Special edition of Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture.

Edited by Graham St John | http://dj.dancecult.net/

Early in the global financial crisis, in the 2008 edition of Psychedelic

Traveller magazine, in an article “The Exodus of Psytrance”, Sam from

chaishop.com reported that while the listing of psytrance parties on the

website grew from 1207 in 1999 to 6731 in 2008, the “the exodus of artists

and dancers is clearly visible. Most primitive cornerstones of psytrance

parties have lost half or more of their visitors. Most labels have signed

bankruptcy, media companies are struggling if not yet dead, scene workers

left for a ‘normal’ job”. And, while he still notes that “loads” of music is

still produced and released, and that a “third generation” of trance

enthusiasts has appeared, “it seems that the underground psychedelic frantic

party vibe can these days more likely be found at a proper Techno party”.

Concurrent with such concerns, the scene suffers variable regulatory and

repressive interventions of state authorities in many parts of the world.

Furthermore, as psytrance receives “negative press” from sources internal to

psytrance and other electronic dance music scenes, scene insiders and the

spokespersons and advocates of other EDM aesthetics are some of the most

ardent critics.

Yet, while psytrance has been buffeted by manifold economic, political and

aesthetic crises, it appears to be a hardy and durable phenomenon. From the

UK to Brazil, Japan to South Africa, Russia to Australia, in the realms of

production and performance, and in non/virtual domains, psytrance has

mutated, adapted and transformed in scenes worldwide. In the areas of genre,

music production/performance, event production, virtual distribution,

pharmacology, it appears that psytrance flourishes amid complexity.

This special edition of Dancecult seeks contributions from scholars of

psytrance from all disciplines and methods attending to this genre (or

meta-genre) in a period of transition and growing complexity.

//

Critical attention to the following and related themes addressing the

contemporary direction and character of psytrance in the various places of

its emergence and growth are welcome:

* The changing state of psytrance.

* The impact of new media and communication technologies on music

production, performance and distribution.

* The repression of Goa/psytrance.

* National/regional/metropolitan translations of psychedelic trance.

* The condition of psytrance as a genre.

* The role of the contemporary psytrance festival.

* The shifting character and significance of the “psychedelic” in psytrance.

* The impact of ever-expanding range of chemical compounds on scene and

music.

* The continuing significance of the “traveller” (as opposed to “tourist”)

pretence or sensibility.

* Why is psytrance one of the most loathed scenes and aesthetics in EDMC?

// SUBMISSIONS //

Submissions may be either Feature Articles or From the Floor pieces.

For Policies see:  http://bit.ly/g78sz1

Authors are encouraged to submit multi-media content.

See Guidelines at: http://bit.ly/gYQYFz

This special edition is proposed for publication in Dancecult in April 2012.

If interested, send a 250 word abstract (along with brief author bio) to

Graham St John (graham@dancecult.net) by May 1st, 2011.

If your abstract is accepted, the deadline for full article submission is

Nov. 1st, 2011. Beyond that, the deadline for online submission to Dancecult

(for peer review) is Jan. 15th, 2012.

Please send inquiries and expressions of interest to Graham St John: graham@dancecult.net