
If you’ve ever walked into a rave and felt like you’ve accidentally stepped inside a high-voltage rainbow, you’re not alone. Psychedelic Colour has a chokehold on us; neon pinks that hum like power lines, electric blues that look like they’ve been charged by Tāwhirimātea himself, gradients smoother than your cousin’s new fade. But why? Why…
Aotearoa’s Summer Music Festival season is a cultural heartbeat – a mix of bass-heavy nights, psychedelic wonderlands, and multi-day celebrations set against some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. From Northland’s hidden valleys to Golden Bay’s wild bush, these festivals have grown into defining rituals for thousands of local and international travellers alike.…
Rhythm Beneath The Trees: Aotearoa’s Psychedelic Summer Begins. As Tama-nui-te-rā (the great son of the sun) begins his slow stretch over Aotearoa, heat spills across the land – and with it, a rising pulse of electric anticipation. This Labour Weekend (25–28 October 2025), we ignite the Aotearoa Summer Festival Season with many psychedelic gatherings that…
When the sun slowly sets and the bassline rises, there’s nothing quite like a cold, aromatic drink to reset your senses. But at a festival campsite – where ice is scarce, mixers are warm, and time is precious – traditional mocktail/cocktail prep can feel like a distant luxury. Enter the whipped cream dispenser: a sleek,…
“rhythm is fundamental to the spirit/like the beat of tribal drum“ Since the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the rhythm of ravewear and rave culture has transformed from an underground movement into a global phenomenon, with fashion and frequency evolving together to reflect the spirit of each era. What began in the shadows of abandoned…
In the haze of strobe lights and smoke machines, beneath the sequins and sweat, there’s a silent code that connects ravers across generations and geographies. It’s not a brand or a trend or a particular sub-genre of dance music, it’s a philosophy. PLUR: Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, emerged from the underground rave scene of the…
As I crawled through the tangled roots of the kānuka forest and ascended the glorious Hill, my soul was drawn into a sonic symphony – enveloped by a psychedelic tribe. AUM Winter Series: Hill Stage Edition was every bit as spectacular as the last rave, yet this time, the crew at Science of Sound NZ…

There’s nothing quite like the moment you walk into a warehouse rave and feel reality begin to warp – when the space around you becomes a living, breathing work of art and your senses are pulled into something bigger than yourself. That was exactly the feeling that pulsed through my veins when I walked through…

I recently listened to The Weeknd’s latest album on a long drive through the picturesque countryside of Aotearoa, NZ and for the most part I wanted to stop the car, get out & dance. “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is a far cry from his previous more Pop/RnB driven albums. In fact this one feels like it’s…

There is something so raw about the feeling of bass frequencies pulsing through your body – the way the vibrations sync with your heartbeat, how the pulsing beats move your muscles before your brain even registers the rhythm. From the mesmerising throb of trance through to the hypnotic pulse of drum and bass; when the…