Astral Projection

PLUR: How are you guys? What are you working on at this moment?

AP: We're fine, thanks. At the moment we're touring mostly. We're kind of resting between gigs, after last 10 months in the studio finishing up new album -- Dancing Galaxy.

PLUR: Did you enjoy the performance in Taiwan? If it was special, why?

AP: I enjoyed DJing in Taiwan very much. First of all, it was the first time for me to be in Taiwan. And I found the trance scene very positive there.

PLUR: How do you guys manage to tour around the world and creating new music at the same time?

AP: It's very distracting, touring and working in the studio at the same time. But we enjoy it and it has to be done, so we manage somehow.

PLUR: How do you deal with the commercial side of music business?

AP: Well, there's a lot of stuff that has to be done with the label and the band. We kind of juggle things as we go along through out an album or touring. Our distributor, very close friend and "secret member" of Astral Projection, he helps us A LOT with the work burden.

PLUR: (Don't be offended by this question) Do you think your music is somehow commercial cuz it sells like big-time? If not, how do you define it?

AP: It depends on how you define commercial............. I think if you go by sales you could call it very commercial for trance music. Musically I wouldn't call it " commercial"[in the MARCARENA sense of the work], I call it real, pure, melodic and psychedelic trance music. We do try to make music that will be pleasing to anyone but technically it's still underground dance music. I think the more names we give to one music, the more limited it gets.

PLUR: So do you think of it as "trance music" or something else?

AP: Well, we call it "music" first of all! Then you can add the "trance" label.

PLUR: What's the very beginning of Astral Projection's music? When was the point you guys decide to put everything together to start A.P?

AP: The beginning was when Avi and I got together about 8-9 years ago and formed "SFX" after both of us have been making electronic music for several years under different names. Anyway, in 1989 we did our first album as "SFX", it never came out in the end, so we did another track called " Monstermama" which came out in 1990 on a new beat/techno label in Belgium. After that I went to New York and started a trance label called " X-Rave" Records, which naturally released the next " SFX" single. At the end of 93' Avi and I hooked up with Guy Sebbag and Yaniv Haviv and formed OUTMOSPHERE Records and released our first CD album/compilation including tracks from SFX and others, called TRUST IN TRANCE. After that Guy left, OUTMOSPHERE turned into TRUST IN TRANCE. And Avi, Yaniv and I formed Astral Projection. Since than we've made quite a few albums. Yaviv left the band almost 2 years ago and ever since it's been me and Avi running everything!

PLUR: How do you give a birth to a track? ( the process)

AP: It usually starts with some kind of stimulation that leads to inspiration. At this point we figure out it's time to get up and go to the studio if we want "anything to happen". So we do that! And from here on we're " Astral Projecting" ............. No one sees us around for the next few months, we kind of disappear, then mysteriously reappear with a new album, even if we went in studio for one track.

PLUR: What's each person's role in terms of creating new music?

AP: Basically we both do everything. I also do the sound engineering and most of the synth programming. Avi does a lot of arrangement editing.........Like that!!

PLUR: What do you have in your studio?( if you think this is a secret, you don't have to answer this one)

AP: First of all great acoustics, I designed and built the studio myself with the help of an architect friend. I have a lot of Roland gear mostly old analog stuff: MKS's, JX's, JUNO's, TR's. A lot of analog synths of various types, high-end out board gear like Lexicon and Valley. Some digital recorders, ADATs etc.......I have a nice GH CH desk with automation, IBM & ATARI computers and a very special 30 years old Neumann tube microphone.

PLUR: People Can Fly inspires so many people around the world. Can you tell us more about it?

AP: People Can Fly is one of our favorites, it was very funny making it. We started it at the beginning of the album then put it aside. And at the end we came back to it and finished it.

PLUR: What inspires you most in everyday life? What kind of music you listen to?

AP: Anything good inspires us, movies, music, life, whatever......... We listen to all kinds of music, I think it's very important for musicians of any kind to stay open to other forms of art and other style of music. There's good in almost everything to be inspired by.

PLUR: It seems lots of trance music are strongly influenced by Sci-Fi movies, cosmic atmosphere or nature forces. Is that what A.P's music is about? What kind of messages it brings to people?

AP: Astral Projection's music is really about feelings, thoughts that might be related in some way to those things you just mentioned, but mostly it's about positive energy and what we feel when me make the music.

PLUR: Do you see your music visually? Could you tell us what is it you see?

AP: I see the music visually , or maybe it's more like associating images with feeling triggered by sound or the other way around. Anyway there are no words I know to describe what it is!

PLUR: Let's get to the technical side the other musicians are curious about. What's the main synthesizer or sampler you use?

AP: Emu Emax¢º, Roland MKS50, TR909, TB303, SH101
There's no main synth really and we don't sample that much but almost every song we do has: EN EMAX II, Roland MKS 50, TR 909, TB 303, SH 101, and a lot more........

PLUR: Many of your tracks have this long "kick". How do you make it?

AP: I program the kick on an analog synth of some kind then eq, compress, gate, sample it.

PLUR: Do you use lots of effect on tracks, like filter, envelope, or compressor? How?

AP: Yeah, I use a lot of delays, chorusing for stereo image, I compress the rhythm section sometimes.

PLUR: How does Israeli music and culture influence your works? Any other influences?

AP: We're obviously influenced by our every day life in Israel but in a subconscious way. Israel music doesn't influence us that much though.

PLUR: Do you agree that trance music is actually a mix of all things and all music??

AP: It's a nice way to think of trance music. But I think it's more a mix of influences by those things.

PLUR: Did you know you are going to be musicians since you were kids? And what's the dreams for future? ( maybe doing soundtrack for STAR WARS 4??)

AP: I think we slowly pointed ourself in this direction, but it wasn't our dream to be rock stars when we grow up. We do hope and intend to do this for the rest of our lives! And more.............

PLUR: What's your favorite movie?

AP: DUNE

PLUR: What's the best movie you seen in last 3 months?

AP: MARS ATTACK

PLUR: If one day you are exiled to some deserted island, and you can bring a CD player along with 5 CDs. What are the five CDs you would pick?

AP:
1. Purple Rain [Prince]
2. Blood Sugar Sex Magik
[Red Hot Chili Peppers]
3. An older trance compilation.
4. Trust in Trance
[Astral Projection]
5. Dancing Galaxy
[Astral Projection]

PLUR: Do you think you can communicate to Aliens with trance music?

AP: We don't know. But we know we can break the race, color, religion, nationality, language barriers with trance music.

PLUR: People says trance will be a real global music in few years. What's the future for trance besides that prediction? Will you continue doing trance music when you grow older ?

AP: I think it IS global right now. It's just taking it's time working it's way in! We will always make trance music we hope.

PLUR: Can you tell us little bit about your new album? How's it different from last one? Any break through you wish to achieve?

AP: The new album -- " Dancing Galaxy" took 10 months to make! Well, 10 months, 12-14 hours a day, 6 days a week. We're so wiped out ! But we're really happy with it. We think it's a little more subtle and grown up than the last one which we also love. My mixing approach was a little more contemporary than the one before. We tried to make the album a little more electronic!..........

PLUR: Are you married?

AP: Avi is married for a half year now, life is good for him! I'm on my way, as soon as we finish this............or that........you know how it is. We just never get around to it. But this year for sure!

PLUR: Is it fair to say trance music is somekind of new religion for you guys? What's your philosophy about life?

AP: Music is our religion!

PLUR: What do you guys do besides doing music?

AP: You know we're thankful to say that music takes up all of our time and it's also how we make a living and we feel very fortunate about it!

PLUR: Any words for the struggling trance musicians or trance beginner?

AP: Yeah, take your time making a track. Don't be under pressure to release cuz if you work hard and long everything will sound better...........

PLUR: Where would you like to go if you have 1 month vacation? (including outer space:)

AP: Just some place quiet to recharge!!

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