Styles and language
Goa trance
The melodic, narrative form consolidated in the 1990s: layered arpeggios, acid lines, long themes and continuous progression.
Psytrance
A broad family emerging from Goa’s lineage, usually with tighter kick and bass, sharply cut effects and precise digital production.
Full-on
An energetic 2000s branch: driving bass, immediate leads, defined breaks and strong dancefloor impact.
Progressive psytrance
Roomier groove, hypnotic repetition and gradual development. Its borders with progressive house and techno vary by era.
Darkpsy
Dark textures, high density, dissonant synthesis and a deep-night narrative.
Forest
Organic, labyrinthine psychedelia with detailed percussion, damp timbres and less predictable movement.
Hi-tech
Extreme tempo, rapid changes, hyperactive sound design and near-cinematic editing.
Psytech / psytechno
A hybrid zone between hypnotic techno and psychedelic sound design; the name does not describe one fixed template.
Kick–bass
The rhythmic and spectral relationship between kick drum and bass notes. In modern psytrance it defines much of the sensation of speed and weight.
Live act
A performance based on an artist’s own material, with varying degrees of execution and improvisation. It does not automatically mean every element is played live.
The useful rule
If two people disagree on the label but describe the sound precisely, the description matters more. In the catalogue we retain source terminology and add a separate editorial classification when needed.