Rubén GarcÃa Villaplana
from Valencia/Spain
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Intervbiew: 10 questions
1. When did you start making music, what is/was your motivation to do it?
Well, i think that i’m a sound sensitive person and always i preferred to describe myself more as “active listener†than a sound artist or musician. When i was full conscious of it i start to work with sound.
2. Tell me something about your living environment and the musical education.
I growth in a very little mountain village in the indoor of Valencia region; my father is a ranger forest there (the village is enclosed inside a natural reserve) and since i have reason use i was surrounded by a poweful natural/rural soundscape that marked me. Later i left it to do my studies and changed the rural environment to a urban environment, that was a great change in every sense enclosed the sound environment! Now i enjoy both places…Each have his own richness… Also i love to combine it in my work!
In my chilhood i start taking music lessons but after one or two years i left it (fortunely!)
3. Is making music your profession? What is the context in which you practice music nowadays?
I´m biologist and i work in a laboratory and also sometimes i work as sound art curator for some festivals, institutions, etc, … and of course i work with sound; and both contexts, biology and curatorial work give me channels and context for my sound work too. Usually i work ia a relative isolation in my city but connected with people around the world with similar taste and sensity with sound.
4. How do you compose or create music or sound? Have you certain principles, use certain styles etc?
Really, i don´t like so much to talk about how i work but i should tell about it that i work more or less in a non rational way… My work is based on field recordings and usually all start doing some recordings that can be used inmediatly or can sleep in an amount of tapes, files, etc, … After in the studio i work with the recordings processing or not them and trying to combine them .
5. Tell me something about the instruments, technical equipment or tools you use?
My equipment and the tools i use are very common, nothing special… Mainly the world that surround me! I use different kind of recorders like MD, walkman or digital portable recorder and microphones (open mics, contact mics, hydrophones, ultrasonic transducers, etc, …) and of course the laptop. Also sometimes i use some analog processor.
6. What are the chances of New Media for the music production in general
and you personally?
The socialization, democratization, miniaturization and the lower price of technology together with the development of internet give to the artists the possibility of to make his soundwork with powerful tools is the fattest way possible and also open new channels (or amplify channels) for collaborations and contact with other artists around the world and give to the artists the opportunity to show his work around the world with the facilities that it take in relation with distribution, etc, …
7. How about producing and financing your musical productions?
Usually all started and continue with the punk spirit of DIY but also i have to inclose some commisioned projects from institutions or festivals… Also i run my own label (EOZOÖN editions) with this idea too!
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?
Usually i work individually; i´m very comfortable alone without thinking in the ideas of another person and having more or less clear what i want to do in the studio. Maybe that can be a little beat egoist… My perfect idea about collaboration is to work with the same raw material with other artists or the concept of recycling, i think this way is more powerful and effective because each artist can develop his own creativity with freedom and don´t loose the totality of his work way. In the common collaborations, the artist have to approach to an agreement and it´s so difficult for me. I could say that i like collaborations in live events like ensembles, etc, … it´s funny; sometimes great things apperas and other not but is a different way to work…
9. Is there any group, composer, style or movement which has a lasting influence on making music?
Uff…! I have a lot of influences and references and not only directly related with sound or music also films, literature, philoshophy, science, life in general! The list would be endless! But i think that the most important and lasting influence/reference is nature in every sense.
10. What are your future plans or dreams as a soundartist or musician?
I have a lot of projects in mind, ones developing slowly and other ones waiting for next year. Next Autumn i will be taking part in the residency /workshop of Francisco López in the Amazons that will be the start point for two projects for next year, a seminay about Sound and environment in the context of artist practice with concert inclosed and a immersive sound installation, both in a cultural center here in Valencia. Also i´m finalizing some tracks for net labels and working in a long work for a full lenght CD on my label or maybe in other label. Also compilling stuff for a possible collaborative project (in the way i mentioned above!) with an australian sound artist based in bats recordings. Also as a curator i´m working in a monthly concert series called ((VIBRA)) in the OCCC of Valencia (starts in October), possible project inside a digital art festival next april in Valencian University and the project About:blank inside Observatori 2008 art festival in Valencia too! Dreams…a lot too! Ones more or less possible and other utopics!