01. How long have you been making music?
Played in my first band in 1991 – so over 20 years. I started off plating bass, and my first official band was a ska band.

02. When did you start using electronics in your music making?
Very early on, out of necessity. I wanted drums in my music, but drum sets were too expensive and loud. So I got by with a drum machine, and went down an electronic path ever since. It’s just always easier to make music on headphones – doesn’t matter where you live, or who you live with. If you can make music silently, you can make music anywhere.

03. Are you an electronic purist?
No. I use some live percussion, found sounds, and also some acoustic instruments. Although these are often highly treated.

04. What is your current favorite piece of hardware? Software?

Hardware – it’s a toss up between the Waldorf Blofeld and the Korg MS-2000
Software – I’m learning Live 9 right now, and I’m loving it.

05. Do you use canned loops or samples? Why/Why not?
No – I usually make my own. Although I’m not opposed to using factory patches on synths – they are often great starting points for inspiration.

06. Do you use iPad/iPhone or other mobile computing devices in your music making?
Yes. My iPad is basically a dedicated Animoog machine, and totally worth the price just for that. I also enjoy Thumb Jam.

07. Was there a moment of inspiration… a certain track or artist, that ignited your passion for electronic music? 
The production, engineering, and sound design of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.

08. How does visual art/photography inform your music making?
It rarely does.

09. Has the internet/Social Media changed the way you make music?
Yes – and I recently disconnected from almost all of social media. Not that I ever got popular or anything, but I’m taking it back to the underground – I’ll release stuff, but I’m no longer going to obsess over hits and likes, and I just won’t care on a personal level. I’ll just release stuff and if people discover it, cool. It’s too easy for me to get caught up in the social media thing.

10. What is your favorite artist or track of all time?
Favorite artist….toss up between Eno, Lanois, Harold Budd and Marconi Union.
Favorite album of all time – U2′s Unforgettable Fire.

This MIXcast features:

01. Stalker VA – Return From A Dream
02. Stratosphonic – Complex Candy
03. CiViLX – The Hack
04. CiViLX – Club Xyloro – This Is Our Club
05. Daniel J. Davis – Sanpole
06. Daniel J. Davis – Submersive Technique
07. Daniel J. Davis – Closing Down
08. Vries Veld – Afterlife
09. Aetheric Field – Heliosheath

We are very happy to announce our latest release, Theory by CiViLX. CiViLX is the electronic music project of Christopher Riley from Seattle, WA. and Theory is his full-length debut… 15 tracks of EBM and experimental industrial dance.

You can learn more and interact with CiViLX here:

Bandcamp: civilx.bandcamp.com

ReverbNation: reverbnation.com/civilx

Facebook: facebook.com/civilxmusic 

SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/civilx

Twitter: twitter.com/civilxmusic

(Album art co-created by Kurt Lorenz and Christopher Riley)

CiViLX is the electronic music project of Christopher Riley from Seattle, WA. Learn more about Christopher by visiting the CiViLX profile page.

This week’s featured release is ”The General Analysis of Nature” by Kurt Lorenz.

Nordmach

1. How long have you been making music?
I’ve been playing in cover bands since I was 18. So roughly 29yrs. And I’d say I have been writing original music on and off for 18/20yrs.

2. When did you start using electronics in your music making?
Almost right from the start. My first two synth I purchased were the Moog – Opus 3 and the Moog Rogue. I remember trading in the Opus 3 against a Sequential Circuits Drumtrax and a Sequential Circuits Prophet 600. I got a lot of use out of those at that time.

3. Are you an electronic purist?
I’d say no. I like to take music for just what it is. I don’t know why one gets hung up on things like this and feel we should just take music as a whole no matter where, what or who it comes from. Although I totally understand why people like to limit themselves for a album or song etc. to certain amounts of gear or technique etc. Those things are always fun and are purposeful.

4. What is your current favorite piece of hardware? Software?
My favorite piece of hardware? Hmmmm…Tough one here for me because I find I don’t get tied to very many things hardware wise. But to give you an anwer I’d have to say…Of course my Mac, my iPad and my Novation LaunchPad. Where my favorite piece of software is (without question) Ableton LIve. It does everything and more than I’ve ever wished for!

5. Do you use canned loops or samples? Why/Why not?
I do use samples from time to time and I don’t understand why some people get hung up on that. It’s funny how some will feel using a sample library is cheating and at the same time not get hung up using a cut or loop from an old record. You are just using it for inspiration and to me either use is like jamming with a bunch of guys in a band looking for something to spark a fire. And I don’t feel like any of use are re-writing the book in a musical sense anyway, if you know what I mean here. I think in the end it’s in the artists hands to create something around or with whatever is being used sample or otherwise. It’s up to you to make it your own. So many creative tools out there to change that sample into something else. But again it’s all at your discretion. Sometimes a sample can sound so great it’s hard to change it.

6. Do you use iPad/iPhone or other mobile computing devices in your music making?
Yes I find myself usually humming or singing into my iPhone all the time. Where with my iPad I find myself using my apps to write actual parts or sketches when in transit or away from the studio and my iPad is also used a lot at rehearsals and gigs as well.

7. Was there a moment of inspiration… a certain track or artist, that ignited your passion for electronic music? 
Geez, so many! Probably some of the very first things I heard inspired me from my mom’s old records like Elvis and the Beatles of course. But I remember the first time I heard Yazoo – Upstairs At Erics – I was blown away! Early Depeche Mode, Tangerine Dream and Kraftwork records I found inspiring. I loved a lot of pop music growing up – Scritti Politti, Gary Numan, Kajagoogoo, Howard Jones etc. I remember being really, really blown away at anything Trevor Horn touched – Art Of Noise, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and things like that.

8. How does visual art/photography inform your music making?
I do use it from time to time to set a mood but not a lot. Or course if I am doing a track for a indy movie or commercial using the visual is everything. But I don’t necessarily use it a lot in my own music though.

9. Has the internet/Social Media changed the way you make music?
Internet/Social Media is pretty much the best thing that has happened to musicians period. From checking out a plugin to purchasing it quickly to marketing and meeting with others for inspiration or collaborating. For myself it’s harder to keep the time I spend online in check than anything else.

10. What is your favorite artist or track of all time?
- Fave artist would have to be BT (Brian Transeau). I just think he’s outstanding in musicality and electronic skill level. I cannot narrow a specific track down cause I just have so many favorities when speaking of BT or other artists I love!

This week’s featured release is That Old Highway by Daniel J. Davis.

We are happy to announce the addition of Vries Veld to the Ember Music family of artists. VriesVeld (Tom Tulleners) is an electronic musician based in Amsterdam. VriesVeld is about journeys through sound…. bright & meditative ambient atmospheres, dark & deep soundscapes, experimental sound-design, binaural noises & drones.

Learn more about Vries Veld by visiting his artist profile page >>

Ember Music artist Daniel J. Davis was recently featured on our favorite blog Synthtopia!

Click HERE to read and comment!

“Her Meaning is Muted” by Kurt Lorenz has been included as a bonus track to the “How to Catch STILLE?” compilation.

No other art can endorse the importance of good hearing better than music. It is universal and transcends geographical, social and linguistic boundaries.

How to catch STILLE? is cought from the view of various musicians. What started as a remix album of AN MOKU’s first album STILLE became a higher meaning. The literal translation of the german word “Stille” is silentness/quietness. Each several track deals with the meaning of this. Hearing loss is a very significant matter. More than ever in hectical nowadays! One in every six people worldwide is affected by hearing loss. As the population ages – and noise pollution in the world increases – more and more people will be losing their hearing. The consequences of untreated hearing loss can extend as far as complete social isolation.

Name your price to buy this album and all of the money will be donated to the following non-profit organizations: World Wide Hearing and Sonos Schweiz.

According to the World Health Organization, 642 million people in the world suffer from hearing loss. Of these, 278 million suffer from hearing loss so disabling that actions most people take for granted, like having a conversation, are impossible for them without a hearing aid. The majority live in developing countries and almost none have access to hearing aids or services. The cost of hearing care is simply unaffordable and there are too few audiologists working in poor countries to provide treatment for everyone.

50% of your donation will be used to provide hearing aids to people, mainly children with hearing loss in developing countries.

50% of your money will be used to fund innovative research on the impact of treating hearing loss.

The Swiss organization Sonos Schweiz is going to use this project album to report back to me how the music has an effect on the kids and teenagers with hear loss. More info to come soon.

The period of this project is one year. After six months I will report at this Bandcamp page and my own webpage in detail about the donation and the same after one year.

Last but not least, speaking in words of the polish sound artist and founder of Etalabel, Grzegorz Bojanek: «Ludzie bez najmniejszego problemu płacą $5 za kubek kawy, jednakże miliony ludzi nie chcą zapłacić nawet $1 za piosenkę, której nagranie kosztuje często setki dolarów, do nagrania której artyści musieli ćwiczyć często wiele godzin i którą można słuchać w kółko, bez końca i pozostaje z nami już na zawsze… SZANUJCIE ARTYSTÓW – KUPUJCIE MUZYKĘ.»

To this effect – Please support this project, even if it is just $1. You do not have to be a member of Bandcamp to support. Together we can achieve something!

On behalf of all artists – Thank you for your support!

AN MOKU

www.wwhearing.org
www.sonos-info.ch
www.anmoku.net