Introducing mindXpander

Kicking off our second batch of unsigned acts is mindXpander, who I first came across an extremely long time ago… They are Patrik Rydberg and David Lijia, who met in a boys’ choir almost 25 years ago. Here’s a picture of their current album Triumphant Return, released last year:

For my part, I originally came across them about fifteen years ago, back in the days of the original mp3.com, and I thought they might be well placed to kick off this series of unsigned acts. They’re a pair of computer and music nerds who love sound design and modular synthesisers, and also seem to be very good friends too. The three tracks they selected are all from Triumphant Return. First is Hoshi No Koe:

My first thought was Vince Clarke when I heard the squelching backing and rhythm on here, but it quickly builds into a sort of Euro-Pet Shop Boys. As far as I can make out, the title translates as Voices of a Star, and seems to be taken from a Japanese anime film.

Northern Lights is the second track they picked, and it’s tagged with things like “laserdance”, “koto” and “Italo disco”. I’m not sure I can really add anything to that, apart from that it’s excellent and the title is very apt.

Finally we have Ad Astra, a trance-flavoured track with a few echoes of the tracks that used to be on mp3.com. It’s been a few years since I was last in the kind of club that plays this sort of thing, but I can see it going down a storm!

As always, I sent a few daft questions to them so that we could understand them a little better, and as is often the case, they answered them extremely well. Normally I edit these, but these are just too good – here are their responses in full…

What’s your source of inspiration?

David: A lot of different things. Can be everything from an artist, a certain sound or a demo of an instrument. I like to dive through presets on my favourite synths. I later change everything to patches we’ve programmed ourselves to get that certain mindXpander sound.

Patrik: Can be a lot of different things. I tend to be influenced by the music I’m listening to. I mostly listen to music in other genres than the ones I’m active in, and even though it’s hopefully not very obvious (I think so at least. Don’t think most listeners will hear metal influences in mindXpander tracks for instance…), I can often listen to music I’ve been involved in making, and hear what other music I was listening too at that time. Also, sounds and messing around with synth, my modular, and studio tech. It’s like a form of meditation to me, or a drug if you will, so even if I’m not inspired to make proper music, I often just play around in the studio, testing out sounds, techniques and ideas, and sometimes those sounds spark inspiration and evolves into proper songs.

At what point during a typical day would I listen to your music?

David: I’m listening to Triumphant Return while commuting to the office and back. It’s a great way to shield yourself from all the noisy commuters on the underground. But I guess it can be enjoyed during a nice car drive along the country side as well. Or with your friends. But preferably when we perform live – which has happened three times since 1998. Yeah, we’re swamped.

Patrik: Well, I don’t think our music is intended for any specific time of day. I’d say anytime you need a bit of added energy in your life. That said, the music is mostly created (and pretty much without exception finished) late at night, so to get that most authentic first listen feel, I’d say 3.30 am.

How did you pick the name you record under?

David: Patrik made it up back in the days and I simply just loved it. I had a couple of other suggestions which we tossed around but he nailed it with this one. He’s in fact really good at making up artist, album and track names.

Patrik: Ah yes! The next album will be named It came from the giant space toad’s left nostril, or possibly the right. Has a nice catchy upliftedness to it.

David: See? We have a winner. Let’s put some donk on it!

What ringtone do you have on your phone?

David: That was actually a happy accident when I was patching my Eurorack modular. I think it sounds like a futuristic phone. My phone’s on silent mode 99% of the time so I never get to hear it though.

Patrik: A small arpeggiated sequence I once created on a DSI Evolver, complemented by distorted drums.

What’s your definition of a bombastic groove style?

David: Cinematic drums are my first feeling. Like the drums in any of the Juno Reactor tracks written for the Matrix movies.

Patrik: A Booooombastic grove is, like, in cinematic music when you have gigantic drums drenched in huuuuuge amounts of reverb, so you have these BomBomBoorrrooomBoBOOOOOOOOM <rattle, shake, sub-bass ending>. An Ooompastic grove on the other hand relies on a combination of brass instruments, predominantly tubas, creating the classic and much loved OmpahBompahOmpahBompahOmpahBompahPomPomPomPom. Bombastic? I don’t know…

David: Yeah, like the track Selecta by Infected Mushroom. Oompah oompah! We should have more of that in our mindXpander tracks!

You can find out more about mindXpander via their official website here.

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