From Psychedelic-Traveller

[2008] A psychedelic rainbow nation in SOUTH AFRICA

• Article from "Trancer's Guide to the Galaxy" 2008 written by Mad Hatter

South Africa has become an international trancer's paradise, with an extremely favourable exchange rate encouraging overseas visitors to come party with us and an active psy-trance scene of which we are so proud. In Cape Town, often referred to as ”Africa’s psy-trance capital”, we have outdoor festivals (called parties here) every weekend during our extended summer season September to May every year.

Although we have over twenty party organisers in South Africa, there is an unspoken understanding avoiding having multiple parties at once, and trancers having to make a choice. In this way, the whole scene is sustainable and ongoing, with some of the older organisers like Vortex and Alien Safari, still arranging successful festivals after more than ten years.

Psy-trance found its way to SA in the mid-1990s – coming from a delicate background, we are very open to, and accepting of all cultures and are proud of how far we have come as a developing nation in a relatively new democracy. In Cape Town, with the skyline dominated by our famous Table Mountain, we have an extremely eclectic and friendly bunch of trancers, which creates a great vibe at the parties. There is a good following locally and it is common to get 6000 people at bigger outdoor festivals. The scene has spread to the cities of Johannesburg and Durban, but Cape Town remains the place to visit if you love psy.

2008

In 2007 we were honoured with visits from international artists like Psyfly, Manic Dragon, Zirkin, Menog, Painkiller, Bliss and Space Tribe, to name just a few. Our local artists have done us proud, with signings by Peak Records of The Jester, Yabai Records of Frozen Ghost and 3D Vision of Lost & Found. In 2008 we are looking forward to visits from Kindzadza, Error Corrective, Eskimo and Mr Peculiar, amongst others, and expect our Artifakt, Protoculture, Shift and more will venture overseas again.

Organizations

In general, the scene is more full-on and hardcore than progressive, although bigger parties cater for both with two dancefloors. There are hundreds of active psy-trance DJs in SA, who can be seen not only at the big Saturday night parties, but also at the smaller indoor venues like Labyrinth@Fiction, Organik@Roots and Translux@Classic Corner every Wednesday night. We use www.3am.co.za for info and buying psy-related items or www.bomelakiesie.co.za for psy-info and post-party chats. Arrange transport to parties with www.kabshuttle.co.za or ask for a lift on the thread on Bom. Trance-friendly backpackers include Ashanti Lodge and Sunflower Stop. Entrance fees to parties are from 5 Euro to 30 Euro for the biggest.

One known local hangout is the only psy-trance dedicated pizza shop in Africa, Call-A-Pizza in Sea Point, where you can try a pizza named after psy-artists / organisers, get psy-info and buy party tickets and watch party videos and hear the latest psy-trance tunes played.