Cine forma Cindy Cat? Cum v-ati intalnit?
Radu Draganescu si Bogdan Albu. Ne-am intalnit la Casa de cultura a studentilor Gr. Preoteasa unde faceam repetitii, fiecare cu alta trupa. Eu cu una de muzica si Bogdan cu una de dans. La un moment dat ne-am unit si am avut chiar un concert impreuna in sala de acolo. Si pe langa muzica nu o sa uit niciodata ce petreceri faceam in sala lor de dans.
A fost “La Sovata” ceva spontan sau a avut nevoie de brainstorming?
Venisem eu cu o schita de piesa, apoi a cazut curentul (se intampla destul de des in perioada aceea), am aprins doua lumanari, am deschis o sticla de vin si ne-am dat frau liber imaginatiei. Imi amintesc ca eram super excitati de piesa noastra…
Cine a scris versurile? Exista Nicu cu adevarat?
Bogdan le-a scris, cred ca ceva aberatii am mai avut si eu pe acolo. Ce sa spun, ne-am distrat! Nicu?! Pai el exista in numeroase exemplare in tara noastra. Iar armata o facuseram amandoi si nu trecusera prea multi ani de atunci.
Cum a fost piesa perceputa de public?
Multa lume a fredonat-o si inca multa lume o stie… Sunt chiar surprins si azi cand cineva imi aminteste de ea si de vremurile acelea. Poate nu era neaparat cea mai buna piesa a noastra, dar stii cum e, TV-ul face minuni. Clipul a adus enorm pentru promovare. Si mai erau si concertele cu Generatia Pro.
Ati scos-o pe caseta?
Nu stiu daca tu mai stii, dar pe vremea aceea NU EXISTA nici o casa de discuri. Prin urmare nimeni nu ne-a propus sa scoatem piesa pe un album, iar ea nu a aparut oficial pe nici un album sau compilatie.
Vineri, la MNAC, portile se deschid la 22, petrecerea incepe devreme. Daca ploua, s-a rezolvat, se aude si inauntru. La meteo insa, au spus ca nu ploua. Lui Akufen ii deschide calea Bogdan, live, cu noul sau album, altul decat cel de la Rokolectiv. Avem mai jos si doua piese, ca preview la ce vine.
In Her Room
Waiting for the Sunrise
Care a fost traseul tau muzical pana in prezent?
Am deschis pentru prima data Ableton Live in vara lui 2006. Cam in trei saptamani de joaca si acomodare cu softul am reusit sa termin prima piesa, pe care am trimis-o, fara prea mari sperante, la un netlabel din Barcelona (Inoquo). Am fost surprins sa primesc feedback foarte bun: piesa a fost inclusa pe compilatia inoquo020 – Miniblossom. Experienta mi-a dat destul de multa incredere in mine. Au urmat apoi si alte piese, si ele incluse pe diverse compilatii, tot la netlabeluri (Claque Musique, Exposed Audio, Antiritmo).
Primul meu EP (Disconnect) a fost lansat la netlabelul italian Claque Musique in ianuarie 2007, iar al doilea (Uncertainty) la Inoquo in luna martie a aceluiasi an.
Toata aceasta perioada a fost una de tatonari si incercari de a ajunge la un sound propriu. Ca influente, eram foarte atent la primele releasuri M-nus, piese mai vechi marca Plastikman, cam tot ce iesea de la labelul german Raster-Noton dar si la inceputurile minimalismului, zona mai clasica, cu Steve Reich, Terry Riley sau Glass.
Pare ca vii dinspre o zona mai serioasa si te apropii spre una mai accesibila. Cum au evoluat productiile tale?
Primul pas evolutiv ca productie l-am facut anul treut, cand am lansat EPul “Harmony within repetitive structures” la netlabelul romanesc Arhiva7. Pentru mine a fost un pas foarte mare. Aveam de mult in cap genul asta de piese, acest tip de tehnica si feelingul general pe care il poti transmite prin acest sound, iar cu epul scos la arhiva7 am reusit in sfarsit sa ajung acolo unde imi propusesem.
Apoi a urmat schimbarea de care amintesti tu, trecerea de la o zona muzicala foarte calculata la una mai umana, cu sunete mai calde, targetata diferit. Eram bagat prea mult intr-o nisa muzicala prea rece pentru ce voiam eu sa fac ca profducator. Aveam nevoie de ceva nou, care sa ajunga mai usor la public. Schimbarea mi-a adus si prima aparitie publica mai serioasa, la Rokolectiv, unde am facut live cu noile piese. Ca stil, mie imi place sa spun ca se incadreaza la balearic-dub.
[BPitch Control] mai 2009 / Arenele Romane 27 iunie / Moderat Interview
Cum s-a facut conexiunea TRG – Moderat?
M-am cunoscut cu Gernot si Szary de la Modeselektor cand au venit la Bucuresti, la AVMotional. Nu am tinut foart bine legatura, dar am vazut ca, la un moment dat, imi puneau piesele in chart-uri si mixuri, si atunci ne-am imprietenit mai bine. De anul trecut vorbim destul de des pe mail, la telefon, despre piese care ne plac, despre turneele lor, despre gig-urile mele, despre festivalurile la care ne nimerim impreuna. Toti 3 sunt foarte prietenosi si n-ai zice ca in vara asta ei deschid din nou pentru Radiohead. Imi raspund la mailuri chiar daca sunt pe alt fus orar.
Cum ai ajuns sa le deschizi showurile?
Ne intelegem foarte bine, am fost la multe evenimente organizate de ei si urmeaza sa mai merg. Modeselektor organizeaza de cateva ori pe an un party monstru in Club WMF care se numeste Allianz si la care vin cateva mii de oameni. M-au adus prima data in ianuarie, voi mai merge in septembrie si probabil si la urmatorul. Le place zona asta de dubstep uptempo spre techno si vor sa aduca multi artisti care fac asta. Cand nu vorbim despre muzica, vorbim despre familiile lor, mi se pare foarte tare ca au avut timp de asta in conditiile in care nu stiu daca au mai mult de 5 zile libere pe an. Sau despre Berlin versus Bucuresti, cat de tare seamana si unde difera, sau despre mancarea romaneasca (nu ca ar fi multe de spus despre asta). Cand timpul le va permite, probabil ca vom face mai multe lucruri impreuna (despre muzica vorbesc).
L-am prins pe Donato Dozzy la o vorba la Artmosferic Festival in Bulgaria, pe varful muntelui, la 5 dimineata, la zero grade, imbracati in haine de toamna timpurie, incalziti de vodca si de setul sau technoid si tripant la maximum.
How does this music go with the nature?
This music goes with the nature, that’s the point. If it depended just on me, I would have made only parties in open air. The music has to take its time. Certain sounds need to be in touch with the sky, with the stars and people need to know that. When you are inside of a club, it can be the best club in the world, but you cannot see the stars, you cannot really put the hands up of your head and just feel the touch with something. Also in some clubs there are a lot of people smoking, I do smoke too, but after 3-4 hours in a club I can not breath properly. It’s also a question of regenerating our body. When we are outside we have a different understanding of the sound, because our brain, whatever we do, it’s still clear, we are breathing good air in a perfect environment. I guess a good sound system it’s all we need.
Why do you hate minimal house?
I hate things without a kind of personality, just made because it is a kind of trend. I’m not angry because of the music, but because of a lazy attitude of some people that just follow some trends instead of using the brain, creating something genuine, pure. You can say that not everybody can do that, but I say that everybody can do that. If they just made their own story, they wouldn’t have so much pressure to get a release and become popular. It’s not all about that; it’s all about the message you spread.
What message do you spread?
Enjoy some sounds and find your own way in this. Nothing special. I know the music it’s a very powerful therapy and instead of talking bullshit around, sometimes it’s better just to stay home and listen to some good music, relax, come down and take things for better aspects. I started smiling to music, while making the music, while listening to music from other people. It was really important, because that gave me good feelings and in that way I was able to transfer my feelings to other people. It’s a kind of chain reaction. When I hear things that don’t give me any feeling, I prefer to do something else. That’s why I hate the trends.
2009 aduce Moderat cu un album omonim care înglobează preferințele lor muzicale. Modeselektor a venit cu bassul, iar Apparat a adus corzile. Au creat o fuziune între mister, visare și piese de dans care te robotizează, paradoxal, într-un mod natural. Apparat contribuie cu vocea, cântă mașinal, de parca ar fi inconștient și devine repede obsesiv. Hit dupa hit, mult sirop și dependență de beat, cu exceptia a doua piese cu iz de jamaica si hip hop. Acest album îl vor cânta și la București. Nu vor apărea însă pe scenă cu trei laptopuri, ci au pregătit un show audio video în care fiecare și-a adus contribuția personală la varianta live a pieselor. Artiștii vizuali Pfadfinderei au filmat și au produs imagini pentru fiecare dintre melodii, astfel încât pe scena vor fi cinci oameni, iar doi se vor ocupa de lumini si de proiecțiile ce te vor îmbăta olfactiv de pe trei ecrane.
Seamonkey
interview courtesy of BPitch Control
Why the long gap between the BPitch Control EP “Auf Kosten der Gesundheit” back in 2002 and the debut album?
When we started Moderat it was more some kind of fun live project. That was before our solo projects went off. We played totally improvised gigs together. It worked pretty well live, but when we tried to do this EP it was pretty tough. It took ages. It’s not always easy sitting in the studio with 2 other guys. A lot of discussions and talking is involved. Plus, we ́re never happy and change things 10 times. The day before the mastering appointment of our EP several years ago all of us got sick due to exhaustion, but we knew we would do a full lenght album one day, despite of it. It just took us a while before we could afford taking 1 or 2 years off from Modeselektor and Apparat. Our solo albums went well and we started playing a lot. And when one of us had time, the other ones didn’t, so Apparat did the record with Ellen which was great and important for him as well. After “Walls” and “Happy Birthday!” we felt like taking a break would be good. We wanted to do something different and Moderat was just perfect for that!
How long did the album take to make?
We started to collect song ideas in 2007. That was right after we decided to do the album. Each of us had unfinished songs which we couldnt finish on our own and so we hoped another one would reanimate those dead ideas. We produced some new ideas as well and by the end of 2007 we met and picked the best ideas to have something to start with. We spent most of 2008 together in the studio to work on these ideas. It wasn’t like being in a band where the drummer would be in chagre for his thing, we are 3 producers and each of us had different ideas about every little detail. We had endless discussions. Sometimes we talked
more than we made music…
How do you find Romania after playing here for four-five times in the last 5 years?
Sascha Funke: It is growing and of course it’s quite difficult because Romania was not so good economically speaking and it was not easy after the revolution, but if you take a look at the the East European countries I think is the best country for our music scene.
Is there any romanian music present on german clubbing scene?
There are DJs like RPR and Livio, everyone knows them and they are playing quite often, so some of the romanian music is known.
It seems you are most of the time DJing. Do you ever play live?
I’m quite bored about playing live. Let’s say that I don’t like my music too much that I would be happy to play one hour of my music every week. I wouldn’t smile on the stage. As a DJ you can decide maybe tonight I’ll play three tracks or one track or no track. In a live you always have to play the same kind your music, your music, and I don’t like it too much. If I would be part of a band maybe it would be fun, but alone, no. As a DJ you have every week the chance to do something different than the week before and of course every club is different, every party situation is different, so as DJ you are more flexible – this is the crowd and this was the DJ before me so I’ll play this kind of music. As for live you are completely stuck in what you have to play, what everyone expects.
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