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Features 20 Years of Flying Free with JourneyOM Cosmic Flow talks wind surfing, the Prodigy, becoming a black belt and his mission - to help people feel, heal, and move together through sound – all ahead of his upcoming album release – ‘Infinity’! Fertile talk about the 90s spark, analog dreams, and the power of collaboration, ahead of their debut album release 'Everywhere' on Iono Music! Celebrating 35 incredible years of Banco de Gaia Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino

20 Years of Flying Free with JourneyOM Reported by Tara / Submitted 04-06-25 18:33 Undoubtedly one of the founding fathers of the London psytrance scene, JourneyOM set up Free-Spirit Records two decades ago to release the freshest psychedelic music and nurture new talent. He’s recently celebrated 20 Years of Flying Free with a landmark compilation cherry picking 20 years of the label’s highlights, which he’ll be showcasing at this Saturday’s dancelovehub at Basing House, where he’ll be closing the party with a very special 20 Years of Free-Spirit Records set. Also one of the hardest working artists around, Jay’s got a plethora of gigs and festivals in his gig diary for the coming summer, including Existance Festival, Logic – The Gathering – Summer Reunion 2025, Unique Tribe, Wingmakers 25th Anniversary Festival, Goa Cream and Spellbound. With so much to celebrate, it was definitely time to get him out of the studio for a long overdue interview… Firstly, congratulations on 20 years of Free-Spirit Records and 20 Years of Flying Free! It’s one hell of an achievement, especially in these crazy times. For those who don’t know you, when did you first start making music? I started making music in 2002. Can you remember the defining moment when you knew you wanted to produce psychedelic music? Yes, I remember it clearly. It was while listening to and playing tracks from Son Kite’s album Colours. The story behind the album and its spherical sounds were incredibly inspirational. When you first started out as an agency and label, did you ever envisage it would go this far? Free-Spirit DJs and Production Agency was born in March 2003 and lasted one year. Free-Spirit Records officially launched on 1st March 2004. To be honest I never thought about the future of FSR in that way. I am here to stay for a very long time and so is FSR. What was your vision for FSR back in the mid-noughties when it was first launched? To push boundaries and create a label that stood apart from the rest. I’ve continued to inspire myself daily with that mission. Was it hard to whittle it down to just 20 tracks for the compilation? Very much so! How did you approach the challenge? I went through all 99 releases and grouped them by year. Then I selected one track to represent each year. How have you grown as an artist over the last 20 years, and do you think your sound has changed much? I’ve grown a lot as an artist and have gained so much experience. My sound has evolved significantly and continues to do so — but I’ve stayed true to my core style. I'm happy that my music remains recognisable. You must have collaborated with so many artists over the years! Is there anyone you still hope to work with? Yes, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with some truly amazing artists over the years, and I’m very grateful for that. At the moment, there’s no one specific I’m chasing — it’s all about timing and energy. It must be incredibly rewarding to see artists you’ve supported go on to thrive? Incredibly rewarding — especially when it’s acknowledged. If you had to choose one track that sums up Free-Spirit Records, what would it be? Great Cycles of Time by Omsphere. Was it difficult to create a track like ‘Just a Plastic Bottle’ for a film score rather than the dancefloor? Yes, it was a different creative process. You’re not thinking about the drop or the floor reaction—you’re thinking visually and emotionally. But I really enjoyed the challenge, and the result was very fulfilling. Has it been difficult to continually adapt to the changes in how music is made and shared? It has had its challenges, but change is part of life—and especially in music. When we started over 20 years ago, vinyl was on its way out and CDs were the new thing. Then came digital downloads, which shifted the industry again. We adapted. Then the pandemic hit, and streaming platforms exploded. We embraced that shift too. Now vinyl is making a comeback. It’s an ongoing evolution—and thank the gods for it! What have been the highlights of the last 20 years? One major highlight was completing my debut Journey album The Man Who Sold the Time in 2007, which led to my first big gig at Universo Paralello in Brazil. After my set, two Brazilian promoters (from Organic and Respect) were waiting for me at the campsite to book me. That meant a lot. Other highlights include being invited to play at Boom Festival in Portugal, Ozora, Hungary, Fusion Festival in Germany, Vortex in South Africa, Sunshine in Japan, Atman in Sri Lanka, touring over 45 countries across 6 continents! Completing all my albums as Journey, Omsphere and Sonic Wave Control, as well as curating my compilations and doing countless tours — these are all part of the journey I’m deeply proud of. Is there anything left on your bucket list? Some of my colleagues have played in over 80 countries — I’d love to match or exceed that one day! Craziest story from life on the road? A couple of years ago, I had a heart attack (due to an undiagnosed hereditary condition) the day before my set at Ozora. The doctors saved my life, and I somehow convinced them to let me go. I felt like a spring chicken! I returned to the festival the next morning but discovered all my gear had been moved to a different hotel near the hospital—an hour and a half away! I had less than an hour before my set. The organisers helped me download my music from my server, gave me a USB stick and headphones, and rushed me to the main stage. I arrived 10 minutes before my set, and the stage manager asked if I could start 5 minutes early. That 2023 Ozora story is by far the craziest moment in my career so far! Where would you like to be in another 20 years? Answering your questions again — this time for 40 Years of Flying Free. Can you ever see yourself retiring from music? No freaking way! Never! If you won the Euromillions, where would your dream event be and who would be on the lineup? I’d host it at Gwaing River on the Garden Route in George, South Africa, with all my closest artist friends on the lineup. What time would you play? A 3-hour set starting at 22:00. What advice do you have for new DJs/producers struggling to find the time and money? Time management is key. Life gets busy with work or school, but if you want to make music, you have to carve out the time. What else is on the horizon for 2025? I’m finishing my first full album as JourneyOM. And with Free-Spirit Records, I’ll keep releasing beautiful music from the amazing artists in our roster. Thanks so much for your time Jay! Thank you so much, Tara! Thanks for your constant support, your time, and for this great interview! Links Follow JourneyOM on Facebook Listen to JourneyOM on Soundcloud Follow JourneyOM on Instagram url]Follow Free-Spirit Records on Facebook Follow Free-Spirit Records on Instagram Photos and artwork courtesy of JourneyOM. Not to be reproduced without permission. Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: Other Features By Tara: Celebrating 35 incredible years of Banco de Gaia Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden Telling Cosmic Tales with DJ Strophoria The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable. Comments:

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