LIFE IN A BOX

Life in a Box is the musical project of Fabien Dortel, a french electronica producer.

Who are you?

Hi i'm a french electronica producer and my musical project is called « Life in a box ». I'm not used to answering interviews, but there's a first time for everything !

- Why did you choose this pseudonym?

Hum, it's quite hard to explain, let's try. I found the name « Life in a box » during a night of the year 2008 : it emerged from nothing and i realize now it perfectly fit with my way of conceiving music creation. « Life » is what i aspire to infuse in my music, through simple melodies, evolving like living things through geological eras or like a particular organism that is born, lives and dies. The creative process is always characterized by trial and error, adaptations, until you reach the point where the song is an entire thing, coherent and full of sense. Consisting of simple sounds, drums, timbres, like the elementary building blocks of life, the DNA, the song becomes, through a process of emergence, a being by itself... « the whole is more than the sum of its parts ». The « box » is either the human brain (mine or the one of the listener) or the machine i principally use to produce music, or every boxes that contain atoms, cells, living things, planets, concepts or anything else . Well, i didn't think i could explain it in a few lines !

When did you start to play this music?

Well, i started playing the piano at the age of 7 and during 10 years after that. But the studies kept me away from music and i realized i missed it a lot. I decided to create my own songs on the piano (i was hiding from my parents and played my creations alone, maybe due to bashfulness). And i discovered home studio in 2006 with Fruity loops and never stopped creating music since then. It became an important element of my personal balance.

-Talking about the compositions of your songs: how and where they born?

Like a living thing, a composition begins in a very simple way : some little melodic or rhythmic loops, or even a background soundscape that gives me the mood, the skeleton, the elementary parts of the finalized track. The difference with a living thing is that there is no predefined intention or comprehensive plan, but a simple frame where my mind rambles. i'm very influenced, mostly unconsciously, by all the music i've listened to, a few days/weeks or years before i create a new track. i usually listen to the different « work in progress » versions many many times, to soak my brain with the track, and i take several pauses of a few days, to make it « decant ». it helps me to sort between the essential (the evidence) and the accessory (my first versions are often « overloaded » because i explore many possible paths from the elementary parts)... little by little, a « destiny » emerges and the story is told.

- How would you define your sound?

Melodic, Chill-out, epic, peaceful, melancholic... are some of the adjectives i find in the soundcloud comments (someone even told me my music was « mind-expanding » : great compliment!)... I'm used to say i try to compose experimental pop.

-What genres and artists influenced your music the most?

When i started producing music, my musical culture was very poor, but i think i've always been attracted by making my own melodies. The first feedback on my tracks was : « cool, it's like early autechre » or « not so bad, aphex style » or « reminds me plaid or boards of canada »... to be honest, I discovered these great artists thanks to those first comments and, when i first listened to these compositions i told to myself : "the best sounds i've ever heard, it's 100 times better than my tracks, i'll need 250 years to reach it "^^ . But i recognized some similarities that helped me understand why my first listeners have established a link between my music and the musical approach of these artists. Since 2008, i've discovered a huge amount of IDM and electronica artists and among them, i find it very hard to write a restrictive list of my influences... let's try anyway : Kelpe, Kettel, Boards of Canada, Plaid, Ochre, Lusine, Apparat, Alva Noto, Steve Reich.... Recently I think my sounds are taking new directions, with more real sounds from my friends who are « real musicians », great collaborations with Lisa McKeon, the singer you hear in "Etendue des Possibles", and some groovy stuff.

-You come from Nantes, France. What do you think about the music coming from your country and how how do you see yourself in relation to them?

It's quite an hard question..i've never understood what was the « french touch ». To me, music is universal and I always find something interesting, whatever the style or the origin. I'm particularly sensitive to counterpoint, arpeggios, melodies and complex rhythms, exotic sonorities and soundscapes, pads, glitches and sound design, merging of real and virtual sounds, all that makes music come to life and arouses emotion.. There are always at least one of these elements in all musical styles... i only try to propose my own retranscription of these elements, putting them together. Electronica is, to me, a style that deserves to be more popular, a style which gathers such a big amount of musical influences... after reasoning, Electronica is not a style, it's a state of mind, open to the world, without frontiers or priorities : The codes exist but they're designed to be broken.

-What's your favourite artist and song?

If you allow me to mention 2 songs, i'd say :
Kaini industries by Boards of canada : one of their most minimal tracks, only consisting of a little arpeggio loop, but so complex at the same time and opened to multiple possiblities. Bibio has explored some of these possiblities in a beautiful reworked track for Warp records 20 years box (recreated).
Herzog by Clark : very powerful yet incredibly melodic track, both dark and surprisingly shiny, so cleverly « sound-shaped », a total journey.

-Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowadays and who are you listening to the most?

I assume they are the same artists ^^ + i've recently discovered an artist called flaKo, very original (usually i don't like house style but he's quite unique in that genre, so many influences). The tracks i've listened to most during the few past weeks are by Ventolyn & Becotyde, a young producer to whom i wish a great future ! Very interesting sounds. The last Jon Hopkins, Lusine and Bonobo are really excellent, too ! Floex is also a very, very interesting artist. And obviously, i'm very looking forward to listen the forthcoming album by Boards of canada « Tomorrows harvest ».

-If you could pick an artist or a band to play with on a stage, who would you choose?

It will never happen but...maybe singers like Björk or Thom York (or both together^^)!

-What do you think about the music industry nowadays?

It's in deep mutation (i don't teach you anything). Music is no longer mainly a product or an industry but becomes what it should always have been : a legal, free and safe drug, contributing to humanity's evolution, a vital need like water and air, what the world needs. Money is only a way to thank the artist when he/she succeeds to arouse a positive emotion, to awaken an old happy memory. A simple friendly word can be even more rewarding !
Creative commons are the musical revolution. Bad Panda, that releases a huge number of artists for free, are definitely one of the first promotors of this (not so) new way to connect artists and listeners

-What is the message that you'd like to express to the people who listen to your music?

Music is life ! Spread it !!

-How and where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

Let's wait and see... there are so many paths to follow and so little time to explore them all... just follow the stream and your mood : make your choices when they become obvious and hope you'll reach a sunny bay, with all the people that matter to you and who have accompanied you on the way. To me, creating music follows exactly the same process.

-Pc or Mac?

Metaphysical question ! both

-What about your future plans? Album, EP, Live ecc

I plan the release of a full album in a few month ! You'll find new collaboration tracks and quite a big amount of songs that are close to my heart. The album will be called « Holon ». i prepare a Live too but never played in front of a "real" public yet. Live production is a different approach and i have to work hard, but it's worth doing so 

-Beatles or Rolling Stones? 

Beach boys (melodic kings)

LISSON

facebook fanpage

22 years old producer/sound engineer from UK

 -Who are you?

I'm Sam Ellison, I'm 22 and I currently live in Guildford in the UK. I've been there for the past four years studying sound recording on the Tonmeister course. Now I'm about to graduate and move up to London where I've recently started working in a recording studio.

- Why did you choose this pseudonym?

Well... Firstly it's *really* hard to think of a good name without it being pretentious... I was deliberating over it for a while, but I needed to pick something fast so I could release on the first Wizard Sleeve compilation (check it out here -http://www.wizardsleeve.co.uk). I chose Lisson because it sounds like 'listen' and it's a play on my own name if you break it down (sam L isson...).

- You are young. When did you start to make this music?

I only really started making this sort of electronic music just over a year and a half ago. It's progressed a lot since then I think - I used to make tunes around 140bpm, and now I don't have much inclination to anymore. I think I'll stick between 120-135 mostly, as that encompasses the majority of music I've been into recently. But it's a constantly evolving process, and my sound may be something entirely different in a year. Watch this space... 

-Talking about the compositions of your songs: how and where are they born?

Most are born out of experimentation - I'll make something I like and branch off from there. I'm still trying to fully define my technique for compositions, it can be a bit of a haphazard process and I worry that there is a certain incongruence between the results. I'm working to try and make my own sound, so people hear a track of mine and know it's me. Since getting a Maschine I've got more of a defined process to starting my tracks. Problem is it's not the right software to finish tracks in, so from there I move to Logic Pro but often get stuck if I'm not quick to realise my ideas. In terms of where: I'll begin a track on the Maschine at home, do as much as I can on that, and then I'm always pulling out my laptop on train journeys and free moments to try and make progress and come up with ideas. It's definitely not ideal - I don't have any controllers with me when I'm travelling so realising ideas is often quite hard. It's a good time to program synthesisers though :)

- How would you define your sound?

I don't know exactly... How would you define my sound? I'm very interested to know what others think, it's quite easy to lose perspective when you're the only person working on the music. I try and aim to sit under the umbrella of 'bass music' - as a term it isn't very well defined, and I like that, since I just like making music that works well in the sub frequencies. I want to push the subs in a club (like this - https://soundcloud.com/lisson/ohkehdruh)  - I think bass can move people in a different way and I really like that. I'm still working to achieve that control though.. still working on it.

-What genres and artists influenced your music the most?

I think the biggest influences on my sound are my peers who make music too. I started this type of music at university, so people and collectives there such as Wizard Sleeve and Presha Bass Music helped develop my interest and my sound. I got into electronic music through IDM, followed by drum & bass then dubstep. It was after dubstep was killed that I started making my own tunes. The artists that influence my sound most... too many to name, but a couple that come to mind are Randomer, Paleman, Dark Sky, Blawan, Jon Convex, Objekt, Rumah and Tarquin.

-You come from UK. What do you think about the music coming from your country and how how do you see yourself in relation to them?Well theres a lot of music coming from the country - I've only got into this scene in the past few years so I'm certainly no authority on it all. I think the music coming from my country is great - but I feel it's not defined by the country, it's a much more international thing. All the blogs that have posted about me so far have been from outside of the UK! When I move to London soon I'll try and DJ more and be a bit more lucrative with my own tunes, then I'll get back to you!

-What's your favourite artist and song?

I don't have a constant favourite song anymore, though when I was younger it was Citizen Erased by Muse. My current favourite song... maybe Freak Dub by Randomer? That one's fun to drop. But it all depends on the vibe doesn't it!

-Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowadays and who are you listening to the most?

I don't know about relevant - if I try and answer this I'll just end up repeating myself - see above :)

-If you could pick an artist or a band to play with on a stage, who would you choose?

It'd be pretty fun to play with an electronic outfit that do their live sets properly, like Mount Kimbie...

-What do you think about the music industry nowadays?

Oh god. Don't get me started... So as I mentioned above, I'm working in a recording studio in London. I've also worked for one of the major international publishing companies in London for some time. Doing that gave me a first hand view of how the commercial music industry works. It was pretty down-heartening - but I'm trying to keep positive about it all since I'll be a close part of that at least for a while. It's all about making money, but I like good music. The two just don't co-exist very well. I'm not going to provide you with any insightful suggestions about the whole situation. But yeah, it's either music, or money, it seems. But the underground scene is awesome, and never was about making money in the first place, so that's all cool. Weird/interesting to watch an artist I consider/considered good make the cross from underground to commercial releases. Disclosure are a great example of this.

-What is the message that you'd like to express to the people who listen to your music?

HA. I don't take myself that seriously. Neither should any of you.

-How and where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

I reckon I'll still be around London. Ideally I'll strike a balance between DJing and producing, and some sound engineering work. We'll see won't we! No WAY did I think 10 years ago that right now I'd be sitting at work in a studio full of high tech equipment, good musicians and hazy air. It's a pretty sick job.

-Pc or Mac?

Mac. But whatever your machine is, as long as it works, that's fine.

-What about your future plans? Album, EP, Live eccNot much as of yet, still need to develop my sound a lot. Might be doing some collaborative work soon, also might be releasing a track through a blog in the USA.

-Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Not much of a preference - but Beatles.

MSK

photo by Rus Anson - www.rusanson.com 

Antonio Musco ( aka MSK ) is an eclectic italian artist. Born in Sicily, Italy and he traveled across the Europe before moving to San Francisco in 2010.

San Francisco inspired the 6 tracks of the EP ( MadeinSF ), a blend of electronic , downtempo, funk and  world music.

-So, let's start with name , MSK. Why did you choose this and what does it mean for you?

My last name is Musco, so when I started to produce electronic music back in 2003 i needed a name. Just took the consonants of my last name, changed the C with a K (sounds more exotic, isn't it?) also because a famous cruise ship company. Then i figured that MSK is already used worldwide by graffiti crews, soccer teams, frequency shifting, Moscow time, etc so i wanted to stick with MSK but I added .fm to make it unique. Also because of my love for the radio. That's MSK.fm

- But who are you?

Antonino Musco, a simple human being that loves music and seeks harmony in this existence. I was born and raised in Sicily, Italy but traveled a lot and lived in different countries, trying to learn as much as I can and to keep my mind deep and interested.

-And if i ask you why do you make music and what does it mean to you?

Music is something that i need, at least I need to be around music every day. Music feeds me, its food for my soul. Making or listening to music is a serious thing, you can compare to a nine-to-five job but with longer, sometimes endless, shifts.

bandcamp page

-Let's talk about the birth of your new EP “Made in SF”.

I was on production hiatus for 5 years, since I published "MSK - Am I Scared?" and "Sicilian AV project - live bootleg" in August 2008. Since then I traveled a lot and lived in different places until finally settling in the Mission District in San Francisco, a place I can call home now.

Here I've set up my music studio and recorded with local artists and great musicians just visiting in town. I've learned a lot and gained much more experience in the past 5 years so these songs are, for me, a more mature approach to songwriting and production. The EP was published by Bad Panda Records in April and so far got a great feedback from the listeners. It represents my experience in the City, even the lyrics, wrote by the singers, are tuned into that.

- How would you define your sound?

I love jazz, funk, afro-american music in general and also love experimental stuffs, electronic and world music. I feel the downtempo is the best pace for this project, with a blend of acoustic and electric instruments. Also during these years I've opened and really got into hip-hop and urban sounds a lot, influence that you can find in MadeInSF mood.

-What genres and artists influenced your music the most?

My biggest influences were, are and always be Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Charles Mingus and Frank Zappa.

-You come from Catania, Italy. What do you think about the music coming from your country and how do you see yourself in relation to them?

You know what, according to the music that I love and make, there is not a big scene in Italy and neither in Sicily. Catania in the nineties was great for the alternative rock scene, here in San Fran I always met some musician who tells me that he was playing in Catania during those years and was a blast. Nowadays it's different and it's also hard for me to find a gig over there. So i do my things here in SF and go to Sicily in the summer for vacations.

- Why did you choose San Francisco?

Was love at first sight. At that time I was living in Rome, came here visiting and decided to stay. This City meant a lot for me, was a big challenge to re-start from scratch in another continent but I dealt with it pretty good and after 3 years i'm still happy of my choice. I've grown professionally a lot here. 

San Fran is very progressive city, maybe the most progressive in the US, and California is just lovely, whose landscapes remind me Sicily and Italy.

Also living in here helps my radio and music job a lot, being surrounded by great musicians and artists and sharing knowledge and feeling with them easily.

-Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowadays and who are you listening to the most?

Too many to mention! Nowadays, I'm talking about the independent scene, the average quality level is higher comparing the past. I host two weekly radio shows so I'm listening a lot of new stuff every day but never get bored.

-Do you have a favorite artist and song?

Maybe Fabrizio De André - La domenica dell salme. I grew up listening De André, I've listened his records million times but still find new meanings in his lyrics. Definitely another cornerstone of my musical education.

facebook fanpage and official website

-How much does the live element matter in your music?

It's very important because I grew up listening to jazz and improv music. I always bring musicians, singers, MCs and other performers to my shows. A visual elements is also included: can be a live painter, a live sculptor, a mime, belly dancers, a VJ or an illustrator. I firmly believe in mixed arts and always being a promoter of multimedia performances.

-If you could pick an artist or a band to play with on a stage, who would you choose?

Rage Against The Machine, period. Do you remember them? I've seen them live in Milan in 1996 and so far is the best live concert I've ever attended, these guys were on fire and the crowd too, unforgettable show!

-What do you think about the music industry nowadays? Wanna talk us about your experience with the labels? What advice would you give to all the young artists looking for a record deal?

I currently collaborate with Six Degrees records, pretty well respected world music label worldwide. It's been almost a year now and thanks to them I'm getting to see the insights of the music industry. Also working with radio helps a lot to get a sight of the industry; but honestly, what can I tell to young artists looking for a deal: don't get demotivated if the record label you sent your demo never write you back, keep pushing your band/act with music production and live shows. There is way much (never too much) music out there and for a record label is hard (impossible) to listen to all the unsolicited demos they got in the mail. Even the smallest record label gets tons of unsolicited demos in the mail, how can you blame them for not replying you? 

So just do your thing and keep getting better and better, in the studio and especially live.

- Talking about Sicilian AV Project

Sicilian AV project is an audiovisual antimafia collective started in 2005, a "serious" approach to music at least for the topics exposed. It's something started as a research/study on sicilian literature during my university years that ended up in a multimedia show describing Sicily as a metaphor - an analogy - of the entire country or maybe the entire world.

Jazz, downtempo and electronic live music played by a quintet accompanied by live illustrations thematic visuals. We recorded a self-titled debut album in 2007 and a "live bootleg" the following year, we did a number of shows in Italy (also playing at the prestigious Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival in Rome) and Slovakia but since I moved to San Francisco the project is on hold. This coming summer we are recording some new stuff with the collective to release by next fall/winter. 

-And at last an easy one: Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Beatles please!

Everlone

-Who are you?

Hi, My name is Tim

- Why did you choose this pseudonym?

There isn't a specific reason I chose the name to be honest. It was more a case of the two words sounding good together. 

-Why do you make music and what does it mean for you?

I've been making music for about ten years now, and it's just something I love doing. Some people play sports, I make music (although saying that, I'm a sports fan anyway. 9 points clear at the top of the prem; City ain't catchin' us this year.)

-Talking about your debut album "Verletze".

Verletzte was an EP that took me about a year and a half to write. There's hundreds of different versions buried deep in my hard drive that i was never happy with, and ended up getting the chop. It was kind of a personal test to see if I could actually put together an EP on my own (I get distracted very easily and lose interest in things) so naturally, the day I finally finished it, I was pretty elated. It was released on the brilliant net label "Bad Panda Records"- it's all run by one guy, which is pretty incredible. If you haven't checked Bad Panda out yet, I urge you to do so right now. 

One of my closet friends did some brilliant artwork for the EP (http://andinmyhandsacamera.tumblr.com/) 

-Talking about the compositions of your songs: how and where they born and what's your favourite track?

I always start my tracks with piano, but I'm very picky about the sound I want so I usually end up traveling for four hours South, back to my Mum's house to use the piano there... Idiot (me, not my Mum)  Then I'll come back to London and edit it all up. I usually wait until a track is completely finished to record vocals, which in a house full of house producers, drummers and generally loud 20-somethings, isn't as easy as it sounds. I wouldn't say I have a favorite to be honest. By the time I've finished an EP I'm usually sick of hearing them anyway. 

-How would you define your sound?

I don't know really. I've been asked this question a lot of times and I never have an answer for it (not to say I feel my sound is 'unclassifiable' or different from others, I can just never pin-point it) I don't know... Lo-fi? That's a genre, right? People keep using the term 'Night Bus' and I absolutely can't stand it. 

-What genres and artists influenced your music the most?

A lot of things influence me, and not just in terms of music. I play in a band aside from Everlone, and being on tour, in a hot and smelly van with your five best friends is what gives me a lot of influence and passion (it sounds horrible, I know) There's something about being cut off from your home comforts that gives you a huge drive to want to create something awesome. I usually go on a huge writing binge when I get back from tour. In terms of artists who influence me, again, it's very eclectic. Sigur Ros were pretty much my first love from the age of 13 onwards (we'll brush over System Of A Down and Mudvayne) and still give me so much influence in the way I write. I've been listening to Seetheroad's Starpatch EP a lot recently, that's really good.

-You come from London. What do you think about the music coming from your country and how how do you see yourself in relation to them?

It depends on what music you mean really. In terms of artists my music relates to it is absolutely fantastic right now. For starters we have Burial, and if you can find a better artist doing what he's doing at the moment, I'll cut my head off and give you my brain. Not to mention the likes of Floating Points, Clubroot, Four Tet (yadda, yadda, yadda) There's people like BNRY (http://soundcloud.com/bnry) who is absolutely killer on the house scene. Definitely check him out. 

-What's your favourite artist and song?

Crikey, that's an awkward question. Diva by Beyonce is very high up there. In fact, anything by Beyonce is very high up there. She's the one. 

-Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowadays and who are you listening to the most?

It depends what you mean by relevant? All music is relevant to it's audience, but If you mean what artists are most current, I wouldn't have a clue... Robbie Williams? Is he still flogging that dead horse? (Saying that, his "Swing When You're Winning" album was awesome) ...Maybe I'm missing the point. I'm listening to Buck UK loads again, the Once EP he did on Cut was so good. And Indian Wells, I'm always listening to Indian Wells.

-How much does the live element matter in your music?

Live music always matters, regardless of genre. There's nothing better than waiting to see someone play for ages and finally getting the chance to go see them, whether that be in a club, a venue, a bar or the O2 Arena. For me, I've done very few live shows with Everlone (one) so I'm not really sure on the reception it receives. It's always fun to play live shows though, and at the end of the day that's the reason for doing it in the first place.  

-If you could pick an artist or a band to play with on a stage, who would you choose?

I think it's more a case of who would have me. Maybe I'll throw a spanner in the works and say I want to play with Napalm Death (I'm absolutely joking) I'd love to play a show with someone like Holy Other or Actress, that would be cool. Or Sigur Ros, but that will literally, never happen.

-What do you think about the music industry nowadays?

That's an ambiguous question. People berate the music industry and moan about it every hour of every day, but it's there for a reason. If we didn't have these labels putting out music, we wouldn't have the music to listen to, it's as simple as that. Yeah, there's horror stories about artists being fucked over by the big cheese, but at the end of the day, record labels haven't got "fuck artists over" at the top of their list of priorities. Saying that, the independent label scene is absolutely booming at the moment, which is so good to see. It's awesome that people want to involve themselves in pushing music to other people, generally at their own expense. If you're reading this and you're starting or have started an independent  label, I'd give you a big wet kiss.

-What is the message that you'd like to express to the people who listen to your music?

There isn't a message really, I just hope people like it and that I don't get bored of making it any time soon. 

-What is your favourite book and movie?

The Fountain by Darren Aronofsky is probably my favorite film. It's beautifully made, with an incredible storyline, not to mention the soundtrack by Clint Mansell which is just in a league of its own. Mansell is just in a league of his own. I couldn't really pick a favorite book, there's too many. The Outsider by Camus is very near the top though.

-How and where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

Errr... 34, hopefully not dead, maybe a bun in the oven. I'd really like a new car by then.

-Pc or Mac?

I use Mac, but PC's are great too.

-Beatles or Rolling Stones?

I've never liked either. McCartney is a dick and Jagger has no moves. 

André Uhl

-Who are you?

My Name is André Uhl, I'm a producer and DJ from Berlin. 

-Why do you make music and what does it mean for you?

Music is communication, therapy and my favorite artistic vehicle. It has always been an important part of my life and there's nothing better than having a track finished when I'm happy with it.

- Talking about your EP "Creatures".

For Creatures I experimented a lot with the interaction of different soundlayers, especially in the low frequencies. It contains plenty of field recordings, for example almost all the percussions come from edited samples I recorded somewhere. The structure of the EP is like a journey: It starts uncertain and kind of mystic with convergence, then it get's hypnotic, almost stoic with the second track Native. The third track Leviathan is more intense, the pressure is rising, the last track Marvin is the climax. The title Creatures came in my mind when i noticed that the tracks have developed a life of their own while I was producing them. I discovered a certain personality in each of the tracks.

- How would you define your sound?

Dark, driving, melancholic, cinematic.

-What genres and artists influenced your music the most?

I've always been listening to a great variety of musical genres. I grew up with hiphop and startet DJing. Then I fell in love with sample based stuff, like DJ Krush and others on Ninja Tune or Alias from Anticon. In particular the Deltron 3030 album was like a revelation to me. All kinds of electronic music have always inspired me, Kraftwerk, Squarepusher, Autechre, that's where my love for effects and sounddesign comes from. I also like a lot of wave bands like The Cure and post-rock bands like Mogwai, which probably formed my passion for melodies and melancholy.

-You come from Berlin. What do you think about the music coming from your country and how do you see yourself in relation to them?

Berlin has a long tradition of outstanding bands and artists. It's good to live in such a creative an open-minded environment and to have the chance to see good shows all the time. I do not consider myself as part of a certain musical scene or genre, but I feel at home here. If I would live somewhere else I would still be inspired to make music but I'm pretty sure the music would sound differently.

André Uhl Homepage

-What's your favourite artist and song?

It's impossible for me to define one favorite artist or song. But if I have to name some songs, then Dark Allies by Light Asylum would probably be the most powerful one, Fog by Nosaj Thing the one with the perfect melody, Friday Night by Chinawoman the one with the strongest presence of melancholy and Golden Porsche by Mogwai the one with the perfect mood.

-Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowadays and who are you listening to the most?

adoptahighway, Ages, Astronautalis, Baths, Chinawoman, Clams Casino, Darkstar, Dorian Concept, Dead Times, Joey Bada$$, John Maus, Light Asylum, Lorn, Lonski & Classen, Mogwai, naps, Nosaj Thing, Robot Koch, Shabazz Palaces and many, many others

-How much does the live element matter in your music?

It doesn't really matter too much during my production process. Usually there are two moments where the it plays a role: a first random played sequence often turns out to be the best melody. The second moment is when I record beats, which I usually trigger live to give the track an organic feel. Apart from that I'm rather a perfectionist. I work as long as it takes on a track until I think it's finished. When I play live shows I perform with a midi controller and kind of remix my songs and work with a lot of effects.

-If you could pick an artist or a band to play with on a stage, who would you choose?

I would be happy to support Kraftwerk.

-What do you think about the music industry nowadays?

I don't think too much about the music industry. For now I work completely DIY and Bad Panda Records who released my EP is a DIY label. So I'm not in a position where I really have to deal with it.

-What is the message that you'd like to express to the people who listen to your music?

Use your imagination.

Cover of "Creatures"

-What is your favourite book and movie?

Again, that's hard. I can't name a favorite movie or book. At the moment I'm reading Freedom by Jonathan Franzen which really makes me think about relationships between people. One hundred years of solitude by Gabriel García Marquez is one of the most beautiful books I know.

-How and where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

Sitting in my studio and finishing the soundtrack for a John Carpenter movie about intelligent energy fields taking over the earth.

-Pc or Mac?

Mac.

-Beatles or Rolling Stones?

The Doors

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The Blank

The Blank

-Who are you?

My name is Henry Ascroft, and I produce music under the name 'The Blank'

- Why did you choose this pseudonym?

There's a not so funny story behind it. Me and a good friend were discussing over a few days what we would call ourselves of we ever released music properly. And I kept saying how my mind was going 'blank.' A few more days later he just started calling me 'blank' as a joke. But it just stuck. That was 2 years ago, an here I still am!

-Why do you make music and what does it mean for you?

I make music, as an escape. I have a very active mind, but as with most people, my day job doesn't really take full advantage of that. Music is... It's a way to fuel my creative energy. 

-Your song “Burn “is pure sex. What’s the story behind it?

Well iv not yet heard it described that way! Haha. But the story goes that this singer Steffaloo, she had to shake some dust or something... Only joking. Basically steff came into contact with my music through her brothers blog and asked whether I wanted to do a song with her. And, as any sane producer would, I accepted. It actually took a while for me to create something I felt was worthy of her amazing vocals but I came up with a track, and it all came together! We've been in contact since and I was lucky enough to collaborate with her on my latest EP plastic dreams.

Plastic Dreams cover

- Talking about your album "Plastic Dreams".

Plastic Dreams... I suppose Plastic Dreams was quite an experimental effort. For a while I was shy of using my voice on tracks, and I would hide behind effects and such. But I decided to go for it, and that's where tracks like 'Falling' came from. I also used my guitar playing (lack of) skills on there quite a lot. But plastic dreams, in a nutshell is just me being me. Something that I hadn't expressed in music since then. And it seems to be well received. It spent a brief time on page one of the bandcamp best selling ambient albums. Up with Thrupence and Sango. Which was a (plastic) dream come true. And it's been pretty high in the charts since. So thanks everyone for the support!

- How would you define your sound?

My sound is quite varied I'd say. The differences between my releases are enormous. 'Burn' and say, 'home', to take 2 tracks, are completely different types of music. My music Is futuristic I'd say.

-What genres and artists influenced your music the most?

Genres id say the entire future music / minimal movement that's going on right now. As for artists, the obvious ones are people like James Blake and mount Kimbie. But I try to draw influences from anyone and everyone. The growing number of bedroom producers out there nowadays means there's just so much to listen to!

-You come from Australia. What do you think about the music coming from your country and how how do you see yourself in relation to them?

See people get this wrong all the time. I'm actually English. I have lived In Perth for about 4 years now. But I'm 100% English. I'm sure some of my Aussie fans are now disappointed haha. But in the Australian scene at the moment, there's such a diversity of brilliant music, coming from every city. I think what's happened is because the popular radio stations are so terrible, people have started moving farther from the mainstream music. And there is a great sense of support, it's an ever growing community. In relation to this, In Australia as a whole, I don't really think I'm one of the more notable artists. But when people mention perth artists, my name comes up now and again. So I'd like to think I'm contributing to Perth's sound as a whole.

-What's your favourite artist and song?

My favourite artist. Wow that's a hard one. I have no real favourite. But as for someone who has always inspired me, is have to say Burial. I think the fact that he remained anonymous for so long is brilliant. And his music is so pure because of that. And the same goes for favourite song. No real favourite. There are a few contenders. But if I was to choose I would lean towards Jamie xx's remix of Reconsider by the XX.

Suburban Dreamer cover

-Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowadays and who are you listening to the most?

I'd say people like the XX, Jamie Woon, Frank Ocean. The XX and Jamie Woon because they have taken a unique sound and have made more people aware of it, they have done a lot for the whole post-dubstep/future beat/minimal scene. And Frank Ocean because he has pretty much single handedly kept proper RnB alive. Obviously I'm not downplaying people like the Weeknd, Drake and even Miguel. But Frank Ocean has kept very true to his style I mean nostalgia/ultra and Channel Orange could be put together into one album. He reminds me why popular music used to be so good.

-How much does the live element matter in your music?

In times passed, not a lot. But more recently I have been trying to develop my music into something that could be played live. That's why iv started using my guitar, vocals etc... And reduced the role of synths and layering. It's a lot more stripped back and minimal, and I hope that soon ill be at the point where I can show people that live element in some way.

-If you could pick an artist or a band to play with on a stage, who would you choose?

Probably Ed Sheeran. I know that seems 

like a very I obvious choice considering the artists iv just mentioned. But I think Ed has a very pure element to his music. If you watch the set e did for the iTunes festival, it is literally just him and his guitar. And I think for someone that popular to do a love show that is so basic is something to be admired.

Twenty Eleven Dreaming cover

-What do you think about the music industry nowadays?

I think that the music industry has done almost a full circle, not long ago people had all but given up on it. But now the vinyl is back on the rise and there's so many small independent labels starting out.

-What is the message that you'd like to express to the people who listen to your music?

I like to express a message of self reflection. The music I make is influenced by my life. And so is like to think people can find something in it for them.

-What is your favourite book and movie?

I'm not much of a reader. And not much of a favourite chooser so I couldn't even come close to answering that question.

-How and where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

Hopefully still alive! Haha. But honestly I don't care too much as long as I'm happy. I'd hope to have released a vinyl by then. That's always been a dream of mine. 

-Pc or Mac?

Mac

-Beatles or Rolling Stones?

The rolling Beatles. Am I allowed that?