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Pablo Bas
soundartist from Argentina
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Interview: 10 questions
1. When did you start making music, what is/was your motivation to do it?
I have played music since I was nine years old at the Collegium Musicum (Buenos Aires). When I was a child I received my father’s influence; he is a great fun of traditional jazz. When I was ten the music that influenced me the most was Pink Floyd (i.e. “The dark side of the moonâ€), Alan Parsons Project, and the like; I also listened to The Beatles. They were a huge influence on me enhancing my curiosity for music. Later on I discovered Argentine progressive rock. Being connected with these streams of music pushed me to keep studying music and to be attached to the dream of devoting myself to it.
2. Tell me something about your living environment and the musical education?
Time is a critical factor that I try to manage in order to have time enough to produce, to create and to study in accordance to my needs. I have my studio at home (a separate room) where I have my equipments and instruments and where I teach. Even though I have transited some official institutions, my musical education was mainly based on personal lessons with highly renowned professors in areas such as guitar, piano, audio-perception, harmony, and composition. At the time I finished the secondary school, I spent most part of the day studying music.
3. Is making music your profession? What is the context in which you practice music nowadays?
I am currently making music from somewhat diverse perspectives. This is because of both my own interest and economic reasons. I study instrumental techniques on daily basis and am interested on cutting-edge technologies applied to music. My endeavour is to apply the new technologies to my work. As well as this, I work on different productions ranging from composition either for others’ or personal projects, to edition of digital audio and video.
4. How do you compose or create music or sound? Have you certain principles, use certain styles, etc?
Techniques and the way I compose are different according with the characteristics of the different works (style of music, instrumentation, purpose, et cetera). Rules and principles are valid for each occasion; I try not to repeat them — although it does not mean that it cannot happen. I generally take very seriously the first idea that spontaneously comes up to my mind. Then I develop it following diverse kind of constructions and frameworks. For the last years I have been constantly using digital media for all the projects.
5. Tell me something about the instruments, technical equipment or tools you use?
I use electro-acoustic guitars, real and virtual synthesizers, edition and sound record software as well as MIDI sequencers in PC and notebook. I occasionally use percussion accessorises, as well as concrete sounds and noises, etcetera.
6. What are the chances of New Media for the music production in general and you personally?
It is an established fact that digital media reach all phases of music production and, in its continuous evolution, they create tendencies and define new frameworks and standards. We are living in an epoch where digital media reshape culture in the way of thinking, creating, producing, and also listening music. It is striking that keeping away of this tendency implies an extra work. In my own case, I consider that any tool is valid for expression, either traditional or contemporaries. I also think that the new ways of creation and artistic production are necessarily factors that amplify the possibilities of renovation and the emergence of new languages and forms of expression.
7. How about producing and financing your musical production?
I am involved in three kind of productions: own projects which do not depend on external funding; works for third people which funding is provided by them; and invitations to participate in low budget production; these interest me mainly for artistic reasons. I really appreciate it when public institutions support or give incentives for artistic works.
8. Do you work individually as a musician/sound artist or in a group or collaborative?
I generally work individually, which I enjoy very much. I also enjoy when my work is part of a chain of production for, as I am not involved in the direction, I have to face the challenge of adjusting my artistic contribution to other’s criteria. This is very interesting for these “limits†usually act as triggers for my composition. I find it crucial and interesting the creative dialogue and brainstorming that come out when working in a team.
9. Is there any group, composer, style or movement which has a lasting influence on making music?
I try to give a personal touch to my music. In any case, I try to nourish my composition with something of the music I have acquired along my life. I try my music to be similar to the musical resonances I have in mind of the music I have listened throughout the past. From popular music, I am interested on any kind of musical genre whose rhythm has Afro-American influences. From jazz, I am attracted by improvisation. From contemporary music, I like experimentation and the quest for new schemes, systems, sounds and the like, and the perpetual questioning about language and media.
10. What are you future plan or dreams as a sound artist or musician?
I plan to strengthen the use of composition tools — such as Max — in combination with traditional instruments, synthesised sounds and noises’ signals. My dream is to have more time for composition and production of my own music.