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1. Gal and Max, tell us a little bit about you, who is behind the COMBINATIONS-project?
Behind COMBINATIONS there are two talented producers who come from two different countries: Austria and Israel:
Gal Grinberg aka DJ BOOFCONTROL from Israel and Max Haumer aka DJ PARADOX from Austria
2. Concerning your musical background: When was your first contact with music in general? When did the world of electronic music capture your mind? And when did you finally get psy trance - infected and decide to start producing and DJing yourself?
Gal: I already got a musical education in my childhood. From the age of 6 until 10 learned classic piano. In 1996 I had my first contact with electronic music - I totally got exposed to jungle music and started to collect vinyl (I had around 300 originals) and about 700 jungle track on tapes.
In 1998 I got exposed to psy trance: some friends took me to an underground forest party somewhere in Israel (note: Skazi was the organizer!!!!)- I “met the doctor at this party” and from this time on I was infected with psy trance. I now started to collect psychedelic music on mini discs and DAT tapes – as cds for example where not really available for all at that time. That is how I actually started my way into my life with trance. In 2000, I switched from an ordinary party fraggle to organizing several underground parties in Israel, together with DJ Injection (one part of the success duo DNA) or Aerospace.
In 2001 I left Israel and moved to the USA. There I only listened to drum and bass and therefore spent some trance less years there. In 2003 I moved back to Europe, exactly to Amsterdam where I started trancing again (once a trancer – always a trancer). In Amsterdam I was also involved in organizing parties, started DJing some when and tried to produce my own tracks.
Max: As a teenager I was completely exposed to the punk & alternative scene where I could make some experiences as a drummer. In 1994 I spent half a year in England and as everybody did I also listened to British alternative music. In 1996 I travelled to Berlin to the Love Parade and this was my first contact with electronic music, I got immediately infected, and knew deep in my heart that this was THE one and only music for me. In 2000 friends took my to my first psy trance party somewhere in an Austrian forest – and from now on it was totally clear that psy trance was the style of electronic music that I love deep from my heart. After some years of partying I started DJing in 2002 and after some successful local gigs I somehow started to produce my own sound in 2004.
3. When did you finally meet and decide to work together as Combinations?
Why did you choose Combinations as your artist name? Is there a special meaning behind it or is it just a fantasy word creation?
Max: Well, we met at the end of 2005 when Gal was in Vienna because he was booked for a DJ Set at one of the Immrama parties. We started talking, the vibes between us were perfect right from the start and while sitting around after the party and chilling our project came into being. We never really decided to make music together – it just happened.
Gal: “Lost and Found” was our project name at the beginning. But after some time we got a complaint from South Africa – A psytrance act called “Lost and Found” had been existing there for a pretty long time before we got “Lost and Found”. Therefore we had to change our name which was not easy at all because we did not have the ultimate inspiration.
We kept on producing as a nameless duo and somehow, someday somebody had the brilliant idea to name us “COMBINATIONS” – as we are an Austrian - Israeli connection, collaboration and combination
4. How would you describe the typical Combinations style?
Which are unique elements in your music that makes it special?
Gal: There is not really a specific sound typical for Combinations. Because our music is a combination of different styles: Pumping cool dance floor exploding baselines, special elements, sometimes progressive elements – you simply cannot describe our style. But what is really typical for the Combinations style is that we like to work with funny vocals, especially cartoon vocals that we use in our tracks
Max: We ARE trying to make psychedelic music – just listen to list! And for sure: we are rocking the dance floor!!!
5. You have already had several releases on various labels and soon your debut album will be released on Groove Criminals Records. When will it be out, what may we expect from your first bomb? Is the title already fixed?
Our first release was “Spin Me Round” in 2007 on BNE Records – a collaboration track that we made with Itay and Itay, better know as “The Freak Show”. We were super lucky because this track turned out to be a real dance floor blaster. In the meantime several tracks have been released on various labels, yes, and in April 2009 a digital EP called “Fuck the System” is going to be released of Groove Criminals Records, distributed by the Boa Group and available on all digital portals (like Beatport.com).
There will be 3 tracks on this EP: not only solo productions from Combinations but also collaborations with Z-Machine and U-Recken. Stay tuned and listen to the first amazing tunes on: http://www.myspace.com/lostandfound28
Concerning the album the release is planned for autumn 2009. There is no title fixed yet but we can say for sure that it will contain 10 tracks (9+1 bonus track). Three tracks will be pure Combinations productions, 4 tracks will be collaborations with other artists like BAD BOYS, U-RECKEN, PEACEMAKER … The 2 Remixes on the album will be one for ION and one for INSOMNIA. The bonus track is collaboration with a very famous Israeli duo and it will be very special but not a typical dance floor track.
7. Gal and Max, what about your performances so far? Have you already had some international gigs? If yes, which was the best one? If no, in which country / on which continent would you like to perform first and why?
Gal: Everywhere in Austria we have already performed our live acts as Combinations. The best festival so far for me was the Full Moon Festival in 2007. Also amazing experiences were the Shiva Moon Festival 2007 in Hungary, the Spirit Base Festival as well as performances in Sweden, Greece and so on.
This summer we are especially looking forward to the Spirit Base Festival in Austria (www.spirit-base.at), the Full Moon Festival in Germany, and the Seeds of Love Festival in the Czech Republic. I am dreaming of a gig in Japan – this would be more than amazing.
Max: For me the best gig was Full Moon Festival in 2007, it was just WOW and for the future there are many spots on this planet where I would like to play, especially all over Europe and for sure in South America
8. What do you think about the actual development of psy trance towards commerce? Festivals are getting bigger and bigger, the former familiarity has nearly completely disappeared (exception: Austria). From your point of view as artists and from your point of view as “ordinary” psy trance-lovers: Is this development good or bad?
Gal: The bigger the festivals are the better for the artists as more people are exposed to your music so this development is not bad. As a party fraggle I prefer a party for at least 1.000 people to a real super big one – familiarity and contact among the people are very very important.
Max: It was just a question of time that commerce jumped on the psy trance scene – the same thing that has happened with every kind of music. That’s a process which happens automatically and that cant be stopped.
Gal: Actually, when you look now on psy trance it goes back to psy trance again – the so called “full on” for the masses is somehow “dead” already and more psychedelic productions are really appreciated among the audience
9. Which artists / projects have influenced you? Are there any special people, situations for example that have already inspired your work?
Gal & Max: Well there are many artists – some who really helped us to develop our sound –especially U-Recken, Slider, Loud, Peacemaker from Israel, Z-Machine from Germany, Ibojima from Sweden but last but not least: THE FREAK SHOW – in 2007 we had our first release with the collaboration and dance floor blaster SPIN ME ROUND!
10. A life without music would be…?
Gal: … A receipt for a suicide!
Max: ... Not worth living!
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