Native of Dragasani, Valcea County, at 16 he starts studying percussion and then guitar, becoming a solo guitarist in various folk and rock bands, such as Rocking and Echo.

In the 80s he begins studying oriental religions and develops a deep passion for electronic music and related technologies. In 1993 he puts together the first digital studio where with the help of his computer produces four independent projects (Turning Away, Kingdom Of Light, Parallel Time and Space). Immediately after that he starts working with InterLotus label, producing a series of albums that attracted positive feedback from media and radio (Plenitude, Magic Collection, 7, Cosmic Sound, Colosseum and Self Game), doubled by other projects elaborated for Digital Records production house (Tales From Arabia, Maharaj and The Way Out). The first years of his musical activity are synthesised in the double album Interactive Play, after which he really starts performing live concerts.

INDRA’s prolific and eclectic creations – that can be noticed in his next albums: Echo In Time, Star Traveller, Ocean Of Silence, Sideral Music, etc… prove a polyvalent entwining of ambient music, classical, music therapy and new age. In the millennium to come, INDRA expands his musical horizon with new and interesting albums that follow the lead of the great German electronic music school, as well as with creations closer to Jean Michel Jarre ‘s style, here counting  Whispers Of Nature and Ultimate Nexus; in addition, INDRA re-masters some of his albums from the previous years. At the same time he develops a new fascination with the spiritual Hindu culture and tradition, manifested in works such as The Call Of Shiva (vol 1 & 2) and also in a true collection of electronic music made of 12 volumes, which is in fact a Special Edition (called Tantric Celebration) dedicated to the ten main feminine deities of the Hindu tantric pantheon. 

You’ve started by studying percussion…

INDRA: At that time I was intensely preoccupied by expressing the rhythms I had in mind. In my opinion, the rhythm is most important, as well in music as in everyone’s life, because it represents the energy’s pulsation and vibration. The rhythm is the one that gives life to music, even in those compositions that apparently have no cadence. The melody itself is born as an organic response being based on the rhythm’s evolving structure which makes it magical and mysterious…

I didn’t wish to become a drummer as part of a band, but the rhythm was giving me the opportunity to realize and understand the invisible connections that ‘moves’ music. Having this input, I had some live performances with other musicians and I must say those experiences helped me shape my music.

But what do you remember about your beginnings as a guitarist?

INDRA: It happened several years later, when I was learning how to improve the sound effects I could get from my electric guitar using the effect pedals. My personal style was very close to that of David Gilmour, who seemed to me a real master in this respect. The progressive approach to music was simply born from the desire of expressing something more sophisticated and elaborated than the standards of the 70s. The band Rocking was a quartet composed of bass guitar, solo guitar, drums and keyboard. Every time we sang in student’s campuses we were left with the impression that our public doesn’t understand what kind of music we were making…

When our collaboration has finished, I founded Echo, a less sophisticated  band that approached a progressive folk, involving two acoustic and one electric guitar plus drums. This formula allowed me to experiment sound depths enriched by the experimental use of one of the guitarist’s voice.

When  have you started  becoming   interested in the oriental philosophy and spiritual currents?

INDRA: In 1985 the oriental philosophy and the yoga practice influenced in a natural way the spirit and meaning of my creations. When I came into contact and profound syntony with the wonderful oriental tradition, an infinitely more elevated spiritual stage began in my life. The truth is I’ve never been to India, but this doesn’t represent an obstacle in the study of such an old nation culture, tradition and religion.

You’ve completely changed perspective in 1993 when you   have  started composing electronic music…

INDRA: I’ve learned on my own playing keyboards. Essentially, I was interested in getting the most out of the instrumental capabilities of modern synthesisers. I wasn’t a virtuoso, but the tones represented an almost infinite source for my inspiration and I was so happy to discover that this way I can express effectively my ideas in the music; one can easily tell  this reading my discography.

Today I’ve realised there are no limits of expression when one uses the latest technology in electronic music. All that one needs is elevated inspiration and a lot of patience… Moreover, I am convinced that electronic music helped me understand the depths of the human nature.

Can you tell us about the way your music evolved?

INDRA: At the beginning of my career, Inter-Lotus label strongly believed in the music I was writing and considerably invested in promoting it. However, after a couple of years I moved to Bucharest and so I’ve encountered new opportunities to thrive in my artistic aspirations. From a commercial point of view it is not at all easy to sell this kind of music that requires the natural capacity of introspection and a special sensitivity from the listener’s part. This is why the music production labels rarely deal with artists belonging to this genre.

Personally, I’ve always tried to express my artistic emotions through various styles, including German music, classic music, holistic therapy and music therapy. Along the years I’ve apprehended that a distinct part of the world’s electronic music known as the Berlin School could be the most important art school regarding this type of music. Still, once I’ve passed the initial stages, I’ve somehow changed the classical orientation of this school, adding elements closer to new age style, a certain ‘melody’ of the soul and the influence of pure, inner emotions.

Who else influenced you besides the German school?

INDRA: The world’s electronic music scene owes a lot to the instrumental direction developed by Klaus Schulze, direction that each artist has to know how to develop in his original style. Another remarkable band was Pink Floyd, who left a deep mark on my career; along this I’ve been greatly influenced by Vangelis’ creativity and his extraordinary artistic sensibility.

What do you remember about entering the new millennium, when you performed in Iasi the great concert Millennium Live 2000?

INDRA: At that time, my dream was to celebrate the great moment of passing in a new millennium. It was a difficult project that involved numerous specialized technicians that were in charge with the running of the event: projectionists, dancers, classical music singers etc. There were also two ballet troupes. Everything lasted for two and a half hours. The album comprises just a few titles from the second part of the concert.

You’ve recently finished recording the first album as part of a new project involving a huge amount of work which will be materialised in the Special Edition  called Tantric Celebration; what is the goal of this project?

INDRA: The idea came to me about five years ago and has roots in the tantric spiritual system’s vision on creation; this vision, among others, has its foundations on the existence and manifestation of the Ten Great Cosmic Powers, first rank deities of the Hindu pantheon. In accordance with the traditional texts of the oriental doctrine, everything that takes place in our lives, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually is a direct reflection of these ten feminine deities’ actions and influence.

An important part of my inspiration comes from the deep contact I’ve established with the great god Indra, from whom I’ve also taken my stage name. I’ve successfully performed one of the tracks that are going to be included in this project on the 15th of July [2006] in a live concert at Open Air Festival in Schleiden (Germany ) and I will use this opportunity to officially thank host Joerg Strawe, the organiser and owner of Cue Records label.

What can you tell us about the inspiration and the meaning of the track ‘Space Between Us’ that has been included in our presentation?

INDRA: It is a sort of a ‘melodic island’, being differentiated from other tracks on Helios Arena through a series of interruptions. Hence the title, to indicate a sound dimension that explores the most inner desires and expectation of my consciousness, where the listener can feel free to dive into the positive side of life. It is an instrumental track that removes the melancholy in order to allow dynamism impregnated with a sincere and total spiritual freedom. This is the song’s most interesting meaning: to depict a place where we can lose our masks and our false ego, coming in syntony with our immortal, free essence.

(Interview by Sergio Alesio in ‘New Age and New Sounds’ – #165, September 2006)