Global Tribe: Technology, Spirituality and Psytrance (Studies in Popular Music)

This sociological, cultural anthropological, and historical study will be of interest to spiritual musicologists because it thoroughly and in extreme detail traces the lineage from the 1960s psychedelic rock, with its original "gathering of tribes," through the rage of raves of the 1980s, to the worldwide festivals of techno trance-dance, all involving entheogens and psychotropic drugs. The author was a participant. The book is scholarly with references, notes, and a discography and filmography. What is missing and needed is a Glossary of terms, slang, and acronymns. St. John describes the particular evolution of psytrance from its days in Goa, the former Portugese colony along the Indian coast, which extended the hippie period of spiritual world travels to the recent carnival-like, more commercial festivals that go well beyond the more artistic Burning Man gatherings. Eclectic appropriation of Eastern religious themes and symbols are noted, as participants are reluctant to do the hard work of formal religious studies but focus instead on the methodology of marathon movement against electronic hard beat music. Traditional Sufi dikhrs with holotropic breathing and movement and West African and Afro-Caribbean Orishan dance practices against persistent drumming are models; however the use of drugs as short-cuts or synergistic sacraments is the distinction. Nonetheless, spiritual, mystical insights are attained, akin to the famous Good Friday Experiment. Of further interest is the comparison of the way Israelis seek such festivals as an escape from the troubles and tensions of living in the Mideast with Australians, whose doofs have an environmental direction and connections with Aborigone ethos. Such gatherings of adherents are ritualistic and communal and counter-cultural.

Kudos to this author for achieving something unusual and brilliant: a passionate look at the history and development and impact of electronic dance music worldwide, while also keeping his objectivity. A detailed sociological study of evidence of an emerging consciousness. Lay readers need a rather good vocabulary and fair amount of patience to get through this, but it's worth the trip. Academics will find the language, if not the subject, familiar enough.

A very interesting read. A mixture of anthropology, sociology, music history, and a look into the many facets of the psychedelic dance scene. Definitely a worthwhile read if EDMCs interest you.

I have just finished reading Graham St Johns 'Global Tribe' and have been so utterly astounded by the depth and coverage he has given to a subject so complex it is rarely dissected. For years I have been reading as much as I can on the EDM movement and so have a good sense of what is out there. While most books have only captured the icing, 'Global Tribe' gives you the whole cake, ingredients and recipe. This book was filled with so many new perspectives (and terminology) on electronic music culture that this book will serve as a pillar for future research into this cultural phenomenon. St. John digs into the relationship between spirituality, technology (as he calls 'spiritechnics') and the evolution of psytrance, including its mythologies of apocalypse hidden within the fridges of 'darkpsy' an offers a colorful analysis that opened my eyes to a deeper perspective on subjects on religion, festivals, and ecstatic cultures altogether. This is a MUST READ. But be sure to have a pen and pad of paper handy because this book is filled with so much gold your gonna want to take some notes....

This book will prove to be the quintessential publication which brilliantly and colorfully describes the worldwide rural outdoor electronic music festival scene. Written with the expertise and precision of a Doctor of Social Anthropology it is also highly entertaining reading as it is penned by a man who obviously loves the scene he studies. This book is a must for anyone who has experienced or wishes to look vividly into the mind expanding and life affirming world of outdoor electronic music festivals. A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ!

Good book