S.U.B. Podcast #45 Owlie (Platform - BG)

SUB: Hey, could you tell us how did you get involved and decided to start playing music?
 

Basically, this is all Basscatz’s fault! I had some previous involvment with mixing music, but  it was when Martin took me in Platform two years ago that i began to take all this more serious and started to improve my skills, got into producing beats etc.

SUB: Could you explain to us what Platform is and who stands behind it?

Platform Music is the first Bulgarian label specialized in Dubstep & Bass Music. Our first release just recently became one year old, but the organisation that is Platform exists for two years now! Behind it there are few very talented and devoted people who run the show – so shouts to Martin, Ivan Shopv, Bozhidar and everyone who has devoted a part of their time to making all this happen. Ofcourse we cannot pass all the amazing artist that have released with Platform in the past year: Balthazar & JackRock / Balkansky / L 33 / High Roll / Disphonia / Camelorg / Basscatz / d$pot / Vallew / DrumKid

SUB: You do your own production, what equipped do you use, and have you had a previous music background?

I’m still on the learning curve, though i have the opportunity to learn from some very talented artist who are around me.  Equipment wise at the moment I use Ableton 9 and an analog synth – that's it, pretty basic! 

SUB: Have you released anything by far?

I haven’t released any tracks up to this date, but there is a debut release coming on Platform around June 2014. More about this – soon.

SUB: Thanks for the quality made mix, as I can notice you used your own production, and never trying to go through those mainstreamed sounds. Why is that? Is it because of the laws for pirated music or you wanted to create your own specific sounds. Have you ever used more mainstreamed sounds into your sets?  

I think that dubstep is an underground genre with a distinct raw sound. Those mainstreamed sounds I think you’re talking about – they are part of the pop music culture.

SUB: Have you ever been to Skopje? 

This is my first time in Skopje, but from what I've heard from my friends – it’s mad, xaxa! So i’m looking forward to the party on Saturday. From me you can expect a wide selection of music ranging from 120 to 140 bpm – that's all I’m telling.

SUB: Why dubstep, have you tried any other sounds, what has got you drawn into this sound?

My head nods on dubstep more than on anything else, I guess that's why! I can’t quite explain what draws me into this sound though – it just does. I think this is the purest form of attraction to something – when you don’t know why, but you know you love it.

SUB: Can you tell us something more about the Bulgarian bass scene?

The Bulgarian bass scene is backed up by some amazing artist and organizations at the moment, so shouts to:  H.M.S.U. , Renesanz , High Roll , Balthazar & JackRock, Cooh and all the rest I’m missing – theese are the poeple who push the sound round here, so check their work if you haven’t!

See you all on Saturday!

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S.U.B. Podcast #42 OGIE (Mk)

 

Ognen Spiroski or known by his DJ alias OGIE. Producer/ DJ one of the members of “01 Crew” that lay the foundation to the drum and bass scene and movements later on in Skopje.  In the period from 1999 to 2003, he has releases on PMG recordings, Third Ear, Margina magazine, DeepLeaf productions and more recently in 2012 on the Filter music label. 

The producer and DJ career was paused for several years, while he was finishing his studies in Bioinformatics.  These past few years he re-established his DJ career and is currently back working on music production – stay tuned. 

 

SUB:  I have noticed in the past couple of years, after several years of pausing, you managed to restart your DJ as well producing career. 

How do you feel about it, have you fulfilled a part of you that has been missing, are you happy about it?

Thanks for keeping the interest – I believe it was you who called me to play a DJ set in Kapan An for the first time. I feel positively flabbergasted as it has been both an internal and an external calling which is marvelous. The local (drum &) bass scene pulled me firmly back to DJing and it was humbling to see people show continuing support & love – we grow together in many ways.

 

The recent production has me shifting many musical gears and exploring various different terrains, which results in a slow release schedule, but immense musical exploration which is what I've been missing, so I am really enjoying it. Luckily, a lot of things have piled up over the last couple of years, so I expect a number of releases by early 2014. Most of them collaborations and on various labels.

SUB: You are a part of the foundation to the drum and bass scene in Macedonia. Especially after the first residential dnb night in the club called “Rachki & Tapani”. Also you were one of the first young Macedonian producers that have signed for the legendary Kanal103/PMG rec. album called Class of mACIDonia 1999. 

Can you share any moments that had fulfilled you at that time?

I believe the most fulfilling moments I've had with people sharing their experience to listening to my music and the meanings & associations it evoked. It was also immensely gratifying meeting a lot of the musical luminaries of the local underground at the time, as well as being in touch with the newly developing electronic music scene, some of those friendships last to this day. 

On the other hand, I loved taking my time with messing with samples & sound at a very granular level and developed numerous beat tweaking & programming techniques, particularly due to the limitation of my first software platforms – something which has proven very useful in shaping a bottom-up understanding of sound design which I love.

  

SUB: As we said you have released for PMG recordings, Third Ear, Margina magazine and since you have restarted your career you have signed for FILTER label. 

Have you started working fully on creating music, or it just happens from time to time. Do you plan any new releases in the near future?

Not exactly fully, but with more devotion and with more people / projects. I expect a number of releases in the next couple of months, particularly collaboration work. As a member of the duo “VO Element”, we will release the first single on Juan's Kitchen Delights Recordings and we're expecting remixes and video material for that release. Other collaboration & remix work will soon follow on local labels, including PMG Recordings & BTKRSH Music, a new label we're launching with the BTKRSH crew.

SUB:  What is your view point on “6 second drumloop” theory about the amen break.

Do you think there is something more than just beats and bleeps in this music?

Yes, there is massive sub-bass and soul ;)

I like the idea that music and sound is up for grabs. Whole culture is up for grabs in the modern age of the mash-up. Even before this term was coined I was in love with the concept of bricolage, which I think is quite a hip-hop friendly concept. I believe modern dance music earned it primarily hip-hop culture, which electronic artists took it to new heights. So, I believe anyone can make new uses of old things and be really respectful doing it, too.

Sub: Why do you love DNB music?

I guess because it just pierced through to my youthful sense of aesthetics at the time. It was obviously synthetic & futuristic with the sped-up & reprogrammed drum samples and the bass wobbles, while on the other hand it retained a kind of organic quality – primarily thanks to being sample based, I believe. It also had the strongest ties with the early rave culture & music, associations with ware-house parties, raves in fields with massive sound-systems. Maybe more importantly at the time, the drum patterns were so broken beat which I preferred to the straight four-to-the-floor dance loop, as breaking patterns was my thing.

 

SUB:  This past few years drum and bass has gone through a lot of changes. Last one is the cross style between various bass sub genres and the new minimalistic jungle / drum and bass sound.  What do you love about this new music styles?

I love cross-pollination of musical genres and multi-disciplinary approaches all around. I really like how people have started to use syncopation smartly by programming non-obvious rhythm elements together. The 808 has has a resurgence, particularly in footwork and it is a sound I love, especially densely programmed. Slowfast has been really doing me in, it reminds me of a lot of the stuff I was doing 10 years ago. I love loads of bits about'em ;)

SUB:  Except the dnb residential nights in Kapan An, where can people hear your set in Skopje?

This season I've been holding a semi-regular, mostly chilled-out musical marathon titled “Flavour Savour” in Kamarite, which is a bar in Debar Maalo, Skopje. Most of the sets have been recorded and can be listened to online:

http://www.mixcloud.com/ogie/playlists/flavour-savour-kamarite-skopje-macedonia/

  

On behalf of SKOPJE URBAN BEATS thank you for the interview :)

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