Short Cut - новая рубрика, в которой нет, кажется, ничего лишнего, только пара вопросов по делу и всего один - не к месту. Первым ответил на свои вопросы Woodkid.
Если вы понятия не имеете, кто это, короткая справка: Йоанн Лемойн (да-да, это еще один one-man band) раньше был известен в основном как клипмейкер, после чего решил заняться музыкой - и сорвал куш с песней "Iron". Вообще-то это один из лучших треков года, и если вы его не слышали - надеюсь, вам тепло в вашем танке. Собственно, зачем зря терять время - вот и короткое интервью с Йоанном.
Что сподвигло вас заняться музыкой?
Мне всегда нравилось петь и играть на инструментах. Я думаю, что тот На самом деле, я начал свое увлечение музыкой с того, что записывал себя на магнитофон. Когда я был маленьким, я пел в хоре, затем несколько лет учился игре на пианино. Моя семья очень музыкальна — мой дядя был учителем музыки, мой кузен, с которым я рос вместе, играл на виолончели... Так что все это всегда было вокруг меня.
Что для вас музыка? Это нечто вроде хобби или что-то большее?
Сейчас это что-то, что я все еще пытаюсь понять, и чему пытаюсь найти в своей жизни подходящее место. Это немного странно, потому что это все еще хобби, но оно становится все более серьезным. Я начал давать концерты по всему миру, и в этом году музыка заняла в моем расписании больше, чем съемки, и для меня это очень необычное и волнующее чувство.
Почему вы решили выпустить ЕР, а не альбом?
Я хотел попробовать различные направления и посмотреть, как люди отреагируют на них. С "Iron" мы решили сыграть по-крупному, и, думаю, не прогадали. Сейчас это именно то, чего люди ждут от меня! Кроме того, для меня это не просто альбом или ЕР, а, скорее, арт-проект, ведь для проекта картинка, имидж, так же важны, как и музыка.
Есть ли у вас люди, чье мнение для вас особенно важно?
Да, это мой менеджер Пьер. У нас с ним установились отличные отношения, он понимает меня и я уверен, что он знает о проекте больше, чем кто-либо другой.
Wavepool Abortion is russian duo from Moscow. Their music is reckless, energetic and powerful - there are a lot of bands like WA in the world, but for our country it sounds a little bit unusual. Their debut cassette was released through american DZ Tapes label, so I decided to write guys and took some answers from one of the band members, Matvei. Check it right now.
Your debut cassette was released on DZ Tapes, American independent label, how it had happened?
Pyotr has family who lives in Washington, DC. His cousin knows a friend who has DZ Tapes and he likes our music. So we e-mailed with him, and he asked to use our music for a tape, and we were very happy to have him release the tape. He made 100 tapes, and I think they are selling very fast on his website.
Lo-fi is necessary for you, it's a part of a genre?
Lo-fi I think sounds cool, but it is also necessary for us to record this way. I have a Korg PXR4 recorder that me and Pyotr used to record these songs, it's good but sometimes it doesn't sound clear. In America there is lots of cool lo-fi music, and that is maybe why they like Wavepool Abortion.
Your album had been recorded for 2 years, why it took so long?
Some of the songs we recorded when we were 15, songs like "Real Blood" and "I Want to Die." Since then we recorded 50 songs, but we don't like many of them, so it took 2 years to make 14 songs that we really like. Also me and Pyotr were in school so we were busy.
"Real Blood", one of the first WA songs
Can you say that there is some underground community in Moscow, that you're in?
We have many friends in Moscow, and we all like playing music and skating together. Lots of young people in Moscow are starting to listen to punk music, lots of American underground music. We call ourselves The Art of Pain, but it's not very organized for us, we don't wear uniforms or have meetings. We just hang out and listen to music and go skateboarding. I think there are lots of young people like us.
There is a clear influence of shitgaze in your music, is there any other more unusual influences on your music?
Sure, we like lots of American bands that are playing shitgaze. One of my favorite bands from America is Lightning Bolt, and they have a sound that is very shitgaze. Maybe a unusual influence is the band Atom & His Package from America. They are not shitgaze, They are more funny and electronic. We use a drum machine sometimes but we are don't do electronic music.
Some foreign music blogs have written about you - is it important for you? What's next?
Yes, it's important that foreign blogs write reviews about us, because sometimes people in Russia don't understand our music. This is why we wanted to do this interview in English, even if it is harder for us! I think the foreign blogs are very interested in our tape, and me and Pyotr want to go out of Russia to play some concerts this year.
"Snuggle & Die", epic ending of WA cassette
Are you catmen or dogmen?
Very good question! The song "Chloe" on our tape is about Pyotr's cat named Chloe. You know we make the cat noises on that song. But I am maybe more of a dogman.
Wavepool Abortion debut tape is avialable for buying here
chushi ("four rivers" in Chinese) is hip-hop instrumentalist from Dmitrov, Russia. There is nothing known about him, but in the process of interview I've known that his name is Alexander. His music sounds like wonky made by Madlib (with his jazzy samples), or instrumental hip-hop made by The Field (acknowledged master of total sampling). I wanted to understand something in chushi's music — and I had some questions, so I asked them to chushi himself. Enjoy the reading.
Chushi is one-man band, duo or something more? Is there some setup on anonymity which is discussed so much nowadays or it happened with no reason?
There is only one person under chushi theca, it's me, and my name is Alexander. You know, I've never thought about that anonymity, this project is about half a year old and all this time I'm thinking only about its details, entrails, what it's look like and how it tastes.
Instrumental hip-hop is genre where so many things are already thought out and created, why you chose it? How you own style, that strikingly differs from well-known ways, was born?
Years and years ago I fortuned on a track by turntable crew Beat Junkies, "Rockin' With The Best" and it was my first goosebumps. I began to search all the threads passing through these guys and listening to it all. Headphones in my ears were most of the day.
Hip-hop played a big role for me, but at that moment I didn't make a music like that one I'm creating now. And over the years and started to closer and closer tend to my rhythm. Now there are a lot of genres in me, I never mind about frameworks for a long time, listening only to the music that gives you an opporunity to think relaxedly, to plunge with interest in the world that was created by authors. Someone like to read books and I like to read music.
The main thing is not to limit yourself by common standarts, search and find only your, not abberant, feeling.
What's the world of chushi looks like? Seeming chaos is assumed by author?
Chushi's world is a place of total mess when I don't see all details, but can feel them. In every created track I take one of the details, inspire by it, put it back and trying not to touch it anymore. Chaotic state, perhaps, is the main notion and it makes clear an essence of the track.
It's also a reason for shortness of the tracks? Your unusual technique when alien elements of vocal invade in habitual detail and create something new, new melody — is it denote something?
Perhaps, I can't give an exact answer. It happens, something short, something long. Maybe one 20-second track has more sense that another one several times longer. "Invasion" makes track more interesting and gives an understanding of your limitless freedom. When you're walking around you can hear any sounds, whistles, voices — they create the atmosphere of life. Same melodic elements I'm trying to express in my world.
I like to depart from the frameworks as far as possible, to experiment, search and find something.
To what leads your experimental way? What gives a soil to your new ideas?
To new ideas, opinions. It's nurtured from another music, art, games, clothes, cartoons with very off-gauge humour. I'm feeding on something new and trying to tell it in my way — for me it's one of the main elements making a ground for self-expression.
Who's your favourite cartoon hero?
I don't have a blue-eyed boy, just admire the work of animators and laugh simultaneously.
Parks, Squares and Alleys is one-man band from Khabarovsk, Russia. His genre changes from romantic indie-pop and folk to warm noise (and all of these tracks are filled by youth, beauty and lo-fi). His noise tracks rip something from the deep of the heart like Oneohtrix Point Never sketches and pop and folk songs are remind me something from childhood when all was so sweet and cheerful. His new EP will be released somewhen soon and I decided that it's good reason to make an interview with Sergei. So here it is. UPD: Check the link for his new EP in the end of the post.
Why you took this band name? Is it connected with fact that your music could be described as "cityward"?
There were times when project has name "Walrus Meditation", I was huge fan of "Sonic Youth", and once I was looking through their discography and stumbled on "Hits Are For Squares" compilation and decided to take new band name by analogy. It's also an association with parks and squares of NY — bands from Big Apple always were my inspiration source. I've never been to New York but I really want to. Partly, I was trying to transmit atmosphere and sounds of that city in my noise tracks.
As I could see, now your tracks are moving toward lo-fi folk direction — your new EP will be in this genre?
Mostly, yes, but I don't want to depart from my main stylistics. I like to don't stop on something definite and always have a desire to make some experiments with my sound. There will be not only folk on my new EP.
Your lo-fi records is tribute to genre, to favourite bands or, in addition, necessary need? Do you have some wishes for work in studio?
It all began from "Let It Die" by Feist — I liked unusual, lo-fi, but charming sound. First experiments in sound recording didn't go very well: mic was broken and noised so much. I didn't know how to use music soft, what mixing and mastering means. I was afraid of studio work idea, I didn't understand how to record a correct sound in a studio. When my music became noticed I was proud that I'm independent lo-fi artist. Maybe I had some desires for studio but just couldn't afford it. It's easy for a group to get some money but not for me. Now I have a chance to record in the studio for free and I will take it but don't really know how it will works. I doubt that I will stop my home recording.
From what began your passion of music? How you came to Feist and Sonic Youth?
It all began from pop-punk. When I was 13 I've heard Blink 182 — it was my sudden jump from pop to rock. As far as I can remember myself, when I was listening to music I thought that I want to do the same. When I decided to create a band I couldn't even play a guitar but had a desire to be a rockstar. From pop-punk I jumped to an alternative music, then was my Slayer period, afterward came back to punk and was listening to Misfits, Dead Kennedys and Casualties. In that times these bands were popular among skateboarders, I was one of them and liked to watch skate videos. In the one of the profiles I've heard "Incinerate" by Sonic Youth. That's how I sold my soul to the indie rock. There was no one who listened to SY in our city and not so many people heard about them, I downloaded all the discography and listened to tatters and smudges every song (I'm not taking into account their earlier works) and then I came to noise. After Sonics I moved to Dinosaur Jr., I was impressed by their dirty sound, that's when I found an article about lo-fi music and started listening to Logh, Belle & Sebastian and Feist, for sure.
Is there something in new music that hooked you and seems interesting? Do you have a feeling that best music is completely created?
Frankly, a couple of times I had a somewhat like crisis of ideas and I was depressed because of a thoughts that there's nothing new to create but it passes quickly and new songs came to my head. From new music I hooked by new Pompeya album and last work of Toro Y Moi. Now I'm listening to chillwave, but don't want to do it by myself.
Is there some message in your compositions?
Ealier I've made only music and haven't seen importance of lyrics and now I want from people to get their attention to a texts. I'm trying make sense in all of the lines and to switch on imagination of listeners, to paint pictures in their head. I'm trying to transmit my thoughts, my ideology in songs.
I'm singing about loneliness and the fact that all people are inevitable going to die, that's why we should not to waste our youth on something trivial and do what we want and have some fun while we have a time to do it. Very often my relationships with my girl reflect in music, so recently I started to write about love, breaking up etc. I'm a cheerful person but my melancholy romantic nature may appear in my music.
If you're making interview with anyone, who it will be?
Likely, it will be Morrissey. I love that guy.
PSaA @ Last.fm New PSaA EP Sad Daydreams is available for download here
We're starting new series of playlists, "In The Year Of" - most interesting and most popular music from one country and one year. Our starting point is Japan, so let's get started without any delays - you'll see that this music is not so crazy and nicer than you could thought.
Honey is one-man band from the Kaliningrad, Russia. His new beat tape, "Hoyden" reminds of jazzy instrumentals of El-P and piano pieces of Michael Tariverdiev as if they were mixed with Toro Y Moi lo-fi pop and early Madlib works. But it turned out that instrumental hip-hop it's only tip of the iceberg and there are a lot of genres in Honey discography: post-punk, witch-house, folk, chillwave, minimal techo, etc. That unusual way of material's presentation and good quality of all genre samples literally forced me to make an interview with Maxim. Read it after the jump.
For how long you're making music and why you take that alias, Honey? Not every your track can be described as "sweet" and "dulcet".
I've began to make it at 14 and now I'm 19. Why "Honey"? Don't really know, it's just short, simply and memorable.
Your eclecticism, variety of genres — it's conscientious attitude, constant search of new ways of self-expression or something else? When I listened to your tracks I had the feeling that I'm listening to the radio — it's hard to imagine that it's works of one man.
Yeah, it's my concept. I wanted to make something all-purpose, because I'm many-sided person and for me it's difficult for me to follow some definite genre, that's why i'm trying to choose genre for every new tracks release (Honey put his tracks in web as soon as he finished it — FY). Every release include something new in it.
From what depends future track's style? What influence you on new ideas?
For some reasons it's 00s. I think that it were times when every genre was specific, indie rock, house, hip-hop, etc. There was something in that time, maybe because at that time I got access to satellite TV and it coincided with beginning of my interest to music. For me it left some music in store from what I'm pushing off.
Occasionally I inspire by new artists and bands. Once I made a witch-house tracks for fun.
Sometimes it came from weather or even TV programme theme. Inspiration could be founded anywhere — it's just important to catch some detail, thought. Details are significant for me, because my music usually grows from a little detail or an idea and then ramifies as tree.
Existance Music by honey10 Honey's rework of Toro Y Moi "Existance Music", part of his "Witch-Chill" series.
If we will talk about your music roots, what influenced you from old music and what's in your player now?
From old music — Sean Paul, RDJ2, progressive house which had been played constantly at my brother's when I was a child, just everything that had been shown on MTV in a period from 2002 to 2008. Besides that, Canadian and Aussie music, they have some specific sound in their blood. My player's favourites: Bear Hands, Teenager, Cities Aviv, Gauntlet Hair, Boyz & Girl, Wiz Khalifa, Mujuice, Wintersleep.
I can't but ask about Mujuice – I observe that he's present in varying degrees in your tracks – did you like his last album, "Downshifting"?
I think that every artist has his own ideas and thoughts about music and they couldn't be the same. As a child grows, musician becomes new person. That's why "Downshifting" is a great example of new level of artistry. It's differ from his other works, but it's very well-judged and perfect. So, yes, I liked it very much.
!!! by honey10 "Creamals" ("!!!") based on Mujuice's vocal sample
Let's continue to speak about your works – did you have any desire to do some kind of best of, selection of works?
By the way, it's a good idea, but I think that for big guys like Guns of Roses, RHCP or Wu. I don't think that there will be so much listeners for my best.
Your new beat-tape, "Hoyden", has a concept? I think it's like one day in a life of a girl from a cover and a name suggests it.
Initially, I just had written instrumentals for fellas from South Pakistan (hip-hop group from Kaliningrad – FY) and it hadn't gone very well, because I hadn't dealt with this earlier. And this summer I bought an AKAI and met one girl, she was a painter – she did the cover of "Hoyden". Then a muse came to me and I kinda learn it. "Hoyden" it's a word for girl and I'm like hoyden-boy, it's about me. Somewhat like new style.
Black magic by honey10 "Black Magic", fresh and fine cut from "Hoyden" beat tape
Your music gives an impression of something for folks, for private use. You don't chase for success, but your music is trendy and modern. Didn't you have a wish to become more known to people?
Yep, it's very private. But I want to go beyond circle of friends. For me, the main thing is to give some feelings to people. My dream – to heard my tracks on the big stage or in the club. It would be awesome even if someone include it in mix. I just want to know that people has my music in their players and that they know some guy who sits at home and writes music just because he wants it.
Frankly, I'm a little bit afraid of a stage. For a long time I want to create a band and make a good album with their help. But it's too early to think about gigs. I think I'm not ready for this. When you're Justin Bieber, you're not worried about it all – you just do what what managers told you to do and when you're alone it's a little frightening.
Do you have some future directions, new genres?
If I can't create the band, I'll stay in instrumental hipster-hop. But if I'll find people for work – I don't really know. But honestly – I have no idea and it's not so important for me.
And the last question – what do you think about new anonymous musicians?
I'm tired of them – it's difficult to download it.
There is no much to tell you about Fucked Up Moscow gig. It was truly outstanding and amazing, believe me. But I have some good news for you - Damian told me that they're really working on Red Stockings's record (and work goes pretty well) and they're thinking about Animal Man stuff.
Here's some videos from concert - including excerpt of surprising "Common People" cover.
