What is wrong with Neogoa?

[604tronik303]

I think it's impossible to get tired of goa. You listened to some album hundred times and you still want to listen to it again, and again, and again...

Back to the topic, I think there's nothing wrong with neogoa. Many say that neogoa sounds derivative of old goa, but for me it's different. The essence is the same, but the soundscapes are different. For example, Pleiadians sounds to me as aliens landed on Earth and try to speak with you, while Filteria is about lightspeed voyage trough outer space and meetings with energy beings. Maybe musically there are similarities, but the new wave goa music(IMO)is not a clone.

[amithaba_buddha]

1. take arabic or gypsy scale, 2. make a random (whoops, i probably should have used another word considering the other thread, but you know what i mean) melody with notes on most 1/16, 3. add fx, 4. Tada! instant win goa trance.

Errmmm Isn't that psy-trance is general?

I mean not just goa itself , at least you have to earn some musical knowledge to build the melodies , i wouldn't say random in my case unless some artists actually do that , of course that most goa trance , the genre itself is based on eastern scales , so if you're going to dig into it that's what you're gonna get.

 

If you going to dig into other genres ex. darkpsy : 4|4 beat with strange samples , weird and maybe even random(?) synthesized FX put a sharp kick a rolling bassline , add some effects and voila! Darkpsy...

[amithaba_buddha]

Tatsu is quite right, somebody mentioned patience here anyway

 

funny how Age comes in in different forms, but we would confirm ignorance if we say "too young", need a reference point? ANTARES.

 

Yet again, there are some artists, which are on OLDER AGE now, and some of them changed A LOT, some of them think that every artist will have to undergo those changes, and that makes me sick.

 

ps, as a technology occupied person, i want to share something with the 90s artists though

 

how in hell could they make music with Windows 95? that remains a mystery to me

 

Windows 95? Probably with just Cubase for midi and rest all hardware .

[GagaISM]

Great thread albeit a very idealistic one.

 

To grasp what's going on with Trance right now you should probably look to underground Metal. That genre has had a HUGE revival (for a "non-commerical" genre) in the past 6 years. Tons of bands picking up on old styles like Proto-Heavy Metal, Doom, Psych, Black, Death, Thrash, NOWBHM, War Metal, Grindcore, Swedeath etc. The same will eventually happen with Psy/Goa. But it's not going to be because of this thread, and I reckon the artist on labels like Suntrip will play a very little role in it. 90's fashion and music is on it's way back into the mainstream. It will be through that wave these new artist will come. They probably won't have much knowledge of this forum or the genres cultural history. But they will get into it fast in need of some new forgotten style to explore. Both musically and aesthetically. Most of the releases will as always be mediocre, but a few of them will with time be regarded as neo-classics.

 

I think we'll see a return to analogue production techniques and hand-painted psychedelic album covers. Thing is that we, in this thread, are waaaaay too immersed in the music, scene and it's history to be able to do it. We need a new generation to help us out of this hole and that generation will come within the next 6 years.

[Penzoline]

Great thread albeit a very idealistic one.

 

To grasp what's going on with Trance right now you should probably look to underground Metal. That genre has had a HUGE revival (for a "non-commerical" genre) in the past 6 years. Tons of bands picking up on old styles like Proto-Heavy Metal, Doom, Psych, Black, Death, Thrash, NOWBHM, War Metal, Grindcore, Swedeath etc. The same will eventually happen with Psy/Goa. But it's not going to be because of this thread, and I reckon the artist on labels like Suntrip will play a very little role in it. 90's fashion and music is on it's way back into the mainstream. It will be through that wave these new artist will come. They probably won't have much knowledge of this forum or the genres cultural history. But they will get into it fast in need of some new forgotten style to explore. Both musically and aesthetically. Most of the releases will as always be mediocre, but a few of them will with time be regarded as neo-classics.

 

I think we'll see a return to analogue production techniques and hand-painted psychedelic album covers. Thing is that we, in this thread, are waaaaay too immersed in the music, scene and it's history to be able to do it. We need a new generation to help us out of this hole and that generation will come within the next 6 years.

 

Interesting view on it, but since the scene is so small I can't help but to feel like this can't be the case. I doubt people just suddenly want to create 90s stuff and even if they did, haven't they tried already with somewhat disappointing results? Cronomi is aiming to change things but that's about it..

 

Imo comparing goa with metal is really weird since I've always viewed metal as much much more accessible simply because of "real" instruments and vocals. Goatrance is purely electronic and most people still seem, to me, to mentally fight against the idea of electronic music because it doesn't have that natural feel and "respect" to it.

[GagaISM]

Interesting view on it, but since the scene is so small I can't help but to feel like this can't be the case. I doubt people just suddenly want to create 90s stuff and even if they did, haven't they tried already with somewhat disappointing results? Cronomi is aiming to change things but that's about it..

What we are experiencing now is an all-time low for Trance. The exact same thing extreme Metal went through post-95. It took about 8-9 years before it got "retro" and picked up again. Now it's probably bigger than ever before (as far as quantity of bands goes). The same will happen with Trance, we are just way too close to the classic era right now. It will take a couple more years before it turns around. But I promise you that it will happen.

 

Imo comparing goa with metal is really weird since I've always viewed metal as much much more accessible simply because of "real" instruments and vocals. Goatrance is purely electronic and most people still seem, to me, to mentally fight against the idea of electronic music because it doesn't have that natural feel and "respect" to it.

That's a major misconception. Trance and electronic music is MUCH, MUCH more popular than underground Metal. It's a major cornerstone in contemporary pop-culture. Big mainstream bands like Metallica is a different story of course, but Goa was basically mainstream in it's heyday. It was either Infected Mushroom or Wu-Tang Clan for the young boys in the burbs back in the late 90'es. A band like Napalm Death (best selling Grindcore band ever) never had an attraction like that.

[GagaISM]

Ps. A little example (I used to be active in the Black Metal movement for years) is how it was virtually impossible to find Black Metal bands playing the old school style (without keyboards and symphonic elements) in the late 90'es. There was maybe 20 active bands around worldwide. The scene was so small. Releases were all limited to around 100-300 copies. These days Watain (one of those few bands) is signed to a semi-major label, selling thousands of records and touring the world. Thousands of bands have appeared out of nowhere all playing raw old school Black Metal. Many of them shit of course, but a few of them have released new albums just as good if not better than the classic ones. Who would have predicted that just a few years prior? No one...

 

I've been working in record stores for years. I know many shop owners and the story is always the same. No genre will ever be completely forgotten. Especially not genres like Goa Trance that represents a strong and original aesthetic. It's simply too unique not to be picked up again.

[Richpa]

That's a major misconception. Trance and electronic music is MUCH, MUCH more popular than underground Metal.

I disagree.

 

A band like Napalm Death (best selling Grindcore band ever) never had an attraction like that.

 

Huh? One Astral Projection got 3 millions scrobbles on Last.FM. Napalm Death got 8 millions. You can't compare goa trance or any electronic music with metal imo.

[Veracohr]

I think it's impossible to get tired of goa. You listened to some album hundred times and you still want to listen to it again, and again, and again...

Back to the topic, I think there's nothing wrong with neogoa. Many say that neogoa sounds derivative of old goa, but for me it's different. The essence is the same, but the soundscapes are different. For example, Pleiadians sounds to me as aliens landed on Earth and try to speak with you, while Filteria is about lightspeed voyage trough outer space and meetings with energy beings. Maybe musically there are similarities, but the new wave goa music(IMO)is not a clone.

 

I'm aware I'm replying to an old post here but I'm going to do it anyway.

 

I also once thought, not even that long ago, how inconceivable it seemed that I might get tired of goa. But with a limited pool of artists and releases to listen to (me personally), some of the golden oldies are looking a little long in the tooth. And I've only seriously been into goa/psy since just a little before the date I joined this forum (see at left).

 

If I extrapolate that out to include more artists and releases but also a longer timeline, I can easily see how people who listened to goa in the golden era would get tired of it.

[GagaISM]

Huh? One Astral Projection got 3 millions scrobbles on Last.FM. Napalm Death got 8 millions. You can't compare goa trance or any electronic music with metal imo.

That doesn't say anything. You know why? Because people into electronic music aren't as dedicated to groups/names as Metal heads are. There's still so much more people listening to electronic music than to Metal. I know this because electronic music is rather weak here in Copenhagen (compared to the UK, Holland, Germany etc) and you'll find 30 times as many people at electronic parties each weekend, while there's maybe only one or two Metal shows with less than 200 people attending each. Plus House music and minimal Techno is played at almost every reception, fashion show, store opening around town. Electronic music is simply much more accessible as a whole. Most of the people listening to it just don't care about names. They mainly care about what's currently trendy and popular. Even my old friends who used to listen to Goa think that Astral and Psy sounds too old now. So they listen to Techno instead. All that will of course change once the trend arrives.

[Veracohr]

^

Yeah, goa/psy is small, but comparing electronic music as a whole (even just trance in all its flavors) is WAY more widely popular than metal. But even if you just compare trance to metal, most of the weight on the trance side is fluffy Euro trance, not psy.

[GagaISM]

^

Yeah, goa/psy is small, but comparing electronic music as a whole (even just trance in all its flavors) is WAY more widely popular than metal. But even if you just compare trance to metal, most of the weight on the trance side is fluffy Euro trance, not psy.

 

Absolutely!

[Procyon]

Listened to almost every Goa released recently. What I really liked were the darker side of it, the ones with more sophisticated melody, without overlaying them (the melodies) to exhaustion. Some Portamento's and Nova Fractal's tracks really got my attention. NF's "Perception" is what I would say is the best path for the new goa generation.

[Aspartic]

As in all genres you have good music, bad music, music you like and music you don't like.

I don't like the name neogoa, because it is simply goa. But melodic mostly.

And I happen to love this style. Not all of it, but enough to make me a huge fan.

[travbrad1001]

I really think the whole metal/electronic comparison depends where you live. Around here (Minnesota, US) a lot of people don't even know there are different kinds of electronic music (it's all "techno" to them), and virtually no one listens to it outside of a club. Some young people know what dubstep is, but that's about it.

 

Metal on the other hand is pretty popular, and even lesser known artists can get a decent crowd. I'd be happy if electronic music was even half as popular as metal here (although I love metal too).

[Imba]

I really think the whole metal/electronic comparison depends where you live. Around here (Minnesota, US) a lot of people don't even know there are different kinds of electronic music (it's all "techno" to them), and virtually no one listens to it outside of a club. Some young people know what dubstep is, but that's about it.

 

Metal on the other hand is pretty popular, and even lesser known artists can get a decent crowd. I'd be happy if electronic music was even half as popular as metal here (although I love metal too).

 

 

Same here in Serbia, people say techno for all electronic music and psy/goa for them is junkie music, what they will say often: "How can you listen this? You must be drunk or druged to listen this!" and its so stupid lol

 

 

Pop or folk is hat that listen and there is no much difference betwen serbian pop and folk, and i can listen that only if i drink some 5-6 beers minimum xD

[draeke]

Secret to not get bored of any musical genre is to listen many different styles over the years and alternate hardcore listening to no listening at all, that's the way for me.

But this topic seems to be the never ending debate of real goa trance vs. neo goa trance. Both are melodical, both are interesting but ones will always favour one o the other.

I was thrilled when neo goa appeared in early 2000-2001 because it had been 2 years everybody had quit producing proper goa trance and therefore it was very interesting to see some artists continuing on the path of the old masters. Then some people started to argue the sound was too clean and not like the old times but detractors will always exist whatever music you listen to.

[Penzoline]

Well from the current looks of it we are slowly going towards the right direction. Just need some labels and more artist to release different styles rather than almost exclusively uplifting. Hope it won't slow down, at least.

 

And I really don't mean to trash on previously free releases, but new free releases seem to be having more and more quality than they did before.

[Maxx]

I have not been so active lately,but can someone explain to me what neogoa is?

 

Thanks....

[Penzoline]

I have not been so active lately,but can someone explain to me what neogoa is?

 

Thanks....

 

Pretty must all goa post-2000, excluding the earlier releases.

[Ake]

i want to say something about the album Crossing Mind - The Inner Shift. this is real goa trance! it's not "neo goa" or "new school goa", it's proper goa trance! congrats to Stephane Beze and Suntrip Records!

quite some time ago i wrote:

 

The point is that real oldschool goa trance from the 90s has a dirty and grimy undertone. it sounds like dirty bong water, like drinking canned beer in the morning, like smoking pot in public transit and not giving a shit about other passengers, like getting a blowjob while sitting drunk at the beach. "Neogoa" might be nice trance music, but it doesn't sound like all this. it rather sounds like non smoking flights, clean hotel rooms, diet coke and sex with condoms.

that's why many people including me don't like it at all.

i didn't change my opinion on that at all. The great thing about The Inner Shift is not that all tracks on the album are perfect (they are not, at least not all of them), it's not the melodies, not the fx, not the ideas. it's simply the sound. hard to explain as i don't know anything about music production. for me it sounds like the producer installed a plugin or whatever to his production software that causes something like a dry, dusty sound. apart from that there are excellent tracks with great melodies and nice built ups of course but what makes this album so special for me is this specific sound that i tried to describe.

i'm not saying that all the other newschool artists create bad music. all of them are certainly very talented, but The Inner Shift is the first modern goa trance album that really sounds like goa trance for me.

[franki]

I think Merrow's album Born Underwater sounds very much like 90s Goa too. I was listening to it again last night and there are definite MWNN and Infinity Project likenesses.

[blackfiber]

I dislike neogoa because most of the times the tracks are trying to be fast and energetic instead of being atmospheric. But there's good tracks like Goasia - Sunrise or Chi-Ad - Sight of the Sages. Filteria's - Domestic Modulator also is a nice track. Crossing Mind is also an exception, but I personally don't enjoy his tracks, because they don't seem to have some kind of leading melodies to them, but I respect him for originality.

[Sideffect...]

I dislike neogoa because most of the times the tracks are trying to be fast and energetic instead of being atmospheric. But there's good tracks like Goasia - Sunrise or Chi-Ad - Sight of the Sages. Filteria's - Domestic Modulator also is a nice track. Crossing Mind is also an exception, but I personally don't enjoy his tracks, because they don't seem to have some kind of leading melodies to them, but I respect him for originality.

 

I understand the atmosphere opinion.

 

Have you tried Khetzal? (considering neo goa is all goa released > 2002, to me it's just all goatrance )

[Guest neurogen]

you guys are so crazy.

 

The best Goa ever to be existed is Neogoa.

Ok, THE BEST is probably going to be Etnica/Pleiadians... but other than that, its Neogoa.

 

Why?

Cus Neogoa artists know what we like. We like melodies and atmosphere up the YinYang.

We want layers and layers and layers of melody.

And its gotta be psychedelic.

 

Today is the best day to produce this shit. We got the equipment, the technology, the know-how, the experience, the fanbase, the style, the magic.

 

Neogoa is what Goa should be. And is.