Artist: Electric Universe

[Insejn]

Artist: Electric Universe

Date:01-09-01

By: Children

 

Q: How and when did you start making Goa ?

A: In 1991 a good friend of mine asked me to come to an outdoor party to Sproetze near Hamburg. It was the first big Voov with about 1000 people from all over Europe. I was really impressed about the music and the people I met there. I did not know about Goa. I liked Techno very much but I did not like the normal big city Techno clubs and the vibe there. That party really changed my life. I had a little Atari Computer and 2 Synthesizer and so one thing came to another. It took about 2 years to come to the point to have some tracks that I gave to a few DJs. Somehow these tracks found their way to Antaro who just started the Spirit Zone Label. He liked the stuff and so the first Electric Universe Maxi Single was the second release on Spirit Zone.

 

Q: Maybe it's a little early to ask that, but do you project to release another Electric Universe album after "Divine Design" ?

A: There will be definately an Electric Universe Album in 2001.

 

Q: What about your side-project Galaxy ? Do you project something about it soon ? And what made you decide to start this side-project ?

A: Galaxy started in 1995. After producing a lot of dance music I wanted to make some slower tunes for listening at home, too. While Electric Universe is more Dancefloor orientated I decided to have a whole project for the alternative stuff. Blue Room liked it very much, so Galaxy was born.

 

Q: Which of your own tracks do you like the best ?

A: Hard to say. It really depends on the energy of the day and the environment. Sometimes I play a track on a party and really dont like it. Next weekend I play the same track on another party and another Soundsystem and its just kicking.

 

Q: Your favourite psychedelic Groups & Albums ?

A: Hard to say, too. There is too much good music from too many Groups around the globe to mention someone special. My favorite album in the moment is an Ambient CD from a Swedish Project called Healer.

 

Q: And which of your own albums do you like the best ?

A: I like all of them.

 

Q: Could you describe us the different steps you generally follow to build a Track?

A: There is no general way I follow. Somehow I try to catch the vibe of the day or the night and to find something that fits into my energy. That can be a beat or a bassline or a melody from where I can start to build something around. Sometimes the finished track has nothing to do anymore with the point I started with. The best things come just by themselfs out of the moment.

 

Q: I personally find your style really unique, like few psy-artists around the world ... where does your inspiration come from ?

A: The whole life is inspiration. Good partys are inpiring me, too. And love is the best inspiration I ever found. All emotions can be expressed in music, if you work from the heart. Its possible to make brainmusic only with the head, too, but that is quite boring most of the time.

 

Q: What kind of equipment do you use to make your Tracks ?

A: I use Logic Audio on Mac and I love Roland Synthesizers very much. The Mixer is a Mackie 8 Bus Analog Desk.

 

Q: Future projects ?

A: Plenty of Liveacts around the globe in 2001. A dance and an ambient Album and many other things...

 

Q: Is there another artist you'd like to work with ?

A: For the next Electric Universe Album I will invite some other artist. It is very good to have the influence of other people. I also like to produce a track with the guys from X-Dream, but we didnt manage yet, though we know us for many years.

 

Q: Do you play DJ sets ? If so, what kind of stuff do you play as DJ in parties ?

A: I dont play as a DJ because I dont have the time beside Studio and Liveacts. To be a good DJ you have to spend a lot of time with the music you want to play. So I decided to focus on making and playing only my own stuff.

 

Q: When & where was your best party ? And your worst one ?

A: Best party for the last years was Arcadia Summer Festival 2000 in Japan. I love the Japanese Party Crowd. Worst experience was playing an empty Hamburger Markthalle for maybe 20 people, a big hall for normally more than 1000 people.

 

Q: As a pioneer of psytrance (your first album was released in 1995), what do you think about the evolution of psytrance in the last years ? Have things gotten better/worse according to you ?

A: Lots of things are much better now. Many things are worse, too. I am very sad if I am at partys where everybody is just trying to escape live with drugs. That is not so nice to see. But Psytrance can be a platform for a new conciosness. For me it is very important that there are theese gatherings around the whole planet to bring people together in peace to celebrate life and to open/expand their minds. It is most important that people come together in peace and respect for each other and our mother Earth if we dont want to destroy the whole thing. In Germany Psytrance started very early and it was very euphoric in the beginning. Everything comes to a saturation after a while but there are still very good partys. I am in the lucky posion that I am invited to many countries where the whole thing is just starting now. Eastern Europe is full on and Amerca is trying, too. I always enjoy theese parties and the freshness of the crowd there very much. I am really looking forward to see the evolution of the music in the next years. Somehow every sound and every beat of the actual tracks have been there before. But most important are the people on the dancefloor and as long as they have really fun its great and will go on !!!

 

Thx a lot and good luck with your next album ;-)