Interface - Gasman interview.

When and why did you start to make spectrum music?

I'm sure every Speccy user has played around with BEEPs and
DATA lines at some stage, and I'm no exception ... I learned the
piano when I was younger, so I had a bit of musical background
from there. My first experience of tracking was quite
straightforward really - when my first demo was nearing
completion, I decided it needed some music, because every other
demo in the world had some. So, I loaded up the copy of
Soundtracker that came on a Your Sinclair covertape, and
started composing - the end result was a bit lame, but so was
the demo, so that's okay :-)

I suppose, the first technical experience you gained exploring
someone's tunes for samples, ornaments and other tricks. Who
was that spectrum musician who influenced your music and whom
you can call your teacher?

LA, definitely. In fact, the only tracks I've ever 'dissected'
for learning were LA's work and the Soundtracker example track.

What was the first music editor that you used?

Soundtracker is the first, and the last - it's what I know
best, and it still achieves everything I want. When I'm near
the end of a composition, and I'm running out of samples and
ornaments, I often think "OK, this is it - I've reached the
limit of Soundtracker. "And then I always manage something
bigger and better for the next composition ...

What do you think about your past as a spectrum musician, what
important moments in your progression can you note?

It's hard to point to any specific moments, because I think
I've slowly progressed over time - but my track 'Lucid' was a
turning point, I reckon. Usually when I write music I have an
idea for a short phrase or a riff and work from there, but this
was the first time a whole track leaped into my head, perfectly
formed ... Listening to it now I can hear some obvious weak
points (the drums are pretty bad, and it doesn't develop very
much) but many of my works since then have taken inspiration
from that track.

How do you think, do you have any fans, and what do you think
they particularly like in your music? Would you like to say
some words for them?

Primarily I make the sort of music that I would want to listen
to, so if other people are fans of it too, then that's cool :-)
I think my main strengths are in melodies and themes rather
than sounds and samples - I try to keep my compositions varied
and unpredictable, which probably helps when you're listening
to 20 tracks end-to-end in a music compo ...

What musical instruments do you use (if you ever used) during
composing prosess? Do you have any experience of musicmaking on
other platforms? What do you think about it?

Occasionally I try things out on a piano when I need to work
out a complicated chord sequence, but most of the time when I'm
composing I don't have a convenient piano nearby :-) On the PC,
I've had some success with Buzztracker - I decided I wouldn't
waste time learning other trackers, so I went straight to the
top. I haven't really completed much on the PC, though - all my
best ideas tend to go into my Spectrum tracks, because I can
get them up and running quickly, sounding close to how I want
them.

Do you like to criticize yourself? What is the weakest spot in
your techniques (rythm, melody, arrangement or something else)?

My biggest weakness is probably in the low-level sounds - I
tend to stick to a basic set of samples and don't explore much
beyond those. Also, sometimes I wonder whether my music's a bit
too hyperactive - I can keep a track varied and interesting for
two or three minutes, but I find myself floundering for
inspiration after that. I'm amazed at how Yerzmyey managed the
Nine-minute finale of the first AY Riders album with just a 
single Soundtracker module :-)


What kind of music do you listen, what bands / projects affect
you, what moods and feelings you try to put in your own
compositions? Remixes: what do you think of this?

My music takes inspiration from all over the place, but never
the same artist twice :-) OK, there are the obvious influences
from the world of electronica (Jarre, Robert Miles, Tim
Follin ...) but the only one I'd class as a long-time influence
is Purple Motion. Whenever I reach a tricky part in my
compositions and I'm not sure where to go next, I often think
"What would Purple Motion do" ... Looking through my CD
collection, I've got lots of Mike Oldfield, Divine Comedy and
They Might Be Giants - all very diverse, but I'm sure it's all
played a part in defining my style.

I have mixed feelings about remixes - I used to think it was a
bit pointless to take a perfectly good tune and throw half of
it away to fit it into three channels, and I'm often
disappointed when I discover that one of my favourite Speccy
tracks is actually ripped from somewhere else. But now I've
tried a couple of cover versions for myself, I can see the
attraction of making them as 'sketches' for practicing new
techniques, investigating chord sequences and that sort of
thing. I think remixes in compos are a bit of a silly idea
though - the ones that win will always be the ones which have
the best or most recognisable tunes to begin with, regardless
of how good the remixer is.

What music compos did you participate in, what was the highest
rate and what do you think about your achievements?

I try to enter as many compos as I can (provided I hear about
them early enough, and they aren't one of those parties which
"Mysteriously" lose my submissions year after year ...
mentioning no names ;-)), and I've reached first place in a
few, most recently CAFe'03. There have been so many occasions
when the real results are completely different to what I
expected (for better, or for worse ...) that I can't really take
compo results too seriously - I think they say more about the
musical tastes of the audience than the quality of the music
:-) But good compo results still play a big part in encouraging
me to carry on - I say to myself "I must be doing * something *
right! "

What do you feel when your track is playing on a party? Are you
concerned with sound equipment, people that vote or it doesn't
bother you much?

Mostly I just try to enjoy my three minutes of 'fame' :-) It's
not something I get to experience very often - maybe two or
three times a year - so it's worth enjoying while it lasts.

Do you have any interesting ideas about the future of spectrum
music? Maybe there are some hardware or software innovations
that you would like to have?

I'm very impressed with Poke's work with the SidSound engine,
and I hope that it will encourage more demo makers to "break
the 50Hz barrier "- there's a lot of unexplored territory
there.

What is the most interesting aspect in spectrum music composing
for you - to perfect your skills within the bounds of one
'Style' or 'genre', or to continue the thorny path of
experiments with sound and techniques?

To be honest, I don't really start my compositions with any
direction in mind. Usually when I make a decision like "OK,
I'll try something in a jazz style "or" I'll make sure to put
all my trademark sounds in this one "it ends up going somewhere
totally different.

Can you tell us some your original ideas that you want to
realize in your music, maybe you want to make a demo or a game
soundtrack, maybe just to try what you have never tried yet,
the new field of applying your talent?

I'd be interested in working on a longer, album-length
composition - something where I can take a small number of
themes and really explore them. Most of the music I write (and
most of the music on the scene, in fact) doesn't really stand
up as a work of art by itself, because it's either intended as
a soundtrack to accompany some visuals, or condensed in an
effort to impress as many people as possible in three minutes.
Perhaps it wouldn't be a Spectrum project, though - maybe I'd
be inclined to move on to a 'bigger' platform.

What do you think about co-operative composing, is it
interesting for you, whom would you like to make music with?
Please name three authors among the contemporary spectrum 
musicians that you like most.


I suspect that co-operative composing can't be done effectively
unless you have both people sitting in front of one keyboard,
which means there are real geographical problems in my case :-)
(Hmm, maybe I should grab somebody at the next demo party I
visit ...)

Favourite three authors - that's a tricky one. The AY Riders
project has managed to unite many of my absolute favourite
musicians, and I'm proud to be part of it. I couldn't possibly
pick out three, though ... so, I'll just mention Megus, for his
ability to pick up any style and come up with something really
listenable.

I like Siril's style a lot - the way it sounds like he's
grabbing notes out of the air and weaving them into a melody ...
and Sergant too. I'm not a great fan of techno, but Serg really
has the right idea about it - putting that little bit extra in
his tracks, more than just heavy drums and a rumbling bassline.

Can you say some words of advise for those musicians who are
just starting out?

Keep composing every minute of the day, not just when you're in
front of the computer (and if people laugh at you because
you're humming to yourself all the time, remember that THEY are
the foolish ones!). Always be prepared when inspiration strikes
you - grab a piece of paper and write that melody down, before
it disappears forever!