Gorkiz [Interview]

Celebrating a landmark achievement of reaching 100 releases, Transensations presents label Boss GORKIZ debut Album - The Time, The Space, The Life. Composed by originals and collabs with great and rising Brazilian talents; starting with his label partner Pedräda, followed by Sensitive (IT), Kaito Aman and Ed Lopes, the perfect choice to proclaim this Centenarian landmark, where to not only survive as an independent label, but also to flourish and constantly evolve, bringing forward new and exciting talents, is something that must be celebrated. Is time to thank all the artists and industry partners that believed on the label work and supported to reach this milestone, that is only the beginning of our progressive life.

Progressive Astronaut caught up with Gorkiz to learn more about the release of ‘The Time.The Space.The Life’, his background, studio process, inspirations, future plans, and more. Enjoy.

Hi Gorkiz, thanks for joining us. What is your current mood and what was the last piece of music you listened to?

Hello, first of all, thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself better and tell more about my history, projects and goals. I'm very happy with everything that's been happening with me, I feel happy! The last song I heard was P.O.D - Youth Of The Nation.

How has your start to the year been and what are your plans for the week?

This year I started very busy, with many projects to start and now I started to see the results. My days are very busy due to my personal work, the activities with my music imprints and studio time with production, mixing and mastering. So, during the week I always have plans to finish the work, business contacts, and also enjoy my family and friends with a good barbecue :)

Do you consider yourself a DJ or producer first? And which do you enjoy more and why?

I'm a DJ first, I started playing and in the following year I started producing. I've always enjoyed guiding the music at family parties, choosing the songs on my father's records, since I was a child ! When I started producing, I fell in love, I used to spent many hours in front of the computer. Nowadays, I feel more like a producer, because I spend more time in the studio, I love to produce, being a producer is in the first place for me today.

Can you name five tracks that were important in your musical development and why they are so significant for you?

1 - 16 Bit Lolitas - Murder Weapon
2 - Royksopp - What Else Is There (Trentemoller Remix)
3 - Above & Beyond Feat. Zoe Johnston - Good For Me (King Roc Remix)
4 - Eric Prydz - Everyday
5 - Deadmau5 - Not Exactly

These songs were part of all my experience in electronic music, I enjoyed it in many parties, clubs that were unforgettable moments.

How did growing up in Brazil influence your music taste and direction in electronic music? Or did it at all?

I used to attend a lot of Anzu Club which had DJ Mora as resident and many international attractions such as: Sebastien Leger, Deadmau5, Steve Angello, Axwell, Amo & Navas, D.Ramirez, Above & Beyond, 16 Bit Lolitas, D-Nox, Chris Lake and many others. It was an incredible Club and it was my school. And I also liked going to big parties like: XXXperience, Tribe, Kaballah, Helvetia and other clubs...D-Edge, Club A, Pacha, Warung.

If you were a tour-guide for nightlife in Brazil or São Paulo, what would be the clubs you’d take the people to see and what local DJs do they need to hear?

D-Edge, Caos, Surreal Park, Crema Club, Amazon Club, Club Vibe. We have many good Djs here in Brazil, mainly from Progressive, such as: Carla Cimino, Luciano Scheffer, Gui Milani, Andre Moret, Kaito Aman, Tonaco, Ed Lopes, Pedrada, Rigooni, Yudi Watannabe... among others.

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

In addition to my studio hehe... gym and some bars to have a beer.

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?

I learned by myself, on that time I didn't have many videos to consult, it was just a forum with opinions from other producers also producing resources and helping each other. Things have evolved a lot ... today there are many high quality videos and samples that help a lot the beginner, but the main thing you have to believe and dedicate a lot.

Your debut album ‘The Time, The Space, The Life’ was just released via your Transensations imprint, please tell us about the release and how these tracks showcase your sound.

Making an Album already requires a lot of effort, knowledge and inspiration. Here at Transensations since we started the label, we have the purpose of having a family of producers, we work hard for that ! So I decided to invite some friends that I have a good relationship with, to participate, I had invited others but they couldn't because they had other commitments. It was an incredible experience to work on this album because I was thinking exactly about something that has variations in the tracks but with the identity of everyone involved. There were many conversations with the producers until it was finished, many changes and I am happy with the result, it turned out exactly as I thought ! The album is complete from Progressive, Melodic Techno and Vocal... which are the aspects that I've been working on my productions and that show what lies ahead in the next releases.

You’ve worked with a lot of artists on this project such as Pedrada, Sensitive (It), Kaito Aman and Ed Lopes. How did you go about choosing who to work with on the album?

I chose those closest to me, with whom I talk the most ... and who are always discussing something and making small talk, and because they are artists who I believe in their sound, I play and listen a lot.

Tell us how it began to take shape? Was there an initial goal of writing an album or did this happen organically in a way?

It was Planned. I've always wanted to produce something, but following the scene and releases, the market... I felt it wasn't the time. Many artists were releasing single or EP with 2 tracks, album was not talked about anymore. I noticed a change in 2022 with some albums coming out and producers talking about an album, I felt it was time and I put the plan on the road.

The album is primarily club tracks so I’m curious how they fit into your DJ sets and which ones have been going down the best at your gigs?

Katita and To The Stars had a big impact, I felt a different vibe for being tracks with dancing grooves.

Having heard the album a few times I have to say there is a lot of depth and variety throughout which makes for a great listen. There’s moments of emotion as well as darker astral sounds. Tell us why it was important for you to express your thoughts, ideas and feelings in this style of a long player.

I'm a guy who likes to test timbres, grooves, melodies with different sounds and also mix genres. My sets vary in Progressive, Melodic Techno, House, Tech House...so in production I also try to follow. I'm enjoying mixing darker sounds and then bringing a more beautiful and happy melody in my productions and sets. So I must have many tracks with these characteristics for my sets... the album brings the example!

How did you end up with the final track selection? And how difficult was it deciding on the flow from a listener’s perspective?

I tried to balance the vibe of each one a little, so the listener can listen in sequence and won't get sick, will have different perceptions and different feelings.

Give our readers a look into your studio? What is your current setup? And what studio tools featured heavily in the writing of ‘The Time, The Space, The Life’?

I have a room prepared basically for mixing and mastering and also for production. Usage:
Mac Mini Core i5 macbook
Xone k2 Headphone TMA1
Sennheiser HD 25 Pro Yamaha Hs8 Focusrite Scarlett
Akai MPK49 LG 42 TV
Ableton Live 11 Digital Slate Plugins

U-He Vsts Arturia Vsts Waves Plugins
In my album I used a lot of vst Repro -5 and Repro-1 , I love this vst.

This is also a milestone for your label Transensations with it being the 100th release which is an amazing accomplishment. Reflect back a bit on your path to get here, what thoughts could you share with us on this journey?

Yes! a great joy for us! I'm always wondering where this could take us or what kind of story we're writing on this journey...but there's no way to measure it. I would say that the reflection is in our days, the joy of reaching 100 and doubling the goal, growing, and seeing the smiles of all of us at Transensations seeing the result and feedback from all over the world. It has been incredible and we are very happy!

Let’s talk about production a bit more for a moment, where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play? And was there anything that inspired the album?

My main sources of inspiration today are Guy J, Eric Prydz, Joris Voorn, GMJ, Kamilo Sanclemente... sometimes a movie or acts of honesty and humility that I see on a daily basis also inspires me! I still dream of playing at a big festival, it would be very exciting...to be able to be next to an idol. The biggest inspiration for me was Transensations' 100th release, it was like playing a movie in my head from the beginning.

I would guess the writing of the album was a long process, now that it’s done what are your thoughts reflecting back on the process?

Phew! It all worked out! haha It was incredible to work on this album, for the friends who participated and I also learned a lot. I believe that this was the most important result after almost a year working on the originals and collabs.

How would you feel about these tracks being remixed? And are there plans for this?

Yes, we have plans! I love seeing my tracks remixed, for the continuity and feel what another producer can add. I'm already thinking about it, in the future we'll have news :)

Do you think the digital era changed the way we perceive artist albums? Do they still carry the weight they once did or should? Is this something that perhaps depends on who (record label) is releasing it as well?

I think so, the way of listening has changed a lot after digital and apps. Today people focus on one song, two, three maybe... but they don't listen to a complete album. I also think that due to diversity, as many producers and tracks have increased, people have more options, so they vary and fluctuate in this digital world.

Now let’s talk about DJing, it’s a unique discipline at the border between presenting great music and creating something new with it, between composition and improvisation to an extent. How would you describe your approach to it?

The Dj has the magic of completely changing a track in his set, either with a higher or lower bpm... and even better if it is placed at the right moment with the harmony of other tracks together. I admire Guy J a lot as an example, he builds and deconstructs the tracks in his sets, but everything is harmonious and beautiful. The point must be this.

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

As a dj and producer, the way of listening has changed a lot because I started to understand all the elements in music, even the smallest details.
Today I feel that I have a much more mature ear for working with mixing and mastering. I'm a master engineer at Transensations, For Senses, Comet Records, Incorrect Groove, Lake Underground Recordings, Music de Lune and Secret Feelings. So I look for all the ways of listening, appreciating and perceiving everything in one track... but electronic music, as it has many melodies, synth harmony, piano, pads mainly tracks without vocals where
the melodies are the protagonist, they are striking and make people listen sentimentally and sensitively. This is my feeling talking about my way of listening as a dj and producer.

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?

Based on the djs I've seen play It would be:

16:00 - Facundo Morr 18:00 - Sebastian Leger 21:00 - Khen
00:00 - Guy J
03:00 - Hernan Cattaneo 07:00 - End

What would be a musical extravagance for your studio you would pay for, if you were very wealthy?

Roland and Dave Smith keyboards

What’s a book you’ve read or film you watched that has left an impact on you, and why?

A rocker in the afterlife, a spiritist book. There are several films, but one very striking in my childhood and that I always remember: Edward Scissorhands

Apart from music, what makes you happiest?

My happy family, my happy friends and my moments of peace, walks, trips and good food.

What does the remainder of the year hold for you? Anything you can share with us?

This year I have a lot of work to do in the studio and with my label releases. There's a lot of news for you.
I'm focused on finishing my projects this year with quality and next year I'm thinking about the tour I'm planning, I also have some important remixes and releases this year like a remix for Chris Cargo and my album which was one of my main projects.

'The Time.The Space.The Life' is available now via Transensations: https://bit.ly/3NEzPNi