Life Clubbing

Psychedelia in music (or also psychedelic music, less formally) is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles, genres and scenes, that may include psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, psychedelic pop, psychedelic soul, psychedelic ambient, psychedelic trance, psychedelic techno, and others. Psychedelic rock is also commonly called acid rock.

During the mid to late 1960s music of the psychedelic genre, in the basic sense of the word, was incorporated by almost every band/recording artist at that time (which makes psychedelia a very broad style). However, psychedelia as a strict genre of music is difficult to identify/label because of the many contrasting musical groups that interpreted then demonstrated this concept as their own form of music. It is easy to identify/stereotype music as being "psychedelic" by its potential use of elaborate studio effects (heavy reverb), exotic instrumentation (sitar), and surreal lyrics, but to strictly apply these and other elements as a basis for musical classification is almost irrelevant. Even the heavier and more aggressive bands of the late 60's (MC5, The Litter, Iron Butterfly), implemented typical psychedelic techniques into their songs, but psychedelia was also strongly associated with the lighter or sometimes more mainstream acts of the era (The Beatles, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Sopwith Camel).

The first apparitions of psychedelic music date back to the 1960s. Some of the first great psychedelic bands were The Doors (often called the Kings of Acid Rock, Psychedelic Rock, and as Jim Morrison once put it, "orgasmic rock"), Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe And The Fish, Grateful Dead, and Pink Floyd. Texas' 13th Floor Elevators are often called the "inventors" of psychedelic rock, their debut album (The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators) was most likely the earliest use of the word "psychedelic" in a rock context. The music generated by bands such as these was based widely on the use of the psychedelic drug LSD and the herb Marijuana (which lead to a vast variety of interpretations).

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The best known Trance Festivals in the world are held in the Netherlands. They are mainly organized by three companies ID&T, UDC and Q-Dance :

* Trance Energy, Jaarbeurs, Utrecht (30 000 visitors) : The only festival which features only trance music, and very popular for diehard fans of trance. Many well-received DJs have played sets at this event, helping to create its fame. Organized by ID&T.

* Sensation, Amsterdam Arena (80 000 visitors on two nights). Not a trance-only festival, many genres such as house and hardstyle coexist. Famous for the venue (a football stadium) and the lightshow. Organized by ID&T.

* Armin Only, Ahoy, Rotterdam : The only DJ to mix at this event is the very popular Armin Van Buuren. Organized by UDC.

* Qlimax, Gelredome, Amhem (20 000 visitors) : A hardstyle, hardtrance event which has been gaining in popularity recently. Renowned for its impressive laser show. Organized by Q-Dance.

* Dance Valley, Netherlands : An outdoor festival organized by UDC.

Those festivals typically attract visitors from many European countries due to easy connections from rail and air of Dutch cities.

Many other countries lack such festivals due to legal restrictions. Public prosecution departments in many countries — notably France — have been reluctant to give permits for techno and trance events, due to perceived drug issues.


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House music is uptempo music for dancing and has a comparatively narrow tempo range, generally falling between 118 beats per minute (bpm) and 135 bpm, with 127 bpm being about average since 1996.

Far and away the most important element of the house drumbeat is the (usually very strong, synthesized, and heavily equalized) kick drum pounding on every quarter note of the 4/4 bar, often having a "dropping" effect on the dancefloor. Commonly this is augmented by various kick fills and extended dropouts (aka breakdowns). Add to this basic kick pattern hihats on the eighth-note offbeats (though any number of sixteenth-note patterns are also very common) and a snare drum and/or clap on beats 2 and 4 of every bar, and you have the basic framework of the house drumbeat.

This pattern is derived from so-called "four-on-the-floor" dance drumbeats of the 1960s and especially the 1970s disco drummers. Due to the way house music was developed by DJs mixing records together, producers commonly layer sampled drum sounds to achieve a larger-than-life sound, filling out the audio spectrum and tailoring the mix for large club sound systems.

Techno and trance, the two primary dance music genres that developed alongside house music in the mid 1980s and early 1990s respectively, can share this basic beat infrastructure, but usually eschew house's live-music-influenced feel and black or Latin music influences in favor of more synthetic sound sources and approach.

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Sequential One was started in 1993 by German producer André Tanneberger, getting the name from the Sequential Pro One synthesizer. In 1994 three more members joined: Morpha on vocals, producer Ulrich "Spacekid" Poeppelbaum and Dutch producer Woody van Eyden. Woody and Morpha left in 1998, leaving André and Uli alone. In 1999 the last single was released. As the House Nation label owned the Sequential One name, André and Uli continued the project as SQ-1 on Kontor Records.

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Afterhour clubs, in North America and Europe, in general refers to nightclubs which are open past the designated curfew for clubs which serve alcohol. Such clubs must cease serving alcohol at the designated time, but have special permission to remain open to customers and to sell non-alcoholic sodas and (typically) high-caffeine drinks.

Afterhours clubs are popularly known as centers of third-party slave trade, as well as other related insomniac or late-hour party activity. Such clubs can be found in many places but probably everywhere in Europe and North America on slightly different formulas.

Because alcohol curfew is at 3 am, and the unofficial minimum age can go as low as 16 years old, afterhours clubs have become established part of the permanent rave scene, and the average opening time is from 2am to 10am.

They are also "afterafter clubs" such as Urgence which are opened from 10am to 8pm. Afterafter clubs are mostly frequented by people coming out of afterhour clubs and cannot sleep because of amphetamines.

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Scooter are a German techno band from Hamburg, who have sold over 14 million records and have earned 80 gold and platinum awards.The band is currently made up of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J. Jordan and new member Michael Simon. Their trademark sound features spoken or shouted vocals, pitch-shifted chorus vocals and live performance elements such as crowd samples. Among their more well-known hits are "Ramp! (The Logical Song)", "Hyper Hyper", "Move Your Ass", "Fire", "How Much Is the Fish?", "Nessaja", "Maria (I Like It Loud)", "One (Always Hardcore)", "Posse (I Need You on the Floor)", "Weekend!", and "Hello! (Good to Be Back)".

Hard Trance originated in Germany in the early to mid-90's and is one of the earliest forms of trance. It was one of the most common forms of Trance throughout the decade, characterized by strong kicks, with a very dry and heavy sound. Besides Techno, it is one of the most commonly stereotyped forms of electronic dance music and is regarded with disdain among popular culture. Now it is much more rare compared to other forms of Trance and House music, but still has a close fanbase in Japan, Germany, and other parts of Europe.

Characteristics

The Hard Trance sound varies from classic trance with its emphasis on harder, often acid sounds. The beat is very strong, and the lead synths or pads are more simplistic, yet still retain their melodic, "trance-like" nature. The "hoover" sound, so named, due to its "vacuum-like" drone, made famous by Human Resource in the early techno classic "Dominator" is used infrequently as of late, giving way to harsher lead melodies through synths or pads. Recently, a difference in production styles between the two stables of hard trance has developed, splitting the genre into what is commonly known as European hard trance, which can contain darker elements, and shares common production techniques with hardstyle such as the familar off beat bassline and snappy snarerolls, which sets its roots in trance's heyday, with wide, epic synths and rolling, often "bubbling" basslines. Tempo varies from 140 to 145 beats per minute. Jones & Stephenson's track, "The First Rebirth" was one of the first hard trance tracks ever made.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org

Cyber, also referred to as cyber culture or cyberculture, is the name given to a subculture that has roots in multiple youth scenes including the goth and rave/clubbing scenes. Someone who identifies with the Cyber subculture can be referred to as a "cyber", although the term "cybergoth" is used to refer to the goth-influenced end of the movement, i.e., those who would attend clubs such as Slimelight or The Wendy House, and "cyberkid" to refer to those who attend trance/hard dance clubs such as Gatecrasher. While fashion and an interest in electronic dance music are two areas that define the cyber subculture, cybers also tend to have a general interest in new and future technology, its influence on society, and other such cyberculture topics. The subculture enjoys niche status and a relatively small following.

Fashion

Cyber fashion resembles a combination of rave and goth fashion. Some common themes include the use of starkly contrasting colours such as black, white, luminous neon and/or UV-reactive colours and materials, brightly coloured and often stylised hair (e.g., with hair extensions or braids using artificial materials, often with an undercut shave), large shoes or boots (typical brands include Swear and Transmuter), various forms of body modification, the presence of superfluous goggles (especially aviator-style), androgyny and the influence of cyberpunk or anime themes.

Music

Associated music is heavily electronic in nature, covering both alternative electronic genres such as electronic body music, futurepop, club oriented dance music styles such as trance and hard dance, and other electronic genres including drum and bass, synthpop, gabber and intelligent dance music.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org

Techno is a form of electronic dance music that became prominent in Detroit, Michigan during the mid-1980s with influences from Chicago House, electro, New Wave, Funk and futuristic fiction themes that were prevalent and relative to modern culture during the end of the Cold War in industrial America at that time. Following the initial success of Detroit Techno as a musical culture — at the very least on a regional level — an expanded and related subset of genres in the 1990s emerged globally.

The term "techno", which derives from "technology", is often (incorrectly) used to refer to all forms of electronic music. Music journalists and fans of the genre, however, are generally more selective in their use of the term, being careful not to conflate it with related but distinct genres (i.e. house, trance, hardcore).

Techno was primarily developed by "The Belleville Three", a cadre of men who were attending college, at the time, near Detroit, Michigan. The budding musicians – former high school friends and mix tape traders Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson – found inspiration in Midnight Funk Association, an eclectic, 5-hour, late-night radio program hosted on various Detroit radio stations including WCHB, WGPR, and WJLB-FM from 1977 through the mid-1980s by DJ Charles "The Electrifying Mojo" Johnson. Mojo's show featured heavy doses of electronic sounds from the likes of Giorgio Moroder, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream, among others.

Though initially conceived as party music that was played on daily mixed radio programs and played at parties given by cliquish, Detroit high school clubs, it has grown to be a global phenomenon. High school clubs such as Snobbs, Hardwear, Brats, Comrades, Weekends, Rumours, and Shari Vari created the incubator in which Techno was grown. These young promoters developed and nurtured the local dance music scene by both catering to the tastes of the local audience of young people and by marketing parties with innovative DJs and eclectic new music. As these local clubs grew in popularity, groups of DJs began to band together and market their mixing skills and sound systems to the clubs under names like Direct Drive and Audio Mix in order to cater to the growing audiences of listeners. Locations like local church activity centers, vacant warehouses, offices and YMCA auditoriums were the early locations where the underage crowds gathered, and where the musical form was nurtured and defined.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org

From time to time, variations enter the market, such as non-smoking and alcohol-free nightclubs. Also, restaurants or supper clubs may provide music and entertainment similar to that provided by a nightclub, the main difference being that food is the main attraction at these establishments, whereas entertainment is the main attraction at a nightclub. Comedy clubs are one type of venue which provides entertainment.

Another type of club is a concert club, which specializes in hosting performances of live music. In contrast to regular night clubs, concert clubs are usually only open when a performance is scheduled. Such live music venues can be popular, however, it is more common today to find a DJ (Disc Jockey) playing a continuous mix of recorded music using vinyl, CDs and MP3s.

The styles of music that are played at clubs differ all over the world. For example, in England and Toronto there are numerous drum'n'bass clubs (among many other types) owing to the popularity of the music in those areas. In continental Europe, tech-house, electroclash and techno are particularly popular. In Spain one might find not only House or Trance, but salsa and pop clubs. However, if one were to visit the island of Ibiza, they would find some of the most serious House and Trance clubs found in the world. Despite this, house music seems to enjoy universal popularity at dance clubs all over Europe. In the U.S., the largest and most intense nightclubs are those found in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The music that fuels these non-stop parties can range from Hip-hop, Reggaeton, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Reggae, Hard House, Vocal Trance, or Hard Trance.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org

Mauro Picotto (born December 25, 1966 in Cavour, Italy) is an Italian electronic dance music artist. Previously a member of Italian eurodance outfit Cappella, he became known as a solo artist with his trance tracks including "Komodo," "Iguana," and "Pulsar". He has collaborated with many popular trance musicians like DJ Tiesto and Mario Piu.

He has moved in to nightclub promotion with his own touring club night, Meganite, which has had two successful seasons at Privilege Ibiza. He produces under his own label, Bakerloo.

Albums

* The Album, The Double Album, The Triple Album (Special Edition) (2000)
* The Others (2002)
* Live in Ibiza (2002)
* Superclub (2006)


Singles

* My House/Bakerloo Symphony (1996)
* Angel's Symphony (1996)
* Lizard (1998) UK 33 (in 1999)
* Lizard (Gonna Get You) (1999) UK 27
* Iguana (1999)
* Pulsar (1999)
* Komodo (2000) UK 13
* Bug/Eclectic (2000)
* Come Together (2000)
* Pegasus (2000)
* Proximus (2000)- heavily samples "Adiemus" by Adiemus
* Like This Like That (2001) UK 21
* Back to Cali (2002)
* Pulsar 2002 (2002)

Mauro Picotto encapsulates his emotions with endless energy, in both his life and his work.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org