DIGITALIST Interview - GAIAN MIND SUMMER FESTIVAL 2008

We are joined now by DIGITALIST, who is taking a break between tracks to answer a few questions for all of us at Gaian Mind. Digitalist has released tracks on various labels, and his debut album should be coming out of DROPOUT PRODUCTIONS' oven any time now. His distinct and fat sound, intelligent style, and superb production quality make Digitalist's music stand out as some of the most cutting edge psychedelic music on the planet. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to hear Digitalist in the Stone Circle this year!

Q: Can you tell us some basics about yourself? Your full name, age, where you live, any pets...?

Hello, my name is Thomas Franske, I was born in 1980. I am living in Switzerland in a small town, close to the border of Austria. Yes i like pets, I am travelling a lot, so its difficult to take enough care of them. I like cats a lot, just saw 3 young babys in a friends home, I love them to see but still don't have any pets in my home.

Q: How long have you been making music, and what were some of your projects prior to Digitalist?

I started playing piano as kid, and created small songs on a simple keyboard. Over the years I got more into the psychedelic music, also I started playing as Dj Invasion and developed my technique. In the Year 2004 I created the project Digitalist. Besides that I am supporting friends who are building up a new studio called Klangwelt 7 Studio. There we can record live bands, dj, paint, play instruments or just hang out.

Q: How did the Digitalist project come about? What would you say is the focus of your project?

I started to use the name Digitalist some time before I started my music project. The name means "it's digital" in German. I'm working to make music more creative, more interesting, more deep and more complex. There are no limits by the way, the music is always developing.

Q: Recent releases?

New releases on Dropout, Zaikadelic, Akuntsu..., still working with many different labels. I also want to mention Mighty Quinn and BrainBusters Records, who i'm working closely with. It's always good to watch what's going on there!

Q: Rumor has it your album is going to be released soon. True? When?

Yes my album is going to be released soon. I'm careful to say any date for now, it depens on many things, but u can expect it in Autumn 2008.

Q: You did a fantastic job of remastering BrainBusters' "Goods Carrier" compilation and saving it from the dust-heap. Can you tell us a bit about that? Do you do mastering regularly?

Thanks a lot, Its bad if the tracks from the artists got a bad mastering. After listening to the original CD and the hidden sounds on it, it was a big pleasure for me to remaster all tracks again and keep the Goods music alive! I've done some mastering for EP's and have some knowledge.

Q: Can you describe your studio setup, for the geeks among us?

The main things from my studio are an Apple 8-core with Logic Studio, Virus KC Synthesizer, Dynaudio Speakers and a MOTU Ultra Light Soundcard

Q: What were some of your most memorable gigs? What made them so?

I was impressed to play at the Fullmoon Festival 2007, so many different people together on one big airplane area, on a former Russian airbase with many hangars around. It was very impressive to see.

Q: What are your top 3 CD releases of 2008 so far?

BrainBusters VA - Goods Carrier
Parvati Rec. - No Strings Attached
Insomnia Rec. Polyphonia - Future World

Q: What do you do when you're not making music?

Hang out with friends, staying in nature, doing some sports, being creative...

Q: So many labels... good? bad? ugly? is what it is?

There are always more labels coming, every week a lot of psychedelic CD's are getting released. For a non-super-psy-prof it is not possible to know what going on already. Probably its just a thing of time and the bigger and more quality labels wil survive.

Q: What are your thoughts on today's global psytrance culture?

Today its stagnating little bit, psychedelic needs to get something new, there are too many similar tracks. People wait for some changing.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about Gaian Mind Summer Festival?

I'm looking foward to meeting many interresting people, staying between amazing nature and have a great spirit together.

Q: What's your message to the world?

We should respect each other and walk with an open mind through the life. Love, Peace and Freedom still fit my thinking, dont fight each other if we work together we can build up much more great things.

Q: Thanks for taking your time to chat. Is there anything else you would like to add?

I thank you for doing the interview, I'm looking foward to seeing you and all the people at the Gaian Mind Summer Festival!

www.myspace.com/projectdigitalist

DIGITALIST was interviewed by Eitan Brown.

June 5th, 2008