Good Trip, Bad Trip: Henry Saiz

Tracing the path of his new audio-visual project...

There's a time and a place for everything, or so the saying goes.

Henry Saiz though, takes that as literal fact: the Spanish producer's new audio-visual project features synthesizers recorded inside the Great Pyramid in Egypt, and drums recorded inside the volcanic caves of Lanzarote island.

"The concept of this album is to materialize the essence of each place into a song. I've always been fascinated by how our environment can influence creative choice," Henry says. "I aim to explore how an artist can use everything around them as an inspiration to convert this energy into music."

The project is already well under way, and will drop next year via his Natura Sonaris label. There's a documentary in the works, too, with fans being invited to contribute to the creative process through Kickstarter.

Clash caught up with Henry Saiz for a very special instalment of Good Trip, Bad Trip.

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Best Trip…
I've been traveling nonstop for the last 10 years so is hard to decide, but one I loved lately was when me and my friends Eloy and Luis who make up our live band drove through Joshua Tree to Great Canyon on shrooms, it was pretty amazing, best trip in both senses.

Worst Trip…
I always try to take something positive of any situation even if it sucks, but I remember when I played in Moscow for the first time, I played for 30 minutes before police got in the club with guns and dogs, shut down the party and then on the way back home my ears got damaged and went through five hours of maximum pain. Not a nice weekend!

My favourite foreign venue…
Again I have many, probably Stereo Montreal. I remember playing for like 10 hours there with my good friend Marc Marzenit and we could´ve been there for 10 more! Such an amazing sound and crowd… I also love The Mirage in NYC, the productions they do there are something else, specially the Cityfox ones it's just epic.

I’m surprisingly popular in…
There are many places were I never expected to be playing or have a fan base like remote villages in Siberia or Iran or the fact that I play very often in Beirut. This world gets smaller and smaller…

Best or worst exotic foodstuff…
Had to eat a whole little octopus in Tokyo once, one bite, awful feeling but you can't say no to your host in Japan, they can take it very personally.

Most interesting individual you've met on the road…
I've met so many unique characters during the years, but one of the most amazing individuals I've ever met is my good friend Eduardo Serio, founder of the big cat rescue centre blackjaguarwhitetiger in Mexico (check him on Instagram, he has almost six million followers it’s nuts) He deals every day with more than 200 tigers, lions, panthers and jaguars… Words can't do him justice, he’s just UNIQUE.

Worst on-tour injury, or infection, or accident…
Well, this happened in Moscow like four years ago. My manager, a friend, the club promoter and I almost got shot by some Russian mafia guys because apparently we parked our car in the wrong place. Our promoter told them to fuck off and things got a bit too crazy. Luckily he had some skills dealing with these sort of people and we left the place so fast while they were taking their guns and trying to break the car's windows. Things you never expect to be involved in… ahhh, this job!

My essential travel item…
I carry too much shit with me… My Bose noise-cancelling headphones are pretty essential, especially when you have a baby crying next to you or a drunk hooligan.

My essential travel tip…
Be patient, open-minded and keep yourself hydrated.

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