In this episode of “Behind The Beat”, we talked to Emok about the process of creating “3rd Eye” with Morten Granau , in addition to hearing from RITMO more details of the production of his remix for this world psytrance classic 🦉👁️
Can you take us back to when you and Morten met? Where were you?
EMOK: First time I recall to meet Morten Granau was a Three Of Life Festival in Turkey many years ago. I remember friends of mine talking about this new young dude Granau that started doing some very cool tracks.
We obviously connected on the festival and shortly after we received a batch of tracks from Morten. I remember I DJ some of those tunes back then. They were really fresh and with a nice Scandinavian touch.
We started hanging out sometimes back in Denmark and shortly after we found the way to the Iboga Records studio to make a track. I remember back then that i had my entire studio setup in my PC laptop and I used it to connect to the studio, so the original track was made on a laptop.
Morten arrived to the studio with a small idea of the hypnotic melody progression and we shaped the track in 1 or 2 days. I remember Phaxe coming to say “hi” in the studio in our last session and we asked him what he though was missing, so he just played in the notes of the string progression we use in the end of our track and that really finished up the track.
So Phaxe actually had a small touch with his magic finger on the track 🙂
Psytrance is all about energy and storytelling – what kind of journey did you want “3rd Eye” to take listeners on?
EMOK: I think at that time we were both also very inspired from Progressive House, so the claps and some of the drums we use is all taken from Progressive House samples.
We kinda wanted to merge the progressive feeling of progressive house into PsyTrance and then build the vibe around the hypnotic step / melody progression.
The funny thing is, the best tracks I ever produced and the ones that people like the most were always done in 1-2 days like “3rd Eye”. It’s hard to make a track in this short time, bur sometimes then you are open in your mind and tap into creativity it’s possible.
So that’s why “3rd Eye” (Pineal Gland), make sure you are open to receive inspiration and tap into creativity.
If you had to describe the feeling of hearing the remix for the first time in one word, what would it be and why?
EMOK: We need more music like this 🙂
Do you recall where you were when you first heard “3rd Eye”? What was the first thing that stood out to you when you heard it?
RITMO: I honestly don’t remember the exact moment or place where I first heard the track, but I do recall that what stood out to me the most was the incredibly unique and deep kick and bass, combined with the sweeping melody.
It really struck a chord with me. It felt fresh, innovative, and special.
Did you have a clear vision for the remix for the remix from the start, or did it evolve during the process?
RITMO: The remix process actually began quite a while ago, around the time I finished my album “Roots”.
I wanted to bring the vibe of the album into the remix with a fresh twist, while still preserving the essence of the original.
It took some time to refine the remix and make the right decisions along the way.
So, to answer your question, it was a bit of both, I had a clear vision, but new elements naturally evolved as the process went on.
Were there any unexpected challenges or surprises during the remixing process?
RITMO: Yes, there were definitely some challenges and unexpected surprises along the way.
One of the biggest challenges was staying true to the original vibe while also adding my own unique touch.
Another challenge was getting the right sound for the remix, making sure it was deep enough and as accurate as possible.
Have you tested the remix on a dancefloor yet? What was the crowd’s reaction?
RITMO: Yes, I’ve tested the remix many times on dancefloors around the world.
Each test helped me fine-tune the character of the sound I wanted.
The crowd reactions have been amazing. It’s always fun to see younger people dancing to a track they may not know the original from, while also seeing more experienced listeners recognizing the familiar sounds of the original.
