Další producent & dj na holení – estonec L-OW

Pár dní před dalším dílem Bass Trap Live (4. 12. 2009 v Crossu) začal tenhle minirozhovor. Estonského mastera hluboký subbasy si k narozkám vybral Abu, takže si s ním na seznámení po mailu rozdal lehkou písmenkovou bitvu. Njoy.

---

I would like to know where do you originally come from and where do you live right now. Tell us something about your country… Do you prefer overcrowded cities, silent hamlet in the woods or…?

I was born and raised in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. I still live here, quite in the centre of it, so I have been living the true city life since I was a kid. I do enjoy going in the nature though but not so much staying in a small village for over a week. I need constant movement.

I enjoy walking in the city streets when they are completely empty and you can almost feel you’re being in a dream. Once or twice a year I get to to that, on some holidays when most of the citizens drive off to the countryside.

Estonia has been a very interesting place to grow up because the country regained its independence in 1991, the time I was 6 years old, so basically I have witnessed the growth of it from the start so to say.

Nice one, so you are a typical „urban kid“? Sorry for the „kid“ but I’m little bit envious of you as you’re like 6 years younger than me… :-) I love the atmosphere of empty streets especially during winter nights when even most busy places like squares, bridges, riversides, etc. are abandoned. I hope we can manage it and you gonna like this in Prague during your December visit! Are these moments inspiring for your music or by contrast just like „brain-reseting“?

I believe them to be inspiring, yes, as I’m very much into haunting atmospheres etc. then I think it comes through my music aswell. I even remember it being somewhere in a review by boomkat or something.

And similar question concerning your dj / producer name. Does it give a sense, a word or…? If something is low it could also mean deep sometimes… :-)

Yeah you’re right about that, as my music is not so much filled with easy emotions, you sometimes need to get into a mood to actually understand the vibe, so basically I mean meditation. Though I try to keep it more rhythmic, more techno, otherwise I might be the only one listening. I make deeper dancefloor music.

„Only one listening“ sounds blankly. Have you experienced such a thing in near past? Do you have any side ideas or a project that won’t care about you’ve mentioned? I mean if you plan to make and possibly release deeper music simply without a tag „dancefloor“?

I think I confused you there hehe, when making tracks I don’t think of dancefloor, I only do what I feel at that moment. I have had many projects in the past, making techno, dub-techno and drum and bass. I think none of it was made for dancefloor from the start.

No, I don’t think so…I mean because of your love of soundscapes and atmospheres I’m curious if you wasn’t interested in making ambient or any kind of listening stuff not based on beats. :-)

Ahh, now I got it :-) well I have given it a thought but in the end I feel I will make this kind of stuff for an album if I should ever make one. But actually I have made non-beat soundscapes which I’ve used during my sets.

How do you see the future of dubstep in next year or two? Do you think you still gonna be part of dubstep scene?

I never like questions regarding the future. Nobody knows what’s gonna happen. Everything comes and goes in waves, that’s a fact. And to be honest I really believe drum and bass is coming back for me.

What about your musical roots? Can you go thru your memories few years to the past? And for how long have you been sniffing around dubstep? Also maybe if you can describe a musical scene and dubstep scene in Estonia…

My musical roots start from when I was a little kid. Since I have the privilege to have an older brother and sister, I overheard them having piano lessons at home. I now think that might have been the trigger, maybe not. Anyway I always got euphoric when I heard something new, something very different from what I had used to.

Basically my first love was speed garage and darker basslines, best to describe it would be Sneaker Pimps “Spin Spin Sugar” (Armand’s Dark Garage Mix) but I end up growing up with drum and bass. Started djing and producing it at the same time really, around 2002.

Into dubstep I got because of DMZ and their essenital mix, 2006. I had not heard something so different, new, deep, dark, bassy and the list goes on, for ages. I was instantly hooked.

I did not start producing it because it seemed easy compared to drum and bass, that’s how some people think, but because I felt I can make my own vision of it.

Estonia has definitely made a mark with strong scenes, especially house and drum and bass. And of course lately with dubstep. Our scene might not be as big as in the UK but a lot of foreign artists seem to think Eastern Europe and Estonia have the best crowd. We are very opened to the music.

Nice words about DMZ and a hook…kind of thing we call an “initiatory act” but in our meaning this could happen just on an appropriate soundsystem. I really like smart sound and non disturbing atmo during ds events so everyone can enjoy attributes you’ve described above. Can you somehow describe your vision of it as you’ve mentioned? Is it possible with words? :) Maybe you can point on some of your tracks that fit you as well… And concerning other producers – which guys would you pick as your favourites … with their very very own vision?

Hmm, let me think. I would point out „Barrier“, it was one of the first „dubstep“ tracks I made which I’m still feeling. At the time I started making dubstep I didn’t want to DJ the genre, just to keep my distance from what’s going on and whats hot, I felt it’s something I make for myself or smth. I had a friend playing my tunes out and I’d much rather enjoy my music infront of the speakers just listening, rather then behind the decks working hard on the mixer. Anyway after I saw how people around me reacted to the tune every time he played it I felt very motivated to make some more.

At this point I would point out Spherix, Sigha, Martyn, 2562, Headhunter, Indigo, V.I.V.E.K., Data and so on.

What about parties in Estonia? I’ve seen a pretty long list of…let’s say top ds djs who have been there to date! Do you participate on organising events or so? Can you recommend some links for guys who wanna check Estonian ds scene?

I have took part of throwing parties for quite a while, though I haven’t started my own dubstep night yet. I have promoted drum and bass nights and I’ve also run techno nights.There is one site www.dubstep.ee, it is in estonian and not much going on there, but good for checking for parties.

How big parties do take place around? … I mean I rather prefer smaller gigs so just to have a comparison.

If there is an A-list artist then it’s roughly about 200-400 people.

Name just a few guys from your vicinity whom would you recommend to our ears. Any interesting future talents or plans?

I‘m not actually following what’s going on in dubstep but I’d recommend techno/dub-techno artist Antelia. He makes some really good stuff and he is putting his heart to it.

Concerning production – why do you produce music? Do you want to give or get?

Good question, but I think it’s a little bit of both really. The best feeling in the world comes from the dancefloor when I hear an honest response towards my music and at that moment I think both giving and getting are happening.

Yeah, a kind of energy exchange! Does it happen often to you? What’s you koncept of an ideal gig? I mean how big, where, …And can you name some nice or exotic places you’ve already rocked with a set?

For me the best set would be with all my friends smiling and enjoying the music. That actually means I don’t necessarily need hundreds of people jumping up and down, I would much rather see quality than quantity for this matter. But it’s always awesome to play for big crowds, there is something undescribable in it. My gig best so far was at Tundra Festival in Lithuania, it took place in a forest and the festival ground was surrounded by a lake, it was in mid-summer so the night was warm and dark, definitely one of my best gigs!

How does your dj setup looks like? And studio setup? Do you have kind of own studio?

To me a dj setup means a mixer and 2 decks [whether TTs or cdjs], I am conservative when it comes to this. I’ve been asked to play a live set but so far I haven’t done it. There is some kind of old-school me who just wants to play 2 tunes together and improvise on the mixer.

I’ve had a bedroom studio acousticly treated for many years but just recently I finished my new studio here, very excited to get back making beats, not had much time lately.

Do you prefer analogue sound or are you just fine with SW? Can you tell more about your equipment – soudcard, soundsystem, SW, etc.? How do you manage to create kind of original sound?

As much as I love analogue gear and hardware in all it is quite expensive to buy it, living in Estonia :)

So most of my sounds I create using software only, though a lot of people ask me if I use hardware, meaning my sound tends to mimic hardware sounds a bit, which I’m quite happy about… because I don’t actually try to make it that way but if it comes out sounding hardware then I’m satisfied.

My equipment is pretty basic really, it has taken me a lot of time and effort to train my ears and learn about sounds. So for me it’s not essential to have the best soundcard etc. although I am looking to buy a decent desk and some hardware compressor at some point.

About the originality… I think in time every “audiophile” advances to some kind of sounds he just tend to have taste for. Some like it very clean and digital, some like it more crisp and “old-school” sounding. I think my sound all ends up from the music I’ve listened to over the years, a little bit from here, little bit from there…

At the end there is no right or wrong, of course there is good sound and bad but each artist has his own taste in selecting and creating sounds.

Yeah, I recommend ebay auctions but be careful…otherwise you become addict in such a way… :-)

I am aware of ebay and insane prices for gear lol! But yeah I think I can manage not getting addicted.

So maybe what kind of SW does fit your needs when creating music?

I started out with Logic back in 2002 and just moved to mac this summer, till then I used the old version (from 2003 or smth) and basically it became a bit of a pain in the ass because I couldn’t use news vsts in it and seeing how much more other sequencers were up to date I decided to get a little update aswell :) (I had tried other sequencers aswell: reason, cubase, ableton, but I couldn’t “feel like home” in them, tho ableton was very nice). I am on logic 8 at the moment and loving it!!

And concerning your ear training - do you have something special/remarkable on your mind? Is your regular job somehow connected with music or sound?

Training my ears - have been hundreds and hundreds of hours sitting in front of speakers and learning the frequencies and sound by the root. Of course a lot of reading has taken place aswell, but most of the so called work has been done individually.

Concerning my job, I am a freelancer, so sometimes I get projects which include making sound design or, like a more recent project, I was a sound designer for a magician show here in Tallinn, me and my mate were responsible for the sound of the whole show (I was the fx guy). The show had 5 performances with crowds 1500+ each. Sometimes I help people with mixdowns, I also do ads for radio etc.

And as I am a promoter I set up the sound of the events and do soundchecks, but that doesn’t quite qualify as a job :)

I also do graphic design: posters, flyers, banners, web design etc

Do you esteem your hearing? I mean do you use earplugs during djsets or during a party, etc.?

As for ears, I use elacin earplugs when I go to parties where I don’t perform but when I do play I never use them. They seem to do more bad then good, I just don’t like them when I’m playin and mixing.

I try to be very accurate (that actually starts from the tune selection) with my mixes, and not just beatmixing. I want the sound that comes out of the speakers and on to the crowd to be pleasant, not ear damaging. I know how bad some djs turn the knobs on the mixers and I really don’t want people to lose their hearing because of that.

That’s fine! Sometimes guys push the sound to „red lights standing“ on the mix and doesn’t care even anyone responsible for the sound kindly ask them to push the volume down. Hope we can manage and set up an appropriate sound for Bass Trap live so you gonna like it. Or maybe you can assist and lay down your own conditions during soundcheck? :-)

Sure no problem, I love soundchecks :-)

One familiar – what kind of drink am I supposed to order for you in a club or so? And what would you order for me if I wanted to „learn“ Estonian drink?

I drink white Bacardi (and limes), if you could manage that then it’d be awesome!

I will bring you an estonian drink to try out, called Vana-Tallinn :-)

So…you’ve just finished new studio and got back making beats, so when can we expect to hear some fresh stuff? Are you gong to drop some during your visit? Or does everyone of your tunes take its time to become mature?

I actually make tunes quite fast, getting into the vibe is the hardest part for me. But I believe you can hear at least 1 new L-OW tune in Prague.

And the last one (are you lucky?:)! What should Prague expect from Margus Löve aka L-OW on 4. 12. in Crossclub? Three words max… :-)

Deep energetic music.

http://l-ow.subbeat.com