The Interview.

Feel free to copy and paste these questions into your own post and answer them whatever way you like. Here goes:

  • What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?
  • How long have you been using Renoise?
  • How long have you been making music?
  • Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
  • What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
  • What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
  • What is your favorite pattern effect code? (If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! :P)
  • On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
  • If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
  • Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
  • Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?
  • Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
  • How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?
  • Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.
  • Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
  • Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
  • How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
  • What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?
  • How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?
  • What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?
  • Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?
  • Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?
  • Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?
  • Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?
  • Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?
  • Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?
  • Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?
  • What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?
  • Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?
  • Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)
  • Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)
  • What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?
  • Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?
  • What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?
  • Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?
  • Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?
  • Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
  • What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?
  • Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
  • Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
  • What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
  • Is Trance Gay?
  • Core or K0r3?
  • Kaneel?
  • Why?
  • What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?

It-Alien, Fabio Napodano. Sometimes I release the weirdest stuff under the name Warholizer.

  • How long have you been using Renoise?

since 2001. 1.0, I would say…

  • How long have you been making music?
  1. Started on Amiga Startrekker, by my first songs are from 1994.
  • Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?

I only used other trackers in the past: Startrekker (1993-1995), FT1 (1995-1996), FT2 (1997-2001).
I tried to complete a song with MadTracker, but never managed to…

  • What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?

Now I’m somewhere between progressive rock, space rock, jazz, experimental electronica and contemporary classical. I’ve started with weird dance music (odd measures and so on), then mixed metal and electronica, some ambient… well… I just make what it happens to come out of my keyboard…

  • What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?

advanced edit: I use it once a minute.

  • What is your favorite pattern effect code?

09xx for changing accents

  • On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
  1. because it’s 10hex.
  • If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.

scripting for everything

  • Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?

to be honest, noone that I know gives me 100% thrust, but I’m really attracted very much by Botb, Foo? and Kizzume works.

  • Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?

progressive rock (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Area) and space rock artists (Ozric Tentacles)

  • Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.

my music page has at least an entry for almost everything I did (except for fast compo music)

  • Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?

well I know quite a lot of people whowait for new songs by me. Most of them like to be surprised by my complex music, some others like my songs from the emotional sides and like to imagine while listening. Both of these kinds of people think I should compose movie soundtracks.

  • Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?

Bass and drums. Drums, for sure.

  • How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?

Zero. No.

  • What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?

I’ve always been criticized because of the everchanging of my songs, lack of melody, abrupt stops, and so on. Neverthless, I’m still making music like that, go figure :) Actually, I’m trying to listen more to what my girlfriend thinks about my works-in-the-making.

  • How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?

How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition? I hate it in music!

  • What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”?

electroacoustic drums, bass and theremin.

  • Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?

NI Kontakt and RGC Triangle-II make most of my composing days

  • Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?

really nothing more than what I already have. Maybe better monitors, but I’ve never really felt the need for them.

  • Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?

all by myself, unfortunately.

  • Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?

I played in a metal group during 1995-1998 period, then almost quit live performances, except for some jams. I could not play drums since 1998 until 2006, then finally got back on playing. I would really love to see an orchestra playing some of my songs.

  • Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?

No. No.

  • Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?

I did get involved into a netlabel founded by me and NeuRoTiX, but now I don’t.

  • What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?

you mean about music? being independent.

  • Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?

yes, I did sometimes. The best experience were the ones with NeuRoTix (“Total Control 2” and “My holydays on Earth”). Don’t know about the future.

  • Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)

you mean songs not by me? Millions! almost evething which pop radios play.

  • Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)

Yes. I always feel proud of my latest song… This time, I feel proud of having made a song with no plugins with a decent sound and small filesize, which everyone can see into Renoise.

  • What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?

maybe it’s time for some music theory, I’m really unsure about this…

  • Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?

multilayering!

  • What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?

good question… I would really like to know the answer…

  • Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?

reaction to events in my life, and a need to elaborate them.

  • Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?

without Renoise, I would probably been lost. When Renoise did came out, it was a relief, because I was really loosing my faith into trackers, and I would be just unable to use anything else to compose.
No computers? I would be unemployed and with no composition skills at all, since my father has always taken my away from music.

  • Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?

worse. too much cut&paste.

  • Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.

music created with the sole purpose of seeling is most of time pure crap which, for some reason, someone do buy.

  • Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?

no. some people get influenced by music, but that’s all.
A couple of girls have fallen in love with me because of my music. I swear :)

  • What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?

2014: the same. 2500: there will be animals’ voices only, I think

  • Is Trance Gay?

of coz

  • Core or K0r3?

both of them, definately.

  • Kaneel?

auch!

  • Why?

Be cause.

playlist while answering:

NeuRoTix - Carezza di pietra
NeuRoTix - Liuto al limone
NeuRoTix - Martys souls invettiva
NeuRoTix - 10 light years from Earth

- What is your Renoise-name?
i.am

-What is your real name?
Adrian

-Any past names?
alias_9, cryt3k

- How long have you been using Renoise?
Since version 1.5. A little over a year methinks

- How long have you been making music?
Since birth. My dad is a bassist. Seriously though, started with drums since age 12 and got into producing with hardware. Used old cheap casio keyboards, and finally moving to tritons and junos and stuff. Was making hip hop. Around 2000 I used my first piece of software which was fruity loops. And just bounced around from there.

- Have you used any other music software/platforms?

God yes :(

-If so, which ones?
Cubase, Logic (both mac & pc versions) Sonar, Digital Performer, Nuendo, Reason, Ableton Live, Acid Pro 5, Fruity Loops, Magic Music maker. Pretty much, almost everything except for Pro Tools.

-Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
Renoise (obviously) and Digital Performer

- What sort of music do you end up making?
Drum n Bass, Trip hop, Breaks, Techno, Synth Pop, Dub

-Has this music changed over time?
Oh yes, I started out on hardware making nothing but Rap & R&B

- What is your favorite part of Renoise?
The new splash screen that loads up when you start it. That and the control I have over my drums. Sounds wierd, but it feels like I’m ‘touching’ them in a away. Also, the gui. It looks like some sort of computer code or something.

-Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
Sample offset, and the envelops.

- What is your favorite pattern effect code?
(If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! tongue.gif) Delay commands. Especially D1. Very crucial for programming breaks. Especially for offsetting the snare.

- On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.

  1. Spent a few minutes with another guy showing him renoise. When I loaded a tune, he told me it looked like some sort of computer code. Called me a geek ever since.

- If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.

There are many. My number one request would be to improve the sample offset. Have it to where we can place markers in the sample editor and then trigger the markers.

- Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?

There are a few. B-Complex, ASC, Datassette, It-Alien

- Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?

Well my dad for one. He bought me my first set of drums when I was 12. Ha… my first drum n bass experience. As for the rest, in no random order. Ben Tankard, Dj Krush, Slipknot, Tool, Dj Shadow, ASC, Breakage, Paradox, Seba, Jam Master Jay, J-Dilla (RIP), The Doors, Pink Floyd, Common, Rei Harakami, Fanu, Money Mark, Moody Mann, Andreas, Alice Coltraine, Jim Brown, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock (STANDARD :yeah: ), Thievery Corporation, God Lives Underwater, Dj Sasha, Break, Klute, D-Bridge, Calibre, Jill Scott, Will-i-am, MF DOOM, Madlib (STANDARD :yeah: ), Felix Da Housecat, Carl Cox, Paul van Dyk, … ah… let me stop, I could literally keep going and I will never finish the rest of this. :P

- Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
Wouldn’t mind. I’m working on a series of dnb tracks entitled “moody music”. The first one I’m almost done with and it will be my first fully renoise track. I’m stoked. Other than that, I’m up for anything.
[b]

  • How serious are you about making music? [/b]
    I’m never serious about anything. I always tell myself, “Don’t take life too seriously”. I just have fun. Besides, when I do get serious about it, then it will start to get boring.

-Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?
Hell no. I go out with mates, party, drink, socialize, the come back all tired to fire up renoise and make music. :D

- Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.

I have my myspace. www.myspace.com/renagadeaudio
[b]

  • Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?[/b]
    Only a very special friend of mine. I’ve know here for a long time and she says she believes in what I’m doing. Only encouragement I have really.

- Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?

I play drums, bass, guitar (a little) and the piano/keyboard. But I love me sum drums. :drummer:

- How much musical theory knowledge do you have? I have the knowledge I’ve learned from my father, as well as some music theory. Never went to school to learn though. I should. Had to do it the hard way.

Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?

Yes and No. Yes when I’m doing post production i.e. going back and fix melodies, key clashes, etc… but no because if I loose the feel I had when I made it, then it’s my fault for trying to fix what wasn’t broken.
[b]

  • What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?[/b]

My views? Well, it’s a double edge sword. Arrangement/Composition is crucial for a great song, but what is more important is the message you are getting across. You can have a great arrangement/composition, but if you aren’t saying something with your music, then it really doesn’t matter.

As for me caring what people think. If they like it, then great. If they don’t… then great. I make it for me and me only.

- How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?

Repetition is the mother of all skill. You can never get enough. Keep doing it until you have it mastered, then after you do have it mastered, do something else. Never stop learning.

- What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?

Kit List:

Mac Mini (PPC Edition)
Dell E173FP 17" monitor
Shitty Logitech Optical Mouse
Motu Traveler
Fostex PM.05 Monitor (The second one is put away just so I can conserve space smile.gif
Sony MDR-V600 Studio Headphones
Emu E4xt Ultra Sampler
SCIS CD ROM drive connected to my EMU Sampler
(My Trusty) Oxygen 8 Midi Controller
College/Music books and maginzenes
Software plugins.

I have a small pic of my (cramped) studio in the “Renoise Studios” Thread.
They are all great, well all except my shitty logitech mouse. God I need to get a new one.

- Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?

The waves Platinum Bundle. In particular, Q 10 and the Paz Frequency Analyzer. Those are me weapons. :P

- Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?

I do want an analog mixing desk, and better monitors. But in reality, I just really need to learn what I have to the fullest. Then I’ll worry about buying more gear. But I really don need a desk and some better monitors.

- Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering?

My engineering can be improved. I’ve come a long way since I’ve started but there is still more to learn.

-Do your ears or gear deceive you?

All the time.

-Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?

I definetly value getting outside help.

- Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?

I worry about mixing down pretty good, then I get someone else to do it. I do learn alot, but these mastering engineers have something I just don’t have. Bucket loads of experience.

- Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?

Not yet, but I’m planing on doing a life performance. Still got stuff to figure out.

- Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?

I make money, but not with my music. I really don’t seek it, especially since people can download your stuff from p2p sites and the like. I would like to one day though.

- Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?

Not at the moment.

- What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?

Having creative control, and getting PAID!!! hehehe.

- Have you ever worked collaboratively?

Yes

-Do you like working collaboratively?

Yep, my best ideas come from working with others.

Will you do it in the future?

the door is always open.

- Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)

Not yet.

- Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)

I always think that my music can improve, so I really don’t like it. But one tune I’m prod of is “Twilight City”
an OLD dnb track I’ve done when I was just starting out, and I still like the sound of it.

- What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?

Mixdowns, and improving my arrangements, as well as knowing when to say when!

- Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?

Me. Just being too darn picky about things and end up getting frustrated, or unmotivated to finish the tune.

[b]

  • What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?[/b]

My zone comes from outside sources, albeit walking along outside, playing a sport, or just going to parties.
[b]

  • Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?[/b]

I make music because I really love the feeling of me connecting with the songs I hear from my favorite artists. They express themselves through their music, and I feel that people would have a better understanding of why I do what I do just by hearing some of my songs.
[b]

  • Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?[/b]

Yeah I still will. If passion is there, anything is possible. I’ll just pick up my drums again and start a band.
[b]

  • Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?[/b]

Better and worse. Better because with midi, I can actually PLAY what I’m hearing in my head, worse, because since we have all these choices (especially now that we can have access to things for a small price, even free if we wanted) so it pretty much boil down to “well, what the hell do I want to do” and a lot of artist are struggling with this.

- What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?

Interesting. Well the music industry is shit at the moment -granted there are people who are doing the right thing-. P2P really impacted the music industry big time. That and since there are more affordable tools to make music with (which is a good thing), people have really become … lazy. As we are in the era of “instant gratification”, the attention spans of the people who are into our music has become short and stale, and are closed minded -not everyone but most-. Things are just too formulated now. The people aren’t open to new and different ideas. Thus leaving the producer making tunes that are “popular” just so they can build a rep or put food on the table. It’s twofold as I do blame a lot of the artist for not having the balls to make what they feel instead of just following the crowd. I could go on but I want to finish this up and I’m getting hungry.

- Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.

No such thing as “bad music”, but there is a ting as lazy music, meaning the producer just being lazy when they make their tunes. As for an example. Look up the song “Laffy Taffy”. It’s a rap song. This is one of the main reasons why I HATE rap music. My sis played that and I couldn’t believe what I heard. Sounds like kids put the tune together while grown as men sung on it. Such a shame.

- Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?

Music have united nations, changed policies, created movements. It’s a language, and what you say through your music can have a huge effect on people.

But mine haven’t done so yet :(

- What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?

I don’t know. I just try to focus on what I can do today. Though I would go through time and find out.

- Is Trance Gay?

Not gay, but it get’s boring. Haven’t heard people break the same formula yet.

- Core or K0r3?

Neither :)

- Kaneel?

Who?

- Why?

Don’t know really. Just seemed fun. :)

Hope we get some more. I really enjoy reading these.

Christ I need to get to work.

- What is your Renoise-name?
wormjar

-What is your real name?
Owen

-Any past names?
No

- How long have you been using Renoise?
Since 1.2, whenever that was

- How long have you been making music?
Since I got Noisetracker on a cover disk from Amiga Format magazine in 1991

- Have you used any other music software/platforms?

I have used Logic and Cubase extensively, and have installed then deleted pretty much everything else out there. Obviously I hammered Octamed and all the Soundtracker clones on the Amiga too

-Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
Cubase was good, so was Logic but trackers are always best for me.

- What sort of music do you end up making?
Techno, Drum and Bass which sounds like Techno, stuff like that

-Has this music changed over time?
Yeah of course. I found that my earlier stuff was either unlistenable now, or actually really good. Nothing in between. I listened to a track a few weeks ago which I made when I was living in a really shit house in Sheffield in some old guys living room as I was basically homeless. It was really good and the sounds were heavy. This was when i first got a PC for making music and didnt really know anything about EQing etc, so it was pure art from me, with none of the production bollocks that consume us all in the end.

- What is your favorite part of Renoise?
Er, just that it reminds me of being young and messing about with the Amiga500 in my Dads house. The room always smelled of cigar smoke which was really nice, so when I started using Renoise I got reminded of that and it made me feel good. I like the way that it attracts a certain type of user too. Most people on here are probably pretty similar in character to me away from their screens, so it feels like I am using software and in a kinky little geeks club, which is mint.

-Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
Erm, the tightness of the drums, the offset 09xx, the way you can really mess with the arrangement without getting put off by the logic/cubase midievent artwork you are creating, and the keyboard shortcuts

- What is your favorite pattern effect code?
Erm, well 09xx is very cool, especially for messing with vocals, and the Bx command for easy rewinds

- On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.

  1. (my girlfriend would say 11.) Looking at the demo songs and old amiga MODS shows me that I am a long way from 10, but I think it gets worse everyday. It is wierd though, it seems that there is such a good work flow, you can’t really notice the geekiness too much as you are busy making music most of the time instead of obsessing over pointless difficult programming.

- If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
0%CPU no matter what you do.

- Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?

Yeah lots of cool guys. B-Complex is good, Snares, Dr Skunk does a good mixdown in Renoise, Datassette. I bet there are loads of people who use it, but don’t advertise the fact though…

- Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?

Changes all the time. I just listen to DJ mixes at the moment and grin a lot when something heavy drops.

- Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
Nah, I did a Vanilla Ice remix once though. That was pretty good actually.

- How serious are you about making music?
Not in the slightest. I DJ out sometimes in Tokyo and Saitama, and I drop my own tunes, but I have realised that pretty much no one gives a f**** about individual tunes outside of pop music so its just a good absorbing hobby which is bordering on an obsession.

-Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?
I like the way I can get an update to my favourite software every few weeks and it is wicked to be able to talk with the devs about stuff and actually get answers and results. I wouldnt say it has competely consumed me. Short skirts have completely consumed my every thought, so there is not a lot of room left for anything else.

- Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.

Nothing online. I just play my tracks out when I DJ.

- Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
My dear old mother and my girlfriend, but I guess they don’t count.

- Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?

Don’t play anything. Wish I did. Almost cant be bothered to learn though. My own worst enemy.

- How much musical theory knowledge do you have?

Not a lot. I understand what an octave is, and what a sharp and a flat is. I also know what a chord is, but that is where it ends. If it gets yout heart wobbling, the chord is correct.

- What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?

If you start to think about arrngement too much, you will never make a song. Make a track, play it out in a bar or a club and watch the reaction. Simple.

As for do I care? Well, yeah I do, but if someone on the internet says they dont like something I made, i am not fussed. Conversely, if a drunk chick comes up to me all sweaty from dancing and dressed like a slag and tells me she like my music when I play it out, that is the best thing ever.

- How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?

Meh.

- What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?

Sony Vaio
Emu 1616m
Senn HD650 headphones
Cable going to TV for monitoring
Tannoy Active Reveal monitors
Mouse
Number Pad
Chair
Table
Fan to stop Vaio over heating

- Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?

Gliss EQ and the free Kjaerhus Delay, Kjaerhus Compressor and Kjaerhus Limiter, That is all I use! It is all about sample layering and manipulation. If you start using too many plugs you lose the plot.

- Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?

Yeah, it is fine for me. I need a new cable for my headphones. That is about it.

- Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering?

Pretty good I reckon. Obviously we can all get better though.

-Do your ears or gear deceive you?

Yeah they do. But they deceive me in the club too, so who f****ing cares. As long as the levels are alright and nothing disappears in the mix, it is all good.

-Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?

Yeah of course. Especially when my headphones break and I have to use my TV and ipod headphones to mixing, eh Dr. Skunk.

- Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?

You can’t master your own stuff. If you mean, do i give my final mix a bit of a going over… Yeah sometimes, but if something is wrong when i play it out, I make a mental note, go home and fix the mixdown.

- Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?

Yeah I have played live (well as live as you can play with electronic music). First time was OK. Not many people. I was expecting a rinse out, but I just got a st down drinking crew. Ever since then it has been good… An ideal thing to reproduce my music live would be a massive perfectly balanced sound system made by one of the big boys and a load of drunk women.

- Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?

Not bothered. The effort to return ratio on music is f****ing pathetic. I can sit down here in Japan with a businessman for 1 hour and have a chat about his car or his wife and earn 8000 yen. To make that back with music after all the time and effort would be a mammoth task in comparison. Day job for the money, music for the kicks. The way it should be.

- Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?

Nope

- What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?

Read what I said above…

- Have you ever worked collaboratively?

Yes

-Do you like working collaboratively?

Yeah, it is cool. Nice to see what the other person is up to. And you can learn loads.

Will you do it in the future?

Yeah I reckon.

- Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)

Nope

- Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)

Yeah I like some of it.

- What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?

Erm, I suppose nothing is really missing as such. The magic to put my soul into it would be nice, but I am not sure you can learn this.

- Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?

My neighbours! and of course, Me. I live in a relatively democratic free country, so the only person I have to blame is myself.

- What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?

Booze, headphones, not too hot, not too cold. Half the time if my girlfriend is there it is cool, half the time it is not. Getting samples from DVDs always seems to inspire me. Obviously hearing something heavy gets me in the mood too. Also, seeing people dancing to stuff that I know I could do better than is good (although you do wonder about the peoples music taste)

- Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?

Because it is rad. You can make people dance! It is like you are hypnotising people.

- Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?

Obviously. It is not the only tracker out there. It is the best though.

- Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?

I make electronic music. So yes, it is better.

- What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?

Don’t really care. If I can get free stuff, I am happy.

- Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.

Yes. Anything with no emotional content. I went to a Trance club a while ago in Roppongi. It was the worst thing I have experienced musically in my life. Some trance is ace, but this was the trance of the other variety. My god. And the people who were loving it where total and utter morons.

- Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
Can’t stop famine and aids, but it can make your day better, and give you access to something out of this world.

- What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
Probably loads of good stuff and loads of shit. More and more digital sounding and sterile no doubt.

- Is Trance Gay?

It is not gay, handbag house is gay. I think the crasher kid commercial variety is fing fing shit. The dark moody stuff is ace.

- Core or K0r3?

Don’t understand

- Kaneel?

Eh?

- Why?

Better than other stuff.

- What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?
alexstrain at this stage, pondering my game name - “Greyside”. Real name includes a space between alex and strain, and capitals. No past names.
- How long have you been using Renoise?
about 2 and a half years regularly, and about a year prior to that for bits and pieces working with a friend, didnt really use it that much outside of collaboration then though, and only had the demo…
- How long have you been making music?
since i was 17… geez thats like 5 years ago now… gave my first performance when i was 12 though, singing at the sydney opera house with a school group =)
- Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
yes, in chronological order of discovery; creative wave studio, fruity loops, reason, then coming home. In order of creativity (least to most) reason, fruityloops, creative wave studio, renoise.
- What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
this has changed so much over time that I dont really know what I make…what to really call it. There are the aspects of breakcore and strange tune that I lightly publicise, but theres also all the crap which should only be ignored by the rest of you… it does exist though =)
- What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
the green colour scheme I made, and the fact that I am able to make one and use it. for both questions.
- What is your favorite pattern effect code? (If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! )
its a three way tie, E# in panning column, 09## and noteoff. Poor abused noteoff, it is rarely acknowledged for its true worth. Imagine tracking WITHOUT noteoff though!
- On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
about a 9, I use it as an opening line with women.
- If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
I dunno, cupholders…? what else do you need? just minor stuff, tweaks, IMO… nothing i can use my imagination to conjure…
- Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
yes, many! but I daren’t list them because theres always someone you forget who wanted to be mentioned, and then its awkward to say to them “oh, i did mean to put you in there, but forgot…” etc. LOADED QUESTION!!
- Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?
the opportunity to externalise ideas… i keep coming back to the music itself i guess…
- Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
yes, snow: informer. I need more skill first though, probably need his permission too.
- How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?
if i had to give a black and white answer, i’d say I’m schitzophrenically in love with renoise. when i use it, or think about using it, it consumes that thought process. But i have other passions in life beyond music. like gaming and bike riding =)
- Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.
www.dodgyrecordings.com
I only put the things I dont think anyone would hate up though. I’m very self conscious, so this isnt very much. Although, if you just happen to guess the name, alot of stuff (nearly half a gig!) is available at www.dodgyrecordings.com/???.ogg
:)
- Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
The nicest thing someone ever said to me was on IRC one time. I feel ashamed because i forget who it was, but they said they had a folder especially with my name on it for all the tracks i put up on the web. It warmed my heart, it did. was one of the guys from here…
- Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
not anymore. just they keyboard thats hooked up to renoise, pretty poorly. I used to play piano (a little better) and sing; i’ve heard many people say their voice is their instrument. singing was my favourite.
- How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
Historically, enough to keep my head above water; i could sheet read and sing. Probably not anymore, havent actually looked at any sheet music in many years. I was trained “classically”. I think it has no bearing on what I do now other than the exposure it gave me to music, and that it gave me the idea to follow a path initially…
- What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?
Everything starts as something for me, sometimes if i think it wont bring shame and embarrassment upon me I agonise over it and make it into something i think might be worth sharing. I care what other people think to the point that I will with-hold alot of music.
- How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?
thats too much.
i cant stand to hear it at all normally, in fact i often work myself into knots trying to remove repition that is bugging me… trying to balance that equation perfectly once you mix it up a bit…
- What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?
i have an edirol PC-50 controller keyboard, an evolution “x-session” controller, some over-the-top PA speakers and a creative vibra 128. It has humour value at least. Oh, and currently i have on loan an HR-16 (complete with circuit bending port :))
[i]- Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?

  • Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?[/i]
    no, yes, but they’re crap and i dont know why, yes for the time being, unless i find something that feels better, and until then, N/A for the last question.
    - Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?
    sometimes, but not often. Only if i’ve been working on it constantly for too long; whatever that arbitrary figure might be at the time. I often lie and say i need outside sonic help because i think it sounds good and i need a mood lift from someone else liking it…
    - Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?
    I dont consider any of my songs have been mastered…but if you would think them to sound that way, then yes I did it myself.
    - Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?
    yes, and it didnt work because of the other guy, no really! =)
    ended up getting annoyed at him and putting on some premade stuff to attempt to keep people dancing…
    that kind of put me off being live though, havent bothered trying again.
    - Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?
    I dont make money.
    - Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?
    nope, someone asked me once in IRC if i wanted to put a track in one, but that was the last i heard of it…he never emailed me
    - What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?
    hermit
    - Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?
    yes, yes, YES!!
    - Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)
    n/a
    - Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)
    well yeah, I like it… thats why i make it. I wouldnt go so far as pride, but ones without shame are on my site, listed above.
    - What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?
    good mixing
    - Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?
    bad speakers, not making any money, not really sure if it would even be worth it, or if it would be just another one of those things, where it was only fun where it was a struggle, and once its easy you lose interest… i like making the stuff as is
    - What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?
    feeling good vibes, thinking of a tune/feeling a rhythm
    - Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?
    because of the way it makes me feel…
    - Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?
    if renoise didnt exist, probably, if computers didnt exist, DEFINATELY, i would have never got out of singing and into gaming =)
    - Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
    i dunno, certainly takes some of the mystique out of it… “…oh yeah my brothers friend does that…”
    - What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?
    can all be encompassed in the last statement, could not care less, no. What a rotten world we live in, where people charge money for recordings of music. I mean, its not like they had to go to any extra effort for us to be able to hear it, like if they came out and toured our home town or something…
    from a moralistic perspective, I’m not sure how my position would change if people decided to pay me for recordings of my music. but I dont think i will actively persue this.
    - Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
    yes, on many levels. There is crap music - like what I make, there is artistically bad music - ie, taking an old song and putting a hiphop beat on it, making a million dollars off it, and then there is also bad-ass music - ie venetian snares.
    - Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
    someone would have to hear it first i think…
    not that i’m aware of
    [i]- What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
  • Is Trance Gay?[/i]
    nostradamus say: world end in 2000
    - Core or K0r3?
    come again?
    - Kaneel?
    yes please
    - Why?
    because his beats are sexy

- How long have you been using Renoise?
Since 1.5.2, what’s that? A couple of years?

- How long have you been making music?
Sheez… I’ve no idea. Could be '93, could be '96.

- Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones?
A few; Protracker back in the amiga days (then a long period of very little digitally based work. These years incl. working on Digibooster, Fasttracker, Sk@le, Cubase sytems) and now Renoise and the occational Logic and/or Ableton Live.
- Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
Ah… well, Renoise is where I get the most done, but I think Logic “inspires” me the most. Which is why I prefer Renoise at this stage.

- What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
something-tronica, I guess. I’m not as interested in doing tunes for the dancefloor as I once was.

- What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
Advanced Edit. Oh yeah, and the “blocking” feature. Love those.

- What is your favorite pattern effect code?
9xx’s always been my favourite. Allthough it’s not perfect, it’s still a good example of the “control” that Renoise offers and other digital sequencers don’t.

- On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
With 10 being the most geeky? Hm, I guess I’m a solid 5 then. I don’t use pattern commands all that much, but I do wear my Renoise t-shirt when being the stand-in guitarist of some obscure rock band.

- If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
An intergalactic audio translator would be handy, when trying to sell my tunes to the recordlabels on Mroowigarnk 4.

- Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
Sorry, I’m not easily impressed.

- Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?
Litterature.

- Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
Loads! Grant Lee Buffalo’s Demon Called Deception; one of Albinoni’s oboe concerti; Coltrane’s Afro Blue; Beach Boys’ God Only Knows to name a few.

- How serious are you about making music?
Very and not the least.

- Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
I’ve been told I have a “certain way” of handling basslines and percussion/drums, but I’ve yet to figure out wheither that connotes something good or something bad. =)

- Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
I’m no equilibrist, but I do (to a degree) play guitars (acoustic, electric, pedal steel, banjo etc), bass, drums/ percussion, violin, piano/ keyboard, pipes, flutes etc… but none is my favourite, hence the “I’m no equilibrist” part. I enjoy doing vocals, though, but I don’t regard that as an instrument (not an instrument of music, anyway).

- How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
Some; I know more about perfomative and receptive theory within musical theory, but I think I’ve got the basics nailed. Applicable? Well, yeah, I guess our music is a condensation of what we know and what we are. However, on a conscious level my composition (and live performances) relies more on the traditions of literary and cross-aesthetic theory.

- What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?
Haven’t given it much thought. I guess we’re all - to some extend - sensitive to the criticism and/or appreciation of others.

- How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?
I agree. =)

- What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?
Not much. I love my old Boss BD-2 stomp pedal.

- Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?
The Lexicon PSP42 delay plug is about as hardware as software gets.

- Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?
Adequate, sure. Anything above a four-track and a 30¤ microphone is adequate and acceptable. My list of things i really, really, really need is as long as any piece of notepaper allows me to make it. I really (really!) need a better mic for vocals and a new Les Paul.

- Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?
Fair. Always. No. =)

- Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?
I’m not sure its even possible to master your own songs, but I do my own mixing, yeh. If I had the money to hire, say, Dave Fridmann or Mark Linkous for the mastering/ proper production, I would. But I don’t. So I don’t. =)

- Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it?
I do perform live now and then, either with instruments in the traditional sense or by adding Logic. I’ve done a few strictly Renoise (well… and a midi-keyboard) sets aswell, but - allthough heaps of fun - they didn’t really hit home.

- What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?
I’m not really interested in reproducing anything; if I was, I’d just bounce my songs and sit in the corner of the stage with a cup of coffee while my flac-player did the set for me. A friend and I will be doing a Midsummer’s Day gig this year, which will probably be a setup with two laptops both running Renoise. That would be ideal. Or we could… do an acoustic set, and that would be ideal as well. The point is, as long as I/ we know what the setup looks like some time in advance, I/ we can prepare the songs for those specific limitations.

- What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?
Neither would change my future much; I’ve no intention of doing music full-time.

- Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?
Yes. No, not really. Yes.

- Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)
Heheh. Damn. The phrase “albatross song” is new to me, but I can see why it applies. But yeah, I have this one track I did back in… eh… '98 or so, which was “included” on a 2disc compilation. The project was however abandoned (as I remember it, due to contract issues 'tween Muffler and his label regarding his contributions to the compilation), but I’ve received quite a few comments on “that track” since. Back then ('99?) I lost or deleted (or something) my tracks for the project and it wasnt until a couple of weeks ago, I re-heard the particular tune. I’ve always recollected it as being utter crap. And it really was.

- Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
Well, I find the transition from hardware to software recording (and through this the development of digital aesthetics - and counter-aesthetics, such as the lo-fi movement) very interesting. Obviously, because I’m in the middle of it, but not because I normatively prefer one technology to the other. Digital technology has changed the perception of music, for sure - like the printing technology changed the effects and perception of visual arts and literature - but it hasn’t changed “music” as such. The present “democratic” element of music (and arts in general) is something I could live without, though.

- Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
Yeah, I’ve been told sweet pop tunes are bad for ye teeth.

- Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
No. Yes.

- What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
I assume, it’ll sound much like music.

- What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?
My Renoise-Name is Marc Shake. In Reality they call me Marcel Schindler. The pastnames where Dope, Dopefish and Pyrocracker

How long have you been using Renoise?
I am using Renoise since 2003 or something like that. My first was 1.28

How long have you been making music?
Since 1991. Always trackers. First Protracker, then Octamed, FT2, Modplug and now Renoise

Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
No. Just trackers

What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
First I did some stuff like eurodance which is stuff like Dr. Alban or Culture Beat. I changed to Hardstyle/Gabber and now I am totally in trance

What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
I like the FT2-keyboard-layout

What is your favorite pattern effect code? (If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! :P)
0b00 and 0CC0

On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
Renoise is a 5. Its ancestors where “scenerstuff” but I guess it will find its way into usual studios

If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
USB-connection to my brain.

Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
Keith303, Foo?, Beatslaughter, Looza

Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?
I love complex melodies. Christan Bruhns, Enigma, Dune and Armin van Buuren…

Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
I usually do covers to see if something is possible to do in Renoise. Never released them. Acidjazzed evening might be a good cover.

How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?
Renoise is in my autostart-folder.

Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.
http://www.trancefish.de/music.php

Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
I have some fans. In fact those are my friends and they tell me how to improve stuff.

Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
I play a lot of instruments. Keyboards, Bassguitar, Drums. I am not really a master but it’s enough to recognize a melody

How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
I now how to read notes. But that’s all

What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?
I do stuff I want to hear more often. But getting succesfull is not bad, ain’t it?

How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?
It depends on the style… the style it is it depends on.

What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?
Turntables, Mixer, Casio CTK 691, Edirol Midihub, Yamaha DX10

Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?
Synth1. Some plugs I am “testing”

Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?
I need a new appartment where I can turn up the volume.

Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?
I can listen to a song and then I know how to play it myself. My mastering and EQ-ing-Skills are really bad.

Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?
I do not master. I use some sort of compression and that’s all.

Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?
I just worked as a Deejay several times. The biggest was a parade with 25000 people.

Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?
I want to be famous, somehow.

Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?
I am planning to do my own label. It’s on http://basskick.net/

What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?
Indie, because I do not want to sound like all the other stuff.

Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?
Yeah, I did and no I do not want to do anymore.

Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)
Yes. Most of my hardstyle-stuff :)

Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)
I like my music. There are no particular songs I prefer. My newest is usually my favourite.

What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?
I need to improve my mixing.

Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?
I have to be quiet. That’s really annoying.

What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?
I am good if I did not have stress at work.

Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?
I make music because I want to see if I can compete with my idols.

Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?
If there was no renoise I would have started improving Modplug. If there were no computers in general I would be better on the piano.

Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
I think it depends. Too many musicians turned out to be more “technical persons” than being just a “musician”.

What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?
The big labels are just pain the ass.

Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
I really hate hip hop. Especially Timbaland.

Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
Music creates emotions. That would not be so important to change the world but emotions are the slightly difference between us and robots.

What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
Remember Space-Ship Orion? In 2500 there wouldn’t be any music anymore because the RIAA forbids to listen to music.

Is Trance Gay?
No. Real Trance is not gay. Commercial club trance is.

Core or K0r3?
or

Kaneel?
Nice person to chat in #renoise

Why?
Because.

- What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?
Florian Mosleh, black squirrel, indigo, rotorstrut, flowb

- How long have you been using Renoise?
since version 1.27, so about 5years

- How long have you been making music?
I wrote my first song on an electric organ toy when I was about 7 years old. It was a ballad for an imaginary pet.
[b]

  • Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?[/b]
    Scream Tracker 3, Impulse Tracker, Pure Data, ModPlug, Sound Forge, Cool Edit, Bias Peak, Amadeus II, Cubase, Sonar, Ableton, Audacity, Nuendo, Logic, Rebirth.
    Impulse Tracker was the first Audio program I became absolutely obsessed with. I used to use IT and Soundforge exclusively. When I switched to Mac I couldn’t use Soundforge anymore :(. Now I use Renoise and BiasPeak for just about everything. I’ll occasionally use Ableton to experiment with mixing ideas. I use Pure Data for odd sound experiments I can’t quite pull off in Renoise.

- What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
symphonic-punk-country-disco :). I used to be influenced by industrial music and try to make stuff like that. These days it tends to be very thematic and mathematical. I try to reinvent myself as often as possible, I get bored with my own music very quickly.

- What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
09xx is the feature that makes tracking my weapon of choice. The DSP stack in renoise and the LFOs are also handy, and I like NNAs and envelopes.

- What is your favorite pattern effect code? (If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! tongue.gif)

i think i already answered this one :stuck_out_tongue:

- On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
hmmm… well, I honestly know the program pretty well. I think I could comfortably call myself an 8 or 9. Though i do not really use ALL the features, so I might be overreaching a bit.

- If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.

stackable effect commands

- Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
venetian snares, line 47, helvetikon

- Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?
Yoshinori Kitase, riuichi sakamoto, aphex twin, squarepusher, moondog, felix mendelssohn, boris, motorhead, tool, underworld, future sound of london, charles mingus, sleepytime gorilla museum, dj food.

- Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
‘the tourist’ by radiohead, ‘fade away’ by buddy holly

- How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?

i’m always tracking. attempts to stop have resulted in partial breakdowns :).

- Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.
i’m in the process of redesigning. older work can be found at www.cytoplastik.com under artists->flo

- Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
i’m pretty obscure, peers in my creative group generally review my work pretty well. i lisenced a track to HBO to be used in The Wire a few years ago and, occasionally get emails from people about it. it’s nice to be positively reviewed. :)

- Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
yup. Bass, Drums and Voice. Currently my main focus is Bass.

- How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
I know a bit, but I try to avoid leaning on theory during the composition process. I find that taking an overly analytical approach to writing music often results in music that I feel less connected to.

- What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?

I think that if I make something that genuinely resonates with me, that it will strike something withing a listener as well.

- How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?
enough repetition is enough repetition

- What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?
my new 24" widescreen lcd is beast in renoise :). Kaoss Pad 3 is wikked live! I use a customized pair of Audio Technica monitors that I like alot.

- Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?
i like to stick to open source or indy-developed software whenever possible. as such, i like the work that comes out of smartelectronix

- Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?
a new recording interface, mic preamp and condenser mics would be nice.

- Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?

i’ve got a process. i get it to sound the way i want in my studio, then i try it out on different sound systems out and about and take notes. earbud headphones on an MP3 player will often reveal shortcomings in your sound image that may go unnoticed when you listen to your mix on nice speakers. weird but true.

- Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?

i am 100% self produced.

- Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?

alot. honestly it depends on the context. when i’m playing with a band i like my software to be as transparent to the situation as possible. solo, jamming renoise tracks I like playing with looping and splicing stuff on the spot. the kaoss pad 3 is very good for this

- Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?
yes, no :)

- Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?
no, but i’ve got some prospects on the horizon

- What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?
i could use the structure of a contract, but i like the freedon of being a free agent.

- Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?
yes. i am actually currently working on a project that will simplify and streamline the on-line digital art collaboration process.

- Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)

a track called ‘frightened’. it’s a melodramatic whine-off (with vocals). ugh.

- Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)
i like some of it :). there’s a track by me called ‘snowflake’ on the cytoplastik site that i like. i also like the chukks track i contributed to the 1.8 release of renoise.

- What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?

it’s not random enough. i feel like i need to devise a new way of making my music sloppier and more random

- Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?
i’m too obsessive and the tools i use a just not quite spontaneous enough. maybe i need a new interface?

- What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?

being stoned is fun sometimes while tracking. i find caffeine and sleep deprivation to be good for tracking too :). mainly, genuinely loving what i work on, helps me get the most fulfilling work experience, regardless of the medium.

- Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?

yes, no :)

- Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?
i made music before i used computers and renoise. i make music without them today. no worries there.

- Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
for the better, but there certainly is alot more crappy music around now then there used to be. if you make something more accessible, more people who don’t want to put in the effort of using it well, will ultimately access it.

- What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?

the music industry is going in a very good direction: to hell in a handbasket. i certainly wont be sorry to see it go. the modern free media exchange medium is the ideal mode of exchange for me but, we still need to get comfortable with the fact that as much as we’d like to own ideas that we imagine are the product of only our own selves, we just combine and reinterpret our surroundings. no man is an island. i hope one day to be able to live by making music and art, and at the same time I feel like people should be able to access the art and music for free if they want to. it’s complicated and i don’t know how it’s supposed to work, but it feels like it would be the only right way.

- Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
there is music that i don’t like. i don’t, for example, like the dave mathews band. they’re good musicians, but the content doesn’t appeal to me. i would call that bad music. absolutely no one needs to agree with me. ‘badness’, like ‘beauty’, is in the eye of the beholder.

- Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
after organizing my first ever multimedia ehibition, i received an email from one of the attendees saying that our work had inspired him to quit his job and begin making art instead. i was very humbled by this. i don’t know if the person ever did it, but in theory at least, a work of art that i contributed to, compelled someone else to do something creative.

- What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
i’m sorry, but i think those questions are kind of wanky. if i waste time thinking about this, the music of the future will sound like alot of musicians thinking about what music will sound like once they get around to making it: like alot of nothing.

- Is Trance Gay?
all generalizations are wrong

- Core or K0r3?
|<0r3! get it straight 14m3r!!

- Kaneel?
wtf

- Why?

un-ask

  • What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?

DDspeed, or Denis. My real name is Denis Dubiella.

  • How long have you been using Renoise?

Since version 1.01 or something similar, can’t remember exactly. Exported to WAV using Creative recorder :P.

Registered somewhere at 1.28.

  • How long have you been making music?

Hard to tell… I went to music school on double bass at the age of 6 or 7… Although I started making music on the computer in 2001 with FruityLoops 3, to switch to Ft2 and Buzz soon after that.

  • Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?

FL3 -> Buzz -> Ft2 -> - MT2 -> IT -> Renoise. Sibelius at times (mostly for school work). I must say I loved Buzz for the coolness of connecting synths to lots of effects, but i hated it’s interface, with the exception of the modular connector. The amount of time I spent on Renoise exceeds the time I spent with all the other programs ogether, so I guess I can say it inspired me the most. Additionally, all my best songs (IMO) were made with Renoise.

  • What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?

It has changed a lot. I started with cheap trance, now I’m going towards downtempo grooves, and getting more and more involved into live-performed music, ever since I started playing the bass almost 2 years ago.

  • What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?

Hmmm… Hard to say. I think my sound comes mostly from the techniques of Necros/FM, who was my greatest inspiration and the sound of Rhodes, that I use in most of my songs.

However, my favourite part is Renoise pattern editor. Unique thanks to the panning collumn, additional note collumns and multiple effect collumns. It rocks.

  • What is your favorite pattern effect code? (If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! :P)

dx in panning collumn is the one I use the most when working on the Rhodes parts. I also use a lot of glides and 04xx when writing basslines.

  • On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.

I have no damn idea…

  • If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.

Built-in Rhodes simulator. :)

Also, video and SMPTE support. It would allow me to do some of my school job in Renoise instead of ProTools.

  • Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?

Many… It-Alien, Keith303, Xerxes and Dufey to name a few.

  • Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?

NECROS! Necros is my god. Lately the '70s music, disco, soul and funk is a great inspiration for me. I discovered this music thanks to the bass.

  • Are there any cover-songs you want to do?

I generally don’t make cover songs. At least not in Renoise.

  • How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?

I’m very serious about making music. I can’t say Renoise consumes my every thought, as I don’t define music as Renoise. Music is my whole life, and I’m quite serious about that statement. However, as Renoise is a tool for sequencing music, and my job and school is mostly about sound editing, Renoise is not the tool for work, just for fun.

  • Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.

ddspeed.untergrund.net

  • Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?

None that I know of. Many people claim to like my music, but I don’t thiink they ever listen to it, after they told me what they think :P.

  • Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?

I play the piano, clarinet and the bass. By bass I mean bass guitar, which is the instrument I’ve always loved and always wanted to play. Now I finally can do that, as I have my own instrument and sources of inspiration.

  • How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?

I went to the music school for 12 years, now I’m studying at the Music Academy, so I guess I know something about the theory :). Basically - I know what they thaught me, not sure if it’s a lot or not, but it’s much more than enough for my electronic work. I guess I actually don’t use 90% of that knowledge when Renoising, because i.e. there’s no need to know the rules of writing a fugue when making a downtempo song :P. Although it’s always nice to know.

  • What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?

I just compose for myself and so… I do care what others think. I actually have a feeling it’s not really possible to compose strictly for yourself. In my opinion, if nobody ever listens to my compositions, than there’s nothing that can bring me the satisfaction of making the whole thing. It’s also never nice to hear when people say your music sucks. In other words - to me, writing music for my own fun means writing music that I and some other people will like.

  • How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?

Ideally, no pattern is repeated in my songs. I think it’s the right way. Although my songs are sometimes repeatitive, there’s always something happening. Despite the fact that I like many very repeatitive songs I think repetition is always avoidable without losing the trancy atmosphere of a song.

  • What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?

just my computer and me. The only bit of professional equipement I use is AKG271 Studio headphones. They rock!

  • Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?

Mr. Ray. Currently I’m looking for a free Intel Mac-friendly alternative, but there doesn’t seem to be any :(.

  • Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?

I’m planning to buy the M-Audio FireWire 410 really soon. Then I’ll have to buy ProTools M-Powered, because I need a ProTools for school. Then I’ll really need some new speakers and a keyboard.

  • Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you
    value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?

I’m not sure if I understand the question correctly, but anyway… I think it’s important to neither be 100% a musican or an engineer. The right way is to know your ways in both territories. Also, that’s what they’re trying to do with me and other students on the Academy - they’re teaching us a lot of musical subjects (musical ear-training, harmony, history of music etc) and technical (electro-acoustics, electronics, digital editing, etc).

  • Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?

I master myself.

  • Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?

I performed live on the bass and clarinet, but it was never anything really exciting… I also never performed MY music live, except for “Amazing Grace variations in F Major” for clarinet, I once did for school.

  • Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?

I don’t make money yet. I’m hoping to be hired in music industry as a sound engineer/producer in the future.

  • Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?

None.

  • What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?

As a composer - being independent. I want to serve other musicians as a sound engineer.

  • Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?

I tried a few times, but never finished any collaborative work. I guess I’m not really collaborative.

  • Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)

“Infinite”.

  • Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)

I love my music, although I’m not always happy with it. I like “Skyscraper” most of my songs, for it’s flow and groove.

  • What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?

Pretty much everything… But mostly the groove. It’s very important for me.

  • Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?

Lack of skill.

  • What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?

I have no damn idea. I guess none of these examples is applicable to me.

  • Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?

Nope.

  • Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?

I’d definitely do.

  • Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?

Depends… It allowed a lot of great amateurs to come out of the dark with some really good sounding music, but on the other hand, more and more labels want the musicians to record and produce their music themselves instead of hiring a professinal studio for them, which lowers the quality of commercial productions.

  • What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?

I don’t care about myspace or blogs.

I guess the introduction of mp3 made people care less of quality of the sound they’re listening to, which is a shame, especially for sound enigneers who rip their veins off to make the highest quality sound they can, just to know that people will then compress it all to the point where it all just doesn’t make much sense… I’m still not decided about how piracy influences the audio market.

  • Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.

There’s no “bad music”. There’s music I don’t like.

  • Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?

It’s hard to say. Music follows the world trends, but there are some trends that seem to be generally based upon music. For example hip-hop. It’s so damn popular these days one cannot say it didn’t change the world. I don’t think however, that my music has ever had a big influence on anybody. Except for me maybe.

  • What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?

Don’t know…

  • Is Trance Gay?

Indeed it is.

  • Core or K0r3?

K0r3 of course.

  • Kaneel?

Huh?

  • Why?

Because.

Man this is a lot of reading. Keep it up guys/gals.

- What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?
Renoise name: Sonus
Real name: Robert
Past Name: I was a member of “X Kraft” in the past, and we used Renoise

- How long have you been using Renoise?
4 or 5 years now? I’m not sure. Back when I used MPT, I fiddled around with the original NoiseTrekker. I bought Renoise when it was at version 1.2.8 I THink …

- How long have you been making music?
Tracking for about 8 years

- Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
Originally used ModPlug tracker. Used to sample from Rebirth. More recently, I’ve been trying to wrap my hear around Ableton Live.

- What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
I usually go for a hiphopesque sound now … chillout, downtempo, triphop, and sometimes more uptempo breakbeatish tracks. Back in the day I did 4-to-the-floor cheese fests.

- What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
Ummm…My favorite part about trackers in general is the sort of “global view” you get when viewing the pattern editor. No traditional sequencer allows you to see so much in such detail all at once.

No … There really isn’t any feature integral to my sound, other than MpReverb! :slight_smile:

- What is your favorite pattern effect code? (If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! tongue.gif)
09xx

- On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
6. I don’t really delve into renoise instruments at all, and I don’t really know some of the archane effect commands by heart.

- If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
Not really imaginative: subtick timing/better resolution. Coupled with that, standard sequencer quantization. Also, midi effects and midi routing plus true vst multitibral support.

- Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
Ahh come on…I don’t want to offend anyone by leaving them out! Ummm… xerxes, parsec (I remember a beatbattle track he did…amazing), IT-Alien for his crazy source files, basement wigger, foo, looza … too many to list!

- Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?
I’m usually inspired by something I hear, but not in a genre that I usually create … so Ill be inspired by some old jazz or rock track or something.

- Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
Nope
[b]

  • How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?[/b]
    Pretty serious. It doesn’t consume my every thought, but I do envision myself moving toward a more “professional” level of electronic music. Maybe. Hopefully.

- Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.
Of course!
www.djsonus.com (which links to www.ctgmusic.com/sonus)
www.myspace.com/sonus

- Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
Hehe. Yes. Because they like my music! :wink:

- Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
I used to play the piano. Now a daddle with punk rock guitar and hand drums. I love drums!

- How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
While I’ve forgotton all the theory I learned with my piano training, I’ve always had a sort of innate musical knowledge. Listening to a song I’ve never heard before, be it classical or rock, I can guess the chord progressions and scales with pretty high accuracy.

- What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?
First and foremost, I make music that I myself like listening to. In other words, if I were to come across my song but made by somebody else, I would like that song very much!

Yes, I care what other people think to a certain extent … but not to the point that somebody’s comments will bring me down.

- How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?
Ugh. The line between chilled out/downtempo and repetitive/boring is very thin indeed.

- What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?
Computer, amp, speakers, midi keyboard, turntables, dj mixer, little behringer mixer, microphone, fender strat, little practice amp, multieffect pedel, bass, bass amp, bongos, wood flutes

- Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?
NyquistEQ, RubyTube, PSP Vintage warmer

- Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?
More recording gear (mics and stuff) and a better mobile studio setup. Oh…and some drum midi device…either electronic drums or one of the TriggerFingers or seomthing like that … better MIDI support in renoise would be needed.

- Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?
I would say I’m fairly decent.

- Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?
Myself. No money to pay somebody else to do it.

- Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?
No, but I very much want to! That’s the next big step I want to take. You can’t make money without performing live, which leads me to …

- Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?
Not yet!

- Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?
Nope

- What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?
I’m not sure

- Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?
Yes, and I enjoy it very much.

- Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)
Hah! I wish.

- Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)
Yes … all of them? :wink:
Umm…I think “Absolution” is a particularly interesting track.

- What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?
Variation.
[b]

  • Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?[/b]
    Laziness

- What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?
Nope. Inspiration for me is fairly random and can come any time.

- Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?
I think I’m a naturally creative/artistic individual. I enjoy creating something … I find it very rewarding.

- Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?
Yes and Yes

- Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
Better

- What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?
I think the big labels are too big, and I fear the “independent” labels are acting too much like the bigs. I think the various internet distribution methods are great!

- Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
I’m not sure.

- Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
I’m not sure.

- What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
I don’t care. We’ll find out when we get there.

- Is Trance Gay?
In a happy way.

- Core or K0r3?
core

- Kaneel?
Sure. He’s French right? Kaneel!

- Why?
Why not?

:drummer:

What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?
I use FReeLY for most of my stuff , live performances/ renoise/ hip hop and I have previously used Gusto /CDN real name is Adam

How long have you been using Renoise?
Only about a year or so , my mate teh masochist introduced me 'cause he knew I love trackers

How long have you been making music?
Since 1990 or so I started to dabble. Around '93 I wrote my first track that I kept

Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?

Yes. Protracker, OctaMed, Logic, Cubase, Acid Pro, Sonar on platforms Amiga / Mac / PC the MOST inspired was protracker on Amiga and Logic on PC… and ofcourse now Renoise :yeah:

What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
Hmm kinda electronica / ambient / hip hop. love down tempo. Yes, it’s always changing. One day it’ll be a proper song :P

What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?

Yer… the .exe !! :P Its all good for me :)

What is your favorite pattern effect code? (If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! tongue.gif)

0920

On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
8.5 - 9 I talk about it to everyone. Whether they own a computer or not. “GO GET IT!!”

If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
Crazy MIDI controlled performances and GUI

Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
I am impressed by all the music I have heard on here and in the song download sections.

Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?

Chiptune, Early C-64 and Amiga, Hollywood movies (Tango & Cash for example) 4-mat, audiomonster, HEAPS of others
I keep coming back to lounge chill music with improv guitar when I jam.
When I listen its usually hardwired demo, or 3D demo II

Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
Yer sure, theres quite a few. California Dreaming, A girl like you, etc

How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?

I treat renoise like my Binary Brother…If i’m not thinking about him he’s thinking about me [no homo] and I want mine to autostart.

Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.

http://www.myspace.com/freely ( I’ll have a website back 1day)

Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?

Yes my good freinds and others interested in local music in all its glory.

Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
Play and dabble with most. My primary instrument is guitar , But I LOOVE keys and singing

How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
I studied theory and music at the Conservatprium of Music before that though NONE. IT IS THE SINGLE MOST USEFUL THING YOU NEED TO BE THE ULTIMATE COMMUNICATOR

What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?
Little of both at the moment I am gearing towards more compositions where I write EXACTLY what I can hear in my mind.

How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?
I dunno, I’m into hip hop. You couldnt get much more repetitive. I think it is evolving quite quickly though which is good. I hate when GOLDEN sounds are overused. FIND A GREAT SOUND use it once a song and ya onto a winner,

What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?

My laptop Core Duo ! YAY Yamaha PSR-3000 , I wanna RAVE about my AKAI MFC-42 Analog Filter … I LOVE IT , M-Audio Trigger finger , Casio MT-45 , Atari 2600 Synthcart , Amiga 1200 (trying ta turn into tower for cheap… GOOD LUCK)

Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?

MiniMoog, Chip32 & JunoX

Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?
I need a mixer and a decent set of speakers… My laptop needs a nice feed of memory and a 7200rpm SATA2 HD

Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?
My ears have defnitly evolved in the last few years but I’ve always been able to mix the sound thats in my mind albeit in it’s basic form. Quality of equipment PLAYS A HUGE PART!!!

Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?
I’ve done it mostly myself but I will always want to use a combination of professional, aquaintance and self mastered projects for variety

Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?

Yes various local circus acts and electronic music fire/ light shows. A couple of small art exhibitions and community based stuff. To reproduce my music live I like all my equipment synced or atleast talking to each other and all hands on stuff is FUN TO DO on the night.

Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?
Defnitly would like to make money for live and produced projects. Hmm have made some money , At the moment though, working the grind to get into dinner crowd scene for money.

Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?

Not signed or anything but I have been mates and affiliated with Nurcha Records before it was a reality http://www.nurcharecords.com It’s just a small Sydney label to try and help up and comers in Hip Hop music

What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?

Indie

Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?

Yeh I collaborate a fair bit… FReeLY aka freelance I LOVE IT.
Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)
Yer I hate most of my stuff at some point of the day… hahaha but some people seem to like it.

Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)
Yes I love and hate all my songs. If its UTTER crap it doesnt get saved.
Save Count: 300
Didn’t Save Count: 3.4 trillion

Fav at the moment is my[static]escape (its on my myspace page)

What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?
I need to put more time and effort into embelishing and INPARTICULAR using more progressions and treating all tracks as a masterpeice.

Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?

Hmmmm. Fear of failureand lack of common interest

What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?

Fed, relaxed, and in an inquisitive state. Usually at around 1:30 am

Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?
Its relaxing and creative

Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?

Yes but not happily :)

Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
Its awesome from the variety aspect but I also agree that all this teknicalityies make people a little too much engineer and not enuff sculptor…

What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?
It wont matter in 5 years. The quality of homegrown and self produced albums and live show’s will surpass the overpriced cram holes we currently utilize.

Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
NO! just bad moods. Ha

Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
Yep Music is very powerful… Light helps us see clearly and it helps us grow. Sound is of similar substance.
Yer my music has inspired my freinds to start music in their own ways.

What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?

2014 will be just HIGHEST OF HIGH FIDELITY and I dunno some sorta robot rap on drum’nbass rock/country cross LOL in 2500 It wont matter … arent we leaving Earth by then? Its been a while …

Is Trance Gay?
Hell no, trance is wicked. Theres ‘gayness’ all over the shop

Core or K0r3?
Only a lamer would ask

Kaneel?
brill

Why?
why the f*** not?

I like snares.

:drummer:

  • What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?
    Benefit of the Boomerang, Jordy Timmermans

  • How long have you been using Renoise?
    For almost two years now

  • How long have you been making music?
    Almost seven years

  • Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
    First I discovered FT2, until Windows XP made me switch to Skale, which made me cry until I discovered RNS

  • What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
    It was always very beaty and bassy, but it’s just getting more hectic, not really changing in flavour I guess

  • What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
    It’s a TRACKER BASED program, that is why it rocks so hard in my opinion. Nothing as tight as a tracker.

  • What is your favorite pattern effect code? (If you don’t know what this is go and learn them now! )
    09XX, it can be used in a kazillion ways!

  • On a scale from 1 to 10 what would be your Renoise geek-factor? Provide an example.
    A solid 8 or 9 maybe… It’s all use for making music. Not even touching external DSP or VST effects.

  • If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
    Multiple instances of Renoise, having multiple tracks loaded up and just jam away behind one laptop… sigh…

  • Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
    It’s awesome to discover that many of the musicians I respect for their awesomeness, use renoise.
    I started using Renoise so I could be like them, y’know. I even have the exact same colorschemes!

  • Who or what are your musical inspirations? Who or what do you ‘keep coming back to’?
    I love jazz, especially bebop, swing, acid, fast psyched out shit… Also classical compositions are really my
    sorta thing. Sergei Prokofiev is one of my biggest hero’s.

  • Are there any cover-songs you want to do?
    YES! So many, but I dare not touch them. Miles Davis, Prokofiev, Venetian Snares, The Doors …

  • How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?
    My laptop easily overheats, but it’s all I got. So I can only work in bits and pieces, which sucks dearly.

  • Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.
    http://yomirecords.com/botb or check myspace or whatever

  • Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
    My cats love my music, or they hate it so much they bug me during its development.

  • Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
    Hah, yeah ethnic percussion. Hurray.

  • How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
    None, I have two ears telling me what should go where and why.

  • What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?
    There is a sound and a reasonable way it should develop throughout the track. So it starts somewhere and
    slowely grows in intensity.

  • How much is enough repetition? How much is enough repetition?
    f**** repetition. f**** repetition and f**** repetition again.

  • What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?
    I have a midicontroller… If I had money, I’d buy monitors first, then a decent computer, then I’ll be poor
    again until one day I might finally get some hardware.

  • Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?
    Edirol Orchestra, the only VSTi that gives me wood.

  • Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?
    I need decent studiomonitors. My current speakers cost ¤25 a pair, which is audible.

  • Outside of your musical skill, how good is your engineering? Do your ears or gear deceive you? Do you value getting outside ‘sonic’ help?
    Playing live helps a lot, because you hear your tracks over many different soundsystems, so you can spot
    out the weaknesses in your tracks and fix em.

  • Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?
    No mastering, all renoise.

  • Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?
    I used to mix my tracks in traktor, but I switched to Ableton. Now I feel like a rockstar, tweaking
    my own tracks live, squeezing more out of the music I deemed stale.

  • Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?
    I make some money with gigs, maybe some more later on recordsales

  • Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?
    Kriss Records’ gonna release a vinyl by me and I’m setting up Mindtrick Records, which will release more.
    Ronin Collective is the only netlabel I’m a member of, but Viz is unreachable.

  • What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?
    Music is fun, a way of life, but not stable enough for me to live on. I prefer independant for flexebility

  • Have you ever worked collaboratively? Do you like working collaboratively? Will you do it in the future?
    Yeah, I made a track with Kaneel!

  • Do you have an ‘albatross song’? (A song that people really like that you don’t and they won’t leave you alone about it)
    Yup, it’s called ‘Dat Kankernummer’ which basically means ‘That F*cking Track’. It’s been released on
    several compilation cd’s so it’s what people know best. They love it, I hate it with all hatred I can muster.

  • Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of? (come on, do tell!)
    Yeah I think it’s okay, else I’d make something else. I personally like Eikintjasna, but nobody knows what
    the f*ck I’m talking about now anyway. It’s a nice track, short, direct and gay.

  • What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?
    It needs more dynamic, more life, more shit needs to happen in an orderly fashen and it needs to tighten up.
    I want a harder mix, deeper bass, sharper highs, an audible mid, I want it to be gutripping.

  • Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?
    My laptop.

  • What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?
    Doesn’t really matter. As long as there’s that feeling, like a bell ringing: NOW GODDAMMIT NOW NOW NOW
    When I’m high and just sit behind renoise and do something, it turns out like shit.

  • Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?
    I make music because I can.

  • Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?
    Yes, but I would be using Skale tracker still, and then cut my balls off and feed them to my cats.

  • Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
    For the better! I can be a producer behind a laptop, with NO hardware and NO musical education!

  • What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?
    Only people worried by their own money talk about that shit. They should’ve made cd’s cheaper, I aint
    paying 20 euros for 3 nice tracks and another half an hour crap.

  • Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
    Yes there is, but it is very rare to find. Everybody’s first track is an example of bad music.

  • Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
    No it cannot, but I believe it can be a stimulance, just like any artform, for change.

  • What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
    2014: Faster, hopefully. 2500: We’d be calling Michael Jackson a groundbreaking composer, which is bad.

  • Is Trance Gay?
    Yes

  • Core or K0r3?
    CORE

  • Kaneel?
    Aaah, monsieur baguette, oui oui! Il est un chien dans la poubelle, avec un jambon au jardin.

  • Why?
    Because he rocks.

“My laptop easily overheats, but it’s all I got. So I can only work in bits
and pieces, which sucks dearly.”

Me too mate. Get a fan, take off the cover of the fan so it blows extra hard with the same RPM, cut the back off you laptop where the heat is concentrated and point the fan at it.

That is what I do, and I would not be able to do anything at all without this set up. It is annoying in the extreme.

Never buy Sony products. All shit

- What is your Renoise-name? What is your real name? Any past names?
I use cubedecibel (An old IRC/Hacker nickname) in the Renoise forum. My real name is Mikael and my Dj/artist name is Binmink.

- How long have you been using Renoise?
Since 2004

- How long have you been making music?
Since 1998, when I bought my Roland MC-303.

- Have you used any other music software/platforms? If so, which ones? Which one have you been most inspired to work with?
Cubase, Fruity Loops, Ejay (Oh-yeah), Acid, Reason, Sound forge, and some trackers. Renoise and Sound forge (for recording) are my favorites.

- What sort of music do you end up making? Has this music changed over time?
Now I produce psychedelic ambient and Chill out music, but I’ve made a lot of electronica, progressive and psychedelic trance.

- What is your favorite part of Renoise? Is there any feature that is integral to ‘your sound’?
There is a lot of great features in Renoise, such as the easy way to set an effect on a separate note.

- What is your favorite pattern effect code?
0EXX!

- If development of Renoise continues well into the future, what would be your ‘dream’ requested feature? Be imaginative.
Making Renoise better for live-performance would be nice. An example is a ‘DJ’ controller inside Renoise with Play/Que/Stop and Pitch and Pitch bend would make it!

- Any other Renoise artists that really impress you?
Yeah, Etnoscope!

- Who or what are your musical inspirations?
All kind of psychedelic trance and ambient music. Shpongle, Bluetech, Carbon based lifeforms, OTT, Shulman… The list continues…

- How serious are you about making music? Does Renoise consume your every thought, or do you do this occasionally just to have some fun?
Music and art is my life. I’ll take it to my grave.

- Do you have a website, or a place where we can hear your work? If yes, please boast about it.
My personal website can be found on: http://www.binmink.se

- Do you have any fans? If so, do you know why they are fans?
I guess my fans like me because of my personality and my energic spirit. When I play/Dj I give my soul to the music and the crowd.

- Do you play any musical instruments? If so, which is your favorite?
Piano, synths, bongo drums and others. My computer is my favourite instrument.

- How much musical theory knowledge do you have? Do you feel that it’s applicable to your composition?
I’ve got the knowledge to make my own sounds. That’s enough for me…

- What are your views on song arrangement or composition? Do you just compose for yourself? Do you care what other people think?
Tricky question. I quess my music is easy to listen at if the listener likes psychedelic ambient music.

- How much is enough repetition?
Practice gives success. But I think it’s all about how much you love the things you do…

- What sort of gear can we find in “your studio”? Any bits of gear you’d like to rave about?
A PC laptop, running Renoise, some synths and drums. And other stuff that you need like midi controllers and Mic…

- Have you got any plug-ins you’d like to rave about? Are there certain plugs you keep coming back to?
I usally don’t use any plugins, but if I do It would be Atmosphere or QuadraSid

- Is your studio adequate? What gear are you needing to buy?
Oh no. I need a new pair of studio monitors, some new cool syntesizers and a better microphone for start. But I also need a new mixing device and tons of new effects, processors and stuff like that… And a new chair! My back hurts after several hours of making music!

- Additionally, do you master your songs yourself or do you get someone else to do them?
I’ll let other people to do that for me. If I had a mastering studio, I would probably do it myself.

- Have you ever performed live? If yes, how did you do it? What would you think would be ideal to reproduce your music live?
I use my computer, a DJ-mixing device and some external synths and effects. Renoise would be ideal for me with a DJ controller built in, with Play/cue, stop, pitch and pitch bend.

- Do you ever seek to make money with your music? Do you make money now?
No. But I usually take a fee for travel costs.

- Are you involved with any labels? Netlabels?
Not at this time. Just my own, ‘Eliminera oljudet’ (Swedish for ‘eliminate the noize’)

- What is better for your future: being on a contract or being independent?
Both has avantages and disadvantages. I don’t really know.

- Have you ever worked collaboratively?
No, not yet.

- Will you do it in the future?
Hopefully.

- Do you like your music? Any songs your are proud of?
Yeah, I like mostly of my own work actually.

- What do you think is lacking in your music? Do you feel you need to be working on any one particular area?
The sound quality can always be better. But do I want it to be?

- Along the same lines, what do you think holds you back from achieving what you want?
Time and money…

- What sort of ‘zone’ do you like to be in before you can make music on Renoise? Has this got something to do with environment, people, drugs, food, temperature, cosmic energy, etc?
Darkness and Nag Champa makes me calm and creative.

- Have you thought about why you make music? Do you have answer?
I love music, and I’m a pretty creative person. And I find making and listening to music relaxing.

- Do you think you would still be making music if Renoise didn’t exist? What about if computers didn’t exist?
Absolutely. But the computer and electronic musical instruments makes it all easier. I like singing to, but I don’t need a computer for that…

- Has accessible MIDI and digital technology changed music for the better or worse?
More control is better music.

- What do you think about the current direction of the music industry? What contributions are the mp3, the blog, piracy, and myspace making on the direction of popular music culture? Could you care less?
I don’t like all the big commercial record labels that actually rule the world of music. There is too much money and less love. I would like to see more of small record labels that care for each genre, and their artists. Mp3 is not the problem. Money is.

- Is there such thing as “bad music”? If so, please provide examples.
Sure. There is bad music. Every new commercial song, that are produced for money is bad. It’s nothing. There is no spirit in such song, and that makes it bad… Also there is ‘good’ music that is produced in a way that makes it bad.

- Can music really change the world? Has your music ever ‘made a change’ in someone?
Yeah, unfortunately. The media and fashions are ruled by the super artist and the big record labels. I think people are cowards who don’t dare to listen to another music than ‘radio music’. They are owned!

- What is music going to sound like in 2014? What’s music going to sound like in 2500?
It’s hard to tell. I don’t think the music will change so much until 2014. In 2500 it will be like LSD…

- Is Trance Gay?
Commercial trance sucks, Tiesto, Paul van dyk and others are really shit. Psychedelic, FullOn and Goa-trance Is the best!

- Core or K0r3?
Soft core!

- Kaneel?
Yes, with sugar in sour milk.

- Why?
Because every thing make sence.

it’s great getting to know you’ll like this !

so…eh mr. foo? … where’s yours ? :)

Yeah I was thinking about getting a fan (then I’d finally have a fan! ;) ), but breaking open the back
seems a bit… drastic… I mean, if it comes off naturally, it’s no problem, but I bought a laptop so I could
take it with me and dragging around a lappie with its spine uncovered seems scary… Although it IS tempting,
I just lost another track half an hour ago because mr lap died during the saving process, corrupting the file…

Can’t I just replace the cooling thing? Or let someone do it?
I own a Toshiba though, not even a Sony, but guaranteed just as crappy!