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Phonic Request - Invasive Process Pre-launch interview [Mahogany Rec]
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Greg kun
Started Topics :
3
Posts :
22
Posted : Mar 29, 2006 19:22
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Could i have your attention please...? System processing initialized for a psychosonic dinner.
While psychedelic trance music is searchin' for new directions in the purpose to exceed standards that are currently definiing its limits, the time has come to welcome a new music alchemist in the name of Will Decaestecker, more known under his main project, Phonic Request.
In his City-Lights based studio, Phonic Request has constantly pushed back facility and organized musical writing around an axiom which defines nervousness and esthetic all along these 9 pieces that invade your body with frenetic pulsions.
It's time for us to know a little more about him.
-------------------Part I-----------------------------
Work In Progress mag : First of all, as the tradition of this exercise wants it, I'd like you to talk about yourself, where you do come from, when and how you did start to be interested in the music :
Phonic Request : Well I am 29 years old and I grew up in Paris area. Very young I was already interested in the music, and my father took me along in concerts as of the age 12-13 years, to listen to rock bands like the Rolling Stones, Renaud... Johnny.
Thereafter, I bought myself a guitar towards the age of 14 and I gradually learned how to play.
I also listened to neo-classic hard music towards 16-17 but I always listened to any style of musical current.
WIP mag : So you started to open up to the music in a purely acoustic way ? Did you play in a rock band?
Phonic Request : Yes I played in several groups. Since I’m 17 and this until 23 years old. To finish, in the last years, from 20 to 23, I played in a group of acid jazz, I spent some good time and learned a lot.The inherent groove in this style brought to me more than the guitar solo technique.
WIP mag : Then you discover the electro music, how did it happen ?
Phonic Request : Well, at 18 I have discovered electronic music in some parties, just to have fun between pals. I never went in clubs where environment was not appropriate to me, too cosy and a bit shallow too.
Then it was the exposure to the trance music which started to draw my attention by its relatively new character for me.
But I was going there quite simply to distract me, I wasn’t yet really concerned and
I did not buy any disc yet.
WIP mag : So, that was thus not the revelation, you came there gradually, what did push you to become more assiduous?
Phonic Request : With force of going in parties, I learned how to like this music more and more.
I then made a musical break between 23 and 26, I almost didn’t make anything anymore, But I was still going to parties, concerts... I wasn't totally disconnected 
That was rather progressive, and then a total stop over 2 years I think.
After 10 years, I had somewhat the impression to have made the turn of this music, thus I looked at what it occurred elsewhere, but I finally rather quickly returned to trance music, and I started with more implying me in this culture. In particular around the work of the musical projects which I liked well.
But I was never completely satisfied, in particular the fact of not being able to hear in parties what really corresponded to me.
WIP mag : It is thus something which gave birth to a feeling of dissatisfaction, and which pushed you to produce your own sound?
Phonic Request : One can see the things like that. In fact I stopped playing music during 2 years with the stop of my band.
It is thus into 2003 that I said myself that I was going to make electronic music, because I started to miss music and that I now like much the trance music.
And since then if the parties did not give me the opportunity to hear the sound I like then to move me as much to do it myself. I still have much work but that will come one day and perhaps that my album is a first stage.
WIP mag : On this subject, did you think that to produce in solo could allow you to rather carry out as well as possible musical research than in group, where it's necessary to yield with that of the other members who composes it?
Phonic Request : I always prefered to work all alone at home with the guitar. Working in a band, it's pleasant with the pals but the composition work is something more personal. When I do compose I always try to penetrate into the music and to emphasize what I feel, and I find besides that it's more difficult in making electronic music than for a singer for example, where a part of the emotion and messages pass by the texts.
It's perhaps for that reason my music is rather hard sometimes, more mental. I manage more to make pass emotions that in the music purely dancefloor as can be to it for the full-on for example.
WIP mag : Thus there is a great difference between these two experiments for you?
Phonic Request : It's more a whole thing, one plays with all the instruments, composing electronic music is still more a personal enterprise, whereas when I used to play guitar, I didn’t compose. I played quite simply of the partitions of groups or known artists. There, I make my own music, it's something else.
Moreover, thanks to trance music, I can now write music with guitar, whereas before, as I said you, I wasn’t writing the partitions, I was simply limiting myself to play those of other musicians.
WIP mag : Does the fact of being an accomplished musician give you another way of approaching the composition that those have which for example do not have the bases? Does that give you more possibilities, opens more fields to you to explore?
Phonic Request : Yes that must help for sure, especially for harmonies and rhythmic construction. But you know I do not know the music very much, I always worked with the ear, I know my ranges and that's all.
WIP mag : You are a guitarist, can one expect that you incorporate accoustics instruments in your music in the near future? Do you think that it would be a possibility for a live performance?
Phonic Request : Indeed it's envisaged, not for rock guitar, but more for lighter pieces, more centered on the groove and speed into live precisely with clear and air sounds
WIP mag : Precisely, let us speak a little specificity about the Phonic Request sound. What strikes as of the first listening, it's that this sound escapes from any attempt of classification. It's a multiform sound and which the only common denominator is this groove to which you seem to attach importance so much. Could you tell us more?
Phonic Request : The fact is that I like all the styles, and consequently, I tried to make an album as eclectic as possible and according to my means obviously. There is a certain mixing of influences, the album starts rather quietly and finishes on chaotic and spacious night psyché, nervous and quite mental.
However, it was necessary that contrast be palpable to feel the progression and in this sense, the Side-A « Altered Ego » remix is good start for the album. I am rather proud of it, and make a point of thanking Olivier for the confidence which he testified in my connection. I was very pleased with his proposal, it's the last track of the album that I made in fact.
WIP mag : Precisely, this title of opening will surprise without doubt those which are accustomed to listen to sounds more wild and intense from your early works. Is this a specific test there or can one expect more progressive sound in the future?
Phonic Request : Yes, i'm currently working on a progressive track these days, but not too deep, I don't like housey sounds very much.
To locate my matter, I form part of the style of Zenon Records or even Groove Zone, progessive stuff that has overwhelming basslines, with sometimes a few acid sounds.
I'm not very fond of the purest essence of house music, but who knows if that could change later.
WIP mag : Could you tell us what kind of music, which artists do you listen to at home?
Phonic Request : There's too much good of it to give you precise names, but above all it's necessary that the sound remains mental, but not inevitably minimal either. I think a little of Sensient sound for example, or FREq when that touches a little more the borders of the progressive music.
This known as, I am still quite inexperienced but there's a ton of tracks I really like but I don't always remember the artists names.
WIP mag : I would like to know if like numbers musicians, you think that the music is not limited exclusively to the only instruments, but rather with the manner of making it?
Phonic Request : I think that one can explore more musical colors with synthetizers. We need both, the production is essential as well as the composition.
It's rather difficult to have a constrained opinion on this question, but I think that a well produced music will pass better in general than a music whitch has rather weak production, but my opinion isn't a common opinion
I personnaly try to bring massive sound and to give emotions enough in the music I produce, and I don't have a very sharp production yet, while more and more of music producers have almost a standard production which passes well nowadays.
What was not the case 3 years ago and in the psyché music where it's a bit harder to make massive sound rather than in full-on style based mainly on the search for beautiful melodies.
In psyché music, the sounds are so acid and triturated that frequencies are melting, it's an horrible thing to produce. (lol) |
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Greg kun
Started Topics :
3
Posts :
22
Posted : Mar 29, 2006 19:23
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--------------------------Part II-----------------------
WIP mag : Precisely, let's speak about Phonic Request in its studio. Your composition work, how does that occur?
Phonc Request : Well, first I'm completing kick/bass, then I'm writing intro while knowing in advance that it will give the tone for the continuation, the quintessence of my track.
And then I progess step by step, I don't make several sequences for pasting them end to end.
I also listen to the piece in loop a lot, to give birth to ideas and then penetrate more deeply in the track.
I also mix the track at the same time as the composition and I finalize the mix in the end.
WIP mag : Do you have preferences in term of instruments?
Phonic Request : Well I appreciate much instruments that straightly reproduce a huge sound with preloaded WAV, the sounds are by nature much cleaner. I like using Atmosphere, Moog, classic sound banks and a lot of audio samples. And concerning rhythmics, I mainly use WAV instruments I put into Cubase tracks.
Finally since one spoke about it a few moments ago, to use these tools correctly require much investment and time.
WIP mag : It's precisely a thing which strikes frontally by listening to Phonic Request, it's this depth, this kaleidoscope made up of a broad panel of influences that you adapt yourself in a way staggering enough. I would like to ask you what you nourished to build a piece.
Phonic Request : Of my life... Quite simply. What I feel, at the wanted time, I try to make it pass in the piece through the writing, and insofar as I am seldom of good mood, the result often gives what you heard until now.
WIP mag : And are you satisfied or then you are always with the research of the perfection?
Phonic Request : Once I achieved a composition, yes I'm mostly satisfied, but what is certain, it's that I don't stop the work of composition as long as I didn’t reach this satisfaction. Sometimes, it's nevertheless difficult when new ideas are coming out and can give you desire to deploy them in beginning the writing of a new piece. It's necessary to remain concentrated until the end.
However, it often happens that the composition completed or in preparation reaches a higher degree of quality, with the result that sometimes, I don't manage any more to listen to the old ones. (lol)
WIP mag : Finally, a lot of things happened to Phonic Request since its beginning, do you remember the first track you've accomplished? How did that occur, this prospection work of trance labels?
Phonic Request : My first track, it was three years ago now, on Reason... Great! (lol)
As for the second, Ivan from Psytawa Team often played it, but he really doesn't care the production quality, he plays what he likes and the remainder has much less importance (lol)
The track was « Sensitive Darkness », still produced with Reason, a crap production, damnit it's so bad. (lol)
One year afterwards, I passed to Cubase, too long, I lost much time to stagnate with Reason.
Then, I was published on Magma Rec but however that was an old track for this time, with a very limited production quality.
Thereafter, came some tracks in collaboration with Akoha we sent to different psyche specialized labels, as for Parvati label manager who was very attracted by some of them, and then Akoha and I continued to produce sound together.
The forthcoming track will be released on Hadra Records, a compilation conducted by Leptit, and also another one on the next Parvati compilation.
With this first album, I've crossed a new point, stuff sounds good, it's somewhat a relief. The continuation will be even better, at least I work so that it becomes a reality, in all the cases I won't have any regret.
WIP mag : It's true that the sound seems much bulkier, progress is obvious not only on the technical level, but also in term of musicality, it's rather more fertile and intense. Is this due to the fact that being technically more gifted than at your beginnings, you can grant more time to the strictly musical aspect of your work?
Phonic Request : Yes it is sure that I manage to put my ideas in order more quickly, but in the end it's a rather long work and the ear always should be accustomed.
To progress, that also means to discover new ways which can themselves require a new research task, and so on.
In practice, to work with a system based on monitoring is almost essential in my eyes.
WIP mag : To continue in this way, do you think trance music as a whole would lose in musical quality what it gains in technicality?
Phonic Request : Yes so much things were already made, but I think that there's an approach to make even more, the last Rinkadink album for example is for me an illustration of this aspect.
Now, insofar as the access to the means making possible to compose electronic music are largely democratized, there are inevitably a little more waste, but also a significant emergence of projects of high skill, which would not have been born otherwise. Naturally, there will be always goods and bad musicians, it's similar everywhere finally.
Trance music is also rather difficult in term of composition because it's logically rather charged compared with House music for which kick fills almost all sound space.
However, fusion is perhaps the key which could make it possible the trance movement to find a new direction, by mixing styles like marking its bastard print.
I don't know too much where we will go, I hope under a mental angle and dance floor but it's not very innovating in fact. (lol)
But what is sure, it's that it became impossible to create something fundamentally new. Could the evolution possibly come from that of the instruments, who knows?
WIP mag : While speaking about richness, i can denote in Invasive Process small things which make me think of the old X-dream tunes (Radio) for groove and air sounds, Koxbox for psychedelic FX and ponctual melodies or even Hux Flux. Which are the musical projects for which you have much respect, and those of which you share the same artistic approach in making your music?
Phonic Request : I'm fond of Hux Flux stuffs, as for Scorb, Rinkadink and Sensient, and also numerous full-on sound in the style of Hom-mega.
French producer Stephane Papin (Paps) also much inspired me, I'd really like to hear new materials from him and see him again on stage, he really had a sound which belonged only to him. |
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Greg kun
Started Topics :
3
Posts :
22
Posted : Mar 29, 2006 19:25
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-----------------------Part III------------------------
WIP mag : Can we keep in mind that the sound of Phonic Request will continue to evolve/move?
Phonic Request : I hope so... In this album I tried to develop all the styles I like in the trance. The next one will be without doubt more personal and less unpicked. I hope I'll have found my own style, my own way of thinking and writing music. It has already begun with the forthcoming releases, but I always tries to amaze myself, in order to not put myself in a state of embolic creativity.
WIP mag : Let's speak now about Phonic Request in live performance, how was your first experience and how did you make evolved your organisation in live?
Phonic Request : My lives are rather simple in term of procedure, a laptop with Cubase + FX and VST's I'm managing in real time and also hardware if it's proposed by party organizer.
In the future, I hope to be able to produce a multitracks live, I'm currently working on it but it's a long training.
One of the ways to privilege is rather to separate all my tracks on a numerical table, so the Cubase/Ableton Live association could be a possibilty to view.
WIP mag : For those who still did'nt have the chance to see you in live, what can they expect with a Phonic Request performance?
Phonic Request : Big, huge and massive trippy sound (lol)
The best thing to do is to come to parties, but I try in any case to improvise to the maximum, to take pleasure and to give some to party-goers.
WIP mag : By the way, what is your opinion regarding the health of trance movement in France? As much for french producers as organizers you know well.
Phonic Request : It's a question that is quite often asked. It's necessary to impulse the movement, there were much more parties ¾ years ago, but the Government get in our way by parasiting any attempt of setting up a party, especially electronic parties with an incalculable number of authorizations and not always in best times.
I also realize that the French public for a significant part is less motivated to move compared to foreign countries party-goers. But the reasons are also undoubtedly due to the levelling down of the line-up of certain parties since the same laps of time.
There's a very little organizers that don't fall down or who don't suffer losses, even those which have a popular success.
As a result, there's naturally less international artists who are more expensive although it would attract a huge population of party-goers.
It is thus a rather complex problem, and I don't speak about the high costs that make the organization of festivals in France very difficult to realize.
In term of musical projects, French display a much better health for two years and it's in my opinion a very good base to expand again the trance culture in France.
WIP mag : Indeed these are many elements to be taken into consideration. You already played abroad. How did the things for you occur?
Phonic Request : Yes it there much more people, as much for Italy, Spain, Holland or Portugal where I played since the past two years.
I don't know how the authorizations in the other countries occur. I never had any problem of organization abroad, but in France too
As a whole, I only had good experiences. But anyway, people in trance are mostly warmhearted people although the most difficult public in my opinion is the French/Parisian public, more disposed to criticism, but that's formed part of the game
WIP mag : You will have occasions to prolong them this year?
Phonic Request : Yes of course, on April 16th I'll play in Lyon (Parc des Expositions). A huge electro event with 3 boards of whitch one entirely dedicated to Trance music, and supervised by Hadra Team.
In May, I'll be part of the Freaky Festival new edition in south of France, and in June for « Om Sweet Om » in Spain.
Afterwards, I hope to play festivals but anything confirmed for the moment.
That's all folks. Thanks for reading
Phonic Request website --> http://www.phonicrequest.com/
Release informations --> http://arabesque.co.uk/index.php?option=com_artistavenue&task=singleCd&id=173&Itemid=1
Coming soon on Mahogany Records [April 2006]
Thanks for KakoOlaLaJwal for checking. |
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olivier
Side-A
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
1303
Posted : Mar 31, 2006 13:50
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great interview full of infos
waiting for the website now greg ^^
and good luck for your album will ;)
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Pierre-POF
Principles of Flight
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
35
Posted : Apr 5, 2006 01:32
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Oh yeah! very good interview from you Will! Wish you the best for your album!! |
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