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GEORGE: Since when are you involved with electronic music and DJing?
ALEXANDER: I have been collecting music since about eight years old. I have been through many styles and I have always looked for new creative music that has some valuable concept behind it. I discovered electronic music with the so called 'industrial' style, which is still close to rock music, sometime in 1993. I became involved with club or dance electronic music in 1995. Besides the other positive things that I found in it, it also gave me the opportunity to be able to present it to people through DJing. This is very important to me because I have always felt a strong drive to show the values that I find in music to people and enrich them with it. I started DJing in 1996 when I managed to save money after working in the USA through the summer, and buy a lot of music and professional DJ equipment.
GEORGE: What styles do you play?
ALEXANDER: I specialize in psychedelic (goa) trance, which has a very rich variety of modes in and of itself, but I also play break beat, trance, drum and bass, ambient, techno, and what not.
GEORGE: Tell us something more about psy trance.
ALEXANDER: According to many people involved with music, this is the most inventive and progressive style of music nowadays. Many call it the music of the future because of the cosmic, alien-like sounds that it uses. It also has a very strong spiritual concept behind it. This style originated sometime in 1994, or maybe a little earlier, but the first releases came out in 1994. Its roots are in Goa, a beach resort in India, which has been the meeting point of the so called cyber nomads from all around the world for decades. European DJs and artists who have been visiting, or living in Goa created this style inspired by the magnificent beauty of nature there, the rich spirituality and wise life philosophy of the locals, and the incredible ritual-like parties, held on the beaches or in the forests, attended by thousands of people. Psychedelic (goa) trance has usually a deep, ground-shaking 4/4 beat and uses a very rich tapestry of cosmic, alien-like sounds. There is no singing but in the tracks, which normally last from six to twelve, or even more minutes, often appear voice samples saying some statement pertaining to spirituality, parapsychology, aliens, UFOs, or the unknowns of our universe. The parties organized by psy trance artists aim to bring back the ritual dance gatherings of our ancestors, which are a symbol of oneness, spirituality, and enlightenment, but with the use of modern technology, which reflects the scientific advancement of our civilization.
GEORGE: Where do you get music from?
ALEXANDER: I have been working in the USA during the last three summers, and that is where I got most of my CDs from. I also receive promo records and CDs from several British record labels. In Bulgaria you cannot get this kind of music.
GEORGE: Where have you organized parties and played so far?
ALEXANDER: I started with a weekly party at a club called Little Rock in my home town Stara Zagora. Then I tried a weekly party at Graffiti in Blagoevgrad but it did not work out because it was a big financial crisis time in Bulgaria and nothing worked out in general. Later I started a weekly party at Exotic , also in Blagoevgrad, which was OK but the club had problems and they closed it for a while. Then, after my first set at the Metropolis event in Hristo Botev hall in Sofia on Oct. 11, 1997, I started a weekly party together with Ivo Rachev and DJ Steven, both from Metropolis group, at club Garbage in Sofia. Unfortunately the owners of the club changed, and although our party was pretty successful, it came to an end. Now I just started a weekly party at Graffiti again and I will start playing at a new club in Sofia, together with the guys from Metropolis, next week, if things move by schedule. Between those I have played at two Metropolis events before thousands of people; two times at club Metropol in Skopje, Macedonia; once at club Lipstick in Sofia; once at club Alibi, also in Sofia; several times at club Underground in Blagoevgrad; and at clubs in Stara Zagora now and then.
GEORGE: How did you organize the former party at Graffiti?
ALEXANDER: I have been planning to do it since my party at Exotic stopped. I talked to the manager of Graffiti and he agreed. DJ Steven and Ivo Rachev proposed to come and back it up.
GEORGE: How many people are coming?
ALEXANDER; The first time on Sunday there were about 70. Last time after we moved it to Tuesday there were about 100. That is plenty, having in mind that the party is on a weekday when usually the club is empty, and even on crowded days there are about 200 people.
GEORGE: Why sometimes there are more people and sometimes less?
ALEXANDER: Some people have not yet discovered the incredible uplifting qualities of such parties which would draw them to come every time despite school on the next morning or other reasons.
GEORGE: Is Tuesday the best day?
ALEXANDER: Yes, because the club is usually empty then. If the regular customers, who are used to totally different kind of music and parties, are there it will be a problem. You will not believe how intolerant and aggressive people can be when their music tastes are challenged.
GEROGE: Any problems?
ALEXANDER: The main problem is to convince narrow minded people that the world is changing and they should give a chance to the new ideas in music because without change there is no progress. Such people say things like 'This music is horrible' or 'Are you crazy to play this stuff?', but the truth is that there are no universal values and there are good aspects in every kind of music. The key is what you are used to, how tolerant you are to change, and how open-minded you are.
GEORGE: Is money a motivator for this party?
ALEXANDER: Certainly not, but I need money to buy new music, be able to advertise the party, and at least cover the traveling costs of Ivo Rachev and DJ Steven when they are coming down from Sofia. I am also thinking about organizing a charter bus from Sofia and back for this party. A lot of people would come because there are no parties where you can dance to psy trance in Sofia at present
GEORGE: What kind of people like the kind of music that you play?
ALEXANDER: Open minded people who look for and explore new horizons, and people who seek to escape from the burdens of everyday materialistic reality.
GEORGE: How do you advertise the party?
ALEXANDER: The worldwide accepted media for advertising such parties are the so called fliers with information such as where the party is going to be, who is going to play, what styles, and details like date, time, and entrance fee. In Bulgaria, however, most people are still not accustomed to this way of advertising so I have to put posters in town and make announcements on the radio.
GEORGE: How much time does it take you to do this party?
ALEXANDER: I cannot say exactly but it takes a lot more than just playing at the party since I am also involved with negotiations, advertising, choosing music, etc.
GEORGE: How do you manage to balance this with school?
ALEXANDER: I am not involved with things as sports, movies, IRC, or computer games so I manage somehow.
GEORGE: Tell us something about the first Tuesday.
ALEXANDER: It was very successful. People were accepting the music well and many of them felt the uplifting power of trance dance.
GEORGE: Are there differences between clubbers in Sofia and the ones who come to your party at Graffiti?
ALEXANDER: Clubbers in Sofia are more familiar with this kind of music and parties, and generally accept easier new styles because they are more informed and better adapted to change. People who stay at one place in the country all the time are usually more narrow minded (no offense, please) because they live in small closed societies and do not face diversion too often.
GEORGE: How do you feel behind the decks when you play at events?
ALEXANDER: It is an incredibly rewarding experience to feel that you
move the crowd. I also find great pleasure in doing long, one to two minute, mixes where I
choose a track that adds up to the one that is playing, match the beats, and cue it to
play simultaneously with the ending minutes of the previous one. In this way you actually
get a third piece for a while and preserve the energy of the music flow. This keeps the
people dancing, whereas, if you just play one track after the other, people lose the
rhythm.
GEORGE: Do you have competition in Bulgaria?
ALEXANDER: The term competition is irrelevant for what I do. All DJs who play electronic music are emotionally attached to it and have the common goal to spread it. Everyone has their specific style and we help each other. If you ask me about quantity of music, I presently have more psychedelic trance than anybody in Bulgaria but I am willing to share it with anybody who is interested to record some.
GEORGE: Do you have plans for playing abroad?
ALEXANDER: Yes, I already sent copies of my mixed CD-R to some British psy trance record labels and I keep in touch with DJs abroad so I hope I will get somebody's attention. It is a usual practice to invite international DJs for such parties because people like to hear different cross-cultural styles.
GEORGE: Why is all this valuable to you?
ALEXANDER: I am simply convinced that what I do can make a better world because people who experience the magic of trance dance become more sensitive to each other and the world around them. Also I experience great pleasure when I am able to move people and when they appreciate what I do. I have had many instances when people come to me after my set to thank me for the good time they have had. You cannot beat that .... even with a stick (laughs).
(c) 1998
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