Interview with Para Halu

Para Halu is hungarian project, which started in 2002 by Andras Fekete (Pondesz) and Adam Hohmann (Homen). They released two successful albums "World Of Peace" and "Space Rock".

How are you doing?
Adam - All fine, thanks. :)
Andras - I am all right also after the work and before the holiday.

The name of your LP "Space Rock" evokes 60´s. Are you influenced by the music of that era?

Adam @ Very much. I really apreciate the music came out from that era. I have listened to psychedelic rock for many years. One of my all time favorite is the groundbreaking group Pink Floyd. Others are Hawkwind, The Doors, Deep Purple, The Beatles, ELP, King Crimson, the hungarian band Omega and the legendary Ozric Tentacles as well. Not only from the Sixties. I am also inspired by different psychedelic music including amazing works of minimalist componists from that era, just like Terry Riley and Steve Reich. And we should not forget about Tangerine Dream, founded in 1967 and started the carrier of so great musicians like Klaus Schulze, just to name another favorite artist of mine. Music is such a complex thing, especially psychedelic music... we are inspired by many things... but Space Rock is definitely one of the most inspiring genre for today’s Para Halu sound.

Quite soon after "Space Rock" you are going to release another LP, which will be collaboration between Para Halu and The Path. Can you tell us more about it? Can we expect different sound?

Adam - This new album just got the name "Wide Range", and it will be more special and elaborated than anything we have done before. For those who dont know, The Path is my side project, founded in 2003 with Peter Takacs, another friend of mine, but only a few tracks was made, as an experiment. The Path has different sound from Para Halu and we will release a full length solo album also, but now we are working on the mixture of both projects, linking together 3 brains, as unusual. You can expect a very diverse sound, influenced by a wide range of musical styles. That’s why its called "Wide Range" - we simply could not find a better title to pass. Soon we will announce the release date and audio samples are coming as well. Check out our http://www.parahalu.com/ for updates!

4. How has the way of composing music and the studio equipment changed since your last LP "World Of Peace"?

Andras - Actually i’m an old PC user so i prefer Ableton Live. Ableton is a briliant host for making live set and sure all i need to build up for a complex song. I’m absolutely VST-centered so I’m collecting the plug-in instruments and effects passionately for years. The new soft-synthesis show me a new way in product of high-quality sounds. I began to set up my home studio, now i have strong PC, soundcard, studio monitor and midi keyboard.
Adam - The technical skill of an artist is evolving every moment. I think in today’s electronic music scene the most effective changes came with new types of software instruments and samplers, not to mention the hybrid ones. There are also some very useful hardware stuff to find, but in fact we did not really used them at all. Actually I’m using Logic Audio since 2003 and I’m absolutely satisfied with it. Of course we discovered freshly developed plug-in instruments and effects as well, but personally i have only a few favorites, mostly Native Instruments stuff. Anyway I also think that the most important thing behind the music is the mind of the artist and own ideas. Everything else is particular.

What´s the difference between tracks played live and their album versions? Do you try to bring in "live" element to your performances?

Adam - We always try to bring something special to our live sets. We often play different versions from our well-known tracks besides the absolutely unknown and unreleased material of course, and we usually cut and mix some parts of more tracks together. After all, there are also additional sounds and effects played from our laptops and synthesizers as well.

What´s your opinion on psychedelics? Do they have some influence on your music?

Adam - There are some psychedelic substances what I respect like LSD, DMT, magic mushrooms and other plants, and I know they can be used as a tool, but my tracks are made in clear consciousness usually, excluding if i drink a beer or smoke a cigarette. :)

Andras - Sometimes the psychedelic drugs can be useful to realize yourself and to expand the mind but the most important: don’t be junkie! :) I never use drugs for music making because it claims big concentration and the psychedelics distract my attention. Beer, beer, beer... and unicum. :)

Last year Peter Temezian (Vegetal, Peacespect... http://www.checkpoint-music.com) released some stuff with political tone, samples of Jello Biafra speeches etc. Do you find it as
something, that was missing on the scene, or do you think that psytrance should be apolitical?

Andras - Maybe all psy-freaks have similar political view but I think political propaganda should not be included in psytrance. We listen to this music because we just want to relax and want to forget the everyday’s problem what we see in the televison or read in the newspaper.
Adam - Perhaps we all have our own political view (even if we are totally apolitical), but I would never mix psychedelic music with a political message referring today’s Life. It’s just a different audience. And a different view of Life. So its possible that it causes confusion.

How does psytrance scene in Hungary looks like? Do you have some tips for interesting projects or parties?

Adam - I think the hungarian scene is on the right path. :) You should check out our growing festivals: No Man’s Land and OZORA! Both will be a blast it seems, both have a past, both are carefully organized and the organizers expect a great success. Also there are several new talents in Hungary, in different sub-styles of psytrance, served by more record labels such as Procyon Records, Psybaba Records, and two absolutely new ones launched by myself in the last months. Their names are Psylife Records and Halu Beats Records. Psylife is for futuristic psychedelic trance and Halu Beats is doing the job for the fusion of progressive trance, techno and house with more than enough psychedelic influence. After the first compilation by Halu Beats which will come out in September, you can expect the debut album from Kalumet, who I think is the most promising hungarian project at the moment.

Andras - Everybody can remember to the Solipse festival in 1999 where 30.000 people enjoyed the solar eclipse in a wonderful environment. Hungary is an ideal place for the party organizers because it has especially clement clime and it’s rich in natural resources. I prefer the small underground parties with few people but now i think there are too much parties, horrible faces evrywhere and the atmosphere became unfriedly. In spite of old and serious party-life in Hungary the new talented producers only have showed up in the last 1-2 years, thanks to the support of hungarian labels, but they need a few time to development and reach professional sounds.

How do you see the future of psytrance or the whole electronic music?

Adam - Anything i can say about the future of the music is one word: Fusion. We’ve heard all the possible frequencies but there are just a lot of new ways to manifest in different fusions. Since we are all created with diverse minds, we will always be able to find some interesting resonance of the existing, elemental frequencies.

Andras - Yes, fusion is the future, but i believe the electronic music will transform by the new high-technologies and the musicians will be able to create more intelligent and complex tunes what we could never imagine before, and after we will return to the beginning. :)

Do you have some advice for the beginning producers/musicians?

Adam - Don’t try to copy the sound of different artists, but try to compare the sound quality to the professionals and don’t be deaf! Don’t believe you will reach a good technical level in a short time, but believe in yourself and be cool! Follow your own ideas and never lie yourself. Don’t be afraid of today’s musical overdose and overflow - if someone has the vein for creating music, sooner or later it will be fine. It’s just like evolution. :)

Andras - Don’t give up the compose if you haven’t got impulse. Have a break, go outside, meet friends and after continue...

Thanks for the interview
http://www.parahalu.com/