Updated 2 years ago
meets Kri
(Touchsamadhi – Asheville, NC)
2004
by Ari Davidov
Kri played at a DMT bridge party in NYC ~2000 and will be performing for Omnitribe at Time-Lag on 1/16/04.
If you can, describe the new mixed CD “Restore Consciousness (depth level 8)”. What is the meaning behind the name? What makes this one different from the many previous CDs?
I made this CD using the deepest new tracks I could find, but still keeping it some what full-on. I believe trance still has the healing properties of the old days and I wanted this CD to explore those realms. To restore the consciousness of how trance used to make us feel, and to prove it is still there.
The thing that makes this CD so special to me, is its the first CD that does exactly what I wanted it to do….. take you deep into the world of the psychedelic mind and to do a mix that is more like my live dj¹ing, just grabbing from the box with no planned sets.
This is something I really haven’t done before, I usually do cd¹s for the art of making one and to get new music out to the people who may not have the chance to hear as much as I do (so they don’t miss out on anything). This CD took 12 different albums in its making and trust me its hard to find more than 1 song on a CD that reaches deep levels.
Tell us about the trance movement in your home region. Any notable (open air) events last summer?
The trance movement in Asheville, NC was a surprise to me. I mean I had been playing goa for 4 years around the south and no one just ever seemed to get it, EVER! So I moved to Asheville in 1999 and threw a full on goa party, with my friends and I dj¹ing. And it went off beyond imaginable. People came out of the wood work for this one. This is when I knew I had found the diamond in the ruff. Some of the best people I have ever met in my whole life, I met here.
The people here get into a trance and I mean deep. Our parties, no matter what the size, always seem to blow up!! And as for summertime parties, usually we have been so busy that we haven’t had time to do any lately and the national forest keep turning our dance spots into horse stable areas. But we did bang it out at Harmonic Convergence to 1000 hippies sleeping and our 8 friends in front of a 10K watt system at 7 in the morning. Great fucking time though!
What can you tell us about your crew?
Our crew is made up of close friends. All of them rip it out just when you’re not excepting it. But we all love trance with a passion. Eat, breath, sleep, piss psychedelic, right? We take what we do seriously, we all put our hearts into it for the love of the music and to the people who dance to it.
How/when did you first get into the psytrance scene?
Well I used to DJ rave stuff and I was in Atlanta playing years ago, so I went into Satellite Records to see what they had. Found a section marked GO (somebody left off the A) listen to some samples and BAM I¹m hooked, bought like 30 records right then (plus they were on sale!) and played them that night.
As far as the scene, I didn’t go to a full on party till 98 (thanks Goa Dave). Actually I never even heard of other people liking this music or dancing to it. So of course when I went I¹m like, ²I have found my tribe where have you guys been so long?!²
Where have you played in the US? What do you think of the trance scene in the US?
NY, MA, OH, WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, MS, LA, PA,TN. Going to play Vancouver, Canada and Seattle this month with Gavin. I like the US scene and its small family feel, I just wish it would grow more so we all could have more huge outdoor parties each year.
Over the years, have there been any memorable places/performances you can tell us about?
The best party I think I have ever been to was X-dream’s first performance at Vinyl in NYC. The mood was set in one of the most intense focused crowds I have ever witnessed, the feeling of the pulse was amazing, words just can not explain.
Have you played and/or traveled much outside the US? Can you share your impressions? Future opportunities to do that?
El Cuco in Puerto Rico was a killer. The sound was excellent and as always the people were great. We made tons of new friends from all over the world. But that is as far as I have been. After that my wife and I had our son on the way.
Now I am sharing time with him and waiting till he is a little older to travel abroad. It is hard to get noticed in the rest of the world without having the funds to get you there, I have gotten great reviews from mixes I have sent abroad, but they always say ³let us know when you come here and you will definitely have a place to play². So that is the plan.
Your studio work, what can you tell us about the creative process and/or your past/future releases?
Splifs, get in the zone and leave me alone for about 8 hrs. Then the track has its roots and I can work on it as time permits. My older tracks have always been from one extreme to another, from chill to goa to progressive – its all there. Lately I have been taking a break due to the up grading of the studio. Underground releases only – label releases, not yet but hopefully after I¹m back up and running.
What are your top five tracks right now?
Voice of Cod – We are Free
Hujaboy – Momtomatic
Rastaliens – Orakel
Manmademan – Creation myth
Psysex – Altered States (Coco Loco Mix)
You are making another appearance here in New York. How do you like playing here? Any stories from previous trips?
I always love playing in NYC, it gives me a chance to see the people I wish I could see more of. One time we came and played for the DMT, plus it was our first time meeting old Whitmore and was wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. But the evening went off great, brought our sound system out and did an under the bridge party, dj¹ed for 7hrs and had a blast of a time. Got Steve-o’s CD player filled with dirt from the dust storm of feet in the process.
Some of us have not yet seen you perform. What’s waiting for us when you come to play?
We shall have to see what the gnomes of my CD box throw out at me that night. But do plan to hear some new tracks and get ready for massive stomp session.
For more information about Kri and his collective, including bios and discography, visit http://touchsamadhi.com.
(kri: to do as in karma) the lost baba
==========================
So crucify the ego before it’s far too late
To leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical
And you will come to find that we are all one mind
Capable of all that’s imagined and all conceivable.
Just let the light touch you and let the words spill through
Just let them pass right through, bringing out our hope and reason.
-Maynard James Keenan
FRIDAY JANUARY 16th 2003
OMNITRIBE PRESENTS
“time-lag”
KRI (Touchsamadhi,NC)
BLUE SPECTRAL MONKEY (Touchsamadhi,NC)
GOSHA a.k.a INDRA (Alfatrance/Omnitribe,NY)
KIFE (Omnitribe/Kife Prod.,NY) special birthday set
Sh.I.K.I.D (Omnitribe/Elektrolust,NY)
DECO BY DEVOTEE (Touchsamadhi,NC)
VIDEO BY SVIN AND MISHA G.
11pm-9am
15$ at the door
location and directions
www.omnitribe.com
www.elektrolust.com
Kri is also in Shapestatic. Also check out Shapestatic’s interview
