Blazonique & AydinAT;01 [Interview]

Blazonique is a melodic techno duo formed by the Brazilian-Canadians Melissa and Bernardo. AydinAT;01 is Producer/Musician/Dj based in Dubai who encourages you to listen to your inner voices, they are the best melody line of your mind and soul that you can create. This week finds the trio landing on Wout Records with the much anticipated 'Inner Senses' EP.

Progressive Astronaut caught up with Blazonique & AydinAT;01 to learn more about their 'Inner Senses' EP, their background, electronic music in the their home country's, DJing, and much more. Enjoy.

Hi Guys, thanks for talking to us today. How has your year been so far and please tell us something interesting about your day today?

Blazonique: Hello, PA! Nice to meet you. We are happy with this interview after a long year of hard work on our tracks. The year so far has been incredibly good with great productions and collaborations. Although the year has not finished yet, we are more than excited about what comes in 2025.

AydinAT;01: A year full of difficulty and pressure in terms of composing music along with the conditions of playing with children haha, today we are happy to be your guests and I started with coffee and music like usual days.

Let’s look back on the year, what gig of yours has stood out the most and why?

Blazonique: We started this year with a well-defined goal, which was pushing mainly efforts on producing music and improving our mixing and DJing techniques. However, there was only one gig in Canada at a techno event back in June. It was great as a lot of friends showed up to see us performing. Playing some of our tracks at home is always special!

AydinAT;01: I had an event with monophase in Istanbul, I had a very exciting night with dear Francesso and David.

Now let’s look at tracks (not your own), what is a track which has come out this year that has impressed you the most and why?

Blazonique: Bernardo: Hernan Cattaneo´s remix for Underwater. It is fantastic to see how a track can have different ways to be interpreted and be still amazing. And this one really hit me in a very deep way.  Melissa:  Sweet Disposition - John Summit & Silver Panda Extended Remix. It is so amazing when a track is already so magical and touches your heart so deeply. Then, John Summit & Silver Panda made such a remix that for me was very impressive. This track touched my heart for all the happiness and love experienced in my life.

AydinAT;01: Agents Of Time - Uno Y Cuatro, It has always been one of my favorite artists, especially since I know the signature of their songs, and the melody, lead, and vocal of this song are amazing.

What was the music genre you discovered first before you turned to electronic music, and what made you continue with the latter? 

Blazonique: We both love rock, especially punk rock. Bernardo has already played as a bassist and singer in bands in Brazil and Canada. While for Melissa, she has grown listening to electronic music but engaged much more especially after Tiesto's album release Kaleidoscope back in 2008. It opened a full door for her to discover so many other great artists within the scene. In our view, electronic music is very fluid. Its fluidity and versatility resonated a lot with us, offering a limitless canvas for creativity and expression. The ability to blend diverse sounds and styles within electronic music allowed us to go beyond boundaries and explore new worlds every time we are in the process of creating music. Sometimes, while producing, we just stop and feel the track with no rush to get it completed right away. It is the good thing of producing too: having our “private party” at our studio and inside our heads.

AydinAT;01: As a teenager, I became very interested in enigma and directed the composition towards the psy-trance genre, but after many years I changed the genre.

When you were first getting started in production did you have someone help you or are you completely self-taught? And what would you recommend new producers do to help with the learning curve of production?

Blazonique: We started self-taught back in 2022. Got free samples and tried some plugins. It did not work well haha…So we got some videos on YouTube, which helped somehow, but there are many many options, which makes the search tough. Then we decided to go to 1-1 sessions with producers, which took our production to another level. We strongly recommend to new producers the following: identify why the music production / choose a genre / find references / set a specific time on the calendar for production and follow it to avoid being overwhelmed / learn the fundamentals of your daw and mixing / always finish the projects, even they are not shaped the way you want / if you can, find a producer who is available for 1-1 sessions / networking.

AydinAT;01: For the first time in our country, Iran (Persia), we were unable to produce because of the harsh conditions of sanctions and distance from the world of music. It was very difficult for me. To get information on the internet and virtual pages, I recommend for beginners to learn musical instruments, piano or guitar professionally and then enter the world of composing.

How did growing up in your respective countries influence your music taste and direction? Or did it all?

Blazonique: In Brazil in the early 2000s there was a huge growth of trance rave events influencing our taste for electronic music and its diversified genres. When attending these events and others such as, house, edm, tech house, we realized how music can connect us just by a feeling and by staying present at the moment. Our empathy as human beings increased and guided us in how to see our lives in such a pleasant way more focused on happiness and working to fulfill great moments and our future.

AydinAT;01: The main effect was because of the same sanctions, because I always loved the best hifi speakers with high quality and at that time CDs of big artists such as Enigma, Paul Oakenfold, Yahel, Infected Mushroom, Blank and Jones, Armin Van Buuren, Scooter and many others. It was difficult to find and I wanted to produce like them.

Who else from your home country inspired you when you first discovered electronic music? And what was it about their DJing or production which led you to pursue it yourself?

Blazonique: We want to highlight the duo producers Bruce Leroys (Marcelo Abreu and Diogo Vaille). Marcelo is a friend's brother from our city, Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro. He left a profound impact on us when seeing a person close to us producing and performing in Brazil and releasing great music. Over the last couple of years, we had good and deep conversations about DJing and production. It was very inspiring and helpful hearing his experience in the scene.

AydinAT;01: Our country was a source of masters like Shajarian and masters of instruments like Dulcimer, Taar, Fiddle and other instruments, and I have also worked with these instruments.

What are some of your best memories from first going to clubs? Were there specific nights or sets that really made you feel you wanted to pursue electronic music?

Blazonique: We are going to focus our experiences after 2014, which was the year we engaged as a couple and started getting in the scene together. We took two trips to see Nora En Pure in Búzios/RJ and Itú/SP (2016). Since 2014, we mostly listened to house and deep house. Speaking for ourselves, melodic techno / progressive was not commonly heard in Brazil. It was challenging to find such music on platforms. Her music opened the door to exploring other artists until around 2017 when we stumbled upon melodic house & techno, marking a significant shift in our musical taste and journey.

AydinAT;01: My first event was Armin Van Buuren's show, when I went, the wonderful feeling of the speakers and lights was in my ears for hours. I was younger at that time, and after the event, the sense of melody of this artist amazed me.

You have a new EP ‘Inner Senses’ which is out now via Wout Records. Tell us a bit about the tracks and what sort of vibe you were going for on them. 

Blazonique: For the EP, we aimed to establish a thematic link between the two tracks, creating a connection that enhances the overall listening experience. "Sirens" serves as a call leading into "Inner Senses," acting as a gateway to explore deeper into our personal feelings and thoughts. In a way, "Sirens" acts as an invitation, which focuses on taking the listener towards a journey of self-discovery that unfolds within "Inner Senses." The transition between the tracks mirrors the transition from an external call to an internal exploration of senses and gut feelings.

AydinAT;01: This ep was made by me and my dear friend Blazonique from a distance, as they are in the far east, and with this great geographical distance and Iran's filtering limitations, we were able to work hard to work together, and in this ep, we wanted a feeling from two artists who are from a distance. They work together, we can make melodies and coordinate together to complement each other's thoughts.

Who has been playing them so far? How much play have they gotten in your sets and to what reaction?

AydinAT;01: Big artists have supported or downloaded, but unfortunately, I haven't seen the video yet, big artists like The Element, Kasia, Don Diablo, Sharam Jey, Wurtz, Emiliano Demarco, Abstraal and others and the only video we saw was at the Family Pikinik festival.

Let our readers inside your studio for a moment, what is your current setup and what studio tools are featured heavily in your recent productions and more specifically on your ‘Inner Senses’ EP?

Blazonique: For “Inner Senses" we used Diva and Serum for melodies, stabs, pads and bass. Hive2 for some FXs. We love combining these three in our productions. We have a MacBook M3 Pro connected to two monitors for music creation and analysis. Moreover, we have a keyboard Akai Mpk, a headphone Audio Technica M50x, and a pair of pioneer studio monitors. Finally, we have an hourglass on our desk for the workflow.

AydinAT;01: In our studio in our country, me and my dear friend Mohammad (M. Rejvani), who is an expert in mixing and mastering, continue to collaborate in this ep with synths and midi controls and speaker monitoring system equipment, and finally with a final check with hifi speakers. We analyze carefully so that they can compete at the highest global level.

Working as a trio is an interesting dynamic, a successful partnership like this one is generally based around balance and compromise; how do you manage these things within your production dynamic?

Blazonique: Aydin and we have been working together since the first quarter of 2024. And it´s been amazing. We have created some tracks together so far and the process has been very interesting. First thing is the commitment we have. If we say we are going to make it, we are going to make it. Next, we set a timeline and then who will start the composition.

AydinAT;01: In the beginning, I said that Aydin's conditions were very difficult to exchange information due to Iran's filtering and the low speed of the Internet, and I even had to leave the country to send stems or data so that the conditions for sending files would be easier, but remotely. We were able to cooperate and make a strong ep and this cooperation with my dear friend will continue

Did you have different roles in the production process? And if so please elaborate.

Blazonique: Usually when one of us starts writing a song, we leave it with who started. After either something comes up or an idea is requested, the other comes to give his/her contribution. Always following and respecting the feeling of the art which has been constructed. The good thing about it is that our tracks tend to be always innovative for us and we never get bored from the creation process.

AydinAT;01: Yes, we used to agree on which part each artist should make. We changed the melody many times. Many times, we coordinated the sounds, arpeggios, sound designs, bass line, or bpm, or empty spaces, and how and which artist was responsible for this.

Now let’s talk about DJing for a moment. How often do you get to perform in your home countries? And how would you describe your approach to DJing?

Blazonique: As mentioned, 2024 has been a year dedicated to production and learning. However, we are eager to show our music next year.

AydinAT;01: In my country, I performed underground in the beginning or private parties with a small number of about 100 people, and from 2024 I was able to be invited to clubs in Istanbul with publications and being seen.

Can you tell me a bit about how your work as a DJ and performing for larger crowds has influenced your view of music, your way of listening to tracks and perhaps also, your work as a producer?

Blazonique: Performing for large crowds of course refines our musical sensibilities. The live energy always teaches us to craft sets that resonate with audiences, influencing how we listen to tracks and produce music. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that observing other sets has been crucial in shaping our understanding of crowd dynamics and musical storytelling.

AydinAT;01: I try to test the audience in front of me with a few songs, I don't always want to show them my songs, the most important thing is that they enjoy the night, I try to play with the songs in terms of the level of happiness and the feeling of the audience with the songs. To dance and be happy and have a pleasant feeling with the melodies, among my songs, by making emotional melodies in some songs and in other songs even with the melodies, I want the listener to feel happy and dance. And he can sit and have a coffee in the cafe.

How much prep do you put into the sets you play, or are they spontaneous for the most part?

Blazonique: We love preparing our set. Going through the tracks and matching them to the vibe of the event / audience is essential for us. Also, we sit apart from each other to let the ideas flow. Then we put the chosen tracks on the table and decide the best set, as well as some potential tracks to use if needed. We call it A set, and B set.

AydinAT;01: I try to always be ready, but at the moment of the game, I decide what song to play according to the crowd, and of course, for now, I have focused on the melodic genre and I only change the theme of my songs.

Current Top five tracks in your sets?

Blazonique’s tracks:

Blazonique - Protocol Zero

Blazonique - Sweet Unrest

Sanchä & Blazonique- Before My Eyes

Diminor - Nevermind

Blazonique & AydinAT;01 - Inner Senses

*All to be released soon.

AydinAT;01 tracks:

Agents Of Time - Uno Y Cuatro

Agents Of Time - Its All Good

Mrak - Never Ends

Adriatique, Solique - Changing Colors

Cassian - Aran

If you are not DJing, producing or socializing at clubs, where do we find you? And doing what?

Blazonique: We love spending time together and with our two dogs. Also, working out at the gym and spending some time with friends at some bar or for a barbecue.

AydinAT;01: My main work is related to selling gold or I do sports and play with my family and children.

If you could set up an event with a line-up of five artists of your choice, who would you book and what set times would you ascribe to the artists?

Blazonique’s line-up

Hidden Empire (10 pm – 12 am)

Abstraal (12 am – 2 am)

Kasia (2 am – 4 am)

Agents of Time (4 am – 6 am)

Adriatique b2b Tale of Us (6 am – 9 am)

AydinAT;01 line-up

Tale Of Us – Colyn - Agents Of Time – Camelphat - David Lindmer

If you were not a DJ/Producer what do you think you’d be doing with your life? (Something not music related) 

Blazonique: Melissa would travel the world discovering new cultures. Bernardo likes to study and create stuff. He would say being a researcher at a university.

AydinAT;01: I would probably become a snowboarding instructor

What’s something people do not know about you?

Blazonique: Melissa works with finance helping global businesses prevent losses and optimize revenue. Bernardo is a specialist in international funding and structuring sustainability projects.

AydinAT;01:  They don't know many things haha, but I read a lot and I enjoy reading books

What TV series have you been enjoying recently and what are some of your all time favourites?

Blazonique: We just finished the series Black Bird. Also, we are watching the series Penguin. Favorites: Dark and Prison Break.

AydinAT;01: I haven't watched a series or movie for several years. I prefer to improve general information about my job and my art rather than spending my time with television

What can we look forward to from you in 2025? Any releases or gigs you are looking forward to? 

Blazonique: There are some amazing releases on the way for 2025. Own productions and collaborations. Furthermore, we just started working on an EP for us, which will deliver some innovative sounds and storytelling. The first track is done, and we are going to write the second one in the next weeks. Last, we are planning some trips around South America and Europe.

AydinAT;01: For 2025, together with my dear friend Blazonique, we have prepared another joint EP, which will be released by my home label Techno Tehran Records, which is the biggest techno label in the Middle East, and I am also proud to act as the event director of the Techno Tehran label.

'Inner Senses' is available now via Wout Records: https://tinyurl.com/437j2z4w