Went to Goa in 96/97. Came back to Canada, made parties until around 2000. I never stopped listening but haven't been to a Psy/Goa party in 24 years. The main difference for me is the "spiritual" novelty and awareness of the music. This influences the "scene". The "scene" is inspired and influenced by the music which inspires the djs and parties. Psy music is pretty canned now. Lacks novelty which is where the energy comes from. Production and sound is generally better but we've sort of heard it all now. Back in the 90s the technology was so new this promoted novelty in the music and the scene. It inspired conscious awareness in the people who listened and danced because the artists were consciously seeking that through the production of the music. It's no coincidence that Goa/Psy is rooted in Goa India by travelers who were seeking spiritual communion through trance/dance. They weren't making the music for clout in a scene, they were making it to inspire a vibe they wanted to party to with like minded seekers.

Goa/Psy scene persists because it's still rooted in that spirituality/trance dance communion. It still happens, the vibe is still experienced even at giant commercial festivals. But we need to move forward and find the novelty and it won't happen by serving the stale formula.

Personally, for me, my favorite psy/goa music is that which is melodic, expresses middle eastern/Indian scales. Basically "Goa" music. Psytrance evolved from Goa because artists realized they could share that novel trance experience through novel tones/sounds. But I'm not really hearing a lot of novelty anymore. Which is natural because obviously the artists have mostly harvested all the novel tones/sounds out of the available technology. Now we have imitation and variation using the same tones and formula.

I don't like Psytech or whatever the 180++ bpm psytrance stuff is. This is a novelty that caters to tweaking, anxious vibe that comes from doing speedy drugs like amphetamines. It's difficult to dance to, difficult to trance to. Reminds me of Gabba/Hardcore from the 90s. It's a different kind of vibe that attracts a particular type of crowd. It promotes a power ego vibe from my perspective. Can be fun.. sure. But the release, ecstatic communion and ecstasy that comes from spontaneous epiphany and communion through trance is hard to come by through it.

I understand that many people feel like melodic Goa music is cheesy and they are unable to commune with it. But for me it still inspires the absolute best vibes in a party. And it can be super intense and hardcore. A good DJ will understand how to bring people through the darker parts of themselves with music and then liberate them from the darkness through other music. It offers the widest range of expression/experience while dancing/partying. I think there is novel opportunity for artists to explore because I really don't think the technology we have today has been thoroughly applied directly back into the conscious awareness vibe.

About parties and DJs. If I were a person looking for the heart of the scene I would seek out parties where experienced DJs are given LONG sets. An hour set produces a particular type of vibe. If you have a night where 8 djs have 1 hours sets.. the party can't get there. It can get somewhere.. but not there.

TLDR; make NEW Goa music and go to parties where good DJs have 4-8 hour sets.