Whereas many people might use it as an opportunity to stay in bed eating soup and watching daytime TV, Astrix has used the period of convalescence following a back operation for a far more fruitful purpose. "I really wasn't expecting to have to go to hospital and I had to cancel a lot of shows," the Israeli DJ born Avi Shmailov reveals. "But I turned that into a positive thing because it gave me time to finish my new album at home." Entitled 'Red Means Distortion', describing the album Astrix says: "It's uplifting and trancey and crosses over between psy-trance and a more commercial sound. I'll always be trance but I want to explore other forms of electronic music without losing my identity as well." 'Red Means Distortion' should also cement his status as one of the most popular DJs in both Israel and the international psy-trance scene as a whole, something confirmed by his recent headline gig at Dance Valley in Holland and Australian tour, as well as the Astrix and Friends parties he's thrown everywhere from Denmark to Brazil. "Psy-trance fits the Israeli mentality perfectly because it's spiritual and emotional but also has drive and power," ponders Astrix. "It's constantly evolving from techno through to progressive influences to the electro-infused styles we have now. Some people have said that it's moved too far away from the original vibe but it's certainly getting bigger and that's always a positive thing." And with Astrix fighting fit again, there's certainly no reason to worry about its health for now.