MORPHEUS
MUSIC MICRO-INTERVIEWS
|
| Morpheus
Music Micro-Interviews consist of three brief, no-nonesense
questions that can be absorbed quickly and digested easily.
We ask the same questions to all artists so that we get
to see different views on the same matters. We really appreciate
these great musicians giving us their time and we certainly
enjoy the opportunity to have a little more insight into
their thinking. |
 |
|
-----Ikarus |
|
 |
|
-----Thom
Brennan |
| Q:
What drives you to make music? |
|
It´s
a passion that caught me long ago when I was a child. My father
worked in South Africa and brought some Zulu records with
him. At the age of 4 I listened to these records on and on
and danced to them. At this time there was no internet, no
world music and I had no clue about world music.
It took me a long time to produce the music I like –
the mixture between different styles of world music and
electronic.
I also have a passion for different cultures
(I am travelling a lot) and to communicate through music
is such a perfect way of peace.
|
|
Q:
What drives you to make music? |
|
I really can’t
answer that specifically. I am largely inspired by landscapes,
and tend to think of most of my music as an impression in
sound, of some environment that moved me. I wonder often why,
we as human beings, can look at a panorama, and see beauty
in it. What is it that makes us see beauty in a darkening
sky, or something as simple and routine as a setting sun?
I think it’s our awareness of something much greater
than ourselves, and that mystery is what inspires me. It’s
never a literal translation of the landscape. To do that I
would use samples, and environmental sounds. Instead, it is
an impression that I try to express through a musical structure.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Q :
How did you choose the name Ikarus? |
|
Well it was
the idea of my brother and I really like the name and greek
mythology. Ikarus came too near to the sun and crashed - I
hope this won´t happen to me! ;-) |
|
Q :
Why did you choose to work under your own name rather than
create one? |
|
I gave that
a lot of thought, and decided that to create a false name,
would draw attention to the name rather than the music. I
never feature images of myself either - for the same reason.
Each album is a musical statement - and I want it to stand
on its own without the influence of a band name, personality,
or some other marketing handle. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Q :
What’s the piece of music that you are most happy with
from your own output and why? |
|
As a musician
I am most happy with the album (Breathing Cultures) I have
just done. It´s my way to some new influences and working
together with new singers was really great.
There is a big artist community online -
I have contacted 1 Giant Leap for example and did a remix
for them (feat. Robbie Williams&Maxi Jazz). I think
this would not have been possible without the internet!
28.09.04 |
|
Q :
What’s the piece of music that you are most happy with
from your own output and why? |
|
Generally I think of each album as a single
piece of music. In the case of SATORI, and BENEATH CLOUDS,
they are completely one piece of music.
However MIST, is the album that came closest to realizing
my original concept, and it remains my favourite. It was
the most focused and the one I am most satisfied with.
However, certain individual pieces hold special meaning
for me - especially "Habu Valley" and "Mountains",
off the album MOUNTAINS.
07.10.04
|
| |
| |
|
-----Robert
Miles |
|
 |
|
-----Atman |
| Q:
What drives you to make music? |
|
It’s
in my blood I suppose... I always try hard to have at least
one section in any of my tracks that will give me/the listener
some sort of ‘well being’ sensation when listening
to it...that’s what really drives me to make music.
It’s a constant challenge (I LOVE challenges!) that
pushes me to try different things, create new vibes and
convey emotion through my music. It’s like food for
brain and soul. |
|
Q:
What drives you to make music? |
|
My desire
to share what I learn on my quest. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Q :
Why did you choose to work under the name Robert Miles rather
than create a band name? |
|
When I was
living in Italy I used to go under the name of Roberto Milani.
After having released Children , the original version, some
other DJ’s took advantage of the fact that nobody knew
my face and started doing DJ gigs under my name (what people
do to make some money!) ....that’s when I decided to
change Milani into Miles...I thought it sounded a bit more
‘international’ :)...and I started putting pictures
of myself on the record sleeves... Saying
that, I am considering reverting back to using my real name
(especially for soundtracks compositions): Roberto Concina.
How does that sound?
Also, I am starting a new project with a different name
too...so Robert Miles will be only one of three projects
I will be working on regularly.
|
|
Q :
How did you choose the name Atman? |
|
Atman means
Spirit in Sanskrit. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Q :
What’s the piece of music that you are most happy with
from your own output and why? |
|
That’s
a good question! Difficult to say really...every track has
a special meaning to me….
However, I think that Miles_Gurtu is definitively
the album that I enjoy listening to the most...followed
by Organik.
Sometimes I listen to 23am and really like “Everyday
Life”....
Dreamland still sounds good after all these
years...
02.08.04 |
|
Q :
What’s the piece of music that you are most happy with
from your own output and why? |
|
Right now, Atman's latest album, "India
Club & Lounge".
Its a double CD with remixes from a contest we have sponsored
on the internet.
I feel proud to have worked with so many talented artists
from all over the world.
10.08.04 |
 |
 |
|
-----vidnaObmana |
|
 |
|
-----Matt
- Ishq |
| Q:
What drives you to make music? |
|
It just flows naturally, although I’ve
to admit that it has been a difficult process just prior to
my first 2 albums for Relapse Records. I have been recording
and ‘living’ in the ambient scene for almost 15
years when I suddenly came at a crossing point and didn’t
know where to turn to. Being slightly disappointed by the
lack of interest in challenges, I realized that a majority
of people wanted me to record one of my most harmonic and
calm albums over and over again instead of trying to push
the sonic boundaries. Each time I explored such new terrain
listeners disapproved. The vision blurred and I knew that
I had to change directions in order to refresh my creative
spirit. I guess the main source for inspiration continues
to be the flow of the moment itself, outside the theoretical
plan ahead of what I want to achieve, and listening to a variety
of music. Found out that having an open ear for other genres
helps you in realizing the vision more smoothly you want to
persue. |
|
Q:
What drives you to make music? |
|
Both a combination of just enjoying making
sounds and music and using the technology and a passion for
music of all kinds. Evolution plays a large part in my mental
intent musically I guess or the belief that music can communicate
ideas and thoughts and feelings that words can't . |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Q :
How did you choose the name vidnaObmana? |
|
I never liked the idea of using my real name
since it would link my own personality immediately and automatically
to the music I was going to make. Always felt that the music
was independent enough to stand on its own, apart from how
I personally live my life or what my concept is of life, and
I’m still convinced it has been the best way to portray
my music. I like it when people refer to vidnaObmana as entity
rather than a person. Translated from the former Serbo-Croation
language, vidnaObmana means ‘optical illusion’.
A definition I continue to support as I firmly believe music
is such an universal way of expression and art I avoid any
kind of pre-consumed philosophy in order to give the listener’s
own perception complete freedom and as far as possible away
from attaching publicly a personal agenda to every new work.
But apart from this concept, I've been evaluating the idea
of using a few alternative names which can give me the chance
of expanding my musical horizon without linking it directly
to vidnaObmana. We'll see how this will evolve over time. |
|
Q :
How did you choose the name Ishq? |
|
Its a Sufi word which is used as a greeting
like ' hello ' but also means ' love '. Possibly indian in
origin but was taken from a book about a sufi traveller and
his adventures. I chose the name as I was looking for something
both slightly idm and electronica sounding but also something
which had meaning. After choosing the name the music then
kind of evolved around this. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Q :
What’s the piece of music that you are most happy with
from your own output and why? |
|
I firmly believe that realizing the recent
Dante trilogy (Tremor, Spore and the forthcoming Legacy
CD's) was the most ambitious project I’ve done so
far. Not only musically stepping back into the past and
using elements from my industrial period like distortion,
feedback and more dissonant themes but also since it again
found me on the edge of something unknown. Really proud
of what I’ve been able to realize and it’s thank
to the faith of label Relapse it became reality. All 3 albums
show a great deal of changing and especially the forthcoming
Legacy album with fantastic guestappearances by Steve Von
Till (Neurosis) and Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) confirms
my interest in fusing various genres together to make it
my own. It has been an intense process from start to finish
but it gave me fresh energy and brought back the focus I
missed prior to this period of recording.
10.08.04 |
|
Q :
What’s the piece of music that you are most happy with
from your own output and why? |
|
Bhakti I guess on Orchid is the one track,
the other one I was very pleased with is called Sol, it
only ever got on a compilation so I will be releasing it
in the future on an EP I hope. All in all Ihave no favourites.
23.08.04 |
| |
| |
|
