After two hotly-anticipated releases, Aiwaska is back on Bar 25 Music with the new record, ‘Harmony’, made in collaboration with the Abandon duo. His production expertise has seen him deliver releases for such esteemed dance music imprints as Exploited, Crosstown Rebels, and House Music With Love. It’s also bought him to collaborate with a whole host of legendary vocalists, such as Robert Owens, Roland Clark, Egyptian Lover, and Aquarius Heaven. No wonder, Aiwaska has a global fanbase and has performed at many established venues such as Burning Man Festival and Odessey. He has also recently started his own monthly radio show with the reputable Ibiza Sonica Radio, and a promising future lies in store for him, no doubt.
EG caught up with Aiwaska to learn more about the drop of ‘Harmony’ via Bar 25 Music, his Aiwaska Planet concept, workflow, future endeavors, and more.
EG: Hi Aiwaska! Welcome back to EG. It’s always a pleasure to have you here with us. Where are you based right now?
Aiwaska: Good afternoon EG! I am currently on a permanent non-stop tour. India, Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, and Mexico are the countries where I will be staying for the next 3 months.
EG: Sounds exciting! So, what has your summer been like? Any particular highlights?
Aiwaska: It was a very busy summer, with more than 15 different tours every month, a lot of studio work, and a lot of beautiful music that you will hear in 2023. In addition, I watched and learned about different countries in terms of architecture, museums, and theaters. I would say it was a very culturally intense summer.
EG: Sound like you had some fun. By the way, congratulations on the release of your new ‘Harmony’ EP in collaboration with Abandon! What has the initial reception been like?
Aiwaska: Thank you. I’ve been waiting for this release for a very long time, it’s been over 9 months. I am finally very happy about it. I really enjoyed working with Abandon. They are really talented and very musical guys. It was a great pleasure for me to work with them.
EG: So, what can your fans expect to find on ‘Harmony’? There’s quite a unique layout to this EP and its tracks. Could you tell us more about this?
Aiwaska: Yes. This time, we decided to make only our original tracks and not remixes from other artists. That’s why there was an idea to make 3 versions for each track: The ‘Day Version’ is a lighter dance version of the track; the ‘Night Version’ is a more intelligent, dark club sound, and the ‘Sundown Version’ is a more chill, relaxed version. This way, the EP turned out to be extremely diverse and suitable for all occasions. We did all the tracks using a lot of analog instruments, and we didn’t chase trends. We wanted to create a cool, original classic sound, but also preserve the classical house sound, so that these tracks would be timeless.
“We wanted to create a cool, original classic sound, but also preserve the classical house sound, so that these tracks would be timeless”
EG: How did this project come about? Had you worked with Abandon before? Did you have the concept in mind before you even began?
Aiwaska: I got to know Abandon through Instagram and decided to create a joint EP. Everything is quite simple. In general, I am always open to collaborating with different musicians who really love music, and who really want to create and create unique sounds from the heart.
EG: Do you tell stories through your music? Or do you view them more as sonic expressions? We know every track is different, but what’s your usual workflow like?
Aiwaska: Each track is a part of me. Each person is the universe. Also, at a first glance, what we express may be slightly different music, but in the end, each track is like a separate story that, when added together, creates a big life-long story. This is the beauty and depth of self-expression. After all, music is the highest spiritual science that we know. As they say: “First there was a sound!”
EG: You’re behind the Aiwaska Planet concept as well. What’s this all about?
Aiwaska: Aiwaska Planet is what I call my global concept with which I create music, help the planet and the environment, do good deeds and unite people so that they get inspired and create with me. There are no limits and there are no boundaries. This is creativity. We are the creators of our reality and the world.
EG: What are your thoughts on the current state of the scene? What would you like to see more and less of?
Aiwaska: I would like to see more people who create music but not for the sake of success and profit. I would like to see more of those who carry sincerity and purity in their work. Be unique, don’t try to imitate, open your inner world, be yourself, and create something that will inspire and stimulate people to go to the light.
“Aiwaska Planet is what I call my global concept with which I create music, help the planet and the environment, do good deeds and unite people so that they get inspired and create with me”
EG: What’s next for Aiwaska? What particular milestones are you looking forwards to now? Where can your fans catch you next?
Aiwaska: I am preparing a lot of cool music. As I said, in 2023 there will be tracks with wonderful musicians such as Jaw, Thomas Gandey, Jo.ke, Megane Mercury, and others. I am also preparing a virtual live concert for 2023. As for my tours, I plan to be in Ibiza, Miami, and Los Angeles in the summer. We will certainly see each other at Burning Man. There is also a big plan and concept to create a fund to help wild animals and the planet; partly I am already doing this. However, I hope I will be able to do even more in 2023.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Aiwaska! We wish you all the best for the future.
Aiwaska: Thank you as well. I wish you love, good luck, and light inside and around you!
Aiwaska & Abandon’s new ‘Harmony’ EP is out now via Bar 25 Music. Purchase your copy here.
Follow Aiwaska: Facebook | Soundcloud | Instagram | Spotify
