‟I could help people with music” – interview w/ WARP ENGINE
The Purple Hexagon Records series features WARP ENGINE, joint project of Nico aka Z3nkai and Jack aka Act One, who we caught up with to answer some of The Prophet’s questions for an audioillustrated piece.
What were some of the key events that got you involved in psytrance?
Jack: Glade 2011 was my first on the Origin Stage, and Planet Zogg had a stage as well. I went there for the drum and bass so I didn’t know anybody who I saw but I knew I loved it !
Nico: Around 2006, I discovered psytrance in a cave and I got hooked by the music. I was craving for parties and I guess that Hadra Festival 2010 changed me for good, spent 3 days dancing (mostly in the rain.) It was freaking awesome.
What does each of bring individually to the project?
Jack: Nico is very precise and clean with his production. I tend to rush things and have to spend hours fixing sloppiness. So he is the warp, I am the engine maybe?
Nico: Jack is the nightmare of clean and precise… But he has this special groove and he’s a genius with music (the dude’s got probably more that 5 projects and all of them are kicking ass.)
Musically speaking, what have been some of your most standout inspirations?
Jack: The Vengaboys !!! But for me a band called Cardiacs are a huge inspiration, I have never heard such incredibly written and unique music. And of course all the drum and bass that got me into electronic music in the first place. Ajja.
Nico: I’ve been listening to music all my life and every kind of it. I think most of my inspirations come from hip hop, metal, techno and drum n bass. About psytrance, my main influence has been Synthetik Chaos, Insane Creatures and Chris Rich.
Your most ‘psychedelic’ or life-changing experience so far?
Jack: Well Glade again. I was 16 and we weren’t even sure we were going to get in! We had never been to an electronic music festival before and we went for the drum and bass. Didn’t end up seeing any drum and bass and just got absolutely lost at the Origin Stage and Inspiral Lounge for the entire thing! Or maybe the first gig I ever got on a plane for (and I think I remember it being my first psytrance gig ever) in Ireland for PT Connection. Made me really concentrate on my music and want to get involved in the trance scene.
Nico: My most psychedelic experience is an illegal rave on the beach of Bahia in Brazil. I wasn’t even playing at that time, but the location, the sunrise and the people were amazing. Everything started to change when I built Digital Shamans Records. It made me understand that I could help people with their music. Then I started producing, got some good gigs outside of Switzerland and focused a lot on my sound. I’m really happy with everything that happened so far !
Have you experienced any noticeable changes in the scene since you became a part of it?
Jack: Having only been in the scene for a couple of years I do not feel I have really seen any changes as I am still learning about the scene and meeting the people. Ask Nico, haha.
Nico: Jeeze, I’m 27, Jack, I’m not that old, haha. Well one of the biggest changes is probably the arrival of Traktor, Serato and all these kinds of programs. I mean I used to play with Traktor but I think that everyone can do it and that’s maybe not for the greater good…
Who do you think are the most cutting-edge newest sound makers in the scene? Who are your newest discoveries?
Jack: I am loving Filterheads, Mononoke and The Wolves (Kindzadza and Parasense’s new project) and Fagin’s Reject are the guys that come to mind at the moment! Super techincal, super clean and beautifully arranged. Top stuff !
Nico: Same for Filterheads ! At the moment I really like Zzbing, Sychotria, Axial Tilt. About my newest discoveries I would say Microsphere and Sensitive Seeds. I saw them at a Tantra Music Party, it was lovely and I was super happy to dance to something I didn’t know until then.
Which one of your releases/tracks are the most characteristic of your sound or stand the closest to you for some reason?
Jack & Nico: We think our track Sonic Boobs would be the track. We had a great tequila-fueled week working on this track and I think that the fun comes across in the track. You can hear both our sounds in it and it just worked.
What are you working on at present? Upcoming?
Jack & Nico: We have just finished the EP for Purple Hexagon Records and we are busy working on our solo projects and Digital Shamans Records.
Side-projects? Experiments with new sounds and genres?
Jack: I play trombone in a 10-piece tropical fusion band who have just released and album and we were busy touring with that over the summer as well!
Nico: I’m already busy with this one and my main project, but I intend to make some techno, some dub or some hip hop if I have the time and it’s a big IF.
What are some of the greatest challenges you face? What are the rewards?
Jack & Nico: We made some music for fun at the beginning, it was about exchanging musical tricks and ideas. Then we happened to see each other a lot more that we used to, so we decided to take it seriously. With all the booze we usually have and the amount of spliffs we’re smoking, making some serious music is the biggest challenge, haha.
We’re amazed to see some of the biggest djs of the scene playing our tracks at festivals. Best reward ever 
If it wasn’t psytrance, what would it be?
Jack: I would love to make something in the tropical scene. And maybe some more jazz !
Nico: Probably some drum n bass or some hip hop. It’s the kind of music I listen to the most after psytrance.
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