Mistress of Evil Interview

Updated 1 year ago

Texture Sand 3
Mistress of Evil Records

by Tena Moore
Originally appeared in 2004 in Australia’s Entrance Magazine (Reprinted with Permission)

The Mistress of Evil story begins in San Francisco, where three women were united over their love of dark and twisted psychedelic trance. They wanted to hear more of the music that really inspired them at parties and in the latest twisted releases. Mistress of Evil Records was officially formed in early 2004, with the goal of releasing high quality music that pushes the psychedelic limits and blurs traditional psy-trance boundaries. Their collective feminine energy has become a powerful source of inspiration for them. They are hoping to restore some of the missing female energy within the traditionally male dominated psy-trance scene. The Mistresses are an active part of the San Francisco trance scene, throwing small underground parties (and some large underground parties as well) with a focus on uncompromising artist/dj lineups, original party deco, and creating a safe, fun and psychedelic environment for truly intense dancing experiences. ~Taken from the MOE website.

So, tell us everything. When and how did the label come about, who’s involved and what projects do you have in the works?

Megan: The MOE idea started as a joke, to distort the whole perception of the dark vs. light debate. It was inspired by a long visit from Xenomorph. We decided to actually make M.o.E into a label after working on the Burning Man 2003 “Interdimensional Space Frequencies” compilation. We saw how much fun it was to put together a CD and also recognized the need for exposure for the many talented artists coming out of San Francisco . There is a totally unique and inspiring genre blurring kind of music coming from here right now. Really pushing the limits of the music and our brains!! We are about to release our first compilation, Lhiannon Sidhe: A Forest Faery with a Fatal Touch. And we are cooking up an evil scheme for our 2nd comp….

With a name like MOE, you’re making a powerful statement on the light vs. dark debate within our global community. Would you like to set the ‘record’ straight on the MOE concept and why dark psychedelic trance, which some may call ‘evil’, inspires you?

Megan: We wanted a powerful statement. We are not afraid to admit we love dark music, and we aren’t making apologies for it either!! When dancing to dark music you are forced to deal with parts of yourself that otherwise get ignored or feared. The expression “dancing out your demons” comes to mind. After a night of stomping around to some really dark, intense, twisted tracks that get inside the deepest hidden parts of your brain, you leave a different person, your perception altered, and happy! So there is the serious part, but the other part of MOE is just about playing with preconceived perceptions and challenging the traditionally more fluffy, hippie dippie mentality that invades psy-trance. Its not that we are against spirituality in music, it’s the opposite actually. We just don’t enjoy when the spirituality becomes “commercialized” and feels more like a weak imitation of the original, instead of the real thing.

The dark and light debate has become so polarized. It’s not even about dark vs. light so much as it is about good quality PSYCHEDELIC music versus unchallenging, formulaic, and stale music. It’s ok for people to like different kinds of music, different music speaks to different people…I think people get too caught up trying to recreate someone else’s rituals and beliefs, and they forget that it is a very personal connection that takes place with the music. Also, the image of “Mistress of Evil” itself is a challenge to the dominant perception of women as nurturing, demure, and submissive.Christine: Personally I don’t understand why there has to be a debate on light vs. dark… There is no “right”; it is all in your own perception. I’ve always been drawn to the darker music, going back to my roots in punk, industrial and goth. For me, the darker music calls to me on a very primal level and brings a big smile to my face… and as for it being ‘evil’ – for me, using that word is about shaking people up and out of their programming.

Misstress of Evil

When and where did you find yourself partaking in psytrance culture for the first time and how has it changed you?

Megan: I discovered psytrance in the Tyssen St. Studios in London at an Astral Phoenix party in 2001. I went to London a punk and came back a complete convert to psytrance. Since then, it has become a permanent fixture in my life, exposing me to different realities, beautiful people and ideas. Psytrance is the glue that brought all the pieces of my life together. I can thank it for my current ambitions and dreams, as well as uniting me with some of my best friends in the whole world (yay MOE!).

Christine: My first psytrance party was back in ’98 at a blue room party in San Francisco …I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve never changed my life. Everything I do isn’t about the psytrance scene, but just about.

What artists are currently inspiring you to contribute to the community in such a large way?

Megan: Xenomorph, of course, because he lives for non-conformity and is never afraid to truly express himself musically. He was one of the first to put his music out there with no excuses about its dark nature. Ghreg on Earth, because he has consistently produced some of the most amazing music out there, and has such a balanced, intelligent, and deep way of looking at the world that seeps through into his music. SF producers Penta, Ocelot, Quasar, Dylalien, Random, Mubali – and international producers Para Halu, Kindzadza, Osom, Grapes of Wrath, Meteloids and others who keep the evolution of psy-trance going and keep our minds melting.

Tell us about the first MOE party. What was that experience like for you?

Megan: Beautiful!! We learned a lesson at Burning Man last year about intention. The intention you put into something is exactly what you will receive back. After months of planning with a clear vision and intent for the party, we were able to create a (dis)reality that was even more beautiful than we could have imagined. What was really important to us was that we never once compromised the vision for the party, and in the end, everyone who attended fully experienced what MOE is really about. The small forest after party was one of the most magical experiences of my life, thanks to all the little elves, forest gnomes, aliens and generators who attended.

Christine: It’s hard for me to put into words…I had such a great time with all of it, from planning, to creating the space, to watching the people as they walked around the party looking at all the gargoyles and skeletons and amazing tapestries – Wow! Watching the people dance!!! I’ve never seen so many people really going off so hard with such smiles on their faces. It was really an amazing experience.

How has the process been so far in creating the label, compiling the first album, throwing the first party – any great stories to tell?

Megan: It has been really difficult to start from nothing, with no experience at all in this kind of thing. Lucky for us, we have had so much support from other labels, especially Doof Records and Inpsyde Media, as well as from the participating artists. It is really exciting to see the complete CD process unfold, and I can’t wait until it is released finally. Its so much fun to see people’s reactions to MOE!! Some love it and some hate it, and that is the point!

What’s the concept for the first MOE album?

Megan: “Lhiannon Sidhe: A Forest Faery with a Fatal Touch” is based on a myth of a parasitic forest faery, Lhiannon Sidhe, who preys on musicians and other artists, bringing them the gift of great inspiration before sucking the life from them. Her mysterious, exotic, sensual beauty and her power lead people to believe she is dark and evil, when in fact she embodies intelligence, art, magic and inspiration.

Thanks Mistresses!

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