Interview with Darkland

Mohammad (Darkland) is a psytrance producer and DJ from Iran.

What fascinates you about psytrance culture?

The independence of this genre is what draws me to it. Psytrance covers a wide spectrum of styles, right up to the most aggressive and fastest ones.
Its rich, deep culture makes it one of the most authentic styles. The main theme of psytrance is the inner world of people, and because of that this music has a profound effect on the mind and soul. That effect is what makes psytrance so interesting for me.

What are your musical influences?

Everything appeals to me and anything can influence me. Darkness and brightness both have their pros and cons.

As artists we have a responsibility towards our audience. What's the message you want to pass on to your listeners?

My main message to my listeners is that music itself can act like a drug, so there is no reason to take drugs, especially when it comes to psytrance. Unfortunately, many people think they need drugs to understand the real meaning of the music.

If you could start over again, what would you do differently?

I want to try out local styles, and mixing a wide range of local music would attract a lot of listeners. I firmly believe that when music is foreign to people, they don't feel drawn to it, but blending it with what they know can change that.

Please name a piece of your production gear you like and tell us why you like it.

Monitor: Yamaha HS8
Sound card: Tascam US 2*2

I think their quality is worth more than their price. In my opinion the computer comes first, and after that the monitors and the sound card are very important.

What is the situation of psytrance culture in Iran? How do the authorities react?

Unfortunately, psytrance is illegal in Iran, and if you are caught playing it (or other EDM genres) you will be punished severely. Not only has psytrance never been supported, a lot of measures have been taken against it. So most people in Iran don't have a clear idea of what psytrance is. I have a dream: if one day I make a big name for myself in psytrance, I will help artists in my country.
Anyone who creates art in this situation deserves huge respect. Making music in Iran is like running a marathon without shoes. I hope that one day all artists can compose and work under the same conditions.

Thanks, Darkland.