DJ Vishudha – Interview with Ishikawa on Radio Schizoid

Dear friends,

DJ Vishudha ( Manuel Elizalde / Mexico / Totem Records / Digital Psionics Records ) – will join us for an interview with Ishikawa ( Angad Kumar Kapoor / Phonix Records / Kaos Krew Records ) on Radio Schizoid .

[ishikawa] Hey Manuel! Welcome back! Thank you so much for taking the time once more to chat with me today. For those who don’t know you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello my friend! Thank you so much for invite me one more time is my pleasure have some with time with you and Well let’s rock!… What can I say, am a man from the south east of Mexico City, Dj and music producer since 2004. I’ve been a part of many record labels from all around the world like Hypergate Records/PT, Mechanik Records/USA-France, Fractal Records/CH, Trick Music/UK, Digital Psionics/AUS and Replicant Records/AUS. I have 5 releases on the psychedelic musical world. At the moment, I have the control of a new record label called: Totem Records. Also am a graphic designer and had work under the name Lotus 4rtworkds/Ikal Studio with a lot of music and party labels around the globe.

[ishikawa] Tell us a little more your chosen alter ego – ‘Vishudha’?

A lot years ago I found me looking for a good name <like the most of us> something with a huge meaning to call my project ’cause my first mission is communicate energy and harmony in the same natural atmosphere at any of my music projects. Well after of investigating and being fascinated by the Hindu topics and according this culture “Vishuddha” is the fifth primary chakra on your body and it’s connected to the human being for the communication to have balance with the nature – was perfect ’cause is very close to my mission.

[ishikawa] Its been 7 years now since we last spoke in 2014! Fill us in whats happened since we last caught up?

Wow! 7 years? Time goes so fast! I remember that time, was a good one! First I want to say again thanks for bring me here once again after this 7 years and Uhmm 2014, I have some memories from this year <lot good great memories> with the Fractal Syndrome’s release and tour. After back home in 2015, Roland (Dj Solaris) and I build a new release called: Fractal United ‘The Fractalliance’ with a lot of good friends. In my personal opinion was a great release with many big names like Rabdom L, Karmacrop, Geko, Siddhartha, Brainwash etc. In 2016 I decided build the second chapter of my first release, Pranava Mantra, with many of my mexican buddies and new-talented artist at that moment. So, Pranava Mantra vol. 2, was released August 30th at the same year and had a very good position in the beatport and beatspace charts. By the end of this year I had a lot of ideas of a new project, this time called “Apophenia”, so I start the artwork and contact with the artists and was released at MMD Records from South Africa. And this last release was really curious, ’cause the release date (Sept 19th, 2017), Mexico City suffer again a castratofic earthquake and was really impossible to me take time to promote it. Well… One year later, Antonio (Remove), Josue (HyperActive) and I decide build a new label, and here we are, slowly but surely… controlling step by step this new project called: Totem Records.

[ishikawa] You took the leap and started your own label a few years back called ‘Totem Records’. Tell us a little more about the label and what we can expect from it in the future?

At the beginning, was truly disappointing how many record labels treat really bad to his artists. How can build releases (Albums, EPs, compilations) and doesn’t receive any kind of support, that’s thought impulse us to build a new label, with the mission to creat a fresh concoction, a new treatment with the psychedelic spirit. And to be honest… is a really hard path, but not impossible. After this 2 years, I got on plans 2 new compilations ready to be released on our label but was little bit delayed cause all this situation with the coronavirus, also some new EPs and a lot good projects in the podcast meaning are on the way.

[ishikawa] You have since also started doing the VoodooCast series with Totem Records – tell us more about the idea behind these podcasts and what we can expect in the future?

VooDoocast is an small evolution of an old project called Double Trouble, a collaboration with many friends, this time VooDooCast have the possibility to bring -in a small way- promotion to the DJs. We took some new digital platforms like Spotify and Apple podcast to promote it, I think we need to help us each other and VooDooCast try to be a new tool promote new and well-known DJs. And well VooDooCast will back very soon with many new artists and other who no need presentation.

[ishikawa] Last we spoke – you had mentioned that you were starting the process of writing and producing your own tracks. How goes the foray into music production?

I have in the final details my first psychedelic tracks, some deep psytrance style like the old days and will publish it soon under the label, really really soon… hope so! Joke! This fall I will release my first EP called “Anemona” 3 solo tracks and 2 collaborations, will be a great suprise. You will get the samples really soon!

[ishikawa] Do you have any other musical projects that you work on?

Yes, but atm doesn’t have name, this is a new project of techno and ambient style, and I have ready some new tracks to be released this winter, and to my taste is really tasty music but I don’t have ready the name lol

[ishikawa] In addition to your own label – you have colourful history of being associated with the top night time full on labels – Digital Psionics, Trick Music and Fractal Records. What labels are you still a part of?

Well… at 2010 to 2016 when I had a big collaboration with Fractal Records and Trick Music I had all the time to create designs, to make promotion for the release label, and also create new releases and go the parties but the times changes, my time was truly affected, times changes a lot, sometimes am really busy with my job, my personal projects and was no possible make promotion to the three labels at the same time, and I’ll be thankful all the time with Roland, Ady and Mike, we had a lot of great work and times together. ATM am still being a part of Digital Psionics, and to me is really something special, you know? Luke and Luna are really professional guys and understand many situations, and am really thankful with them.

[ishikawa] I can’t help but bring up your skills as a graphic designer – tell us a little more about Lotus 4rtworks?

Lotus 4rtworks was a great project created in 2010. At the beginning was a simple way to collaborate with my old friend Daniel (Dj DDR) and some basic promotion to Fractal Records and other artists, I remember at that time we had the boom of that social network called MySpace, I always pimp the page of my friends lol. At 2011, Lotus 4rtworks took the desing control of releases and parties designs of the label and we work together until 2016. At this year I decided to change the name of this project to Ikal Studio, broadening the spectrum to photography, web design, programming, video edit and for sure, graphic design. Until today, Ikal Studio still working with some psychedelic labels, the last design was to Jafet (Dj Psycore) and his last release Skull Therapy.

Also Ikal Studio have some new stuff out of the psychedelic world, Am working alongside with my friends at my town who have an small but a big heart organization called Atoltecayotl Cultural Collective, focused in the rescue the ancient local culture, building books, video and investigation. On this way I have a book ready to be published and will be announced really soon.

[ishikawa] Having grown in the Mexico psytrance scene – please tell us a little more about the local scene there.

The psychedelic scene in Mexico is – I think – one of the most biggest around the world but a the same time the most changeable, ppl some years love the morning psytrance, other years love forest psytrance. I think is really cool how ppl can be open to new styles or new artists. You can found a really big festivals with a really big crowd and also small parties with a really fine planning. Many friends always ask if is possible play at the big parties but normally the party promoters hv the line up closed many moths before the party, in that moment you think, wow! How the scene in Mexico grow a lot all this years cause everybody want to play here LOL.

[ishikawa] What has been your craziest party experience yet?

What can I say… I’ve always remember the Timegate Festival, Sylvain (Brain Driver) and I, lost in a unknown mountain on the way to the party, was really creepy! But a the end we found the correct way and boom! Timegate is an insane festival! lol

[ishikawa] A final wacky question now, if you had to pick your spirit animal – what would it be?

Am always in love with the sky, and I think I always try to capture how look the clouds. I believe in other life I’ve been a bird lol maybe be a bird on this times and feel free on the sky would be perfect.

[ishikawa] Thank you so much for your time today. It has been a real pleasure talking with you. Before we end the interview, any final shout outs?

What can I say my dear friend… I just can say thank you so much for invite once again to be a part of this new chapter on Radio Schizoid, am always fascinated of the big work you have on this platform since many years ago. And say thank you to all ppl who soround me, who push me and support me at all my new projects all the time, my dear friends at my town, Flor & Juan Carlos and specially to my beloved dear GF Liliana, who always stay there to reminds me their support and love. And for sure all the psychedelic freaks. See you soon, Bom Shankar!

Visudha Links:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxcvgw7e

SounCloud: https://soundcloud.com/djvishudha