In our post-pandemic world, music artists are utilising digital programmes and processes to create sounds from home,rather than in teams with physical processes which is no longer so feasible. An example of one of these modern artists taking advantage of new, exciting avenues for music production is DASYCHIRA, a South African musician basing in Amsterdam, who utilises ethereal, almost magical instrumentals alongside layered, multi-dimensional vocals to make the listener feel, in simple terms, as if they are floating.

The absurdly intriguing visuals accompany these otherworldly sounds, for example with their video ‘Eternal Family’, making references to the occult and witchcraft, as well as technology. They explore how traditional, historical concepts such as Wicca can be redefined in our world ever-favouring digital processes and presences. It makes us consider how these concepts can be explored in our current climate, especially in the midst of a pandemic, when physical connection to others, such an integral part of practices in witchcraft, is increasingly difficult.

DASYCHIRA themselves explain the importance of the origins of witchcraft, visually through their art and music, using it as a receptacle to abandon fears of the inevitable and hone in on their artistry as a source of power. DASYCHIRA finds an interesting way to utilise technology in order to explore their Wiccan practices, as often digital processes can be seen as a hindrance - they explore this in ‘Eternal Family’, with the title alone, not only referencing covens, but also the age of Youtubers. In DASYCHIRA’s world, ‘technology is a manifestation of magic’, they find ways for them to work in conjunction rather than against eachother, in order to create music that explores both concepts and discover their own artistry.

What inspired you to make music in the first place? Are there any figures you look up to in the music industry?

Music has always been in my DNA. To me, inspiration is fluid and can exist in any time and space, it just depends on my perspective and how much deeper I’m willing to throw myself into what I’m perceiving. The earliest instance I can think of wanting to make music of my own is when my piano teacher kept catching me improvising over the classical pieces I was supposed to be practicing. She noticed that rather than memorizing the sheet music, I wanted to follow my ear into unknown sonic territory. Generally speaking, I don’t look up to anyone in the industry, but I do have admiration for musicians who have paved a path of their own despite modern preconceptions of what an artist “should do''. One name that comes to mind is the Japanese collective Geinoh Yamashirogumi, who created the Akira soundtrack. It was founded by a scientist called Tsutomu Ōhashi, and many of the people involved in the group pursue their livelihoods outside of music, for example teaching, doing research, medicine, engineering and many other scientific disciplines. Members individually create social change in their daily lives, so when it comes to the collaborative dynamic of the group they can be creative together in a realm separate from ego. This allows them to tap into something truly rare and spiritual. They completely transform ancient feelings into modern sensations, which is an ambition that I feel very close to. I often remind myself that an ability like that requires a certain willingness to trust in the nature of a higher power beyond one’s self.

How would you describe your own music? What kind of production processes do you use to create such layered, ethereal audio?

Cybernetic, romantic, primordial. The more music I produce, the more my body and spirit is transferred into a vessel using technology. The machines I work with provide an extension of both my physical and metaphysical self. The possibilities to tap into a divine frequency are endless, and allow me to make sounds and craft stories in a way that has never been done before. I would describe my music as “visual” as well, but more in the sense of vision in the plane of imagination - it’s the closest I can come to manifesting an image of myself in an entirely new form. Sometimes treating production software like a third eye can lead me to create a self-portrait with sound, where I transform into the shape of my truest self. My composition process varies, but I like to start making music by generating and combining sounds that create a unique texture, making a sequence out of those sounds, and adding multiple layers of variation and contrast until it becomes a mosaic of organized chaos. My process is actually a lot more subtractive than additive - I’m interested in finding my own shape of the Venus inside of the marble block far more than seeing it at first glance.

I see in your ‘Eternal Family’ video many references to the occult and covens - do you practice Wicca yourself? If not, are there any practices you use to enrich your process or creativity?

Wiccanism has been an interest of mine for quite some time. I used to practice elements of Dousing, which involves an ancient method of enchanting tree branches and metallic instruments to detect water and minerals in the ground. The majority of our physical makeup is composed of water - so intuitively we can seek it out in an act of manifesting it. This got me further into other forms of magic and experiments with quantum mechanics, where my internal impulses led me to uncover profound coincidences. We as humans have a powerful ability to create a reality for ourselves based on our desires - Eternal Family is about a group of witches who want to be together forever by performing a ritual that in essence, takes them to their afterlife. The viewer will never know if they made it or not, and in truth, neither will the witches. The only things we truly know are the things we believe, if we believe we can summon spirits, then we can. If we believe we can transport ourselves to another dimension, then we can. Through faith and the act of performance, we enact our own wishes - whether consciously or subconsciously.

I find it intriguing that you are able to combine technology and Wiccan practice to explore your own artistry, as some practitioners see technology as a hindrance to incantations- when and how did you discover you could use these in conjunction?

Honestly, when I first started playing video games. My first console was a PS2, and I remember it came installed with a demo of Dark Cloud. It’s an RPG game that came out in 2000 where you have to defeat a Dark Genie who destroyed the kingdom you live in and rebuild the land by collecting relics scattered across the ruins. There was a special feeling I got from playing it at a young age, and that was the sensation of having a digital body, in a digital world, where I had an objective but also the free reign to explore my surroundings. Since then, I approached technology with the awareness of what we can create and embody with the tools available to us. We can be any version of ourselves to manifest desires that we might be told are “impossible” otherwise in our daily realities.

What do you think the future holds for Wicca and witchcraft in today’s society? Do you have any suggestions for combining technology and sacred practices?

Throughout the course of the pandemic, I think these practices have become even more popular. We’ve gone collectively as a society from being socially outward to socially inward, and that’s led us to discover more of the magic that has been enhanced by the internet. Last year I found out about an app that a lot of people on Tik-Tok use called Randonautica. It’s basically a quantum number generator that pinpoints a location on a map close to you based on your intentions. You can think of it like Schrödinger's Cat, we don’t actually know which outcomes exist within a field of randomness, and the only thing that can influence those outcomes is the observer’s interaction with them. I’ve been led to a few quantum blindspots (places you’d never think to go to or look usually) where I couldn’t believe how accurate it was. Once I set my intention to “lucky” and discovered a giant four leaf clover near the forest. Randonauting is right on the line between science and the paranormal, so be careful what you wish for.

If you could collaborate with any artist throughout time, who would it be and why?

My answer would probably change on a daily basis - but at the moment I’d say Sergei Prokofiev. His compositions have deeply shaped the way I look at music, specifically in terms of timbre. Take for example his most famous piece “Peter and the Wolf”, the instruments act in a way characters would in a story - each one with its own distinct tone and in a sense, spirit. Every time I listen, I can see a clear picture in my head for the idea that is being presented sonically. At the time he was alive he had access to only traditional and symphonic instruments, yet he was able to push the boundaries of music and art by creating multidimensional works that still feel like living creatures. He wrote some of the best romantic classical music for his ballets, and some of the most dark and absurd classical music in his Visions Fugitives series. Given that there is an almost endless selection of sounds available to us today, few contemporary artists are as inventive as Prokofiev was when it comes to storytelling. Storytelling, in my opinion, is at the core of every modern artform.

As a nonbinary artist, what do you think about the state of the musical community in terms of inclusion? Do you think we have a long way to progress to make our LGBTQ+ individuals feel safe and empowered?

We certainly have a long way to go, but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t made progress so far. Identifying as nonbinary includes challenging systems of binary thinking as well as gender expression, however in many societies oversimplification easiest for most people. Everyone wants to understand each other, yet it is fairly common for people to make false or limiting assumptions about others because it feels more familiar to them. Gender, like a lot of roles in society, is performative. So being nonbinary is liberating in the sense that it both an act of rebellion towards the status quo and a freeing way to explore every aspect of yourself without judgement. The lack of engagement in physical spaces because of COVID has in a sense, made the visibility of the queer community less immediate, and also very challenging for individuals to feel like there others out there like them. I’m hopeful that communities on the internet continue to grow and cultivate spaces where LGBTQ+ angels can find a sense of belonging and celebration.

What does the DASYCHIRA bunny logo represent for you?

The logo that I use as my avatar image is essentially the original form of Monstro (my button-eyed mascot). Originally I drew it in pen on paper with its organs twisted around to resemble a clock, with giant arms and legs. The drawing was altered in its initial 3D rendering, where its body was twisted around like spaghetti on a chess board. Several iterations later it became the Monstro character that I’ve produced as a plushie, which appears as the MonstroTV Productions logo in Eternal Family. I like to have the early version as my display image since it’s a reminder of the evolution of process and my constant engagement with self development and transformation. Documenting the process is just as fascinating to me as the final result. The avatar also acts as a totemic being, a mystical presence that delivers artistic ideas to me from the psychic realm.

What message do you wish to portray to your audience through your craft?

Be genuine with yourself and the world around you.

Can you give us a hint into your next endeavour for us all?

I’ve been working on my second LP, the follow up to xDream. I’ve written over 30 songs so far, each one has been crafted methodically in the form of a ritual. It’s going to be my most intense culmination of the metaphysical and mechanical.