I have recently heard of a few visitors experiencing difficulty with the RAR file format. Nearly every free release on this site is packaged using RAR, which offers superior compression when compared to the more popular ZIP file format. RAR is being used mainly to save on bandwidth–those lossless packages are significantly smaller when compressed with RAR. Of course, there isn’t nearly as strong a case for compressing MP3 packages with RAR; the space savings are negligible when compared to ZIP. As for ZIP compression–about the only thing going for it is that most computers already support it without any need to muck about with proprietary software (in this case, WinRAR or one of its equivalents).

Given that some people have begun to report trouble with dealing with RAR files, would it make sense to use ZIP for the MP3 packages and RAR for the lossless packages? One might assume that visitors downloading CD-quality audio are “power users” familiar with RAR compression. On the other hand, it seems a bit messy not to adopt a single compression standard and stick with it. What do you think?

This post will be updated whenever a decision is reached based on your feedback. In the meantime, the free music section and downloads chart has been updated with an explanatory blurb informing visitors how to decompress RAR packages. Hopefully this helps!

Update: you can read my response below. I think it makes sense to return to using the ZIP format for the MP3 packages since support is universal. There has also been a very good discussion about the use of FLAC in the comments. Thanks everyone! We’ll come back to this issue in the future.

The organic/vegan/superfood organization SomaLove returns with another cozy and intimate jam at the big house on Dunn Ave. Come on out for tasty goodies, yoga, and good times. Psychedelic/progressive/funky/downtempo music and dancing all night long. Check out the Facebook event post for more information. Here is the original posting:

Follow your bliss in the direction of Spirit.

As Spring dawns her lovely eyes,
flashing a smile across the city,
we can all feel the warmth enter
our hearts and souls…

Breathe in that fresh soulfire.

May your intuition guide your vibrations,
May your heart guide your dance rhythms,
May your love be your source of energy!

As we flow together in this night of Chocolate, Dance and Bliss.

A Chocolate Yoga Class will be led starting at 5pm for one hour. Each person will receive one of our latest chocolate creations (not available for sale) Please bring your own mat.

Then we chill out with some Chi-Gung, Tai Chi, Contact Improv, for the rest of the afternoon.

DANCING ALL NIGHT!!!
As DJ’s confirm, they will be posted here!

-Smokey Davey 8-12
-DJ Basilisk 12-5 (progressive house/deep psytrance/minimal techno/tribal-organic beats)

We’ll have some Delicious food for sale:
-Vegan Sushi
-Chocolate superfood hearts!
-Smoothies and Juices,
-Raw Dehydrated Cookies!

Please feel free to invite your friends!

****************************************

Directions to the house:

Take Queen Street Car West. Get off at Dunn Ave, walk down street to 205 Dunn on the East Side

OR Take Subway to Landsdowne Station. Take bus going south. Get off at Queen Street. Walk two blocks East to Dunn Ave.

Remember this free gathering is being held in a private home… respect the space and treat everyone right!

Welcome to another edition of the North American Summer Festival Guide! Festival season is not far off, and many trance fans across the continent are beginning to plan out their summers. Several organizers have already announced dates and line-ups whereas others are still working out the details. I have gathered a list of festivals along with their dates, where announced, and linked back to the home page of each festival where applicable.

Sacred Earth :: May 30/31, June 1 (Black River Falls, Wisconsin)

Gemini :: June 13/14/15 (California)

Transcendental Excursion :: June 13/14/15 (Urich, Missouri)

Om :: June 16/17/18/19/20/21/22 (Ontario)

Gaian Mind :: June 19/20/21/22 (Central Pennsylvania)

Entheos :: June 20/21/22 (The Sunshine Coast, B.C.)

Expedition :: July 4/5/6 (Fairfields, Iowa)

Mekanikal :: July 4/5/6 (Saint-Fortunat, Quebec)

Orb :: July 10/11/12/13 (Echo Lake, New York)

Space Gathering :: July 11/12/13/14 (Quebec)

World Bridge III :: July 11/12/13 (Deerfields, North Carolina)

Motion Notion :: July 17/18/19/20 (Drayton Valley, Alberta)

Between Worlds :: July 25/26 (B.C.)

Speakers and Trees :: July 25/26/27 (Colorado)

Eclipse :: August 1/2/3/4 (Maniwaki, Quebec)

Shambhala :: August 6/7/8/9/10/11 (Salmo, B.C.)

DICA 5 :: August 15/16/17 (Tofino, B.C.)

Burning Man :: August 25 to September 1 (The Playa)

Natura :: August 28/29/30/31 (Somewhere in Quebec)

Godizus :: Rescheduled to August 30/31 (Squamish, B.C.)

Astral Harvest :: September 5/6/7 (Driftpile Valley, Alberta)

Uncharted Territory :: September 5/6/7 (Fairfields, Iowa)

Bitter Blossom :: September 12/13/14 (Flatonia, Texas)

Earthdance :: September 12/13/14 (Black River Falls, Wisconsin)

El Hal :: September 12/13/14 (Somewhere in Quebec)

T.O.U.C.H. Samadhi :: September 19/20/21 (Deerfields, North Carolina)

Harvest :: September 20/21 (Midlothian Ridge, Ontario)

Night of the Stompin’ Zombies :: October 17/18/19 (Urich, Missouri)

For reference, this is version 2.1 of the guide, updated August 8th, 2008. Currently we have about 28 multi-day gatherings featuring psytrance on the list. If you have any tips or info, feel free to contact me.

The season is over! Fast forward to 2009!

Shakti Collective invites you to greet the spring with another heartwarming event.

Presenting a unique, Canadian debut performance of:

SHADOW FX (Zenon Records, Australia) – Live Set!

Shadow Fx was created in 2002 by 26 year old James Hayes from Melbourne, Australia. James started his musical career studying and playing drums and guitar in high school. Then at the age of seventeen he discovered psytrance in and around the famous trance hotspot of Byron Bay. After listening to and Dj’ing the music for several years, he decided to move to Melbourne and make a serious effort to put his own mark on the scene. He bought a computer and started to produce full time, leading him to the smooth and refined sound for which he is known today. In recent years he has played at many parties all over Australia including Rainbow Serpent, Earthdance and Audiogasm. He has also released compilation tracks on ZMA and Zenon, plus on Cosmic Conspiracy records with his brother Tetrameth. Shadow Fx has created a smooth blend of deep, funky, morning progressive that is distinctively shaped from the Zenon sound. In 2007 he released his debut album Direct Influence on Zenon.

DARVIN KNORR (Zenon Records, Area 709, Calgary) – DJ Set!

From his university days of ice-climbing, kayaking and mountain bike racing to his more recent involvement in the Canadian electronica community as a dancer, promoter, dj and budding producer DJ Nokturnal (Darvin Knorr) has never been one to do something half-way. Ten years of performing have recently led him to commit his Nokturnal incarnation to the Zenon sound: dark, intelligent and most definitely nothing but psytrance. Darvin is honored to represent a label which is home to so many incredible artists and he is eager to showcase the Zenon sound at gatherings around the world.

DJs:

Shankar vs. Quivering Virgin (debut back-to-back dj set!)
Plan B
Blake Dailey

CHILLROOM:

Quietly Quivering
Rook
Mandelbrot

DECO & VISUALS

Waking Dream (Montreal)
Ivygrrl
Wuzzle
Vj Guy

Friday, March 28th – 10pm-6am
Reverb Night Club
651 Queen Street West

$20 in advance – at Shanti Baba (546 Queen St West)
more @ the door

19+

www.shakticollective.com