interview published november 2019

Meet Lian Kunin. She’s my amazing friend and a local raver, who, like so many others, is looking for an escape from the conflict that comes with living in Israel.

From the age of 17 until her mid twenties, Lian would attend secret trance raves in the desert, valleys and mountains. The community still has a profound effect on her to this day.

I want this exploration of Israeli nature parties to reinforce that no matter what’s going on with a country’s political situation, there will always be cool liberal people like me and you. Many of those who just want to live out their lives, party on the weekends with loud music and be with like-minded people.

Read on with an open mind to learn about Lian’s experiences of the Israeli Nature Party scene. And the global and local influences that make this community intensely powerful and totally unique.

Hey Lian ! So what the hell are Nature Parties?!

Nature parties are parties in secret locations that happen in the desert, sometimes in the mountains, or in valleys or lakes. Sometimes legal, sometimes not. Usually, the music is pystrance.

How do you find out about them?

In the 90s when it started, these parties were promoted from phone books and promoters. Now it’s often Facebook. There’s a phone number that’s activated on the day of the event. You call the number, it has a voice machine that tells you the directions. You normally know it around 1 or 2 am on the night of the party.

Wow that’s late! For UK secret locations I’m sure you find out earlier than that. I could not cope with that, I’d need to plan ahaha.

Yeah, so you and your friends are all waiting for the location to pop. But that’s the hype!

You go on the road at night time or even before sunrise. After a couple hours driving you arrive at the party. Usually before sunrise or during sunrise. That’s when it really starts.

Are the parties hosted in venues, or completely in the wild?

It depends. In once case Mr Bill came from Australia - he’s a really famous musician and producer. And the organisers rented a big farm in the valley from a local Bedouin, who owns the whole area. This is a way to ensure that the police will not shut the party.

What’s a bedouin?

Well I think these guys who rent their spaces are more New Age Bedouins. But traditionally they’re nomadic Arabs who are divided into tribes. don’t have a steady home. They move around the desert. They don’t have electricity, they’re farmers.

“Sometimes, real Bedouins pop up in a party by accident! Once I was at a small nature party in the desert. Out of the blue a bunch of bedouins on camels arrived. They came and sat with us and made coffee, it was pretty neat”.

Because in any other situation I don’t know if I had the opportunity to communicate with them.

How did Pystrance start out in Israel? I know a lot of soldiers go to Goa after their service in the army. Do you think there’s a connection?

When you mention it, it could be pretty true you know? In the 90s when Goa was developed, I think this is the time when ex-Israeli soldiers started to travel abroad after their service, going to places like India and Thailand.

And does that link back to the political situation?

If I’m not wrong, Israel is 2nd place in the world for underage drinking. Here you start going out at a very young age, basically once you become a young teenager. The life here is very stressful and expensive, so I guess you got to get it out somehow.

You’re always in a rush about rent, money, politics. You hear bad news everywhere. Bad in the South, bad in the north, bad in Jerusalem. You can't really see or feel the the future.

Yes. There’s so many young people like me and you, who just want to live their lives and listen to good music with friends.

“in Gaza there’s the same girl as me, sitting right now thinking ‘oh I want to party’ or ‘oh I want to run away from this shit’. but she’s Sitting there, stuck.”

it makes me so emotional…What kind of people do nature parties attract?

The people who are living this life. Mainly it’s the hippies, the dreadlocks. But also people with families and serious jobs. People bring their kids to the party with noice cancellation headphones, and tents.

“But what makes a scene is a family. Ok, you want to dance to the music. But you also want to see your friends, the people you were smashed with last time. To have jokes all night. Even if you’re tired, you didn’t have a good week. It keeps you alive”.

Yes. When I went to my first psytrance party in Goa I really felt that community. I also really loved the visuals...

Totally. Organisers book psychedelic artists who make art while the parties are going. In addition they have workshops, meditation, massage, healthy home made food. Then you have acrobats and jugglers, and psychedelic designs on all the tents.

“The general vibe in these parties is love. It’s hugging, it’s being nice to each other. It’s art and acceptance. They don’t do it for money. They’re doing it for the love of music. For the scene”.

But that’s disappointing thing. Productions stopped because of getting shut down and losing money. It happens all the time.

I think this shutting down happens everywhere… it’s so frustrating, considering how necessary this escape is for people. Even more so when you’re living in, or are near a war zone.

Totally. Because although you can say it about pretty much every rave experience, Nature Parties change people.

My first proper party, wow it flipped me over. You come back after partying in the valley, the trees or the desert, and you come to a big conclusion. For example I came back and I decided that I’m leaving my flat. Moving back to my parents, I told them I’m coming back home ahaha. All after the rave. It makes you think more openly.

It’s true though. And that’s why music is universal. It transcends, politics and borders. That’s the beauty and power of underground music communities.

Yeah... it’s one big trip. Literally.

Israeli Psytrance and Secret Nature Parties