DJ Solitare @ Apsara 2023

DJ Solitare @ Apsara 2023

Author: DJ Solitare October 15, 2025 Duration: 2:01:01
A recording of the set that I played at the Apsara Festival in Hungary on Saturday August 12, 2023, from 630pm to 830pm. I was given a truly wonderful time slot leading into the final full night at the event, from full daylight at 630pm through to full darkness by the time my set ended at a bit after 830pm, enabling me to do a journey through various moods as the light shifted - one of my favourite things to do, as these transitions were among the most memorable parts of my experiences on the dance floor in the 90s. Things had been super high-energy throughout each day, and I thought it important to provide a bit of breathing space, so I took the risk of starting things a bit more slowly for a gear change in the lead-up to the evening; this led to about half of the dancers leaving for a while, but those who stuck around went through a meandering journey through a range of vibes as well as different speeds - from 130 bpm up to 148 at times, ending at a full-power 140. I had hoped to play Etnica's Screaming Butterfly just before things got dark, so I observed the shift in light in the previous evenings and fortunately was able to time it just right during the set ... and because the artist after me was a bit delayed setting up, I got to put on the Pleiadians epic classic Maia, which ended up blowing the lid off the party and making for an incredibly ecstatic climax to the set. I delayed uploading this recording as there are a few unreleased numbers on here and now that one major one has been issued it was easier to consider sharing the set; I additionally opted to make an edit in one of the most exceptional rarities - unfortunately it's become a norm for folks to rip rare tracks off of online mixes and play them out - so for the purposes of home listening, the extended 'desk mix' of Slinky Wizard's Lunar Juice is about half of its full length and has a couple of fades. The rest of the journey is exactly as it was played ... including one challenging transition where the track's 'drift' made precise mixing impossible - very retro DAT-style! I had a terrific time playing the set and I'm very pleased with the full journey, and I hope you will enjoy it.

For those who feel the original pulse of psychedelic trance, Goa Trance Formation offers a deep and authentic journey. Hosted by DJ Solitare, whose real name is Mark Ainley, this podcast is built on a foundation that spans decades. Mark isn't just a selector; he's a classically-trained musician who maintains a parallel career in the classical industry, bringing a unique ear for composition and structure to the electronic realm. His history is part of the scene's fabric, with active involvement since 1994. Each episode represents his dual allegiance to pioneering labels: the Italian retro-focused DAT Universe and Tsuyoshi Suzuki's seminal Matsuri Digital. What you'll hear is a deliberate fusion, a mixing style that respectfully bridges the genre's formative, organic sounds with the clarity and drive of contemporary productions. This isn't a random playlist, but a curated narrative-a "formation" in both a musical and almost geological sense, layering the old with the new to create something timeless. Listening to this podcast feels like accessing a living archive, where the spirit of Goa is not a relic but a continuously evolving conversation. Expect seamless mixes where classic melodies meet modern basslines, all guided by an insider's perspective on where the sound has been and where it's intuitively heading next. The result is a cohesive, hour-long experience that honors the roots while firmly facing the future, perfect for long drives, focused work, or late-night headphone sessions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 24

Goa Trance Formation
Podcast Episodes
DJ Solitare Retro Spring Mix [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:28
A retro set I mixed about 7 years ago at a time when SoundCloud was blocking certain mixes because of specific tracks - something that hasn't happened in a while, so I'm presenting it here now. This mix that continues th…
DJ Solitare @ Apsara Online [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:58
My set for the Apsara Mini Online Festival on August 16, 2020. I had been due to play at the festival in Romania but as with all other events it was canceled. This set is very different from what I would have played at t…
Intergalactic Sunrise livestream mix [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:31
My morning set for the Intergalactic Sunrise streaming event hosted by Intergalactic Productions on the Goa Trance Australia Facebook page on May 2-3, 2020. I was asked to play a retro set and given the 730am local time…
DJ Solitare 'Play Goa' livestream: Into The Darkness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:28:22
A recording of a livestream set on the Play Goa page on Facebook as part of an online event on April 25, 2020. I had been asked to play night music, so ... that I did: lots of night-time stormers from the 90s, with a dra…
DJ Solitare @ Puzzle Effect Psychedelic Virtual Gathering April 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55:27
My livestream set for the Psychedelic Virtual Gathering sponsored by Puzzle Effect on Facebook on April 12, 2020. This retro set features longtime favourites - all released tracks, barring one slightly different alternat…
DJ Solitare on Trancendance - December 15 2019 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:09
My guest appearance on the Trancendance radio program with host DJ Smiley Mike on December 15, 2019. In this episode, we discuss a little bit of the evolution of Goa trance into modern psytrance, where I make a case for…
David Hikari's 1994 'Connected' Ambient Mix [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:20
A glorious ambient mix made by David Dobson in Japan in the '94-'95 season. This mix was produced for the Tokyo-based shop Connected, who every month offered mixtapes for sale, one side being a dance mix, the other side…
DJ Solitare @ ZNA - Goa Guardians 2019 remix [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:11:07
A remix of my August 20, 2019 set that closed the Goa Guardians pre-party at the ZNA Gathering in Portugal. I had agreed to have my set recorded, but unfortunately the device was accidentally set to microphone mode when…
DJ Solitare @ ZNA 2019 Goa Guardians (microphone recording) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:08:45
The recording of my August 20, 2019 set that closed the Goa Guardians pre-party at the ZNA Gathering in Portugal. While I had agreed to have my set recorded, unfortunately a button was pushed when the device was plugged…