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Features
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| Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! | | N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! | | Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna | | A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! | | 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! |
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Astrix Means Distortion
Reported by Andy Force
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Submitted 12-08-09 16:16
To encounter any artist performing at the top of their game in any field, and in any genre of music is a compelling and hypnotic spectacle, as the tireless improvement in their technical ability and creativity converge into a thrilling display of entertainment and skill. As Avi Smailov AKA Astrix gets in the zone for Friday's performance - HOMmega at Matter - he is expected to demonstrate again why he finds himself sailing high in the DJ Magazine Top 100 and is taking psy trance to new levels of popularity around the world. So for the benefit of Friday's party-goers and Astrix fans, Andy Forse tracked him down to find where his roots are and what keeps driving his passion for music.
How did your journey with music begin? Tell us a bit about it.
I was invited to a private trance party in North of Israel, where I discovered my passion towards psy trance music. I remember myself standing beside the dancefloor listening to the DJ playing amazing tunes that made me very curious. On the next day I bought my first psy trance CD: Indoor - Progressive Trance and I found myself listening to it over and over, this album inspired me to produce music, so I bought a computer and a software and my journey began there.
Describe the inspiration and motivations behind your music, what makes you pursue your passion with so much dedication?
The crowd! On every gig I get inspired differently but I always come back to my studio with the same feeling that makes me go on and motivates me to create more music.
You have successfully taken psychedelic trance into the mainstream and exposed it to a wide audience and in doing so achieved 18th place in the DJ Mag top 100, where do you go from here and what is your next goal?
My main goal at the moment is to release my third album Red Means Distortion to my hungry fans and tour the world to promote it.
As far as musical goals go, I would like to explore some other streams of electronic dance music but as always, never stop making trance and never forget where it all started.
How did your sound evolve and have you produced anything away from psychedelic trance?
In the past two years my tours took me across many different kinds of events and crowds and as a result I found myself under different musical influences and inspirations. For example my new album is a showcase of this global experience as I tried to produce different kinds of tracks, going from the psy side to the more euphoric highs in search of new dancefloor anthems, but without losing my trademark groove and sound that my followers expect from me.
You've worked with some fine producers and talented DJs, who have you enjoyed collaborating with the most?
I had a great time with John 00 Fleming working on our track 3rd Time Lucky which became a big hit and of course I had a great time and lots of fun in the studio with the masters Infected Mushroom.
What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?
The best advice I ever got was " listen to your heart. "
What are your favourite five tunes from other artists and what are your favourite five personally produced tunes?
1. Infected Mushroom - Symphonatic
2. Hallucinogen - Deranger
3. Juno Reactor - God Is God
4. Ferry Corsten featuring Howard Jones - Into The Dark (Breakfast Remix)
5. Coldplay - Speed Of Sound
1. Astrix featuring Krunch - Antiwar
2. Emok vs Ndsa - Harbour Candy (Astrix Remix)
3. Astrix & John 00 Fleming - 3rd Time Lucky
4. Astrix - Scientific Reality
5. Astrix&Domestic - Massive Activity
What equipment did you learn music production on and how important is keeping up with trends in music technology?
At first I started using a Roland JUNO 106 and E-MU ORBIT, very soon I got bored of it and I started to look for different equipment. After a long search I discovered Impulse Tracker which I think was the first featured audio software programme ever invented.
I think that these days it is very important to update the studio with new equipment and technology in order to provide a new sounds and better quality. Here, for example, is a list of the latest equipment that I fitted in my studio around three months ago:
Virus TI Keyboard
Moog Voyager
Orville Eventide Harmonizer
What can we expect in the near future from you, are there any releases you'd like to tell us about?
Of course, in the near future I will be releasing my third album Red Means Distortion on HOMmega Productions; right after I’ve finished working on my second compilation Astrix & Friends and the Astrix remixes album.
On the 14th August you'll be headlining Matter alongside some of your fellow HOMmega Records artists, what do you incorporate into your live shows to give them an edge, and what might we expect from you on the night?
My live show will include tracks from Red Means Distortion featuring some "older" tracks and I will do my best to satisfy the crowd just as they’ve satisfied me at every gig that I have had in London.
Photos courtesy of Astrix. Not to be reproduced without permission.
HOMMEGA @ MATTER
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On:
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Friday 14th August 2009
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At:
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MATTER [map]
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From:
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22:00 TO 06:00
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Cost:
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£5 / £8
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Ticket Info:
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Advance Tickets
£5 Very Limited Early Birds: £8 Advanced Tickets: £10 Standard Ticket
Ticketweb: www.ticketweb.co.uk / 08700600100
Access All Areas: www.accessallareas.org / 02072678320
Cyberdog (Camden Market): 02074822842
Antidote909: www.antidote909.com
www.moreonthedoor.com
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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HOMmega
Matter, The O2 Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DY,
Friday 14th August, 10pm to 7am
For the first time ever at this ground breaking venue an exclusive showcase of the worlds number one psychedelic trance label, we present to you the legendary HOMmega Productions from Israel. Special guests Roots are hosting Room 2.
This special event is to be the official launch party for the HOMmega Productions “Heat Seekers” compilation,” New Order” and Remix Albums Ace Ventura and Xerox & Illumination.
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Flyer:
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 - 
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Region:
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London
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Music:
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Trance. Psy Trance.
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DJ's:
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Main Room: Psychedelic Trance
HOMmega Records Showcase
Astrix (Live and DJ Set)
Xerox & Illumination (Live and DJ set)
Ace Ventura (DJ set)
Dejavoo Live
Phil Lankester aka Libra 9
E303
Matt Loraine and Andy Leppard
Andy Force
Room 2 hosted by Roots
Maya
Sonique
Dj Lukka
Zeus
Metaphase ***live***
El-Nino ***live***
Liquid Ross
Aphidmoon
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Other Features By Andy Force:
Lifeforms detected at Astral Circus!
Andy Force interviews Sourone ahead of his UK debut at the Zenon Records Special
Dare to be different: Tribal Village meets Suduaya
Keeping moving with Mechanimal!
Land Switcher – The Earth is Moving at Tribal Village
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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Can't wait to see Astrix & Andy play the main room @Matter on Friday 
