Oct 10, 2002 - Text: Sam - Translation: Van - Photos: Fred, Flower, Basti, Sam

(swap to french version)

July 26, 2002. Another chapter of Voov Experience, Germany's famous trance gathering, begins. The eleventh time. A party started eleven years ago by "Goa-Freaks" Antaro and Scotty in a stone pit in northern Germany. Today it's a bit bigger, louder, more professional. But the spirit's still there!

Voov is and always was a showcase of all trance spirits of the present. It never ceased to be Authentic. It never stopped to be crazy. The crowd expanded but the veterans are still there. It got professional but here this doesn't mean bad. A pratical fusion between german efficiency and psychedelic freedom and chaos!

After last year having the mexican Voov this was for sure the brasilian. Brasilians have not only won the football worldcup - they also developed an amazingly vital and beautiful trance scene. This includes suprisingly good djs who were present all around Europe this year. With four of them playing at Voov. But not only them were around - also dozens of visitors from Brasil who were present this year more than ever.

Their favorite drink came even earlier. Caipirinha - a mix of the brand Cachaça with lime and sugar - conquered the german trance party scene years ago. That's especially funny since original "trance freaks" were proud to ban alcohol from their parties. Well, not anymore...

Around 10,000 people joined Voov this year. A bit less than last year (12,000) but that's ok since last year was the tenth anniversary. The crowd was as usual the most international crowd you can find on a german trance party. Or probably even on every german party since the trance scene is known to be internationally well connected and interested in travelling to other countries. No distance is long enough. Even people from Japan were there not in small numbers.

The location was the same as last year - a nice field with forest and lake in ex. eastern Germany close to the city Putlitz. Having the right location is essential and definitely not easy in Germany. Keeping a nice location for several years is very difficult but the Voov crew tries to. They involve local businesses in the festival and invite people from the village to take a look!

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Amrisha contributed her maian mandalas to the second floor tent this time

DJ Marcello V.O.R. (Brasil) full grooving

The weather was brilliant - also for Germany not easy. A party in Germany stands and falls with the weather. Bad weather can mean that only half or even less people are coming. This ruined some organisers in the past!

The setup of decoration and the stages were pretty similar to last year. Which doesn't mean it's bad. You return to a "city" that you left one year ago and find nearly everything in place. Plus a couple of improvements and other new mind ticklers.

Besides of one hour of powercut on the second stage everything worked perfect. Maybe to perfect? You could set your watch by the dj changes!

Well ok, maybe the ambient and experimental stages were a bit displaced. You ask what? Well maybe you haven't seen them. They were put back on the field left to the dancefloor with quite a distance. Nobody really wanted to walk there so nobody was there. In my opinion stages and shops should always be set in a way that you pass them all on your way from the main stage to your tent.

The music this time was amazingly great and it's the first Voov that I found myself with a timetable in my hands walking over the field. Artists from all over the world were invited with the mainstage featuring Antaro, Riktam & Bansi (GMS), Anti, Marc Allen and some I forgot. The main stage is always just on for apx. 16 hours but the second stage (which has been tremendously improved over the past years) more like 55 hours. Don't ask me about it's lineup but there were a lot of pearls for everybodies ears. The second stage closed the party as scheduled at exactly 6h on monday morning.

Trance party goers have the strange attitude that they never want to stop partying. Actually I like this ;-> If you give them a sound system they will for sure go on one week, maybe even two. So people didn't know what to do when at 6h the music finished, what is a world (or a field) without music?

Usually there is an after party done by some shop or anyone who has a sound system. But this year these after parties were stopped immediately by the organisers. The reason is understandable: They have a deal with the closeby city that the party stops at Monday morning. Since they are interested in having the Voov happening here also next year they would like to keep their promise. Fair enough.

Finally nearly everybody was happy and had a nice party. The monday was used to chill out at the lake or to drive home or even to work!

Well, see you again next year...

Sam@Chaishop.com

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