—>
4th World Orchestra
—>
Interview: 10 questions
1. When did you start making music, what is/was your motivation to do it?
K: My first serious attempt to make music was around 1990 while
playing guitar in a punk-band. Growing up with Grunge and
“Independent” music, I soon turned to electronic and more
experimental sounds. In the mid-nineties I started messing around
with Cubase on an Atari ST using pre-recorded samples.
Since then my motivation to make music is to create accoustic spaces,
that transport certain energies, that can not be expressed in any
non-
accoustic form.
ISh: I first started to play the Guitar in High School and played with a
few of bands till college. The music till this time was mainly Alternative
Rock and Grunge. Later in College I was introduced to the Classical Nylon
String Guitar and started to learn Western Classical Guitar. I really loved
the tone of the Nylon String guitar and I tried Various Other Styles of
music on it like Bossa nova from Brazil, Tango and Flamenco. The guitar
really opened my horizons to music.
Later on I was introduced to Elecronica via Drum and Bass. This was when I
was in final year college and we had got hold of a mix by Aquasky, then I
just got hooked to the Sound and the Experimental dimension of Electronica.
Since then I have explored other kinds of sounds available in electronic
medium as a DJ. And a few years back I was introduced to the Experimental
Sounds and Ideas Konrad was working with, out of which diF and the Fourth
world Orchestra originated.
K.Ryu
i was included in the dark heavy schizo marxist band “Kol sonzlgn” (“anorganic body) My device was my voice.
i wanted to become a voice performer rather than a world music shaman.
As a solo-artist i have moved toward free ambiental forms.
i have lost motivation to music litle by litle – but somehow i think we can contribute to sound itself as a non-human subject.
2. Tell me something about your living environment and the musical
education.
K: I live next to a river. I educate myself by listening attentively
to the world around and inside me.
Ish: I try to live between the City (Delhi) and the Mountains and am
planning to Sleep inside Studios in the coming months. I am Mainly Self
taught as a musician/guitar Player, basically picking up music by the ear
and Sheet music. But I have Studied Classical guitar at The Delhi School of
Music and was supposed to give my 7th grade Exam the year I dropped out of
it.
K.Ryu: i live near Tokyo .There, at last at 3AM i am released from every social force.
3.Is making music your profession? What is the context in which you
practice music nowadays?
K: Sometimes people pay… What is the definition of profession these
days anyway? I don’t limit myself to any particular context, though
some fields (i.e. advertisement for political parties, big brands
etc.) are definitely not on the list.
ISh: I have played guitar professionally with some very good bands but for
the last couple of years I have not been performing live a lot. I am very
selective about the music I want to perform live with and lately the
Synergy which is very important for live performance is missing. So I am
trying to set up a live music set up with electronica with which we can
explore a lot of styles but with a minimalist approach. I still DJ in a few
clubs for Special gigs once a month.
As far as practice goes I play Guitar almost every day(it has become almost
Biological) and I am trying to et hold of the Flamenco Rhythm.
K.Ryu: i am not professional at all.i have no arsenal other than music. Abandonment….
4. How do you compose or create music or sound? Have you certain
principles, use certain styles etc?
K: I generally start with one sound or loop and structure all other
parts around it. I never use professional samples from CD etc. but
rather record them myself or use sounds friends give me. One
principle: emotional sincerity over technical perfection. I don’t
limit myself to any particular style.
K.Ryu: i have digital tools.
but the principle is operation (Fon noiman).
sound itself should hesitate between one or another .
Hesitation between each Sound may represent pan-tonality.
ISh: It depends what Idea do I have first , that is it about the sound or
about the Music. If I am working around music I really have a structure in
my head( like composing around a melody) but when composing for electronica
via sampling, Synthesis etc I am reacting to the sound and twisting it
around and then seeing where it takes the track/composition. In the case of
Electronic music it is basically action/reaction. In the future I really
want to merge these two techniques while composing because I think I really
require it to express clearly.
5. Tell me something about the instruments, technical equipment or
tools you use?
K: Laptop, digital recording devices (wav.-recorder, digital-cameras,
mobile phones etc.) Software-Samplers, PlugIns, guitar, harmonium…
Ish: The Nylon String Guitar I use is a Flamenco guitar from a prestigious
company called Alhambra and it has the most beautiful sound in the world
you can check it out at http://myspace.com/freakopus ,I also use an
Electric Guitar(Washburn), Guitar MIDI, A bass Guitar. Softwares like
Abelton, Cubase and Reason along with a MIDI controller
K.Ryu: i use standard tools. My ear, voice, No unexpected tools.
6. What are the chances of New Media for the music production in
general and you personally?
K: New ways of the use of sound can be explored. The listner may
interact with the artist. Low-cost technology gives the (sonic)power
back to the people. People from different cultural and geographic
backgrounds can work together without leaving their homes.
Ish: Sound can be used to explore individuals, spaces and the Universe.
and lately all theories of quantum Physics( like string Theory etc) are
pointing towards resonance and Vibration of particles at the Sub atomic
level and to this rhythm does all of material universe exist. I think in
the future sound, Waves and Music will be quite different from the present
Pop Music CD concept.
K.Ryu: technology has always perfect function .
so technology music with human creativity means nonsense.
7. How about producing and financing your musical productions?
K: Selling CDs with audio-art isn’t a gold-mine obviously, so I try
to get alternative financing, when needed. Otherwise it’s low- and
sometimes no-budget-production.
Ish: In the past I was plying quite a few gigs as a guitar player and a DJ
to help me finance my equipment etc. But lately I am looking for more
options as a producer to make some extra bread.
K.Ryu: i am poor. financing makes me suffer every time.
so maybe i can’t maintain my work.
8. Do you work individually as a musician/soundartist or in a group
or collaborative? If you have experience in both, what is the difference, what do you
prefer?
K: Both. I like the exchange and the surprise collaborating with
other artist. I like the feeling of being completely in control when
working individually.
Ish: I like working with collaboration but Essentially I work quite a lot
on my own. And I think this is because of the Nylon string Guitar is a Solo
instrument. I really like to collaborate because it builds us Synergies
just like a good band on stage and every one can feed of each others ideas
and music can be pushed into its true multiplicity.
K.Ryu: i also like both, now i am included in 4th world orchestra…
but i also want to collaborate other than musician.
9. Is there any group, composer, style or movement which has a
lasting influence on making music?
K: Henry Purcell, Eric Satie, Pt. Shivkumar Shankar
Ish: Villa Lobos, Leo Brouwer, Lalo Shiffrin, John McLaughlin Shakti,
Aquasky, Fabio, L Shankar, Janes Addiction, Barrios Mangore, Miles Davis,
Frogacult
K.Ryu;Autopoiesis, giles deleuze, overdosekunst, jaque lacan,
10. What are your future plans or dreams as a soundartist or musician?
K: Release a CD with 4th World Orchestra. Travel and record as much
as possible…
Ish: To record and Perform a lot of music in the future. To experiment with
new sounds and Ideas.
K.Ryu: Deconstruction(of the current regime)