 
DJ ANTARO
Interview by Michael Gosney DJ Antaro has been called the Trance Papi of Hamburg,
where he instigated the original trance scene with a series of small parties inspired by
his experiences in Goa, India. He started the Spirit Zone label in 1994 to provide an
outlet for the new psy-trance music, which today offers works by some of the most
innovative, inspired composers. He also founded the Woov Experience, a legendary open-air
European trance festival.
Michael Gosney talked with Antaro after his
soundcheck for a March 6, 1999 event hosted by Blue Room in San Francisco.
So tell us how things got started over
there, in what was it, the late eighties?
A: Actually 10 years, now. 10 years ago we started the first
parties there, coming back from Goa. Experiencing there something really special, we just
wanted to take it and do the same thing at our home and share with our friends. It
happened in my garden, actually, the first little party over there. And then it constantly
grew, without any advertisement. Just by the talk of people sharing what they experienced,
more and more people came and every party got bigger and bigger. It was naturally grown in
a way.
When did you start Spirit Zone?
 A: Five years ago. At the time Goa was the place to find unreleased music of
that kind. And there was no label anywhere in the world featuring that kind of music, so
it was a natural thing to start something even with none of us having ever been in the
music business.
Were you spinning, were you a DJ?
A: I was not spinning at that time in that sense, we were
just playing audio tapes. There were no DAT or CDs at that time, nothing protable like we
use now. That was how it started actually. From DAT to CD and later on the records.
Recently since there are records out, people have started mixing and using vinyl but
before none of this music was being released on any format. It was just home production
brought to Goa on audio tape or DAT or whatever. We started exchanging music from
different people from different countries and itís natural. You bring something you get
something. Itís more of a circle.
Did you start Spirit Zone around the same
time Youth started Dragonfly in London?
A: Yeah, about the same time, TIP too.
Who were your main artists back when you
started?
A: Our first release was a Japanese release, a guy called
K.U.R.O. which we will release now after five years again for the first time. I met Kuro
in Goa, he brought his own produced music and I instantly liked it. I tried it out at the
parties playing and people liked it so it was a good start.
You guys have some really great ambient,
too.
A: There is a new Patchwork out now too, and a new CD out
called Gabriel Le Mar, a solo album from one of the Saafi Brothers. He is from Frankfurt
where the German techno scene started. He went to Asia and Goa and has had some different
influences.
So is Hamburg known as the trance center
because of Spirit Zone?
A: Hamburg is the trance city in Europe, at least by the
amount of people into the music.
We always hear about major parties with
X-Dream playing to thousands of people in the streets.
A: In the streets, itís a different thing. You may be
talking about the Love Parade. Itís the general meeting for people who like techno of any
type, from house to hardcore, everybody. Thatís in Berlin once a year and this past year
we had 1 million people there which was just like mindblowing. Itís like Carnival in Rio,
you never expected it in Germany! Germanyís not very famous for people dancing in the
streets. The psychedelic trance parties, we have the biggest in Germany. The VOOV
Experience, last year in itís seventh year, that has risen up to 10,000 people. And itís
like a whole festiveal, it goes on for three days, three nights. Basically itís a big
meeting for people from all over the world, especially people who know each other from
Goa. Some people come in from Japan, from Australia, from all over.
[Interview ends as the soundcheck audio mayhem prevented
further discussion....]
Photo Credit: Michael Gosney. 1999. |
