Unlive

[qbic]

Unlive, march 2005



This interview happened in m-bar. Unfortunately Jaakko couldn't make it since he went skiing.

E: Members of the group?

U: Pekka Palmu, Henry Ahokas and Jaakko Wikman

E: Which equipment you use in making music?

U: Hardware: Pc 1,4 GHz GAMD, Mixer Eurodesk MX 8000A (24/48 channels), AccessVirus B synth modulator, Jackson DK-1 quitarre, effect processors etc.
Software: Cubase SX with all the plug ins and instruments available, Wavelab 5, SIA Smaartlive, acoustic instruments and a borrowed studio mic.

E: Where do you get your musical influences from (idols)?

U: Infected mushroom, Hallucinogen/Shpongle, Juno Reactor, Planet Ben (and almost all other electronic music), Kingston Wall, Shy FX, Telefon Tel Aviv (Isra-electro-pop). Henkka and Pekka are both experienced in mixing and recording techniques during approximately seven years.

E: Your biggest achievement on the scene?

U: A group with good vibes, that's simultaneously able to do collaboration and has the skills needed. We experienced good vibes in Paranormal Visions, Elixiria 2nd Anniversary, Kuusou-odori and in Russia forexample, There's more to come!

E: The history of Unlive?

U: First there was only Henkka and Jaakko and the first gig was in Liquid Revolution/First Conflict party in 2002. There we played a track called Rush-which is the first Unlive track. Two of our tracks should be published soon. The names are Keiju and the other one is unnamed currently. All in all, Unlive is about two years old and has created some 35 tracks this far.

E: When did you start making music and what's your personal history?

H: In secondary school I played electric bass and I was in a Pop/Jazz department of a music school. After three years in the school I started making tracker music. That music was such as Rap, Jungle, Drum'n'bass, Chill-out... In secodary school I did studio techniques and mastering with the quitarist of our band and in senior secondary I got familiar with Fruity Loops. With Jaakko I got to know Cubase and Unlive existed for half a year before Pekka came along. It was me who taught Fruity Loops for Jaakko.

P: I started playing the guitarre somewhere between 12-13 years old and also attended the music school Tauko for four years. In secondary school I started making tracker music and I have attended several music projects. I strated making PC demos in 1995 and in Assembly 1998 you could see those visual and musical entities. I was a part of Freedom of Voice during those times as well. We published tracker music. Samples for tracker music we got from around - the Web didn't exist then! Other projects I took part in were Project Acid, Fluent KRU (Drum'n'bass) and Sativator (Psytrance). Sativator actually made three self promotional records and 50 copies of each-all were sold. My music was mostly Drum'n'Bass, Psytrance and Chill-out. As a 17-year-old I started to play in a heavyband called Craydawn. I did it for four years and I did recording techniques also. At the end of the 90's I had a homestudio with Janne of Children of Bodom and his little brother.

J:aakko started Fruity Loops with Henkka and had by that time played the piano and the quitarre in a music school (during elementary school times).

E: What's your style of music (special features)?

U: We like to do experiments with the sound and I quess we're a proggressive group with a personal sound. At the moment we're sucking influences from Jungle-, House-, Progressive- and Popmusic and we have the time for Chill-out sound as well. By the way, sometimes we still use Fruity Loops for the rhythms and comps. During 2004 we had more than 20 gigs and in 2003 atleast as much. We could use a bit more of audio penis and play better Live-sets as a consequence, though.

E: How do you work/how do you get inspired?

U: Henkka and Jaakko are flatmates and at the same time their home is the studio. Everybody makes everything there. Often Henkka starts the tracks and others go on with it. The fine tuning and the final touch we often make together. Doing normal- (money-) work in shifts causes a certain chaotic rhythm of life and it affects the music making as well, but luckily we have quite similar opinions about the sound, so everything is not a chaos at the "Martsari studio".

P: I listen to the sounds in my head and pick up the good ones, to be arranged with Cubase later on. I make something I'd like to listen to myself.

E: When did you start performing?

U: Henkka was doing his time in the army in the summer 2002, and during those times we two had the first gig (Henkka/Jaakko). We made a track together and played in VR Konepaja at Pasila. In Elixiria 1st Anniversary Pekka came along to play the guitarre, and then he stayed with us. We performed in Konemetsä in the summer 2004 as well.

E: What has been the hardest thing on your carreer as musicians?

U: Normal working disturbs and slows down the making of music. Nevertheless, we don't see it as a problem, if our sound is not completely commercial, since music should be made on the basis of what one likes himself.

E: What should music be like?

U: It should be a language among the others. Ears are not only for listening, but also for stimulating the imagination. Artists shouldn't be treated as products and they shouldn't aim in selling more and more. It's a side product of musical success. We can't act against our own opinions either.

E: Future?

U: We'd like to perform abroad more.

© Psyster, Elixiria 2005

[djsoma]

Kiitos tästä. Oli hauska lukea poikien musiikillisesta historiasta ja nykyisistä ajatuksista.

Sujuva haastattelu Psysteriltä ( <- loistava nimi! )