07 Oct 2016 
Posted by Cassi Catsaros
Get PSYCHED! – Talking open-mindedness, being under the radar & Psychtober!
Theracords-signed artist Psyched may not be your typical raw Hardstyle name; this talented dude tends to follow his own path and let creativity guide the way. This may be a slower track to success, but a sure one, as his productions just keep growing in quality and intensity.
Beginning his career as a part of ‘Solutio & The I’s,’ Barry Stabij soon parted ways with the project and followed a new path where he discovered his solo alias ‘Psyched.’ Now boasting an ever-growing discography and being a key part of the Theracords family, the month of October is all about open-minded producer in his Psychtober project!
He’s ready to show the world what he’s got – so let’s welcome Psyched onto Alive At Night in this exclusive interview!
– Yo Psyched, we’re glad to have you on Alive At Night! First of all, how was your summer?
Well thanks for having me! The past couple of months were busy of course and unfortunately I had to work during the summer, however I had several gigs awesome gigs including those at Q-BASE and Fatality. I also attended some other events as a visitor, such as Defqon.1, and spent a lot of time in the studio working on several new tracks. So yeah – busy, haha! My vacation is finally coming up though and at the end of October I’m going to Porlezza in Italy for one week. I’m really looking forward to spending time in the sun and some serious beer drinking!
– Let’s get started – could you explain to our readers what Psychtober is all about?
Psychtober is a very busy month where I’ll be doing lots of giveaways and be interacting in a different way with my fans. I’ve got several podcasts, free tickets, free tracks, gift packs, stickers and other cool stuff, so stay tuned!
– What’s the main aim of Psychtober?
Psychtober is basically a month where I can introduce myself to you all and explain my vision of music. I’m not the ‘average’ or ‘standard’ raw Hardstyle DJ; I don’t play the same old hits and I don’t produce the hardest kick and screech tracks, so maybe that’s why I’m a little under the radar… For now… *evil laugh*
So this entire month is all to increase my fan-base and to show you all who I am and what I stand for! I also want to teach people that ‘older’ sounding music is also one of my biggest passions.
– You also have your own gig coming up; can you tell our readers a little more about it?
Yes – it’s called Psychedelic! The event will be held on the 26th of November in my hometown Dalfsen. As I mentioned earlier, I really love to play music that’s outside of the box and showcase fresh music to the crowd, so that’s the main idea behind the artwork. I’m a big marionette doll who controls everything and the only thing the visitors have to do is get Psyched!
It’s a very wide concept because with only the designs you can do a lot of weird shit, haha! So for €15,- you’ll have Alphaverb, Intractable One, DJ Thera and I playing in a very intimate location. The best part is that beer costs only €2,- WOOHOO! So if you are interested, contact me for tickets or go to www.psychedmusic.com.
– You used to be a part of Solutio & The I’s; can you explain the process behind starting over underneath your alias ‘Psyched?’
I experienced some amazing years in the project, however all good things do come to an end and when it did it got me thinking how I could express myself in the best way. I’m very enthusiastic on stage and wanted to name myself in line with that, so I began searching for cool words but everything was just a big fat NO!
One day I was watching ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and there was a scene where Barney made a “Get Psyched Mix” to cheer everybody up. I thought the name Psyched suited my on-stage performance and bam, my new alias was born! After that I contacted Thera (from Theracords) because their vision ‘Music produced from the heart’ really appeals to me. I got signed, released some tracks and here we are now!
– What have been some of the biggest difficulties you had when re-launching yourself?
To be honest, I thought that I’d be able to lean on the Solutio & The I’s name, but no, it was like going back in time – a cold start from zero. Compared to when we started Solutio & The I’s, the market had changed a lot and promoters don’t book those new names so easily anymore. You have to prove yourself first, get yourself in the picture and then we’ll talk again. Saying that, I was kind of disappointed about that in the beginning, however now when I look at my agenda I feel so happy! I’m enjoying my gigs more than ever and I’m determined as ever to reach my destination – the top!
– As a Theracords artist, can you speak about what it means to be a part of this family-feeling label?
For me it’s really important to be a part of a label with that feeling. In this scene, supporting one another is important and when you’re part of a ‘family’ you have each other’s backs with everything. And with a good vibe comes good workflow.
Last year I worked with Delete and the teamwork was great between us; we agreed on a lot of things in the studio and having a good ‘family feeling’ with another producer is great for workflow. Furthermore, I’m also still working on the collab with Project Exile and another one with an artist who’ll be announced later on this month. When there’s that click with someone, the work can be done quickly and although I don’t see myself as the best producer, but more as a DJ, every tip is welcome from La Famiglia!
– Despite your awesome productions, you’re still a quite under-rated name. What do you have to say about this?
I feel as though I don’t serve the Raw Hardstyle market what it’s asking for – the loudest possible kicks, a bunch of screeches and vocals where everybody has to ‘die.’ I know it’s a risk, but I prefer to do what I really love and make something diverse or simply add in a weird twist to the track. The consequence of this is that my career grows more slowly.
You have to question what your goal is and how quickly you want to reach it. For me, I feel as though my career will be slow and steady, haha. Of course I dream to get bigger, but I also want to do what I want. You have to keep your dignity; that way you’ll keep enjoying everything to the max!
**Nice steak M8+1**
– For you, what’s the best track you ever produced and why?
Damn… That’s a hard question! I think I’ll say “Encomium,” which in Latin means ‘the praise of a person or thing.’ At the time my girlfriend was in the hospital and when it happened I realised that life isn’t so easy, so I made this song for her, which was totally different from my other tracks. It contains an emotional melody, reverse bass with acid and vocals by Aninia, which (in my opinion) makes the track great. I received tons of positive feedback on it, so maybe it’s time for a follow up…?
– As a DJ and producer, what’s the importance of having supportive family and friends?
Well, the best example of this was last Saturday. Caine was booked for a gig, but due family reasons he wasn’t able to make it, so my bookings agency called me and asked if I could step in for him. Normally it wouldn’t be a problem, but it was my girlfriend’s birthday. I was almost afraid to ask her if I could skip her birthday, but she was totally fine with it. I couldn’t have asked for someone more supportive!
– What are three things you’d like to see happening in Hardstyle and its scene?
1. For people to be more open-minded! Not only for fans, but for artists and promoters too! Nowadays it’s all about money and the music takes second place, so I hope that the traditional concept will come back again soon. I know that everybody needs to make money but people should think outside the box once in a while.
2. Book Psyched more often!
3. More kebab shops… Haha!
– Strangest place you’ve woken up after a night out – GO!
Once at the toilet and twice in my desk chair…
– What’s your opinion on the current kickrolling hype?
Well I don’t disapprove it… Sometimes I use it as it can add a bit of extra drive to a track, however it’s the way that some other artists use it isn’t really my thing. Too many kickrolls that are extremely high isn’t so appealing for me, and sometimes those kicks strike down at another area…
– If you could host a dinner party with 5 other artists in the Hardstyle scene, who would you invite and why?
Dailucia, Deetox, Mandy, Malua and Raiden. Why? Giggity…
– Can you share any exclusive news?
Like I said earlier, I’m working on tracks with the new Theracords act, Project Exile, Caine, Secrecy and also a second collab with Hardcraft (the first will be released this month). Aside from that, I’m planning some other collaborations which you’ll hear about soon. Besides that, I’ve got some solo tracks; “Let Us All Unite” will be a free release this month and I’ve got two releases coming up in November!
– What did you eat for breakfast today?
A whole banana… My studio is next to my bedroom, so in the morning I roll straight in there. Then I typically forget to eat when I’m in it, haha!
A huge thanks to Psyched for this interview! For those craving something different and out of the ordinary, we suggest that you check this guy (and his music) out – you won’t regret it. Follow him at the social links below and don’t forget to get involved in Psychtober!
FOLLOW PSYCHED
