Goa's Second Golden Age?

[Shpongled247]

Hi guys, I'm writing an article atm for a psychedelic magazine about my favourite thing, goa trance haha. Kind of a musing about the death and rebirth of Goa/neo goa if you will.

 

Anyway, I kind of feel like the past few years and now are almost a high point for the resurgence of Goa. With new Filteria coming, the epic re-releases of Etnica, soon Crop Circles, and stuff from Mindsphere, M-Run, Nova Fractal, all of Suntrips releases, etc etc its such a good time to be a goa fan.

 

Do you guys agree or think differently?? I know it might never be how it was but I think it's pretty damn good now!

[Anoebis]

I agree, goa is alive and kicking! Our artists play more and more on international parties and festival, the public is more and more responsive and organisations don't think goa is "too old"

So yes, there is clearly a big goa revival

[franki]

I think the popularity of the Goa sound depends a lot on location. It's really not big in the UK now, but enough to put on occasional "Retro Goa" nights. (There's Kanyini in Birmingham on 29th June, with Lunar Asylum playing, amongst others.)

Many party goers these days weren't around to enjoy Goa at its height in the 90s (I was a regular at Brum's Spacehopper) and don't like the melodies when compared to the more pounding groove & fx style of today's full-on, dark, forest etc.

Luckily, some of us love both!

There are healthy "Nu-school Goa" appreciation threads on other psy forums, but that doesn't necessarily translate into much in the way of UK parties, which is a shame. I have to get my fix from buying as many Goa CDs as I can!

[Shpongled247]

Hey franki, funny you say that! Heh. I'm from Australia where there is literally zero goa played, but just recently moved to London for the next two years.

 

Partly in the hope of getting to actual Goa parties in Europe, Fractal Gate, Lost theory, anything filteria and Suntrip artists are playing at hopefully Can't waiiiiiiiit!

 

It seems it definitely is growing though, in Europe firstly then spreading perhaps, with our help

 

As for uk scene it seems quite varied here? Lots of prog/full on nights as well as dark psy parties. Will look up the goa nights u mentioned though if they are near london!

[Padmapani]

totally depends on the location. around here the goa parties are very small gatherings compared to other psy parties, but they're there. that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

same thing for the big international festivals. 2006 there were no goa acts to be found at all, but the percentage is increasing every year. for the medium sized festivals, it totally depends on the country. sadly the austrian festivals are very slow to catch on, but they do say that here everything happens a few years later than everywhere else...

 

in general it seems that the parties follow the releases with a 5 year delay or so. i wouldn't speak of a second gold age right now, but who knows where we'll be in a few years.

[mars]

I agree, goa is alive and kicking! Our artists play more and more on international parties and festival, the public is more and more responsive and organisations don't think goa is "too old"

 

So yes, there is clearly a big goa revival

I completely agree. Just look at this summer's festivals lineups.

[Panoptes]

Yes, I hope so!

[technosomy]

Hey franki, funny you say that! Heh. I'm from Australia where there is literally zero goa played, but just recently moved to London for the next two years.

 

Partly in the hope of getting to actual Goa parties in Europe, Fractal Gate, Lost theory, anything filteria and Suntrip artists are playing at hopefully Can't waiiiiiiiit!

 

It seems it definitely is growing though, in Europe firstly then spreading perhaps, with our help

 

As for uk scene it seems quite varied here? Lots of prog/full on nights as well as dark psy parties. Will look up the goa nights u mentioned though if they are near london!

 

well you are from brisvegas!

there has never been a goa scene there!

 

melbs and here in byron bay only ever goa, but now it all prog!

you better of in uk.

 

where you from in brizzy?

[Veracohr]

There are certainly lots of releases and artists now, but I've started to feel lately like there's a lack of diversity.

[franki]

There are certainly lots of releases and artists now, but I've started to feel lately like there's a lack of diversity.

 

I think there's far too much reliance on Middle-Eastern / Arabic style melodies in much of the new Goa. It wasn't so prevalent in the '90s music and I find it tiresome after a while.

[Shpongled247]

@technosomy I'm from north bris, but lived in fortitude valley last five years. Mmm so glad to have escaped the Aussie "prog bog" atm over here I swear Australian prog borders on progressive house *yawnnn*

 

Anyway soooon realizing my dream of hearing some goa live

 

Mmm not sure i agree with goa being overly reliant on those certain modes but I get your point.

[Padmapani]

 

I think there's far too much reliance on Middle-Eastern / Arabic style melodies in much of the new Goa. It wasn't so prevalent in the '90s music and I find it tiresome after a while.

+1

 

but there's also enough other goa released, so i'm still happy.

[digitoxin]

I cannot say things with Goatrance parties in Austria look good. I consider the Phototropic label party, at least as a party series, as failed.

 

It seems a party like this cannot exist in a scene where progressive house is considered "Goa" and real Goa is mostly unknown.

Too much people that don't fit will show up at Newschool parties, and the interested ones cannot be reached because they don't even expect real Goatrance parties exist at all.

[technosomy]

@technosomy I'm from north bris, but lived in fortitude valley last five years. Mmm so glad to have escaped the Aussie "prog bog" atm over here I swear Australian prog borders on progressive house *yawnnn*

 

Anyway soooon realizing my dream of hearing some goa live

 

Mmm not sure i agree with goa being overly reliant on those certain modes but I get your point.

 

north?

owned and lived in bald hills for a couple of years

was there in the weekend and brizzy not changed a bit

 

love progressive but, not all the f%cking time!

good luck with your quest

[Ormion]

I think there's far too much reliance on Middle-Eastern / Arabic style melodies in much of the new Goa. It wasn't so prevalent in the '90s music and I find it tiresome after a while.

+1

 

We need more edgy, darker, futuristic Goa trance.

[technosomy]

+1

 

We need more edgy, darker, futuristic Goa trance.

 

i think it's on it's way, and from who

[technosomy]

and no it's not astral projection!

[Procyon]

Neogoa is doing good, given it now has strong competition with prog and fullon, while in the 1990s it was the the main trend. But it's still in development. Or not. It lacks the boldness producers had in the golden years, investigating into new sounds out of the safe goa recipe. But it will come with time, and then it can be the Golden Years #2. I support and play neogoa, but it can get better a lot. I still stand by the topic I created last year arguing that neogoa tracks were way too sterile and plastic.

[Procyon]

 

i think it's on it's way, and from who

You?

[radi6404]

 

 

I think there's far too much reliance on Middle-Eastern / Arabic style melodies in much of the new Goa. It wasn't so prevalent in the '90s music and I find it tiresome after a while.

 

 

Same for me, I wish new goa tracne would be like old Goa Trance, with the typical Goa melodies, like Hallucinogen, Astral Projection, EU, MWNN, Psychaos, Miranda and others used, instead of the boring middle eastern stuff, but there is also better newschool.

[Veracohr]

 

I think there's far too much reliance on Middle-Eastern / Arabic style melodies in much of the new Goa. It wasn't so prevalent in the '90s music and I find it tiresome after a while.

 

For me it's the monotonous basslines and overly common song structures.

[technosomy]

You?

 

i wish!

but you never know

[Imba]

My opinion is third wave has already come. Last 2 years i think.

 

How i saw third wave? More old school style basses and structures, melodies... i rather found track that have classy psy bass and oriental ones. Maybe i wrong?

[technosomy]

My opinion is third wave has already come. Last 2 years i think.

 

How i saw third wave? More old school style basses and structures, melodies... i rather found track that have classy psy bass and oriental ones. Maybe i wrong?

 

no your pretty close

love your avatar bro............ very oldschool............... just like you......... oh what har-el he's not!

[Padmapani]

I cannot say things with Goatrance parties in Austria look good. I consider the Phototropic label party, at least as a party series, as failed.

 

It seems a party like this cannot exist in a scene where progressive house is considered "Goa" and real Goa is mostly unknown.

Too much people that don't fit will show up at Newschool parties, and the interested ones cannot be reached because they don't even expect real Goatrance parties exist at all.

 

 

i have noticed the phototropic parties getting less and less frequent. sad, but not too surprising, since the last time i've been there, there were very few people. my attempts at getting people to go there also haven't been very successful ("i'm too tired, i'd rather listen at home" or "you know i need some fullon to dance" ).

so i take it there will be no more phototropic label parties?

 

 

 

i have begun to suspect (based on what happens at festivals), that you'd need to do some of those huge parties with well known old school goa artists playing their music from back then (hallucinogen, pleiadians, cosmosis and the like) to get people interested in goa again. you then have the chance to fill the spots in between with new/less known goa that's equally great. but of course that's a financial risk that no goa organizer can take (outside belgium).