Every once in a blue moon, an artist emerges onto the electronic scene who doesn’t fit the bill of ‘DJ’ or ‘Producer’, they manipulate frequencies taking our minds to metaphysical realms on the dance floor, branch into undiscovered areas of music and cultivate hybrid sounds that give a middle finger to genre, the only fitting term is ‘Alchemist’.
Indira Paganotto has spent over a decade weaving together the trippy intricacies of psytrance with the pulsing core of techno (or as Paganotto calls it, psy-techno), her new two-track EP titled ‘Mantra’, made in collaboration with Joseph Capriati and released under Indira’s self-created label ARTCORE, isn’t riding trends or pandering classic formulas of production, it’s realigning listeners with the power of music, connecting mind, body and soul through dance.
“Ananda” and the project’s name song “Mantra” invite us into a deep, euphoric state, blending Capriati’s commanding beats with Indira’s mystical vocal textures. Through ARTCORE and other drops like this, she’s creating a portal to transcendence, reflecting on her own spiritual journey, inviting listeners along for the ride…
Your bread and butter is psytrance mixed with techno, can you tell us how you first discovered both scenes?
Growing up with a father who was a Goa DJ, I was immersed in psytrance from a young age, and as I developed my own style, I was naturally attracted to the psytrance genre and started creating my own tracks many years ago.
Your dad was a DJ in the 80s and a collector of disco, acid house, jazz & goa music, can you name a track from each genre he used to play that has stuck with you?
From disco, “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer; from acid house, “Acid Tracks” by Phuture; from jazz, “So What” by Miles Davis; and from Goa, “Mahadeva” by Astral Projection have all left a lasting impression on me and I’m grateful to have a dad like him, he helped me find myself.
Your sets swing between eras from 90s electronic to modern underground artists only just emerging into the scene, what’s your hack for finding a good track?
I spend countless hours digging through vinyl records, online platforms or demos that my warriors send me. So, I always keep an eye out for unique sounds and fresh talent that resonate with my style.
It’s officially festival season and you did your fair share of them last year hitting up everything from Awakenings to Tomorrowland, out of all the ones you’ve played at, which would you recommend to readers?
Tomorrowland is a crazy experience with its massive stages and diverse lineup, it is definitely a must-visit for any electronic music fan, but of course, all of them are different in their own way.
You teamed up with Joseph Capriati for the Mantra EP release, how do you two know each other and who reached out to who?
Joseph and I met years ago through my agent and hit it off immediately. We became like brother and sister and always talked about creating a track together. While randomly talking one day it just evolved naturally from there and we planned a studio day.
Mantra is the eleventh release under your own label ARTCORE, what made you want to start one?
Starting ARTCORE allowed me to have creative control and provide a platform for all the artists out there with psy-techno sounds who believe in me and my work. I love to give back to people and this was a great way to do it.
I’m curious about Mantra’s artwork and messaging, what do the visuals and music in this release represent?
The visuals and music of Mantra are designed to evoke a spiritual journey, representing inner peace, transcendence, and the connection between music and the soul.
Can you give me some context behind the song names, why ‘Mantra’ and ‘Ananda’?
“Mantra” signifies a spiritual chant or phrase used in meditation, while “Ananda” means bliss in Sanskrit, both reflecting the spiritual and euphoric nature of the tracks.
These songs are packed with spiritually utopian nuances, can you tell us more about this side to yourself?
My music is deeply influenced by my personal spiritual journey and my desire to create a utopian experience that transports listeners to a higher state of consciousness.
Can we expect to see you and Capriati dropping one of these tunes live together any time soon, and if so where can we get tickets?
Well, I can’t say anything yet since we don’t have it planned, but it might be a great idea to keep in mind, so stay tuned!
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Words: Lorna Tyler