Blastoyz + Friends vol.1: is psy-trance the future of trance?
Written by Luciano Medica on November 7, 2016
What if we created music to have something to relate to, beyond reality and beyond the burden of everyday life’s problems? Then we would be creating psytrance… and that is precisely what Blastoyz has being doing. For Blastoyz + Friends vol.1, he teamed up with Upgrade, Bizarre Contact, Azax and Berg, and the result is out of this world.
It is vox populi that Israel has a particular relationship with psy-trance, up to the point one cannot think of one without the other. It is a synergic relationship to the point that quite a few of the best psy-trance producers come from Israel, including Astrix a.k.a. as King of Psy-trance, Vini Vici and Ace Ventura.
This relationship between this small historical country of our humanity covers a side of trance mixed with psychedelics like no other place in the world. Perhaps, it tells us much more about Israel than it seems: in a land that has been ravaged by violence throughout the years, music has to live up to it.
It’s all about the music… And a lot more!
At some extent, psy-trance has two different levels of interpretation. In the first level, it connects the people of Israel with something beyond (themselves). Maybe this won’t make much sense to many people, but if you think about the reality in which young people live in that is -to say the least- thrilling, you need to step out of the picture in order to catch some fresh air.
The connection with something higher and greater than every day’s life it’s being built through the sounds of psy-trance: mystic, complex and aggressive, it could be a war call, and ironically, against war.
In the second level could be as well that psy-trance and Israel have this relationship based on their crowd’s needs. In an area that has been hit by so much tragedy and war, people are too used to the hardness of life, this way the rhythm of psy-trance is not as hard as it may seem to others.
There is also another component in psy-trance music which makes it unique. It is usually detached from the typical musical structures and harmonies, a peculiarity that makes psy-trance less easy to embrace than other styles. But also once you engage with this style, it is a keeper.
Interestingly enough, the uncertainty that has been threatening Israel for hundreds of years seems to be now more widespread across the world. More people have the feeling that reality is something to be escaped from and not something to be enjoyed.
Because of this particular moment in the history of mankind, psy-trance has found fertile ground all over the planet and it’s spreading as fast as the speed of light.
A sign of these new times to come can be seen nowadays in the actual line-ups of different trance events worldwide: more and more psy-trance.DJs and producers are gaining ground and catching the spotlight. A good example of this: the line-up just announced for A State of Trance Festival in Utrecht on 18th February 2017: Astrix, Avalon, Berg, Coming Soon!!!, Freedom Fighters, Liquid Soul and Vini Vici among others.
Let me introduce you to Blastoyz
Kobi Nigreker, best known as Blastoyz is one of the promises of psy-trance at this very moment. This Israeli producer has been creating music for more than 10 years -he’s only 26 years old and that’s quite an achievement. He is establishing now himself in the music world as a respectable representative of the genre.
Following the massive and worldwide success of his previous release, we have been honored to listen as first person to Blastoyz + Friends Vol. 1, a compilation of four collaborations between him and other producers, with this being the first part of more to come. As for the time being, the result is fantastic, as only good psy-trance can be.
The Light is a journey that despite the lyrics telling you the opposite, i can tell you will find the light once you embark in it. This collaboration with Upgrade is a follow up to Moments, and it sounds somehow different from their work before.
It’s a classical psy-trance track with a very energetic and bouncy melody, naturally psychedelic, and so most enjoyable. When the drop falls, it gains in speed and becomes harder. It incorporates some unusual sounds, which blend perfectly within the whole structure of the track.
Sunshine & Rainbows is probably the strongest asset with the input of Bizarre Contact, who defines the character of the track.
A sublime brain-smasher, this track will take you for a ride in the universe.
Judgement Day, full of power and strength is one of the most interesting tracks of the EP. Set in a lower key, with a mix of sounds building up a massive bassline and a somewhat epic breakdown.
It is perhaps less intergalactic than the other tracks, but it sounds amazing when the volume is loud and the ambient is right.
The Path is fun by definition. Everything in this track is about the Energy.
BONUS TRACKS
These two following tracks are not included in this first part of the compilation Blastoyz + Friends. In my opinion they should, because there is no doubt they deserve a special place in our minds, and of course in our radio.
Moments is perhaps the most emotional of these six tracks but don’t get fooled by your emotions. This second collaboration with Upgrade is as massive as all the others. It has a balance difficult to match.
The intro provides a misleading classical vibe, which suddenly gives room to a series of psychedelic bass lines and drops that will keep you bouncing down the rabbit hole.
Two memorable moments: the build up before the drop around 3.00 min and all after minute number 5.00.
Parvati Valley is a track which doesn’t need any introduction. You should be doing your homework by now.
This fresh new track is set at 143 bpm and is everything but boring. It takes you up and down and around. In the words of Blastoyz, this is a take on the traditional psy-trance that has influenced him, with a twist to make it into a new dancefloor smasher.
While mixing massive drops with a powerful and psychedelic melody, it creates a bold psy-trance track from the first second. All that power joins peaceful and mesmerizing Indian Goa tunes that will drive you into something special. You will connect with something beyond. Otherwise it will just leave an intense impression on you. Really popular track, it has been reproduced more than one million times!
The bottom line
All in all, Blastoyz takes us on a journey that goes in, out, up, down and around. He does this blending the multiple styles of his collaborations with his own personal brand into the first four of many tracks to come, incorporating new interpretations within the genre’s spiritual and mystical imprint.
Sometimes it seems that all resources have been drought up, but the producers’ creativity always pulls a rabbit out of the hat, and brings us down to the wonderland.
In every sense, these tracks will appeal in the same way to the die-hard fans as well as the newcomers who are just submerging into this deep journey in which psy-trance has been providing us along all these years.
The resignification of many of the assets of psy-trance into new tracks and experimental new sounds, gives a sneak peek into the future of this genre. Many producers are landing in this same area and everything points at a subgenre that seems to be ready to come out of the ‘underground’ and move into the mainstage with all the power.
You can listen the entire album this week, every day at 10GMT, HERE