Halloween night, or all Hallow’s eve – is a time where spirits are believed to wake from their eternal rest to revel in the cold, autumn night. For some, it is a chance to re-connect with family and the dearly departed, but for others, it’s a night full of trickery and lore of evil things lurking in basements. So at a psytrance rave, its’ a given that a malevolent feeling dominates the room – like something sinister is happening; and it can either create or destroy the atmosphere of the event. At Bain Mathieu for the 11th Amazone Halloween Ritual that malevolence was completely absent. It was good vibes all around.
TechSafari records’ celebratory events are something of a legend in Montreal (and beyond!) and have been happening since psytrance sweeped the world in the 1990’s. From small beginnings in Trois-Rivieres & St. Remi, This record label and event company is responsible for Montreal’s most well-recognized psychedelic music events, most notably, the Eclipse Festival that takes place every two years.
Two weeks ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to share this dazzling and intimate dance floor with some crazily-costumed trance heads. Let me tell you, the night is still on my mind.
This year’s location for their annual Halloween party was Bain Mathieu – an old public pool that’s been converted in to an event space. Just off the deep end of the pool was where the DJ booth and psychedelic video projections crowned the event for the night. The party-goers were drenched in a rain of LED lights that surrounded the pool floor-to-ceiling. Amazone’s lineup of Djs was no less extravagant. DJ Rikam, DJ Yann, and Rob Fractal Tribe were only a few of the local talents that added to the bill. Egorythmia is a progressive god and James Monro is one of the fathers of electronic Goa out of India, and one of the all-around pioneers of psychedelic trance. All had people lining up at the door to hear them drop some mind-blowing sets.
When I read the name James Monro, it didn’t hit me at first that it was THE James Monro of Flying Rhino - one of the biggest psytrance record labels in the genre. When it dawned on me, I all but raced to the doors of Bain Mathieu, incredibly excited to see his set. However, I was surprised when the time finally did come for the legend to take the stage. I disappointed myself by getting my expectations set on something much different from what he delivered. Though the music that he played wasn’t bad at all; Seeing someone who is so big and so influential in Goa trance spin a Progpsy set was a minor letdown. For those of us who are having a little trouble putting the nail in the casket for the era of old-school Goa trance, it’s difficult to adjust. So, with a slight sadness and large ache in my feet, at 1:30, I left for the second room.
The techno basement served as a welcome palate cleanser. The motif of the room was also floor-to-ceiling lights, but it still maintained a certain darkness that the psypool lacked, and was perfect for the dark techno beats. The inhabitants of the basement for the evening seemed to be in an entirely different world from the one just three stairs above us – but one that was equally intense. More minimal music, more shadows, more space to dance, and to everyone’s immense happiness, a shorter line at the bar.
My time in the techno basement was brief, and before I knew it, the clock jumped back to 1AM for daylight savings, and it was time for the final performance. When you get someone like Egorythmia whose music is everything that you want at the time of their set – it’s hard to say anything about it. To summarize though, Egorythmia was fantastic. His style is resonating and endless; the kind of music that makes you forget where you are. His signature deep, yet melodic sound was a perfect ending to a perfect evening. But even with the Macedonian’s transcendental sound pulsating in my brain as I left the venue; I was spellbound by our local talent.
Being the second act on the roster to play the Psypool seemed to me like the wrong spot for Zentrix. Had it been my choice, his set never would have ended. The year and a half that Zentrix spent producing and mastering his latest album was worth it down to the last second. The Native Montrealer launched his new album at Amazone, and by doing so, filled the floor for the rest of the night with devoted dancers. A fusion of bouncy rhythm, sweeping harmonies, and all-around creativity makes this release a highlight in psytrance and the highlight of my night all together. The best set – without a doubt – goes to Zentrix.
After attending the Halloween Ritual, It’s no wonder to me anymore why TechSafari’s events are the most well-attended in Montreal. Their parties continue to attract headliners and attendees from all corners of Canada and the world. Coming up in their calendar among a plethora of releases is Orion – The Psychedelic Landscape which is an all-night event that has been ringing in the new calendar year in St. Remi since the beginning of the 2000’s. Well in to next year, the Eclipse festival will return to the forests of Quebec for another spectacular weekend, that always promises a beautiful location and insane lineup…and we can hardly wait.
