Psytrance

Short for psychedelic trance: a fast, hypnotic form of trance music that grew out of Goa trance, the scene that developed at beach parties in Goa, India, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, pioneered by DJs such as Goa Gil. Psytrance emerged in the mid-to-late 1990s as a more streamlined, electronic evolution of that sound. It typically runs at around 138–148 BPM and is built on a relentless, rolling bass line, often in a “kick-bass” pattern where a short bass note fills each gap between kicks. Over this sit swirling, squelchy synth layers, acid lines, complex modulated effects and spoken-word or sci-fi samples, aiming for a trippy, immersive experience. Artists such as Infected Mushroom, Astrix, Hallucinogen and Vini Vici helped define and popularise it. Subgenres include full-on, progressive psytrance, dark psy and forest. It remains closely tied to large outdoor gatherings such as Boom Festival in Portugal and Ozora in Hungary.