Deep-Fryer
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Posted : Jun 16, 2010 23:19
Sunday morning was plenty good! All the music was tight, but could have been more "diverse", perhaps.
"Creative" was the wrong word to use.
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Tizzy
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Jun 16, 2010 23:49
so who ended up facedown in the ground, jaw doing 360's on sunday morning?!
there's always one...own up
Stranger_GR
Stranger
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 01:07
paradigm
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 03:55
Quote:
On 2010-06-16 18:05, Shiranui wrote:
Quote:
On 2010-06-16 14:33, Deep-Fryer wrote:
Could have done with some more "creative" music in the morning on Sunday, but everything else was on point.
Paging paradigm to this thread... calling paradigm...
Here i am. Just got done with a marathon drive from Cali to Denver....
Mr. Deep Fryer has already amended his comment. There is not a ton to say on that matter.
I actually do agree that there was perhaps a bit of variety lacking on Sunday morning. However the reason for this is the exceptional taste of the SF full-on DJ's, combined with the over all dismal amount of quality full-on currently being released.
There are probably less than a dozen acts and less than half that many labels releasing anything good in this sub-genre at that moment, and if you take 5 or 6 educated old school DJ's who play this style.... well you do the math.
Full review to follow on upcoming post
Logical Light Music - SF
Straylight Productions -SF
Sound/Mind - Denver
Xcience - Midwest
paradigm
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 05:22
It was very sad to leave the festival, and it is with a smile but yet a heavy heart i write this review.
As almost everyone knew going into it, this years show was plagued by issues ranging from the relocation, to this rsvp deal, to having to cancel various headliners.
In the end, those who stuck with it and thru it were rewarded with one hell of a great weekend.
To those who didn't all i have to say is
"na-na-na-na-na".... you missed out., and to all those DJ's who flaked, whether via legit reasons, or your own mis-givings about what the event might have been.... well your loss, you all made a bad call.
The overall vibe of the event was much more like that of the old Gemini's on the Eel River, instead of the more recent ones at Belden. The main difference being the level of production on this show. Nothing on the Eel ever came close to this.
The main stage was magnificent. I loved how the pyramid combined with the hex screens from last year looked. Just sick. I don't really know how else to expand on that. The main stage just looked awesome.
The sound was pretty solid thru the weekend, i know the man came and made us turn it down, but hey... he didn't say turn it off so thats a victory in my book.
Area 101 itself came with a few headaches and logistical problems no doubt, but still proved to be a wonderful location. The waterfall behind the main stage made for such a epic back drop, while the little hidden creek offered a wonderful sanctuary from the heat of the afternoon. I did feel a little penned in at times do to the size, and only being able to walk laps in a circle and not wander as i might have liked, but i think this also had a upside. It forced more groups of people to mingle, to share shade and kitchens and introduced different groups or cliques that at Belden might have just hung out in their respective cabins.
I do have to say tho, I am personally disappointed in myself for the rather mediocre second room. Not only did 5 of my booked DJ's no show, my primary booked deco, no showed, and 3 headliners arrived late due to airport and traffic delays.
Excuse's i know. I personally had much grander hopes for that stage than what it became. It became one of those situations of having to make the most of what you had.
I do want to sincerely thank Sina, Arwin, Nick Synergy and Chlorophil for being my chill-bitches and doing double duty and filling in all the gaps from the no shows.
I also want to say thanks to Liquid Stranger, Omega, Bird of Prey, Androcell and Ripple for holding it down proper with the solid dubstep Saturday night.
As for the music.... well here is what those sitting in the peanut gallery munching popcorn have been waiting for i suppose.
Friday night.... eck ... what the fuck was that? Seriously can anybody tell me? It started off innocent enough with Wichdokta rocking some prog, but that quickly turned into some Nutek style twilight, and before i had finished dinner it had escalated into something else entirely, before instantly dropping into what i can only assume was the waiting room for a dental office in the 7th level of hell.
Im not sure what it was honestly. More gabber than trance, but not even quite that. Either i was a victim as was the entire event, of a brilliant prank, in which case i salute those responsible, or someone is more interested in antagonizing people, than inviting them to the dancefloor.
When even experienced "dark" producers cant handle it, and need to seek sanctuary in the chill room, the envelope has been pushed to its breaking point.
I offer a congratulations. Not only did the entire party discuss and comment on those frequencies (music is not an appropriate term) for the duration of the weekend, but i think they will continue to do so for a good time to come.
Things got better with the suomi style around sun up, and a bit later Ascension brought on the morning proper. Very nice smooth set dude. The came my sweetheart E11even, who played the best set i have ever heard her lay down. I realize i have a biased opinion here, but watching your woman lay down a flawless set is a pretty awesome feeling, when you yourself are a DJ.
I also really dug Aerosis on Saturday morning. Wow, quite amazed by this duo's production level. Nice set, great for the mid/late morning vibes.
Saturday night / Sunday was pretty rocking. Sadly Saturnia's car broke down, so we missed the early evening prog but Nick Synergy started things out nicely with some classic Posford and gave us a nice old school set. I missed a few after that, but came back to the floor for Earworm. Wow! One of my favorites from the show. Nice production, and a bit of a mild and modern twist on the classic 3d vision sound. I had more chores to do around the venue and then was ready for a few hours sleep. I caught Bodhi, Stranger, and Arahat from my tent, in various states of consciousness, but all 3 sounded pretty solid. Bodhi in particular actually held my interest for a good time while i lay there.
Sunday morning was dominated by Chromatone, myself (if i may so. I personally really liked this set, one of my favorites this year)Christine, and i think the overall best of the entire weekend Boomslangs debut live performance.
Holly crap!! Friggin awesome guys. Aeon by himself is always great, but with Tom up there it was top shelf. You guys have a unique sound all to your own.
Nick Aragon from La, filled in for the Terrakroma boys to close things out.
Despite the many bumps in the road, this was a very proper and fitting last Gemini. I will really miss it, and i hope that given a break, a Gemini reunion ends up being in the cards down the road.
This festival has meant so much, to so many people over the years. I feel blessed to have had the level of involvement that i have had over the years, and cherish all my times that surround it. Be them baking on the rocks up on the Eel River, hanging on a porch over looking the floor at Belden, or just loving the best Sunday morning dance floor found in the states. I will miss all of it, and i thank you Richard for all your hard work, dedication, and love to this scene, music and show, that you have given us all over the years.
Logical Light Music - SF
Straylight Productions -SF
Sound/Mind - Denver
Xcience - Midwest
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 07:03
Hey! I liked Sunday. Twisted in the dark, ever more thumpy as the dawn lightened the day, and then the happy hopping music as late morning became noon and afternoon. I'm a Meta fan and the Boomslang got me going like Meta does. I was happy to see Aeon behind the decks and headed back to get the dancing shoes after following my ears to see who was making the music and realizing that sandals wouldn't work. I met Tom of Boomslang after the gathering.
Friday night/Saturday early morning was quite intense for me. Dragon with serious music and silly videos that just couldn't stop me from laughing. Hulk Elvis! It was splitting me in two, the dichotomy of it. Then the Unwashed Tomato played more of the twisted intense music, but the humorous videos changed into those really neat kaleidoscope type of visuals I can be entranced with when viewing. I believe it was next with CinderVomit. I never did meet these three different DJs, but it was indeed something meaningful for me as I danced to the music they each played. Before they played I was at my camp not being able to come out to dance as my mind wasn't ready for it. Billy took credit for this when I met him the next day!
The stage and decorations surrounding it were of a different kind than I had seen before. More lighting too. I had arrived Friday morning as preparations were still being made. I thought to myself as I saw the pyramid go up that this wasn't going to amount to much of a visual effect. Was I ever wrong! It really did kind of breathe as Bodhi put it. The string art lit by the black lights kept me enthralled. The murals and paintings were cool to view up close and added to the full immersion effect when I positioned myself centered to the stage between the fire and the dance floor rugs. I have a weakness for lighting and gizmos, and sometimes it can be distracting for me when I want to focus on the music, but closing my eyes works though I kept them open most of the night. Away from the dance floor the Land of the Green Spots kept me on unsure ground at times! Funny how it can do that to me. My neighbors further away from the dance floor added more green spots the second night. It made it adventuresome at times to stroll the grounds when I wasn't dancing, or on my way to or from the other dance floor.
That music Torin (Bird of Prey) played surprised me with its sound. It made me dance in a strange motion because of how I shake to the beats when I dance. It had a wavering, wobbly kind of beat to it with wispy spacey sounds. I liked the sound of it, so now I have another kind of music to like.
I even was given some music appreciation from Nick Synergy and Jesse Reverend about house music. I am still not too sure about it, but I did see how Techno could have indeed evolved from it. Fun, happy body music it seemed like. I heard a few tracks from Androcell I liked. Not sure of that music's type. Psytrance is my favorite of the electronic music, but a few of the other kinds are really good for me too. It often depends on the vibe, people and intention. Almost sounds like set and setting in another use, doesn't it? Hmm, mind over matter, perhaps? And of course I still miss almost half the music just by taking breaks or having to sleep. The break on Saturday afternoon was unexpected, but I ended up appreciating it for being able to lay on my pads in the tent and not have my body twitch and move to the beats because of my close to the dance floor location.
Psytrance is hard for me to describe in what it can on occasion do to me and those around me, especially the twisted type of psytrance. How similar it can sound and yet how different its effect can be upon me. I think we often put too much emphasis on the impact of the DJ on us when it often is what we ourselves are expecting or are prepared for that has the greater effect upon what we experience. The DJs are still majorly important even if I believe this to be true. I was explaining this theory of mine to Alex who had told me about his amazing adventure and revelation with Saturday night's and Sunday's early morning music upon him. He had not been exposed to this kind of psytrance in this kind of setting before. When you get these DJs we had at the festival that really can play the twisted psytrance music in such a way that it opens things up inside yourself when you're dancing to it, it is amazing. I think it takes some preparation of myself and a readiness to dance and go with what the DJ is trying to create for it to happen. This is one reason I am happy for the music to change when the dawn approaches. The intensity in myself is something I can't sustain indefinitely and is draining. The happy hopping music energizes me in a different way. Brings back to me some of what I spent while listening and dancing to the twisted music. Mind and body often go to different places through the night and into the morning. I am not used to music without words having such power over myself and those around me. I missed a lot of Saturday night/Sunday early morning music. I hate when I do this, especially when it is DJs I really like such as Bodhi, Mubali, and Arahat. Great guys that twist my mind with sound! At least I heard part of their sets. Sunday's dawn had me start with the last of Arahat's set. Yep, I really am missing California when it comes to be able to attend outdoor gatherings near year 'round as compared to the short season of Colorado.
Sunday's late morning and afternoon psytrance is a whole different kind of music to me, psytrance though it may be. I really like it. When I first started reading the posts here on Isratrance with the metaphorical, colorful, or even, to me, whimsical reports about music played at gatherings, I was wondering if I was involving myself with something that was not right in a sane kind of thinking about the world and music or if I'd ever even have the slightest clue as to what the writers were refering to. I have learned a few things, but I am happy to report that I am still not sure of it!
I really enjoyed the Gemini Festival again! I am sad the series is coming to an end and I hope events in the future will make it possible to continue it. We were lucky to have it this year at all from the things many people have told me that happened since last year's. I finally got to meet Richard and have more than just a quick greeting with him. You're a great person Richard. Many others feel this way too and it is this that makes them volunteer to make the gatherings possible. I have been to three Gemini Festivals and they were all some of the best times I have had ever. How it is that such great people come to them from all over the world to be there amazes me. As my frame of reference and experience is much smaller than many of the writers here on Isratrance, I hope you'll indulge my naivete even if I have learned many things about psytrance and electronic music in the almost three years since I first heard it.
Hi Lawrence! Hi Liz! Yes, we're all back in Colorado. All them miles and we live just a few apart. We drove to Southern California on Monday after leaving Gemini Sunday night. Had to deliver some wine I got at Korbel in Santa Rosa to my mom. She wasn't expecting me to show up and it made a nice surprise for her. It is the longest I have been apart from her in my life. An interesting thing it is to be my age and make that statement about five months of my life. Got home last night.
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The Dawn Patrol leaves at dusk!
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Omega
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 07:18
Quote:
On 2010-06-16 22:16, cinderVOMIT wrote:
damn i didn't get to actually meet you i did get to see you play though!! sick music man.
is that captain of crunch your tune also? would love that one!
sorry we didn't get to meet, but glad ya like my tunes captain of crunch is Liquid Stranger, he played before me. The whole lineup on the second stage saturday night got pushed back quite a bit, because we (Androcell, Liquid Stranger, and myself) were late getting in due to flight/rental car/traffic/etc troubles.
KEVIN_
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 07:24
I agree with you Lawrence. I had many people stop by the camp to socialize, share food and drink, and just kick it. I hadn't thought about the location's size making this more likely to happen as we always have people stop by when we're away from the dance floor. It is one of the things I enjoy about the gatherings.
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The Dawn Patrol leaves at dusk!
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liamshy
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 10:31
Just wanted to give a massive shout out to Richard and all the staff and crew that worked so hard to make it possible!!! The staff was on-point!! Great job guys, really appreciate the energy put in to make the festival possible.
It was a wonderful honor to perform our Dissolve live set for everyone. It was also great connecting with psy-family from other parts of the u.s.
Wonderful weekend and wonderful vibes! Hope to see you all again this weekend for Red Marines! Boom!
Ascension
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 16:06
MR VOMERS
Moderator
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 17:11
Paradigm, thanks for listening. That's a great review of the frequencies we like to push...we do things a little different I guess..thanks for noticing that we push the boundary to the breaking point..it's comments like that that will have us continuing to push and push and push...the breaking point is far off...the gabber association i don't see really other than the high bpm but even gabber is way faster than that...it's just very different from ANYthing anybody plays...not super dark, just very aggressive and heady in my opinion. Random referred to it as EPIC lol.
Thanks for the people who were there for the music!! You really couldn't escape the sound anywhere on the property so i'm glad to have shared my experience with all of you, nothing but positivity even in those chaotic vibrations.
Much love.
P.S. This was just a mere TASTE of what you can expect at worldbridge.
WARNING: The Reality Master General has determined that Mr. Vomit may significantly alter your reality. Usage of the knowledge provided by Mr. Vomit may be perceived as dangerous and subversive by those in authority.
.:DRAGON:.
Dragon
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 17:37
First off I want to applaud Rich and his veteran crew for making that one of, if not the most organized event I've been to. These guys had the logistical side and operations nailed down ! Real shuttle vans, real organic cuisine meals, and one hell of a main stage. The visual screens and vj performances were outstanding! That really brought the stage to life and worked really well with all the intelligent lighting.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the trance artists were relocated to the main stage for Friday night. The night seemed to have kicked off well and progressed into the full-power night style with Taukan playing before me. I knew that the Tomatoes were playing after me so I decided to arrange my live set so that it would end with a new tune that Ghreg on Earth and I finished recently ( and yeaa .. it was written at 161bpm ) ... Those of you who know me, know that I like to hang around the 149-151 range, but with that new track finished I wanted to debut it since the tomatoes were coming up next (otherwise I would have just saved it for World Bridge heh heh )
The Tomatoes had some very nice new tracks that were not too fast by any means, but you definitely need to have a taste for the hard-edged full-power flavor =). I ended up crashing out for the night shortly after that. One thing about the venue is that you could hear the stage from any tent, so if you didn't want to miss any of the music you wouldn't and if you wanted some peace and quiet, you were in for a long haul lol ..
Saturday night was a lot of fun. I caught some of the "deep fried" action which was really cool to hear that suomi on a large sound system.. nasty nasty basslines ! Moksa came out swinging with an arsenal of parvati/mighty_quinn-styled madness which really got the hornet's nest stirred up ! -Instant frenzy on the dance floor. Unfortunately the man showed up and had to drop the volume a bit, but everyone readjusted their ears and dove back in. I have to say that the Wichdokta laid down the sickest set I've heard him drop yet. I don't know where he pulled it from but he really impressed me with his full-power track selection and flawless mixing. Well done sir.. seriously, do Not underestimate this trance guru. Bodhi's new tunes were extremely crisp, dynamic, and "furious" heh heh .. The production quality and new style was a real pleasure to listen to ( which reminds me I really need to get ahold of that new material! )
I hung in there for most of Strangers set ( which he is such a nice guy and was a lot of fun to hang out with ). He had a nice variety of old and new tunes that were great to hear since I have played many of his older tracks in previous dj sets. I did end up retiring for the night after that, but I can still here the following sets in my head.
Sunday morning was definitely the full-on show-down. I'm not complaining by any means and I think it was refreshing to hear a lot of full-on in the morning. I completely agree with Paradigm on the lack of diversity in the releases right now. It seems that Nano is carrying most of the quality releases, but I'm definitely not the full-on expert.
The drive back to SF was very nice with a pit-stop at the Golden Gate Bridge. That part of Cali is amazing. It was hard to leave, but I know I'll be back. Thanks so much for having some of the Dharmaharmony crew out to get down in the Mendo action ! We had a blast and won't forget about this festival anytime soon !
.:DRAGON:.
Dragon
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Posted : Jun 17, 2010 18:13
AND I completely forgot to mention how AMAZING the Dissolve show was !!! What a very impressive performance with professional showmanship ! Excelent content and stage pressence ! Way to go you guys.. I know that took a lot of work to put together and I really hope someone got video of it !
