Astrix is an undeniable heavyweight in the world’s trance scene. A repeat place winner in DJ Mag’s Top 100 poll, the future seems to just get brighter and brighter for the 28-year-old. His debut album Eye To Eye back in 2002 announced his arrival amongst the psychedelic trance fraternity, and with his followup Artcore making even more of an impact, and it’s been moving ‘full on’ forward ever since.

He’ll be releasing his third album Red Means Distortion next year, but in the meantime you can catch him at the Strawberry Fields Festival this weekend. ITM finds out a little bit about what we can expect.

You toured Australia last year with Conquest, and are now coming back for a much bigger event with the Strawberry Fields Festival. What kind of a set can we expect to hear from you this time?

I will be presenting many tracks from my new album Red Means Distortion. As I am known for, my set will be quite driving and uplifting and will feature some great surprises for my fans and for the regular club crowds.

Which of your releases is your personal favorite and why?

I have strong pride for tracks like Sex Style and Poison (from my second album Artcore) because even after all the time that passed, they still feel relevant and fresh in means of story telling and productions.

Having visited countless countries and played some of the world’s biggest festivals, how does the Australian scene compare?

Australia is just great, the place is amazing, the crowd is very warm, the people speak English so it’s more easy to communicate and my hosts for the last 2 years, Conquest are simply amazing when it comes to take care of my tours… keep on!

It seems that every year the world’s trance festivals only seem to get bigger. What are some of the most memorable parties you have played in the last year?

This year I enjoyed playing in respected UK venues that I did not play before like Ministry Of Sound’s The Gallery and Matter and Indigo in the O2 area, Club Heaven in Seoul/Korea and some high energy gigs in Zepp Nagoya and The Beach festival in Japan.

After releasing three full albums and securing a spot in the notorious DJ Mag Top 100, do you think you have a lot more to learn about music?

Music is a universe of sound… Always something new to learn, both on the inspirational side of music writing and on the technological side of production. I am very young and I am sure I have much more to learn on the road of expressing my inner self by music.

What or who inspires you when you produce?

I am quite an emotional guy which leads me many times to make emotional music. It might be powerful and driving as expected from trance, but it will also always be emotional and uplifting, in melody and atmosphere.

What is the sexiest thing about music?

Electronic music is global, being heard and understood by many different people from different places. In a way, it brings people together in some kind of harmony (especially in peak times of parties/festivals). To take part in these kind of moments and to experience that kind of “unity” is for me very stimulating and addictive…very close to my definition of “sexy”.

With music as your full time job, does it ever reach a point where the parties just feel like work?

I guess I am lucky because in almost all my shows I get the kind of reaction and feedbacks that keep the vibe alive. I don’t get tired of it and there are many highlights for me to experience time after time… May it last forever!

What are your goals for the future as an artist?

2010 will kick off with the release of my long awaited new album Red Means Distortion on the HOMmega label. I did a remix for Infected Mushroom’s song Killing Time which I am very happy with as it is much more accessible style then my usual and may lead to other musical experiences that I am planning to explore after the release of my album. Side by side with the world tour that will follow, I plan to upgrade my studio big time and try my luck with some high productions of many different directions of electronic music.

Are there any Australian producers you would like to work with?

I am not so familiar with the current Australian producers but I am always with an eye open to work with other talents who can contribute as well as absorb the spirit of a musical collaboration.

Strawberry Fields Festival take place in the Victorian bush over the weekend of Saturday 28th November, also landing in Byron Bay for a single day of partying on the 28th. Other east coast devotees can catch the man at his Sydney sideshow this November 27th, hit the links below for the nitty gritty on that too.