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  Features
Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’!
Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases!
Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme!
Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works.
Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain!
Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September!
NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases!
Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup!
Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast!
Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music!
SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023!
The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023!
NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music!
Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project
The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22!
A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden
Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma
Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino
New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik!
PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records!
Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters!
N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood!
Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna
A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022!
'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022!
DJ talk with Psyrenzo ahead of his debut set at Tribal Village, the Steelyard this Friday 14th January 2022!
TENZO aka Overdrive talks freely about launching his new act which will be showcased at Tribal Village, Steelyard on 14 January 2022!
A long overdue catch up with JourneyOM ahead of his next Tribal Village party this Friday 14th January 2022 at the Steelyard, London!
Goa based party animal and artist extraordinaire Nirmal talks punk concerts, metal sculptures, flying and rippin' it up on a High Tide!
DJ Wired talks to us about the Rise of the Hope and parties, ahead of his upcoming set at Tribal Village on 14th January 2022!

The Many Styles of Psy-Sisters: Part 1

Reported by Tara / Submitted 10-02-15 23:19

The brainchild of DJ, vocalist and producer Rena Biring aka Psibindi, in just two years Psy-Sisters has quickly evolved into an international collective of epic proportions. After the first meet ups in February 2013, the Psy Sisters’ launch party at Vauxhall’s Union in May 2013 cemented their place in the psychedelic scene as an explosion of creativity was unleashed on the world.

Now two years on the Sisters are back to celebrate two years in the business with an 18-artist extravaganza over both rooms at Union on Saturday 28th February. In this first of a two-part feature, HarderFaster investigates the many styles of music being showcased on the night, from the proggier sounds of Lauren Lyon, Lorraine and Spinney Lainey to the uplifting full on of Nikki S, the harder darker styles of Cheryl Catawampus and Toxic Tegan to the multi-talented Reshma, this promises to be one of the most eclectic parties of the year!


Cheryl Catawampus



Our event on 28th February is your debut set playing for Psy-Sisters. Please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into DJing and making music. Has your sound changed or evolved much since you’ve starting DJing?

Having DJ’ed since like year dot… (showing my age now) since 1993-ish I have played many different styles. In fact I have been DJing since I was at youth club really making mix tapes off the charts. But DJing vinyl at parties started when there was pretty much two types of music: techno or rock. I hopped off the rock wagon and into the world of techno i.e. electronic dance music, having had my mind blown by Ozrics Tentacles then The Orb, Orbital and Aphex Twin. I moved to London and found the underground record shops in Soho where I was a lone lady tbh!! Kind of got into Dutch house, spending way too much time lost in Amsterdam :/ ha ha and finally went to Goa and found psy trance in about ’94.

Goa psy was sooooo deep and transported my imagination – it totally hooked me! Since then I have always liked pretty hard driving bass driven sounds, dirty grinding and powerful full on then dark and forest and now fast and frenetic. So yes I guess I have evolved somewhat!! But still the music which moves me is organic and wild.

How would you describe the music you play/produce at the moment?

I love music that has a wild power. I came to dance music from a rock/metal/punk upbringing and I look for that raw powerful energy in the music I play. The music I play when I am DJing makes me roar – ha ha ha, it energises me.

And what dance music genre would you say it best fits under?

At the moment what really excites me and the predominant genre I play is hitec.

What attracts you to the ‘psychedelic’ side of sound and what would you say makes your music ‘psychedelic’, compared with plain ol’ trance, prog or techno?

Gosh what makes it psychedelic? Well, I guess to me the psychedelic side of music is the part that transports your mind to a place or a feeling. But it doesn’t have to be psy or trance or whatever genre, music itself can be psychedelic to me. To me the psychedelic nature of music is its evocative nature, and it is a highly personal and deeply rooted phenomenon. I think this is why there is so much banter and possibly conflict between people who differ in what they like the emotive centre of music is part of their being and they defend themselves?? I think it is also what draws folks together it is like a collective experience and something magical to share.



What have been the highlights of your music career so far?

Best gig? Heck now that’s a tricky one, I LOVE small intimate gatherings where you can reach out and high five the dancers, where you are all in a big heaving mass of smiles and wild grins and stomping. New Year’s Eve sets spring to mind folks are always sooo up for it and the energy is awesome. I also love playing outside in nature and at dawn – I love dawn, it is so uplifting and gentle.

And what aspirations do you have for the future?

To be honest, just to keep on being transported by playing music to people, to keep feeling the wild free energy of joy through my musical offerings

Finally, aside from our Pys-Sisters party on 28th February, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2015?

Very much looking forward to Boomtown Fair Festival August 13-16th, I've not been yet and my closest nutters from the label are all going too. Got these gigs confirmed and a nice couple of trips to Switzerland and Germany in the pipeline but only confirmed when I get my flights booked ha ha ha.

I have had a release on the back burner for too long now and I want to get that one out. Label management for Catawampus Records had to have a slow year as I had been nursing my poor old dad but he passed away bless him. Anyway I have a little more time now to devote to things so that would be a cool thing to crack on with now. Looking forward to all the opportunities I will have to play with the dragon heart inside me.

Links
FaceBook
Soundcloud


Lauren Lyon



Our event on 28th February is your debut set playing for Psy-Sisters. Please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into DJing and making music.

I started first DJing from quite young. I was 13 when I first got introduced to a pair of Technic 1210s. I loved it straight away, couldn’t stop thinking about it from the moment I started and couldn’t wait to get my own first pair of decks. I started playing at house parties as soon as I could, even though I was probably terrible at the time, it didn’t really bother me at all, I just wanted to play! I’ve dabbled in various style of electronic music from trance from back in the day to techno. I’ve now finally found my home in psy trance, it just ticks all the boxes for me.

With regards producing, I didn’t really get into it until about four years ago. I started out in Ableton, but didn’t really like the interface too much. I’d had my eye on Logic for a long time, but had to wait until I could afford a Mac to use it. I adore Logic! I’ll be honest, I haven’t invested as much time in producing as I would have liked, but when I do do it I learn very very quickly. I’ve been teaching myself this whole time, which comes with many frustrations, but I also feel quite proud about how far I have come with it. I’m pleased to say I’m finally getting in the studio with other people so I’m excited about the progress this will bring, it will be interesting to see how other people work and their approach.

How would you describe the music you play/produce at the moment and what dance music genre would you say it best fits under? Has your sound changed or evolved much since you’ve starting DJing?

The best way to describe my sound would be eclectic. I try to delve into the world of psy trance as much as I can in the time given, to seek out as much music as I can, without any boundaries. I will always only ever play what’s in my heart and what I am personally feeling at the time, which does of course change. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a dark psy tune or a beautiful Goa track, if it’s a tune it’s a tune in my opinion. I’ve always had an open minded approach to music generally, even now I know there is so much more to discover and other realms of psy for me to explore. I look forward to it and welcome it all.

Also I find it lots of fun creating sets out of variation, I enjoy the twists and turns it creates. I would say my favourite type is on the deeper and more melodic, spiritual/transcendental side of things. Although these tunes are very hard to find! Ironically I rarely if ever play this kind of thing out, you’re more likely to find this on my Soul Speak podcast. I tend to hold back from playing like this for some reason, although saying that I do remember playing some of those sort of tracks at Secret Soma and everyone loving it. It’s weird how you can get more fearful and inhibited as you go on! I think part of what it is, is I notice those type of tunes aren’t as well engineered compared to the other tunes. That’s always the problem, big fat juicy tunes with amazing engineering yet not always necessarily much depth and feeling, or a really lovely tune with soul and charm, but really poor on the engineering front! I guess the conclusion is: if you feel there is something missing or that you are struggling to find, then you have to be he one to create it and fill that hole.

What attracts you to the ‘psychedelic’ side of sound and what would you say makes your music ‘psychedelic’, compared with plain ol’ trance, prog or techno?

What attracts me to psychedelic music is how advanced and evolved it sounds compared to other genres. I like the no rule approach is has too, so much variation and so free and unrestrained it is in its structure and approach. Particularly from a producer’s perspective, I like the fact I can’t always hear or know how they have achieved something. When I listen to other genres now, they just don’t have the same effect on me as they used to before I discovered psy trance. There’s no contest for me at the moment – I can’t get enough of the stuff.



What have been the highlights of your music career so far, and what aspirations do you have for the future?

The highlights of my music career so far have been winning the Elixir of Life NYE competition. That pretty much kick-started my career in the psy scene with quite a bang. I was very lucky really how it all went. I remember absolutely shitting myself beforehand, wanting to do it completely sober. Also, I never ever plan a set so my mind was in complete chaos. I do it this way because deep down I know that to rely only on my instinct is going to be more fruitful in its impact than any planned set ever could. Also I love the rawness it brings. Freestyling – scary as hell, and does go a bit Pete Tong sometimes, but the amazing organic moments of pure symbiotic creation between crowd and DJ definitely override the fuck ups. You cannot plan those moments!

I’d say my gig at Secret Soma a month or so after that was another highlight. I could feel there was a fair bit of expectation, I felt I had something to prove, and luckily enough that went quite well also. I loved that gig, very intimate, and such a lovely warm crowd. It will remain in my memory for a long long time, as will Elixir of course.

Another highlight was being approached by Emma not long after the Elixir event, proposing for her to manage me. I thought this was a great idea as my downfall has always been my ability or should I say inability to promote myself properly and organisation in general. You only have to see the state of my CDs scattered half across the dance floor at a gig, to recognise that – haha pure chaos. So I stick to what I am good at, and Emma deals with the rest. She is an amazing force and energy to have beside me, she’s so enthusiastic about what she is doing, there literally is no limit to what she can achieve, and that she knows that too. For example, I will now be playing in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Spain this year with special thanks to her. Plus her DanceLoveHub parties are always off the scale. Few and far between, but very special nonetheless! Always a pleasure!

Regarding my future aspirations it’s all about getting my head down producing some great music and pushing my career forward that way. I intend to hit every major festival going, and to DJ globally as much as I possibly can, igniting people’s souls with my DJ sets all over the world, as well as my own. I really want to innovate with my music too, to push boundaries and see what I can bring to psychedelic music. I notice there aren’t many female djs/producers floating around on top so I’ll be looking to tip that balance for sure. I am aiming very very high – there’s no limits.

Finally, aside from our Pys-Sisters party on 28th February, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2015?

A big focus for 2015 for me is going to be making music. I intend to DJ out as much as I can of course, I love it so much. But it’s really time to start churning out some tunes I feel. I will be talking with Secret Soma music this week about some future projects with them, as well as working DJ Christos in his studio on various projects, plus I’ve studio intentions with the lovely Steve Birch who produces for J00f Recordings. This all of course is alongside my own projects at home. I’m very much looking forward to my gigs abroad this year also, as well as all my London gigs, Psy Sisters of course, and to have been invited to play at the epic Astrix event that is to take place. I cherish all of these things. I’m feeling very very blessed to say the least.

Links
FaceBook
Soundcloud


Lorraine



Our event on 28th February is your debut set playing for Psy-Sisters. Please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into DJing and making music.

I’ve always been involved in an underground music scene. Starting in my teens going to Northern Soul all-nighters, collecting and occasionally dj’ing the rare vinyl records from ’60s black American blues & soul artists. In the late ’90s I came across acid techno & outdoor parties, through this scene I discovered psychedelic trance. I started going to psy nights in 2001 and began dj’ing in 2004 because nobody was playing my taste in psy trance.

How would you describe the music you play/produce at the moment and what dance music genre would you say it best fits under? Has your sound changed or evolved much since you’ve starting DJing?

I play most styles of psychedelic trance between the bpm range of 128–150, progressive psy being my favourite style. I've noticed my taste in full on psy has got faster over the years, but whatever speed I am playing at I like to keep it funky, fat and rolling.

What attracts you to the ‘psychedelic’ side of sound and what would you say makes your music ‘psychedelic’, compared with plain ol’ trance, prog or techno?
It’s the bass line, the layers and the journey that attracts me to and makes it psychedelic.



What have been the highlights of your music career so far, and what aspirations do you have for the future?
Highlights so far have been…
* putting on and organising my 50th birthday party
* playing at Ozora Festival
* getting a name check in the sleeve notes on one of my favourite artist’s albums.
My aspirations for the future are to keep doing what I'm doing & to get more European bookings.

Finally, aside from our Pys-Sisters party on 28th February, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2015?

Gig listy....
Feb 7th – Forgotten Frequencies (Liverpool)
Feb 21st – Sunrise (Leeds)
Feb 28th – Psy Sisters 2nd edition (London)
March 21st – FaeriePirates (North Wales)
April 18-19th – Something Different (Worcs.)
May 1-4th – Triplicity (Devon)
May 23rd – Butterfly Effect (London)
May 29-31st – Wedgestock (Worcs.)
June 6th – Secretsoma (London)
Sept 18–20th – Alchemy Festival (Lincs.)

Links
FaceBook
Soundcloud


Nikki S



Our event on 28th February is your debut set playing for Psy-Sisters. Please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into DJing and making music.

I have always loved music and to party! I arrived in London in ’99, a very magical and creative time for underground dance music and the emerging club scene. The parties were jam packed with the friendliest and most ‘up-for-it’ people you will ever meet. They were underground with ground-breaking new productions/sounds from producers like Nick Sentience who pushed boundaries on every occasion to create dance-floor mayhem, magic and an insane energy, which quite literally blew my mind! Needless to say I feel in love with the music, the people, the free spirit way of life and wanted to be a part of the movement and share with others the amazing experiences that I’d had.

I started promoting events in 2000 and my first event, Endorphin, at The Fridge (now Electric) was a complete sell out with over 1400 people through the door. Since then I’ve gone on to promoting a number of different events/brands across the UK and in Ibiza including Innovate and Extreme Euphoria at Heaven, Shepherds Bush Empire, The Academies, Es Paradise ... and more recently Astral Circus with a group of amazing people that love psy trance as much as I do!

While I’d had decks and been buying vinyl for years, mixing was always something I did for pleasure. My first DJ set was at Tent Heaven in the Norfolk countryside. I was expecting to be playing with a bunch of mates in a small tent for 100 people. But when I got there it was a massive festival with thousands of people. To say I was nervous is a massive understatement. The start of my set was a disaster! The power cut out... twice ... dust on the record ... needle crackling ... nightmare! I thought “things can’t get any worse than this” ... so I banged out a load of acid techno!! (As you do) ... and ended up playing for an extra 1.5hrs! ... I was in love!!

I started producing psy in 2008 and am just putting the finishing touches on my album and a series of EP releases ... so watch this space!

How would you describe the music you play/produce at the moment and what dance music genre would you say it best fits under? Has your sound changed or evolved much since you’ve starting DJing?

I play psy trance! Groovy, melodic, high energy psy. Typically around 140–143bpm. I do play the odd prog psy set as I love warming up a crowd and building energy from prog into full on. Over the years I’ve played techno and hard dance, but fell in love with psy trance in 2005 and went 100% psy in 2007.

What attracts you to the ‘psychedelic’ side of sound and what would you say makes your music ‘psychedelic’, compared with plain ol’ trance, prog or techno?

For me it’s all about the groove, bass lines and acid sounds!! I am crazy about acid sounds!! Psy trance is very detailed. There is so much depth, so many shades of psy. It is meticulously produced. There are so many amazing psy trance artists out there producing incredible tracks that it’s almost impossible not to be inspired. Every part in every track has its place and frequency... and the intention behind producing psy trance is different to ‘main stream’ dance music. Psy trance is about bringing people together: creating an experience, vibe, energy and journey for them on the dance floor. I feel that commercial dance music is all about the nob-jockey on the stage waving their arms around craving attention. Me, me, me, me... selfie and hash tag central – yuck!!



What have been the highlights of your music career so far, and what aspirations do you have for the future?

I have been fortunate to play some amazing gigs in great locations alongside some of the worlds best psy trance acts. Playing main stage Brixton Academy (where the Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Leftfield have all played) before Astrix & Infected Mushroom was pretty cool! Closing set at the Extreme Euphoria closing party in Ibiza was pretty epic... considering I unleashed 2 hours of psy trance on them and got to play 40 mins over time as the sun came up.

But my highlight has been getting my productions up to a level that I am happy with. That can stand up alongside the boys. And my aspirations are to push my productions further, work on another album, and see what adventures the gigs take me on!

Finally, aside from our Psy-Sisters party on 28th February, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2015?

I’ve got an EP coming out on Liquid Records in March and an EP on Alchemy in April followed by my album release just before the summer. But for full details, free tracks and loads more cool stuff be sure to join my Facebook page and check out my sounds on Soundcloud.

Links
FaceBook
Soundcloud
Psy-Sisters Mix


Reshma



You’ve been involved in Psy-Sisters since its inception. Please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into working in the media and making music.

I have been a party-goer for many years, enjoying the music played out by many DJs. But it always was a rare sight seeing a woman behind the decks. I often wondered why this was: plenty of girls liked to dance to Psy Trance music, so why weren’t there as many girls playing trance along with the guy DJs? Roll forward a few years, more and more females took to the decks, but still not enough of them got on the line-ups.

When my sister, Rena (Psibindi), told me about her idea to form the Psy Sisters collective, I was keen to get involved. I wanted to support the collective to bridge the gap in opportunities for women, and provide a platform all those involved to shine their talents: musically or otherwise. I often support initiatives that empower women and girls, such as UN Women, so to get on board with Psy Sisters seemed a natural fit.

As my background is in journalism, I joined the Psy-Sisters media team, supporting the collective’s communications and events. Aside from Psy Sisters, I work as a project manager and coordinator for London360: a televised magazine show produced and presented by a team of young reporters, run by Media Trust and broadcast on the Community Channel. I also run radio workshops for Reprezent 107.3FM, design artwork for MR. Dental, and sit on the board of trustees for Equal People Mencap.



What have been the highlights of your music/media career so far, and what aspirations do you have for the future?

There have been so many highlights in my career it would be impossible to list them all! I would say my whole journey has been one big adventure. I started off in performing arts from a very young age, but that all changed when I attended BRIT School: I really got into music, playing in bands, drama and media. I then developed a taste for radio I decided to change shift and study broadcast journalism.

After I graduated from the London College of Printing, I interned at radio and TV stations, websites, and magazines before I got the opportunity to freelance for BBC 1Xtra. Around the same time, I was offered an opportunity to train young people in radio production, for Sky TV’s Reach for the Sky initiative. This was my first time working with youths, and my first ever glimpse of how powerful youth media can be. To see how effective media is in engaging young people and helping them to discover their talents: I was hooked.

I was so encouraged by that experience at Sky that I decided to concentrate my work in youth media. I have set up and coordinated a range of projects from youth magazines, to films, to radio, to TV: not only in the UK, but internationally as well. Last year I worked as an executive producer, and put together my first TV show for the Community Channel: India Unplugged, which showcased short films made by young Indian filmmakers about international aid.

Now I’m working with a fantastic team at Media Trust to support young reporters who create content for London360, Westside Radio, BBC London and The Huffington Post (to name but a few). My aspirations for the future? Who knows what the cosmos has in store for us. So much the future’s bright, and I’m doing what I love doing, I’m happy!

Finally, aside from our Pys-Sisters party on 28th February, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2015?

I’m really looking forward to getting my website put together for Resh Media, creating more digital art, and working on my music project: One Black Wing. I’m also planning to get myself to a least one festival this year – the dance floor is calling!

Links
FaceBook
London360
Global360
Twitter: @reshmabiring


Spinney Lainey



Our event on 28th February is your debut set playing for Psy-Sisters. Please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into DJing and making music.

I first had the vision of combining flute with psy trance after I graduated from my music degree in 2002. I then began collaborating with producers and DJs and playing in various bands. In 2010, a major breakthrough happened after posting a video on Youtube of busking on my flute to ‘Basic’ by Zyce at Piccadilly Circus (this can be found on my Youtube channel). The video caused a sensation and went viral. After seeing this video, Zyce asked me to record a flute part for ‘Basic’ and a remix was made, which can be heard on my Soundcloud page. I went on to work with Zyce on 5 tracks in total, including the EP, ‘Fluting’, which was number 1 on Beatport.

I then continued to work with many other producers in the scene, including Lyctum, Flegma, Mindwave, Starlab, Pulsar & Thaihanu, Elegy, Argonnight, Axer & Shabot, Alpha & Omega, Dreamstate, Moon Tripper, Zweep and Agent Kritsek, with many releases. However, I begun to realise I could only rely on myself to really make my dreams come true and had the wish to create music that was solely mine. Having thought about this for several years, I finally took the decision to start learning to produce when I got my own flat and a space where I could set-up my equipment, around two years ago.

How would you describe the music you play/produce at the moment and what dance music genre would you say it best fits under? Has your sound changed or evolved much since you’ve starting DJing?

My music is melodic, harmonic, progressive psytrance with flute. I seem to have formed a signature sound, with all my tunes being recognisable as mine and being in a similar style to each other. I have found my own unique way of incorporating my classical training and knowledge into the psytrance genre.

What attracts you to the ‘psychedelic’ side of sound and what would you say makes your music ‘psychedelic’, compared with plain ol’ trance, prog or techno?

I like to take people on a journey in my music that is highly emotional and expressive. The psychedelic sounds in my music help achieve this and take people deeper on that journey. For me, these kind of soundscapes help to make my music more of a spiritual experience.



What have been the highlights of your music career so far, and what aspirations do you have for the future?

My highlights so far have been the releases with Zyce and releasing a no.1 on Beatport with him. Performing and releasing my own music is very exciting now. I am pleased to have had my latest release, ‘Wings of Hope’ on a popular compilation with Yellow Sunshine Explosion (Goa Vol.53), appearing alongside artists like Ilai, Zen Mechanics, Paralogue, Opposite8, Side Effects, Middle Mode & Relativ.

My hopes for the future are to play many performances abroad and in this country and to continue to make releases with some top record labels.

Finally, aside from our Psy-Sisters party on 28th February, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2015?

I recently joined Suburban Sound Bookings – an international management agency, who also manage some of the biggest artists in the scene like Lyctum, Suduaya, Daniel Lesden and Relativ, so look forward to many bookings for the coming year. So far, I am set to play in Madrid, Germany and India. I am also playing at two UK festivals: Triplicity Festival and Summer Sunset Festival. Aside from that, I have regular gigs in London and the UK, including my own party that I am organising on 22nd May, alongside my booking agent from Suburban Sound Bookings. It will be at Union in Vauxhall.

As for releases – my track, ‘Road to Recovery’ will be released soon on the next Good Vibes compilation by Ovnimoon records. ‘Interdimensional Flying’ will also be released soon, once I have decided on a label to release it with. Lately, I have begun a new collaboration with Spanish London producer, Dreaddean, and we are working on an album. This will be released later this year. You can keep updated on my gigs and releases on my FaceBook group and Soundcloud. Thanks for reading!

Links
FaceBook
Soundcloud
Beatport
YouTube


Toxic Tegan



Our event on 28th February is your debut set playing for Psy-Sisters. Please tell us a bit about your background and how you got into dj’ing and making music.

My musical influences are White Zombie, Nirvana, Korn etc. I love heavy metal and used to dj in an alt fashion department store in Birmingham when I was younger. In 2007 I started to get more into dance music from working on the bar at Drop Beats Not Bombs and Hardcore till I Die. I then started to frequently attend Atomic Jam at the infamous Q club. I only started to really like psy trance in 2008 when I was blown away by a dj in the Liquid Stage at Glade Festival, but it was Boom and especially Freedom Festival in Portugal where I found the music I loved and that is dark psy. This was in 2012.

I just couldn’t find any similar music locally so I decided to dj myself. I was fortunate enough to have good friends in the techno scene and was able to play to an audience straight away, I got loads of encouragement so kept on doing it. I’m now learning to make my own music using Logic, exciting times ahead!

How would you describe the music you play/produce at the moment and what dance music genre would you say it best fits under? Has your sound changed or evolved much since you’ve starting DJing?

I would describe the music I play as music for the night time, dark, dirty, twisted, energetic with funky basslines.

The genre would best fit to dark psy trance, however I’m sure there are multiple sub-genres within the music I play, ranging from dark full on to psy core of the mood takes me there. I play bpms ranging from 147 to 160.

Since I found the psy I love my style hasn’t changed, I’m always on a quest for the most twisted sounds I can find and I’m always discovering new material – the key word being new. If I hear a good track that sounds nothing like I’ve heard before then I’m generally happy.



What attracts you to the ‘psychedelic’ side of sound and what would you say makes your music ‘psychedelic’, compared with plain ol’ trance, prog or techno?

I love new sounds! I like listening to old grunge or old skool, but I love to dance to psychedelic trance. I really love the journey I can take people on in my sets. I don’t really like all psy trance, for example, I really dislike old Goa trance and was never really a fan of psychedelic rock (Jimi Hendrix is an exception) but I do love hard, fast, twisted alien-sounding music that you can have a proper dance to.

What have been the highlights of your music career so far, and what aspirations do you have for the future?

My career highlights have been gaining a residency at Tribal Sphere in Birmingham, I played my first ever proper psy gig with them in my home town of Birmingham in 2012 and got loads of support from people. I was really pleased that they liked my music, as it is quite niche.

I also played at the very first Soma parties in 2012 when they were an alternative room at parties like The Art of Psychedelia and The Late Blossom as well as my all-time favourites, Psynon Rec.

One of the best highlights has been head lining at the MTV Ragasthan Festival in the Jaisalmer Desert in India, and playing at various clubs in Goa such as Curly’s.
My most recent achievement has been joining the Digital Shamans record label as a dj! They specialise in night time music similar to what I have described, and I’m really looking forward to an adventure with them. I will be performing my debut at their party in Switzerland in June this year, so cool to be involved with such a diverse label, it’s all about the music!

I’m looking forward to having a blast with the Digital Shamans and making my own sounds in the future, hopefully I will also get to play at festivals as cool as the Indian desert festival!

Finally, aside from our Pys-Sisters party on 28th February, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2015?

I’m really proud and excited to be joining Digital Shamans Records and looking forward to some adventures in the future. Upcoming gigs include Psykout: The squat party (21/02/15 – Birmingham), Psy-Sisters (28/02/15 – London) and Tribal Sphere (04/04/15 – Birmingham).

Links
FaceBook
Soundcloud
Digital Shamans Records

Come and celebrate the many styles of Psy-Sisters at Union on Saturday 28th February. Advance tickets are just £10 + bf from Access All Areas.

Images courtesy of AElisePhotographyUK, Grant David Read, Graybo Photo, Griff Monkeyboy and Psy-Sisters. Not to be reproduced without permission.


Psy-Sisters 2nd edition
Send an eFlyer for this event to a friend Include this Event in a Private Message Direct link to this Event
On: Saturday 28th February 2015
At: Union [map]

From: 22:00--6:00
Cost: £10 adv+bf/MOTD
Website: www.facebook.com/events/747412708662747/
Ticket Info: Advance tickets from Access All Areas, Access All Areas, 2nd Floor, 30C Camden Lock Place, London, NW1 8AL, United Kingdom
Tel (Tickets): +44 (0)20-7267 8320
Tel (Info): +44 (0)20-7267 6148
Email: info@accessallareas.org
Buy Online: Click here to buy tickets
More: PSY-SISTERS return to Vauxhall’s Union club for the second time to celebrate another eventful year of all things wild and psychedelic! Since its inception in 2012, our collective has generated a global following that gets stronger with each and every female talent that’s joined our growing roster of artists.

The last twelve months have been both surreal and exciting as we’ve witnessed the growing number of female talents that have stepped up to the plate and soared into the limelight no holds barred! Festival organisers, promoters, writers, designers, light engineers, decor crews, technical teams, producers and DJs have shown the true beauty of their colours in their own unique and original way. They’re the talents that have always been there - but it seems they’re coming out in their numbers right here, right now!

So far, so good… We're currently preparing to launch our very first VA, Ensoulment, compiled by Canadian producer, Kloud Nin9. The relaunch of the Psy-Sisters Soundcloud page was also a major development, not to mention the growing number of female acts seen and heard performing at festivals and events around the world.

This second edition of the Psy-Sisters celebration is our way of saying a massive thank you to everyone that’s supported the collective until now. We are very excited to bring together some of your favourite female acts from the psychedelic trance scene - and to put on yet another sparkling event inspired by the talent of every amazing sister from across the four corners of the world!

::: Also look out for our exciting COMPETITION for the chance to win the OPENING SET in the psy room! More details coming soon :::

Jai Mata!
Flyer:
-
Region: London
Music: Psy Trance. Chillout / Leftfield.
DJ's: 2 rooms of psy trance & alternative

Chandrananda
Cheryl Catawampus
FlibbertiGibbet
Kallima
Lauren Lyon
Lorraine
Miss Kiff
Nikki S
Piskey Roots
Psibindi
Psyana
Renegade DJ
Sati
Spinney Lainey
Sol Shine
Svess
Toxic Tegan
VJ Baby K

Who's Going? (2) : Tara, vjbabyk 

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The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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