CHAISHOP - The fresh underground trance scene of ARGENTINA

The fresh underground trance scene of ARGENTINA

The complete story about Trance in Argentina!

Author: Filter
Date: Mar 10, 2005
Views: 2942

The Country

Inhabitants - 39 millions

Local currency - Argentine Peso

Entry Requirements - A passport is required of most visitors except the countries of Mercosur Latinoamerica. Renewable tourist visas are issued at airports and borders, and are good for 90 days excepted Australians and New Zealanders.

Vaccines - not required

Geographical regions - Argentina presents very dissimilar regions. There are plains and mountain ranges; woods and jungles; arid, swampy or clayish lands

Latitude - 3,694 km

Surface - 1,200,000 km2

Hydrography- A large number of rivers which are extremely important in hydroelectric terms.

Climate- One of the most salient features of the territory is its variety of climates: humid, dry, tropical heat or nival cold, through different kinds of mild climates.

Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Over the past decade the country has suffered economic problems of inflation, external debt, capital flight, and budget deficits. The economic situation worsened in 2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds and massive withdrawals from the banks. The peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002, and the peso was floated in February with a rapidly inflation, but by mid-2002 the economy had stabilized. Led by record exports, the economy began to recover the economical output, unemployment falling, and inflation sliced. Argentina today is an extremly cheap travel location!

History

Along wirh numerous nomadic tribespeople, two main indigenous groups existed in Argentina before the European arrival. Successful resistance enabled the native peoples of Argentina to carry on a campaign against colonization and rule by the Spanish. The first Spaniard to land in Argentina were killed in 1516, and several attempts to found the recent Capital Buenos Aires were stymied by the local inhabitants, in the the late 16th century Buenos Aires was securely established. Buenos Aires was forbidden by the mother country Spain to trade with foreign countries, and the city became a smuggler haunt.The British attacked Buenos Aires in 1806 and 1807, the colony repulsed this attacks without assistance from Spain, which helped to increase the region's growing sense of independence. By 1816, the division between Argentina and its mother country had become apparent, and a party of separatists decided to declare the country's independence. Early independence in Argentina was marked by struggles between political groups. Anyway it developed through the 19th and 20th century into the richest country of Latinoamerica. The advent of modernity in the country brought a rise of new social sectors: the working classes, the industrial bourgeoisie and the middle classes. Democracy supervised the whole process although sometimes circumstances and governments had little to do with democratic policies marked by the confrontation between conservatives and radicals. In such conditions, in 1946 President >> Perón took office, with the support of vast popular masses. The implementation of new economical and social policies characterized his two first consecutive mandates till 1955 when the militar put an end to the Peronist government.
Between 1976 and 1983, Argentina lived its most heart-rending period. The military dictatorships which succeeded each other during those years were the most violent and agonizing with systematic violation of the Human Rights and accumulation of a monstrous foreign debt.
In 1983 the country recovered democracy which is still in force nowadays.

People

Argentina's culture has been greatly affected by its immigrant population, mostly Europeans. The European immigrant groups each adopted different roles. The Basque and Irish controlled sheep rearing, the Germans and Italians established farms, and the British invested in developing the country's infra- structure. Their influence contributed to the demise of pre-Columbian cultures, resulting in the lack of a dominant indigenous population. The principal indigenous peoples are the Quechua of the northwest and the Mapuche in Patagonia. Other marginal groups include the Matacos and Tobas in the Chaco and other northeastern cities. There are strong Jewish and Anglo-Argentine communities; small ones of Japanese, Chileans, Bolivians, Paraguayan and Uraguayan residents.

More than one-third of the country's people live in Buenos Aires, the capital, which along with other urban areas accounts for almost 90% of the total population.

The universal language of Argentina is Castellano, a spanish dialect, but many natives and immigrants keep their mother tongues as a matter of pride.

Sightseeing

Patagonia Region - This vast region south of Buenos Aires begins at the Rio Colorado and stretches to the Straits of Magellan. It encompasses interior mountains and glaciers in the provinces of Rio Negro and Neuquen; sandy beaches on its Atlantic coast, and forests of beechwood and monkey puzzle trees where it meets the Andes. In the region of El Bolson a big hippie community increased to live a life out of the cities.

Peninsula Valdes - Home to large numbers of sea lions, elephant seals, guanacos, rheas, Magellanic penguins and other sea birds, whales. Sheep ranches occupy much of the interior section.

Ushuaia - Few relics remain testifying to life at this former missionary base and subsequent Argentinean prison. It became a key military base in 1950 and is now a major vacation destination. Forestry and fishing are the chief occupations of its inhabitants.

Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi - The main feature of the park is Lago Nahuel Huapi, a 100 km long lake formed by the Pleistocene glaciers, possessing a single narrow island at its centre. Isla Victoria as it is now known, is notable for its rare species of trees and for a number of exotic animals, including the pudu and the huemul, both rare indigenous deer. The lake is home to a number of native fish species. The attraction of this region is excellent high country trekking, among its rugged mountains and alpine meadows. Just west of the lake is Tronador -meaning thunderer-, a 3554-metre/11722-foot extinct volcano, and the Chilean border. The area is noted for its forest-covered mountain slopes and the summer blanket of wildflowers.

Parque Nacional Laguna Blanca - Laguna Blanca is a shallow lake formed when lava flows dammed two small streams. One of only two swan sanctuaries in the western hemisphere, it is a breeding ground for the distinctive black- necked swan. Laguna Blanca also features other bird species, such as coots, grebes, upland geese, gulls, and flamingos.

Parque Nacional Lanin - This tranquil forest area extends 150 km north from Nahuel Huapi to Lago Norquinco, with snow- capped, 776-metre/ 12615-foot Volcan Lanin as its centerpiece. Its flora includes huge stands of broadleaf deciduous southern beech, rauli, and pehuen (monkey puzzle tree), plus lenga, nire, and coihue, which are characteristic of more southerly forests. Many finger-shaped lakes attest to the passage of glaciers.

Reserva Provincial Punta Tombo - Between September and April, half a million Magellanic penguins breed at Punta Tombo, 110 km south of Trelew. Other prevalent bird species include cormorants, giant petrels, kelp gulls, flightless steamer ducks, and oystercatchers.
Parque Nacional Los Alerces was built to protect extensive groves of alerce a large and ancient conifers that can exceed 150 feet in height and 12 feet in diameter. Alerces well over two millenia in age grow amongst stands of cypress and incense cedar. The park is located west of Esquel and also features pristine lakes and streams, enchanting views and excellent fishing. The area is usually mild in the summer although it can be quite wet at other times.

Parque Nacional Los Glaciares with four dozen major glaciers is with its 2300 square mile/ 6000 square kilometer park a unique opportunity to see some of the most powerful forces of nature. The northern section is characterized by its steep jagged peaks, including Cerro Fitzroy which exceeds 11000 feet. This section of the park with an exceptionally challenging and dangerous climbing area is popular among trekkers and mountaineers. Moreno Glacier, one of the world's few remaining advancing glaciers is the most spectacular. About every three years the glacier cuts off the flow of water into the lake “Lago Argentino” resulting in an immense accumulation of pressure in an explosive resolution.

The Trance Scene

The psy scene concentrates in Buenos Aires / Capital Federal, in Cordoba, La Pampa and Rosario are also some people organizing in- or outdoor events. Regularly dates as known from other countries doesn’t exist that much, but they are upcoming. Most of the outdoor parties are for free in public places like parks because of less capital to rent commercial areas. The sound is financed through selling drinks. Decoracion and light is on a minimum level, except the parties with an entrance fee.

The Fraggles are mostly between 18 and 25 years old, a “hippie community” with older members doesn’t exist in the scene. Almost on every happening are people offering their talents to the public doing fire shows, acrobatic and other amazing animations.

It exist a visitor exchange with the hard trance scene, a lot of people out of this join the psychedelic events because of its special character and also because some organizers do both kind of parties.

1996 started the psychedelic movement with a beachparty in the middle of nowhere. It was organized by Pierce, a traveller from Wales coming from his trips to India, claiming he had the mission of expanding budism throughout the world using trance as the way in. With a small equipment, some uv lights, strange music and a few people who attended it.
The psy-addicted visitors of that first event started a community of party organizers and djs called Terrestres Anonimos. They set up many parties in a huge park of downtown Buenos Aires, the Planetario. Those parties where illegally done without permission, just occupying the place with a small necessary equipment for having a “fiesta”. The first live act of Argentina called Mindprobe was formed and a new group called X-Tribe started with organizing parties. Everything was still underground, a small psychedelic tribe of friends who acted with love, stability, energy and an incredible vibe.
2002 the scene grew very fast. The internet portal Psytrance.com.ar was created as a community to unify the scene with discussion and exchange. New people from the electronical scene which is dominated by techno and house started to join the events.

2003 was a very important step towards building a nice psychedelic scene in Argentina. More and more people started noticiting what happens, the organizers got their strength together with the biggest parties of the psystory, giving the scene a professional profile with good sound, locations and deco.
International artists like Analog Pussy and Fred Neuromotor played in Buenos Aires, and confrontated the people with new sounds and styles from other parts of the world. As psychedelic trance is still underground in Argentina, it showed that the public is open minded to psychedelic events. Big parties were only possible because of cooperation between the small number of organizers. Each party brought new people into the scene, it kept it stable and made the movement grow and get stronger. The Psychedelic Outdoor Experience was the only big open air 2003, it had an attendance of 800 persons which is by far the record. Apart from big events, a lot of small parties started appearing.

2004 started with a 3 day festival in one of the most beautiful places which is El Bolson in Patagonia. This festival took place in the coast of Rio Azul. International artists like sam@chaishop.com and a support crew from Chile played there, a sign that the scene has still a bright future during the next years. The festival was amazing in regards of diversity, unity, energy!

Date: Mar 10, 2005
Text: magi.e, Filter
Photos: magi.e, Sebastian
Taken from: The Trancers Guide to the Galaxy 2004

Parties

Fullmoon Trance / regularly @ Plaza Francia Buenos Aires - Capital Federal
Psychedelic Outdoor Experience / Province of Buenos Aires

Artists

Dj Yage, X-Ren, Neurona, Filter, Fredy, Pepsan, Murray
Liveacts Mindprobe, Megalopsy
Deco Maia, Murray

Labels

Subzero Records

Doc Sonic informs

The consumption of Marjuana, Mushrooms and Cokain is very frequently and cheap. LSD, Extasy and Amphetamines are expensive imported from other countries. Every kind of drug is prohibited by the law except mushrooms and other plants. At the moment there are discussions about legalizing the consume of 5g of Marijuana. Caught with every kind of stuff means to spend some (or also more) hours in the police station. With strangers the gouvernment tries to go a moderate way because of future plans of increasing the tourist industry. Argentina is a transit route for cocaine from Bolivia. Emergency contact: +54 / (11) 43 81 91 55