On our way to O.Z.O.R.A. 2017, more and more artists are joining us for the journey, which is getting more exciting with every new day that takes us closer. This time we present Slovenian artist, ROOK, who’s not a newcomer in the valley and promises

you will dance like mad psyliens

Best read audio-illustrated!

– What were some of the events or experiences that set you off on this journey?

– I have been on a musical journey for a pretty long time. It led me through different musical genres, scenes and feelings. I’ve always listened to music a lot, discovering different styles. So at some point I arrived at a station called psytrance. Immediately I found this music very inteligent, developed, people in this scene are open and friendly, parties are amazing with fantastic decorations. So I decided to stay here.

– How was your alter ego born? (What stands behind the name of your project?)

– Rook has been my DJ name from the beginning of my career, when I needed some name. I wanted something simple, easy to remember, so I just added another »o« to my name. Keep it simple.

– Who have your greatest teachers been, your greatest inspirations? Musically speaking, who has had the greatest influence on your musical soundscapes?

– Speaking about teachers I can say I’m my own teacher. I learned to DJ myself and I also do everything myself at producing music. Of course there are artists that inspire my soundscapes, for example Ajja, Tristan, E-Mantra and other great artists. Still I try to develop my own sound.

– How has your sound, your taste in music developed throughout the years?

– I’ve been in the electronic scene for more than 15 years. I have played different genres, first it was techno, for some time it was house, progressive, then I cruised through different subgenres of trance. Now what inspires me the most is progressive psytrance, full on and chill out. What will the next station be I don’t know.

– How about those mind-blowing, life-changing experiences that have shaped you and your sound?

– Definitely it is Ozora festival. Ozora is not just music, not just party, I’ve become a different person since I was first there. Playing at Ozora gives me motivation to do my best in music and life.

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

– Every year there are artists who surprise me with amazing releases. Outstanding at the moment are for example Ajja, Imaginarium, Rezonant if we’re speaking about faster rhythms. At the same time my favourite chill out producer is still E-Mantra, and E-Clip in progressive psytrance. There are a lot of talented psytrance artists and sometimes I have a problem with putting all their amazing new tracks in one mixset and then I have to decide between two great tracks. But if it goes on like this, I will be very happy.

– Which artists remain the ultimate classics for you in the scene (or in music generally)?

– The biggest legends that I’ve caught in the scene are Astrix, Ace Ventura, Juno Reactor, Infected Mushroom, Raja Ram‪…

– Scene at home?

– In Slovenia there are a lot of crews that organise psytrance parties and some of them also invite big DJ names. I’m also member of one of them, called Dreamcatcher. So here it’s happening a lot, we all do our best to make all of our parties a great experience. We are definitely missing some bigger festival in Slovenia, because we have all the conditions for it – beautiful nature and nice weather.

– Most memorable gigs, experiences?

– Definitely my second gig at Ozora festival at Pumpui stage, which was in 2015. It was literally perfect! That is, besides the other three gigs at Ozora. In general, every festival leaves me with a great memorable experience.

– What are some of the greatest challenges you faced so far as an artist or producer? How about the moments that you felt were the greatest rewards so far?

– The greatest challenge for me is playing in front of a big crowd, like it is at the Pumpui stage at Ozora. My goal is for as many people as possible to hear me play, that they get to know my style. I wanna be unique and it’s not always easy when you play tracks from other artists. But when you see that big crowd, when you feel the feedback from people on the dancefloor, this is the biggest reward, this is when you climb to the top of the mountain.

– Musically speaking what’s still on your bucket list? If it wasn’t this, what would it be?

– Someday I wanna release my own album. My wish is also to play at as many festivals as possible and festivals as big as possible.

– What are your other passions in life?

– Right now it is my almost one year old son named Vid, it really amazes me to watch him grow and discover world around him. I also like to spend my free time in nature, hiking or cycling.

– What do you think about psychedelic festivals and their role in our lives, if any:)?

– I think going to a psychedelic festival is an experience that really changes your life. The vibe there is much different than in everyday life. There you can see that we can live together in symbiosis, helping each other and everybody can be who they want to be, without any judgments. Everybody should go to some psychedelic festival, to see how life can be and then transfer that feeling and experience to their usual life.

– Have you been at Ozora before? If yes, what are your expectations for this year? What are you surely going to try out or check out? If not, what have you heard, what are you looking forward to?

– It will already be my fourth Ozora. And every time there are a lot of new things to experience and discover. What will be new for me this year is that I’m going with my family, we’re taking our baby boy with us. So I’m looking forward to seeing Ozora from this point of view. Also I wanna invite as many people as possible who I think should experience Ozora. People should invest in Ozora because this investment will pay off for the rest of their life.

– Are you preparing anything extra for your performance at Ozora?

– Every year I try to prepare something special. Also this year will be the same. What exactly it will be, you will see, I only promise you will dance like mad psyliens.