Psytrance pioneer Goa Gil has died, aged 72

psytrance-pioneer-goa-gil-has-died,-aged-72
Psytrance pioneer Goa Gil has died, aged 72

Goa Gil, known for his contribution to the psytrance genre, has passed away at the age of 72 after battling high-grade B Cell lymphoma. According to an announcement on his official website, the artist, whose real name was Mahant Managalanand Puri, passed away in the comfort of his California home. In June, his GoFundMe page stated that his cancer had come back “at an alarmingly aggressive rate, therefore rendering him incapable of surgery or chemotherapy”. Gil was forced to cancel all of his 2023 shows due to health reasons.

Born in California, Gil was part of the hippie movement on the West Coast. He later moved to Amsterdam before finally settling in Goa in the 80s. It was during his time in Goa that Gil’s distinctive sound emerged, paving the way for psytrance, also known as Goa trance. As a DJ, he performed 24-hour-long sets which brought psytrance to audiences around the world.

Gil advocated for yoga and psychedelic culture in addition to his involvement in the music industry. On his official website, Gil claimed that “mankind has used music and dance to commune with the Spirit of Nature and the Spirit of the Universe”, using trance music and the trance dance experience to set off a chain reaction in consciousness. He believed this would lead to heightened awareness, understanding, and compassion.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for ceremonial memorial sites in India and California, including a samadhi temple in Ujjain, India, and a smaller temple at his burial site. Gil is survived by his wife, Ariane MacAvoy with whom he worked on the musical project ‘The Nommos’. The global music community has paid tribute to Gil, praising his significant contribution to the psytrance genre as a pioneer and influencer

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