Israel’s Astrix aka Avi Schmailov is one of the biggest live acts in today’s vibrant psy-trance scene. Since releasing his debut album ‘Eye to Eye’ in ‘02 on HOM-mega, he has produced a prolific selection of hits & remixes, showcasing his distinct sound & style. When he’s not in the studio he’s touring the world, and the UK is lucky enough to get a second visit this year as part of his new album launch at Paradise City, Antiworld’s incredible party at Alexander Palace on Saturday 4 December.
You’ve been making music since you were a teenager. For those who don’t know you, how did you get into making music? Have you always been into psy-trance?
It started in ‘94. I was a DJ in small clubs playing classic 80's and Electro Dance music. It was about that time that I discovered Trance music and fell in love with it. I started making my own music in ‘97 and have been doing so since then.
This summer has seen a resurgence in psy-trance in the UK, with Mixmag even dubbing it ‘The Summer of Psychedelia’. What do you think of recent trends in the psy-trance scene? Is the UK just a bit behind the times by Israeli standards?
I feel that Psy Trance was born in the UK and from there it spread to many countries in the world. I guess that along the way, the UK lost interest in it as it was no longer a new style of electronic music for their taste but now trance music is back with a better quality of production and a cutting edge style so the people are back into it. Israel is for sure an empire in matters of trance productions but the UK will always be where it started.
Do you consider yourself foremost as a dj or a producer?
For me it's one complete package. The privilege of creating your own musical sound
and the satisfaction of playing it all over the world and experiencing the different reactions from different crowds is a learning experience that has a lot to do with the evolution of my music creation and my artistic persona.
Your long awaited new album ‘Artcore’ is due out soon on HOM-mega. How long have you been working on the album? Could you tell us a bit about the concept behind it?
I have been working on the album for about a year and a half because I was travelling and performing all over the world a lot and because there was a huge demand for my new tracks for various compilations from numerous labels. In this album I tried to approach a wide audience with various styles of Trance: Psychedelic, uplifting, rock'ish, minimal and ambient. It’s more mature than
my first album and the production is a much higher lever.
What djs & producers have influenced you over the years? What djs and producers do you rate at the moment?
Over the years I was very inspired by the works of Enigma, Linkin Park, Prodigy, Metallica, Modjo, Iron Maiden, Shpongle/Hallucinogen, Juno Reactor, Infected Mushroom, GMS, Sub6 and for me their music is eternal.
You’ve played at some massive parties around the world. What’s the best party you’ve played at? Is it very different playing in the UK to your home country of Israel?
I’ve had a lot of good gigs around the world: UK - Brixton, Japan - Gathering, Sweden - Arvika, Brazil – Tribe, South Africa, Mexico and other places. Playing in the UK is always a special experience for me. I consider London to be the capital city of the music nation and I am always proud to be invited to play there. Playing outside of Israel is always different because you go into
"Adventure mode". You never know what to expect, starting from the trip itself up to the venue and crowd that awaits you.
On December 4th you’re headlining Antiworld at Alexander Palace as part of your album launch. Can we expect a set along the same lines as your awesome performance at Psychedelic Academy earlier this year? Has your sound changed at all since then?
First of all, I would like to point two thumbs up for Enrico@Antiworld for producing some massive events that no doubt increase the impact of Psy Trance in the UK. Brixton's Psychedelic Academy was one of the highlights of this year for me. Some of the tracks I played there are in the new album and you can expect to hear them again at the Palace alongside a lot of new stuff that I made since then.
Finally, what advice would you give readers starting out in the music industry?
First of all – Patience! Open your mind to different styles of music and get yourself a good label/management so that you can focus on making music and not making business!
Thanks for your time and looking forward to seeing you all again on December 4th!
