Under the spell of PSY-TRANCE
Stooping to conquer with sonic sorcery, Vini Vici arrives from Israel tomorrow
ISRAELI DJ duo Vini Vici is about to put Bangkok under a spell as Trance Lovers of Thailand (yes, there really is such a thing) makes the pair headliners of its three-stage trance extravaganza at Live RCA tomorrow.
ViniVici (came and conquered, for anyone who skipped Latin in school) is a fresh undertaking by seasoned electronic-music producers Aviram Saharai and Matan Kadosh. They’ve decided to hit the road with their mix of old school-meets-progressive innovation.
FM Booking and Iboga Records, widely considered the biggest psychedelic-trance label and booking agency, were the first to see the potential of the duo’s project. They added them to a roster of artists already including Ace Ventura, Liquid Soul, Ticon, Captain Hook and Atmos.
Success followed success, from the debut EP “Divine Mode” and follow-up “Back Underground” to “Expender”, “Anything & Everything” and “VeniVidiVici”. The pair has toured the world non-stop ever since, playing the State of Trance Festival in Amsterdam, Tomorrowland in Belgium, Vuuv in Germany, Sunburn in Goa and Dreamstate in the US.
We chatted with Kadosh about all this, as well as the strategy for Bangkok.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON LATELY?
Lots of new music is on the way, lots of new collaborations, remixes and solo tracks. We try and keep our minds open and create something totally different every time. Hope you’re ready for it!
THE PAST YEAR MUST HAVE BEEN TERRIFIC.
Yes, 2016 was incredible – probably our best year ever. More than 200 shows, including most of the major festivals worldwide, the remix for “Free Tibet”, which became maybe the most popular psy-trance track ever, and finishing with our huge collaboration with trance master Armin Van Buuren. What more could we ask for?
WHAT’S THE IDEA BEHIND VINI VICI?
We really wanted to combine some of the old-school ideas and energy into modern progressive production and concepts. Wait for our upcoming release, “Vini Vici vs Pixel – Flashback”, and you’ll understand what we’re talking about.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST HEAR ELECTRONIC MUSIC?
Chakra & Edi Mis’ “The Promised Land” album, back when I was 14. In Israel, psy-trance is a subculture, and kids get exposed to it very young.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT TRANCE MUSIC THAT APPEALS TO YOU MOST?
Trance – or to be more accurate psy-trance – is more than music. It’s a way of life, family and tribe. I love it because it has this great flow for the mind and that pumping drive for the body. It has soul – lots of it.
TELL US MORE ABOUT WORKING WITH ARMIN VAN BUUREN.
It was amazing. When you collaborate with a legend like Armin, you don’t know what to expect – will he have that rock-star attitude, how will the music process go? But it went just great! Armin was so down to earth and thoughtful and really open-minded about the psy-trance experience. He’s a true role model.
WHERE IS THE TRANCE SCENE MOST VIBRANT?
Brazil and Israel have been at the centre of the psy-trance action for long time. The scene is biggest in Brazil, but Israel will probably be producing the sound of trance for the next few years.
Trance is doing great everywhere in the world, though, and lots of new countries are getting exposed to our tribe, so 2017 looks promising!
WHAT’S ON THE CARDS FOR YOUR FIRST GIG IN BANGKOK?
Lots of new music, some edits for the old ones and some classic mash-ups, plus lots of good vibes.
Catch ViniVici tomorrow at Live RCA. The show’s officially called “TLT Presents ViniVici Live in Bangkok Powered by Chang”.
The Bt900 admission fee buys you a drink and you can upgrade to VIP access for Bt1,500 with a beer buffet from 9 to midnight.
Get more details at www.Facebook.com/ OfficialTLT.
