Psytrance Summer Guide by BPM Magazine

YOUR FREE ESSENTIAL SUMMER GUIDE

PSYTRANCE

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F SU ULL M CA ME LE R INS NDER IDE

VORTEX ORIGIN TEKNOTRIBE Fu-Cha Gathering Nexus-Media NANO Recs

REZONANCE

Cape Town’s biggest NYE Festival

MAFIA ISLAND 15 DAYS IN PARADISE

INTERVIEWS | ARTISTS | CAMPERS GUIDE | ONLINE COMMUNITIES

EDITION 1 SUMMER 2009/2010

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE 3

CONTENTS

04. REZONANCE - CAPE TOWN’S PREMIER NYE FESTIVAL 06. MAFIA DANCE FESTIVAL - 15 DAYS OF PARADISE 08. VORTEX PSYCHEDELIC TRANCE ADVENTURES 10. GROOVY TROOPERS - TROOPING THAT GROOVE 12. ORIGIN FESTIVAL - FROM UK TO CAPE TOWN WITH LOVE 15. PSYTRANCE SUMMER SURVIVAL GUIDE 16. PSYTRANCE SUMMER CALENDAR 17. PSYTRANCE SUMMER CALENDAR

18. PSYTRANCE SUMMER SURVIVAL GUIDE cont... 20. TICKET OUTLETS & GENERAL INFO 21. INTERNATIONAL PSY PORTALS, FORUMS & WEBSITES 22. REVIEWS: O.Z.O.R.A & GLADE FESTIVALS 24. LABEL FOCUS: NANO & NEXUSMEDIA 26. TEKNOTRIBE - SA’s TECHNO JUGGERNAUT 28. UP ‘N COMING SA MASTER BLASTERS 30. FU-CHA GATHERING

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BPM Magazine 2009

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

REZONANCE NYE FESTIVAL 3 days, 2 nights, 2 stages, 1 mind blowing experience

ou know summer silly season is coming on fast when we’re talking New Year’s Eve already and specifically an NYE of Rezonance. Brought to you by Alien Safari and one half of the original Vor tex pr oduc tion c r ew, the Rezonance Festival features the cream of South African artists with over 70 acts. Renowned for its high energy dance floors, killer line ups and mind blowing décor, Alien Safari’s core focus remains the music and the belief that the party is an art form which has to be done for the love. Combine this ethos with Clyde a n d S i m o n e f r o m Vo r t e x ’ s unmatched production levels, and the thorough fire and safety precautions this couple are renowned for taking, and you’re left with one f**k-off party of note in a safe and comfortable environment. It’s also the longest running outdoor trance event celebrating the New Year. The annual pilgrimage sees thousands of revellers start off a fresh year by stomping under the African sky, kicking off on 31 December 2009 and running until 3 January 2010. With an expanded line-up of over 70 acts (they had 50 last year), the event features the cream of South African artists who have been making an impact worldwide and some respected international guests. And the venue... What can one say about a location as beautiful as Franschoek, except breathtaking! Located on a beautiful untouched estate nestled deep in the heart of the F r a n s c h o e k v a l l e y, y o u a r e surrounded by beautiful mountains, huge trees with grassed camping and a massive dam for swimming. Rezonance was also the first event to recognise the changing musical landscape in Cape Town by creating a more inclusive, musically expansive show. What started as solely a psytrance party segued into a psytrance festival along with live bands on the first evening to a genuine multi-genre outing today, with a second stage on the go for three solid days. Sure, the psytrance still takes centre stage and remains the main thrust for the three days but a little bit of variety (it is New Year’s Eve after all) is always welcome and Rezonance does this by inviting some of the top urban beat maestros to entertain as they offer a welcome interlude between

the mind-blowing madness of the trance-dance floor. New Year’s Eve is about togetherness and celebration after all and what better way to do it than with the EDM massive of Cape Town getting down ‘n dirty. No less than twenty-four different labels or party crews are represented this year. International globe-trotters include Bliss, The A-Team, Painkiller, Broken Toy, The Commercial Hippies, Shift and Headroom, along with some of SA’s supreme master-blasters the likes of which will feature Frozen Ghost and Zion Linguist (who’ve also done their fair share of global gigs), along with a host of DJs on the 1’s and 2’s such as Tuneraider, Gandalf, Wobblz, Sonic, Solar Axis (DJ Bruce solo project) EMP and more. From filthy full-on night time beats to groovy melodic day time tunes, the Prizm stage will take you on a journey of all styles of trance non-stop for three days. The international masterblasters... The international masterblasters

International guests, The A-team are Roy Engel aka Painkiller and Yonatan Marcow aka Bliss. Having performed globally at major events, these top producers deliver full on live acts combining guitar, drums, computers and synthesizers, creating fat bass lines, dynamic grooves and a fresh energy culminating in a new dancefloor experience. Pa i n k i l l e r ’ s m u s i c v a r i e s between 140 and 150 bpm, with a tight mix, dynamic grooves and fat bass lines. You will recognize musical elements that connect a modern psytrance groove with instrumental and classic music to include such diverse genres as Opera, Flamenco, Rock ‘n Roll and more.... Bliss is superbly produced, tough psyharmonic madness. He has collaborated with names such as Sirius Isness, CPU, Azax Syndrome, Basic, Mekkanikka and URecken and remixed tracks from Psysex, Atomic Pulse, Dynamic, CPU, Michelle Adamson, Loud and more producing mixes that combine old with new and electro with psycho all in one to achieve a fun experience!! Hotlines: (021) 794-4032 : 082 741-8981 Email: info@aliensafari.net, info@rezonancefestival.com, info@vortexsa.co.za www.rezonancefestival.com

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

MAFIA DANCE FESTIVAL

1 - 15 August 2010 MAFIA ISLAND,- TANZANIA,- AFRICA

ugust 2010... The world cup will just have finished and we’ll still be reeling from the mass invasion of the thousands of football fans having visited our shores to enjoy the splendour of our beautiful country. We’re going to need a holiday of our own after this experience... this you can believe! The good news is we have the perfect tonic for you... an escape to an island of bliss... a chance in a life time to recharge those batteries with 15 days of music, art and pure unimaginable paradise. Yep, you read that right!!! A 15-Day multi-cultural music and arts festival offering us all a chance to step into a worldly paradise surrounded by breathtaking awesomeness whilst doing what we love doing most... dancing our asses off to the global beat of psytrance! Hosted by the same guys who did those legendary Samothraki parties, the Mafia Dance Festival will no doubt be the biggest psytrance event on the global 2010 calendar. If you’re sceptical as to how these guys will pull this off, it won’t be the first time these crazy cats have undertaken such a mammoth task. Back in 2005 they played host to over 100 of the globe’s biggest

The island’s rich history goes back 2000 years partly due to its location in the trading route between Kilwa and Zanzibar and there are many ancient ruins scatterred between the archipelagos which will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Tanzania itself captures the very essence of the African continent, and distils it into one country, an African Eden of natural riches and cultural wealth. It is the land of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, Zanzibar, Ngorongoro Crater, the Maasai with 120 more tribes, and is a very welcoming and approachable country in Africa… a truly exotic destination.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

Tickets to the Mafia Dance Festival will be limited to 3000 so it’s imperative that you buy yours as soon as possible as demand and excitement grows. Says promoter, Mike; “We want to protect the island's untouched nature and the quality of the festival. We believe that by limiting attendance will be the best for all of us to enjoy and the best way for the ...step into a worldly paradise surrounded by breathtaking organisation to facilitate everyone for this whilst doing what we love doing most... first event.” Presale started in October 2009 and Dancing our asses off to the global beat of psytrance! Early bird tickets at 110 Euros are limited to the first 1000. Organised FLIGHTSnames in psytrance and over 130 top DJ’s on the island of Samothraki. Mafia Island will be no different... with the cream of TRANSPORT will be provided! the Psytrance’s global community of performers converging on paradise for 15 days of pure unadulterated sensory pleasure. All information for line ups, venue, transport and more, can be They are once again preparing a massive line-up of over 150 found on their Facebook page as well as at International and African Artists across four stages to tweak your www.mafiadancefestival.com ORGANIZED BY SAMOTHRAKI DANCE FESTIVAL every sense. Mafia Dance Festival will be hosted in one of the most extraordinary and exotic islands in the world ...

AWESOMENESS

ABOUT MAFIA ISLAND Mafia Island is a breathtaking mixture of ancient civilizations and awe-inspiring paradise. The festival venue will be located in a coconut forest, next to the beach...!!! The name Mafia is derived from Arabic meaning “group” or “archipelago”, or from Swahili meaning “the land that heals”. Mafia Island is the largest of a small archipelago of islands and lies 25km off the coast of Tanzania in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Much of the island and surrounding archipelago is a designated Marine Park, and remains an untouched paradise of original coastal forests, surrounded by one of the world's richest marine habitats. The Island lies off the mouth of the Rufiji River in Southern Tanzania. It is one of the least developed parts of an undeveloped country, yet it has been, and continues to be part of important historical processes. Although its spectacular marine life is becoming increasingly well known, especially since the setting up of the Mafia Island Marine Park, little other information is widely available. A total pure and untouched island of the world!!

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

VORTEX PSYCHEDELIC TRANCE ADVENTURES

Saturday 5 December 2009 & Easter Weekend 2010

rance parties for us are about the connection of the conscious whole through the expression of dance and only the true intentions of the organizers and musicians allow this to take place. Now producing two outdoor parties a summer on the first Saturday of December and on Easter Weekend, Vortex Trance Adventures are on a mission to bring you pure and real psychedelic experiences, produced with the attention to detail that you have come to know and trust.

UNITY Is what happens when a group of people, who have peace, experience their love for themselves and each other, creating a oneness within the group.

RESPECT The attitude you reach because of Peace, Love and Unity. This allows an environment of freedom of choice. You allow yourself the freedom to be yourself as you allow others the freedom and dance to commune space to be themselves.

Since the beginning of time mankind has used music and with the Spirit of Nature and the Spirit of the Universe... We are trying to use Trance Music and the Trance Dance Experience to set off a chain reaction in Consciousness... Through the Trance Dance Experience hopefully people will become more sensitive and aware of themselves, their surroundings, the crossroads of humanity, and the needs of the planet... With this AWARENESS comes Understanding and Compassion. THAT is the need of the hour, and the true Goa State of Mind!!! - Goa Gil A NEW APPROACH Due to the nature of some of the parties last season the Vortex Trance crew have decided to adopt a different approach to parties this summer. We will be limiting the number of people who attend so as to make the party more special and to keep it underground. We hope to recapture the magical spirit, atmosphere and vibe of the truly dedicated, evolving underground. There are only 1800 tickets available for the 5th December party. Tickets will be available from selected “trance friendly" outlets from end October and you will need valid ID to purchase yours.

HOTLINE: (021) 531-2173 PARTY INFO:www.intothevortex.co.za FACEBOOK: search for Vortex Trance Adventures MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/cosmictriggervortex EMAIL: contact@intothevortex.co.za

Vortex n., (from the Latin VERTEX: a whirlpool) 1. a whirling mass or motion of liquid, gas, flame, etc. 2. any activity, situation, or way of life regarded as irresistibly engulfing. (Collins)

THE LOCATION The location is a brand new party venue 70 km’s from Cape Town. It has shaded camping, a beautiful crystal clear river for swimming and awesome mountain views. The venue directions will only be made available to you upon purchase of your pre-sold ticket and these directions will not be available online or in any media. Please keep the venue details strictly confidential… for partygoers only!! At our parties expect trance and only trance, in a Trust in trance and keep it real. Be a part of renewed spirit of light and love.

PEACE Is the core of energy found within ourselves when we let go of all our fears. We have a loss of interest in judging ourselves and those around us. We tend to think and act spontaneously, enjoying each moment as we appreciate everything and smile through the eyes, from the heart.

LOVE We all long for love, understanding and acceptance. We can only truly give and receive love once we have gained acceptance and peace within ourselves. Our actions of love towards others all stem from the love we have for ourselves.

the change you wish to see in the world.

Hemporium is my natural choice, as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comfortable, refreshingly cool and super durable clothing gear! Connecto - Spin Twist Records / Vortex

Hemp looks good, feels good and I still feel and smell great after a dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dancing, comfortable in the knowledge that I am contributing towards healing ourselves and our planet. Cooks - Nano Records

We live in a throw away society, but a paradigm shift is under way and hemp is one if its greatest pioneers. Bruce - Nexus Media

Getting through live shows and Dj sets can be quite physically demanding and you can really build up a sweat. The breathable hemp fabric really helps to keep you dry and fresh even in the hottest venues. Protoculture - Nano Records

Enviromentally-friendly clothing, accessories, body care products and more made from versatile hemp plant. Visit www.hemporium.com for the shop locator and more info on hemp as a solution.

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

GROOVY TROOPERS

- Trooping that groove

he Groovy Troopers celebrate a colourful and creative 10 years and more of beautiful, underground, psychedelic parties. You can trace them back to their humble beginnings of the first party at their house:

“…when we packed all the furniture into the garage, borrowed a sound-system and dropped notes into neighbours’ post boxes informing them that an important pagan festival was about to be celebrated.” From here, they went on to become icons of the Gauteng electronic underground with legendary events such as Fixe and Squids. Relocating to Cape Town in 2002, they mischievously kicked things off in the Mother City with Lorax – an off-beat ode to the psychedelic Dr Seuss and an instance of environmental activism on the dancefloor! Since then the Troopers have tranced away on mountain tops, rooftops, lakeshores and pastoral

spirituality – a merger of dance and idea. Appropriating Hakim Bey’s concept of the Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ), we define what we do as the creation of countercultural sites of resistance or free enclaves. To harness this energy we build generators... productions in which symbolism and intent weaves together with dancers, DJs and VJs. As chimeras, we open windows into luminous worlds that seem to be carved in marble and gold, onto spacial regions, of necessity, belonging to the imagination. We invite you to play. We offer you life, laughter and love.” With such insight, beauty and lofty intent it’s little wonder that a Groovy Troopers party is such a special occasion. We’ll see you co-levitating on the dance-floor. It’s time to tune-in, turn-on and drop out! Www.groovytroopers.co.za

We champion the groove, the furrow … the magic that arises from the body and illuminates the mind with a holistic cellular/molecular AWARENESS of the whole. scenes, making the most of Cape Town’s great outdoors and its vibrant trance scene. Never afraid to experiment and to delve into the deeper realms of pure psychedelic electronic experimentalism and hedonism, the Troopers have always had a trick up their sleeve. An experimental zone, the Viral Lounge, operates at each of their events, carrying on a tradition they kicked off in Cape Town with their liminal Virus parties in 2003. Over the years the Troopers have endeared themselves to the Cape Town massive by taking the road less traveled so to speak. In doing so, they’ve succeeded in creating a space, a production and a vibe that is second to none. They’ve brought out psychedelic legends such as Eat Static, Koxbox, Logic Bomb, Cosmosis and Absolum - as well as newer block-rocking trance acts like Sirius-Isness, Freakulizer and Bliss. In their own words; “While our productions have grown in size and splendour, we’ve always gone back to the basics; keeping true to the original spirit of the groove. Our sense of cosmic playfulness and integrity has always remained constant. In many ways, as we’ve discovered on our intergalactic psychedelic quest, the Groove exists as a potential seed in each and every one of us (and you!). So, with generous helpings of divine rhythms and splashes of psychedelic colour, we invite you to join us as we party on into the future!” Indeed it’s this quest to follow the psychedelic groove that shines through so beautifully at a Groovy Trooper party. They claim that initial intent is critical to the ultimate outcome of an outdoor psy-trance party and the Troopers have thus far carried this beacon with aplomb - which isn’t surprising given the intent they express so ardently in their manifesto: “Banding together whenever/wherever the life-force takes us, our mission is to showcase and celebrate a new and vibrant

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

ORIGIN

an Electronic Music AND Psychedelic Art Festival

stablished in 2004, Origin has consistently pushed the level of South African outdoor music events by experimenting with various additions to the festival environment, including hosting workshops, recycling initiatives, inclusion of alternate music floors and styles and much more behind the scenes antics. Not surprising since it comes from the same kick-ass production duo that hosts Earthdance, husband and wife team, Regan and Monique Tacon. With all Regan’s experience travelling the world and playing at some of the top destinations globally, each year sees them take further steps towards creating ‘that perfect party.’ If we had some sort of official rating system for best and worst parties of 2008/2009 summer season, Origin 2009 would no doubt be a strong contender for party of the year. It’s the one event where all the freaks seemed to come out and play and Origin 2010 will surely be no different. The event features varying styles of electronic and world dance music, with top international guests (almost always from the Nano records stable) and the cream of South African talent. Regan’s close affinity to the Cape Town EDM scene means everybody who is anybody wants to play Origin! Besides being an amazing party with multiple areas and dance-floors, Origin strives to bring consciousness back into the South African party scene while hoping to gently expose people to new ideas and positive lifestyle alternatives. The excitement and atmosphere is second to none and its name and vibe has been carried across the oceans via a series of music compilations released on Nano Records. Origin has also stretched its roots firmly into the UK where the Origin Floor features at the UK’s number one electronic music festival - The Glade - as the only open air stage at the event, with a line-up that would make any psy-trance festival promoter blush.

Origin 2010 No longer just a one day event, Origin continues the tradition invoked at Earthdance to invite presale ticket holders to camp on the Friday evening and enjoy some funky warm up beats easing party-goers blissfully into Saturday. Thereafter you can take in the sunshine (it is January after all) enjoying a carefree day of camping, swimming and socialising before the main stage system grinds into action for 24 hours of non-stop psytrance. Says Regan, “We always try to feature as many international guest artists as possible to create a truly international flavoured event while retaining a definite Cape Town feel as well. Origin is created as a festival, with music and things happening all weekend long - a real psychedelic weekend away. We also have electronic dance music with a touch of world music too on the second dance-floor and this year will feature some surprise additions too.”

Two dance-floors and one Helluva weekend away... He adds, “We have a brand new venue this year which we’re very excited about and there are quite a number of overseas visitors coming over specifically to party at Origin which will give the festival a cool international flava.”

Avalon (pictured here) Nano’s exciting new UK signing to play Origin 2010 As Regan puts it...“I am so excited about Avalon. The minute I heard his stuff I tracked him down and signed him up. His music is absolutely perfect for Nano Records. He hasn’t even released an album yet, but he has played to dance-floors with 20,000 people.” Leon Kane is no newbie to psytrance despite his Avalon moniker being fairly unknown. He used to be part of Reality Grid on Wildthings Records which was always psychedelic and quirky. With Avalon, Leon has found his own groove and says Regan; “He really has a good feel for the dance-floor, which also makes him a great DJ. I’m expecting a lot from him over the next few years.” Look out for his debut album on Nano - Distant Futures - which will also feature collaborations with Burn in Noise, Cosmosis and Dickster. For all the latest news keep up to date at www.originfestival.com

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE 15

PSYTRANCE SUMMER SURVIVAL GUIDE All you need to know when attending an outdoor trance party... Get Over Yourself – Face up the fact that you should... What to bring, what not to bring... n Relax about your personal space. The do's and don'ts of Psytrance Etiquette n Let your standards of personal hygiene slip a little. n Get used to smelly toilets. Relax, no one ever died of plague or caught cholera from using an outdoor party porta-potty. n Seeing people partake in all sorts of recreational substances legal or not. n See at least one hippy get naked, or better still decide to get naked yourself. Settle In – If you’re going to get your money’s worth you’re going to want to go for the duration of the event. This means camping... n Arrive early for the best choice of pitches n Pitch your tent within sight of landmarks you'll remember and that will still be visible when you wake up to a field covered in thousands of other tents n Choose a spot as far away from the toilets as you can because it won't be long before they start to smell funky (erm not funky in a good way mate!) Be Prepared – Make sure you have all the basic necessities to ensure comfort, fun and sustenance. Leave it at Home - Don't bring more than you need and never leave things you can't afford to lose in your tent. Keep valuables, like money and photo IDs on your person, even if it means wearing a naff passport holder thingy under your shirt. Just Say No - Recreational drugs are everywhere and so are under-cover cops. Music events are prime territory for law enforcement officials to nab petty dealers. Even if you normally indulge, at festivals either say no or be discrete. Watch your drinking – You may think that stumbling around the dance-floor is cool. It ain’t! It’s easy to overdo it at a party, feeling uninhibited by the great outdoors. Noisy camp-sight neighbours, fights on the dance-floor – these are inevitably always fuelled by alcohol. Do you want to be THAT prat! Stay Safe

How to get the most out OF your outdoor psy-trance experience

n Stay in touch with your friends and agree to watch out for

each other. n Be careful what you drink and who you accept drink from. Bottles at parties are famous receptacles for all sorts of unpleasant waste. And no matter how warm and friendly the crowd seems, all kinds of dodgy goings on at festies are not unheard of - you never know what's in a drink accepted from Continued on pg 18... a stranger.

Photo by: Brad Briscoe

JAN10 DEC09

NOV09

Summer Calender SAT | 06 NOV’09 | LAMINAK WRAITH | EMBRACING THE GODDESS

SAT 14 14 NOV’09 NOV’09 || GROOVY GROOVY TROOPERS TROOPERS & & TIMECODE TIMECODE || CPT CPT SAT Dj's & Live: Silicon Sound(Neurobiotic), Principles Of Flight(Timecode), Dejenga (Mutagen), Artifakt (Timecode), Brethren (Spectral), Cold Project (Soundmute), Chabunk (Groovy Troopers), Static Flow (Groovy Troopers), Johannes (Silicon Sound, Neurobiotic), Anestetic (Timecode), Regan (Nano), Shift (Nexus Media), Tune Raider (Afrogalactic), Sonic (Afrogalactic), Yogi (Groovy Troopers), Sterealkey (Groovy Troopers), Delphi (Groovy Troopers) | Cover: R175 @ Outlets / R200 @ Gate, Early Tickets Only R155 | Time: Gates Open: Fri 13 Nov: 15h00 until 21h00 for prepaid tickets, Sat 14 Nov. from 9h00. 021 4343325 or email info@groovytroopers.co.za

SAT | 21 NOV’09 | MMD RECORDS & BEARTRAP | REMANUFACTURE | CPT

SAT | 28 NOV’09 | TEKNOTRIBE TEKNOTRIBE || CPT CPT Hosted by: Teknotribe, Killer Robot, Psynopticz and Timecode | Venue:TBA Features: 2 Dance Floors, Minimal and Techno floor and Psytrance floor Time: 9PM | www.teknotribe.co.za SAT -- SUN SUN || 28 28 -- 29 29 NOV’09 NOV’09 || Introducing Introducing FU-CHA’S FU-CHA’S -- PsyGarden PsyGarden || JHB JHB SAT @ Truth's 10th anniversary celebration... | Info: lisa@fu-cha.com

FRI 04 04 DEC’09 DEC’09 -- SUN SUN 66 DEC’09 DEC’09 || VORTEX VORTEX || TRANCE TRANCE ADVENTURES ADVENTURES || CPT CPT FRI Dj's & Live: U-Recken (Doof), Pitch Hikers (Nexus Media), Biorythm (Disasterpeace), Rubix Qube (MMD/DIsasterpeace), Indidginus (Microdot/Vortex), Yaniv (U-Recken), Artifakt(Timecode), Shift(Nexus Media),Slug(Nexus Media), Connecto (Spintwist/Vortex), Gandalf (Alchemy), Regan(Nano), Cooks (Nano), Moshe (Psyflight) Cover: R280 | www.intothevortex.co.za

SAT| 12 DEC’09 | ALIEN SAFARI | FLYING CIRCUS | 14th Birthday Celebration | Earthling Live | CPT

THURS| |31 31DEC DEC| |REZONANCE REZONANCENYE NYEFESTIVAL FESTIVAL2009 2009| |CPT CPT THURS VENUE: Franschhoek, behind Boschendal Wine Estate | Time: Opens At 12 Noon, Wed 30 Dec | Cover: R320 Presale, R330 Online, R350 Gate | Dj's & Live: Anestetic, Archive, A-Team, Biorhythm, Bliss, Broken, Toy, Chabunk, Commercial Hippies, EMP, Excell, Frozen Ghost, Gandalf, Headroom, Haxirai, Hiyarant, Lox, Madhatter, Mark, Organik Panik, Painkiller, Pescadelia, Pirahna, Plus Minus, Roy, Rubix Qube, Sacha, Silo, Shift, Solar Axis, Sonic, Switchcache, Tuneraider, Wobblz, Yogi, Yonatan, Zaurus, Zion Linguist, Flash Republic, Napalma, Ben Lewis, Bruce Willis, Enough Weapons, Fillipo Moscatello & Pierre Estienne, Funafuji, Gonzo, Honey B, Hyphen + SFR, Forgotten Free-Quencies (D-Form + Real Rozzano), Ivan Turanjanin, Jacob Israel, Lapse, Markus Wormstorm, Niskerone, One Track Mike, P.H.Fat, Roach, Rob White, The Cutt, Twelve Zim, Spekta, Spitshine (Dank + Bakaman), Dollar Bill, 7ft Sound System, Kalahari Surfers, Lonesome Dave Ferguson, Mix 'N Blend, Tornado's, Mr Sakatumi + Vj Girrll | info@rezonancefestival.com

THURS -- SAT SAT || 31 31 DEC’09 DEC’09 -- 02 02 JAN’10 JAN’10 || MINDCULTIVATION MINDCULTIVATION PRODUCTIONS PRODUCTIONS || CPT CPT THURS BOOMERANG NYE 3 DAY FESTIVAL | Venue: Bien Donne, Fransshoek | Dj's: & Live: Phyx, Tickets, Static Flow, Neutrino, Dejenga, Cybernetix, Deliriant, Zion Linguist, Gata Freak, Archive and many more! | Features: Shaded dance floor, overhead irrigation, nearby river, camping facilities, showers. | Time: Gates open at 10:00 AM | Price: R 170 Pre Sold and R 200 at the gate | www.mindcultivation.co.za

FRI -- SUN SUN || 22 22 -- 24 24 JAN’10 JAN’10 || PSYONICS PSYONIC VISIONS FRI VISIONS| | GEORGE GEORGE SUSTANDABLE CO~CREATIONS | Gwaing River Mouth (Garden Route) Ticket price R150 + 50(eco-upliftment charge to venue)= R200 Highlighted DJ's: Regan, Journet - Live, Scragg and Rabdom L, Nagual, Connecto, Birdman, Filipe, TranceHippie, Jughead, Psytist + special Guests DJ's | Shaded Dancefloor next to the Swimming pool overlooking Ocean Licensed Bar | info: www.sustandablecocreations.org

SAT | 19 DEC’09 | NOISY RADICALS BACK IN SA - CPT

THURS || 31 31 DEC’09 DEC’09 || TEKNOTRIBE TEKNOTRIBE & & RED RED EYE EYE PRODUCTIONS PRODUCTIONS || JHB JHB THURS SYMBIOTEK III NEW YEARS FESTIVAL Venue: TBA | DJ's & Live: SA's top Psytrance, Techno, Minimal and Drum & Bass DJs | Features: 2 international live acts, 2 dance floors, awesome camping with hot showers, swimming pool, killer décor and massive sound. | Time: 11am on the 31ST Price: R200 | www.teknotribe.co.za

FRI - SUN | 29 - 31 JAN’10 | ORIGIN 3 DAY FESTIVAL | CPT "A psychedelic trance wonderland for the heads!" www.originfestival.com

FRI - SAT | 29 - 30 JAN | TEKNOTRIBE | JHB CYBER PUNK THEME PARTY III www.teknotribe.co.za

2009-2010 SAT | 06 FEB’10 | LAMINAK WRAITH | CPT SAT | 13 FEB’10 | BEARTRAP PRES. | CREATURE OF THE WHEEL | CPT SAT | 20 FEB’10 | ORGANIK OUTDOOR | CPT

FRI||55MAR’10 MAR’10||FU-CHA-RISMA FU-CHA-RISMA@ @H2O H2O||JHB JHB FRI Info: lisa@fu-cha.com

SAT SAT || 20 20 MAR’10 MAR’10 || GROOVY GROOVY TROOPERS TROOPERS || VISION VISION SERPENT SERPENT || CPT info@groovytroopers.co.za

SAT | 06 MAR’10 | ALIEN SAFARI | MASQUED BALL | CPT

FRI FRI -- MON MON || 02 02 -- 05 05 APR’10 APR’10 || VORTEX VORTEX 3DAY 3DAY EASTER EASTER FESTIVAL FESTIVAL 4 Day Festival - 2nd Floor start Fri, Main Floor Starts Sat Great New Venue: TBA | Limited to 1800 tickets | Amazing Decor www.intothevortex.co.za

SAT - SUN | 1 - 2 MAY’10 | A Land called Hysterica | CPT Info: lisa@fu-cha.com

FRI FRI SAT SAT || 28 28 -- 29 29 MAY’10 MAY’10 || TEKNOTRIBE TEKNOTRIBE || JHB JHB Underground Sound | www.teknotribe.co.za

FRI SAT | 30 31 JUL’10 | TEKNOTRIBE | JHB 7th B’Day with International DJ | www.teknotribe.co.za

11- -15 15AUG’10 AUG’10| |MAFIA MAFIADANCE DANCEFESTIVAL FESTIVAL| |TANZANIA TANZANIA- -AFRICA AFRICA A 15-Day multi-cultural music and arts festival offering a step into paradise...Festival features varying styles of electronic and world dance music, presenting 150 Top International and African Artists on 4 stages...Mafia Dance Festival will be hosted in one of the most extraordinary exotic islands of the world ... MAFIA ISLAND... | www.mafiadancefestival.com

SAT -- SUN SUN || 44 -- 55 SEP’10 SEP’10 || A A FU-CHA FU-CHA GATHERING GATHERING || JHB JHB SAT Spring regermination | Info: lisa@fu-cha.com SAT || 30 30 OCT’10 OCT’10 || TEKNOTRIBE TEKNOTRIBE || JHB JHB SAT Underground Sound Halloween Party | www.teknotribe.co.za

WEEKLY

N T I V E WEDNESDAYS | AFTERLIFE NANOTECH | CPT EA WEDNESDAYS |Hosted by: Afterlife &&NanoTech Featuring Nano Artists and Special Guests The Temple (Chevelle), 87 Commercial Street | CPT FREE Entrance B4 10pm thereafter R50 | Time: Doors open @ 21:00 info@afterlife.co.za & info@nanorecords.co.uk

FRI FRI SAT SAT || 27 27 28 28 AUG’10| AUG’10| TEKNOTRIBE TEKNOTRIBE || JHB JHB Cyber Punk Theme Party IV | www.teknotribe.co.za

FEB10 MAR10 APR10 MAY10 ...........OCT10

SAT -- SUN SUN || 66 -- 77 FEB’10 FEB’10 || A A FU-CHA FU-CHA GATHERING GATHERING || JHB JHB SAT Summer Stomp...the annual happy feet convention... Info: lisa@fu-cha.com

18 PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

PSYTRANCE SUMMER SURVIVAL GUIDE continued... What to bring – the essential gear...

The Essential Do’s and Don’ts of

n A tent. Well what else do you plan on crashing in? Even if

Psytrance parties – Etiquette is important amongst the you don’t intend sleeping much, a place of comfort and organised chaos of an outdoor party. Total and uninhibited solace away from the manic mayhem of dance floor revellers freedom of expression is an essential ingredient to the whole is always a wise option. You just never know how your experience, but there are still certain behavioural habits that we weekend’s going to go so make sure you have a cool spot all need reminding off particularly since once we’ve indulged in set up to retire to. Plus it’s just like not cool bru, to pass out next to the dance-floor in a drunken daze – this may hack it at our party favourites we tend to forget... a rock festival, but not cool at a psytrance party. Sleep or at n Check your attitude at the gate. Why do you go to outdoor least a catnap will make a big difference to your party parties? To participate in the ritual of dancing with your fellow experience. brothers and sisters. To feel connected and at one with the n A mattress and sleeping bag/duvet. Duh!!! Do you really great outdoors and other human beings. Be nice, it’s that want to sleep on hard ground? Whilst most venues are simple. reasonably ‘camp-friendly’, even grass patches will leave n Don’t litter at all. This includes cigarette butts which may you kinda sore after a few hours of dossing. Ok, well it’s your seem small and harmless, but they are actually incredibly choice but take it from the old-skool – comfort is king! harmful to the environment. n Warm clothes. You’re outdoors! Be smart and pack enough n No Fires! We shouldn’t need to even say this, not after Easter clothes to see you through the wee hours of the morning. last year. No fires also means no open flames whatsoever, n Sun-block and a hat. You do know we’re in Africa dont’cha? especially in extreme heat and wind. The sun here is blistering hot and will burn you in a second. n No glass. Whilst we all know how damaging plastic is to the Do you really want your lasting memory of a great party to environment glass breaks, can cause injury and quite be your roasted skin come Monday morning? Remember too obviously can ignite fires too so decant your liquor that once your party consumables have kicked in, you may beforehand and don’t bring the glass bottles to the party. very well be oblivious to that hot sun beating down so be Simple innit? clever... suit up, block up or do what you gotta do... just At most parties you are lucky enough to be able to park your protect that skin from the blistering African sun. It’s the smart n car in your campsite. Tempting as it may be to launch your DJ thing to do sista! career by blasting the campsite with your up to date n Shorts, swimming cossie, mini-skirts. Or not! Skinny dipping collection of the latest block rocking trance tunes, nobody is encouraged. Oops okay that’s just us! But hey all the cool came to hear you play. That’s what the dance-floor’s for and venues usually have a dam, river or swimming pool so be the DJ’s. Get it? prepared to cool off when you can. It’ll give you legs for n Pets. This one always amazes me especially since it is always more dancing and it’s lank sexy tripping with other revellers clearly listed on the flyers as a NOT TO BRING! The vibration in the water. of the doef doef and the over stimulation of the massive n Refuse bags. Yes the organisers should hand them out at the crowds is very unsettling for most gate and some do... and yes there should dogs and whilst you may think be ample dustbins but these are normally he’s happy to be at your side, only around the dancefloor and stall area, most times your dog will be quite not in your campsite. Bring your own, set moody and tense. it up in camp and encourage all around you to chuck everything in the bags as Psytrance parties are for maximum you dispose of it. It’s easy and it’s the enjoyment and are built on good cool thing to do. vibes. Let’s keep it that way for all of n Disposable Ashtray. You can buy these us and the environment we’re over the counter at almost any partying in. convenience store these days and they’re small compact and will hold at least ten of your stompies. n Plenty water. Make sure you have your own water supply and drink it! It’s a sure way to avoid severe hangovers, horrible comedowns and will keep you energised. n Toilet Paper. Whilst many of the bigger party organisers strive to keep the toilets clean and stocked, you definitely don’t wanna be caught without when you really need it. n Head-lamp or torch. Campsites are seldom lit up on the pathways at these events so no harm being organised and carrying a small torch to help you navigate the night-time...

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

TICKET OUTLETS & COOL PSYTRANCE HOTSPOTS Cape Town Ticket outlets Ashanti Travel • Cape Town • 021 424-4016 Boogaloos • Somerset West Mall - 021 851-2074 Call-A-Pizza • Main Road • Sea Point (after 5pm) • 021 434-0818 Funky Vibes • Hermanus • 028 312-1446 Global Girl • Gardens Centre • 021 461-8925 Gypsy • Hout Bay • 021 790-1418 Gypsy • Stellenbosch • 021 886-7157 Gypsy • Durbanville • 021 976-2604 Hemporium • 210 Long Street Mall • Cape Town • 021 481-1854 Hemporium • Wynberg • 021 797-8233 In the Mix • Cavendish Square • 021 674-6844 Main Bazaar • Knysna • 044 382-2076 Moss • 210 Long Street • 072 823 1691 Other World Tattoos • Knysna • 082 514-7648 Ska • 161 Long Street • Cape Town • 021 426-5025 Ska • Kalk Bay • 021 788-7437 Ska • Observatory • 021 447-6014 Skint • Long Beach Mall • 021 785-7777 Skint Clothing • Access Park • 021 683-1019 Trendy • Sea Point • 021 434-1413 Trendy • Cape Gate • 021 982-1779 Wild Fire Piercing • Canal Walk • 021 552-8929

Hemporium • 210 on Long Street, CBD & 114 Constantia Road • Wynberg • Cape Town • 021 797-8233 South Africa’s leading purveyors of everything to do with Hemp made products. From cool hemp clothing and hoodies to all sorts of other Hemp products such as soaps, toiletries and loads of others you’d never imagine could be manufactured with this amazing material, the Hemporium is also an amazing source of information on sustainability and the thousands of uses that Hemp offers. As their slogan says... Innovate. Educate. Cultivate. Rhino Room - • Green Street, just off Long Street • CT - CBD • 082 741-8981 The RHINO ROOM features a wide range of the top local and international electronic performers, to keep you vibing all season, with its main focus being psytrance. The venue decor is very organic and underground in feel and includes a fully stocked bar, pool tables and lounge area, regular party nights and Dj’s on rotation. Owned by the Alien Safari crew one can expect guest appearances by visiting internationals in season too.

Cool Cape Town Trance hotspots Call-A-Pizza • Main Road • Sea Point (after 5 pm) • 021 434-0818 If there was a prize for the most devoted psytrance establishment in Cape Town, Ricky and Yolanda’s Call-A-Pizza would surely take that cake. When you enter you’ll immediately notice the walls scattered with psytrance paraphernalia from photo’s to posters, flyers and other memorabilia. On the Television there’s bound to be psytrance video footage from one of the countless parties the owners attend and on the sound system expect psy to be blasting from the speakers. Then of course there are the Pizzas themselves, some named after local legendary events such as the ‘Alien Safari’ Pizza and some named after local or international DJ’s - a ‘Tuneraider’ pizza for example or a ‘Skazi’ pizza. Call-a-Pizza is also the largest stockists of psytrance music and they sell all the SA albums – at cost, nogal! Little Amsterdam - • 1st Floor, Purple Turtle Building • Long Street • Cape Town • 074 523-4497 Africa’s only fully equipped Headshop is THE place to stop for all your smoking accessories and paraphernalia. You can find all sorts of interesting and cool merchandise from t-shirts to books, all imported and largely exclusive to Little Amsterdam. With a slogan that says “If it’s related to smoking... you name it, we got it,” that pretty much sums them up. Every conceivable (and legal) smoking device can be found here. Just don’t go there looking for dope! They don’t sell it, duh!!! Suppliers of 100% legal merchandise only.

Ska Clothing - • Various Branches • Cape Town & Joburg • 021 448-7874 Aside from being a ticket outlet and source of party information SKA also stock the latest in alternative clothing and accessories. When SKA entered the South African market in the late 1990’s it pioneered many of the trends we now see displayed in shops and fashion in Cape Town. It has been this innovative spirit from a tightly knit team that keeps them ahead with the coolest and hippest fashions. Wildfire Piercing and Tattoos • Various Branches • Cape Town 021 422-0524 • 021 552-8929 (Piercing) 021 424-0877 • 021 551-5722 (Tattoos) Established in 1994, Wildfire is an institution in Cape Town whether you're looking for the raddest tattoos or the most radical piercings. Both the Tattoo parlour and the Piecing Clinic stock a massive range of merchandise and can boast a long, long list of psytrance customers brandishing their artwork at the parties. Joburg Ticket Outlets Cameroon • Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton • 011 783-0797 Cameroon • Eastgate Shopping Centre • 011 616-5545 Phase 2 CD’s • Fourways Mall • 011 465-1779 Retro Music • Linksfield Rd, Edenvale • 011 454-0005 Ska Clothing • 7th Street, Melville • 011 726-8888 Technics DJ Mixclub • Blairgowrie • 011 886-9113 Xogo • Cresta Shopping Centre, Cresta • 011 478-0044 Xogo • Park Meadows, Behind East Gate Centre • 011 616-6522 Xogo • The Glen Shopping Centre, Oakdene • 011 435-4017

Gypsy

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE 21

INTERNATIONAL PSY PORTALS, FORUMS AND WEBSITES & International Psytrance Forums & Portals: SA

Bomelakiesie – www.bomelakiesie.co.za SA’s leading psytrance forum and portal having survived many a heated thread or two, Bomelakiesie remains the go to site to find out more about what’s happening on the SA psy-scene. Regular feeds, topics and general chit-chat take place amongst the “Bommels,” with daily event feedback and reviews. 3AM – www.3am.co.za A top source for the latest in South African Psytrance, where you can check out Psytrance Party Pictures, Download FREE TRACKS, Listen To Full CDs and buy Psytrance Clothing, WAVs, MP3s, chat to other Trancers from across the globe and Post to their Forums. Along with Bomelakiesie this is the best SA portal to find parties etc. Isratrance - www.isratrance.com Isratrance is both a portal and a forum. The portal features upcoming parties (mainly in Israel but also Europe) artist interviews, album reviews and more. You will also find a long list of producers and Israeli trance labels. The forum is one of the biggest and most active forums in psytrance with a massive member base and a lot of threads. Things can get pretty heated on Isratrance and they frown upon blatant self promotion. Chai Shop – www.chaishop.com This is the original psytrance portal dating back to the early 90’s. It has changed looks and functionality over the years but still has tons of global trance information to read up on including interviews, press releases, party info and more. Expect a lot of German content since the site is hosted and run from there, but probably with the most international flava out of all sites worldwide. Psychedelic Traveller – www.psychedelic-traveller.net Psychedelic Traveller - Your audio/visual guide for mind-expanding journeys to distant places! This site is written collaboratively by travellers from all around the world. People of all ages, cultural and social backgrounds are writing Psychedelic Traveller's articles. The goal is to compile the sum of all psychedelic knowledge into the website. This site is a kind of Wikipedia for Psytrance, globally although the information on South Africa is not very accurate. More reason for you to go and add some content...

Doof Central – www.doofcentral.com Australian and international oriented portal for psychedelic trance music. Great interviews, growing live stream database, photos and more. Goatrance.net – www.goatrance.net Very active Dutch community message board and Goa trance portal once you're acquainted to the design. Note on its party database (Netherlands): if it isn't announced there, it's probably not happening. Databases:

Psychedelic Mind Expander – www.psydb.net Largest specialized psytrance / chillout artist and label database online. This is the one and only reason we don't include artist/label websites in this portal. Online since 1995. Discogs - www.discogs.com The largest specialized open source electronic music database. They're expanding nearly as quickly as records are released. OTHER INTERNATIONAL FORUMS BY COUNTRY:

AUSTRALIA: http://www.australiens.net BELGIUM: www.psychedelic.be BOLIVIA: www.neurotrance.org BRAZIL: Http://www.psybrazil.org BULGARIA: http://psy.com.mk/forum/index.php CANADA: http://forum.psyfreaks.ca CROATIA: http://forum.trancepleme.com CZECH REPUBLIC: www.psytrance.cz/forum/ FINLAND: www.elixiria.fi FRANCE: www.psysurfeur.com/forum/index.php GREECE: www.psychedelic.gr HUNGARY: www.goa.hu http://forum.goa.hu ISRAEL: www.isratrance.com ITALY: http://www.electronic-brain.it/

NETHERLANDS: www.goatrance.nl www.soma-natesa.nl POLAND: www.psytrance.pl/forum2 SWITZERLAND: www.mysticalforum.ch | www.swisspsy.ch RUSSIA: www.intrance.ru SLOVAKIA: www.dendy.sk UK: www.celticpsyforum.com | www.psyforum.co.uk USA: www.chilluminati.org UKRAINE: http://forum.psyshine.org.ua/ OTHER INTERESTING URL’S:

PSYCHEDELIC MUSIC REVIEWS: Psyreviews – www.psyreviews.net Psyreviews is a legendary website that features mainly psytrance album reviews and the occasional piss taking of the scene we all love. Not everybody’s cup of chai, Damien is unrelenting in his analysis and criticism of the albums and artists he reviews. He is from the oldskool so expect plenty of bemoaning the days gone by... fine if you feel the same way, otherwise you may not like his comments. Either way he has one helluva sense of humour, a pretty foul mouth to boot and to be fair is usually pretty spot on with his reviews. GLOBAL PSYCHEDELIC TRANCE EVENTS & INFO: www.goabase.de PSY RADIO: www.psystream.net Popular Online Stores: Mail Order: www.saikosounds.com | www.psyshop.com www.beatspace.com | www.soundshop.com.br Digital Download: www.beatport.com | www.junodownload.co.uk www.trackitdown.net

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

by James Rose-Mathew

WELCOME TO PARADISE: O.Z.O.R.A

spent a week in rural Hungary recently, in the company of 15000 perfect strangers. Some madman named Balasz rustled up the idea for a festival named O.Z.O.R.A a few years back and 2009 saw it explode across that gorgeous landscape in splendiferously psychedelic forms. For seven heavenly days the festival site became an autonomous zone where the only laws that appeared to govern the proceedings were: Have FUN, respect your fellow man/woman/freak and indulge your senses. It was Special. The site itself almost stole the show from heavyweight attractions such as live performances by Juno Reactor and Shpongle. Sprawling valleys lined by forest and surrounded by hypnotic rows of corn lent the place a sort of shroud, protective and comforting. I felt removed from time and space for the entire festival due to the seclusion of the place. Despite the huge tribal gathering, the only area that ever felt cramped was the main dance-floor during the aforementioned acts. The décor was unparalleled and coming through the valley into the main arena was a sight to behold. The dance-floor is surrounded by a circle of dead tree trunks, majestic sentinels that presided over the malarkey that ensued. A geometric canopy of delightful colours was then attached to the trees and collected in the centre of the circle atop a tower that looked like the command station of some bizarre crash-landed spacecraft. What a felicitous addition then were the masses of flowering Morning Glories snaking up the tree trunks! However, none of this really topped the presence of several upturned trees dotted about the valley that brought Tolkien's Ent fantasy wholly to life. When at least 5 separate languages were mingling in the air around me, I realised that SA dance-floors are missing this sense of internationalism. At O.Z.O.R.A it’s like practically every country

MADE AT GLADE

here's a special charm to squelching through inches of mud created by the churning feet of 10 000 hedonistic animals. These animals gather every year to forget their troubles. They are herded into a meadow somewhere in England (where the organisers could make good on the catch-phrase of the festival – Louder, Later, Longer) and, for several days, are subjected to all manner of obtuse weirdos, oblique visions and thumping music! They are then released into the greater community at the end of it pacified, exhausted, thrilled. It could easily be considered medicinal. 2009 was a great year for Glade. It was sold out. It hummed and vibrated like a mad-scientist's invention. It was Louder, Later, Longer. Those behind this carnival certainly know how to drum up a high-octane party. They added more stages, furbished each with a bad-ass sound system named Funktion One (which delivers dBs to the attendants like Thor delivers a kinky hiding to mistress Sif), subsequently allowed a smorgasbord of smooth sub-loving knob-twiddlers to drive the bastards into the red at all hours and stood back, smirking, as mayhem and merriment ensued. It was delightful to witness the sheer scope of buffoonery that emerged as a result of the Glade team doing stellar work behind the scenes. Costumes were out in force; peculiar dance moves found their own rhythms and awkward angles; enormous bubbles distorted and wobbled their way over the crowds; mudpeople emerged from underfoot; hell, there was even a frighteningly ever-present contingent of dwarves...um, midgets...I mean, little people... ah screw it... could have been goddamn Oompaloompas. Whatever they were, they looked at

had its delegates present and pasted... Warm, open, smiling people; it was like the Party Olympics, each nation trying to outdo the other in bizarre sports like bum-shaking, sun-worship and earth-flattening. The most delightful aspect of it was that EVERYONE won. Leaving the festival was bittersweet. I really just wanted to stay, or at least take the atmosphere back with me and foist it upon the stiff and conservative attitudes of 'regular' society. O.Z.O.R.A and its essence will, however, go with me forever more and I will share it wherever and whenever I can.

home amongst the rest of the animals that were Made at Glade. In this time of homogenisation and mono-culture, it’s damn refreshing to see such an unbridled display of wanton individuality. The multiple stages catered for practically every taste, so long as one's taste buds lusted for some degree of digital manipulation. Nano Records hosted the Origin stage and, by-andlarge, enraptured a throng for 3 days straight. Origin had the best atmosphere and the lion's share of the festivals odd-balls for the entire festival. Closest thing to a Cape Psytrance floor I've yet to experience in the UK. Bliss! Glade 2009 was simply a raging success! www.gladefestival.com

Costumes were out in force; peculiar dance moves found their own rhythms and awkward angles...

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PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

NANO RECORDS & NANO DIGITAL Nano is very much about a family; creating a network of like-minded musicians and artists who all have similar visions about psytrance.

“

he Nano sound is based around the psychedelic music journey itself,” says label boss, owner, A&R man and all round good guy Regan Tacon. “Doing the A&R is both a pleasure and a curse as I have had to turn down a lot of music, some of it amazing, and some from friends and artists who I really love and respect, but because it hasn’t suited what I’m looking for on Nano, I have had to say no. The focus is on creating a Nano sound and vibe more than anything, so music lovers and fans know they can trust what comes from the label will be along certain lines.” Indeed, and it’s clearly working as Nano has become a formidable player on the global network of trance outlasting many others and enjoying company in the upper echelons of ‘super-labels,’ internationally. Says Regan, “I always encourage artists to collaborate, come up with new ideas, try something different and I am constantly looking for new acts creating the sounds that I feel are lacking from dance-floors and have signed up acts who we see potential in. So there are new acts that might have rougher edges to

NEXUS MEDIA

exus Media is one of Cape Town's original psytrance record labels, tracing its roots back to 2001 when owners Shift (Chris Hoy) and Slug (Liam Gibbs) began releasing and performing with the Timecode crew. In 2003, Shift decided to branch out and form his own label, co-opting Slug to produce some of the first releases, and in 2004 Nexus Media was born. Fast forward 5 years and 20 full length releases they have built a formidable reputation in the dance music scene. “We are first and foremost a label created and run by working producers, whether releasing top flight artists or relative newcomers - we always aim to ensure the music is top class" says Chris. But with rife piracy and CD sales taking a beating how have Nexus Media continued to thrive and what does the future hold? "Well," says Liam "we have thrived so far by sticking to what we do best - producing quality beats and putting on a good show. It's true that record labels have had a hard time but if you are actively involved in creating and collecting music, and have a passion for what you do, it makes all the sense in the world to also create the structures to get it out there and to keep going even when times are tough. Plus buying digital downloads is increasing all the time." In keeping with this trend, Nexus Media now produce a series of shorter releases, or "EPs", and sell them as digital downloads. "It's about convenience for the artists and the fans" says Liam. "Producers can get fresher tracks out more often, and listeners are given more variety and can sit at home and cherrypick what they like. We encourage fans to use this medium; it’ll change your music experience, positively!”

them, than some of our other acts, but we know their potential and are keen to work with them and help them develop their sound. In other words I’m not just signing acts ‘cos of their history; it’s a mix of the two and where possible, getting them to collaborate which means everybody grows creatively.” This staunch mix of ‘known names,’ and newbies is an impressive roster spawning some of the creative off-shoots Regan speaks of; Strike Twice is a collab between Atomic Strike and Echotek, Circuit Breakers sees Dickster and Burn in Noise mix the sounds of Brazil and UK, Everblast - Chromatone and Earthling together and Fearsome Engine combines the psychedelic brilliance of legends Tristan and Laughing Buddha into an oldskool vs. nu- skool flava that’s simply irresistible. Then there’s stalwarts Protoculture who is readying his next album, Love Technology, (Regan on Protoculture: “What can we say ... he is a melodic master; his tunes are so damn good, real party anthems”), The Commercial Hippies who’ve just released a blasting new album, Tristan, Dickster and exciting new signings Chromatone and Avalon, Hopi, Ecliptic and more. Stay up to date here... www.nanorecords.co.uk Nexus is also extending their creative flow to other genres, both dance music and beyond. Liam and Chris insist they have a lot more to offer than only banging psytrance. Slug has delved deep into the world of techno, progressive and house with his new "20ft Stereo" project, and Shift has been hard at work bringing cutting edge dance music production to various pop and rock projects, with local Afrikaans rockers Foto Na Dans, singer/ songwriter Mari Bosman, and others; as well as producing a variety of solo tracks under his Syntax moniker. So keep your eyes open for a Nexus sister label real soon! Where to find Nexus: www.nexus-media.co.za www.facebook.com/nexusmedia

Our focus has always been squarely on the music

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

TEKNOTRIBE The South African techno juggernaut

HE Electronic Dance Music (EDM) landscape is constantly evolving. Genres often split through binary fission into sub-genres. Vibrant sub-cultures attach themselves to these genres and the whole scene is constantly stimulated by this healthy dynamism. Some of these genres will explode and go mainstream while others fizzle out. But some genres, like the Castle Lager slogan says, “stand the test of time.” One such genre is techno and one such brand carrying the SA flag for techno proudly forward is Teknotribe! It's a name synonymous with the most fundamental underground scene in Johannesburg and recently has started growing on a national scale. Brewed and distilled over the years, it is more than just a name nailed to a night out. Teknotribe is an experience. It's a sensory overload that will leave you breathless and enchanted. This is no fluke either! Teknotribe, and the people behind it literally live and breathe techno. Their passion seeps from their very pores and is a palpable extension of themselves the magic ingredient to their successful productions. For several years now, Teknotribe has been blazing a vapour trail of distinctive events keeping Techno and Psytrance connoisseurs both educated and entertained. This affiliation with congruent genres is becoming a trend in the EDM scene as people refuse to be pigeon-holed. Commonly, the pillars include psytrance, techno, minimal tech and D ‘n B / Dubstep. Teknotribe, once again, pioneered this symbiotic party concept, even calling their New Year’s Eve bash “Symbiotek”.

Teknotribe has been blazing a vapour trail of distinctive events keeping Techno and Psy Trance connoisseurs both educated and entertained.

Powertools and Stay Up Forever, as well as his two compilations on Teknotribe recordings. He recently also produced a remarkable remix of Illuminate, from supernova band Springbok Nude Girls. As a true pioneer and ambassador of the underground electronic dance movement Nick Grater is Teknotribe! Seb Otage Blame it on Jeff Mills! After witnessing the legend perform in Brussels our man Seb was hooked. Seb Otage is a legend in the techno scene. Notorious for his partying, famed for his antics and enjoyed for his DJ’ing, it’s no surprise to see him at every major techno gig around the country. Seb Otage's style of techno is perfectly suited for warming up the party, which is why we have seen him open for Chris Liberator, Sterling Moss and Industrializer. You can catch him playing techno at every Teknotribe party and most underground festivals such as FU-CHA, The Great Escape and many more where he varies his style from tech-house to minimal to pure techno, and will even drop in a breaks track depending on the mood. Wherever you hear him, whatever style he weaves on the night it’s a guaranteed eargasm!!!

The man behind the brand - Nick Grater You don’t know techno if you don’t know Nick Grater. A bold statement, but not arrogant. Nick Grater has been a stalwart powerhouse of the techno industry in South Africa for the last decade. From his first residency at Atomic in Johannesburg he rose to a force to be reckoned with and has almost singlehandedly kept the scene rolling forward in South Africa like an unstoppable steamroller of beats. As a firm believer in underground purism, Nick is recognised as one of the top techno performers in the country and a proud ambassador for this genre overseas. His intelligent, tribal, hard, driving style has secured him a reputation as one of the finest and most technically adept DJ/producers in South Africa. His productions also boast several fertile collaborations, as well as successful solo tracks, released on world-class record labels - Smitten, Maximum Minimum, Cluster, Routemaster,

Teknotribe Cape Town

Sat 28 November

info@teknotribe.co.za

2 dance floors: Minimal/Techno floor and a PsyTrance floor Presented by Teknotribe, | Killer Robot,| Psynoptics and Timecode

The DJ Tribe... Andre Frauenstein

Deaf Penalty

Chris Palmer

Digital Dream

John Vichos

Glen Gaffer

Dre’Ama | Tank Girl

Nev Tier

The Gathering of the Tribe... SAT 31TH OCTOBER ‘09 - UNDERGROUND SOUND - 3 DANCE FLOORS SAT 28TH NOVEMBER ‘09 - TEKNOTRIBE CAPE TOWN 31ST DECEMBER ‘09 - SYMBIOTEK III NEW YEARS FESTIVAL 29/30TH JANUARY ‘10 - CYBER PUNK THEME PARTY III 02/03RD APRIL ‘10 - TEKNOTRIBE CD LAUNCH 28/29TH MAY ‘10 - UNDERGROUND SOUND 30/31 JULY ‘10 - TEKNOTRIBE 7TH BIRTHDAY BASH WITH INERNATIONAL DJ 27/28 AUGUST ‘10 - CYBER PUNK THEME PARTY IV 30TH OCTOBER ‘10 - UNDERGROUND SOUND HALLOWEEN PARTY

www.teknotribe.co.za

New Years Eve... JHB 31 DEC‘09 - 1 JAN‘10 SA’s top Psytrance, Techno, Minimal and Drum and Bass Dj’s Features: 2 international live acts, 2 dance floors, awesome camping with hot showers, swimming pool, killer décor and massive sound.

info @ www.teknotribe.co.za Presented by Teknotribe & Red Eye

28 PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

UP 'N COMING SA MASTER BLASTERS... Tuneraider A Diva on the Decks

009 has been a big year for Pamm Legg, aka Tuneraider, and as she agrees when we chat, life can be strange sometimes. Moving away from the trance-Mecca of South Africa (Cape Town, duh!) would normally signal the death-knell for any aspiring DJ but in a pleasant twist of fate, Pamm’s relocation to Knysna has coincided with a year of note for the young DJ Diva. Her commitment to trance saw her release a DVD on the SA scene in 2008 called Under an African Sky, despite many obstacles. Just reward then that Tuneraider has been leaving her mark all over the country since, with regular gigs both in Cape Town and Johannesburg. When I speak to her she is on the verge of releasing her first DJ compilation CD, ironically not on a label known for psytrance. Pamm explains... “Divas on Decks is an exciting new project that Lady Lea is heading up. Lea called me up one day and said she wants to bring all the girl DJs together from all music genres and form an agency with sponsors, gigs and a compilation album each. We had a launch party in Joburg at Club Truth and we packed the place out with 3000 people filling 4-5 dance floors. I was personally blown away; these girls kicked ass and looked hot doing it. Lady Lea did the 1st Divas on Decks compilation album, and then she asked me to do the 2nd one. So Divas on Decks Vol. 2 is my choice of SA artists and I compiled it as if I was playing a set, from playful to hard.” Pamm cites meeting Lady Lea and the rest

Deliriously Deliriant

ow to go from zero to hero in the shortest time possible? It may not feel that way for young Shane Renew but for many other aspiring young producer/DJs they must be looking at him with real admiration. Moving down to Cape Town in 2004 and enrolling at City Varsity, Shane set about learning the ropes of music production and creating a niche for himself soon to be known as Deliriant. “I learnt a lot at City Varsity – I learnt how to use Cubase there but I also taught myself a lot of it and got help from whoever I could in the scene.” Having bought his first DJ equipment when he was 14, Shane had been dead set on making music ever since. “I played piano when I was younger but other than that I have always just had a love and passion for good music so it wasn’t difficult for me to pursue this dream.” He describes his music as “melodic night time full on, but the melodies make it easy listening so it works in the day too.” And biggest influence I enquire. He doesn’t hesitate; “Absolum, Lost & Found and Shift definitely.” His debut album was released on Nexus-Media and he has become a regular performer at Sa’s top parties.

of the Divas on Decks girls as a major highlight in her career and has since played H2O, Joburg’s biggest outdoor party (15,000 people) as well as Fu Cha Gathering, which is fast becoming Jozi’s most successful underground dance event. “I think it’s great what Lady Lea and Ricky from Fu Cha Gathering are doing because there is a large alternative community in Joburg, and outside the city there are some great venues too.” Look out for Divas on Decks Vol. 2 mixed by Tuneraider – proudly South African tunes available in stores now. Pamm has the last word... “How would you describe your sets”, I ask. “Fun and sexy, like me,” she laughs.

Chabunk - Funky daytime trance

areth Webb, known as Chabunk when he's manning the decks at a psytrance party has come a long way since his first foray into producing his own tunes. Arriving on the Cape Town scene in 2002, the self taught guitarist was already a big psytrance fan when he decided to start crafting his own beats. By 2005 he was given his first break; “My first gig was for Free Range at the Enchanted Forest in 2005, and since then I have been booked for a lot of local gigs, such as Earthdance, Vortex, Groovy Troopers, Alien Safari etc. In 2008 I joined Solar Tech Records (Germany) and have released several tracks on their compilations.” Of his live sets he had this to say; “I've been working on this a lot in the recent months and I am very excited. My future shows will have a lot more technical guitar work.” Chabunk's three biggest musical influences: Metallica, Infected Mushroom and Protoculture.

PSYTRANCE SUMMER GUIDE

FU-CHA GATHERING people here are CRAVING it...an outdoor culture is long overdue

u-Cha Gathering - borne out of one fateful weekend in the Tokai Forest, Cape Town at an Alien Safari back in 2006 has become, circa 2009, a bastion of shining hope for the Joburg underground. Psytrance has seemingly always travelled a rocky road in Gauteng and growing the scene has alluded many over the years. Fu-Cha seem to be onto something though and for the first time in its history, the psytrance scene is showing signs of genuine expansion and may just be on the road to infiltrating the consciousness of the Jozi party massive.

To an outsider it may seem that Fu-Cha has gone from zero to hero in no time at all but as Ricky De Mata (headhoncho) will attest, “it certainly hasn’t been as easy as you’ve made it sound; in fact our adventure which started three years ago has been an unpredictable one to say the least… some hard lessons learnt even when we thought we had it covered, but we held on to our core plan from day one and that was to provide a quality production without cutting any corners and we accepted that we would need to take the initial knocks in order to set the standard, which in turn would send out a clear message that we were here for the long haul… in short it was a risk we were prepared to take because we believed in it” Alien Safari – Tokai Forest – Hujaboy – 16 December 2006 – this is the day Fu-Cha was literally born. “Quite simply that weekend changed our lives. We saw the light and haven’t looked back since… I had never seen anything like it before and knew that if I could be so blown away by the culture and the music, being a Joburger myself, surely we could promote it with our very own flavour… and we did!”

Ricky goes onto explain how word of mouth has been their key ingredient to establishing Fu-Cha by ensuring high production standards. “We knew that if the experience could blow people away, they would go home raving about it to their friends… trying to convince Joburg to travel 100 km’s out of the city into the unknown for a party was going to be a daunting task so we had to make it worth their while.” They also set about flying in Cape Town DJs to compliment the Joburg line-ups. “The Joburg scene was way more underground and the music being played was in my opinion not as appealing to the average partygoer. The culture in Cape Town which has been deeply integrated over the years has attracted a broader spectrum of people and the music being played there is what I would call ‘dance floor friendly’, hence the massive turnout’s. Formulating the perfect blend of the two distinct sounds is what we went for and it’s worked.” Ricky acknowledges the challenges that face building an outdoor scene in Joburg from the unpredictable mid-afternoon summer thunder-storms to the commercial music radio culture that exists, citing the many hours they spend in their cars stuck in traffic subjected to the airwaves as a large part of the mainstream headspace. A massive coup for Fu-Cha in infiltrating this huge mainstream contingent was to host a Fu-Cha floor at H2O, Jozi’s biggest dance event by far. “Getting Dave Forbes (H2O) to a festival in Cape Town was the key… He went to an Easter Vortex and he returned convinced that it could add a unique element to SA’s biggest bash... for us getting the sound out there is what it’s all about and the best feeling is seeing the faces of those who encounter psytrance for the first time.” Of the future Ricky is very positive and has the last word, “people here are craving it...an outdoor culture is long overdue in Joburg and is most certainly the answer to this city’s lack of cultural flavour, and will allow people to express themselves as individuals free from the pressures of day to day life.”