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Posted on June 16, 2009 - by dionysus

These photos were taken at the Shpongle show at the Fillmore on May 2nd 2009 by Dana of Sonic Beating. Simon Postford dropped some tasty tunes and some unreleased tracks that left the audience floored. Before the show Dana had the pleasure of meeting Glenn Weikert and the rest of Arche Dream Humankind (the dancers). They did a simply amazing job, costumes were top notch and their choreography was very animated and lively and complimented the Shpongle set very nicely.

Read other reviews of the Shpongle party on Isratrance

Earlier on the same tour, Shpongle’s Simon Postford and Raja Ram discussed their winter trip through Russia, music, life, and metaphysics with their variously-intoxicated friends while in Moscow:

Part 1 of the interview

Part 2 of the interview

Part 3 of the interview

Posted on May 1, 2009 - by alchemism

Essential Selections: A History of the Movement

The Best Goatrance & Psytrance, 1995-2009

DJ Basilisk’s Essential Selections is a project chronicling the goa trance movement as it evolved, marking it year-by-year with significant albums and tracks released in each.

The main focus of this project is psychedelic trance, with an assortment of downtempo, progressive, and techno releases. The scope is the entire history of the movement, from the dawn of psytrance history straight up to the modern day. I do not pretend that this is a definitive or authoritative list of all-time classics—it is simply a list of releases that reflect my taste in music—nothing more and nothing less. Expect my selections to change over time as I discover new music and reconsider the old. At the present time there are approximately 500 releases in the archive.

The idea for this project grew out of thousands of discussions I’ve been involved in over the years, particularly on Psynews (formerly goatrance.free.fr), Isratrance, the Goa / Psytrance Group at Discogs, TRiP (pre-2000), channel #goa on EFNet, and the 604 and CGT mailing lists. Recommendations are the basic currency of exchange in online communities like these. This project is essentially the sum of all the recommendations I might make on message forums, mailing lists, and so on. May these recommendations lead you to new and pleasant musical discoveries!

For the quick overview, check out the Hall of Fame (for lack of a better name), a list of what I think might be the top 5 releases for any given year.

Most of the music I would put into such a list is already in Basilisk’s. Highly recommended.

Visit the Essential Selections project.

Posted on December 20, 2008 - by dionysus

Last Days of CoSM

After many years, the time has come for the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors to leave New York City.

Over the past few years, the Greys have been engineering a transformation from an urban art gallery in the trendy Chelsea district of Manhattan to an art sanctuary and sacred space in a relaxing natural environment.

On the CoSM blog the Greys discussed the upcoming transition in detail:

Many of you know that CoSM plans to transition to a property 65 miles north of New York City. This beautiful 40 acre site is walking distance from a NYC Metro North train stop. There are 6+ buildings for studios, workshops, conferences, retreats, offices, art exhibitions and an installation of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors permanent art collection. The date of closing on this wonderful place is approaching.

CoSM’s last event will be the New Year’s Eve party on December 31, 2008.

Posted on September 25, 2008 - by alchemism

the 2008 Horizons conference

The sacred space for the Horizons Conference in New York City.

The list of speakers and their topics at Horizons 2008 is a notable collection of heads, including Daniel Pinchbeck, Allan Hunt Badiner, Robert Forte, David Nichols, Ph.D., Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., Dimitri Mobengo Mugianis, Dan Merkur, Sasha Shulgin, Ph.D. and Ann Shulgin, Psyche and Delia, Alex and Allyson Grey, Sean Helfritsch & Isaiah Saxon, Rick Doblin, Ph.D. and Bob Wold.

Horizons is a annual forum for learning about psychedelics. It is hosted by Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Its goal is to open a fresh dialogue about psychedelics and rethink their role in medicine, culture, history, spirituality and art.

Horizons was founded in 2007 by Kevin Balktick, a Brooklyn-based cultural event producer.

The venue, Judson Memorial Church, is a historically significant, landmarked location. Judson Memorial Church has a long history of promoting the arts, free speech and progressive politics. It also has a deep commitment to social justice. It is actively involved in projects that promote immigrants’ rights, fair trade, gay rights, pacificism, drug abuse harm reduction, healthcare reform and aid to the homeless. Notable artists whose works has been exhibited at Judson include Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Yoko Ono and Twyla Tharp.

View Pictures from the Horizon Conference:

Posted on July 31, 2008 - by dionysus

Videos from Orb Festival 2008

The 2008 version of the Orb Festival may have its share of controversy in the community, but everyone loves it with pure & innocent cheer. Who can hate?

There are a substantial amount of festival videos on YouTube. Everyone is feelin’ good in these, the best of what’s available:

(4min 50sec):
Orb Festival – Sunday Morning

(8min 24sec):
Orb Festival – Echo Lake

(6min 16sec):
Orb Festival – Dance Timelapse

(10min):
Orb Festival – Night

It looks like fun!

Posted on June 25, 2008 - by alchemism

Gaian Mind Summer Safari

Gaian Mind Summer Safari from Steven Miklovic on Vimeo.

A short film that captures the essence of the Gaian Mind summer festival.

Posted on April 29, 2008 - by dionysus

Doctor Hoffman Is Dead

Doctor Albert Hoffman

It saddens us to confirm that Dr. Albert Hofmann passed away at his home in Burg outside of Basel, Switzerland today, April 29 2008 at the age of 102 years. Dr. Hofmann was at his home with two of his caretakers, he passed away at 9am local time.

Dr Hofmann follows his late wife Anita, who passed away this past December. We do not have much more information at the moment but we will update this note once more becomes available.

We send out condolences to his family and friends and as you all to join us in celebrating the life of one of the most important scientists of the last 102 years. Dr Hofmann’s discoveries have touched countless people and brought tremendous change to the world in more ways than can be counted. We are very glad that Dr Hofmann could still witness the early stages of new studies with LSD that will start in Switzerland in the near future. This matter was very important to him, we are grateful to all that were involved in getting approval for this study.

We thank you for all you have done dear Dr Hofmann, may your ways be blessed and peaceful. We will keep your spirit alive and will continue with our work.

The Albert Hofmann Foundation
April 29 2008

Strong of mind and sprightly through the age of 102, Dr. Hoffman is best remembered for his discovery of lysergic acid diethylamide in 1938 and his Bicycle Ride of 1943. Whether or not his extended age and young mind are attributable to LSD is unknown, I’ve certainly constructed the preceeding sentence to suggest just such an implausibility.

His death fleetingly appeared early in the day on Wikipedia, but was edited out shortly thereafter. Word trickled down the psychedelic grapevine that Doctor Hoffman was indeed dead. The mainstream media has barely noted his passing so far.

Dr. Hoffman’s words of advice for young people:

Open your eyes! The doors of perception must be opened. That means these young people must learn by their own experience, to see the world as it was before human beings were on this planet. That is the real problem today, that people live in towns and cities, where everything is dead. This material world, made by humans, is a dead world, and will disappear and die. I would tell the young people to go out into the countryside, go to the meadow, go to the garden, go to the woods. This is a world of nature to which we belong, absolutely. It is the circle of life, of which we are an integral part. Open your eyes, and see the browns and greens of the earth, and the light which is the essence of nature. The young need to become aware of this circle of life, and realize that it is possible to experience the beauty and deep meaning which is at the core of our relation to nature.

download a PDF copy of Hoffman’s book, LSD: My Problem Child.

Posted on April 21, 2008 - by dionysus

Earth Day 2008

Pine Barrens. 4/20/08

A psytrancer welcomes the rising sun on 4.20.08. About a hundred folk from the region gathered on forest land in NJ to celebrate Earth Day with trance dancing from midnight through midday.

More party photos are available at alchemism’s flickr page.

Posted on February 29, 2008 - by dionysus

Neopsy Nippon

They work of Yoko DiHolbachi, on display in SoHO, is psychedelic for a very strange reason.

Although immediately remarkable for being cute, upon closer look, it is revealed that the creatures are actually horrifying – once terrifying – hallucinations of his brain. In order to make them less scary, d’Holbachie makes them cute and unthreatening.

kawaii gallery!!!!