Artist: Mind Warped

[mars]

Artist: Mind Warped (Kent Friedman)

Date: 06-20-00

By: Anoebis

 

Q: Hello Mind Warped and thanks for doing an interview with us!!

A: Thanks for the opportunity!

 

Q: Let's start with the first question... How, why & when did you start with producing music?

A: I started back in college (1993) with a guitar, drum machine and a few odd synthesizers with the intent of creating some sort of fusion between the modern techno sounds I was hearing at the time and the primarily British pop music I had grown up with (Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys, Slowdive, Ride). At this time I joined a project called Madmen In Vienna which continues to this day. A few years later I came across a compilation CD featuring Hallucinogen's 'LSD.' At the same time I was listening to a copy of Juno Reactor's "Transmissions" album, randomly picked up off the Novamute Records catalog. I had a feeling that this was special music and at the time I could only imagine the people and the studios involved in creating this music. I was curious for more and before too long I realized that this "psychedelic trance" was something completely new; a departure from the rest of the techno around at the time. I felt there were deeper layers of meaning within this music and it was the complexity and transformative nature of this music that made it so alluring and refreshing. I think for some reason some people are more intrigued by resonant filter sweeps and other such atmospherics, and somehow I managed to fit into this group and was blown away by the ever-evolving sounds found within this style. Once the bug bit me I was hooked and thus began the exploration of how to make trance music. For many years it was difficult to find anyone in the US who was interested in producing trance and I had to do a lot of learning on my own through careful listening and self-exploration of analog synthesis. Even to this day there are only a handful of US artists with commercial releases so collaborations and cross-fertilization of ideas are still rare. There are some young producers in New York City that are looking like they have some serious potential though - so look out!

 

Q: Why do you make Goa-Trance and not other kinds of music?

A: I actually also create techno-influenced pop music when I'm not writing trance! I think I make trance music because it appeals to my interests in altered levels of consciousness and allows me to share the experience with others. I think trance music is interpreted in so many ways by different people and it truly is a mind-expanding cultural phenomenon. I also appreciate the sacredness of all music and it ties in nicely with the religious imagery and rituals found in trance dancing and trance music in general.

 

Q: How would you describe Psychedelic/Goa-Trance?

A: This music can mean a lot of different things to different people, and it has fragmented into so many different styles now that it's hard to describe in a nutshell. To me psychedelic trance is best characterized by any electronically generated music that facilitates passage into a transcendental state on the part of the listener. Of course people all over the world enter altered states with many different styles of music, but I think trance is especially geared towards this experience. There are of course many non-electronic elements in this music as well but I think the tones generated by synthesizers tend to stimulate our minds in unusual ways and contribute to the trance experience through mechanisms of perception that are only partially understood. I think the almost human-like qualities of some resonant filters impart a particularly vibrant effect on the listener.

 

Q: What do you think of the Goa-scene at the moment?

A: I can't comment much on other areas of the world but I would have to say the the New York City scene is particularly vibrant at this point in time! There are often several indoor events and outdoor renegades on the same weekend. There are so many artists, DJs, musicians, promoters involved now and the international influences in New York make for a particularly fertile scene these days!

 

Q: Psychedelic Trance is changing at the moment, it becomes more like Techno, is it a good or a bad thing?

A: I can't say that I feel that any change is necessarily good or bad. Artists are responding to their sonic environment with a new focus, and this is never really a problem for me unless the quality of the music is compromised by external influences such as money or fame. I have enjoyed seeing the various styles evolve within trance music and I hope the trend continues. I think the breakbeats, industrial elements, progressive sounds, minimalistic styles, etc. have all broadened the scene in a positive way.

 

Q: What's your favourite Goa Group, Album, Top 5 Goa Tracks?

A: I can't say that there is one group or album that is my favorite, as different works of creativity shine in their own unique ways and can't fairly be compared to one another. I can say that the albums that were very influential to me initially include Hallucinogen's "LSD", Juno Reactor's "Transmissions," Cosmosis' "Cosmology," and the early TIP compilations and Astral Projection albums. There are so many great tracks I don't think I could narrow it down to a list of five that would have much meaning.

 

Q: What's your favourite track that you made on your own?

A: My current favorite track is called 'Circadian Rhythm' and is produced under the alias of Shape Shifters. It's currently unreleased but we'll see about that soon I hope!

 

Q: Here in Belgium you're a pretty known artist after you're album Fluolizard, do they know you too in America or is there still a big difference between America and Europe?

A: I think trance music is still kind of "underground" in the US in that the mainstream population does not understand the difference between a trance party and a "rave." I think that most DJs and hardcore trance-fans are aware of what Hugh Sharpe and I (the two members of Shape Shifters) have been creating although we could certainly could be doing more to promote ourselves. Both Hugh and I have busy schedules with school and work which sometimes limits how much time we have to promote ourselves and play at parties.

 

Q: Where do you get your inspiration?

A: My inspiration comes from people, parties, the visual artists, and of course the musicians and DJs involved in trance. I think I also get inspiration from the natural beauty of the real world and its transformative qualities as well as other people and cultural phenomenons that don't strictly relate to trance.

 

Q: What kind of equipment do you use?

A: The list has changed over the years but now includes: ProTools|24 on a G3 running Studio Vision Pro, EMu e64 sampler, Novation Supernova, Waldorf Microwave XT & Pulse+, Yamaha FS1R, EMu Morpheus, Ensoniq DP/4+ fx, dbx dynamic processors, and a Mackie mixer and a smattering of older Roland and Korg analog synthesizers which I don't use as much now that I've got the modern gear. For live performances I control my synths with a Powerbook.

 

Q: What are your future projects?

A: For now I am developing my sound under the name Shape Shifters, which includes collaboration with NYC DJ Hugh Sharpe on numerous tracks.

 

Thanks a lot from all the Goa people community, and give us more great stuff as soon as you can ))!!

Thanks! I look forward to performing live in Europe in the future!