Psytrance: from the beaches of Goa to Brazil's big festivals

Psytrance has its roots in Goa trance, which emerged between the late 1980s and early 1990s at open-air beach parties in Goa, India, attended by travelers from all over the world.

The style is defined by fast, rolling basslines, layers of psychedelic synths and a hypnotic progression that carries the floor for long stretches, usually above 135 BPM.

Brazil embraced psy like few other countries: it has one of the largest scenes on the planet, with major open-air festivals such as Universo Paralello in Bahia.

On the floor, psy is ideal for outdoor parties and for the night's moment of collective euphoria, when the crowd wants to surrender to the music.