Just Pure Vibration from Psymbiosis

www.facebook.com/Psymbiosis-Maharetta-Records
https://soundcloud.com/sandeshpoin
http://www.maharettarecords.com/index.php/artist/15-artist/62-psymbiosis

Hello, so what is your Koh Phangan story?
I probably came for the very first time in 1987 or 88, just for a short time, then I started to come regularly every season in the mid ‘90’s probably 93, 94 and 95, those years. But I was living on the other side of the island in Haad Tien and Why Nam beach when there was still nothing there.

I remember I had very basic accommodation, sleeping with just a mosquito net and a mattress, some stuff for cooking etc, it was a very hippy life.

After a few years I left and didn’t come back for many years as at that time Phangan was changing but it happened that I came back on my way to India from Bali and found that it hadn’t  changed much and was still amazing so since then I have been coming every year for the season.

How has Koh Phangan changed since you have been coming?
The parties at that time were just full moon that already had been seen to be spoiled, this was the psychedelic families opinion anyway, so we decided to start holding private parties for ourselves and a few hundred people at Haad Yao beach where there was nothing and surprisingly we were doing it on black moon and calling it ‘blackmoon’.

There was no internet or advertising, we would bring the sound system, generator and drinks by boat with no real permit or anything. The vibe was different for these private parties on the beach as we were not disturbing anybody.

Basically there was not much going on, in the mid ‘90s I think Guy’s bar had just started and we were going and hanging out in Backyard for after parties. After those years I left so I don’t know what was going on. I knew about Black and Half Moon but I had moved to India.

As for the island, it’s changing a lot of course, there’s more development, in the late ‘80’s there was a road from Thong Sala to Haad Rin but we would get a boat as the road was a disaster.

You can imagine the rest of the island, at that time I had never been up north, mainly all the roads were gravel which then got totally spoilt by rainy season, no big resorts or big bars and very little restaurants. Haad Rin was only a stretch of beach and a few houses on the pier and nothing in between, time flies and things change a lot especially in Asia.

What is your background in djing?
First of all I always tend to say that I’m not a dj, I just like to play, to listen and share my music but of course I find myself involved with gigs and playing everywhere.

I started djing in the mid ‘90s whilst in India, mostly between Pune Osho Ashram and Goa at that time with minidisks first then a DAT machine after but I never took it professionally, it has always been a passion and a joy rather than professional work.

At that time in Goa, if you had enough money for party then you could organise a party and claim you were a dj but I never took it seriously but kept it going mostly as a passion. Still now I don’t consider it a job, if I lived from money from djing then I probably wouldn’t survive. But I enjoy a lot the so called ‘dj lifestyle’, I don’t push myself as a dj, I let things flow and let the music speak for itself.

What I always say to people is that nowadays we all have access to the same music, we all play the same music so djing for me is more than the music we play, it’s who we are and the vibe we try to share with people.

Why the Trance scene, what is special for you about it?
I have always been in it, I started to get into the Psytrance scene in the late ‘80s and since then I haven’t changed much. The style of music I listen to is very wide but within the Psy range from ambient chill to psy trance.

The people are special, the vibe and of course the music itself, with having no lyrics it doesn’t carry any kind of specific message, it’s just pure vibration music and there is no mind involved, that is what I like.

Where have you played on Koh Phangan?
I’ve played Ban Sabai, Shiva Moon, Blackmoon, Merkaba and a few private parties on the island. I also played The Experience on Koh Tao.

What do you think of Shiva Moon Party?
Shiva Moon for me lately plays the best music or at least the one I am more connected to in this period, Deep Night Psytrance.

Of course this is the only real party for those party lovers who like to dance till the morning and that feels great. Mornings at Shiva Moon are the best after the long psy nights!!
Full support and respect!!

What has been a stand out gig for you?
Of course The Experience but then I always enjoy playing in Ban Sabai, it feels more like it’s more of a family style party.

What are your current music projects?
I would really like to start producing but it won’t be easy because I don’t want to be in front of a computer for too long, I tried with analog but it was already complicated as I had no one to teach me, I just let it happen and just go with the flow.

Already djing takes time to listen, search and organise the music so there’s not much time for anything else. Also because I play and enjoy so many different styles, there is tons of music to search, look for and listen to.

What do you do in your free time on Phangan?
I like to just chill on the northern beach when possible and spend time with friends of course, either in nature or at home. I like to take a little care of my body and be disciplined, give myself one hour a day to do exercise, yoga practice or gym. I also like to go shopping and cooking.

What do you hope for yourself, and the Trance scene on Phangan for the next couple of years?
What I would like to see in the scene on Koh Phangan is honestly not much because I’m aware that the bigger it becomes, the more it gets spoilt.

I always tend to prefer small gatherings and parties to the big ones because of vibe, people get to know each other, it’s that family feeling that makes you feel safe, there is no person that is not on the same vibe. That’s why I would prefer the Trance scene to stay as it is rather than becoming popular and having big parties.

I have been based in Asia most of the time in the last fifteen to twenty years and last year I started to spend my summer in Europe for the first time in years. I bought myself an RV and was able to travel between festivals and nature so I enjoyed this.

For the next coming summer I want to go back and spend more time like that, honestly I would like to spend six months in Asia and six months in Europe for summer festivals. I am trying to get connections and gigs.

I’m pretty much enjoying this way of life, I like to live simple and have no possessions, to be free and go with the flow.