MORPHEUS
MUSIC INTERVIEW - ZERO CULT
26.12.11 - On release of Vacuum
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Q:
Would you like to tell us a bit about your
personal background?
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I was born
in the country near to the Caspian sea, that used to be a
part of the Soviet Union. In time I came to Israel, and settled
down in the beautiful city of Haifa. I have a regular life,
with family I love a lot, and combine this with a second life
- with music.
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Q:
What was your initial introduction to music
making? |
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From an early
age, I have always loved making music. I played the guitar,
even tried my self at songwriting. Creating music - it has
always been an integral part of my life. |
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Q:
How did you find your way into ambient
chill?
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It started when I bought
my first PC. I was trying out different music tools and
experiencing styles like House and Trance, but it was too
boring for me. I began to experiment with a low bpm and
chillout became my favourite genre because of creative possibilities
and freedom that it has to offer. There is more to it than
a low bpm: leave the listener more time to think and explore. |
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Q:
How would you say that Zero Cult is distinct from other artists
currently working the chillout genre?
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Firstly I am determined
to make my music more melodic and less psy. I think I have
a more mature attitude towards it, and generally my direction
is coming back to the roots of electronic music. |
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| Q:
What inspired Vacuum? What was fuelling
your creative drive when you began work on the album? |
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Usually my creative process is continuous, but in "Vacuum"
I tried to do a conceptual album. First it was to create
more balanced and tranquil music, second it was to gather
the tracks under the one roof.
Called "life in vacuum" it's an emptiness that
lives inside of us.
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Q:
What did you do
first regarding Vacuum - how did it begin? What came last
how did it conclude?
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As I answered
the album is conceptual, and it's some mix of positive and
negative things in our life. The album starts with the sad
track "8 hertz" and finished with the very light
"back to earth".
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Q:
Were there any specific pieces of kit
or software or any techniques that
you especially valued during the recording process?
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I don’t
have any special techniques. Every track is a different piece,
a creation that demands alternate tools and trades. That's
why ambient chillout is my favourite style of music. As a
musician I have absolute freedom and lack of laws on making
it. |
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Q:
Do you have any interesting anecdotes
around the making of the album? |
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Only one thing:
in Vacuum I collaborated with distinguished singer Kerensa
Stephens from New Zealand. As this was the first time, it
was a very interesting experience for me, and our song, I
think, is one of the best tracks on the album.
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Q:
Can you tell us a bit about your studio
set up and working environment?
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I have a very
simple studio: Monitors, Mixer and Midi Controller from Behringer;
Audio Devices from Native Instruments and ESI; Hardware Synth,
Access Virus_B and Roland JX-305; Quad CPU Computer and VST
plugins. |
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Q:
What would you say you would like for
the future of Zero Cult?
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As every creator
I would like my work to be appreciated and to receive feed
back. This I would like a lot - for chillout to be more listened
to and may be become a part of musical consensus. |
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We asked the staff at Cosmic Leaf
one or two additional questions:
Q: How did Zero Cult come
to be a part of the Cosmic Leaf roster?
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Zero Cult actually is the the
heart of Cosmicleaf Label. Back in 2003 when we first received
his demo at the Unicorn Music office we couldn't believe the
beauty of his chill sound. A sound that even if was not suitable
for the Unicorn catalogue had to be shared with the audience.
So we created the chill out sub label Cosmicleaf, giving a
proper home for Emil’s and other similar artists music.
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Q:
What is it about
Emil's music on Vacuum that makes it such a valuable addition
to your catalogue?
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Zero Cult’s music creates
such a relaxing ambient environment; soft harmonies that
distress you; offering a strong character within our existing
catalogue. |
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Q:
What part do you as a label take in
the process of creating an album like this?
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Here at Cosmicleaf, we preschedule
all our artists albums, usually checking track by track the
completion in style and sound design for having a more easy
going mastering process.We trust Emil’s music with blind
eyes because of his unique style and touch, likewise thousands
of listeners around the world.
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Q:
All artists are constantly evolving -
what aspect of Zero Cult's sound would you like to see Emil
cultivate further in the future?
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Zero Cult knows how to update
his sound without forgetting his roots and that is what we
love in Emil’s work. Many artists in the name of sound
progress find that they forget their sound identity abandoning
their early supporters.We trust blindfolded Zero Cult's Style.
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Thanks
to Emil for allowing us that interview. |
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