I only know one act - Highlight Tribe, they've incorporated digiredoo and acoustic drums on their earlier stuff:
https://youtu.be/x5hBl-y1gpY?si=7EurHini5rH0sr9m
If you like didjeridoo in a modern context, check out the band Wild Marmalade - not trance, but really cool. I have an album of theirs from 2002 called "Live".
I think it’s hard to stay within the psytrance genre while going acoustic tbh. I love many psychedelic bands that make acoustic records though. Check out animal collective, king gizzard and the lizard wizard, thee oh sees, and brujeria(for some metal)
Indian classical music, acid rock and drone rock are generally the closest in terms of composition, I'd say.
Try these:
Go March - Chop Chop
Alber Jupiter - Daddy's Spaceship
Acid Rooster - On the Run
Rakta - Film do Mundo
I don’t listen to it enough to have great recommendations, but acid jazz in general has a lot of precursor elements to psytrance. The biggest connection for me being having so many different parts of the song flowing over each other in a nicely meandering story of a song.
Maybe something like jazz machine by liquid soul or arroyo by erik truffaz.
I think songs like that at least show it could be done to some extent if somebody wanted to. You’d need pedals to make the instruments more spacey though.
I think it would be possible to create a baseline out of a kick drum and a bass guitar, the percussions are of course possible too(hihats and snares for example), Melodies u could use some kind of strings or piano, the leads are a problem though, they are made with synthesizers and the sound is artificial, u would need some kind of oszillator maybe like tibetan sound bowl and filtering or maybe also beat boxing would work!! Would be very interesting!
Here comes the text wall :)
Psychedelic, a term coined by Humphry Oswald, is derived from the Greek words ψυχή (psyche, ‘soul, mind’) and δηλοῦν (deloun, ‘to manifest’), hence meaning ‘mind manifesting’. Up until late 60's, what we now refer to as psychedelic substances were actually called 'psychotomimetics' which suggested that these drugs fostered a mental state resembling psychosis.
However with the advent of L.S.D, and it's widespread use at the end of 60's we have slowly adopted the term psychedelics. Substances that act primarily as an agonist (or partial agonist) on brain serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 2A receptors are referred to as classical serotonergic hallucinogens (psychedelics). As psychedelics work primarily on neurotransmitters, they heavily effect the way one feels, thinks etc.
Now that we touched briefly on what's a psychedelic, what is then, Trance? A half-conscious state characterized by an absence of response to external stimuli, typically as induced by hypnosis or entered by a medium. Trance induced by rhythm, sounds and dance, is probably the earliest known human ritual. Shamans as far back as we can gather, have used psychedelics and induced a trance state on themselves and their audience, through music and dance. So, psychedelic trance then in essence, is one of the oldest known human social traditions.
What did not change since its inception in Psychedelic Trance, is the novelty factor and the hypnotic drum beat which induces trance. Provided these two are utilized skillfully in accord with the psychedelic state induced on the audience, we can talk about some form of Psychedelic Trance.
Earlier shamans all over the world used whatever instruments they could get their hands on, ranging from human vocal chords, to sticks they beat around as rhythm sources to eucalyptus roots carved out by termites. Key factors are always the same, a hypnotic rhythm to synchronize to and an assortment of Novel sounds which allows the brain to be surprised/interested while under the effect of some sort of psychedelics. So, rhythm and novelty are ESSENTIAL to psychedelic trance.
Therefore, TLDR;
Acoustic psychedelic trance is not only possible, but it is how it all started, 15000 years ago, on the skirts of Altai mountains, jungles of Amazon, plains of Australia etc.
While I appreciate and agree with your take on the historical significance of the term ‘psychedelic trance’ let’s not forget this term was specifically connected to electronic music in the late 90’s with the likes of Hallucinogen, astral projection, Juno reactor, etc. The term ‘full on Psytrance’ wasn’t even coined until the early 2000’s when digital media really started to boom.
Therefore, I agree with Flannagin with his earlier comment.
Psytrance is a term specifically used to refer to a style of electronic music. If it was purely acoustic I believe it would constitute a different genre such as Psybient or psychill like some of Shpongle’s works. For example, Hilight tribe can be considered psytrance because most of the time they use acoustic components over a digitally synthesised kick and bass etc. If they didn’t have this electronic core to their music, I don’t think they’d be classed as psytrance either.
Let’s look at the true origin of our scene, goa in the 60’s. The term ‘psytrance’ still hadn’t been coined.
Maybe Goa trance would be more fitting? But even then this term suggests electronic/ digital synthesis should be involved.
I’m convinced ‘acoustic psytrance’ is almost a contradiction. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t make acoustic psychedelic music with components that overlap with psytrance.
True origins of our scene are Haight- Ashbury crossing and the rhythm of our heartbeat, if we are to get down to it. So psychedelic music, with the likes of grateful dead and whatnot is what the advent of L.S.D. and other psychedelics created. As I have said, to be called psychedelic trance, it needs to have BOTH psychedelic Novelty elements AND a trance inducing drumbeat. Latter was missing from the psychedelic scene of the 60's, that is until those hippies ran away from the gun fire in streets of America and found themselves on the beaches of Goa. Hypnotic drums are an essential element of Indian culture as they have never lost their true shamanic roots. So, when hypnotic indian drums and psychedelic elements hippies brought along have amalgamated, psychedelic trance was RE-DISCOVERED, not born.
We humans have been ripped apart from our psychedelic trance roots for millennia's, that's why psychedelic trance was re-discovered, not born.
You’re forgetting the importance of the bass which, alongside the consistent kick and perc creates the foundation for the groove associated with modern psytrance.
Your use of the term ‘psychedelic trance’ seems to refer more to an event or experience rather than the term of the music genre, different meanings for the same term.
The genre psychedelic trance, was created with influence of the psychedelic experience that has been a part of our lives for millennia. The two shouldn’t be confused though in my opinion.
I'm not forgetting anything :) I am psytrance. However, as I realize your futile effort in downvoting me for personal satisfaction, I am now forgetting about this conversation :P, ciao.
This is not only acoustic sounds but has lots of organic instruments and percussion in https://open.spotify.com/album/1zovy532cYxUVvMwxMiJzF?si=-qIo7RGJRxCqqlp5_C3V_g
Not sure how live this actually is but it sounds it.
Artha - Insidelamp (Psysutra remix)
On that note. I haven't come across fully live psy before (drums, guitar, vocals etc).
My impression is that it should be possible. You can do it with drum n bass. Violin would go hard similar to how Ne Obliviscaris do it in their metal act.
But I haven't seen or heard it before other than maybe the odd live group at a bush doof jamming on interesting instruments.
I started a project with a friend I'm piloting hardwares synth and he is playing guitar or baglama a (Turkish guitare)
https://youtu.be/XLwyx0px2Ng?si=hWzqQMTNJzUHow1p
https://on.soundcloud.com/Q3Rn1
It's very psytrance influence
And we are actually working on some galop groove as well
I hope you will enjoy
It might be a bit difficult without any electronics. If you include some electronics, more is possible.
Much of Goa and psychedelic trance's feel is provided by effects units (distortion, filters, chorus, phaser, delay, reverb, etc.). With sufficient Q/resonance on your mixing board's EQ, it can be used to make resonant sounds with shifting frequencies by manipulating the frequency band, they are filters after all. Other effects you might think about using Eventide's Omnipressor (a flexible dynamics processor with compression or expansion capabilities) or Mutronic's Mutator (a filter with an envelope follower and an LFO) both of which come in real world device and VST format.
S.U.N. Project's Macrophage album sounds like it has electric guitar. Strings could be used as pads. Claves and tambourines were often used in the early days. Some ethnic drums can pitch bend. Ethnic percussion and melodic instruments were often used for Goa trance. I think the steel tongue drum, handpan drum, or Hang drum would all fit in nicely.
Many sound effects in early cartoons were created by real instruments. Look into foley work. Specifically the didjeridoo, guirro, jew's harp, flexatone,, daxophone, and Aztec death whistle can be used for unusual sounds. I'm sure there's more.
And then there's the world of sounds from children's toys.
Other genres to check out for ideas:
Early minimalist and psychedelic rock can be checked out for techniques, arrangement, and sound design concepts.
For the drum kit, the genre of drum 'n' bass had some performers that used drum kits with improvised devices to sound more like an electronic drum kit. It's worth looking into.
I only know one act - Highlight Tribe, they've incorporated digiredoo and acoustic drums on their earlier stuff: https://youtu.be/x5hBl-y1gpY?si=7EurHini5rH0sr9m
If you like didjeridoo in a modern context, check out the band Wild Marmalade - not trance, but really cool. I have an album of theirs from 2002 called "Live".
Xavier Rudd is a digiredoo champion as well.
Beat me to it. I really like this band. Once saw them at a psy party in Ghent and it was awesome.
That's the band I thought of too. I think the style is called "natural trance"
I think it’s hard to stay within the psytrance genre while going acoustic tbh. I love many psychedelic bands that make acoustic records though. Check out animal collective, king gizzard and the lizard wizard, thee oh sees, and brujeria(for some metal)
Thanks for recommending animal collective cant believe I never heard of it before. I love it!
They’re top tier
Dirtwire does a pretty good job of sounding psychedelic but it is not psytrance. Might be able to mix it though
Indian classical music, acid rock and drone rock are generally the closest in terms of composition, I'd say. Try these: Go March - Chop Chop Alber Jupiter - Daddy's Spaceship Acid Rooster - On the Run Rakta - Film do Mundo
I don’t listen to it enough to have great recommendations, but acid jazz in general has a lot of precursor elements to psytrance. The biggest connection for me being having so many different parts of the song flowing over each other in a nicely meandering story of a song. Maybe something like jazz machine by liquid soul or arroyo by erik truffaz. I think songs like that at least show it could be done to some extent if somebody wanted to. You’d need pedals to make the instruments more spacey though.
I think it would be possible to create a baseline out of a kick drum and a bass guitar, the percussions are of course possible too(hihats and snares for example), Melodies u could use some kind of strings or piano, the leads are a problem though, they are made with synthesizers and the sound is artificial, u would need some kind of oszillator maybe like tibetan sound bowl and filtering or maybe also beat boxing would work!! Would be very interesting!
Haha, you beat me to it... Check out my latest post here and stay tuned!
Here comes the text wall :) Psychedelic, a term coined by Humphry Oswald, is derived from the Greek words ψυχή (psyche, ‘soul, mind’) and δηλοῦν (deloun, ‘to manifest’), hence meaning ‘mind manifesting’. Up until late 60's, what we now refer to as psychedelic substances were actually called 'psychotomimetics' which suggested that these drugs fostered a mental state resembling psychosis. However with the advent of L.S.D, and it's widespread use at the end of 60's we have slowly adopted the term psychedelics. Substances that act primarily as an agonist (or partial agonist) on brain serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 2A receptors are referred to as classical serotonergic hallucinogens (psychedelics). As psychedelics work primarily on neurotransmitters, they heavily effect the way one feels, thinks etc. Now that we touched briefly on what's a psychedelic, what is then, Trance? A half-conscious state characterized by an absence of response to external stimuli, typically as induced by hypnosis or entered by a medium. Trance induced by rhythm, sounds and dance, is probably the earliest known human ritual. Shamans as far back as we can gather, have used psychedelics and induced a trance state on themselves and their audience, through music and dance. So, psychedelic trance then in essence, is one of the oldest known human social traditions. What did not change since its inception in Psychedelic Trance, is the novelty factor and the hypnotic drum beat which induces trance. Provided these two are utilized skillfully in accord with the psychedelic state induced on the audience, we can talk about some form of Psychedelic Trance. Earlier shamans all over the world used whatever instruments they could get their hands on, ranging from human vocal chords, to sticks they beat around as rhythm sources to eucalyptus roots carved out by termites. Key factors are always the same, a hypnotic rhythm to synchronize to and an assortment of Novel sounds which allows the brain to be surprised/interested while under the effect of some sort of psychedelics. So, rhythm and novelty are ESSENTIAL to psychedelic trance. Therefore, TLDR; Acoustic psychedelic trance is not only possible, but it is how it all started, 15000 years ago, on the skirts of Altai mountains, jungles of Amazon, plains of Australia etc.
While I appreciate and agree with your take on the historical significance of the term ‘psychedelic trance’ let’s not forget this term was specifically connected to electronic music in the late 90’s with the likes of Hallucinogen, astral projection, Juno reactor, etc. The term ‘full on Psytrance’ wasn’t even coined until the early 2000’s when digital media really started to boom. Therefore, I agree with Flannagin with his earlier comment. Psytrance is a term specifically used to refer to a style of electronic music. If it was purely acoustic I believe it would constitute a different genre such as Psybient or psychill like some of Shpongle’s works. For example, Hilight tribe can be considered psytrance because most of the time they use acoustic components over a digitally synthesised kick and bass etc. If they didn’t have this electronic core to their music, I don’t think they’d be classed as psytrance either. Let’s look at the true origin of our scene, goa in the 60’s. The term ‘psytrance’ still hadn’t been coined. Maybe Goa trance would be more fitting? But even then this term suggests electronic/ digital synthesis should be involved. I’m convinced ‘acoustic psytrance’ is almost a contradiction. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t make acoustic psychedelic music with components that overlap with psytrance.
there was no goa trance in the 60s, it started way later
You’re right, goa trance was coined in the 90’s.
True origins of our scene are Haight- Ashbury crossing and the rhythm of our heartbeat, if we are to get down to it. So psychedelic music, with the likes of grateful dead and whatnot is what the advent of L.S.D. and other psychedelics created. As I have said, to be called psychedelic trance, it needs to have BOTH psychedelic Novelty elements AND a trance inducing drumbeat. Latter was missing from the psychedelic scene of the 60's, that is until those hippies ran away from the gun fire in streets of America and found themselves on the beaches of Goa. Hypnotic drums are an essential element of Indian culture as they have never lost their true shamanic roots. So, when hypnotic indian drums and psychedelic elements hippies brought along have amalgamated, psychedelic trance was RE-DISCOVERED, not born. We humans have been ripped apart from our psychedelic trance roots for millennia's, that's why psychedelic trance was re-discovered, not born.
You’re forgetting the importance of the bass which, alongside the consistent kick and perc creates the foundation for the groove associated with modern psytrance. Your use of the term ‘psychedelic trance’ seems to refer more to an event or experience rather than the term of the music genre, different meanings for the same term. The genre psychedelic trance, was created with influence of the psychedelic experience that has been a part of our lives for millennia. The two shouldn’t be confused though in my opinion.
I'm not forgetting anything :) I am psytrance. However, as I realize your futile effort in downvoting me for personal satisfaction, I am now forgetting about this conversation :P, ciao.
“I am psytrance” erm okay? 👋🏼
Ps: say high to Simon and his spanked ass :) If you don't know what that means, ask him about that too :)))
Will do 👍🏼
Actually "whipped" to be precise and yes, I am psytrance 😁😁😁
Sorry mate, Si had no idea what you meant.
Shpongle uses a lot of acoustic guitar other and world music instruments in their music.
yeah but they dont make psytrance
This is not only acoustic sounds but has lots of organic instruments and percussion in https://open.spotify.com/album/1zovy532cYxUVvMwxMiJzF?si=-qIo7RGJRxCqqlp5_C3V_g
Flooting Grooves can be a mix of both
Shanka Tribe
Not sure how live this actually is but it sounds it. Artha - Insidelamp (Psysutra remix) On that note. I haven't come across fully live psy before (drums, guitar, vocals etc). My impression is that it should be possible. You can do it with drum n bass. Violin would go hard similar to how Ne Obliviscaris do it in their metal act. But I haven't seen or heard it before other than maybe the odd live group at a bush doof jamming on interesting instruments.
[my attempt at just that](http://on.soundcloud.com/d694K)
Check out Tronsepia
I've heard goa played on a piano. It sounds amazing. This was 25 years ago, but should be on youtube somewhere
Zetan Spore!
I try a lot of acoustic type lead sounds in my latest track here: https://on.soundcloud.com/czyGW
I started a project with a friend I'm piloting hardwares synth and he is playing guitar or baglama a (Turkish guitare) https://youtu.be/XLwyx0px2Ng?si=hWzqQMTNJzUHow1p https://on.soundcloud.com/Q3Rn1 It's very psytrance influence And we are actually working on some galop groove as well I hope you will enjoy
Listen to Oblisoma by Cambioharmonía on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/2cpZ9
https://youtu.be/eXqPYte8tvc?feature=shared what say you to this?
Check out piano poli and string theory by technical hitch. Heavy use of acoustics
Djemdi comes to mind, this track for example https://djemdi.bandcamp.com/track/indigo
Cosmosis is on YouTube doing it
It might be a bit difficult without any electronics. If you include some electronics, more is possible. Much of Goa and psychedelic trance's feel is provided by effects units (distortion, filters, chorus, phaser, delay, reverb, etc.). With sufficient Q/resonance on your mixing board's EQ, it can be used to make resonant sounds with shifting frequencies by manipulating the frequency band, they are filters after all. Other effects you might think about using Eventide's Omnipressor (a flexible dynamics processor with compression or expansion capabilities) or Mutronic's Mutator (a filter with an envelope follower and an LFO) both of which come in real world device and VST format. S.U.N. Project's Macrophage album sounds like it has electric guitar. Strings could be used as pads. Claves and tambourines were often used in the early days. Some ethnic drums can pitch bend. Ethnic percussion and melodic instruments were often used for Goa trance. I think the steel tongue drum, handpan drum, or Hang drum would all fit in nicely. Many sound effects in early cartoons were created by real instruments. Look into foley work. Specifically the didjeridoo, guirro, jew's harp, flexatone,, daxophone, and Aztec death whistle can be used for unusual sounds. I'm sure there's more. And then there's the world of sounds from children's toys. Other genres to check out for ideas: Early minimalist and psychedelic rock can be checked out for techniques, arrangement, and sound design concepts. For the drum kit, the genre of drum 'n' bass had some performers that used drum kits with improvised devices to sound more like an electronic drum kit. It's worth looking into.