Zen Mechanics is the project of Dutch DJ Wouter Thomassen, who is bringing his psychedelic-trance sounds to Mushroom Valley, the music and arts festival hidden deep within the tropical Whitsundays.
With over a decade's worth of DJ experience, Wouter launched Zen Mechanics in 2002, and has gone on to bring his music to some of the biggest psychedelic festivals around the globe. Next month he'll get audiences dancing at Mushroom Valley, a three-day festival hosting domestic and international trance, techno, house, drum & bass, glitch hop and dubstep DJs in FNQ.
How did you get started in DJing?
It all started around '94 for me when I discovered electronic music. Around the same year I started DJing and putting on forest/ beach/ squat parties with my mates, cos there wasn’t much happening in the small town we grew-up in.
What is the writing process like as a psychedelic trance DJ?
Usually I start out by building an 8-bar loop and keep jamming and adding sounds until something magic happens. Then I start working on the arrangement, which generally is done within a day if things flow really well. Fine-tuning everything for the final mixdown can take ages though.
Do you draw inspiration from other music outside of electronica?
Yeah, I’m into all sorts of weird music: psych rock, ambient, shoegaze, '80s nu-wave stuff, black metal etc. I love discovering new bands/ sounds, and there's so much out there to be explored these days.
Do you have any dream collaborators to work with?
Where to start? The Future Sound of London dudes are the first ones that come to mind.
You've played festivals all around the world, are there any standout locations?
Transahara Festival far out in the Moroccan desert was definitely a standout.
Is there anywhere you'd like to play that you haven't yet?
Burning Man festival.
You founded your own label, Sourcecode Transmissions, how is that going?
Pretty good. Zentura’s 'Nova Era' EP just got released and there’s heaps of rad stuff coming out soon, such as Humanoids (Sandman & Illumination's new project), Zen Mechanics vs Symbolic, Divination (Sinerider's new Progressive project), and I’m working on a new compilation, which should be out by the end of the year.
You also run progressive and ambient projects, will we see you spanning more genres in the future?
Absolutely. I've been working on lo-fi Detroit techno/ electro sorta stuff on the side for the last few years. Hopefully I’ll have more time soon to focus on that soon.
Are you excited to play at Mushroom Valley festival?
Always excited to play somewhere. Looking forward to test out out some new tunes and hanging out with some mates I haven’t seen in ages.
Why should people travel to attend Mushroom Valley? What is it about this event that has you most jacked?
The fact that it’s at the Whitsundays. From what I’ve heard it’s a pretty epic place! Line-up’s pretty slick as well.
What's next for Zen Mechanics?
I’m planning on building a studio in NSW, and hope to finish my new album this year. The album’s starting to shape-up nicely; bit to early to give any release dates though.
Zen Mechanics play the three-day Mushroom Valley event, to be staged at a secret location near the Whitsundays, 9-11 October.
