Trance trance baby!

DJ Astrix, the Israeli psy trance legend, chats with Naomi Canton about how he fell in love with trance music.

DJ Astrix, the Israeli psy trance legend, chats with Naomi Canton. He is currently on an all-India tour.

Your proposed tour of India was cancelled in August because of a bad back. How is it now?
The back is ok. I’m back in action and touring now. The problem was with my lower back, caused by standing too long while deejaying and by being on too many flights.

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Your music is described as futuristic..
I combine psy trance with dance music and create the unique Astrix style. It’s basically computer music. The older community associates trance with beach parties but it was because of artistes like me that it got into clubs.

In what way is the music vibe ‘different’ now?
Worldwide, the peak of the psy trance scene, especially the Israeli scene, was three years ago. This kind of music can be made without special equipment.. you just need a computer, a software programme and the web. As a result, artistes are starting at a young age, bringing different influences together. The Facebook revolution has also contributed a lot to this.

What can we expect from your gig today?
The fans will be able to listen to my new album Red Means Distortion and see an Astrix live set.. I am very happy to come to India.

What do you think of the electronic music scene in India?
People associate India with psy trance because of the spirituality of Indians, the Goan beaches and travellers from across the world who come there. One can reach the highest level of spirituality with music. With trance music, you can touch everyone’s soul. That is the best thing to do and that is the yin and yan – it has a whole purpose, a rhythm and a complete vibe.