Psytrance

History and character

Heir to Goa trance, it became “psytrance” (psychedelic trance) in the late '90s between Goa (India) and Europe, with very strong scenes in Israel (Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom, Astrix, Vini Vici), the United Kingdom (Hallucinogen/Simon Posford, Twisted Records), Germany, Sweden, Japan, Brazil and South Africa, and big open-air festivals (Boom in Portugal, Ozora in Hungary, Universo Paralello in Brazil).

It splits into many substyles: full-on (about 140–148 BPM, melodic, punchy basslines; “night,” “morning” and “uplifting” variants), progressive psy (136–140, more minimal and groovy), dark psy (150 and up, emerged after 2003 in Germany and Russia, with gloomy sounds and horror samples; Xenomorph is a forerunner), forest, hi-tech (180+), suomisaundi (Finland, mid-'90s), psybient (ambient). Common elements: short kick, sixteenth-note rolling bass that fills the spaces between the kicks, acid and psychedelic sounds, layers entering every 4–8 bars up to the climax, tracks 6–10 minutes long, vocal samples from sci-fi movies.

Aesthetic: psychedelia, nature, cosmos, spirituality, high-energy hypnosis.

Scales and keys

Convention: Roman numerals refer to the major scale on the same root (uppercase = major, lowercase = minor, ° diminished, ø half-diminished, + augmented; b/# = scale degree lowered/raised relative to major: in A minor F = bVI, G = bVII). Notes and chords below are calculated exactly from the formula.

Phrygian

• Formula: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: S T T T S T T
• On E: E F G A B C D
• Diatonic triads: Em i · F bII · G bIII · Am iv · Bdim v° · C bVI · Dm bvii
• Seventh chords: Em7 i7 · Fmaj7 bIImaj7 · G7 bIII7 · Am7 iv7 · Bm7b5 vø7 · Cmaj7 bVImaj7 · Dm7 bvii7
• Characteristic note: the b2 (F): the quintessential psychedelic color; the bass alternates between E and F, and the leads trace E–F–G–F–E phrases.
• Use: the “home” key of psy (many tracks are in E or F# to make the rolling bass sound right); riffs, acid leads, i–bII stabs.
• Common mistakes: using the b2 in the bass on the kick's downbeat (it muddies the kick-bass).

Phrygian dominant

• Formula: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: S T+S S T S T T
• On E: E F G# A B C D
• Characteristic note: b2 (F) + major third (G#): the augmented second F–G# gives an “Eastern” color.
• Use: leads and riffs in full-on and Goa; main chords E (I), F (bII), Am (iv), Dm (bvii).
• Common mistakes: mixing G and G# between lead and bass.

Harmonic minor

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 — steps: T S T T S T+S S
• On F#: F# G# A B C# D E#
• Diatonic triads: F#m i · G#dim ii° · Aaug bIII+ · Bm iv · C# V · D bVI · E#dim vii°
• Seventh chords: F#m(maj7) i(maj7) · G#m7b5 iiø7 · Amaj7#5 bIII+maj7 · Bm7 iv7 · C#7 V7 · Dmaj7 bVImaj7 · E#dim7 vii°7
• Characteristic note: the leading tone E# (major V, C#): epic cadences in “uplifting” full-on.
• Use: F#m–D–E–C#.
• Common mistakes: E# over the E chord.

Hungarian minor (gypsy)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7 — steps: T S T+S S S T+S S
• On A: A B C D# E F G#
• Characteristic note: the #4 (D#) and the leading tone (G#): two augmented seconds (C–D#, F–G#) for an exotic, intense color.
• Use: “Eastern” leads and dark melodies; main chords Am (i), E (V), F (bVI).
• Common mistakes: building chords on every degree: many turn out unstable; use it for melodies over a pedal.

Double harmonic (Byzantine)

• Formula: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7 — steps: S T+S S T S T+S S
• On E: E F G# A B C D#
• Characteristic note: b2 (F) and major 7 (D#), with a major third: symmetry of two tetrachords with an augmented second.
• Use: psychedelic and Goa leads; main chords E (I), F (bII), Am (iv).
• Common mistakes: phrases that revolve only around the augmented seconds (caricature effect).

How to choose between scales

The bass stays almost always on the root (with an occasional b2 or octave); the scales are expressed in the leads and riffs.

Harmony

Function

Modal and static: root pedal on the rolling bass, leads and riffs that outline the mode; in the breakdowns, chords and pads with i–bII or i–bVI–bVII–V.

Techniques

• Pedal with a Phrygian riff.
• i–bII stabs/pads (Em–F) or I–bII (E–F in Phrygian dominant).
• Harmonic minor cadences in “uplifting” breakdowns.
• Sixteenth-note and triplet arpeggios.

Harmonic rhythm

Static in the main section; 1 chord per bar in the breakdowns.

Examples

• Em pedal with an E–F–G–F riff.
• E–F–Am–E (I–bII–iv–I) Phrygian dominant.
• F#m–D–E–C# (i–bVI–bVII–V).

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

• Feel: straight, very fast, swing 0; the identity is the kick-bass: kick on the downbeat and bass on the three following sixteenth notes (K-b-b-b).
• Bass variants: .xxx (rolling), .x.x or ..xx (gallop), triplets in dark/forest.
• Layering: new elements every 4–8 bars up to the climax; then breakdown.

Drums

Kick

Very short and punchy (decay 80–150 ms), very “tight,” fundamental 50–60 Hz and a strong transient; it must end before the first bass note (at 145 BPM a sixteenth note = 103 ms).

Clap and snare

Light clap on 2 and 4; snare rolls in the builds; in full-on a bright clap, in progressive often only on 4.

Hi-hat

Open hat on the offbeat, sixteenth-note hats; metallic percussion.

Percussion

Synthetic perc, toms, rhythmic FX, “zaps”; many variations every 4 bars.

Dynamics and ghost notes

Fixed; the movement is in the FX and the leads.

Interaction with the bass

Kick-bass: kick and bass must never overlap; they are designed together (same key, the kick's tail ends where the bass begins).

Sections

Intro, layered build, main, breakdown (often with a vocal sample), build, climax, outro.

Fills and transitions

Snare rolls, FX sweeps, bass dropout for 1 bar, bass pattern changes.

Sound choice

Short synthetic kicks; digital perc.

Typical mistakes

Long kick clashing with the bass; too many high-pitched elements at once (fatigue).

Bass

• Sound: the psy rolling bass: saw or square with a low-pass filter and a very short envelope (decay 60–100 ms, sustain 0), slightly “plucky,” with little sub; often each sixteenth note has a slightly different filter opening (per-note modulation).
• Register: E1–E2 (41–82 Hz) with harmonics up to 300–500 Hz.
• With the kick: on the three sixteenth notes after the kick; no long sidechain: the “ducking” is in the pattern itself.
• Notes: root, sometimes the octave or b2 on the last sixteenth note.
• Rhythm: .xxx, .x.x, ..xx; triplets in dark/forest.

Harmonic instruments

Pads in the breakdowns, arpeggios and sequences, stabs; supersaws at the climaxes in full-on; few harmonic elements in progressive.

Melody and vocals

• Lead: acid (303-like), squelchy, FM, sixteenth-note arpeggios, Phrygian and “Eastern” melodies.
• Vocals: samples from sci-fi movies, documentaries, speeches; sometimes ethnic chants.
• Effects: tempo-synced delay (dotted eighth, 3/16), long reverbs, flanger, phaser, pitch, granular, automated “psychedelic” FX.

Instruments

Virtual synths (Virus, Sylenth1, Serum, Spire, Massive), TB-303 and clones, drum machines and samples, samplers, FX.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Korg MS-20 V — Acid leads: High resonance and overdrive for squelchy leads.
• Mini V — Rolling bass: Saw, filter 30%, env 50%, decay 70 ms, sustain 0; no glide; per-note cutoff variation.
• ARP 2600 V — Psychedelic FX: S&H, ring mod, noise for zaps and sweeps.
• Matrix-12 V — Pads and evolving sequences: Complex modulations for psychedelic textures.
• DX7 V — FM leads and bells: FM with feedback for metallic, alien timbres.

Song structure

6–10 minutes.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Surgical, powerful kick-bass, high frequencies rich in FX but orderly, wide stereo for leads and FX; constant energy. References: Infected Mushroom — Becoming Insane, Vini Vici — The Tribe, Astrix.

Kick

HP 25 Hz; +2 dB 55 Hz; −4 dB 300 Hz; +3 dB 4 kHz; transient shaper; clipper; mono; decay cut before the bass.

Rolling bass

HP 30 Hz; +1 dB 60–80 Hz; LP 500 Hz–2 kHz; compression 4:1 (even levels across the notes); mono; no long sidechain (at most very short volume shaping).

Clap

HP 250 Hz; plate 1.2 s; center.

Hi-hat and perc

HP 600 Hz; dynamic EQ 8–10 kHz; wide, automated panning.

Leads and FX

HP 200–300 Hz; dynamic EQ 2–5 kHz; delay dotted eighth and 3/16; hall 2–4 s; wide; automation of pan, cutoff, flanger.

Pad

HP 250 Hz; LP 8 kHz; long hall; wide; sidechain 6 dB.

Vocals/samples

HP 150 Hz; compression 4 dB; long delay and reverb.

Buses and groups

Kick-bass bus (mono, light limiter), drum bus, lead bus, FX bus.

Sidechain

Pad 6 dB, reverbs 6 dB; the bass doesn't need it.

Master

EQ → compressor 1–2 dB → clipper → limiter. Target −7/−6 LUFS integrated, true peak −0.5/−1 dBTP, crest factor 6–7 dB.

Common mistakes

Kick and bass overlapping; too many FX in the same band; stereo that isn't mono-compatible.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Hallucinogen — LSD (1994)
• Infected Mushroom — Becoming Insane (2007)
• Vini Vici — The Tribe (2015)

Reference listening

• Hallucinogen — LSD (1994)
• Infected Mushroom — Becoming Insane (2007)
• Vini Vici — The Tribe (2015)