PsychoTropical at Hargen aan Zee

Rule 1 (applies when you are looking for the location of an (apparently) illegal gathering): Do NOT follow your heart (especially when you can hear it, but you cannot see it). When they tell you "it's there", it is!

Unfortunately, because somebody's heart (and ears) malfunctioned for a while, we had to walk the long way, half an hour in the dark between the dams (dams: no.1 means of the Dutch imperialism).The gathering has been discussed rather extensively on the 604 mailing-list, so I will take the chance and use some quotes. The first two refer to the "soundtrack" (yours favorite and flaming subject).

Matt (604, opul@bla.net):

"I personally think that Alistair was best (and that's not because he was pretty much the only guy I knew), but also enjoyed Avi's set a lot, which in my eyes was very psychedelic, maybe the beat might have been a tad bit too slow, but that is in the eye of the beholder and it wasn't always slow, again, might have been up to me, I was very far out there at times. Ben played for quite a while I believe....I stopped dancing at 9am and he played for a few hours already, even so at times he just took it easy and let a dat run for a longer period of time. But everybody was supposed to enjoy it."

"Alistair played some great stuff (wasn't so fond of his mixing, but who cares?). Your [Avi's] set was also great. Just a few tracks didn't really do it for me, but I had that with every DJ. Your overall set was strong, flowing, sharply mixed and funky. Also it sounded real fresh between the usual psychedelia. Keep it up! Ben also played lots of killer tracks, though after a long time his set started to lack power (but I guess that was the intention). The people really enjoyed themselves and I've had many many compliments, also afterwards.

Cosmic Circus are based in Alkmaar, and they have been putting up psychedelic gatherings for some time now, especially open-airs during the summer months. Their "territory" has not only been the "re-creational" sites around Alkmaar, but they have also expanded to notorious areas near Amsterdam, namely Ruigoord. Unfortunately, the Amsterdam authorities haven't been tolerant enough the last summer, and quite a few parties, from different crews, had to end prematurely. The Disco Pixies party on 24/July was one these, although it had stopped by 3:30am, it will be remembered, at least, as presenting one of the most funny fliers seen in the Netherlands lately. Check it out yourselves (if you had followed the directions on the back, probably you didn't even arrive :)

front & back of the Disco Pixies flier (click to enlarge)

Our third quote is from one of the organizers and refers to free psychedelic gatherings. It should settle the question of that guy who was wondering why beer was sold at the bar!?! (it's a bar, anyway, not a church.)

"...organizing a free illegal party is always a risk. Just look at it from our perspective: we invest all our money and effort in it, and the only way we can cover our expenses (soundsystem, lights, drinks, DJ's, generator etc.) is by selling drinks (including beer) and ask for donations.
...
ps: Lost properties: someone's car keys, a mobile phone and a blotter sheet 8)"

"Coming from Amsterdam, arriving late, about 1.30 at Hargen hearing distant sounds which guided me to the place I definitely had to be. Skipping some dunes, a guiding light on top of a dune gave me the courage to hold on. Releaved at last, sound of beats filled the air mingeled with seawaves, I sat down. Search and find a party always blows my mind!

The weather..(Dutch people always have the urge to talk about the weather) was great, no rain, no wind, not cold. An inviting atmosphere made it easy to feel together with everyone. The tent made a chillout gave the warmth I needed once in a while: outside, the seashore was the biggest chillout possible.

This music made by and played by amazing people who so much understand about ones mind, tuned in my mood, pulling me to the sandy dancefloor. Time flies, it was already 5 o'clock. Reflecting at this time in some club the party is over, here the party starts to become even better. The big play of life maybe, and the purpose now seemed to egalise the sand while dancing, unfortunately it din't succeed....

At sunrise, music gives much energy, everything's changing. It's funny to look around at this moment. In a way we were all connected.. Realising it's impossible to to compair but anyway, parties in Goa and late Solipse festival are much bigger, these huge parties are different. Here I felt at ease right away, like the one 1 week before at Ruigoord. Psychotropical Night at Hargen made it easy to open up to people and creates an oportunity to make contact. This made it hard to leave and sure took a lot of effort, I had to go.

Another experience the trance-scene is coming to Holland, spreading out closer to people, making the world more beautiful."

In fact, Psychedelic Trance is not something new for the Netherlands. It has been around for years now, but it is admittedly struggling to keep up with the international developments of the genre. The electronic dance culture in the Netherlands has been mainly restricted to Club House, Happy (and Dark) Hardcore, and Techno. While these genres have made their way to regular, big, and even (too) commercialized events, psychedelic dance parties have usually been small and underground.

It happens quite often lately that someone comes up to me, complaining that there are not enough psychedelic events in the Netherlands. Discussing with these people I usually find out that most of them have nevertheless gone to big annual events like Dance Valley and Lowlands last summer (incidentally, psychedelic trance was excluded from both events this summer). Other venues, which want to call themselves "cultural centers", e.g. Doornroosje (Nijmegen) and some others, have systematically been excluding psychedelic electronic dance music. In the latter case, the blame can be put on "promoters" who promote rather their personal musical taste than anything cultural.

What I fail to see here is what's so cultural about dancing to a single kick-drum and a couple of hi-hats. Although, musical minimalism is a form of artistic expression, there are at least two other reasons which may result to it: 1) lack of intelligence, and 2) musical incapability (including from listening to it, up to the making of it). Of course, having swallowed two tablets and snorted a few lines by 4:00am, makes you capable to dance even to the sound of a trashcan being steadily kicked.

The point I want to make here, and reply to all these people complaining that they cannot find enough psychedelic parties in the Netherlands, is: if you know there nothing for you in some event, then don't go at all. This would be a proper complain. By compromising to spend your night in some pointless 1-kick-and-2-hihats party (and complain afterwards), you financially support and perpetuate these movements, and as you admit yourselves, you shouldn't. This will also save you from consuming load of drugs just for compensating for the promised and non-delivered fun.

However, this raises the question of where to go when there is no other choice. Perhaps the psychedelic scene in the Netherlands is not big enough yet, but fortunately, the choices are getting more lately, with many small organizations appearing in several Dutch cities. Support these crews and be sure that it will pay back. Check Chaishop's Party Network regularly for the announcements of these parties, and if some weekend there is nothing to do, keep your money. Alternatively (and of course if there nothing else in the Netherlands), the German border is pretty near, and on their other side thousands of people are dancing to psychedelic sounds every weekend. From my own excursions there, I can say that psychedelic parties are mostly big, long, and well-organized, and you may meet already many people from the Netherlands.

I have to admit that I am not really fond of the idea of having hundreds of people travelling to Germany every weekend to get what they like. So, stop complaining and start supporting the local movement, and for that matter, think twice before you go again somewhere you don't really want to be.