In Indonesia the psytrance scene has always been mainly located in Bali, a well-known tourist and surfing destination also famous for its art. Bali’s artists have been painting psychedelic backdrops and creating colourful decorations for years, this is why this island has become the destination of psychedelic fashion designers and party-decorators who, inspired by local expertise, have developed party clothes collections and use Bali-made psychedelic backdrops to decorate parties around the world.
The psychedelic art side and the development of Bali as a tourist destination led to the organisation of some trance parties in the past, but because of strict legislation, the party scene has always been very small. However, lately the scene has been growing again and some interesting and high-quality parties have been organised in amazing locations, both in Bali and in Gili Air.
Bali has recently seen a growth of psytrance events. Only in 2009, two psytrance music festivals were held: the Kintamani Aware Dance festival in May and the Vayeb’Ku Day out of Time at Mount Agung in July. Thanks to breath-taking locations, special focus on details and decorations as well as an international line-up of talented djs, both festivals were a success. Impressive 3D structures, good music, vibrant energies, mandalas with seeds and flowers, the view on the volcanic lake at the Kintamani festival and the white beach at the Agung gathering left people longing for more of such special events.
Gili Air is a small Muslim island off Lombok where in the last five years there has been a real psychedelic contamination. In fact, some foreign djs and decorators moved to the island; some local djs started playing and developed a passion for trance music. They started organising small parties and now psychedelic trance music events are held regularly on the island, in a close collaboration between local people and foreigners. Gili Air parties are held on the beach on the quietest side of the island, with a view on Gili Meno and Mount Agung in Bali. They are free, rich of decorations and of all the people’s energy, who come from all over to enjoy the spirit of free open air parties. The line-up is never closed and international artists passing by can join the consolle, mixing alongside local and resident foreign djs.
Published on PsyTraveller
