Between palm trees, beaches and LSD, »Gonzo Goa: Party Music 1987-1994« transports you and your sun tan to the beginnings of a scene that can now be explored at mega festivals around the world. The compilation of music that originated in the Indian state of Goa in the late 1980s reveals the origins of the »psytrance« genre, which is now divided into hundreds of subgenres under the aforementioned umbrella term. From »Mindfield Saturnalia« to »Chris and Cosey Exotika«, the wild mix in which today’s Goa Trance found its roots becomes clear: A spiritual remnant of the hippie era, mixed with music such as techno, house and minimal by a few backpackers lost in India, which found its way back to Europe on cassettes.
This double LP mixes the »Feel Good« hippie vibe, which marks the most striking difference to other electronic dance genres, with the poppy spirit of the Eighties. The spiritual vibrations that can be found in the colours and rituals of any Goa festival today are not yet expressed musically. Rather, you dance in your mind’s eye on a small beach in a minimalist DJ setting. Although modern Goa fans may miss the 150 bpm and some bass triplets, »Gonzo Goa: Party Music 1987-1994« is still a nice retrospective and makes you want to chew on some shrooms in the shade of a palm tree.
