1. Where we’re you born and where are you staying now?

I was born in a town called Orebro 200km from Stockholm, Sweden. I stayed there until I was 25 years old and now I have moved to a city a little bit closer to Stockholm to study music production to get a major University degree in it.

2. What do your siblings call you and why?

My sister calls me Crazy because I am and have always been. No but seriously, she only calls me Thomas.

3. What artists are you currently listening to?

I always listen to the trance channel on Digitally Imported radio whenever I’m home. Favorite tracks and artists are:
Tiesto – He’s a pirate
Svenson & Gielen
Xerox & Illumination

4. When and what was your initial influence to Psytrance?

As I was already in to producing music with the help of my computer and synths when I first went to a Psytrance party it only came naturally that I sat down and tried to make it sound just like all the cool sounds I had heard the night before. You might say I sat down and tried to remember what special sounds during the night really got to me.

5. What is your favorite VST’s?

Don’t have one; I always use the Kontact sampler for all my tracks though.

6. What EFX units do you use to gain your effects?

At the moment I don’t have any hardware efx units in the studio. They’re still back in my hometown sitting in the garage with the rest of the stuff I don’t need

7. What are your favorite pieces of hardware in your studio?

My Novation Supernova 2 keyboard and my Yamaha 02R v2 mixer.

8. What was your best experience in front of a live crowd?

I love it when I meet up with Kung-fu Fred a.k.a. Neuromotor at parties. We have such a good time and always try to push each other further during our sets. That man is just so full of life and energy and we both like to totally freak out on stage which makes the audience freak out to.

9. What animal describes your music best?

A 2 year old dog which is still very playful but also has grown up a little bit to be reliable and trusty.

10. If you could do a collaboration with ANY person, who would it be and why?

Stewie Griffin from Family Guy or Homer Simpson. I have a little track project going on with Safi Connection, we’ll see how that turns out

11. From what other artist(s) do you gain inspirado?

All music that makes me feel something is inspiring.

12. Is there any difference in crowds from party to party?

I would say Yes; since people that smoke allot at parties often tend to be more calm which I would say has a negative effect on the dance floor.

13. Where’s you favorite destination to tour too and why?

Japan, I love the people there

14. How would you compare that to the South African scene?

Don’t know, I’ve never been there.

15. You think you’ll ever NOT be able to make Psytrance?

Hopefully I’ll always be able to create whatever I feel like creating. If it’s Psytrance or not, only time will tell but as I feel right now after 8 years of being in the Psytrance scene, touring and releasing music I don?t think I’ll ever stop producing it even though I already produce other genres besides Psytrance. Only thing that keeps me down and that sickens me out is the people who are not open minded to other genres and people. It seems like some people think you have to look in a certain way to be a Psytrance artist, you have to act in a certain way, you have to dress in a certain way. Whatever… I am who I am.

16. How long does it take you to make a track 90% complete?

It can take from 3 full days and nights to 2 weeks and sometimes more.

17. Do you create sounds by a fool proof process or is everything freestyle and tweaking?

Everything is freestyle, always. Of course I have saved the sounds I have previously tweaked on the synths since I want to use them again.

18. Do you have tip or trick you’d like to give us?

Yea, a good one is not to do drugs. Other than that, live full-on

19. When and what can we expect from your new album?

It should be out in the beginning of 2007 and you can listen to samples from it at my myspace site: Miraculixtrance on Myspace.com

During 2006 I have released 2 tracks at digital psionics and 1 more is already signed there and on the way.
Another release is also on the way on a Sin records compilation which has really rocked the dance floor where N3XU5 has played it around the world.
You can check out all releases at the discography site on miraculix.nu. I always put out samples of all the newly released tracks there. http://www.miraculix.nu/disco.html
Thanks!

1. Where we’re you born and where are you staying now?

We born in Israel and a few years back we moved to London to do it from there as time passed 1 of us left the band & we stayed 1 more year in London just the 2 of us. After the last album things changed again & I left London back to Israel. As for the other partner (Rizo) he is no longer part of dark soho & I work with a new guitar player and sound engineer & a killer vocalist at the moment we are back in our home land Israel & we plan on staying here.

2. What do your siblings call you and why?

They call me in my real name. (That’s Boxer)

3. What artists are you currently listening to?

Many metal artists & rock bands mainly. But I do like the pop thingy too mtv stuff & hip-hop.

4. When and what was your initial influence to Psytrance?

Mm hard to say… mainly rock but some others trance artists as well…

5. What are your favorite VST’s?

Cubase, Zeta, Waves, Urs.

6. What EFX units do you use?

P.O.D XT for guitars & bass. Tube compressor preamp for vocal.

7. What are your favorite pieces of hardware in your studio?

The microphone, guitar & of course… can?t forget the brain of it all, THE COMPUTER!

8. What was your best experience in front of a live crowd?

Mexico 7,000 people & Dark Soho live. We kicked some serious ass that night (literally!).

9. What animal describes your music best?

Bats, dogs, ants & bears

10. If you could do a collaboration with ANY artist, who would it be and why?

Evanescence, Paradise Lost & Textures.

11. From what other artist(s) do you gain inspiration?

Metallica & more.

12. Is there any difference in crowds from party to party?

Yes of course. One party can suck ass when the other rules. It all depends on the amount and/or quality of the people there. But basically there are no 2 parties alike.

13. Where?s you favorite destination to tour too and why?

Mexico, London, Japan, South Africa & well… all exept of east Europe which totally sucks ass!

14. How would you compare that to the South African scene?

South Africa people are wild! Just the way it should be, they drink to death & parties hard… not many places in the world have that madness. It’s kewl… I can?t wait to come back!

15. You think you’ll ever NOT be able to make Psytrance?

Mmm interesting… dono. It depends on the mood… some times its just too boring… but then… some new lines come out & it?s kickin again

16. How long does it take you to make a track 90% complete?

Mm around 2-3 days but then… because I have little time the 3 days spread on like 2 weeks…

17. Do you create sounds by a fool proof process or is everything freestyle and tweaking?

Depends on the sound I want… some times I aim to a peticular sound & some times I just fuck around try to make something I like & it finds itself during the process.

18. Do you have tip or trick for us?

Practice, practice, practice! & don?t do drugs in the studio… u loose the concentration!

19. When and what can we expect from your new album?

Mmm… rock n roll baby!!

It’s clear that Boxer himself is not only a electonic boff, but has great taste when it comes to the Metal and Rock genre, that is only a stone throw away from psytrance. Thanks once again Dark Soho for your contribution!

Make a turn by Dark Soho on Myspace.

Here at Monkeysfist we like to get to know the masterminds behind the music we listen to. Xatrik from Timecode took some time out of his schedule to let us run some questions by him. Here is what he had to say:

1. Where we’re you born?

Nottingham, England.

2. What do your siblings call you?

Big G.

3. What cell phone do you own?

Nokia.

4. Do you play any sport or excersise?

I skate to and from my friends houses.

5. What are you currently listening to?

5(crap)fm. (btw – they have almost zero local content)

6. When and what was your initial influence to Psytrance?

The Pharcyde/ Vortex Synergy parties back in the late 90’s where I first experienced Mark Allen (Quirk) and Mr. Tsyoshi Suzuki. I was converted immediately by their manic overdose of raw psychedelic sound.

7. What?s your favorite piece of equipment?

My Virus.

8. What was your best experience in front of a live crowd?

They have all been good, particularly here in SA… the Japanese and Indian crowds also RIP! I played a small gig in Brighton a few years ago where there was a battle for the loudest screamer. Me vs. the Crowd … it was close but they had the numbers : )

9. What animal describes your music best?

Hmmm tough one… don’t think it exists in normal reality… pokemons are pretty close.

10. From what other artist(s) do you gain inspirado?

Phyx, Slug, Lost & Found, Absolum, pretty much all the SA trance artists and a lot more non-trance outfits like The Real Estate Agents (these dudes are my biggest inspirado currently) and Boards Of Canada, Daedelus… there are sooo many!

11. Is there any difference in crowds from party to party?

Ya, it depends on many factors – smaller parties are more intimate… the bigger parties can be ravish but theres nothing like a BIG crowd!

12. Where?s you favorite destination to tour to?

Japan.

13. How would you compare that to the South African scene?

Its very different. They are more organized and have more money so there are more parties… here we have fewer parties but people really know how to party… and we have the dopest venues.

14. You think you’ll ever NOT be able to make Psytrance?

Even If I loose all my limbs (I don’t think so), Ill get like a runner to click the mouse and nod my head when they get it right !

15. How long does it take you to make a track 90% complete?

Usually 2 days but some tracks need more time… I reckon its best to try get the bulk of the track/or idea out in 1 session then complete it the next day when you are fresh.

16. Do you create sounds by a foolproof process or is everything freestyle and tweaking?

Its different every time but its good to know what your going for before you start – like have an idea of the sound , AND EXPERIMENT LANK cause most of what you do has probably been done already so try something different, you never know you might just have the sickest breakthrough!

17. Do you have tip or trick you’d like to give us?

Have fun! Dont be too serious, humor does belong in music… but please cheese is better on a sandwich than a dance floor!

18. When can we expect your new album?

XATRIK 2nd album “INSIDE INFORMATION” due Nov/Dec this year on DIGITAL PSIONICS RECORDS and my side project with LOST & FOUND – MULTISTATE has our debut album “COLLABORATING WITH MACHINES” due Nov this year on TIMECODE RECORDS.

Thanks once again to Xartrik for bringing us some of the hottest tunes around. Go check out the Record Label sites at www.digitalpsionics.com and www.timecode.co.za.