It might be common to cross paths with Danish Michael Banel, and his moniker Behind Blue Eyes. He’s delivered a constant stream of progressive trance atmospheres across all styles. Catch the mans live act in the mix at Lisbon in January 2010, while reading his cult tastes!

The Cults Of Behind Blue Eyes

Your cult hobby?
Music making. A pure creative playground!

Your cult movie?
‘Avatar’, an instant classic!

Your cult book?
‘The Cosmic Game: Explorations of the frontiers of human
consciousness’, by Stanislav Grof. A source of inspiration!

Your cult record shop?
Loud Music in Copenhagen. I “grew up” there!

Your cult website?
www.somniasound.com, dreamy sounds!

Your cult record?
‘Skintrade’, Shapeshifter (Soma). It is a classic from the mid
nineties.

Your cult DJ?
Oolor. An inspiration in the early days!

Your cult band?
Led Zeppelin

Your cult daily routine?
Checking the news online!

Your cult country?
Mexico – Countless adventures there!

Your cult beach?
Tulum, it is an awesome place!

Your cult holiday destination?
Riviera Maya. Many classic adventures there!

Finally, what are you expecting for 2010 summer festival season?
Loads of fun and adventures

www.myspace.com/michaelbanel

If you have ever been to London it’s likely that you’ve been in Inspiral lounge. A breeze of good music, good food and warm vibes is spread from there and Aliji is one of the men behind the scenes.
Promoter and DJ, Ali presented Mindstream, the Boom Radio Podcast, with a mix made up of eclectic, genreless and smooth tunes for us to enjoy.

You are connected with a creative hub in Camden, London, called inSpiral. What is your main activity over there?

The InSpiral lounge in Camden is a lovely venue with a very special vibe.
I am the event manager and responsible for most of the bookings and creative offerings, of which there are many. I also get on the decks from time to time, but in general feel more comfortable in my role as organiser rather than artist. We are also a fundamental part of Glade festival and are considered by many to be one of the best chill out spaces on the festival scene, where we have a significant presence at several events.
For more info on inSpiral see www.inspiralled.net/events

How and when did your musical career start?

My DJ career started at Glastonbury festival in 2003, I was asked to play an afternoon chill out set in ID Spiral. It got me into the role of DJ and inspired me to broaden my musical horizons and obsessively seek out new tunes. I played a few smaller gigs in the next year which led to other bookings and in 2004 played ID Spiral at Glastonbury on saturday night, which was a major breakthrough gig for me. It just keeps getting better and I love it.

As a DJ, how do you consider yourself in terms of music approach?

I love music and believe in content before style.
I try to be not be too linear in genre specification and look for timelessness in music more than a passing style that will have disappeared in 6 months time. I like to introduce accessible psychedelic and groovy elements in my DJ sets and have a feeling for fusing the genres on the road less travelled.
The mix I have done for the Boom podcast demonstrates musicality and production technique being held together with groove and a consistent good vibe.

With so much music being made nowadays which genres and/or artists do you consider as the most innovative to come out?

When I play a techno set, I strive for a groovy sound that is also deep and psychedelic. A few artists who spring to mind are Gui Boratto, Butch, D-Nox, Beckers, James Holden, Alex Kenji, Robert Babicz.
In the world of eclectic downtempo/midtempo electronica I would say the artists who are really paving the way into new territory, while maintaining a musical integrity, that will most likely stand the test of time are:

Rumpistol (Rump Recordings)
Eat Static (Interchill)
Rena Jones (Native State)
Echaskech (Just Music)
Slack Baba (Liquid-Records)

With so much software being released for the sake of DJs, do you think next generation DJs will lose completely the ability to listen to vinyl, CD and other music platforms, besides digital DJing outlets?

I would much prefer to see a DJ waving CDs and vinyl around than looking at a computer screen unless what is happening is really a “Live set”. Looking through a CD case for the perfect selection is much more being a part of the dance floor process than someone looking at a screen that comes between the DJ and the dance floor. I appreciate that there are some nice effects that can be achieved with digital DJing outlets but I hope that upcoming DJs continue with hands-on traditional techniques of mixing.

You played at the last Boom and you have been traveling the world to perform your music. From your perspective, what makes a good festival?

A good festival can be felt in the intent of the core organizers. Care for the people with good facilities and an understanding of music and energy are essential ingredients for people from around the world to come together in celebration.

Finally, what type of music do you listen mostly while in your home?

I like to keep up with what is hot and surf Beatport frequently for what I like in techno/progressive house/minimal/tech-house. Fortunately, I have a lot of good friends who are producers, so I often get an insiders preview.
For work I am often listening to promos, demos and DJ mixes.
I do love a bit of silence between gigs, and rediscovering forgotten gems and non-electronic classics.

www.inspiralled.net
www.liquid-records.com
www.myspace.com/inspiralevents
www.myspace.com/alijimusica

Track List:
1) Alpha Channel – Arabian nights (Omelette)
2) Footsteps in Africa’ Soundtrack – Red Ladies Tent Jam : Kaya Project Remix (unreleased)
3) Future Loop Foundation – Sunshine Philosophy (Just Music)
4) Hibernation – Are you sure/ (Aleph Zero)
5) Halogen – Desert Step (unreleased)
6) Halogen – Not the remix (Maternity)
7) Tosca – Worksong (G-Stone)
8 ) Honeyroot – Sound, echo, location (Just Music)
9) James Holden – 1010 (Border Community)
10) Vector Lovers – Neon sky rain (Soma )
11) Solar fields – Times are good (Ultimae)
12) Tripswitch – Tesselation (unreleased)

Press “Play” to Listen

Moodswings By Journey

Journey is the project of London based Italian native Jay Om, the label manager of Free Spirit Records. Our new volume of Mindstream, the Boom Radio Podcast, is about the mood that Jay gets while doing his daily life!

When I’m happy I listen to:
Anything that makes me sing inside… Reggae probably is the first choice.

When I’m angry I listen to:
Silence.  I rarely listen to music when I am angry, I try to listen to myself, so silence is the best option.

When I’m relaxing I listen to:
My best way to relax is to watch movies in my studio, but if not I’ll often listen to Alternative Rock like Coldplay, Snow Patrol or Keane.

When I’m about to go out I listen to:
Usually my own production before I go out to play…

When I’m about to go to sleep:
Nothing specific, but I always leave the radio on in the lounge when I go to bed.

When I’m checking the emails:
Lots of different stuff, depends on my mood.

When I need to be inspired I listen to:
Hmmm, I don’t listen to music to be inspired… or at least i don’t when i am going to produce in my studio… …inspiration comes making my music as i never have something prepared before hand…i like be spontaneus

When I’m cooking I listen to:
Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Burning Spears are my best cooking companions – I make a very good food listening to them…

Finally, what is the main approach you have to the Journey sound?
I always approach my production sessions looking for different sounds, changing key and using different layers to create my collage, a psychedelic collage. I avoid using the same presets, never use the same patterns and in this way feel more creativbe and happy with my results.

www.myspace.com/freespiritrecs

Moodswings by Sally Doolally

What do the artists listen when they are in the mood? This month UK native-Germany based DJ, producer and Plastik Park label manager Sally Doolally (played at Boom 2002 and 2006) lets it all hang out because of Mindtsream 04, the Boom Radio Podcast…

When I’m happy I listen to:
“Anything which I am currently into, it could be something forthcoming on Plastik Park or something fresh from the studio, basically anything which makes me tap my toes”.

When I’m angry I listen to:
“Silence! I am someone who needs to take quiet time to turn that emotion around, as quickly as possible”.

When I’m relaxing I listen to:
“The sound track from ‘Berlin’s Calling’ is one CD which I am really digging at the moment, its great for just kicking back and relaxing to. I also quite like a CD which came free with Groove magazine a couple of months ago and it keeps finding itself in the player. These days I also find myself listening to children music with my son, because if he is relaxed I am relaxed too”.

When I’m about to go out I listen to:
“New music which I am about to play that night, or maybe a mix from Goetz, my husband, he is always doing new mixes and I love his groovy trippy style which he plays, it always gets me in the right mood for a party”.

When I’m about to go to sleep:
“I don’ listen to music to fall asleep, I can’t switch off if there is music playing. I find myself listening to it, so it kind of defeats the object”.

When I need to put my son asleep I listen to:
“’Floatation’, its a pretty old one by now, like from 2004 or something, on Interchill Records, but it has stood the test of time and without any doubt, it works like magic on him”.

When I’m checking the emails:
“I usually listen to new music which is sitting on my desktop and has yet to get onto CD. I pile up folders and folders of it and sometimes it takes me way to long to get through it all, so there is always something there”.

When I need to be inspired I listen to:
“Whatever are my favourite tracks of the moment. Fiord’s remix of Pesadilla-Hermosa has really blown me away recently, these guys are doing such good stuff these days, in fact I have always been huge fans of them, also as Antix, very inspirational indeed”.

When I’m cooking I listen to:
“I often listen to a mix running, usually something from Goetz, I am his biggest fan. But at the moment I also like a mixed CD from Kaiser Souzai on CLM, its really groovy stuff and very easy to listen to in the background”.

Finally, what was the main approach you had to this mix?
This mix is a taste of the music which I am playing at the moment. It’s maybe a bit harder and techy than some of my Boom audience might know me for, but it’s pretty pumping party music and its what gets me moving these days. As I don’t record my mixes very often, I thought I might as well do something which is current to what I am playing out right now.

Tracklist:

RPO & DAVID WEED – Industry Part 2 (Tribal Vision)
CHRIS CARGO – Charged (Radio with Pictures)
RIKTAM & GABE – Simple Jack (Sprout)
LISH – Breaking Point (Forthcoming on Plastik Park)
RPO & DAVID WEED – Golden Chord (Opyum Musik)
RIKTAM & BANSI – Ride the Snake (Plastik Park)
ASTRONIVO – From Here (Miki Litvak rmx) (Flow Vinyl)
KHAINZ – Low Frequency Ocilator (Forthcoming on Plastik Park)
RIKTAM & BANSI – Polisteroo (Plastik Park)
RAMON TAPIA – Klinker (Craft Music)
JAYTECH – Delta (AnjunaDeep)

Links:

www.myspace.com/sallydoolally
www.myspace.com/beautyandthebeatmusic
www.beautyandthebeat.de
www.plastikpark.com
www.sproutmusic.de

Atyss and music specialist Patrick Rognant (if you’ve been in Paris in the 90s it’s impossible not to hear about his famous “Rave Up” shows) had one of the hottest DJ duos in European psy-trance in the late 90s. Nowadays, and on its own name, Parisian DJ, producer and label owner Atyss is one of the main activists of the French psy-trance. We invited the founder of Sonic Motion Records for the third incursion of Mindstream, and we spoke with him about music, parties and his work for cinema.

You’ve been around for years in the French scene. What major changes you see from late 90s trance scene in Paris and today?
Yes I’ve been around since 1995, starting to be old now! Ahaha Well back in the 90’s Paris was a hub for the international trance scene, they were 3 or even 4 parties every Saturday night with 2000 to 6000 people in each one, in incredible sites with amazing line up with great international djs & live acts, fire dancers, ice sculpture, animations, ‘Les nuits blanches’. There was a real culture which developed with records shops, fashion shops, bars with trance, Bastille & Pigalle were the places where those things happened ‘back in the day’ in Paris, now many of them have closed, there’s only one records shop ‘Techno Import’ that sell trance cds.
In the same time on Saturday beginning of the night a radio show ‘Rave Up’ on Radio FG hosted by Patrick Rognant “my dj partner” updated people with party’s agenda, interviewed artists, and let them play their music on air.
During the week there were many club parties, but progressively the scene changed, becoming less underground. It became difficult to find good locations and the government made things more tricky for organisers by making everything official “locations, dj’s, lives , deco & bar”. Then police started to block the roads to parties which led some organisers to leave the scene.
Now parties are less frequent with a maximum of 1700 peoples for indoor and 4500 peoples for festivals, but have stayed true to quality with interesting line-ups, some long term organisation such as Gaia concept have managed to keep on the storm and new ones have emerged.

What are the french artists that inspired you the most and why?
My inspiration is not coming directly from trance music or even French artists, but Pink Floyd for the psychedelic side; Fela Kuti for the drums; James Brown for the groove; Alpha & Omega for the trippy vibe; Herbie hancock for the synths & atmospheres; Meshell Ndegeocello for the bass and jazzy feeling; Brian Eno for the the pads, ambiances, perfect arrangements and production; and many more, movies also give me some inspiration.

Who is your ‘producer-extraordinaire’ nowadays on the psy-trance scene?
Nowadays in psy-trance, Phatmatix is one of the artists I respect the most for his work, he’s really professional in his way of making music and talented to create atmosphere like a comic opera and industrial rhythms. His music is fluid with breaks and perfect arrangements and without concession.

You’ve created a label recently. What was the main goal for Sonic Motion Records?
Our productions are orientated towards upbeat psychedelic acid trance designed for heavy dance session with a hint of chill out vibes for the late morning. We are also looking to diversify and bring our expertise to other fields (ambient, audio-visuals illustrations, electronic-psychedelic). We are constantly searching for new talents, have a look at our website www.sonicmotionrecords.com.

You have a background in sound design for cinema. You’ve worked for movies like “Entre Chiens Et Loups” or “Camping Sauvage”. What is the main pleasure for you to work with image and sound on a professional level?
Sound design or music with a film is the best way to create, because you rebuild a world & give an emotion to sequences, sound design is more fun & creative, creating fxs or atmospheres to put people into a world that gives feelings & emotions, it has no limits. Creating music on images is more attractive also because the film gives you a connecting thread for how to compose the music to give an emotion at a precise moment.
I am currently working with a team of visuals in sonic motion records called “Homeostasys” they are geniuses in cognitive science. We work together on a audio-video symbiosis project which combine audio & midi which control animation on 3D pictures, as every channels from the track is linked to a movement this make real sense for electronic music.

Tell us about this mix, what did you want to transmit with this?
This mix transports you from the late night mayhem to the early morning vibes, like from 5 to 7am, it s that time that I played at the Boom Festival and it’s the time that I really enjoy playing, most of the tracklist is a mix of our past & our future releases, as well as one of my previously released track.

Last questions, what major projects you have for your label in the next future?
After the last ‘Hypnotwist’ compilation and the album of Noisy Pipes. In June we are going to release Sonic Athmosphere compiled by DJ Shaktipat, coming next Killer Buds album, Toxic album, and my own album where I want to develop this audio video symbiosis project in order to release a DVD in the end of the year.

Tracklist:

1. NOISY PIPES – Crawling, Seeking
2. DIGITAL TALK – Mindcore rmx
3. TRISKELL – Chips’ n’ Twist
4. TOXIC – Mayhem
5. DIGITAL TALK – The Ultimate (Reconstructed By Absolum)
6. PHATMATIX – Punishement
7. ORCA – Hat Madder
8. PHATMATIX – Behind you
9. KILLER BUDS – Kim’s Special
10. NOISY PIPES – Cheers For Fears (featuring Triskell)
11. ATYSS – Room 237
12. ZION LINGUIST – Black Jack
13. EARTHLING – Cycle tour

Websites:
www.sonicmotionrecords.com
myspace.com/atyss
myspace.com/sonicmotionrecords

He is one of the top producers of morning melodic psy-trance. We chat with Menog in a sunny day in Lisbon about his contribution for Mindstream 02, the Boom Radio Podcast.

You’ve been traveling all over the globe playing for many crowds. But most of the people don’t know that you have a background as drummer in heavy metal bands. Please tell us something about your “past” life as drummer?
Yes, before i got in touch with electronic music in general I was in a black metal band playing drums. My favorite bands and inspiration were Cradle of Filth, My Dying Bride, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Carcass, Amorphis, etc.
One of my favorite drummers was (and still is) Nikolas, from Cradle of Filth, he was definitely one of my main inspirations.

When did you start to see trance as the proper music platform for you to explore?
It was at Boom 98 when i first thought of making this kind of music. Then I went to live in London in 1999 then came back in early 2000 and started my trance project.

What have you been doing lately music wise?
Recently I’ve started a minimal techno project, it’s always good to explore new sonorities and different ways to produce. In trance music I’ve been doing some collaborations with Absolum, Cpu, Abomination, and at the moment I’m making a remix from the track “Basic Survival Instinct” (Menog vs Absolum) which was a world hit in the main dance floors.

This podcast was based on a live in Costa Rica. How and where was recorded and what else have you done onto the mix?
I’ve recorded the live act over there, but in the studio I’ve added some percussion loops and FX for this podcast.

Your new project is as teacher in a tech-school in Lisbon. Are you converting more people into trance or what? What are you doing in there?
Yes, it’s funny! I´m teaching the module “Live performance” in the Electronic Music Production Course at www.etic.pt, but it’s not only for people that listen to trance. I teach people that listen minimal, techno, drum&bass, trance. Electronic music heads basically!

Who have been your favorite producers to work with?
Absolum, Cpu, Space Tribe and Shift.

How is a regular day on Menog’s life?
Normally i only work on music during the day and weekly days. I wake up and have breakfast then I’m off to the studio to work.
Now with the classes, i have to prepare them every week as well, normally I do it in the end of the day after working in some music.
At nighttime i don’t work, only when I have some friend over and were working together.

Track List :

Matacanha
Collapsed Generations
Basic Survival Instinct (with Absolum)
Spirits Remix
Banzai
Neural Activity (with Atomic Pulse)
Gravitation Field (with Space Tribe)
We are dust

www.myspace.com/menog
www.menog.com

Some didn’t even notice. However dubstep absolutely rocked Boom 2008. At the Groovy Beach massive bass-wizards like GothTrad, Tes la Rock, Octa Push, Mr Gasparov or Satta B sent the Funktion One sound system as far in space as the Hubble goes.

So we pay homage to one of the hottest music genres around for the launch of Mindstream, the Boom Radio Podcast. Every month we’ll invite some of the hottest DJs and producers from all over the world from electronic music and beyond that identify with the Boom artistic concept.

Our premiere is with Liquid Stranger aka Martin Staaf. If you don’t remember him, he was a part of the old-school trance project, Necton, with editions by big fellows like Digital Structures or Spiral Trax. Nowadays, the Swedish Martin is into the dubby side of music. So we warn: Play It Loud. Put the Bass On and put your step on this Duuuubbbbbbbbbbbb…

You’ve been a member of the old-school project Necton. As a producer what were the major positive aspects that trance allowed you to achieve?
Ah, the good old wild days! For me, the time with Necton was always more about the vibe, the community, and the amazing parties than an obsession with progressive trance. I haven’t listened to those tunes for a long time; I do not think I even have them anymore

Why did you swift from being a trance producer into a more dubby type of music?
I never really switched per say, I have always made tons of different types of music. During the time I toured with Necton, I produced various stuff like ambient, electro and drill’n’bass.
What excites me is the fusing of genres. I have no fixed style that I stay with too long, I do not like boundaries. To me, the interesting part of Dub is the way of manipulating and reshaping recordings. The Jamaicans did it with reggae, nowadays people do the same with techno, electronica and beyond.
It blows my mind every time someone tells me that there are passionate about music, and then goes on to reveal that they only really listen to one certain style. I mean, that person has limited themselves to a minuscule little box, instead of exploring all the good stuff that is out there.

What are the main elements on dubstep that you enjoy the most?
I love dubstep for its open frame. Dubstep contains elements from so many styles: reggae, electro, techno, breaks, drum’n’bass, etc. You have two tempos to dance to, and it is full of humour… and full of bass!

Please tell us the main all time trance producers that you like the most and why….
I was never a trance DJ, so I most of the time I had no idea what was playing. It is also a matter of context. Someone might play me a tune at home and I wouldn’t like it, but on the dance floor I would dance my ass off to it.
Producers…hmmm, a few that comes to mind are Koxbox, Delta, and Skazi. I tend to like the ‘In our face’ party tunes.

Who are the top fellows around the dubstep scene?
Wow, there are so many talented producers. I really like Excision, Rusko, Stenchman, Tes La Rok, Bar 9, and Headhunter. Too many to mention them all.

This podcast: what was the main idea behind it?
It was Boom idea, hehe I think it is amazing how the Internet has changed the music climate. It is so easy to get hold of music today. “Underground” does not really exist anymore. Podcasts are an excellent way to discover new music, and hopefully this podcast will inspire some new people who are not familiar with my sound.

Where, when and how did you made this mix?
The mix was made a few weeks ago as promotion for my Canada tour. The mix contains a bunch of material from my upcoming album on Rottun Recordings, some stuff from the upcoming album on Interchill, and additional stuff that I found on my hard drive. I still haven’t gotten around to check out any computer based DJ solutions like Traktor/Serato, so I just mixed it ’stone age stylie’ on my CDJs. I work very fast, and this mix was not an exception. It is the only way I will stay inspired.

Finally, how do you want people to understand this mix?
I hope people will approach it with an open mind, especially since my new material is quite different from the songs on ‘The Invisible Conquest’. For my new Interchill album, ‘The Intergalactic Slapstick’, I am stepping away from the “tripped out dub journey concept”. The new album will be much more distinct, and feature more vocals.

Tracklist:

1. LIQUID STRANGER – PLENTY
2. LIQUID STRANGER – BLAZE
3. LIQUID STRANGER – CAPTAIN OF CRUNCH
4. LIQUID STRANGER – VIBES MACHINE
5. LIQUID STRANGER – DUST WARNING
6. VYBZ KARTEL – K.I.L.L.E.R. (STRANGER MASHUP)
7. VYBZ KARTEL – TEK BUDDY GYAL (STRANGER MASHUP)
8. LIQUID STRANGER – MALAGUENA
9. BOUNTY HUNTER – TARGET (STRANGER EDIT)
10. LIQUID STRANGER – TALA
11. LIQUID STRANGER – CRANK
12. LIQUID STRANGER – TROLLS
13. BOMBAY DUB ORCHESTRA – JOURNEY (STRANGER REMIX)
14. LIQUID STRANGER – YOU MAKE ME WANNA SHOUT
15. LIQUID STRANGER – GADGET
16. ESPION – ARCHITEKTUR (STRANGER REMIX)

www.myspace.com/liquidstranger

Having independent media outlets is one of the singularities of Boom. We take a look at ‘Daily Dragon’, ‘Pathways’ and ‘Boom Radio’ on this webisode of the Boom Web TV.