Euro Tripping the psytrance lifestyle [Part one]

Euro Tripping the psytrance lifestyle [Part one]

I consider myself a risk taker, sometimes blinded by my dreams, but my general attitude is, f$ck it, just do it, and ask questions later. Euro tripping during the South African winter was my goal since I got back from Brazil earlier this year.

I packed my backpack, bought a small tent and saved all the cash I could, as well as booked as many gigs as I could and just set out to tour Europe. I was fortunate enough to connect with all my friends in the industry, and have been well looked after at the festivals as I am traveling alone with literally all I can carry to last me for my 7 weeks of adventure. I’m sorry mum and dad, but I don’t think this desire to travel and experience life will ever subside, I just want to keep going and see it all!!

Leaving Cape Town

My Euro tripping adventure actually started in Durban…

I left Cape Town on the 17^{th of} July and my first stop was a club gig in Durban which rocked! I loved the energy from the Durban kids on the dancefloor and was a great way to start my journey.  When I got to Europe I played at a festival In Poland – Goa Dupa Arts and Music Open Air festival. This was the organisation’s second edition at this venue. (“Edition” is to describe the amount of times they have created each festival – I like it).

I absolutely adored this festival. Firstly the venue was on top of a hill, and surrounding it was more rolling green hills and forests; so green and lush wherever one looked. The people were warm and friendly and I really enjoyed looking at the style the people had, because that area of Europe, it seemed like Viking style dreaded hippies with beautiful Nordic features, blue eyes combined with the Trance Tribal look.

I connected with two other girl DJs, Heather from Berlin and Deeh – Psique from Brazil and we shared a hotel room together. It was nice to connect with fellow girls and we shared war stories of how we’re working in the scene and what it’s like in each one’s country. My set rocked! I loved every minute and the crowd ate up every beat. Their energy was bouncy and full of big smiles. After Poland I spent a week in Amsterdam for some personal chill time.

Modem Festival

Next was Modem and I arrived on the Friday evening, walking straight into chaos [the good kind 😉 ]

Luckily for me, many of my industry friends were there and I was welcomed with big smiles and hugs. I soon realised how many fellow South Africans were also on the dancefloor, so I was really happy to find everyone!!! My close friend, housemate and fellow Saffa, Matthew Herrington (Make Sense management) is involved with making Modem happen. He is brought in from Cape Town and has been working on a few European festivals this year.

Modem was next level shit! The stage is created purely to assist one’s psychedelic experience.

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The DJ box was placed on the left and right side, so the artists could alternate each side, (helpful for smooth transitions between acts) and for the visual aspect this created the focus point to be on the décor and not on the DJ.

This concept worked for the event because the visual mapping and lighting was truly out of this world. Modem festival uses their own concept for a musical journey and focuses mainly on psychedelic sounding artists. They stay away from the mainstream psytrance sound. [I don’t want to say the name dark psy, but you get my drift]. I personally thought it was refreshing and it totally worked, dancing to full on music during the day just made sense and in the afternoon when it was time to slow things down a bit, the rolling bass lines of progressive beats topped with  psychedelic  melodies were designed to trip the listener out.

The venue was perfect with a shaded dance floor, and a small climb down a steep hill to a gorgeous river (coldest river ever) and a chill tent on the banks, where everyone would relax in the shade. It was so beautiful, I felt the gypsy spirit at this festival, everywhere I looked it came through the people and the fashions and the vibe. Modem is a definite a must for all psy trance lovers.

Ozora Festival

The Monday after Modem we travelled across the border into Hungary and landed at Ozora that late afternoon. The opening ceremony was electrifying with Highlight Tribe opening the festival.

Fireworks and just pure mayhem continued for days. The venue was comfortable; yes one had to walk far, but everything was well thought out such as rehydration water points next to a very hot dance floor, restaurant and shopping areas to buy groceries and essential items, as well as a food court with delicious food, pirate trading area with hand crafted jewellery, clothing and accessories, as well as a whole market area with the best psytrance clothes, boots and just about everything you would ever want. It was so hard ‘COS I’m travelling on a budget and just wanted everything!

Ozora had so much to see and look at, different types of music and a psychedelic art gallery; it was overwhelming. The dancefloor at Ozora was majestic. The moment I stepped in I felt swept away by the sounds, I felt like I was floating in an ocean, even though my legs were reminding me of their existence from the impending physical exhaustion which put me to bed each night.

This feeling on the dancefloor was addictive and getting to hear and see the international artists all on one massive stage was just mind blowing.  I loved every minute of it. Gathering on the Ozora dance floor reminded me how big the psy trance scene really is with all kinds of trancers that had travelled from all over the world. Everyone was there to party every day for a week and it still felt as if that week went past in a flash.

For the love of psy…

I f$cking love psy trance!!!!

I can say that full heartedly – for me personally it has been a 15 year journey, but it still amazes me, never a dull moment and is continuously changing and developing.

Some music scenes come and go, yet the world of psytrance is getting stronger by the season.

Yes, it has seen its ups and downs here and there, but lately I feel that the music is getting more creative, the festivals and parties are growing and more people are getting switched on to this alternative lifestyle. I love the fact that literally in every corner of this planet there is some kind of psytrance party happening somehow and somewhere.

It’s spreading like an epidemic, taking young and old and changing people’s lives. Some people like to say how we’re just a bunch of freaks partying in the bush, and I say HELL YEAH!!!!!

I would rather be a freak, opening my consciousness, meeting people from all walks of life, pushing myself to experience anything and everything, going to countries where I can’t speak the language yet still manage to make new friends for life.

It’s the doof life.

What I’m listening to: 

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