No.33 in the Sinchi & Friends mix series are The Shamaniac Movement. A really interesting project based in our home city of Amsterdam, combining art, music and shamanism. We really enjoyed their recent EP Sham-Dee, which was one of the most original releases of the last year and delighted to give you this glimpse into their world.

Introducing

1) Who are you?

Hey there, we are Kiki Toao & Rombout, The Shamaniac Movement.

We live in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Since Kiki’s calling to the shamanic path we have made it our goal to incorporate our music and art with our spiritual development, which is resulting in all sorts of crazy creativity.

2) What have been your highlights from the last 12 months?

Traveling to Costa Rica for shamanic education, production of a music video for our track Sibaso-Dukun, release of Sham-Dee EP and we’ve done some very nice DJ gigs and shamanic ceremonies.

3) What do you have lined up for the coming year?

First of all continuation of shamanic education, it involves a lot of studying so hopefully there will be some time left for more music making and we’re thinking about making a new film.

Very special is our collaboration with The Gardens of Babylon who organizes monthly events, combining house music with spirituality. We perform shamanic readings and cleansings during the nights.

Music

4) Which track in the mix is your favourite right now?

The Stallion – Hope (M.W. Edit)

5) What is your favourite track of the last 12 months?

Kiki: Suuns – Minor Work

Rombout: Etienne Jaumet – Metallik Cages (Acid Arab remix)

6) What is the last record you bought?

Andrew Weatherall’s album ‘Convenanza’

7) Who or what are your biggest musical influences?

Andrew Weatherall, James Lavelle (UNKLE), Amon Tobin

8) Do you have a ritual before you start playing or

straight after?

Breathe.

9) Who is your favourite DJ? Not including yourself 😉

You are. Yes, you, Tom Wheeler.

10) Tell us about 3 DJ’s / Producer’s we may not know but should be looking out for?

Black Merlin, Die Wilde Jagd, Circa Tapes

Opinion

11) Best advice for anyone coming into the scene, either as a Producer, DJ or Promoter?

Be original and follow your heart

12) Do you think there is inequality or disbalance in dance music, whether it is gender or race? If yes, what do think can be done?

Yes, there is, and not just in dance music.

You’re naming two of the biggest issues on the planet. What can be done?

Ehh… how about some R.E.S.P.E.C.T.?

13) Do you think the gap between the mainstream and the underground is getting closer or further apart? Is this a good or bad thing?

We’ve got no idea. When we go out, we prefer to go to an underground event, we avoid the clubs. There’s probably a good reason for that.

14) What’s your opinion on the importance of roots , traditions, respecting originals and sources? Should all music be open source and open to editing or do you think cultural and artistic misappropriation is an issue?

Due to modern technology everything has become open source, whether you like it or not. We make use of samples ourselves, so we are not in the position to blame anyone for doing so.

If you’d ask us if we would mind if someone would use a sample from our music: no, we wouldn’t. In fact, we would love to hear what they’ve done with it. We don’t think it’s relevant to have an opinion about what other people should allow to be done with their work or not. It’s just wise to be aware of the fact that, once you put your work out there, it’s in a way no longer yours. That’s what we try to keep in mind.

15) Due to developments in technology and software, there is so much which can be done to change a track to the tiniest detail, how much do you use this in your sets? Can too much technology be a bad thing?

Not at all. We rather focus on developing our style by collecting as much good music as we can, not limiting ourselves to a specific genre or style. And then try to put it all together.

Can too much technology be a bad thing? No, we don’t think so. If you know how to use it, knock yourselves out!

Quickfire

16) Favourite art besides music? Kiki: photography / Rombout: surrealistic realism

17) Favourite writer / scientist / painter / philosopher? Painter: Jeremy Geddes / Writers and philosophers: right at this moment Terence McKenna, Graham Hancock and Alan Watts have our interest / And we’re total suckers for quantum mechanics.

18) Favourite out of genre music? Psychedelic rock, coldwave, blues

19) Favourite film score? Kiki: 28 Weeks Later / Rombout: Sunshine

20) Secret studio trick? Kiki: Transposing / Rombout: Arpeggiating

21) Guilty Pleasure? Chocolate

22) One piece of music you can’t stand? Only one? Haha

23) Bad DJ good records or Good DJ bad records? We prefer a bad DJ with good records

24) Favourite way to unwind? Cook and eat lots of good food, watch movies

25) If to live in a lost civilization or culture, which one would it be? Rombout: Sumer / Kiki: Ancient Egypt

26) Blissful ignorance or harsh reality? Harsh reality.

27) What makes you smile? Don Hertzfeldt

28) Ultimate aspiration in life? Be happy or die trying.