WISHI In Focus with us at radiOzora with some soundscapes and some background information from behind the scenes of the project here in The Prophet.

– What got you involved in psytrance?

– Well, I think the most significant for me was the first time I got to one of t he legendary underground community psytrance events called BK. At first it was a small private gathering for around 100 people and then it developed into one of the most advanced openair psychedelic parties around Moscow, and the community around it grew as well. Later on I became friends with most of the people who were involved in this community and started to be involved. I liked the idea that this community and organization doesn’t have just few decision makers and everything about the project is arranged via voting. So here is where I started my journey as a listener and dj, I liked to play different styles of psytrance, but then I realized I want to focus and decided to start producing my own stuff. Thanks to artists such as Naked Tourist, Fungus Funk, SorrowMurk, Wider and dj Metalgear who motived me to learn about music software. Through the years each of them helped me a lot and supported my efforts in this field, and I’m very grateful to them.

– What stands behind the name of your project? How was you alterego born?

– After long years of hard learning of musical software and music production basics I met Ruslan who is also known as project Wider. We decided to produce music together. So my current artist name is actually composed of the beginning letters of WI – Wider (aka Ruslan) and Shi – Shilets (my surname). We released our first EP on Green Wizards records and after that decided to produce music on our own. It’s not something we argue about but we like different types of psytrance. I like energetic night psytrance that makes people move and brings some psychedelic experience at the same time, while Ruslan prefers forest and harder darkpsy sounds.

– Musically speaking, have there been any unusual inspirations?

– Apparently the most powerful musical impression I got and still continue to listen to are Ka-Sol, Gorump Peya, Wizack Twizack, Fungus-Funk (especially his earlier tracks).

– Your most ‘psychedelic’ or life-changing experience so far?

– Definitely listening to Schlabbaduerst ReKkords series, very strong psychedelics! Hahaha.

– Have you experienced any noticeable changes in the scene since you became a part of it?

– Not really, most of the things remain the same to me. But yeah I got more connections with art people and with the ones who support me, and this is what really encourages me. Also I have become more responsible for what I deliver to the audience. I always try to develop my sound and gradually move further and try to not to get stuck on same patterns. Every time I get worried before putting on the next track at a party and think about what might happen on the dancefloor. But this sort of stress doesn’t bother me anymore, but it helps me stay concentrated on every detail during my set.

– Who do you think are the most cutting-edge newest sound makers in the scene? Who are your newest discoveries?

– Well this is the tricky question for me, as I like so much of different kinds of music. But if I really need to answer this question, I would probably name Synthetik Chaos и Michael Cosinus, as both of them really impress me with their energy and dynamics in every tune and that inspires me even more. With Jan (Synthetik Chaos) I managed to make few collaboration tracks and I have to say that he is really a great artist, his style and charming personality always impressed me as I think there should always be a balanced combination of proper atmosphere and dancing energy in good psychedelic music.

– What are some of the greatest challenges you face? What are the rewards?

– When the creative process is concerned, I think the greatest challenge I have is that I don’t have my own studio at the moment, I think many producers will understand me. As properly designed studio and enough time to spend there is what gives you the right realization of you musical ideas. But sometimes, even if you have time and a studio opportunity and have fresh ideas in you head and all that is needed is to sit down and transfer them to the sequencer, you don’t feel like doing it at that moment. Then it’s better not to push yourself.

– Which one of your releases/tracks are the most characteristic of your sounds or stand the closest to you for some reason?

– Well, on my debut album Wishi and Friends – Overconsumption (Bhooteshwara Records) each track is individual. I managed to put something of my trademark sound in each track but those are collaboration tracks, so they are all quite different and it was our idea behind it. I want to say thank you once again to all artists, who helped me finalize this project.

But speaking about trademark sound, I would name each track on my EP on Basic Algorithm Records, but I would recommend everyone waits for my new EP and album that is planned to be released on World People Records sometime in the year 2016. I’m trying to include psychedelic impulses that are supposed to make people move on the dancefloor, but if ‘this” doesn’t happen, then it’s not my track.

– What are you working on at present? Upcoming?

– At the moment I’m working hard to finalize my new EP for World People Records, which will contain 4 solo tracks and 1 collaboration track with Diksha form Brazil and this release is planned for May 2016. And also I’m preparing two tracks for my home label Basic Algorithm’s next compilation, one of the tracks will be with my good friend Synthetic Chaos