The Yantra mantra

>> >> DJ Neerav's stance on trance

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

"Imagine how George Washington would feel about America today," says DJ/promoter/zinemeister Neerav, finding an analogy for the current trance scene. "On the one hand, he'd be amazed at its scope and marvels. On the other hand, he'd probably want to start another friggin' revolution." A central fixture on the local rave front since its inception, Neerav has the historical perspective to justify his frustration with the creeping commercialism and passivity in trance. Thing is, he's far too sweet-natured to foment anything but the softest revolution. Love, life and art are his weapons of choice, events like Nevada's yearly Burning Man events his blueprint for battle.

A dozen years ago, musical itinerant Neerav found himself on the Thai island of Koh Phangan, where the full-moon parties were eclipsing the stalled Goa scene. Mistaken for a DJ, he found his calling--or at least that aspect of it--by fluke. "That was my first gig, and the first time I'd settled down on a style of music. Ten years later, I'm still into trance."

Upon his return to North America, withdrawal symptoms kicked in for Neerav, then still known as DJ Mini-mono. "I was desperate to reconnect with this experience, because I was in culture shock. There was a scene here, but it was just beginning. I asked myself what I could do to make myself useful, indispensable even. The answer was starting a magazine."

Thus was Trance 5000 born, growing from hand-typed, Xeroxed broadsheet to flashy, globally distributed trance bible. "I paid my dues and, at a certain point, I decided to let go. Five years later, my brother [Jon Ascencio of Pest 5000] who's mailing address I had used, said I should start it up again because he was still getting mail, from Europe, the States, Australia. He was right--I'd done all the groundwork, so why not rev up the old engine, give her a new body, fine-tune her a bit and away we go."

This weekend sees the Passage 1 party, a benefit for the back-in-action, still-free-to-a-good-home zine. Neerav notes that careful coordination of DJs (G. O'Brien, Nivoc, G in the Box and Interchill's Gordon Field, among others) and VJs (Yan Breuleux, Laws of Robotics, Johnny Ranger and Phosphène) is in place. "They know what to expect from each other, what the palette of colours available for each set is.

"There's such pre-event excitement surrounding Passage 1. I think people can sense when a lot of good intention and love has been put in, and that it's for a good cause. It shifts something in their perspective. They come with more of a participatory attitude than one of consumption."

That attitude is intact in Neerav's Yantra nights at Café Campus, which bring in not only live world music like Sitarissimo but are now branching out to art en direct. "I'm trying to create a space where people can come and feel free to open up. I'm integrating more arts, saying, 'Guys, this is our vehicle, let's create it together.' This is an experiment, and if it succeeds, we have ideas like you wouldn't believe."

Passage 1 happens on Saturday, Jan. 27, 10pm, $22; location info at 230-8026