Asian Electronica

Goa trance is a different type of Asian electronica. Rather than its being created by Asian immigrants to England, it began when Europeans traveled to the western Indian state of Goa. During the early and mid-90s, Goa became a hot vacation spot for young Europeans, Australians, and Americans, especially those who liked to travel year-round, looking for the next party. As more kids caught on, a rave scene was born.

LSD, rather than ecstasy, is reportedly the party drug of choice in Goa. Maybe because of that, the sound of Goa trance is crafted for maximum mind-bending. The beat is a pounding four-to-the-floor kick. On top of it, though, is a hypnotic mixture of fast, swirling keyboard melodies, squelchy 303 acid-house noises, and samples of Indian musical instruments such as the tabla, sitar, and tambura. Words like "Mahadeva" (the title of a track by Goa favorite Astral Projection) echo through the songs. The names of the artists seem to all have the words "Infected" or "Mushroom" in them. One's even called Infected Mushroom. Listening to Goa trance, even if you're in your living room, is a psychedelic experience. The melodies climb, dip, curl back on themselves, and soar even higher. It's a multi-colored aural roller-coaster, like a Mandelbrot display inside your head. To listen yourself, go to Philosomatika and check out their streaming Goa MP3s.

These are only a few of the ways that South Asian culture enriches electronica. To discover more, do what I do-pick an artist, listen to them, and see who their influences are, or whose album they've guested on. Then listen to that. Then spread the word.

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