04/05/2024
Back in the early 2000s, I stumbled upon psytrance music. Or maybe, it stumbled upon me. One of my earliest memories of getting lost in the psychedelic sounds was with Infected Mushroom and their albums The G*thering, Classical Mushroom, and B.P. Empire. Those albums completely flipped my perspective on music production and electronic beats. I was hooked! My friends and I could spend hours soaking in those tracks, discussing each one into the wee hours of the morning.
When I was about to turn 18, I pulled out all the stops to convince my mom to let me jet off to London with my cousin to catch this incredible band live. It wasn’t an easy sell, but after some serious pleading (and maybe a bit of bargaining), she finally caved. I mean, she could see how much their music meant to me, right? So there I was, a wide-eyed 17-year-old blonde, off on my first solo adventure to soak in the magic of a live gig. And let me tell you, it was one of the most mind-blowing experiences of my life. Meeting my idols and snagging their autographs afterward was just the cherry on top.
After that, I was hooked on the rave scene. I mean, who wouldn't be? The music, the people, the crazy decorations—it was like stepping into another world. And let’s not forget the DJs. Female DJs were a rare sight back then, but I’ll never forget the day I saw this super cool, energetic blonde lady absolutely killing it behind the decks. Her vibe was infectious, and the beats she dropped were pure fire. She became a true inspiration —our lovely DJ ANNELI.
When I finally took the plunge into DJing myself, I dabbled in all sorts of genres: progressive house, electro, minimal techno—you name it. But as time went on, I found myself drawn to Progressive Psytrance like a moth to a flame.
In 2005, I stumbled upon an unmarked burned CD that someone had left at my place. I popped it into my CDJ, and let's just say my jaw hit the floor. It was progressive, sure, but with a twist—a sound so unique and catchy, it was impossible to stay still. That album, "No Way to Leave" by the incredible Neelix, became a cornerstone of my DJ style, shaping it in ways I never imagined.
So yeah, you could say Infected Mushroom, DJ Anneli, and Neelix have had a pretty big impact on my life—both as a person and as a DJ. And get this: nearly 20 years later, I’m sharing the stage with all of them at once! Crazy, right? It's all going down at Technostate Sweden Big Bang on June 1st at Evenew in Stockholm—a dream come true if there ever was one. Huge shoutout to Niklas Psarros and his crew for making it happen.
Always follow your passion. Always.