The sixth chakra in Kundalini yoga, the Anja, is located in the centre of the forehead. Also known as the third eye it is a focal point for inner reflection and symbolises a connection to the higher mental powers. With recent (>100 years) discoveries in Western science fingers point to the pineal gland as being the physical representation of the third eye. The possibility that the pineal gland could be a vestigal third physical eye is backed up with research into New Zealand’s native lizard, the Tuatara.

This short informative article highlights research into the pineal gland and the relationship between neurotransmitters like serotonin and melatonin, the third eye and psychactive substances like LSD-25.

linkage: biological function of the third eye

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to cruise up to Texada Island for Diversity Electronic Music festival. What an experience! Rolling into a festival by boat and unloading onto the beach to camp is something to experience! Thanks so much to all the lovely people we met and played with – you make it all worthwhile!

linkage: see part 1 here, see part 2 here, main photography page

I captured a few short (30 second) video clips while at Entheos Music festival 2008 on my Canon S80 digital camera.

The main dance floor looks pretty dark – but thats what you get under Psychedelic lighting conditions! Enjoy

I am enjoying all the extra time off at the moment as it is giving me some time to do some mixing. I’ve just uploaded a new downtempo demo mix Fluidity. You can find the details on the demo mixes page.

linkage:  download via demo mix page

A professor from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem proposes an alternative to the commonly believed method for obtaining scriptures from God while atop a mountain. Dr Shannon told public Israeli radio that a more believable theory (Occham’s Razor and all that) is that Moses underwent a psychedelic experience induced by chemical alkaloids (aka drugs):

‘As far as Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don’t believe, or a legend, which I don’t believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics’

More interesting is that his opinion has not been instantly discredited. This from Laitmans (foremost Kabbalist) blog shows his response:

‘I do not find this assumption unreasonable at all! The professor’s point of view is quite modern. He is trying to scientifically explain a supernatural phenomenon that others simply take on faith or keep quiet about, which is not scientific at all! He is trying to “fit” the phenomenon into reality, into nature’s laws, while others remain with their superstitions. From the point of view of common sense, his assumption is scientific.’

One likely suspect for the psychedelic in question would be a wee brew from the (oft mentioned in the bible) Acacia tree with or without the benefit of a MAO inhibitor. Acacia plants are known to contain both the alkaloids Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5 MethoxyDimethyltryptamine (5 MeO-DMT). Both alkaloids are capable of providing fully psychedelic experiences that are likely to include encounters with ‘entities’ almost beyond our comprehending.

The psychedelic experience from consuming DMT is well documented to often produce the most profound spiritual experience of a consumers life – always a good time to take some notes. Carve them in stone – sure why not.

Turn on, tune in, drop out. Oh no that was Leary’s 3 commandments, not Moses’ 10

linkage: via abc news, comments on laitman’s blog

I have just uploaded a new full on Psytrance mix journeying into the Void that Binds. This was recorded the first time I mixed this set. It’s on the quirky side with a solid pace and nice and psychedelic. 144 – 149 BPM. The divshare player doesn’t seem to like it for some reason – but downloaded plays fine

linkage: download via demo page

There are a couple of phat psytrance festivals this year in Europe. Boom is on this year (it is only every second year) as well as O.z.o.r.a. Ozora is in Hungry from 6th to 8th of August and Boom from the 11th to 18th. If there was ever a month that’d be good to kick up some dust – it’d be August I reckon.

Booms Website

Here’s highlights from the line up for Ozora. (I can’t see one posted for Boom yet – but you know it’ll be even better)

Juno Reactor, Shpongle, Hallucinogen, Alpha, Talamasca, Ott, Asura, Aes Dana, Total Eclipse, Andromeda, Prometheus, Atmos, FREq, Nomad, Blue Planet Corporation, Jaia, Pleiadians, Logic Bomb, Tristan, Neuromotor, Naked Tourist, Doc, Cpc, Laughing Buddha, Horror Place, Allaby, ANS, Highcosmos, Mael, TrippyHippies, Star Sound Orchestra, Nanda, Simon B, Driss, Edoardo, Peter Didjital, Psychotrop, Dj Marios, Shane Gobi, Irgumburgum

linkage: Boom Festival, O.z.o.r.a.

update 10 April:

Tshitraka Project Open Air Festival – July 3 – 9 (Northern Germany)

With 7 days and 6 nights of non stop music and culture we are going to celebrate the festival with an enhanced and refreshed concept, bringing you a carefully selected balance of full on, psychedelic and progressive trance.

Live Acts: Astrix, Basic, Biotouch, Bitmonx, Chakra, Dualsnug, Earsugar, Freakshow, Freakulizer, Galactika, Gms, Klopfgeister, Krunch,Liquid Soul, Pralhad, Sun Control Species, Vaishiyas, Vibrasphere

If you are looking for something a bit more twisted you might want to think about heading to Russia for Khan Altay a solar eclipse festival with both Progressive and full power Psytrance

linkage: Tshitraka Festival

Khan Altay – Solar Eclipse Festival: 25th of July – 2nd of August, Altai mountains, Russia

Khan Altay is a space out of time, a festival of art and creation. We gather here with friends from around the world for the cosmic moment of the total solar eclipse.

In this planetary alignment, a way between worlds is opened in the ancient land of Altay. This moment is guarded by a dragon, whose fiery spirit watches over our dreams from the deep blue heavens.

Live Acts: Astropilot, Bluetech, Electripnose, Fragletrollet, Kraft, Liquid Cristal Fait, Noises of Russia, Ocelot, Reality Pixie, Sattel Battle, Sensient (TBC), Shadow Fx (TBC), Troll Scientists, Tsabeat, Utro-Tra-Tru

linkage: Khan Altay Festival

Psychedelic Circus Open Air Festival Part 10 – 06 June – Mon, 09 June, Strohkirchen, Germany

Live Acts: Rinkadink, Fatali, Penta, Magoon, U-Recken, Day.Din, Nizzel, Midimal, Naked Tourist, Philter, Timedrained, Deeper, Lightsphere, Slackjoint, Audiomatic, Ski Fi, Magnetrixx

linkage: Psychedelic Circus

update 9 May 2008:

Glade Festival – July 18-20 Berkshire (1 hour from London, UK)

The Glade festival originates from a renegade stage at Glastonbury. It has evolved into one of the UK’s finest electronica festivals. You’ll have to be open to other music styles to really get the most out of the event as it isn’t really a Psytrance festival. There are a load of stages and some interesting acts however and I even saw that Pitch Black from NZ’ll be there. If you are in the area and into Electronica – it’ll be worth a listen I’m sure

photo borrowed without permission from Graham Joys photostream on flickr (thanks Graham)

linkage: full details for Glade Festival

Hadra Trance Festival – 25 -27 July, Pontcharra, Isere (France)

There are some nice full on live acts booked for Hadra Trance festival as well as some sublime downtempo acts:

Space Tribe, Cpu, Parasense, Gaudium, The Commercial Hippies, Ldb System,Barak, Reality Grid, Shotu, Psymmetrix, Kularis, Solar Fields, Sine Die, Pirated Machines, Fluid, D_Root, Lunarave, Lumin Feat. Irina Mikhailova, Solar Fields, H.U.V.A Network, Slackbaba, Asura, Terra Nine, Orchid Star, Kick Bong, Secret Vibes, Lipo

linkage: full line up and more info here

update May 13

Fullmoon Festival – 16 – 21st July Wittstock (1 hr from Berlin, Germany)

A long running and well supported and large festival. Expect German precision and some of spectacular deco, sound and lighting.

Seperate stages for full on and progressive psytrance as well as chill out area. Another impressive line up – here’s the list for the full on stage which will cover the lighter melodic sound through the dark nasty stuff for the night time fanatics. Yum Yum:

Star Sounds Orchestra, Juno Reactor, Sun Project, Etnica, Cosmosis, Protoculture, Bizzare Contact, Vibe Tribe, Deedrah, Absolum, Transwave, Space Buddha, Shanti, Electro Sun, Atomic Pulse, Aquatica, Slug, Polaris, Digicult, Atomiculture, D-Maniac, Sick Addiction, Tryambaka, Kindzadza, Electrypnose, Yab Yum, Atriohm, Drury Nevil, Mubali, Noise Gust, Whicked Hayo, Irgum Burgum, Stereographic, Gappeq, Shagma, Slackjoint, Hyperion, Digital Efx

Borrowed without permission from Hotterra.de

linkage: full details at Fullmoon website

Antaris Project – 11 – 14 July (Rhinow, West of Berlin, Germany)

You want to go back to the roots? Well Antairs have been around since the early nineties and this is their 14th festival. The Antiris crew promise an evolved concept and some new deco! Hoo ra!

“Laugh & Dance, it is for your eyes, your ears and your heart !”

Come and be enchanted by the delicious Antaris mix of spiritual ambience, tribal psychedelic music, superfriendly audience, awesome location and a crew devoted to make the festival a magical experience for everyone.

Live Acts: Ace Ventura, Ajja, Braincell, Commercial Hippies, Flooting Grooves, Ganga Giri, Headroom, South Africa Hilight Tribe, Hyper Frequencies, Genepool, Irland Kalyug, Klangstrahler & Tarzan , Master Margherita, Lars Lee, Parasense , Psymmetrix, Sangeet,
Whicked Hayo feat. Hilight Tribe, Yab Yum

linkage: antaris project (english)

Sky Gravity Festival – 30th July – 3 Aug, Sudak, Crimea (Ukraine)

Sky Gravity enters it’s fourth year – with a new venue near Sudak City, Ukraine close to the Black Sea and the warm micro climate. Expect a smaller more intimate gathering

Live Acts: Penta, Ajja, Yab-Yum, Goasia, fungus Funk, Histeria, SynSUN, Overdream, Kadasarva, Saikosarus, Cifroteca, SOM, Madgentel, Liquid Mind Project, Spirit Medicine Project, Nimb, Roof Raiser

“First of all, we would like to mention, that it’s not only event for fans of psytrance, goa, full on, suomi, progressive and break trance, but also for chillout crew, who like such music as ambient, dub, downtempo, idm, electronica, experimental, raggey”

linkage: Sky Gravity festival (english)

updated: 21/05/2008

Psytasia Castle Festival – 6 – 8th June, Schloss Leiben (Austria)

As far as I can tell you’ll be partying in a Castle over a couple of night on three different stages at this new festival from the BassIsland collective.

Live Acts:

Bitkit, Cos Cos, Delysid, Kajola, Khopat, Klopfgeister, Lagun, Luap, Manju, Noise Hunter, Psysex, Rinkadink, Soth, Sun Collector, The Alchemists Dream, The Path, Visionautica, Volu-men

linkage: Psytasia Castle Festival

Spirit Base Festival – 19 – 23 June, Sand Quarry, Rauchenwarth (15 km from Vienna, Austria)

This is Austria’s largest trance festival and 2008 will be the sixth successful year with the motto for this year “Desert Journey to Ancient Cultures”

The multimedia journey of Austria ’s biggest festival of electronic music in 2008 leads us back to the ancient cultures of the South American continent before the cultures of Olmecs, Aztecs, Mayas and Incas

The main stage will be constructed as a Maya temple, from where the magicians of psytrance will fill the dance floor with sound. Four decoration teams are already working on huge presentationsof the pre-Columbian cultures which will enframe the dance floor. Projections up to ten metres high will create fantastic worlds of colour and light. Videoshows by the video artists El Geko, Fade X, The Funny Astronaut and a new act by Visionautica will create a background setting „beaming” the visitors into the fantastic world of Stargate. During the festival there will be fire shows, performances, workshops and further surprises.

Live Acts:

Talamasca , Pixel , Fatali , Rocky , Phanatic , Digicult , Tranan , Alternative , Perplex , Sangeet , Pop , Delysid , Combinations , Slider , Shiva , Ibojima , S , Neelix , True , SKI , Jey , Nizzel , Odiseo , Ix-Lam-At , Trancemission , Human , Klopfgeister , Feuerhake , Vaishiyas , Day.Din , Symphonix , V-tunes , Brisker , Materia , Desert , Visionautica

linkage: Spirit Base Festival

Summer End Festival III – 31 July – 3 August, Tinizong-Rona (Switzerland)

The Summer End festival enters it’s third season and promises an interesting and varied line up. Some very good acts playing on the chill stage as well.

Live Acts:

Silent Hill, Freq, DNA, Injection, Freakulizer, Atma, Liquid Sunshine, Pitch black, KUBA, Slackbaba, Chilled Cquence, Dymons, Flooting Grooves, COSMOSOPHY, Kukan Dub Lagan, Dubrizona, Argaman, Eastern Spirit, Spectral Paradisis, Mercury Fall, Chill Devil, Big Fish Little Fish, Etnomorph

Photos Stolen from Roger

linkage: Summers End Festival

all linkage: Boom Festival, O.z.o.r.a Festival, Tshitraka Festival, Khan Altay Festival, Psychedelic Circus, Hadra Festival, Glade Festival, Fullmoon Festival, Antaris Project, Sky Gravity festival, Psytasia Castle Festival, Spirit Base Festival, Summers End Festival

I spent a while working on the arrangement of this set as it proved decidedly tricky to get the diversity of tracks to flow together into some sort of coherent whole. Still I’m happy with the outcome. Enjoy!

linkage: jan 2008: paradine dj demo – thorn of crowns (105mb, 1:17 mins), all demo mixes

Hang drums are a relatively new comer to the percussion scene developed by a couple of clever Swiss in 2000 and derive their name from the Burmese dialect for hand. Hang drums are capable of producing a wide array of sounds and in this video clip you can hear what can be achieved with a mic and some simple delay effects. Beautiful.

linkage: hang drum on wikipedia, more about hang drums via oddmusic.com

Similar to the Dreamquilt project Infinate OZ takes you on a journey to fantastic worlds

linkage: infinite oz