Other Sources of Free Psytrance

Ektoplazm is the #1 source of free psytrance on the web–but it isn’t the only one. Since I am all about knowledge-sharing I have prepared this quick guide to some of the other web sites where you might find free psytrance releases. I would also like to open things up so anyone out there can scan the web for new releases worth hearing. These days I don’t have the time to scour the net as much as I once did–but there is no reason that a small army of motivated fans couldn’t do the same with the information I am about to present. If you find anything that meets Ektoplazm’s quality criteria (outlined here) please send me a tip using the contact form. Note that I don’t bother with anything that isn’t released in lossless quality–that immediately cuts out most of what you will come across. That being said, anything worthwhile that doesn’t make the cut on technical grounds is usually dumped into the more music section of the site.

Search Methods

The most straight-forward way to hunt for new releases not available through the various netlabel homepages (see below) is to scan the major psytrance forums. Social networks like Facebook and MySpace are also good–if you are already connected with artists releasing something for free. RSS would be a really powerful method for finding free music but few sites other than Ektoplazm offer it. For those that do I have provided links in the text below. (Not sure how to use RSS? Sign up for Google Reader and start adding subscriptions.)

When you go looking you will find a limited number of formal releases (albums, compilations, and EPs) and plenty of ad hoc collections of single MP3 downloads. I am only interested in promoting releases here on Ektoplazm but you can always check out single tracks to see if an artist has some potential.

Primary Sources

Most netlabels do a decent job informing the public of new releases but it can be worthwhile to scan their homepages from time to time. Ektoplazm is partnered with Cosmogenesis Recordings, Digital Diamonds, Helicon Sound System, N.Division Media, Sonic Tantra Records, and SunStation, all of which generally send over advance copies of new releases (and in some cases distribute exclusively through Ektoplazm) so it isn’t necessary to add these organizations to your search. Now, netlabels are a dime a dozen these days, but not all of them seem serious. I’ll just list them alphabetically and bold the ones that tend to put out higher-quality releases (for their style):

• Anomalistic Records (site currently offline) is an American netlabel dedicated to the experimental frontiers of night-time psychedelic trance.
• Antiscarp Recordings is a Finnish label releasing free Suomi-style music as well as commercial content.
• BetaChronic is a Greek netlabel specializing in the more uplifting side of new school Goa trance. MP3 only.
• Buddha Mantra Records is a Portuguese label with diverse interests.
• Fools Forest is an eclectic label focusing more on industrial and dark ambient but there is some great stuff to be found in their catalogue. MP3 only, alas.
• Hispanodelicius Records is a South American psytrance netlabel founded by Dark Fox.
• Infinity Loop Music is the home of Psyentifica, a Canadian downtempo and psytrance producer with his own in-house netlabel.
• Liquid Frequency is a new Indian netlabel focusing on the darkpsy style.
• Mind Expansion is a German psytrance label that releases some free promotional material every now and then.
• Multiplex Records is a German netlabel releasing MP3s. Email them and ask for lossless!
• Nebular Tunes is a Mexican netlabel focusing on the progressive psytrance style.
• Neurotrance Records is a Bolivian netlabel founded by Erofex. Psytrance and chill out.
• Phasetech is an independent netlabel releasing material by the artist. MP3 only.
• Positive Reaction Records is a Russian full-on netlabel operated by SOM.
• Postunder Records is a very eclectic netlabel from Israel that occasionally dabbles in psytrance.
• Scared Evil Records is one of the more serious horror/night psy netlabels out there.
• Speedsound (formerly Psydom) is a netlabel of some sort that distributes via Jamendo. Not sure what releases in their catalogue are original–they’ve posted a bunch of stuff from Ektoplazm without asking.
• Triplag started out as a darkpsy netlabel but hasn’t released any free material for a long time.
• Unwashed Records is an American netlabel with a focus on darkpsy and experimental night sounds.
• Up Records has been known to divvy out some free music, treading between psytrance and more glitchy, dubstep-inspired material.
• Uxmal Records is another Mexican progressive netlabel of some kind.
• Wonk#Ay Records is an experimental darkpsy label from the UK.
• Zealotry Music is a Danish chill out netlabel.
• Zero Blade operates Shamanicaros Records, another darkpsy netlabel.
• Various darkpsy/psycore/experimental netlabels or other organizations known for releasing free music: Berlin Psychedelic Movement, BlooDSuck Records, Dark Terror Records, El Espanto Urbano Productions, Goagemein.de Recording, Insane Chaos Circuit, Mental Sauce, Psychotic Viridis Records, Psymoon Records, Skitzophrenik Lifeform Records, The Darkpsyde, Twisted Minds Records, and Ultra Vision Records.

Did I miss anything worth caring about? Let me know.

Secondary Sources

98% of the good stuff can be found by keeping an eye on just a few high-value targets: Isratrance, Psynews, Triplag, and Freetrance (when it is updated). Most of the rest can be uncovered by sifting through regional communities and some of the more general electronic dance music forums:

• The Isratrance Forum inevitably attracts free music postings from all over the world. Specific areas to check: Promotional Media (where free netlabel releases are supposed to go), Promotional Releases (RSS; some netlabel releases might sneak in here), and, if you’re feeling adventurous, New Tracks (for unsigned/demo content).
• Psynews is the other big international message forum for psytrance. Look into the Music Promotion (RSS) and Artist News and Label Announcements (RSS) forums for free psytrance.
• Triplag’s Free Releases area is home to a lot of unique darkpsy/psycore content. If you’re interested in the extreme end of the psytrance spectrum this is not a forum to overlook.
• Free Trance (RSS) is a great blog devoted to free psytrance. Authored by Alfredo Garcia, it is also available in Spanish. Too bad it hasn’t been updated in a while!
• The Goabase Forum is a large psytrance community based in Germany. Sometimes you may find a free release scattered in amongst the other content but it’s hit or miss.
• Psymusic’s New Releases room might have some content worth going over.
• Chilluminati’s Music forum is sometimes home to the odd American release that can’t be found elsewhere.
• Oztrance has a Music Reviews and Promotion area that you may wish to peruse.
• The Shameless Self Promotion board at di.fm collects a lot of random stuff.
• Tranceaddict’s Music Producers Promotion area is quite active but it isn’t genre-specific.

You might also want to check out some of the mainstream netlabel resources out there. I have yet to find any genuinely good psytrance on these sites but it seems possible. At the very least you might come across some techno or downtempo with some crossover appeal:

• The archive.org Netlabels collection (RSS) has a ton of material. You could also try this search to uncover some psytrance-related content. It does not appear that uptake is very high so you aren’t likely to find much.
• Jamendo is a major free music provider with a fair number of psytrance releases.
• Rowolo and Elektrobong list netlabel releases from a variety of sources.
• Netlabels.org is the granddaddy of netlabel resources but it will take some work to figure out what is worth hearing.

I should also mention that you can find free (and legal) psytrance releases on many pirate sites. It is somewhat sad that some artists choose to use illegal platforms as their primary distribution channel. I say “sad” because these releases are seldom presented in a professional fashion–and simply by association with illegal activity it is sometimes difficult to openly share and promote. Then there is the difficulty of distinguishing legitimate free releases from leaked albums and illegal rips. Pretty much all you can do is read the info files and try to get a sense of things. Now, most of these sites can be found with a simple Google search so I won’t link to anything other than PsyPlanet, which has a dedicated area for free releases.

So, did I miss anything? Probably. But that’s where you come in–let me know if you can think of a psytrance netlabel or free music source that should be added to this list! And, as mentioned, feel free to send on a tip if I happen to overlook anything really cool–just make sure the release meets Ektoplazm’s quality standards.

Photo credit: “heart” by chandrika221.