Artist: Psyside

[mars]

Artist: Psyside

Date: 04-08-02

By: Anoebis

 

Q: Hello Psyside! let's start with a question about yourself, who are Psyside ?

A: We are 2 french guys from Paris . Jean Philippe , musician (drummer) since he was fourteen (Jazz/rock school) and me , Jean Luc not musician just a formation of infographiste . Two good friends who listen trance music since 9 years… I discovered this music in 1993 when i went for the first time in Thailand ( Ko Pha Nang) and after in first free hidden trance parties in France, Guadloupe, Ibiza….this new music style was like a drug for us and during 1994/1996 we spent all saturdays nights in forest parties with sometimes only 50 or 100 smilling people…but with high energy and good vibes :-)

 

Q: How and when did you start with producing music ?

A: We started to make music in a middle of 1997 when the trance scene became a little borring for us…too many same style tracks…We thought we could maybe bring something different to this music.. :-) First it was for the fun with a little software " technomaker " and after with time we got a taste to create by ourself something… so we continued but in more professional way. In 1998 we bought few material and equiped our first home studio… 18 months later we played our first live act.

 

Q: Why exactly do you make psychedelic Trance ?

A: Because you make better music when you really feel it … :-) We have listened many other style in techno music but only this one bring us the good vibes ! When we began make music, it was a transition period beetween melodic goa style and first new psychedelic sounds and we were always in a learning phase so it was difficult for us to find our way. Our ideas were first more oriented by old school style because we had listened it too many years so it seemed more easier to begin by this kind of music ; but after 5 tracks the result was not bad but not very new so we tried to mix the elements we liked in the old style, like etheral voices, with new trippy psychedelic sounds, but never in the deep dark way. "Virtual reality " is a good example..no ? :-) To resume we make the music that we would like ear on a dancefloor….but we appreciate and listen also many other tracks… :-)

 

Q: There's the big war between full on and minimal-trance those days! You guys are clearly Full On ! Why? And what do you think about minimal Trance ?

A: Maybe people in trance scene are too much ellitist and considere that only their style is the best…we think its a wrong problem…each style has talanted bands with nice tracks .You think a track is poor or bad because you dont feel it but maybe another people is in extase when he listen it ! so be tolerant with people who try to bring something to others. Why we are full on ? good question … :-) for several reasons… ! First we like to dance so we find more energy with up tempo. In general this kind of tracks drive people completly crazy on a dancefloor…the expression " go into a trance " find here his true sense. The second reason is more practical. We are not Djs but we like to play our music in the night or at the rising sun so live act for us must be full on at this moment. The third is for a timing reason, because we work outside the music so we haven't enough time to experiment both style and we take time to make a track. Making music must stay a pleasure and dont become a tracks factory… :-) We like also psy minimal when its groovy but not at the same moment…we listen it in the morning or after a party to relax…the difference with full on its that you can easily listen it at home because its down tempo with less sounds but with good work on it and you dont need to push the volume to feel an emotion. Its not really the case with full on who often require powerfull db to create an " hysteria " :-)

 

Q: What do you think of the Psychedelic trance scene at this moment ?

A: There are many new projects, few are interesting because they have a personnal touch…few others maybe miss a little more maturity to explode and few unfortunately copy the style of one known artist. Many djs actually want or search to make music to be known and play as international . Djs or ravers, they buy a computer and quickly make tracks and want to release it . Its good to boost the creation and its a challenge for the artists but the quality of the tracks sometimes is very poor and the intensive production on many new labels who want to make money desserve the trance movement because many people actually are boring about all this same release and dont buy anymore psychedelic music, except the top ten or confirmed artists. Its a shame because there are also new real talents inside this production who win to be known. Its the same about the parties. There are few places around the world where people always knows how to live it up like Portugal, Greece, south america…. and Japan when we played in front of 2000 smilling people…it was wonderfull ! There are i hope many other countries where parties and festivals are marvellous, but we have not travel everywhere... Its not always the fault of organisers who try ,for the majority, to do their best but also people sometimes in the party who are never satisfied and complain about all, but dont want to pay more ! In France we've had great parties in the 90's years with 3000/4000 people but now its more difficult to organise an open air party (autorisation/cops) and the indoor parties are often in the same places because many owners refuse to rent their halls for a rave party. Its not new but its more and more the case. So people are less motived and come only for a big event or for the band they like . Time are changing, the spirit of the good years is partly lost in few countries but it can come again.

 

Q: Where do you get your inspiration for the tracks ?

A: Its variable, sometimes we watch movies and one of us have an idea about a theme and we try to find audio samples or elements who can coincide with it or we ear a good voice and we create a theme around it. The actuality can be also a good virtual subject… 'O.G.M. red alert' for example. When we have the theme or track name Jean philippe begin to search few synth sounds, bases lines and kick while i search samples voices, fx and try to create the intro. After that we work together on the construction track ; each one brings ideas and its cool when we are both inspired… :-) We want and try to create an atmosphere inside the track. Sometimes it can be more rock, trippy, mental ,hypnotic or all together but always with a structure like a story with a beginning and end. When the result seems to be satisfying, we try to test it quickly in a party. :-)

 

Q: What's your favourite track of Psyside and why ?

A: Its impossible to name just one track, but we have preferences…so our top 5 will be maybe Virtual reality (angelic track), lost soul (it rocks), Krusty Burger with cheese make with our friend Gecko (for the fun), Aquasonic with Audio Brain french band (for his stirring theme) and Last train to nowhere (hypnotic ambience) ; Mint taste also for his cheesy trippy sides and Organic blob (easy progressive morning)…Oups ! ! we named 7 tracks… sorry but its very difficult to make a choice… :-)

 

Q: What's your favorite Goa Group, Album, Top 5 Goa Tracks ?

A: Its depend of the style but at the beginning like many others we liked danced on Transwave, X Dream, M.W.N.N., Astral projection, Asia 2001, Doof, hallucinogen, Total eclipse, Prana ,Ubar Tmar, Psychaos and more recently Sun project, GMS, Absolum, Skazi,Alien project, Parasence and russian new bands, Logic Bomb, Hux flux, Neuromotor, HyperFrequencies, Biotonic, Suria, Haldolium…. all these good artists have influenced or influence our music but we try to keep our own style…maybe too much weird ! but everybody knows the expression 'one cannot be liked by everyone'… :-) We like the first album of skazi , Infected mushroom, Alien project, Dark nebula, Beat bizarre, Atmos…We like many tracks like 'Idiot' and 'bring your own bios'by Hux flux , 'Frequent flyers' by Logic Bomb, 'Troll' by COP, 'as a child i could walk…'by Delta 'Pulse' by absolum, 'midnight sun' by Alien Project, 'kick inside parallelogram' by Neuromotor…. and in old ones : 'Xfile (monkey mix)' by Chakra & Edi Mis, 'Mahadeva' by Astral Projection, 'Chaotic circus' by Total Eclipse, 'Trance african express' by Jean Borelli, 'Spiritual healing' by Muse Rapt and in ambient trance the killer track 'deeper & deeper' by SUN Project and many many others great tracks but the list will be too much bigger to enumerate here. But we listen also Pink Floyd, Deep Forest, Enigma….and all psychedelic scene of 70's….

 

Q: What equipment do you use ?

A: At first we've tried many differents synths, few old analog like Juno 60, TB303, MKS80 System101/102 by Roland or Korg MS20, Waldorf Pulse+, Roland JD800, Emu OrbitV2…but now we keep only what we use…so in hardware we work on a nordlead 2, Access Virus, MicroWaveWaldorf, ATC 1 Chameleon, MS404 by Doepfer, Clavia Micro modular and Pad SPD11 by Roland for percussion all connected on audio patchs and in midi on a Motu midi express XT. We work on PC pentium3 933 mhz dual screen with 3 audio cards Pulsar with many virtual synths and modules on Cubase5, and logic audio for the lives. we have an analog Mackie 32/8/2 connected to Mackie HR824 monitoring. We use also few effect racks like DP4+, Lexicon MPX1, Roland SDE330 and RS550 and TC Fireworx. We use a double compressor /gate BSS Opal for external hardware and for the voices we have a microphone Langevin CR3A connected to a preamplifier /compressor/gate TL audio Ivory 5051. We have a DAT Sony PCMR500 and 2 headphones sony MDR7506.For live act we have our laptop with Emagic midi interface and audio card.

 

Q: Your first album came out lately, is there a new one coming up or not!? Or do you have other musical future plans ?

A: Well normaly the real first album had to be release in 2000, but few circonstances (label not ready or not sure) stopped it. So these tracks were released on different compilations and on a first EP on Shiva SpaceTechnology. The album ''First Contact' had to be released in November but there were few problems with print factory that explain the 2 months late. We have 2 tracks who will be release soon on french label compilation with tracks of Gill and Neuromotor and one other on new hungary label (Procyon record) release in may. We wait also for a release track on a future compilation on S.S.T. and maybe one track on the first compilation of the new label of Fred (Neuromotor) 'Mecanik sound'. Actually we work on our next album maybe always on Acidance label…not release date yet but hope before end of 2002. For now only Jean Luc have another project with Neuromotor named 'Mastermind'. Only few tracks finished (Barcelona is far away from Paris) but we will try to find time to work on the first album (hope also a release before the end of year).

 

Q: What do you do in your life except producing music ?

A: We have both middle time activities outside the music. I make psychedelic flyers with a good friend under the name of 'Fractal alchemy' and Jean Philippe works for Creamware France as Hotliner and demonstrator for all their products like Scope & Pulsar platform. He spend also time with his girl friend so we work at our rythm. Music is important but not the only way to live :-)

 

Q: What will the future bring ? More albums releases ?

A: Future will bring a numeric technology that is only beginning. Computers will permit us to do many more things in the future and that's a really good thing.

 

Thanks for the interview ! And if you want to add something or tell some more against your fans, this is your chance !

Thanks to you Joske, find a good place for the june party ! :-) and thanks to all the people with good vibes who like our stuff and come to ear us in the parties all around the world…sorry for the others…and for people who don't know us yet you are welcome to discover our music in a party or to listen our first album at Psyshop.com or another online shop. For the serious organisors who want contact us for infos about live act and booking, here is our email psyside@mangoosta.fr All the best for all of you and long life to psychedelic music ! Bom Shankar