| Author
|
Why hasn't trance "taken off" in the USA?
|
electrictiedye
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
103
Posted : Jun 14, 2008 03:23
|
First of all I was kind of shocked when I first encountered the happy-hardcore types. It was like finding people stuck in a really bad 90s time warp. I'm much more familiar with raves with progressive house & electro (more abroad than here). Can't really speak much for those kooky candy ravers, but many of the concerns we have in the psy world are echoed in the rave scene as well. People who are genuinely there for the music and the vibe of everyone partying together are concerned by the growing presence of the people who show up just to get f**ked up. I think that's kind of unavoidable in any scene as it grows. Didn't Phish have to tell their fans to "cool it" in their later years? All the more reason to keep it underground and to keep it fresh.
On a different topic has anyone noticed how the American psy scene has kind of a nerdy vibe compared to other psy scenes ?(don't take offense at this; just an observation) |
|
|
Virtual Light
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
52
Posted : Jun 14, 2008 03:58
|
Maybe you can recruit new trancers at Star Trek conventions..
You can bait them with old Logic Bomb tracks.
All the girls will fall hard for DJ Jean Luc Picard.
 Bookings : Reptiloid@hotmail.com
Facebook : Vincent Virtual-Light
Soundcloud :http://soundcloud.com/virtual-light |
|
|
|
electrictiedye
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
103
Posted : Jun 14, 2008 04:13
|
|
haha kind of reminds me of this one time I saw Sander Van Doorn play in Boston on a weeknight and it was the strangest crowd. Like people who got into techno through video games or something. |
|
|
|
kahn
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
99
Posts :
786
Posted : Jun 14, 2008 06:37
|
DJ Jean Luc Picard for life! 
I want to point out, that I do have several friends are VERY into the Happy Hardcore scene, and do in fact go there for the music. Hardcore is still very big, and very much alive in the UK especially. Although, it's half true about your comment regarding a 90's time warp, because a good majority of the time, a DJ playing a HHC set will whip out most of his songs from the late 90's. It's definitely a "less intelligent" sounding music genre (in terms of musical complexity), but I mean, to each their own, I'm not going to put people down because of the music they love.
Also, I do want to point out that along with a lot of the cracked out kandi ravers, there are a lot of truly good hearted, well meaning, kandi ravers out there. The only goal of a true kandi raver is to carry around good vibes and pass them along. I don't think this is a bad philosophy at all, no matter what music you listen to. The Kandi ravers that I still know are some of the least arrogant and well meaning partiers that I know. In any case, it's not my music genre... that's for sure. But I have nothing against the kandi kid at all. I think that a lot of people pose as "kandi kids" when in fact they're just cracked out E-tards that think being a kandi kid is the cool thing to be.
But philosophically, I think that the hardcore scene and the psy scene are both overtly positive and happy musical scenes that bring light and happiness to a lot of people... even with dark music.
It's funny that you mention video game nerds, because I have been to a few parties where I felt that way. As a DJ myself, and having met many other DJ's along the way, I have to say that a lot of us are former or current gaming nerds ourselves, and so that somehow works into the track selection or overall vibe of the party... sometimes. But when you think about it, it makes sense because video games presented some of the first truly "mainstream" electronic music, even if it wasn't a chart topper. Everybody knows the super mario bros. theme song, which is electronic music in itself. I think with the culmination of the electronic music and dance scene in the States right now, it's attracting people that may have always had at least SOME like of electronica, even if it dated back to them playing video games. |
|
|
|
electrictiedye
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
103
Posted : Jun 14, 2008 07:59
|
|
You know with all the beautiful beaches on the East and West coasts, the Gulf, and the proximity to the Caribbean what do you say we take one over and make a North American Goa. I'm sure nuestros amigos south of the border will join us too. |
|
|
|
kahn
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
99
Posts :
786
Posted : Jun 14, 2008 08:54
|
Wouldn't that be awesome
I don't know of any beaches where you could get away with that consistently, unless somebody secret and wealthy in the psy scene owns a beach haha.
Back To Nature III (if it's still happening?) is supposed to be a Beach Party though... so yeah. |
|
|
|
leaetherstrip
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
59
Posted : Jun 15, 2008 03:13
|
PSY HAS NEVER, IT HASNT and IT will never take off!!
ANd this stuff about being underground come on who you kidding!
There is nothing like watching some hot Brazilian or swedish girls dancing in the morning(or men if you are girl)! And this happens where you have a healthy active scene. I think there is very few people that would say ¨I am going to the US to a festival from a different country¨.
America stagnates TRUE creativity, too many laws too many things to accomplish too many stereotypes. I guess you have to be a creative to make all this CGI movies and this high school musical stuff and design software like microsoft and the world comsumes this by the tons, but is this creativiity good for the world.
By the way werent hippies from woodstock the same people who became yuppies for starbucks the so called baby boomers. SO I dont think the hippie thing is relevant to this discussion but I could be very wrong.
|
|
|
|
kahn
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
99
Posts :
786
Posted : Jun 15, 2008 06:39
|
Quote:
|
On 2008-06-15 03:13, leatherstrip wrote:
PSY HAS NEVER, IT HASNT and IT will never take off!!
ANd this stuff about being underground come on who you kidding!
There is nothing like watching some hot Brazilian or swedish girls dancing in the morning(or men if you are girl)! And this happens where you have a healthy active scene. I think there is very few people that would say ¨I am going to the US to a festival from a different country¨.
America stagnates TRUE creativity, too many laws too many things to accomplish too many stereotypes. I guess you have to be a creative to make all this CGI movies and this high school musical stuff and design software like microsoft and the world comsumes this by the tons, but is this creativiity good for the world.
By the way werent hippies from woodstock the same people who became yuppies for starbucks the so called baby boomers. SO I dont think the hippie thing is relevant to this discussion but I could be very wrong.
|
|
Man, I think those are some pretty gross inaccurate American stereotypes you have there leatherstrip. I mean, yes you're going to find a lot of this in the MAINSTREAM of course, but that's going to be true almost anywhere you go these days. Go look at the top music charts around the world, and you'll see that they aren't that different from country to country. Everywhere you go, you'll find a MAINSTREAM majority that fills out the gross stereotypes; but I think that's unfair to attach this label to Americans in general.
Also, I've seen a lot of people, including on this forum, from other countries, coming to American parties. In fact, I would gather that at most of the psy parties I've been to in the LA area, there are more foreign people from around the world than natural born Americans... which makes our party scene extremely diverse.
There are plenty of Brazilians (and I bet a few Swedes) in our scene as well.
Yes, our laws (including the RAVE ACT) are shit when it comes to throwing parties, but there is still a vibrant and beautiful electronic music and dance scene here and around the United States... this goes not only for psy but for other genres of electronica as well.
I think the worst thing you said though is that America stagnates true creativity, because that is simply untrue. Go look at the lineup for this year's Gemini Festival (going on RIGHT NOW in Northern CA, USA) and look at the artist roster there. Everybody on that list is extremely talented, and to my knowledge, while some of them might have originally been from other countries, all of them are currently living in the USA (maybe a few from Canada as well). I know a great many artists personally from the United States who are extremely talented with a creative vibe that can only be called their own.
The whole world is obsessed with American movies, CGI films, starbucks, microsoft, etc., and it should be of no consequence even if the companies started here. In fact, I've noticed that in my travels to other countries that people are often MORE obsessed with these things around the world than they are here. What you're saying is as if I said that Germany manufactured Nazis, and therefore all Germans are intolerant racist assholes, but that IS NOT TRUE. Germans are beautiful people (I know several myself). The point here, is that you're typing ALL Americans by the institutions that have risen out of this country... an extremely huge country at that. The truth on that is that going from state to state is often like going from one country to the next, we each have our own culture. So I might go as far as to say that we have one of the most diverse cultures in the entire world. I know that just inside California, the difference between Northern and Southern California, culturely is HUGE.
Have you ever visited the United States? Have you ever attended a psy festival here?
Also, I want to add that technically psy/goa did at one point make it to "mainstream" in terms of mainstream electronic music.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/psychedelic_trance/
Go read the history of Goa/Psy I linked above, and it points out that at one point (before the rise of mainstream trance as we know it) psy was beginning to pick up world attention, and actually got a lot of attention especially when Oakenfold was on his goa itch.
|
|
|
|
Virtual Light
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
52
Posted : Jun 15, 2008 06:52
|
Quote:
|
On 2008-06-15 03:13, leatherstrip wrote:
There is nothing like watching some hot Brazilian or swedish girls dancing in the morning(or men if you are girl)! And this happens where you have a healthy active scene. I think there is very few people that would say ¨I am going to the US to a festival from a different country¨.
|
|
Dude, I hear ya .. Nothing like a Swedish dancefloor
Actually Montreal has a lot of hotties
Bookings : Reptiloid@hotmail.com
Facebook : Vincent Virtual-Light
Soundcloud :http://soundcloud.com/virtual-light |
|
|
|
sam i am
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
712
Posted : Jun 15, 2008 16:56
|
Quote:
| On 2008-06-15 06:39, kahn wrote:
The whole world is obsessed with American movies, CGI films, starbucks, microsoft, etc. |
|
most of these things are renowned for being shite
Quote:
| What you're saying is as if I said that Germany manufactured Nazis, and therefore all Germans are intolerant racist assholes, but that IS NOT TRUE. Germans are beautiful people (I know several myself) |
|
that's GOLD!! 
Quote:
| Also, I want to add that technically psy/goa did at one point make it to "mainstream" in terms of mainstream electronic music |
|
at one point??? Was that the point where Skazi got sponsored by Pepsi?? Oh hang on that was last year or something...
new Hadal Drop album on the way
if you don't have the last one get in touch |
|
|
|
FaceHead
FaceHead
Started Topics :
129
Posts :
1555
Posted : Jun 15, 2008 19:33
|
pointlessly volatile.
I say stop trying to figure out everything...your ego wants you to figure out how to explain experiences how to explain phenomenons how to put into words static emotions or feelings, and so on. Ask yourself does any of this matter? NO. Why hasnt psy taken off? who cares just go enjoy it ...or dont... its up to you. We dont need to analyze and figure out everything. Living is what is important knowing is a trap. Arguing your point as the truth is masturbating your mind. I would love to sit around and argue this all with you folks but dont we have some living to do somewhere else?
:chuck:
|
|
|
|
Virtual Light
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
52
Posted : Jun 15, 2008 20:29
|
Quote:
|
Was that the point where Skazi got sponsored by Pepsi?? Oh hang on that was last year or something...
|
|
Infected Mumu is playing at the Bank Of America Stage at Blues fest in Ottawa, Canada this summer...
Bookings : Reptiloid@hotmail.com
Facebook : Vincent Virtual-Light
Soundcloud :http://soundcloud.com/virtual-light |
|
|
|
kahn
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
99
Posts :
786
Posted : Jun 15, 2008 21:03
|
I notice most people here make fun of Inf. Mush a lot, which I would guess is because they're so big right now...
But I mean... whether or not you enjoy their music, or even if you don't consider it psytrance (that's debatable these days for them), they're all very talented and creative musicians one way or the other. *shrug*
Their music writing is deeply original, and often imitated by other musicians. Not to mention that their "live act" is a benchmark of awesomeness for the industry. |
|
|
|
vector_0
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
113
Posts :
1191
Posted : Jun 16, 2008 04:27
|
^^^dude, have you seen IM in the last year or two? they are SO unoriginal; trying to do the electronic rock band thing like all the other "innovators" these days. i'll admit that their older stuff was somewhat groundbreaking, but what they are now is a travesty to psychedelic trance.
I also think things like hollywood, starbucks, and microsoft currently define america. we stood by and allowed this to happen and now it infects the rest of the world. this country started on ideals, but now its all about money. ask any foreigner why they came here and the answer will be money, job, or school (so they can make money). ask them if they'd stay here if we were a poor nation....obviously they'd go back to their own country because there's probably a culture of substance there.
we need to take this country back, dammit!!!! its been stolen from us to the point that we're not even allowed to celebrate all night! we should be marching through the streets like the gay community.
WE'RE HERE, WE RAVE, GET USED TO IT
http://soundcloud.com/rob-vector |
|
|
|
electrictiedye
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
103
Posted : Jun 16, 2008 05:51
|
I love to play devil's advocate and offer the most productive criticism. I find that when I'm among other Americans I tend to be the critical one, trying to get people to be reflective about ourselves. Yet when I'm abroad I see myself as an ambassador, having to defend American culture (NOT American foreign policy). This thread has taken a really negative tone towards American culture so let me offer some defense. People tend to think about the U.S. in terms of the global culture we export (hollywood, fast food etc.) Yet there's another America that I love to show my foreign friends. If you scratch below the surface we still have a lot of exciting local culture and local cuisine. I grew up not far from Northampton, MA which is considered the number 1 small art town in America and the amount of local artists, crafts, musicians etc. is really incredible. We still have regional culture and cities with very distinct characteristics.
Also Americans have a bad rep as tourists, but a lot of that is because travel was always relatively cheap for Americans compared to other countries and we send our lesser-educated brethren out en masse to all corners of the world, who gave us a bad rep. Now that travel is getting cheaper for Europeans there are more middle-class European travelers who are fortifying the Eurotrash stereotypes (or Russian stereotypes) the same way middle class Americans have for decades.
My biggest frustration with Americans is that they've forgotten how to trust their intuition and have become too programed.
My highest praise is that Americans value individualism and see people as individuals, as well as our embrace of multi-culturalism and complex identity. I've lived abroad in some places where there's a lot more struggle to be seen as an individual outside of the context of superficial labels. It can be easy to take this for granted, but I don't. |
|
|
|
|
