Q:
Can you give us a bit of background or history on DaKsha?
G:
Well, Catalin and I have worked together since 1998 for
different soundtracks, but at that time we didn't have in
mind a project like DaKsha. The idea came two years later
and it was done officially with Alexandru Nuca. Catalin
was not in Bucharest that year.
Q :
What drove you to form the project and create music
initially?
G:
In 2000 Alexandru and I made the music and the sound engineering
for a live show.
Marius-Christian Burcea (the producer and host of the radio
program "Journeys to the Infinite") told us about
the chance to be selected on an Earthtone Records compilation
"Noua Romanie - The Rebirth of a Nation" that
would include the best Romanian electronic music on it.
That was the moment of DaKsha's birth. We submitted 2 tracks,
“On the Wings of the Phoenix" was the song selected.
C: Interestingly enough, after Noua Romanie
was released, I came to Bucharest and worked with Alexandru
on another project called "Tango in Space". He
was not involved with DaKsha from that point on. He did
some audio engineering jobs and made music from time to
time. Right now he plays the bandoneon (an instrument similar
to accordion, particularly popular In Argentina) and is
very much focused on tangos...
As DaKsha was on hold for some time, I joined because the
music I made at that moment was appealing for Geo. We decided
to continue with DaKsha, although it was in a different
direction than what had initially been envisioned for DaKsha.
Q :
What image (musically and visually) would you say DaKsha is
aiming to build?
G: Initially
we intended to promote the old Romanian music with DaKsha.
At that time we did not know any reliable sources. We were
constantly searching…
Now things are different.
I would say that the music is a little more visual because
we used to think it visually.
C: I think that now DaKsha is going toward
a neo-classical direction with electronic and world elements.
There is a strong tendency toward classical harmonies and
a growing tendency toward electronic sounds.
Finally, DaKsha's musical purpose is to elevate the listener
and bring him an authentic state of aesthetical flavor…
G: …and to bring joy and beauty.
Q :
What influences your sound - where do your ideas come from?
C: It's
a bit hard to say; while many names are on our listening
list it's difficult to point out a certain influence, it's
more like another way of doing music. It is a different
musical approach, but not experimental.
G: We have borrowed from others and created
something unique.
Q :
How do the two of you work together when making your music?
G: On
Ascendent we had a wonderful time working together. We were
working in the same studio and had plenty of time to listen
and create. The same passion for music and a great friendship
helped us learn a lot. I'm longing for those times…
C: Actually, now there are very rare occasions
when we both work in the same location. We are in different
cities, which makes it more difficult. However, with the
use of the internet we are working on the second DaKsha
release.
Q :
What was the story behind Ascendent - what are the ideas that
led to its inception?
C: In
fact, "Ascendent" is a selection from years of
work. We literally picked the best tracks we had and formed
this album. We chose the title Ascendent because our music
suggests the ascension, the elevation of the human spirit.
G: Yes, and we had over 30 tracks from which
we could select…It is a musical journey through different
ways of perception, different inner states. Every track
brings you another world with its unique vibrations.
Also, there are some elements in this album, taken from
an ancient musical treaty called "Gitalamkara".
Including those elements was challenging and rewarding at
the same time.
Q :
What would you consider to be the most successful track
you've written to date and why?
C: It's very hard to say. There is really
no such a thing as a best track for us, as they are indeed
very different from one other. "Ascendent" is
a very special track for me, it's the track that gives the
album its name after all, and it was done entirely in a
day and night with almost no pause. But so is "Nights
in Serampur" or "Nuevo Tango". "The
Jade Stem" is another special track and it was finished,
by contrast, within a year.
Q :
Beyond the studio albums, what other musical activities do
you both engage in?
C: I have another very important project
called OMU, which I hope will have the first release soon.
I produce music for film soundtracks, and have other musical
projects in the works.
Apart from that, we both work in audio, field recording
and post-production, with me doing also mixing and mastering.
I’m also involved in the first professional audio
resources website from Romania, www.pro-audio.ro.
G. In fact, he is the heart of this website…
I recently worked in a lot of projects
for television, theatre plays, different live shows and
events. Currently I'm in post-production on a documentary
film. But DaKsha's project remains my first priority.
Q :
If there were no obstacles at all, financially or otherwise,
what would you most like to do with your music?
C: We would certainly promote
DaKsha better, and the other projects, in our country, where
this kind of music is almost missing from the market.
G: This is a hard question, because we have
had a lot of ideas…but everything in the music business
depends on feedback. The financial obstacles are a challenge
for every artist in these days, but I'd like to think that
we make "music for music's sake” and will continue
to do so.
Q :
How do you see DaKsha developing in the future?
C: There are more possibilities.
If the feedback will be positive with "Ascendent",
we'll have a good reason to "ascend"... And we
are optimistic about that.
G: We want to give our best whichever direction
our music takes us. It will be very interesting to see…
Thanks to Geo and Catalin
for allowing us that interview.
