The Psychotropic Zone - Finland
 
 
The Psychotropic Zone
 
 
 

The Psychotropic Zone is a psychedelic music club in Helsinki, Finland.

Zone guides and DJ’s Astro and Stalker host it. They also happen to be members of a psychedelic space rock band Dark Sun (http://hop.to/darksun). They started their club in early 2001. Their goal is to spread the mind-expanding message of psychedelic music, from the 60’s to present day. Stuff they play can be categorised as psychedelic rock, acid, space, garage, kraut, stoner rock, psychedelic folk, free jazz and so on.

The idea was not to play new electronic music like psy-trance, but sometimes they’ve made some exceptions… So far the club has materialized in a cellar of bar called Stellastar. The place is ideal for an underground happening like this, but it can only hold about 90 people.

During the club nights, the place is decorated with all kinds of psychedelic lights, projectors, great butterflies painted with UV-paint and so on.

So far they’ve had the club once a month. The entrance to the spring gatherings was free, because the organizers don’t try to make money out of it. When the autumn arrived, they had to start charging something, to cover the costs of the live bands, which began to pour in.

The two first bands were from Pori, and both have strong Circle connections. Ektroverde was the first live act at Psychotropic Zone, and delivered a mind-blowing set of psychedelic jamming. Next was Pharaoh Overlord featuring Circle members.

They played a set of hypnotic, heavy stoner psych excursions. Great!
 
 
The Psychotropic Zone
 
 
The Psychotropic Zone
 
 
The Psychotropic Zone
 
 
Next year the guys are planning to take their club to bigger venues (Tavastia, Gloria). This will enable them to get a bit bigger bands like Circle, and also to invite psych bands like The Spacious Mind from abroad. Let’s hope that this will happen!

The psychedelic audience in Finland isn’t that big yet, but things seem to be getting better. A lot of freaks have expressed their warm feelings for Psychotropic Zone, so there really is a need for all this.

You really can’t hear this kind of music anywhere else in Finland!
 
 
The Psychotropic Zone
 
 
The Psychotropic Zone
 
 

The next Zone will happen on the 26th of October. The live band will be local Saunabadh, featuring a Finnish guitar hero Hasse Walli, who used to be in famous band Piirpauke in the 70’s. He’s also a half-brother to Kingston Wall guitar player and singer Petri Walli (R.I.P).

On the 3rd of November there will be a special “Dark Sun plays psych classics” happening. There will be cover versions by bands like Tomorrow, Pretty Things, The Moody Blues, Velvet Fog, Bevis Frond, Magic Mushroom Band, Hawkwind, Porcupine Tree…

On the 30th of November, the acts are Sajah Unlimited and Shankara, reflecting the more organic and acoustic side of psychedelia. If you happen to be in Helsinki, feel free to drop in! Stellastar is located in Kallio, Helsinki. The street address is Helsinginkatu 21.

There have been some plans to start a Psychotropic Zone radio program next year at a local radio station, so the boys are expanding!

 

Santtu Laakso - 2001