Something to go with all that “nice noise and Dubscapes”, “the purest form of Chillout” that Occult. is treating us to on radiOzora’s ‘In Focus’ edition, here are some thoughts and facts from the man behind the project. Best served audio-illustrated.

– So why Occult.?

– The alias relates to the idea of the esoteric or the unknown. Plus, I was always into vampires and skulls as a child so it seemed to fit. The name doesn’t necessarily describe all of my music but perhaps that unpredictability I try to achieve relates back to the esoteric & unknown.

– What lead you into the world of electronica?

– Experimenting with increasingly sophisticated bits of software, I first started to create completely original work with my good friend (known as Faded) using some rebirth 808 drum machine software, an electric guitar, and the world’s worst AOL microphone. We were very experimental with distortion and audio chopping and a lot of it was parody with funny lyrics. There was no such thing as youtube tutorials and things like that which allowed us to grow naturally. I’m making an effort to put myself back in this mind state when I make music now. We both moved on to do our own work, but we still run a little beat series together called the Faded Tapes.

– Who or what were/are your greatest inspirations and teachers during your musical journey?

– A huge musical taste as a child, mostly thanks to my parents and older brothers. I was also blessed to have one or two good music teachers along the way that pushed me to work. I try not to be inspired by other music but theories and philosophies that could be inspiration to, or a concept for making new music. At the moment I’m very inspired by ambient sound and noise from the natural or industrial world, It’s ever evolving and so detailed. Once something begins to change or a day passes, the ambience of a location is changed with it and can never be replicated. The natural world inspires me greatly.
I like the conceptual and theoretical approach to music practiced by artists like Steve Reich, Brian Eno or Daphne Orum.

– Which artists do you think have made the greatest impact on the electronic music scene and who are the biggest innovators right now?

– I’ll try not to mention anyone too obvious. I think King Tubby and dub music have had one of the biggest impacts on all computer music of today, not just creating genres but influencing virtually all of the music we listen to today. Heavy bass and clean percussion, echo space and delays, filtering, and vocal samples are at the core of popular, or unpopular song of today. Again I must mention Brian Eno for inserting space and stillness into electronic music and launching it into a very sophisticated and artistic realm. Right now it’s hard to tell, I think its every completely unknown person using anything and everything, pushing every button and turning every knob to create the most horrendous sounds without music in mind at all. They break boundaries which allow the rest of the more conservative music makers to practice the same techniques from a safer distance.

– If it wasn’t electronic music, what would it be?

– Noise & Field recordings, sound design.

– Which releases best express you, best characterize your sound? (Why?)

– It’s hard to say because I like to change what I’m doing a lot. Naturally I’ll say my latest release with Audialist, The Supa Hot EP, because it just sounds exactly how we wanted it to, we had a vision that we synthesised. But I like to refer people to my SMBH EP on Merkaba Music to hear something deep and conceptual that i thought long and hard about.

– What is your greatest treasure in the studio?

– The computer itself I guess. I love my big wooden desk too. Everything I do right now is inside the computer, but I’m starting to change that slowly with bits and pieces to make it more fun for me.

– What do you consider the greatest compliment or reward for your music so far?

– Genuine interest and feedback for a project I have worked really hard on. Being invited to a country I have never been to just to play or make more music.

– Plans, future experiments, side projects?

– Just a continuous stream of new music. I’ll continue to incorporate noise further into what I do and see where it takes me, and become more experimental and see what rules I can break with machines and software. I have another EP with Audialist, the Samsara EP coming in early November. I feel like I should start an album but it’s quite daunting. Growing the empire of Faded Tapes, more weird beats.

– In a few words about the mix for radiOzora?

– Lots of nice noise and Dubscapes. The purest form of Chillout.