"So I am finally getting around to writing a little about the details of my trip to Europe in July 2002. First of all, yes... I had the time of my life! My new Slovakian friends, Zuzanna and Martin hosted me the whole time I was out there. They are the very best! They took great care of me, and hooked me up with three amazing gigs, and I am eternally greatful for all their amazing hospitality, open hearts and kindness! Big ups and thanks to them!!!

I flew KLM direct from San Francisco to Amsterdam, and then Amsterdam to Vienna. Chris told me it would be cold, based on his trip to Germany the year before, so all I had was two pairs of pants, and five shirts with me, and then it was hot as hell there - super humid! Way more than even the east coast of the USA. I was sweating my ass off! I would have killed for a pair of shorts! Hehehe… It was cool for a change from SF though.

I spun at two phat summer festivals in Slovakia. The first Slovakian festival gig I had was on July 10th at Klikfest, an hour away from Bratislava. Both Zuzanna and I spun on the Red Bull Stage. This was the first year they had an electronic music stage at this festival. People go ape shit for techno in Slovakia! It floored me! Wow! I guess I should have known, because my friend Sameer told me about it from his trip there the year before, and also because of all the history with techno in Europe, especially in Slovakia, and much of Eastern Europe, but I just really couldn't begin to fathom the intensity until I experienced it. I had such an amazing time spinning there!

The second Slovakian festival gig I had was the event that Zuzanna and Martin contacted me about coming out and spinning for in the first place, The Pohoda Festival. They are the two of the main organizers for the electronic music stages there every year. Their production company is called S. M. I. I. L. E. This year 23,000 people attended the Pohoda Festival which takes place over the course of two days in Trencin, Slovakia every summer. This year there were five stages, three of which had electronic music on them. The festival was totally beyond words it was so RAD!!! I spun after Luke Slater and The Youngsters on the main stage, and it was packed! There must have been 5,000 or more people in that stage area while I was spinning. It was such a huge rush! I was blown away!

I also got the chance to spin minimal house and techno in Prague, Czech Republic on July 13th thanks to my friend Eva who is currently living there! I spun on a boat bar overlooking the Vltava River. Amazing!

My final gig was at one of the biggest and most popular clubs called Flex in Vienna, Austria. Zuzanna opened up the night, then I spun, and then Electric Indigo of Female Pressure closed out the night. The Austrians like their techno as well! I spun here and then hopped into a cab after to be driven to the Vienna airport. No rest for the wicked. Hehehe...

Some things that were interesting to me about the European scene as opposed to what I know of the U.S. scene is that electronic music is so much more popular over there! The summer festivals there are sponsored by “big name” sponsors, for better, for worse… at least the money flows for these events… for example the promoters for Pohoda Festival’s electronic stages were sponsored by Smint Mints (the main stage), Durex Condoms (the second largest stage, with tech-house and drum n bass), and the third smaller stage, sponsored by a clothing company there called Kenvelo. The promoters there are allowed a lot of creative control over the line-ups there compared to what I think creative control the promoters are given here in the U.S. when “big sponsors” are involved. I do however
think this is slowly changing over time here in the U.S., once again for better for worse.

The underground of the Bay Area that many of us know and love seems to be somewhat of a foreign concept there. This was another total trip for me. Everything was just so different, but real cool. I really still just wanted to take all these people to a Cloud Factory or Friends and Family event here to give them all a new perspective. These people in Eastern Europe are hardcore though, and they like hard banging music all night and all day long! They cannot get enough of it! I did spend a lot of my time dancing in the techno room, and the smaller house room at this event. It is hard to get my punk ass DJing self to dance, but I danced my ass off. Fucking rad!

Anyways… The trip was out of this world! I will write more about the details of my trip, and my take on spinning at these events soon for those that are interested."

Until then… much love and light!
Forest Green