Interview with Shkspr

1. How would you describe your music? How would you descibe both your method and and attitude towards producing electronic music?
A: Currently I have lots of different projects going on. I play keys in a progressive rock band for which i’m writing music with my bandmate, and i also make electronic music, ambient, idm stuff, post-rock influenced stuff, and lately, filthier dubstep stuff. So i don’t really know how to describe it, maybe i have an advantage of having perspective and trying to stand out that way. On the other hand, I’m trying to keep things seperate, i’ve got three soundcloud accounts and i don’t try to combine prog with dubstep or anything like that, but having different experiences in different genres and having a broad taste in music deffinetely helps me try to keep things interesting.

2. What program(s) do you use for production?
A: I use Ableton’s Live with it’s instruments and plugins (NI’s Massive for dubstep a lot, surprise surprise, i know). I experiment with samples a lot too.

3. How long have you been producing?
A: I’ve been making music in some shape or form after i started playing the piano at the age of 9, and been producing electronic stuff with ableton for a few years, and dubstep seriously for maybe half a year plus.

4. What inspired you to make electronic music?
A: Maybe some Radiohead songs with lots of electronic influences from Kid A and Amnesiac, I was also inspired by the sounds of Aphex Twin, World’s End Girlfriend, Tim Hecker, Jaga Jazzist, Xploding Plastix, to name a few... also making electronic music is so much different compared to acoustic, or ‘band’ music with its endless demoing and rehearsals and chasing for band members and what not. I saw electronic music attractive because it let me be totally independent and make all the crazy sounds i wanted and the end result would always be final.

5. How is the electronic music scene in Finland?
A: It’s alright. There are couple of places in Helsinki and in other cities too like Tampere that have lots of jungle and dubstep type of dj:s playing there and keeping the scene alive but otherwise it’s pretty basic mainstream Rihanna, Lady Gaga shit that you hear everywhere. And in those venues in Helsinki where I usually find myself in I always see the same faces week after week, so yeah i guess the scene is pretty small. Nothing wrong with those faces though. We have some great producers/dj’s in finland as well like Infekto (Rico Tubbs), Tes La Rok, Desto, Muffler and LAOS

6. What would you say is the most popular sub genre in the electronic music scene in Finland?
A: Apart from the electronic pop radio shit? Can’t really say. Probably house.

7, Are you strongly connected within your local community of producers and djs? Nationally? Internationally?
A: Not really no, maybe it’s because i’ve been doing this (edm) for such a short time.

8. Do you feel that the uprising of technology via the internet via sound cloud could spark a possible cultural revolution being sound cloud is a growing community of producers that produce their music out of shear ambition and not for the purpose of monetary gain?
A: Well it’s revolutionary that now there’s no need for a middle man between the creator and the consumer. I can just come across some badass tune and download it for free or maybe the artist has put his tunes on itunes and other places via tunecore and the likes. The label helps a lot though but maybe it’s more for promotional purposes and really helping the artist brake than anything else.

9. How many shows have you played? Any festivals?
A: Haven’t done any of that yet, maybe in the future, i’m just warming up here ;)

10. What other producers do you admire in the current electronic music scene?
A: Burial, Shigeto, Teebs, James Blake, Mount Kimbie, Four Tet, Baths, Flying Lotus, Tokimonsta, Gold Panda, Dimlite, Pantha Du Prince, Noveller, Deru, Krazy Baldhead, Fennesz, Tim Hecker, Belong, Aus, Loscil, Oneohtrix Point Never, Trentemoller, Ital Tek, Pixelord, Moresounds, Eskmo, Datsik, Excision, Liquid Stranger, Skrillex, Flux Pavillion, Emalkay, Bare Noize, Funtcase, Cookie Monsta, Vaski, 16bit, Bar9, Reso, Phace, Spor, Feed Me, Deadmau5, Noisia, Koan Sound, Benga, Skream, Artwork, Kryptic Minds, Synkro and Mala off the top of my head

11. Do you agree with me that dubstep really is a special genre because it has become so versatile and is increasingly so?
A: Yeah, if you think about where it began and where it is now, for better or worse, it has changed and evolved a lot, becoming more and more versatile. And the fact that it’s becoming more mainstream which I find cool in a way, while others don’t like it at all, truly makes it the genre of our generation.


12. What producers inspired you to producer the music you produce?
A: When it comes to dubstep, i’d have to say Excision and Datsik, I had to try it out and make some sick sounds myself. Also Eskmo inspired me a lot.

13. Would you say your strengths lie in mixing or producing?
A: Definetly producing. I don’t mix a lot. Sure i can mix, beat sync and all that basic stuff and i sometimes mix at home for fun. I’ll start mixing more when i’ll start performing live.

14. Have you collaborated with any other producers? If not, do you plan to?
A: No I haven’t yet. Maybe the revolution that is soundcloud will help me with that.

15. What are you working on currently that is not released yet to sound cloud?
A: More filth on it’s way, probably.

16. What are your thoughts on your preference program for producing music?
A: Ableton Live is awesome. The session view where you don’t have to worry about time line and where you can sketch ideas, produce, perform songs with launching clips, or even dj is something you don’t get that with any other program. And the warping engine is really essential when remixing or sampling and playing with loops. The MPC style grooves are also very nice. The built in effects and intstruments are great too, although I couldn’t live without my plugins. Get Max for Live on top of that and you can die a happy man.

17. What equipment do you use to dj?
A: I’m not really a dj, but i have some experience with Traktor and an ancient Pioneer cdj setup..

18. How socially accepted/popular is electronic music in your area?
A: Well almost everything is electronic nowadays in one form or another, so people accept it and it is popular. Though there are always those people who loathe every electronic genre, just out of principle, but those people are just narrow minded.

19. How do you feel about the status quo of planet earth?
A: Status Quo? I hate that band. No but seriously the economy, natural disasters, global warming, natural resources, war... not looking too good.