yes it is possible when we believe in it.. The word "elite" you mentionned, DoubleHelix, strikes me a bit too.... What does this mean ??? Are we in competition with other electronic music styles ? Psytrance Vs Drum'n'Bass round one ::: fight ! No no no this is not the way.. Each style has is good points and artists who are likely to pick up those different influences to create his own stuff is completely right, i hardly believe.. Raja Ram spoke in 95 about "techno coloured techno".. U can imagine how I agree with this.. Let's put a loooooot of colour in our psytrance, the kaleidoscopic dance music !! And for this, we must stay open minded and keep our eyes wide open... ~~~Dancing is my medicine~~~ Make a nice Job Mo ! I'm a young graphic designer too so if i can help u in any way just mail me.. and I would be very please to see you finished artefact ! Peace on everyone, Cheer the Planet BoM Shankar (a French Post-Millenium-Traumatic-Goa-Freaker) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wojanicki Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 Hi Mo! It`s nice to read there are graphic designers amongst psy-trance fans. I am also a graphic design student in Poland and as well a typography/multimedia communication teacher. Besides I love psytrance. In my professional work I can perceive very often different links of graphics and music which exist in parallel transparented each other layers. I am sure you have experienced this phenomena while listening to psy-trance and creating graphic concept. It might be one of the points for your essay, don`t you think? Good luck, and keep us informed about your results Sincerely, Wojciech P.S. What kind of graphic design do you prefer mostly (commercial, art-design, multimedia, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeff Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 My 2 cents : Psy trance is a kind of music which is not immediately understandable. If you browse the review section, you'll see that people keep saying "this music grows in me". It takes time to appreciate it. Some may simply not be willing to spend time on this. That's maybe the unique but very strong link between Psy Trance and Classical music (since almost everybody agrees that Bach's or Haendel's works are 100000 times more complex). J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TjT Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 Regardless of the 'scene' the music itself is too much for the average person to handle. This is not an elitist view but a logical one. Over time tastes change but let's remember that the most popular music is generally 'easy listening' on the ears. Who wants to listen to a 10 minute tune? Most music averages about 4 minutes, with MTV cutting off intros and outros. Every genre of music has a marginalized 'extreme' which by its very nature is a relatively small group of people. But how popular will it become in the future as society becomes more "techno"? It wouldn't be the same if Raja Ram was on MTV every day would it? Lets hope he never is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest necro Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 yo my take on this is as follows. first, to what extent is psytrance a culture? i mean most parties i go to in london u see the same people and all over and over again, but when u speak to them, i don't see that much in common. most people don't even have a clue about the music, hardly own any psy- cd's, and did'nt really go to the party because so ans so is playin. they like the venue, and the music at a very general level and that's it. the one thing in common is the drugs ofcourse. psy scene probably has more drugs,than any otherunderground music scene, with the possible exception of Gabba and Noize. i think it is a select bunch within the scene that may be considered as forming part of a 'culture', the ones that check psy- web sites on a regular basis like the one here, are aware of developments in the music, etc. whats interesting i think, is how psy-heads relie heavily on the internet, for purchasing the music, learning about parties arounf the world. another thing is that the scene is heavily male dominated, both amongst the artists, and the people into the music. also, in recent years (as we all know) the psy-scene (which always has been quite distinct) has been merging(musically atleast) with other musical forms such as techno, tech-trance, tech-house- musical sub genres which have had a much less distinctive following (try fiding a web site that speicalises in techno only, not too many). ltr-necrophiliac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mo Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 hi necro, you've made some very interesting and valid points for argument. firstly, psytrance is definately a culture. take israel for example, psy is commercial over there. if the genre has its followers then there is definately a culture there. i agree with the point you made about how psy-heads rely heavily on the internet for purchasing music and learning about parties around the world. why is this the case? would be great if people could expand on this. thanks people, you're amasing! mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mo Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 why do people want psytrance to remain underground? do you think psytrance can survive underground, taking into consideration that techno and acid were once underground? how many people now listen to and produce acid? is it the case that acid and techno have evolved into other forms? if so, would psytrance still have its followers if it evolved into another form? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mo Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 wojciech nice to meet a like minded designer. i'd prefer to be a print designer as opposed to a web/multimedia designer. i feel design for screen has so many limitations. my life revolves around typography. it's what i'm best at. thanks for your input. mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sudh1r Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 yeah well you want to make it mainstream with your esssay?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest what??? Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 what's your definition of underground? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mo Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 By underground I mean not in the mainstream. How well advertised are psytrance gigs? How much psytrance do virgin and hmv sell? You have to see the web for info on raves, word of mouth, through independent record stores, etc. virtually the same for buying music. sudh1r - my essay won't make psytrance mainstream. i'll be lucky if anybody other than my lecturer reads it! thanks guys. keep hitting me with more things to think about. mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest necro Posted November 17, 2002 Share Posted November 17, 2002 yo, why do we want psy-trance to remain underground-well about 5 years ago, the psy-scene in greece was still 'undergroud' (and i use the term loosly) ie, i mean parties wheren't organised by big ass promotors and clubs, they usually took place in secret locations, with no security guards breathing down your neck, didn't cost that much, and the crowd was more into the whole spirit of things. Nowdays the psy-scene is mainstream, by that i mean most psy events take place in the big dance clubs, are heavily advertised everywhere, cost a fuckin fortune to go to, you have security every where, (last year i nearly got kicked out of a huxflux party for smokin a joint) and the people who go are those who i would class under the general term 'ravers' they wear the trendy club gear, and the only psy-acts they have ever heard of are hallucinogen/ Infected and logic bomb. I have freinds in Japan where a similar phenomenon has been occuring, who complain about the same thing. I don't know about israel though, where psy-trance i very comercial as well. mainstream = commercialisation = the entry of a cash and profit making nexus in the logic of things. the psy-scene as we all know in its spirit is antithetical to such a profit making nexus, we tend to preffer parties which do not take place in 'super clubs', where the environment is relaxed, where IF YOU CHOOSE you can pop, drop or smoke your drugs in peace to enjoy the music, where thing's don't shut at 6:00 am in the morning, but continue as long the synergy in the party is flowing. ( ie parties don't follow club shutting laws impoed by the state, which proper registered clubs have to follow). i personally believe this is a price worth paying even at the risk (to quote one guy above) 'the music gets marginalised to the point of extinction'. peace-necro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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