Two Different Sets of Ears

[timboz]

I have been thinking back on how my tastes in music have changed over time. Once upon a time I was a metal head, but that is another tale. Specific to Psytrance, I first got into Goa towards the end of the 90s. I'd been exploring various forms of psychedelic music and discovered this new world of electronic music. It was a really exciting time and did good things to my brain.

 

Over time I found myself listening to a whole range of different types of music and found myself not listening to Goa/Psy as much, but I would pull it out on occasion and enjoy it. Some of these times I found myself exploring some of the classic older releases from the past that I hadn't heard as well as filling in what had happened more recently. Looking back I now realize I had a very narrow focus on what I was expecting from the music. I was only seeking out the really storming brain-kicking tracks and anything else I would not listen to. (Even on I.F.O I would usually only play Electra and Asterope )

 

Moving forward to about 18 months ago my interest in electronic music was seriously rekindled. For whatever reason suddenly this music truly clicked with me in a way it never had before and the true exploration began. And I found that I was listening to things with a new set of ears - perhaps through the passing of time, my own maturing (well...!) and life experiences, listening to other types of music - no doubt a whole range of factors that go into making up who we are and what we bring to the music when we receive it via our sensory organs. I now chuckle when I think back to the version of me with the different pair of ears. As an example I remember years ago playing Dragon Tales by KoxBox, and never giving it a proper serious listen because it didn't fit my expectations at that time. More recently I revisited the album, giving it a proper serious listen and it ate my mind! It has become a favourite and continues to grow for me with all its subtlety, complexity, and detail, and I marvel and wonder at how a few years ago I had this stellar album but an incompatible brain and pair of ears at the time.

 

It has been a wonderful experience rediscovering this music, and almost like it is the first time as I am appreciating a much wider sense of dynamics in the music, and I find myself enjoying a more complete spectrum of music and the emotions it can evoke. I've also branched out, not just in the different forms of Goa/Psy, but into other forms of electronic music that wouldn't have appealed to that funny pair of ears I used to call my own.

 

I wanted to tell this tale of two sets of ears, and would be interested to hear how other people's tastes and approaches to listening/thinking about music have changed, or perhaps if you have found the opposite and things have remained the same for you over time.

[PlutoDelic]

we all did some research didnt we?

 

usually people do not rediscover that feeling like you, they claim 120bpm is far more psychedelic then the current psychedelia, which in a way is true cause the major releases tagged as PSY are in reality shit, but that Minimal side of electronica has nothing psychedelic at all yet they are compared Somehow...

 

good to hear cases like yours though, music needs to be appriciated (the right way).

[travbrad1001]

Good post. I wouldn't say I've "rediscovered" the music really, but my tastes are always changing/evolving (not just psy either). Like a lot of people I got in to psy from Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom, Hallucinogen, etc. Anything that wasn't instantly catchy I just gave up on. But as time passes I find myself liking a wider and wider variety of trance.

 

When I first heard "forest trance" in the form of Derango I couldn't stand it, but now I like a decent amount of it. It's also a matter of becoming more familiar with what exactly you are listening too. I had a couple Mandalavandalz albums, but never even knew it was "Suomi" until Oopie told me, which then inspired me to check out more Suomi, and now it's my favorite kind of trance.

 

Changing tastes is a great thing. The more great music I can find the better

[Padmapani]

usually people do not rediscover that feeling like you, they claim 120bpm is far more psychedelic then the current psychedelia, which in a way is true cause the major releases tagged as PSY are in reality shit, but that Minimal side of electronica has nothing psychedelic at all yet they are compared Somehow...

 

at a festival i was recently at one time the music at the chillout (some downtempo trance like aes dana was playing) had higher bpm than the main floor (minimal playing there).

that's truly fucked up

 

@topic

when i first discovered psy i was totally into darkpsy (well, into that was called darkpsy back then, which was quite a bit more agreeable than darkpsy nowadays) because i was in a "faster and harder = better" mindset as i mainly listened to acid tekno/hardtekno/darkstep before. over time i've come to appreciate fullon, progressive and of course goa. fullon has fallen a bit out of favour with me since (as you'd expect ) and i can't stand darkpsy anymore.

[Frost-RAVEN]

I very much understand this... I remember helllllla oldskool times, like back when i was a freshmen in highschool. This senior was playing Juno Reactor during our art class. I was use to hard trance and anthem trance at that time, and that's what I expected trance to be. She asked me if I like what she was playing, I said no, she then replied. "You don't like psychedelic trance?". It wouldn't be till about a year later that I'd understand what psy trance was. Somebody told me to listen to Infected Mushroom and I feel in love. That lead me to Juno Reactor again, and I feel in deeper love.

 

 

Strange how things like this can work out.