Biosphere was an awakening. It was my first full-on confrontation with the music I now love and respect.

It all began when Lama met DJ8, your average rock-freak meets techno freak at Active (student radio) scenario. After several pain-staking hours of banging out a name, Psychic Droid emerged and the two held their first dance party together.

It was hell to organise remembers DJ8, however the actual party was one of the better dance parties he'd ever been to. With it being a cross-over rave there was a bit of variety in the music, and hey, that's what a good dance party is all aboot

Because their first gig together was such a success, the two decided to do another. Cadence Cafe (smart drug cafe and UFO freak hang-out) was an option for a venue, but when the space above Cadence was offered... well, it's like Lama said, "... saw it and said Yeah! Lets do it!' After finding the venue, things took off.

Dave (of Cadence) did most of the building, Lama (Obscure/LRS) did the posters, DJ8 did the "son thing" and got the turn tables. The location couldn't have been more perfect, for Lama it was the ultimate contradiction, "...between Cadence being a total green woody place and upstairs being hard core industrial..." extraterrestrial meets terrestrial, rock freak meets techno freak.

About a week after Biosphere was finalised, an album was released by Biosphere (the producer), and in it a sample from the movie The Krays, "...We had a dream last night, we had the same dream...", and also present the sample "...can you imagine an extra-terrestrial Disk Jockey..." Now wasn't that all just a nice little coincidence.

Biosphere gave techno lovers a place to call home, for people who loved the music and not a bar or dress code. Also, Juice had just closed, Tatou caters for an older crowd, and ESC hadn't actually bloomed. From DJ8 that's exactly what it was all about, "...what it comes down to is, we were the ones who got off our arses and did it. And to me I'm proud of doing that. We were just trying to provide an option for people that wasn't there..."

It took the kids off the streets and put them on a dance floor, kind of makes you wonder why it received so much opposition from "the authorities". it was fairly obvious that Biosphere attracted a predominantly young crown, not surprising considering the options available to youth today. A lot of the opposition was labeled to the fact that it played techno, and techno has been labelled "drug music".

Biosphere didn't only receive opposition while it was running, there has been heaps of shit thrown on it now. "Biosphere killed the rave scene." BOLLOCKS. DJ8 has slightly more to say about that; "I think it was more peoples attitude that killed it, If they're into the music then there's nothing to stop them coming along and having a good time. Maybe Biosphere killed it for some people ... maybe we weren't providing them with exactly what they wanted, but they didn't do anything about it to help either themselves or us..."

For all those who went to Biosphere something was gained, I found my passion, techno; some found a gateway to another state of mind; some found a place where they belonged.

Today, Lama organises heaps of cool dance parties under the production name Psionic, and DJ8 is the dance music editor for Rip It Up in Auckland.

Message to anyone thinking of doing something like Biosphere:

Lama: "Let me in free"

DJ8: "Don't do it in Wellington. Do it in a city where there's lots of people. Don't try and do three raves a week in a city like Wellington".