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psychedelic-music

5 Minutes with POGO [Interview]

October 17, 2018
dj pogo, full-on psytrance, mandala, nano records, psychedelic music, psytrance

5 Minutes with POGO [Interview

POGO returns with a two-track collaboration with Mandala on the EP, ‘A New Language.’

After his mammoth album release in Feb last year called Rock Your Soul, POGO has delivered a consistent series of psychedelic bangers collaborating with multiple artists including, DJAntrix, Sonic Species and Hypnocoustics.

Where did you grow up (city/town)?

I grew up in a little village in Oxfordshire, then moved to London when I was 15.

Favourite city visited so far…

Tricky one… I prefer to be out of cities these days.

First festival you ever attended?

Glastonbury.

Favourite food when at home?  

Any food my partner cooks – I’m very lucky 🙂

Do you have any pets?

We currently have three cats – Kali, Ninja & Ginja. they love hanging out in the studio!

One album you grew up with that you still listen to today…

My music tastes have moved on… I rarely listen to any music from my childhood.

An artist you wish you’d seen play live before they died?

I’d like to have watched Jim Morrison fronting The Doors.

Favourite music genre outside of psytrance…

Psy chill.

The track you are proudest of composing…

It’s impossible to pick one – I always get totally involved in whatever project is on the system.

Your go-to hardware or software synth in the studio…

The Virus TI 2 Polar – a great bit of kit for making psytrance.

Being on Nano Records means . . .

Sharing a voyage in sonic alchemy with some of the most talented and lovely people on the planet. Nano is a great platform for getting our music out to the people – they are true believers in the positivity our scene can generate.

You’ve just released A New Language EP…

  1. a) care to share which of the two tracks is your favourite

‘A New Language’ was always meant to be the main focus, but I’ve come to love ‘Time Is A River’ just as much. Very happy with both tracks.

  1. b) how was the collab experience with Mandala?

Working with Angus (Mandala) has been such a joy. He is a true brother in psychedelia, and as such he really has his finger on the creative pulse of the beating cosmic heart. Looking forward to more collabs with him in the future…

5 Minutes with Tongue & Groove [Interview]

September 20, 2018
full-on psytrance, nano records, psychedelic music, psytrance, Tongue & Groove

5 Minutes with Tongue & Groove [Interview]

Tongue & Groove have just dropped their debut album and boy, what a groove it is.

Midnight Madness serves up nine delectable slices of funk, psychedelia and 4-to-the-floor goodness all packaged into a varied selection of house and tech with bubbling psy undertones.

We grilled the crazy duo (Jake and Ric) about the challenges of completing a full album, but more importantly… what cartoon character they’d like to be… 😊

Growing up in (UK) was interesting because… 

Free parties, hundreds of sound systems at Glastonbury running 24/7 and the birth of a truly alternative and anarchistic lifestyle.

Half the time you didn’t even know where the DJ was let alone who was playing.

Our favourite movies/books of all time are… (and why) 

Jake – Grease – Sandy’s tight trousers, or Danny’s even –/ Bugsy Malone – splurge guns.

Ric – The Blue Brothers – because its fucking amazing.

Ric – Geek Love by Katherine Dunn – beautiful and fucked up

Jake – Jitterbug Perfume – classic  Tom Robbins

If we were cartoon characters we’d be…

Minions

Our weirdest gig experience ever was when… 

We once played out of the top of a black London Taxi in the middle of some woods…

Everything was bouncing around so much the poor guy (Billy Nasty) who came on after us playing only vinyl could not play a single record without the needles bouncing all over the place…

Best gig ever played was… 

Well hard to admit (ha-ha) ….but, Origin 2018!

Taking over the main stage from Adam (Headroom) was slightly terrifying but was amazing when everyone started locking in and getting their groove on.

What an amazing party and up-for-it dancefloor and incredible [experience] to close such an awesome festival.

The first time we heard psychedelic music was…

Ric – Mine was up the side of a mountain in the Himalayas at the tender age of 18.

Jake – Interesting one, have no real defining moment but having some hippy/rock and roll parents for a solid foundation in counter-culture, it was a colourful childhood!

Still have a one-sided white label promo of Syd Barret’s first  album when he left Pink Floyd given to my mum by him in the height of their love affair.

Best way to keep occupied on flights and in airports is to… 

Jake – Sleep, Eat, Sleep, Repeat…

Ric – To see how Tongue & Groove sounds on all the speakers in Dixons.

Favourite track and/or artist of all time is… 

Ric –  What a nightmare question, aagh. I can give you a top 100 in no particular order…

Jake –  Too many to even begin…

Completing a full album was…

Jake –  Unreal, especially that moment when we were talking, and both agreed that we had done it. Have we? Yes. Really? Yes….Holy cow! There is an interesting pressure and intensity to doing an album, and this one is our first; you are laying your soul on the line for everybody and you want to do the best you possibly can.

Ric – Really intense. Regan had given us a deadline and most of the tracks were started but trying to get them all ready for public consumption was a whole other story. We really wanted to showcase our sound and all of our different influences and to try to keep it all coherent and sounding like an album and not just a collection of tracks, so there was a lot of revisiting tracks and bringing them up to date with the newer material. God that sounds like it was a massive chore, it wasn’t – it was great getting stuck in the studio for a few months tweaking.

One track you’d love to remix (but know it could never happen)… 

We’ve been dreaming of remixing some of the old Technosomy tracks like Pyramid and Electron Bender, but the boys haven’t managed to dig out any of the parts for the best part of a decade now… we’re waiting…

Being part of the NANO artist roster is…

The best thing that has ever happened to us.

Being surround and supported by such a talented and tight crew is incredibly inspiring – apart from them being the best label and artists on the scene they are also our best mates and what a family to be a part of.

Who could ask for anything more? 

How long did it take you to complete your debut album, Midnight Madness and what was the toughest challenge in doing so?

It took the best part of a year once we had properly got our heads down.

The hardest part was juggling studio time with family time – we have 5 kids between us, so they take up a massive chunk of our energy.

Now that Midnight Madness is finally released we can… 

Keep on doing what we love. Off to the studio – see ya x

5 Minutes with Magik [Interview]

September 18, 2018
Electric Universe, full-on psytrance, Magik, nano records, outside the universe, Outsiders, psychedelic music, psytrance

5 Minutes with Magik [Interview]

Released on 10 September, 4D World by Magik and Outside the Universe (Outsiders & Electric Universe) is a brand new blaster that aptly shows off the signature sounds of three distinctly proficient production outfits.

Also, released this week, 17 September, is a brand-new remix from Magik on our NanOmega 1 EP with the accomplished producer on remix duty as he gives ‘Disorder’ by 3 Of Life a makeover.

We get the lowdown on the man behind the music; his favourite destinations, food and go-to gear in the studio plus more…

Favourite city visited so far? 

I’ve seen a lot of beautiful places over the years but if I had to choose the city that has impressed me the most so far it is Tokyo. I was also mesmerised by the beauty of Cape Town.

First festival ever attended? 

It was the second edition of Boom Festival. I was still a kid, but it totally blew me away and it’s one of the reasons I do what I do today.

Favourite food when at home? 

My recent favourite is veggie cottage pie 🙂 but I like lots of foods. One of the best things in London is the food scene. Plenty of restaurants and food markets with a great assortment of delicious things to try.

Do you have any pets?

No, I don’t own any pets. I spend too much time away from home, it would be difficult.

One album you grew up with that you still listen to today? 

Hard to choose just one. I can mention at least 3 I always go back to:

The Doors – L.A. Woman

Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon

Led Zeppelin IV

An Artist you wish you’d seen play live before they died? 

Jimi Hendrix

Favourite music genre outside of psytrance? 

I like good music regardless of genre.

I grew up listening/playing 60s, 70s rock, then punk rock. I listen to all sorts of music these days.

Acoustic, electronic, old, new . . . if it’s a good piece of music I’ll listen to it.

The track you are proudest of composing? 

Hard to tell really.

Every time I finish a track I think the next one is gonna be even better ha-ha. I wrote a lot of different music over the years and every time I close the project I think this is the best, the most I could have achieved at that moment, but I learn a lot with every track . . .

Your go-to hardware or software synth in the studio… 

At the moment it’s a Nord Lead A1.

As for the software, still the mighty Sylenth. I don’t use that many synths to be honest, I make a lot of sounds from audio samples, either I record them myself or use sample packs. It’ usually a very complex sound design process.

Being on Nano Records means . . . 

Being part of something great!

Nano is a very well organised, constantly evolving label. Regan, Monique and Dala are doing a really good job.

Some of the label artists were a big influence when I was starting, they still are and now we are good buddies 🙂

Very happy to be part of the team.

You latest release came out last week (10 September). Tell us a bit about the new music. 

It’s a collaboration track with Outside The Universe (Electric Universe + Outsiders) called ‘4D World.’

It’s a really big tune.

We’ve been playing it for a while now and every time the reaction on the dance floor is nothing short of amazing!!

I have been busy in the studio working on a new solo material, remixes (including the 3 of Life remix just released) and a few more collabs with different people.

A lot of new music will be out soon.

Sonic Species

5 Minutes with Sonic Species [Interview]

August 7, 2018
full-on psytrance, nano records, psychedelic music, psytrance, Sonic Species

5 Minutes with Sonic Species [Interview]

Sonic Species – Smashing the Veil did just that!

It smashed the Beatport veil of Top 10 tracks on Beatport and kept going all the way to number one.

We chatted to Joe about his latest release on Nano records and as always it was a curiously quirky conversation…

Growing up in the South of the country in Kent was interesting because…

“the garden of England” was remarkably interesting because it was the location of some of the most incredible outdoor illegal Psytrance parties on the planet called Liquid Connective. The rest is history.

My favourite movies/book of all time is… (and why)

I don’t really watch movies much.  My favourite book would have to be Lord of the Rings.

If was a cartoon character I’d be…

Sonic The Hedgehog

My weirdest gig experience ever was when…

My weirdest gig was in a silent disco

Best gig I’ve ever played was…

Best gig – Boom Festival 2014  – last day, 4pm

The first time I heard psytrance was…

[The year] 2000-  Lyminge Forest, Kent, Liquid Connective party.

Best way to keep occupied on flights and in airports is to…

Make music but don’t get so into it that you miss your flight.

Favourite psytrance track and/or artist of all time is…

So many favs its impossible to say.

Completing a full album was…

A relief. 😊

One other genre besides psytrance I would consider making…

Future 80s Electro Funk.

Being part of the NANO artist roster is…

Being part of Nano is like finally coming home to a big farm where all your family and mates live in the countryside where the geese roam free and the rivers run deep.

Your latest release, Smashing the Veil, smashed it all the way to No.1 on Beatport. How did that feel and tell us a bit about how the track came about and where?

I wrote Smashing in a day directly after smoking DMT hence the name. I was super happy that it got to number 1 and it gives me real fire to make more original tracks from now on rather than collaborations or remixes.

Connect with Sonic Species

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

5 Minutes with DJ Thatha aka Altruism [Interview]

July 19, 2018
Altruism, Burn in Noise, dj tatha, full-on psytrance, nano records, psychedelic music, psytrance

5 Minutes with DJ Thatha aka Altruism [Interview]

Already and experienced DJ with more than 10 years, Tatha decided in 2010 take her music career to the next level and start producing psytrance music and so Altruism was born.

After a string of early successes Altruism has gone on to be an established Nano records artist performing at all the biggest events across the globe.

What chatted to her about the life of psy and her latest release, ‘Endless Smile…’

Favourite country to tour…

I am truly blessed and lucky when it comes to places where I have been while touring, so I guess that there isn’t one specific favourite place.

I love Australia, Africa, Asia, many parts of Europe and of course South America. I truly enjoy seeing  all corners of the world and their beauty, culture and aspects.

Favourite food when traveling?

That is a tough one lol… obviously we become very tempted to try the most amazing and delicious types of food when we are traveling, however, we have to become conscious about our diets as the traveling pace increases over the years.

I am currently trying to follow a more balanced and vegetarian diet, but I have to admit that sometimes we can’t resist the local delicacies.

Favourite piece of clothing that you know you wear too often…

It is quite hard to analyse ourselves fashion wise sometimes, but I guess I’m the type of person that prefers comfort over fashion, so I’m always trying to wear what’s more comfortable but also not forgetting my girly side.

I’m always wearing comfortable sneakers for traveling for instance, and I’m always carrying warm clothes for the sudden cold weather.

Favourite musician/artists of all time…

There are so many musicians and artists that I profoundly admire so it is really hard for me to name one.

If you were not a music producer what do you think you’d be doing?

It is really challenging for me picturing myself not devoting my soul entirely and professionally to music but if I wasn’t working with music I would be a vet or a medic.

I always loved to help other people and I’m truly in love with animals. They are my second biggest passion and of course there’s lots of ways to help others and also the animals and I’m always trying to make my small part on our world.

Favourite movie…

Again, it’s really hard to choose one movie. Throughout my life there were so many movies that left their mark for me, and I think each one of them have its own value in my heart.

Ever learn to play an instrument?

I have been studying piano and, in the studio, obviously that really helps a lot with the synths and midi VSTs.

I would love to play drums though; in my music I’m always trying to have a consistent rhythm basis, so I guess that I also have the love for the drums, without question.

Worst gig experience ever?

I won’t mention names and places, but I have been in tricky and not very satisfying gigs before as I believe every artist has.

Sometimes the place or the crowd doesn’t connect altogether or the party itself hasn’t got the best vibes for some reason. We try do our best but it’s hard to change the picture sometimes and yet we play and get a few smiles out which makes it all worth it in the end.

Being on Nano Records means…

Being part of the Nano family is an honour and also one of the greatest experiences I have had so far.

The casting and the crew are absolutely amazing, talented and kind. They are always very receptive and helpful with me and it really gives me a family feeling.  

Your latest release called ‘Endless Smile’ was released at the end of May. Some would say you have an endless smile when onstage. Tell us a bit about the new track…

Perhaps it could be a little bit of both 😉

The name of the track actually came from a very funny Filter Plugin that I used. The track is a psychedelic trip and I hope it transmits to the dancefloor the same good vibes and makes people smile. 😀

Artist socials

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5 Minutes with Dickster [Interview]

June 20, 2018
Dickster, full-on psytrance, green nuns of the revolution, mandala nano, nano records, psychedelic music, psytrance

5 Minutes with Dickster [Interview]

Dickster, one of the true legends of our psytrance scene, dating back to his iconic days of the Green Nuns of the Revolution in the late 90’s, is a man of few words.

Much like his music, he gave us some straight up, no-nonsense answers as we probed his mind to find out more on one of the nicest guys in the business…

Where did you grow up?

Maidenhead [UK].

Favourite city you’ve ever visited…

Bukit Lawang [Indonesia]

First festival you ever attended?

Lechlade Free Festy – Spiral Tribe/DIY in 1992.

Favourite food when at home?

Cottage Pie and peas

Do you have any pets?

A small child 😊

One album you grew up with that you still listen to today…

AC/DC Highway To Hell.

An artist you wish you’d seen play live before they died?

Jimi of course! (Hendrix…)

Favourite music genre outside of psytrance…

Rock.

The track you are proudest of composing…

Always the most recent.

Your go-to hardware or software synth in the studio…

When in doubt get your [Access] Virus out!

Being on Nano Records means…

Being in a band of very like-minded and passionate people.

Your latest release with Arcon – (Koxbox & Hujaboy) called Casting Off – tell us a bit about the collab. Frank E (Koxbox) is as big a legend as you are. What inspired the track and the idea to work together?

Frank mentioned it long ago and that sounded great as Frank E is a legend for me.

I was listening to his stuff way before I started producing. Also, I’d been talking about doing something with Nir for ages too….so we did it all in one go!

We were all in different studios, but we left it with Nir to finish it off. 😊

Connect with Dickster

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

5 Minutes with Mandala [Interview]

May 21, 2018
full-on psytrance, mandala, mandala nano, nano records, psychedelic music, psytrance

Beyond the studio with Mandala

English psytrance producer Angus Young (yes, the very same name as AC/DC legend 😊) aka Mandala released his latest EP – Choose Love on 23rd of April.

Mandala

We caught up with him for a quick little cyber chat to meet the man behind the music… 

Where did you grow up?

Mandala: I grew up between England and Dubai.

Most people imagine Dubai to be hyper-modern but back then it was literally a single-track road with Camel’s crossing. The cheapest houses were right on the beach as it was much more favoured by the locals to live on the edge of the desert.

I spent most of my time surfing, camping and exploring.

Favourite city you’ve ever visited…

Mandala: There are too many to mention but I think It has to be Bangkok.

It’s so incredibly vibrant; a cross between ancient and futuristic… and similar to, yet slightly more tangible than Tokyo.

My favourite in Europe has to be Copenhagen.

I lived there for five years and had some extremely memorable times. Its small enough to be cosy and friendly, yet big enough to stumble across the unexpected.

First festival you ever attended?

Mandala: First festival was the Reading rock festival in 1986.

I went to see the Cure primarily but spent most of my time wondering where I was… and loving it!

Favourite food

Mandala: My favourite food to cook is definitely South Indian.

I love the combination of cashews, coconut and tamarind. I’ve always loved to cook and was the chef in my restaurant in Goa for a few years until I realised what a full-time commitment it was!

I also love the simplicity of cooking oven baked Mediterranean dishes and just experimenting…. it’s all like making music really, it somehow comes together, and some tracks are more subtly flavoured than others!

Do you have any pets?

Mandala: I have an unbelievably switched on dog named Zen, who lives up to his name in a big way and is possibly the wisest creature I have ever known…and 2 cats called Rani and Didi.

I love them all dearly.

One album you grew up with that you still listen to today…

Mandala: The first vinyl I ever had was Hayden’s surprise symphony when I was seven years old.

I loved the surprise part when everything dropped out into silence and then came back full power, orchestra blazing…quite similar to Psy trance really!

The soundtrack for my otherworldly interests to unfold in my teens was Pink Floyd -Ummagumma.

It captures the essence of walking the infinite tight rope just on the cusp of insanity but with an innocent happy go lucky childishness.

I still listen to both of them today.

An artist you wish you’d seen play live before they died?

Mandala: I wish I’d seen Jimi Hendrix on stage before he died…the thought gives me goose bumps.

Favourite music genre outside of psytrance…

Mandala: Hmmm…

Flotational beat-less chill, high quality dub, relentless funk and a spot of intelligent freestyle rap.

The track you are proudest of composing…

Mandala: The track I’m proudest of composing is “The lord of the Frogs” an unreleased piece I wrote in a monsoon in Goa about seven years ago.

It was a labour of love and madness as I sampled hundreds of frog sounds and composed the entire track from them. Even the kick and bass have frogs as their source!

I’ve always been into bringing nature into the music but on this occasion, it was nature in its entirety that became the music, thanks to the wonders of technology and having loads of time on your hands! 

Your go-to hardware or software synth in the studio…

Mandala: I guess at the moment it’s Thorn, and I’ve been noodling around with the Loom lately.

Mainly I love to use samplers, mash up unusual source material and map it across the keyboard.

Being on Nano Records means…

Mandala: Being a part of a beautiful family that you’ve always been a part of without knowing it.

A kind of karmic inevitability. In mythological terms it feels like the knights of the occasional table being sent forth by the elders to translate the language of the cosmos and spread the message far and wide!

Your ‘Choose Love’ EP dropped last month with two stomping tracks. Tell us a bit about the EP title, and what inspired both tracks which both have an anthemic, euphoric feeling of LOVE about them…

Mandala: The EP title comes from the way I aspire to living my life.

Firstly, to know that we all have a choice in our perception of every situation, believing that we can approach life with compassion and beautiful things will come to us as a result.

Love is a source energy and if you filter it through a clear vessel…life can become a wondrous experience.

Obviously, fear is antagonistic to our long-term development, although it has been a great teacher to us along the way, in overcoming its grasp.

I feel genuinely excited to be alive and I owe that to those choices. I wrote the tracks on the ep in a very positive and humbly grateful frame of mind, which would explain their anthemic euphoria😁.

Bonus question: Angus Young – coincidence or were your parents BIG AC/DC fans?

Mandala: My parents had never heard of AC/DC until I told them!

Although being at Wembley stadium for the Back in Black tour on my friend’s shoulders as the crowd shouted, “Angus Young…angus young!” was quite a trip😜

Follow Mandala

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