The musical genre of Goa Trance did not gain strength until late 1994 or early 1995. Before this, it struggled with competitors such as “psychedelic trans” or “psychotropic trans”. By this time, the sound had been developing for over a decade.
Around 1983, some people started recording tapes of European dance electronic music, or body music as it was called, in the cauldron of adventurers, hippies, party animals and enthusiasts of the New Age.
In our review of Goa trance, we introduce you to three Goa trance artists that are working in the Sheffield club scene, where you will be able to experience the music for yourself and transport yourself from the steel county to the warm beaches of Goa by escaping with the music.
Astral Projection
Astral Projection is an electronic music group that are dabbling in Goa / Psytrance music. It was founded in 1989 under the group’s first name SFX and based in Israel. The members are Lior Perlmutter and Avi Nissim, but they also started with Guy Sabbag and Yaniv Haviv.
During a lengthy discography (largely produced of work titled “Trust in Trance”, which would later merge with Phonokol, however, they would use Transient at the start and in the new version of “Trust in Trance 3” under their own name), the group toured around the world. In total, they produced 9 albums, the most recent of which was a 2005 collection called Back to Galaxy. With their innovative and fast style, they created hits like Liquid Sun, Mahadeva, Axis and Dancing Galaxy.
Juno Reactor
Juno Reactor are a group focused on electronic transmission, often known for its global melting effect and now includes Mike Macguire and Ben Watkins. At one point, the Juno reactor ensemble included members Johann Bley, Jens Waldenback and Stephen Holweck.
Juno Reactor formed in 1990 by Ben Watkins and Stephen Holweck. The group is working on an experimental environmental project involving sculptor (and Watkins) Norma Fletcher’s art installation and the performance “Missile Project.” The centerpiece of the project is a deactivated 70-foot missile called the Juno Reactor, whose group orbits London while playing their own music to raise awareness of nuclear war. According to Watkins, “It was blue cement. And it looked like a dinosaur’s tail. And smoke came out.” This project took more than a month; However, the exhibition only lasted a few hours when the London police arrived, interrupted the exhibition and arrested all members of the project. The song was eventually released on Juno Reactor’s second album, Luciana.
Juno Reactor’s last album, Labyrinth, featured Watkins’ work on The Matrix. The new album highlights the tribal influence associated with Juno Reactor’s work with songs like “Conquistador II”. The group is more well-known than most in Goa and have even had their music pumped into the casinos in India because of their unique tones that relax the players and keep them invigorated into the early hours when the casino doors close.
Infected Mushroom
Infected Mushroom is another electronic music group that was originally founded by the duo Erez Aizen and Amit Duvdevani in Haifa, Israel. The two currently live in Los Angeles.
The infected fungus is known for its continuous sound development. Examples include the following albums: “The Gathering” (1999), “Classical Mushroom” (2000), “BP Empire” (2001), “Converting Vegetarian” (2003), “IM the Supervisor” (2004), “Vicious Delicious “(2007),” Legend of the Black Shawarma “(2009),” Mushroom Army “(2012)” and “Converting Vegetarian II” (2015) ”
Their live performances include guitar, drums and live sound in a multimedia environment.
In 1998, Aizen and Duvdevani started performing together. First, they released several songs like “Shidapu & Duvdev”. These songs are “happier” and lighter than Trans. Then the duo formed “Infected Mushroom” and started working on their debut album. The name “Infected Mushroom” was adopted without the permission of the dissolved punk rock group (1989-1993), which also had a name of Israeli descent, which Duvdevani met and performed at shows in Israel.
In 1999, “The Gathering” was the debut album “Infected Mushroom”. The album has a dark and rhythmic atmosphere, exemplified by the song “Psycho”, which received much praise and popularity. This album is one of the first to bring the “mainstream” of Israeli psyche trance closer to the public and promote the growing popularity of genres around the world. The following year, the duo released one of their most famous albums, including one of the most popular albums in the genre, “Classical Mushroom”. The album features what is often referred to as his favourite song, “Bust A Move”. This album is widely recognized as the best example of teamwork.
All these artists make regular appearances in Sheffield clubs: Code, Tank, and guest spots at Corporation. You can acquire more details on live events by heading to The List, which highlights the upcoming trance events in and around Sheffield.
