DownTempo World by VooDooDoll
Few words about your projects, please (Maiia Project and Mystic Sounds Records )
Well, Maiia Project was born in 2006, when after a year of being a dj I started to make music myself.
Then several years later after the first releases on compilations and a mini-album called Forest Magic, some great musicians-instrumentalists joined me for live performances and for recording some live sessions in Maiia tracks. Maiia Project is very dynamic, we change almost for every live performance. It’s interesting and surprisingly, and it doesn’t give a chance to be bored.
Through the music of our project we aim to attract listeners to explore ancient ethnic rhythms and magic sounds.
We wish to remind people about the Nature surrounding human beings and to bring joy and love to their hearts.
Maiia Project has released 3 full-length albums on Altar Records, Plusquam Records and Ovnimoon Records. In September 2014 we are releasing the 4th album of the project, Sky In Diamonds, on the Ovnimoon Records. The style is closer to dance music rather than to chillout, starting with a downtempo track with live bass and continuing with progressive goa trance tracks. As the style differs from the previous music of Maiia Project, I decided to join number 303 to the name, in honour of the legendary TB303 – its sound is present in each track of the album recorded on my favorite x0xbOx.
At the beginning of 2014 we together with Edward Cybered founded a label, Mystic Sound Records, in order to discover new talented artists and promote their music globally.
We focus on different styles of psychedelic downtempo and want to expand to the side of goa-trance and dark progressive music.
We also want to make Mystic Sound Records a quality place for realization of creative potential of well-known projects and musicians, starting from mastering which is made in one of the best Russian studios - manifold-studio.com, digital and CD releases presented in all the major stores around the world and finishing with promotion and quality events of the label.
Why did you choose downtempo electronic music?
I’m not sure that I chose downtempo – maybe downtempo chose me)) Anyway, I like downtempo music for a large space for different sounds and absence of strict rules, there is always a place for experiment.
That’s the way the best music is born – when a musician just passes his inspiration to sounds without having a ready “product” in the mind.
Do you make a difference between Psybient and Psychill?
Psybient generally has the 4/4 time signature, while Psychill is more flexible in this side. A lot of golden PsyChill hits written by Shpongle or Shulman are made in the 7/8 time signature.
What is the source of you inspiration?
Nature, its beauty, and energy. Wonderful art and interesting books, sounds of a musical instrument. Life.
Is shakti-power help you so much?
Shakti is my energy so, sure, it helps me to transform my feelings into music exactly the way I do)
What is the color of you vibes?
Maybe rainbow?
Downtempo for you - Lifestyle, subculture, just a genre?
Downtempo is my world here and now.
Do you think that Psychedelic Downtempo is important part of Trance Festivals?
As the main music on the trance festivals is different styles of psychedelic uptempo music, the downtempo side is a must-have there. People need a place to chill-out after the dancefloor or prepare themselves to it. Actually, a new trend is to make completely downtempo festivals presenting different styles of chill music only.
Which World festival did you play?
In regard to the previous answer – there was an annual festival in Latvia, Klusa Daba, consisting of four stages with different styles of downtempo. It was located in the center of Riga on the dam. I played there twice. I played in Morocco at Rhythms Of Peace and at a lot of festivals in Russia and Ukraine.
Did you see much difference between any Russian Chill-stage and Foreign Stage?
We have a strong stage here in Russia – a lot of talented musicians and djs, radios, websites, party promoters, artists, performers, dancers, vjs and other creative people. As well as a lot of people who love all this. I can see that the same is in France, where, for example, Iurii GagarinProject gathers parties with amazing downtempo lineups and crowds. So in the main I can’t feel much difference, we are all one.
Which is you suggestion for Russian Trance Festival organization? And What do you think about chill-stage organization?
My main suggestion is not to make a chill stage at all if you
don’t have energy to manage it. Cause it’s very sad for musicians and djs to see a “secondary” stage with a bad sound system and no design or even without an equipment for live performance.
At the same time here in Moscow we have a set of inspiring promoters who are making only downtempo parties, with no trance dancefloor. As one of these organizers (we made parties as chill in tribe community and will continue in the new season as Mystic Sound Records), I can tell that purely downtempo parties are interesting for people. We gather together a lot of creative people and conscious listeners who come to listen to wonderful music, to dance and to be charged with an amazing energy.
The best chill-stage in Russia and Foreign for you mind?
As for this year the best chill stage was on Tortuga island – on the shore, with almost a sea behind the scene and lot of wonderful live and dj gigs. The best foreign one for me was the main stage of Klusa Daba.
What around us- Nature, Space or... you can associate with chill out vibrations?
Chillout vibrations are everywhere, it is life. It can be associated with nature, space, emotions and everything else.
Can you please predict a future of Psychedelic Downtempo genre?
New genres appear constantly. One of the interesting modern styles is a mix of Dub with Glitch, which is more close to PsyDub. We are trying to discover this genre in series of Ethneomystica compilations on Mystic Sound Records.
The future of the genre in Russia ?
As I've mentioned we have a lot of talented musicians here in Russia and we can make our stage bigger by supporting each other.
Please name few artists you can recommend.
Naturelement – an amazing musician from Greece, Lyquid Crystal – a wonderful project from Russia. Globular, Radiactive Sandwich, Slackbaba, Chronos, Yechidah and a lot of talented artists – I can continue endlessly.
What is your favorite place on Earth?
I love my summer house where I live from April till October, with my nice home studio on the second floor with a view over the tops of forest trees.
Your favorite Food?
I love fruit and berries.
Your favorite hobby?
The musicmaking) As I have an everyday work for Microsoft – music is my hobby. Hobby taking all my free time)
Some words with you energy for Sunday Freak readers:
I believe that music can make this world better. I wish all people could live in peace and be happy. Support each other and enjoy your kind deeds. Thank you, Sunday Freak magazine, Malishka Yuu and Timur X.P. Voodoo for your support, I’m honored)
Hi Downtempo world, I’m really happy that more people start to be interested in the downtempo side of psychedelic music. I hope that with your help the scene can grow bigger, rise and bloom)