Interview: 2trancentral

A chat with an outstanding YouTube curator

A couple of years ago I got into a phase of listening to old school trance and techno on YouTube, thanks to the channel 2trancentral. Of all the channels that feature club music from the early nineties, his channel seemed to unearth the gems that no one else had uploaded. Overall there was such a consistent feeling of positivity and uplifting/transcendent energy flowing through all the music he posted. I went down many a rabbit hole thanks to his channel and the music kept me company during some very tough times.

I was intrigued, so I dropped him a line and asked if he’d be up for a chat. He kindly agreed and here’s the resulting interview. He’s from Belgrade in Serbia, so there’s a layer of depth to his experiences that make the interview even more fascinating; politics, social upheaval and the escapism offered by club spaces.

NB: (You’ll see song titles pop up throughout the interview - each one is connected to the themes 2trancentral discusses, which he added himself)

Can you tell me a little bit about how you got started with music? What are some of your earliest memories of music? Can you recall which songs/artists sparked your passion for music?" When did you start listening to electronic music? Was there much club/dance music in your hometown when you were a teenager? If so, what were the hotspots?

I guess I was lucky to be born into a family where there have always been some computers around the place. So my first memories of music come from there, the music from the computer games (Spectrum ZX48 and later Amiga 500 and Atari). That was my first contact with electronic music, and needless to say, it was love at first sight. I used to start the video game and leave it at the intro just to enjoy the music, and I was singing all the time, so my parents quickly realized that I was very musical, which led to me getting my first synth and a set of (real) drums for my 4th birthday. I used to play whatever I heard in the background, and I could repeat the melody coming from the radio on my synth very quickly, and I remember everybody was very surprised about that.

So basically I got into electronic music from the very beginning, through video games, and later radio shows, cassette tapes recorded from older DJs, there were also several TV shows, etc. I remember the day I heard music from a CD for the first time in my life, I was wondering how could they rewind the tape so fast haha, and I was thinking how great this technology is, and how it will make my life easier with all the boring and slow rewinding of tapes.

The bands I loved the most were The Shamen and The KLF (after whose track I named my channel), and I would say that these two bands along with a few others from that time, took my passion to a new level.

Unfortunately, in elementary school, I was very lonely in all of this. I was regarded a little different from the others because of the music I listened to, even though my friends liked me and we all got along very well, but there was this moment, this detail about the music, which separated me a little from the others. (The Shamen - Heal The Separation).

So unfortunately, I didn't have company when it came to music and parties in my early ages, except for my older brother and some of his friends, but they were much older than me, and it wasn't the same. The only situation where this changed, and where I had support in this regard, were school excursions. Then I was joined by my school friends who were very far from that world, but somehow even they felt my music was the most tempting in that kind of setting, with all the energy and euphoria it generates, and I guess also because I was always fully equipped with a cassette player and a bunch of tapes. (As I like to say) I was a full blown raver already at the age of 13, and that's when I finally took my raving from school field trips, to a real club. And that was the most significant year ever for me - 1994. It was also the most creative year bar none, when it comes to electronic music scene, in all it's forms. And 1994 is when the next chapter of history began for me, when I entered our most iconic and most beloved techno/trance club for the first time - Industria, the sacred site which makes up the largest part of everything that ever happened on the Belgrade electronic scene, and it was really our sanctuary, our second home. I still feel our DNA is floating somewhere in that space, even though it has gone through many changes over the years, and changed its purpose several times.

Belgrade had one of the greatest techno/trance scenes in Europe, so we've had all the big names playing every weekend out, and we were very very passionate and serious about the whole thing, and widely known throughout Europe as a very educated and demanding audience, by the admission of many DJs...You couldn't just come and play your usual thing, you had to have something more, and feel the spirit of Belgrade and the crowd, which was very unique.

When did you start to collect music and DJ?

I started collecting music about the same time, in 1994, when first techno/trance radio shows started appearing, so I was recording everything on tapes, and then searching for track after track. We didn't have the internet, so it was much harder to get the music than it is today, we were thankful for every and any track we could get. There were also first "fun clubs", stores that rented the cassette tapes and the CDs, so I managed to get around in all possible ways. Those were very hard times, but also very sweet. I can still remember and can feel the excitement (of Enlitement, our biggest trance rave in 1995) when I finally get my hands (ears) on something I've been looking for months and months. Hard times, not only because it was difficult to get to the music (Laurent Garnier - Dance 2 The Music) but because we had wars around us, and we were cut off from the world. We couldn't get out of the country and travel, as we were poor, under sanctions and basically imprisioned, and I guess that also affected the whole spirit around the scene a lot, and our determination not to give in to that darkness, and endure through it all. All that hardship has also made us very strong people, and rich in spirit, at least most of us I like to believe. It also forced us to grow up and mature very early. So going deep underground and out raving, getting lost in music, was definitely a way to escape from a not-so-great everyday reality. The music and a sense of our togetherness in all this, is what kept us going. It was all about expanding consciousness, exploring the unknown, deepening our sense of self, the world, and each other, merging with the Source in ecstasy.

I wasn't really into DJing until there was no one left to play good music at parties, and that was around late 90s, beginning of 2000s, it was really a sad time for trance and techno. So I figured as there was virtually no one to play real trance and techno for me anymore, I have to do it myself. I somehow managed to get the money, and bought a pair of Pioneer CDJs and a Vestax mixer.

So there wasn't exactly a point in time, music has always been an integral part of me, it all came naturally, all the styles simultaneously.. trance, techno, house, ambient etc...I was instantly hooked when I heard first deep, hypnotic beats and melodies, since my early days. It resonated with me instantly, it took me places beyond everyday reality and feelings, and opened the door to the unknown. The hypnotic element in music was what caught me, in my opinion that's the essence of all sound, it's a tool to get your mind and spirit transported to different places, where you can reflect and explore the deeper states of your being and the reality. My DJ alias is "hypnotic", so that says enough about the importance of that. Music was never meant to be just for fun, it's a medium to get you to the next level, show you the way, and help you get there. After that, even the music stops, because it has fulfilled its purpose, but that's a whole new story, from another side of this glass, footsteps… concealed. (Underworld - Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream Of Love).

Do you ever think about where your natural talent might have come from? Is there any musical history in your family/DNA?

I'm not sure about that, my family is musical, my dad and few cousins especially, they all played various instruments, but I think I received it somehow independently, cause I think it's more pronounced with me than with anyone in my family. I once read a serious astrological magazine where they explained the connection between the aspects in the natal chart and talent for music very precisely. Out of curiosity I looked in my chart to compare and I found exactly those two aspects at the exact degrees mentioned in that article, and that was a strange and interesting moment.

Why do you think 1994 was the most creative year? I have my own theories about the mid-90s but I'd love to hear your thoughts...

I don't really know why, but that's how it happened, it was the pinnacle of the whole movement, an explosion of creativity, and if you were to take stock of all the tracks produced in that period, 1994 put out the greatest volume of most amazing tracks and classics compared to the years before and after.

Can you describe the spirit of Belgrade for me, please?

It's really hard to put into words, because there are so many elements that make up the spirit of the city, historically and culturally, but it's one of the oldest cities in Europe, a city of integrity that isn't swayed by external influences and is completely and utterly itself with no pretense or pandering to trends. It has gone through many hardships and turmoil over the decades and centuries, and all of that shaped it's soul to what it is today... a very special place.

There's a deep connection between living in difficult circumstances and very expressive rave scenes, I've seen it all over the world. Can you explain, from your personal point of view, why this is the case?

I think it's because when people feel restricted or confined in any way, their yearning for some kind of release is magnified. When the world is falling apart around them, people revaluate what's most important to them and realize that life can change for the worse at any moment, so they try to make the best of it.

How does the club scene of that time, and life in general, compare to now?

It was a different world really, we were young and everything was new, and we were lucky that scene was still in it's infancy, uncorrupted and pure. I would say that parties and people were much more energetic than today (today = last 15+ years), and I think that it's both blessing and a curse that we've been a part of that, but still more a blessing.

One of the things I love about your channel is that it encompasses a variety of genres unified by a particular feeling. Again, this seems like something that was more prevalent in the mid-nineties, blurred lines between genres, not as much tribalism as now... Do you agree?

Definitely, there were no divisions like today, there was only good music and us ravers celebrating life and freedom. I could never understand how people could like techno for example and not like trance, and other variations of preference, because it is all really One.

You seem to have quite a spiritual outlook, you mentioned connecting with the source earlier. Can you explain a little bit more about this aspect of music and how it takes you to this ecstatic level of human experience?

I think it all comes down to the individual, some people listen to music exclusively for fun, but that's not the only way and purpose of the music, at least I was never like that. I was always searching for the connection with the intangible, cause I knew the world is much more than is presented to us, and the music was the perfect medium for that, because with a little concentration, intention and abandon, you can detach yourself from the structure of the everyday world, and let the spirit sail through the unknown. By releasing the anchors that keep you in the old world, you develop wings that can carry you to many deep insights, and places where no raver has gone before.

Why did you start the channel and what have been some of the comments that have touched you most so far?

I started the channel spontaneously and rather out of despair to be honest cause it was a really bad time for anything old school, and I noticed there were many good tracks missing on YouTube, so I thought I might create the channel and upload a few. I didn't have any grand plan except a hazy dream to bring together likeminded people, especially ravers from that time. I thought it was important to preserve such a glorious history, and try to save all those tracks from oblivion. I just couldn't watch everything slowly die and disappear, it was my life, and I was too passionate about it to not do anything.

Thankfully, it turned out much better and bigger than that, new generations also got involved, and I'm so happy about it, because it gave me hope that it wasn't all over yet. (Grace - Not Over Yet).

As for the comments, I receive so many lovely messages daily through my channel and email, that I'm really humbled and grateful that I could affect people in such a way. Interaction with my followers/fans is one of my favourite things there. I don't like to pick one over the other, but here's one that popped out (on Loophole - Soulsearch).

"Hey 2trancentral, you are really onto something. That one thing that is so secretly treasured in life. I call it : Music, from the SOURCE.
So, after having my soul being fed so significantly, I just wanted to express gratitude for initiating such a goldmine on the internet.
Deeply appreciated.
From the heart.
All over the world.
Thank you for what you do."

To finish on a high note, can you recommend five tracks from your channel that really stimulate euphoria and positive emotions?

It's a tough choice, but here's a few in no particular order.

1. Third Eye - New Life

2. PJ - Elysian Fields

3. Berkana Sowelu - Solid Fuel

4. The Reese Project - I Believe (Laurent Garnier Frenchman In Stoke-On-Trent Baseroom Mix)

5. Loophole - Soulsearch