Is psychedelic trance music still popular today? Born from the late 1960s counterculture movement and the fervour of the Goa parties in the 1980s and '90s, psychedelic trance (often referred to as psytrance) has evolved over the years. But what's the status of this influential genre today? 

Let's dive into the scene, its impact, and its popularity in today's ever-changing musical landscape.

Going Back in Time

It's impossible to talk about psytrance without first delving into its history. Psychedelic trance music has its roots in Western counterculture and the fusion of electronic and rock elements. Often accompanied by a unique and colourful visual aesthetic, the genre stands out from the rest. 

Fast-forward to the '80s and '90s when the parties held on the Indian shores of Goa breathed new life into the genre. This is when it evolved into the distinct, fast-paced, and hypnotic sound that we all know and love today.

The Trance Scene

Psytrance has gathered a dedicated and passionate fan base over the years, which continues to grow to this very day. Known for its inclusivity and positivity, the community brings together people from all walks of life to enjoy the transformative power of music. 

It is one of the few genres that continues to thrive mainly through underground and grassroots initiatives, facilitated by the online sharing of music and information within and outside the scene.Whilst there is far fewer parties happening in cities, the music is still being produced and enjoyed regularly worldwide.

The Outdoor Festivals

A clear sign of its ongoing popularity, psytrance festivals are now celebrated all around the world. These events showcase a vibrant mix of music, art, and personal expression. From Boom Festival in Portugal to O.Z.O.R.A. in Hungary, the psytrance scene has spread its wings and taken flight, drawing in loyal fans and curious newcomers alike. This worldwide phenomenon further proves that the love for psytrance shows no signs of waning anytime soon.

Influence on Other Genres

Psytrance music has also left an indelible mark on various other electronic genres, ensuring its continued popularity. With artists from diverse genres like house, techno, and trance often incorporating elements from psytrance in their compositions, it's evident that the sound has a universal appeal. 

This versatility and adaptability have allowed psytrance to remain relevant and influential, even as other genres and electronic music trends continue to fluctuate.

The Digital New Age

In the age of digital music streaming and instant access to virtually any song, psytrance continues to maintain a strong presence on platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud. With established artists and upcoming talent alike using these channels to share their tunes and remixes with a global audience, the genre has adapted to the digital era with ease. 

This accessibility keeps the scene alive, with psytrance enthusiasts constantly engaging with new content and sharing their love for the music.

Trance is Not Dead

So, is psychedelic trance music still popular today? The answer is a resounding yes! With a growing global community, influence on other genres, flourishing festival scene, and adaptability in the digital era, it's clear that psytrance is here to stay. 

From its humble beginnings to its present-day growth, the genre remains a powerful force in the ever-shifting world of electronic music. So, let's continue to ride the waves of ethereal beats and immerse ourselves in the transcendental experience that is psychedelic trance.

After a long wait, the first Magus album 'The Music That Never Was' is out now.  This is a compilation of unreleased material from the Magus era.

The tracks are covering a wide range of the Greek band's music stages. Their unique style and sound is expressed across the compilation. From the early and raw 'Tura Buna Ce' and 'Liquid Mint' to the complex and industrial 'Something for Nothing'. Their weird style cemented by the dark-funk 'Nature in the Machine', made entirely with natural sounds, a milestone for the band's psychedelic exploration and non-conformist music approach.

This is as much as 'full on' psychedelia you can get, but in an entirely different sense that many people would perceive it as. The psychedelic element is constant, from the off-beat percussions to the passing sound effects, an orchestrated chaos. Playing on emotions and aimed at total disorientation, trance in strong doses.

It might take a couple of times of listening to get used to tracks like the dry metalic 'Huspetakel' which signalled the progress and perhaps simplification of the Magus music arrangements in the late stages of their relatively short career.

So if you are into ever-changing beats, strange melodies and mind boggling sounds, then this might be the right album for you.

You can preview 'The Music That Never Was' on iTunes.

If you were lucky enough to be listening to the DJ sets of Mike Maguire of Juno Reactor fame, during 1995 you would have heard him play this, alongside some of the greatest tunes ever to be released in the psytrance music scene. Trance Africa Express is a real gem from Sheyba.

One of the classics from Astrix. A great example of morning psychedelic trance. Enjoy.

Drive records release an album from Azax and Bliss titled Round II. The Israeli duo are delivering a mix of psytrance tunes that you will either love or hate.

The album does not start very well with 'Fight no more', a great title but this is all that is great about this track. Next, things start to liven up with Stolen Mind from Bliss. The pattern of good tunes follows throughout for Bliss also with the techy Abed 51 and Warriors.

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DJ Natron introduces the second part of the Solar Waves compilation with 9 previously unreleased psytrance tracks. Solar Tech records continues to support the psychedelic trance underground scene with an album combining established and new artists.

From the opening How to Psy Trance to the closing Master Kush, both from Waio, the tracks all nurture great productions, flowing psychedelic patterns, running baselines and solid rhythms suited for the night time dancefloor.
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The track, part of the Blue Room records Alien Protein album, ignited a global religion in 1996 from the Italian Etnica. The milestone of all goa trance in 9 minutes, Trip Tonite. The mesmerizing melodies born by the quarter of Lafranconi, Begotti, Paterno and Rizzo made an everlasting impression to the minds of trancers globally. The mystical but so calm sounds gave birth to a new form of spiritual psychedelic trance that we still cherish.

DJ Michael Liu, founder of Illumination Records, leads the USA-based San Francisco trance producers to Pisces 2009, a compilation of craft and creative sounds.

The music compilation is based on the legendary Pisces Gatherings in San Francisco, California, whilst the cover is supplied by Chris Olerich from Santa Barbara.

Beware, this is no ordinary psytrance compilation but rather a blend of sounds across the musical spectrum of the San Fran underground scene.
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Another journey of what music used to be. The immortal Total Eclipse in one of their most classic masterpieces. Enjoy.

There is more psytrance chaos coming to your speakers from the Mexico based Tzolkin Records in the new compilation In Lak'ech. DJ Glin.K and DJ Arlkin have put together a blend of the latest in Mexican and South African trance artists. 

The tracks are fast, deep, dark and belong to the middle of the night when things get really chaotic. Production could be better, so there is much room for improvement for what has started as a really promising project from the country of Mexico. As the local scene is growing, we should expect even more from this part of the world soon.
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Established UK party outfit Acid Monkey are organising a trance music fest in London on the 23rd of April 2011 in an unconfirmed location.

Legendary psytrance DJ Kostas 'Lory' Kanlis aka Archaic from Greece is headlining the event with a live set showcasing his latest tracks. Archaic has risen to great prominence in the scene after a string of underground releases that seem to have taken the world by storm. With a DJ career spanning over 17 years and an influence on many psytrance acts from Greece, this does not come as a surprise. 

Other live psytrance acts appearing include Tristan, Ocelot, Savage Circuit, Killerwatts, M-Theory and Beardy. DJs Avalon, Nigel Tav and Andre Ground complete the line-up on the main psychedelic trance arena.
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For those that remember and all the others discovering the mighty Juno Reactor in one of their most significant EPs for psychedelic trance music. The organic elements of the sound create a tribal atmosphere characteristic of the beginnings of psytrance before reaching global appeal:

Very few good trance compilations around these days but luckily Indian record label Digital Om Productions have come up with their 2011 psytrance compilation Universal Religion.

A good blend of old and new psytrance with crisp productions across all the tracks, make for an interesting selection. The most defining moments come from:
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The debut for Trimurti Records comes in the form of a compilation dedicated to the June 2010 Lunar Eclipse festival in Russia. Trimurti Avenue is not your typical psychedelic music compilation. 

At first, you might think that this is another progressive record. However after more careful inspection, you find the depth and psychedelic elements mixed with melodic sounds for that perfect dance floor buzz. The positive vibes oozing out of this compilation are truly infectious.

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For those that remember and for those that did not know. The legendary X-Dream perform a defining track for psychedelic trance worldwide.

The latest compilation by Phantasm records has certainly caught the eye. 'We Love Trance' is an anthemic, in-your-face blast of psytrance melodies and fast beats.

Compiled by Davina aka DJ Massive, she personally contributes a remix on 1200 Micrograms, collaborations with Bamboo Forest and 220V and has one of her tracks remixed by CPU. The Cycle Sphere remix of Ibiza Osaka from Massive vs 220V is possibly one of the most innovative.
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If you live, or happen to be in Guatemala on Saturday 5th of March 2011, watch out for the Neon Candy Party. The psytrance floor line up features many names from the international psytrance scene such as Menog (Portugal), Tryambaka (Portugal), Brain Hunters (Mexico), Chilango (Mexico), Ali (Italia), Marcodelix (Finlandia), NXSO (Guatemala), Phobial Macabre (Guatemala) and Dirty Phreak (Guatemala).

The Progressive Floor will feature Dj Casta (Guatemala), Dj Byron Rod (Guatemala), Dj Diego (Guatemala), Dj Chily (Guatemala), Dj Edgar Pinzon (Guatemala), Dj Mickey Franco (Guatemala), Dj Franke D (Guatemala) and DASCH (Guatemala).

Have a great time and please comment if you happen to go.