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I decided to write this after reading DJSunborn's comment on the voting thread. "Tips for the new producers: Sorry, nothing "ringed my bell", try harder! STOP using psy-trance machine gun bass everywhere, DON'T make everything sound "Full-on", lower down your damn BPM!, STOP over-compress your mastering!!!!!!!!!!!, BE more unique and for God shake, FORGET the typical Goa or Psy forms or use them minimal!, DON'T copy-paste ideas from others or from the past, Create your own sound! This is the ONLY way to be remembered in the future!" Important observations. Although they seem harsh they are to the point and well-intended, I assume. Concerning the tempo, very few goa trance tracks are in the range of 135-140 bpm, with 130-135 bpm almost nonexistent. Not to mention that artists do not include a midtempo/chillout track in most recent albums. Variation in bpm or even mood is scarce as well (e.g. Hypnoxock-Eurythmia). This is not an 'oldschool-newschool' distinction. The most acclaimed albums from the first wave of goa trance that revived the genre 10-15 years ago and seem to stand well the test of time have an easily recognizable style ("signature sound") - often combined with variation in bpm and/or midtempo/chillout tracks. Regardless of personal preferences: Khetzal - Corolle (2005) Goasia - From Other Spaces (2007) Ra - 9th (2008) E - Mantra - Arcana (2009) Filteria - Daze Of Our Lives (2009) Artha - Influencing Dreams (2010) Crossing Mind - Holotropic Paradigm (2010) Which of the newer releases will stand the test of time? IMO, the more of the above features they have, the more memorable they will be in the years to come. About excessive compression: it does not make the music sound more powerful or dance-floor friendly! It simply makes it bland and headache-inducing!

I am just curious how and when other people started to hear Goa psy music... how was the way that led you all to this awesome music? How has your music taste changed over the course of your life? Is there even better and more mature music than Goa out there? Is there a next musical step upwards after Goa? Would be very nice if you would dive into your past and write down your approximate age + the music you loved at that time(Style, Bands, DJs...everything!) Youtube links woud be cool to. Maybe one track that describes the phase in your life the best! I will do it for myselfe first ( i am born 1990): START: 3-5 Years: My parents told me that i loved Russian chanson music and a guy called "Oleg Gasmanov" ...i was singing it all the day xD 6 Years: I had a magical experience with Trance music on the family birthday party of my 18 years old cousine...my parents have all the euphoric dance expressions of me on video Tape...yeah It was basically commercial stuff like Paul van dyke...But for a child pure Magic. Fantasy. Wonderland. Space. Insomnia. Madness. I remember this track very well...it sounded very "hard" to me at that time. 7-10 Years: Modern Talking, russian Synthpop, Eurodance. CDs from my parents... My favorite at that time. 10-13 Years: An Italian school Friend gave me a cassette with "Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory" from his older Sister and at this point i became a hardcore Linkin Park fan! I always liked the electronic elements in their music. After Linkin park i changed to the Emo side and my new flame was stuff like: Evanescens, Within Temptation, HIM, Nightwish and...I AM PROUD OF IT OK!!? 14-16 Years: I dont know how but i managed to download a Sven Väth Mix from the Internet. From this point on i Loved stuff like: Extrawelt, Pig&Dan, Boris Brejcha...but at the same time i was also into Progressive House and heard stuff like Deadmau5 or Glen Morrison. All in all this phase could be called Progressive Techno/House. 17-20 Years: Through Youtube i had the first Contact with Fullon and ProgPsy in 2006-07. Astrix, Astral Projection, Audiomatic, U-Recken, Vibe Tribe, Bizzare Contact, Sesto Sento and many more. Man that was a crazy time!!!!!!!!! At first i didnt even knew what goa is...until i bought Goa Head 2 on a flea market. I dont really know how old i was but Astral Projection - Kabbalah blew me away on this day. I remember the moment very well... Since GH2 i could finnaly distinguish between Goa, Psytrance and Progressive. 20-22 Years: Neurofunk, Dark Dubstep... 23-26 Years. GOA. 27-28 Years: Goa but more often the darker side of it...found Twilight Fullon for myselfe. Now: Darkpsy, Dark Ambient, Dark Wave/Synth, Ebm, Industrial, Psychedelic/Space/Doom Rock. so thats basically my musical "curriculum vitae" for now... You are welcome to write yours my friends!

well, there is not much more to say. coould you guys recommend some quality books about trance in general? would very much like to read about the evolution of the different styles before reaching some sort of proto-trance/proto-goa is there any book like that?