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ABOUT ZIRREX |
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Andrey Alexandrov (Zirrex) - russian psychedelic trance scene pioneer, the creator, ideologist and main energy force for Zirrex and Tau Kita music projects. Zirrex is the project which blasted Moscow dancefloors in mid and late 90-s and proved that artist from Russia can make it's own distinctive music equal to world's best psychedelic trance. Zirrex live sets took part on largest festivals like 'Orbita', 'Uragan', 'Instanzia' and many others alongside with world's most famous projects - Hallucinogen, Astral Projection, Cosmosis, Transwave, Total Eclipse etc. Zirrex was a very welcome guest on popular electronic music radiostations, performed a live dj-set on Muz-TV channel.
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Hi, Andrey! First of all – who are Zirrex and what are they responsible for? Today Zirrex consists of only one person – me. I make all of the music and act as a musician and dj under Zirrex alias. How and when did Zirrex appear? As I remember, earlier there were 2 people in the group? I started making music rather long ago, but didn’t think of a proper pseudonym. Late in 1995 I met Alexander and we started making and playing music together as “Alex Project”. However we changed it to “Zirrex” in 1996 when our music became more popular. Once we couldn’t find a suitable name for a new track and I typed a random word on the keyboard – it happened to be “zirrex”. We liked the word and used it both for track and group name. By the way, another question about strange track names – how did names like “Hollysterious”, “Astrolucid” or “Mahageon” appear.? The same way as Zirrex name. Are they a matter of simple coincidence or mystics? Deeds of a higher intelligence! So you believe in its existence? Sure! Otherwise there weren’t so many mysteries of our existence on Earth. Ok, let’s go back to Earth - did you have any musical experience before you started making electronic music? Yes, I played guitar in several rock-bands, and also was a singer in one of them. I played different kinds of music – mostly heavy metal and death metal. Later I became much interested in neo-classic rock and my favorite artists were Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, Yngwie Malmsteen etc.
I grew up on guitar rock music… I liked experimenting and later bought PC and sound processor. I plugged my guitar into it and tried to find how to express my ideas better with the help of latest developments in technology. Soon got addicted to synthesized sound and its processing and got deeper and deeper into electronic music. Guitar became playing the second role. Electronic sounds filled me with new feelings and helped discovered fresh and modern opportunities to express my new ideas. At present I wouldn’t say that electronic sound is more interesting for me than live sound. I still listen to the music of my favorite guitarists and best rock musicians. Electronic sound for me is the development in life, it gives me new colors and emotions. While listening to my new album “Ritual Dance” you will understand that I have no priorities – the main thing is the music itself, whether it is live or synthesized, the most important thing is the idea and emotional content.
You use acoustic guitar and vocals in new tracks – it’s innovative comparing with your earlier music. Does it mean that your whole style is changing or it is the result of recent experiments?
Your music differs from what most other well-known Russian trance artists make. I would even notice that Zirrex is the only Russian project, which sounds recognizably positive and melodic – do you like such kind of music more than dark psychedelic? I like complex, experimental and qualitative music. It can be even a flute or a violin solo, but its quality and high skill of musician may lead me deep into the world full of excitement and positive emotions. I like dark psychedelic sound also and maybe I’ll even produce such kind of music, but now muse provides me only with melodic and soft colors and layers. What would you advice to young artists, who try to produce their own music? To buy expensive professional headphones and work on sound. To build your own house of sounds: with its floor, walls, windows, ceiling etc. Is there anything else you are fond of? Web-design Do you like PC games? Is there a favourite one? Yes, I like 3D-Action and RTS. There is no favorite one – many interesting products appear on the market What do you like most: making music or performing to the public? These two things are different… I love making music and certainly don’t reject the public performance Do you prefer acting as a musician or as a dj?
Your live acts are always positive and a burst of pure energy for the people. And energy comes not only from your music, but personally from you as you act on the stage. Tell us your secret – how do you achieve this? I am an artist – music is my life. I live on the stage when I act. I can’t be sad and boring. Otherwise my life would be painted in gray scale. Music helps me make the first step, people – the second… and then we move together and gain much energy from each other. Your live acts tend to become a real show on the stage which gains popularity among many people – will you keep up the tendency, maybe involve more people in performance – what is the concept of your Zirrex Live Show? Yes, I would try to involve more people to generate interesting ideas and they will be not only dancers which make a performance in scenic costumes and move with the sound, but other musicians also. Together we’ll try to make an electronic music theatre performance. Something like what Juno Reactor or Shpongle do? Something like that, but also I would like to combine music and visual effects. You mean lasers and video? It’s a bit difficult with video, but lasers, fireworks and other stuff would be nice to try.
I think this album is very global and psychedelic but with one little notice – of the 90th . This album is musically wide and very melodic. The key to its popularity is hidden in music itself which is unusual for Russian trance scene in 90th. Zirrex was the first group which produced such kind of psychedelic trance in our country and it helped to gain such popularity. By the way, somehow it gained popularity abroad – I receive e-mails with questions like “Where can I by this album in Germany?”. Unfortunately, now my answer is always the same – nowhere.
There is a recent tendency among well-known artists to re-release remastered versions of early albums – do you consider such an opportunity? I’ll be happy to do it if it’ll interest someone. What are your favorite tracks from this album? Tadarinda, Hollysterius, Power Bass, X-Indiane. Did you ever think of making a remix on some of these? Yes, I have such an idea and I think Tadarinda will be the first one. “Lost In Time” is still available on pirate mp3 discs and internet-shops… how much money did you earn from releasing this album and please give your comments to the situation with audio piracy in Russia? We even didn’t earn enough money to buy a new synthesizer, but I must say - gained much popularity. Pirates don’t give a chance to a musician to earn much money from release. People want fresh tracks and albums, but they still buy a pirate copy, even buy a CD-R with Audio-CD tracks made from mp3’s, which is being sold as a “copy of original Audio-CD”. I don’t understand those who buy mp3’s – you can find almost everything in internet for free, even if you can’t you can always contact a musician or label and make a deal. When can we wait the release of your new album? Album “Ritual Dance” is already made, now I am promoting it to foreign labels. Final release date will be available on my web-site http://www.zirrex.ru Do you have any favorite tracks from it? I like them all. When the track is already written I can loose interest to it, but after several days I listen to it again with much pleasure. Each new track is a step to me and each step have something favorite, kind and warm. How would you comment internet mp3 music resources with free downloads? The situation is even much more tricky then with payable resources. Technology is moving forward and its senseless to oppose this. I am able to accept a situation when people download my music for free but I’m against those who pay pirates for it. Do you like to listen to any non-trance music? Yes, almost every style – more or less often… I don’t listen to Russian pop music.
Yes, I agree – it is essential to listen different kinds of music. Simon is right. But sometimes this is not the only reason for making dumb similar tracks – sometimes young musicians don’t want to experiment, lack knowledge and don’t want to gain it. They make poor music, labels release it and it pollutes not only their minds but minds of all of us. People get dumb themselves, musicians do the same – the result is often very disappointing. Non trance, slow tracks made by Zirrex are great, do you plan to make more? Yes I do, I’ll make more such kind of tracks soon – but I don’t promise it’ll be uplifting, I have already made one experimental step in my new album “Ritual Dance” – track “Code 28”. How do you make music – do you have any idea or image in your head before you touch the keyboard or everything comes during the process? Yes, images and associations appear, they are essential. Music in my head is not only notes – first an idea to make a certain track appears and then it changes during the process of production, music changes or includes something unexpected.
Once on
www.zirrex.ru forum you said
that each of your tracks has a story, a certain plot – tell us more about
it. Yes, track “Code28” from new “Ritual Dance” album is a good example. The plot is rather twisted. This track will have a sequel in which all of us will find out what and why has happened there. I would classify the style of the track as “thriller ambient horror-movie soundtrack”. Some artists say they encode pictures, words or even phrases in their tracks – do you practice such things? Yes I do, you’ll find out more if you buy “Ritual Dance” album. What do you like best in music production? Technical sound manipulations, but I can enjoy playing guitar or piano too. How do you start a new track – what comes first? Accord comes first, rhythm-section next… That is, at the beginning I can make a sketch of a simple melody or make several guitar riffs or solos to find proper drums, bass etc. a bit later. Once you’ve said that often you work in studio at night – why? Inspiration comes more often at night? It’s more peaceful – I do 70% of work at night, but in the morning when first ray of light comes through the window of my studio, beautiful melodies and sounds appear often. What inspires you most? Nature, other beautiful music, emotional feelings. Your new album is quite varied in style, and some tracks sound very complex and rich, like “Solar system” – do you have so many ideas or do you need many different sounds to express them? I can’t stand the temptation… to push every interesting thing in 10 minutes’ track! When I listen to it later I realize that it is too global, but if I remove sounds – even only one, the desirable scale and range are lost. Making music for you is… Progress, exploration and discovery, experience of life and even myself – in other words it is life. What does your family think about your way of life and your music? They like it and support me much – I’m thankful to them for this.
From selling albums. Russian musicians earn money from playing on parties – it is special for our music industry. Now everything is growing, several labels appears, well known foreign artists come to play in Russia, new people are being involved into the movement, many young artists appear – all this gives hope for good. You’ve been quite a long time on scene already – how did party people change? Did atmosphere on the parties change a lot since times when everything started? People were more colorful, more freaks – people who live in this culture. Now they are much less usual. The atmosphere on big parties didn’t change since then, but on small parties people were more kind and peaceful. Music changes and so do the people. You performed on the stage together with superstars – Astral Projection, Etnica, Cosmosis etc. Your impressions? They are professionals who have many things to teach from. They know what and how to do on the stage because of plenty of knowledge and experience they have. They are nice people to chat with not only on psychedelic trance themes.
Yes, when it is a live act. Together with organizers we think over stage design, dancers appearance and other show elements. I tell my wishes and give ideas, we discuss them and find a compromise. I am a creative person and music only is not enough for me. Name 3 most important events in your life. Birth of my lovely sister, first interview on radio “106.8 FM”, and I hope the third one is in the future Is there a place on Earth which you want to visit very much? Japan, Mexico, UK What is the most heavy thing you ever had to carry on a party? Roland Juno Alfa-2 How many people and technical stuff can go in your Z-car? 14 green men and 2 synthesizers :) Where do you take so many green men? They live in my TV-set :) :) Thank you for answering my questions, good luck! Thanks!
2006.
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How did you evolve from rock music
to electronic music – did you find it more interesting?
I like experimenting and gather
more and more knowledge and experience for expressing my ideas in sound.
Style isn’t changed – the basis is still psytrance, but it became more
varied and inventive.
I like both, the most important
thing for me are the people on the dancefloor. I interact with public and
this process differs whether I act as a musician or as a dj.
Do you take part in party
organization when you play?