Adventurer #15 31 июля 2004

Интервью

Interface - Riskej/OCA interview.

When and why did you start to make spectrum music?

It's  hard  to say now. It was 2000 year, I've been finishing my
studying  in  the music school. We have a group 'crazy codes', a
club  of  associates,  to  be  more  exact,  and  there were all
categories   of   creative   people  (I  mean  coders,  artists,
hardwarers), but there was no musician.

So  happened,  once  I've  been sitting at home, reading the new
issue  of Born Dead, Pulsar (Di at that time) called me by phone
and  began  to  bother  me  asking  to  make  music. And I had a
strange  thought  at  that  time,  that  everybody make music on
Basic.  Of course, I didn't want to involve myself into this, so
I  tried hard to reject until Pulsar told me that I just have to
load a program with a strange name - Pro Tracker.

So, right after this event in 2000 year I began to make music.

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?

I  can  say  without  any  doubts  that  my  first 'teacher' was
Mast/FTL.  His  creations  I  explored  for hours - searched for
interesting  technical  ideas and tricks, I had a notebook where
I  put  them  and  learned while being at school lessons. By the
way,  this notebook is still alive - I keep it as a memory about
turning me into a musician.

Also,  I  can  note the influence of Black Grrove. The CIC group
had  a  very  tight  contacts  with the Perm guys, so they often
exchanged  with their works. In the same 2000 year J/CIC brought
a lot of BG's tracks, which I also listened and analized.

And MMCM affected me too.

What was the first music editor that you used?

Pro Tracker 3.4f

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

2000  - the very start - all compositions are very primitive, so
it's a big shame to show them.

2001  -  the  year  of my 'ressurection' in the music sphere. It
was  February. It was close to the birthday of J/CIC and after 3
months  of  lazyness  I  sat  down behind Pro Tracker and made a
remix  of  'Milaya  moja'  song :) And then was a breakthru - my
attendance to the ASCII party and so on.

2002  -  my  acquaintance  with Nik-O. And after that during the
next  1,5  years  (until  May  of  2003)  he influenced me much.
Anyway,  he  put  a  lot  of efforts to make me move and develop
instead  of  staying at one place. He gave me as many advises as
no one else did.

2003  - the year of my musical tastes' change. I was a popsy guy
before,  but  till  September  I greatly changed. I like trance,
ambient  -  everything  is  so  obscure.  Though I make pop, but
mainly  on  Pulsar's  requests. I think, when the litpack of our
litgroup  'Vtorye  Miry' will be released, you'll hear, how I've
changed.

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?

I  don't  know,  whether  I  have fans or not, cos I got letters
saying  that  somebody  like  my  music  only  from  few people.
Although,  there  are  some.  What  to say? I am what I am and I
won't change under any pressure.

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?

I  often  use my 'Yamaha psr 540' sinthesizer - mainly for drums
and bass parts. And my bayan for solos.

I  have  some  experience of musicmaking on the other platforms,
though  it's not too significant. I should say, that nothing can
replace  Spectrum  as  a  machine for composing for me yet. It's
more  interesting  and  pleasing  to  compose  on Spectrum, than
somewhere else.

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

I  have  one  weak  spot,  I  think, - it's envelope. I am often
displeased  with  the  way I use it in my tracks, but I can't do
anything.  On  the  other  hand,  many  of those, whom I contact
with,  like  my  envelope.  What  about  rythm and melody - I've
never had a lack of ideas for this stuff.

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?

Trip  hop, ambient, rock, pop (a little). I adore Portishead and
Radiohead,  I'm  fond  of  Red  Snapper  and  Metallica, respect
'Korol I Shut'.

The  feelings  are  different everytime. For examle, my 'Highway
to  Sky' (3rd place at ASCII'03) - I see a huge highway, leading
to  the sky, with the racing sportcars, passing each other, they
horn,  collide...  To be the first in Heaven! Before I made this
track  I spent some time in a car, moving on a highway and these
feelings were realised in this track.

I  try  to  put  those  feelings  that I have while composing. I
can't  remember any track made against my moral conditions, it's
unnatural for me.


I  think remixes help a musician to develop his techniques and ear.
I  make  it  mainly  when  I  like  music  very  much or if
somebody ask me to do so.

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

What  parties?  There are a lot of them, ok, I'll try to mention
all:

ascii'2001   (2nd'n'5th   place),  cc'2001  (couldn't  pass  the
preselect),  phat1  (13th'n'14th  place),  ascii'2002 (2nd'n'6th
place),  forever'02(13th'n'16th  place), CAFe'2002 (18th place),
phat'2(?),   antigue  toy  (7th  place),  ascii'2003  (1st'n'3rd
place),  forever'2003  (8th place), paradigmuz'2003 (3rd place),
CAFe'2003 (13th place)

However,  I  can  say that at CAFe'2003 the sound system was too
weak  for  the whole hall. As a result, the drums were too quiet
(the  right  channel). This also happened with many other tracks
with silent instruments.

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?

I  guess,  the  only  thing  that  bothers  is  to hear my track
playing  correctly.  Nothing else. Of course, I want to win, but
fairly  - at CAFe'2003 I put no marks for all of O.C.A. works to
be honest at least in this aspect.

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?

Newart  is  develping the idea about new tracker, supporting the
frequency  of  100  times per second music reproduction. I think
it  will  give a new stimulus in the AY music developing. Also I
long  for  a 6 channel editor for double AY from Himik - it will
be  the  real  breakthru  in  AY  music.  SO, there are a lot of
hopeful prospects here.

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?

I  experiment  often  for the last time, but such tracks form an
independent  field  in  my creativity. I commonly try to realise
the  idea  that  appear  and  develop during its realisation. To
hold  to  the  certain  style, I guess, is not for me. Anyway, I
suppose,  that I have no personal style, cos I compose different
music.

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?

No,  alas,  I  have  nothing to try. I realised myself in demos,
games  and for the press. There are some funny ideas from AlCo -
to  make  1  channel  track  or  1  sample  track. However, I've
already done the last, I'll proceed with the first now :)

Oh,  almost  forgot,  I  dream  to  make a track with 2 opposite
moods,  harmonically  tied to each other, for a few months. I've
never done it before.

What   do   you  think  about  co-operative  composing,  is  it
interesting  for  you,  whom would you like to make music with?
Please name 3 authors among the contemporary spectrum musicians
that you like most.

I  tried  for  a  few  times,  but  it  didn't  come  out.  It's
interesting,  but  requests  the  similarity  of  styles of both
authors, otherwise it can result in a full mess.

Nik-O, Miguel, D-Juice.

Can  you  say  some words of advise for those musicians who are
just starting out?17.

To  become  a  good  musician  you  need  to work much, take the
experiments.  No  need  to repeat the old tricks - try to figure
out your own to put your personality in your tracks.