Shrouded in mystery, Aiwaska is a sonic project that seeks to make a positive impact upon his surroundings. With over 20 years of experience in the electronic music industry, the unnamed producer boasts an eye-catching catalog that features releases on some of the most acclaimed labels, including Exploited, Crosstown Rebels, Bar 25 Music, and HMWL, among others. Now, Aiwaska is the man behind ‘Other Side’, a candid, deep, and emotional cut that showcases Robert Owen’s vocal prowess.
We catch up with the enigmatic DJ & producer Aiwaska to learn more about the release of ‘Other Side’ with Robert Owens, his plans for the project, his views on longevity, and much more…
Electronic Groove: Hi Aiwaska. Welcome to EG! It’s a true pleasure to have you down with us. How have you been doing?
Aiwaska: Hello. Everything is great. I’ve been writing music as well as organizing my plans for 2022. Always on the move you know, grinding!
Electronic Groove: Congratulations on your recent release on Bar 25 Music, ‘Other Side’, which features Robert Owen. What’s the inspiration behind this one? What has the reception been like so far?
Aiwaska: The idea to do this track came to me after my last trip to Burning Man. At first, I made the music without vocals. It took me a long time to get it right, about 4 months… Then is when I was ready to look for proper vocals. I made over 7 versions of the instrumental music. It was a long journey, but very exciting.
Electronic Groove: What was the process of collaborating with Robert like?
Aiwaska: I wanted to find someone who could create something high and deep in the lyrics. I have loved and known the music of Robert Owens for a long time. So it was a no-brainer to have him collaborate on this track. The team and I decided to offer him to make a joint track and to our delight, he agreed. I told him my idea and sent the music. After 2 weeks he came up with this unreal deep beautiful vocal. It was a true pleasure to work with him.
Electronic Groove: It also features a phenomenal remix, courtesy of Audiofly. What did you make of their reinterpretation? What are your general sensations when listening back to a remix for the first time?
Aiwaska: I really love the music that Audiofly makes and I often play it on my DJ sets. When we did the original it was very listenable and that’s great. Since my DJ experience has its weight, I understood that for the success of this track among DJs, we need another pretty cool remix that will fire all the dance floors. I suggested this idea to Bar25, to do a remix by Audiofly and the brand liked it. The label showed our original track to them and they agreed to do a remix. When I first heard the remix, I immediately realized that this was what I was looking for. It has a lot of drive and is totally fascinating for the dance floor as well as very intellectual and unique. It was a lot of work and I am very grateful to them for that.
“The task for me is to make this project live forever. For me, this image of a wanderer is everything that surrounds us”
Electronic Groove: What kind of things inspire you? Do you work best in happiness, or in angst?
Aiwaska: I can be inspired by many things: nature, books, travel, communication with people of interest, and science. Of course, it is better to create in a state of love and happiness because you make a charge of your energy when you create music and that is transmitted to the listener. Therefore the energy must be kind. This is how it works.
Electronic Groove: Stepping outside of the studio for a bit…You’ve got quite a mysterious persona. Why did you arrive at the conclusion that you should remain ‘anonymous’? Does that make it ‘all about the music’? Is it harder to ‘sell yourself’ this way?
Aiwaska: This project is about music and about deep ideology: to help the planet and wildlife. And it seems to me that this image helps to be a guide to this ideology. The task for me is to make this project live forever. For me, this image of a wanderer is everything that surrounds us. I thought about this image for a very long time. And when it came to me, everything became complete. My task is to carry my idea to people and I hope that I do it well.
Electronic Groove: Are there any plans to ‘step into the light’? Or is it possible to remain in the shadows? Even Burial got ‘caught’ at some point…
Aiwaska: There is no point in showing my face. This project is like a single and independent organism that lives without me and has its own energy. Sometimes when I perform I feel it very strongly. I’m just a guide. I am already making a virtual copy of it and soon it will be an exciting project for VR. So the most interesting thing is about to come.
Electronic Groove: Are there any artists that you have recently discovered that you’d recommend? Any friends everyone should keep an eye out for?
Aiwaska: I am a music lover and listen to a lot of different music. To be honest, there are very few new artists who are popular now which I like if we talk about dance music. In the dance music genre, I am always glad to hear such as Kienemusik Team, Damian Lazarus, Ame, and Dixon and if we talk about electronica I totally love to listen to Ninja Tune or Warp records releases. On my side, I listen to a lot of classical music and deep ambient. I also want to mention Toto Chiavetta and his label Borders of Light.
“There is no point in showing my face. This project is like a single and independent organism that lives without me
and has its own energy”
Electronic Groove: What else is there for Aiwaska? What new milestones are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Aiwaska: There are a lot of plans for 2022. I am preparing a lot of new music, I am working on a VR project, I am also working on my live act with a 3D show and I hope that I will be able to do it soon. My motto is: always move forward and create from the heart.
Electronic Groove: Thank you for your time Aiwaska! We wish you all the best for the future!
Aiwaska: Thank you for your interest in my project and I wish everyone to be in balance with themselves and in balance with nature.
AIwaska’s ‘Other Side’ with Robert Owens is out now via Bar 25 Music. Purchase your copy here.
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