WEBZINE # 7
Behind The Scenes with 59 Perlen
Hangout with IXQZM
Spotlight: Hexwave
Get To Know Under Red Skies
And more…
Introduction
“Hi friends, the new PVC Magazine is now out! Here are some great reads and insights into what you can expect from the collective in the upcoming months. Reflecting on our accomplishments since the beginning of the year brings a smile to my face as we approach a well-deserved break.
We've already celebrated numerous releases, hosted our third Jamuary, and organized various events and workshops. PVC’s main focus has always been to create a platform to connect, perform, and exchange with other artists and electronic music enthusiasts, extending beyond Danish borders. Bringing people together, forging new connections, and creating lasting memories remains our ongoing mission. This would not be possible without everyone's goodwill to make things happen.
We are slowly but surely getting everything aligned for the third edition of Sonic Playground here in Copenhagen in November. The love for our craft, passion, dedication, community spirit, and fun still thrive. We can't wait to gather everyone for our biggest party and meet-and-greet of the year!
We look forward to coming back to you in 4 weeks with more releases, jams, events, samplers, and collective spirit. Your time spent reading this magazine, spreading good karma, and supporting our artists and initiatives is truly appreciated. Wishing you all a lovely summer break.” - Guillaume
Snapshots
Get To Know
the latest addition to our roster!
If you are not familiar with PVC, just know that we are an Independent Collective & Label exploring diverse electronic sub-genres since 2021. Here we’re taking care of some of the most underrated niche electronic artists. From minimal house, dark electronic, ambient, industrial, DIY, DAWless, and on. We want this collective to be a safe place for our artists to hangout, grow and be creative with their own rules.
All PVC's artists get 100% of their royalties. We like to see PVC as decentralized Label. We owe much of our existence to our artists, fans, and collectors who share this common view of the ideal Label. Most of the artists today have been conditioned to expect one-sided relationships with the organizations they interact with. We're slowly but surely trying to redefine a path suiting our vision of the modern Label. Electronic music with a story to tell.
Get involved: You want to Join the Collective / Apply ? Learn more
HANGOUT WITH
IXQZM
IXQZM -
“…it’s an ambient adventure, fictional, almost abstract but rhythmic, combined with multiple sounds I collect from the city where I used to travel to.”
Can you share with us your journey into music? What drew you to electronic music, and how did the persona of ixqzm come to be?
I had piano lessons as a child and after Middle school, I started to play flute until high school. I have liked techno music since university. I was wondering how they made those songs, so I started to learn Ableton. I began from YouTube and those articles online then I took a short formation in module.exchange.france, since then I started to do performance from time to time.
How have your Taiwanese roots and your current life in Paris influenced your music and artistic expression?
Taiwan is a country where you can easily get into nature. I spend most of my free time on the mountain. I think the experiments give me lots of inspiration! And Paris is an energy city where you can always find variant concerts. I got a chance to meet and have great conversations with those talented artists.
What was your first ever set-up, when you started making music?
I started with my computer with Ableton, the first set up I used it’s Push II and APC40.
What motivated you to travel all the way from Paris to Copenhagen to meet the Petite Victory Collective crew? How was your experience at the Push The Buttons event?
I already took my journey from Taiwan to Paris, it actually doesn't let me feel far from Paris to Copenhagen haha. The event was a very sharing night for me. I enjoyed jamming and also got a chance to play the equipment which I am interested in!
Can you describe your creative process when producing new music? Do you have any rituals or specific environments that help you get into the flow?
For me, it’s like a meditative exercise. I need to stay alone in my studio, but normally I just start from a random melody and loop it for a while until I get another tempo or melody to combine. I usually just go with the flow, sometimes I will try to listen to the bird outside of my window and copy its melody as my reference.
How would you describe your musical style? Are there specific genres or elements that you consistently explore in your music?
I don't really know how to define it but.. I would say it is an ambient adventure, fictional, almost abstract but rhythmic, combined with multiple sounds I collect from the city where I used to travel to.
Modular! It is still complex to me. But the sounds of modular are always surprising me even if there is a little change in parametric.
Where do you draw inspiration from, both musically and non-musically? Are there particular experiences or places that have significantly influenced your work?
My surroundings, movies, books, arts, travel, spirituality. I used to camp a lot with friends, we like to have a campfire during the night. and what you can hear was only the sounds surrounding you in the dark. For me, It’s quite similar feeling of tininess in the mountain or the city, it seems like some similarly anxiety for me, but the thing is that I can always find the peace back if I ask myself to listen to those sounds which come from wind or river or insects or sometimes animals, it actually could become a melody vive. I think producing music by collecting the sounds from city life could be another way that lets me recapture a feeling of calm in the city.
How do you approach your live performances? What do you aim to convey to your audience when you're on stage?
I would like to bring my auditors out of their city life and through the music into a vivid atmospheric dream. somehow danger somehow wondering. I am now living in Paris, so I guess the next performance will be next month in Paris, but I would love to play in another city or at the festival.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as ixqzm, and what achievements are you most proud of in your career so far?
I think my biggest challenge is time control, I sleep early and I prefer to make music in the morning or afternoon, but sometimes I don’t feel the right feeling to do a heavy kick or deep techno during the morning. And my studio is located at home, I also need to deal with the problem of soundproofing.
Being part of PVC!!
What’s next for ixqzm? Are there any upcoming projects, releases, or events that you’re excited about and would like to share with your fans?
I am now preparing my track that I hope it can release this summer!!
Listen to our Community
GET TO KNOW
UNDER RED SKIES
Under Red Skies -
“…the most important things in a community is the feeling of belonging there. Having the feeling that you’re in a kind of safe space and not feeling judged. I know this might sound a little too psychological to some people. But, at least for me, it’s important.”
Can you tell us about your journey into music? How did you come to create the name Under Red Skies, and what inspired your involvement in electronic music?
I started playing drums as a young kid in bands, and was quickly attracted to rock and metal. I also played steel drums for quite a few years in an okay succesfull steel band, which really taught me how to play live in any given situation thrown at you. Around 2016 I quit drumming and decided to dive in to electronic music. I was drawn by the many possibilities and that I wasn’t dependent on other people. It has been one big learning experience for me, and still is. I guess it will always be like that, and to be honest I think that’s how it should be. I started with Ableton and some VSTs, but quickly found that I needed to have something physical in my hands/ in front of me. Both in terms of feeling inspired, but also for the learning part of it. For a long period of time I didn’t know what direction my music should take, because I was so curious and felt inspired by many different genres. But the techno tracks with a minimalistic and raw sounding approach, always seemed to resonate more with me, together with abstract sounding ambient/soundscapes. So that’s what I tend to seek in to now, when I’m playing. But for me, the most important thing is, that the music doesn’t try to please the listener too much. It has to challenge you as well, regardless of the genre.
The name Under Red Skies came while watching a sunset. Watching the “burning” skies and generally reflecting on the state of the world, it made sense. So the name is perhaps decided on a rather dystopian vibe, but it seems to make more and more sense... unfortunately!
And that’s one of the reasons why I love diving in to this kind of music. You can immerse yourself and disappear completely in the music and clear your thoughts. I think music is the perfect escapism, but also an important cultivator for encourishment. Music can bring us together regardless of skin color, religion or gender.
You’ve been around the Petite Victory Collective for a while before officially joining. What drew you to PVC, and how has your experience with the collective influenced your music and community involvement?
I can’t remember exactly how I first came across PVC. It might have been Urban 13, that posted about the first Sonic Playground event... I wasn’t at the event, but PVC seemed to be a cool thing to be around. Discovering more and more of the music coming from PVC and participating in your Hang Out at Cykelstad, I knew I had to be a part of it, in one way or another.
One thing I really like about PVC is the diversity in the artists and the music. Even though I don’t necessarily play in the same genre or style, I find it inspiring to listen to what other in the collective come up with. Both in terms of the music, but also in terms of how the music is made. There is so much good music made within the collective. Both official releases, but also jams uploaded to the Discord and YouTube. And the willingness amongst the collective to give a good advice or feedback on a topic is really really cool. I’ve never been a part of a community like this before, but it’s really nice and nothing but positive vibes to me. I don’t necessarily feel the need to participate with any comments or inputs on the Discord all the time, but I check in on a daily basis to see, if there’s something interesting happening. There are some really hilarious conversations going on at times - so it’s also a good place, just for the hang. Joining PVC has for sure encouraged me to be a part of creating something, where it’s not always about my own creative outputs.
Describe your creative process when producing music. What tools, techniques, or environments do you find most conducive to your creativity?
First I have to say, that I’m really bad at finishing tracks, so up till now my outputs has mostly been live jams. I think I feel more like a musician, than a producer. But I’m working hard on changing that, hehe...
My set up at the moment, is a modular case sequenced by a Beatstep Pro, a Roland TR-8 and an Octatrack mk2, that serves the purpose as the main mixer and sampler for loops, additional drums and percussive sounds. I only have 2 voices in my modular case, but I have the FX patched up as send/returns, so it can be used as a separate voice. I love using my Clouds clone (Typhoon, After Later Audio) for weird textual stuff that can take the lead, while the “dry” signal is turned down.
Regardless if I’m doing an improvised jam or recording something for later use, I’ll try to go with the dogma “less is more”. And then I try not to overthink it, cause that really kills the initial creative spark in me. I do set up some guidelines in terms length, bpm and intensity of the jam to make sure, that I’m not going completely out of focus. But often I also just start playing while recording, and then see where it takes me. These recordings are sometimes used as loops/back tracks in new jams as well.
I do feel inspired by things around me in life generally speaking, but in terms of making music, it’s never really because I heard or experienced something specific. I can’t come to the studio and say “it’s gonna sound like this or that”. If I do that, it’s bound to fail. Mostly it’s just the sounds from the gear, that triggers my inspiration. But, with that being said, you can definitely hear other peoples music in what I do. It’s just not that important to me, who or what I sound like.
My mood and headspace are definitely also conducive for my creativity, which can be super rewarding but also a pain in the b... but, I don’t think I’m the only one feeling like that!
You’re taking the lead on Strøm På Roskilde this summer, a series of events on Saturdays in July and August. What inspired this initiative, and what are your goals for these events?
I’ve been thinking about doing things here in Roskilde for a while now, with electronic music being presented in different occasions and locations. Roskilde is a very cozy city with many cool spots, ideally for making small events and gatherings. I want to bring electronic music out to those places and present it in a non traditionel way. The artists are placed out in the middle with no stage, so people can see how the music is made. I live in a city that wants to support music and cultural initiatives in generel, which is a big motivation for me, as a person who wants to participate in cultivating local creative scenes. And these events are the first step. I would love them to be recurrent events, but I also have other ideas in the pipeline. I want Strøm På Roskilde to be something, that can help local artists showcase them self in different constellations.
You’re known for your active participation and great ideas within the PVC community. How important is community to you, and how do you foster a sense of community among electronic music artists?
I found out, that community is very important for me. I have felt rather alone with what I’m doing, so meeting you guys was surely a good thing. And it has also pushed me towards thinking about making Strøm På Roskilde. I think one of the most important things in a community is the feeling of belonging there. Having the feeling that you’re in a kind of safe space and not feeling judged. I know this might sound a little too psychological to some people. But, at least for me, it’s important in terms of wanting to contribute to the growth of a community. It’s not only having a mass psychosis together over a new piece of gear... well... that’s also a big part of it for sure!
Can you share some insights into the planning and execution of Strøm På Roskilde? What challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
It’s the first time I’m planning and hosting events. And I’m basically doing it all by my self. The most important thing I learned so far is; that even though people wants to support and help you, they might not have the time for it. So be in good time and follow up on emails etc. It’s been a little too close in terms of getting the right permissions. I’m keeping the events on a low key level on purpose. Both because I don’t have the experience, but also because I want these events to have a kind of “pop up”/ spontaneous vibe to it. There’s still things to take care of, but I think it has lowered the stress level a lot. But ask me again after the last event and I might want to add things to my answer, hehe... I think the biggest challenge will be the weather. All events are outdoor, so if it’s raining I have to cancel. The events are free for the public and fully sponsored financially, so I don’t have any problems towards cancelling any of the events, other than it sucks a lot. I’m thinking about making it as a live stream if I’m cancelling a date, but hopefully it won’t be necessary.
How do you choose the artists who perform at Strøm På Roskilde? What qualities do you look for, and how do you ensure a diverse and engaging lineup?
Future wise I would like to have a bigger focus on local artists, this year I only found locals for 2 of the events. On the other dates I have artists from PVC playing. It was a no-brainer for me in terms of asking you guys to play. The PVC way of making live events align so well with my wishes for these events. I have tried to find artists in different corners of the electronic music landscape, so it isn’t just 5 events with the same type of banging techno or quiet ambient. In terms of what quality I was looking for in the artists; well I have seen almost all artists perform live before and enjoyed it. But, I also wanted somebody who I knew was supportive to the concept and open minded about spreading good vibes about our niche music.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound and approach to music?
I was knocked off my feet by Grunge before it became mainstream. I have to admit that. But the biggest musical mindfuck in my life so far, was seeing Mogwai at Roskilde Festival in ’98. That was really an emotional experience for young Carsten. And the fact, that you could make music without a singer in the band... amazing! Somehow it really opened my eyes to approaching music in new ways.
In terms of electronic music I have had many moments (and still have...), where I was completely seduced by the music. I don’t think I have any clear favorite electronic artists, but I really like listening to e.g Surgeon and Plastikman. The rowdiness and minimalistic approach in some of my playing is definitely influenced by them. But, you can never go wrong with a Max Cooper track or Marie Davidson for that sake. Oh, and Vril has really made some amazing tracks as well... well, here we go!
Besides Strøm På Roskilde, are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re excited about? What can we look forward to from Under Red Skies?
As mentioned in an earlier answer, I’m really bad at finishing tracks, so that will be one of my main priorities for URS after the summer events. I just started working on a track for the next PVC compilation, and then I’m thinking about taking some of the gear I have (but rarely use) and limit my self to make a handfull of tracks with that. Hopefully it can end up with an ep around Christmas or early next year. Besides playing at my own events, I have a live show in September, but let’s see if anything else pops up other than that. 2025 will hopefully also bring more liveshows. I really want to play live as much as possible, that’s for sure.
SONIC PLAYGROUND 2024
SONIC PLAYGROUND 2024
SONIC PLAYGROUND is back for its 3rd edition! This year, we set the stage for an intimate experience, combining workshops, meet and greets, modern dance, exhibitions, and concerts featuring some of the finest DAWless performers and artists. Always with the purpose of showcasing the vibrant Danish and international electronic and live electronic music scene.
What’s new on the PVC Hub
![Winter Crashing [Deluge+Cobalt8+Lancet]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/620278048bf0307f4b88589b/1733614550068-TOE6CEVB5DQZO84EA8HN/Screenshot+%28256%29.png)
![Chaos Break [lofi beats]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/620278048bf0307f4b88589b/1733177583467-31AD65HFM9DM9RQY55QN/Screenshot+%28244%29.png)
The Hub is your new favorite hangout. Discover new music and artists through our shows, jams and podcasts or even master your equipment with our rich collection of tutorials.
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH
59 PERLEN
59 Perlen -
“…collaboration and networking is crucial in a world that becomes more and more AI and computer driven. These are the things that machines can’t do, That’s one reason why I developed the “SP Sessions” event series”
Even if you’re not new to the PVC landscape, can you share the story behind your artist name, 59 Perlen, and how you got started in electronic music for our new readers?
Hi everyone, and thanks Giom for the opportunity to share some insights in this interview. My name is Matthias aka 59 Perlen, I'm a Swiss producer, performer and electronic music artist based in Zurich. I do music since a very long time - in fact, I was 10 years old when I was gifted a Commodore 64 computer with the SID soundchip that has been able to play 3 voices at once. I was totally mesmerzized by the possibilites and the sound coming out of it (it got a re-birth on the Elektron Analog Rytm as a SID machine in OS 1.30) and the passion that it started never faded. But it took me years to make my first real tracks; I remember I got a 486 PC and installed a tracker software on it.
That was the kick off that lead to "Reason 1", the first DAW claimed to be a full studio in a PC. I made a lot of tracks just for my own pleasure - the music industry was totally different than we know it these days. Only back in 2015 I decided to level up and stepped into the world of Ableton Live. I started producing Dance tracks, progressive house mainly. I started my music project "59 Perlen", released some tracks, but I always felt that something was missing. I realized that I wanted to get more tactile and perform music live. I had plans for concerts and how I wanted to get my tracks on stage. But then Corona Pandemy felt over us and changed the way I thought about it. I decided to buy a Digitakt, go dawless and that machine changed everything. I exercised the hell out of the DT - I wanted to perform my music as soon Corona was over for audiences, because I believed (and I still do) that this is something machines will never do. Nowadays, I produce with different environments and machines, currently with a tiny setup of Erica Synths machines, and I produce dubtechno tracks for streaming releases.
My artist name was born because of my family name, which is “Rosenkranz”. When I started to think about an artist handle, I considered “Rosenkranz” as a beautiful name. But “Rosenkranz” is a prayer chain of pearlst that has a strong religious connection in Germany and so all the social media profiles with it where taken by other people and I wanted to avoid problems with distributors. So I was looking for alternative ideas and as the “Rosenkranz” (english “Rosary”) is a chain made of 59 pearls, I took this name,just in German :) I kinda love names with a story, thats why i went for this idea rather than creating some strange new words for it.
You're known for being an active and idea-driven member of the PVC community. How important is community to your work, and how do you foster a sense of belonging and collaboration among fellow artists?
In my opinion, collaboration and networking is crucial in a world that becomes more and more AI and computer driven. These are the things that machines can´t do, That´s one reason why I developed the “SP Sessions” event series - connect, share and create together in live situations, meeting people in reality and make new connections is so important. I spend a lot of time and money for this - a trip to Copenhagen comes in August where I gonna collaborate with PVC member Yukio Bergholdt for music creation and a little live gig.
But there are the classical collabs as well - I just released a remix album that not only contained the work of 6 talented artists I selected. I organized a little remix contest and all the contributions have been released on a special community edition of the album. I really love these projects, its pretty important to me.
You've performed at Sonic Playground events in Copenhagen in 2022 and 2023. How has the experience been, and what makes these events special for you? What can we expect from you during this year’s edition?
Sonic Playground is a really special event for me. It was the first time ever that I played for an audience +100. When people started dancing to my tracks, I knew I reached a milestone that I was not aware of before. I really felt that my music can create emotions - this moment I will never forget and I am super thankful for everything around these events. What makes It special in a second way is - of course - the networking aspect. As I said earlier, this is crucial for me and meeting the guys for tech talk, drinks and dancing together is always a true highlight in my musical year.
This years edition will be special for me as well because I will not perform a dance set! I will join the SOnic Playground with my partner Bernardo San Rafael, a dancer and performer from Costa RIca. As the event moves into a more art oriented direction, we will present a contemporary art installation, scored with my current setup. Can´t wait to see what we will show you (coz right now I have no clue hahaha).
You’re currently leading a series of events called SP Sessions: Zurich. What inspired you to start this initiative, and what are your goals for these events?
Well, the idea was born after I got super frustrated by bookers who constantly rejected my application to get on the roster. “Your music is great but we can´t sell it” was a usual answer. As a no-name artist, its really hard to get a booking. But I wanted to play my music and perform! Thats why I had the idea of turning the situation around by creating my own event where no one can tell me whats wrong or not.
Another big part is the event itself. At the heart lies a commitment to nurturing emerging talent and providing a platform for newcomers to showcase their skills. The power of music to bring people together, forge new connections, and create lasting memories is what drives me forward curating and organising these events.
And as guests told me, the concept works well! People are used to listen DJ music, but Live acts are rare these days (at least in Zurich). It will take time to establish this event, But I am sure that it has a great potential. I plan 4 events per year with a lineup of 3-4 artists. If it goes well, I will take the concept and my experience and propose it to smaller clubs. But thats future music …
Oh yeah, for the september event I have still 2 free slots. If you´re interested drop me a line.
Can you walk us through the process of organizing SP Sessions: Zurich? What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered? What is your long term goal with this project?
The process is not as streamlined as I would like to have it. I´m still learning a lot. But I all starts with the location booking and the date settings. After that is fixed, I go ahead with the artis curation by posting in our community or talking to locals. I also create the visual and first social media material at this point, an event website where people must register their RSVP and I also make a blogpost with all the information about the lineup early enough. I will setup a group for further communication and we have a call where I tell them about the event and detailed. I will book a PA and rent a car to pick it up some weeks before. 4 weeks prior the event, a facebook event is created together with a campaign to reach interested people. I also send out a newsletter to all the people that have been on prior events coz these people are usually interested to come again. Along all this comes social media posts and so on. 3 days prior the event, I reach out to all registered people to remind them about the upcoming event and send them last updates to the schedule.
After the event, I will post another blog with photos and a recap, plus some social media activities. All in all, its a TON of work … but its worth it. I am sure I forgot some tasks in this list haha
We have seen a major change in your setup recently! Can you guide us through what you went through and what led you toward a more improvised live affair?
Well .. the main reason for the change was a missbalance between a safety grid and being spontaneous on stage. Playing live is a super stressful situation for me and I need a setup that makes it easy for me to perform my tracks while still on a save side that doesn´t allow too many mistakes. But i recently noted that this safety thinking took away a lot of the fun that live performing can be.
At the same time, I had the problem that my music got more and more complex. As you know, i do live sets with hardware but I love producing with a DAW as well. And I got frustrated when I realized that I was not able to transform the studio tracks into proper stage performances. I felt like I was just switching scenes with a controller and turning the cutoff frequency up and down. But that is not what I consider a live situation! So I decided to leave these tracks in my computer for now and do something different live.
So I was looking for ways to bring back more improvisation to my live gigs. It´´s just - the Elektron sequencers are not really made for it in my opinion. Too much menu diving which I really hate while being on stage. I wanted simpler machines. I hope that the Erica Synths setup will serve my desires well - I played around with these guys on Superbooth and I was really in love with the sound, direct access and portability.
Besides SP Sessions: Zurich, what other projects or performances are you excited about in the coming months? What can fans expect from 59 Perlen?
I have a couple of outstanding art shows with the crew around Bernardo in the next months. We gonna perform “Shopping Bag” in Zurich as a contribution to the “Lange Nacht der Museen”. The same week we will perform the same show in Stralsund, Germany. And there is an opening show for an Oceanic Museum in this city in autumn as well.
I have some releases in the pipelines, mostly dubtechno tracks. I recently got some signes on STIG records, a minimal house and techno label from Germany, and there are some tracks scheduled with them.
Beside that, I´m preparing for a huge event in 2025 :) too early for details, but I am looking forward a lot.
Famous last words?
Thanks everyone at PVC - I really love this community and I can´t wait to see many of you guys again in November xxx
Fundraiser Compilation
Minimal City Vol. 3
‘In this third installment of Minimal City, our artists embarked on a unique journey, crafting tracks using an array of samples and field recordings gathered from their respective surroundings. These sources range from the ambient sounds of shops and restaurants to the whispers of nature and the vibrant conversations of people, all ingeniously woven into their tracks.’
SPOTLIGHT
HEXWAVE
Hexwave -
“…the best piece of gear is the one you have, so don’t be like me and change your stuff every 10 seconds! Learning a machine inside and out really helps you be confident and write the music you want, and most machines have a lot more to offer once you learn their intricacies.“
Can you tell us about the origins of Hexwave? What inspired you to create music under this moniker, and how did your journey in electronic music begin?
So, I haven’t been in the scene for too long, starting a bit before COVID in 2018 with my first piece of hardware (the Teenage Engineering OP-Z). Back then, I was basically discovering through a Youtube hole that electronic music was a lot more approachable than I thought, as I believe a lot of people did around that time.
Before that, I always enjoyed electronic but honestly didn’t know that many artists and was definitely not in the scene, as none of my friends growing up were really into it and a lot of us including myself were (and still are) very much into metal. I would randomly find artists I liked that were electronic and almost feel guilty about it, like NIN, IAMX, and lots of video game soundtracks (huge nerd alert!).
In highschool I dabbled with Fruityloops trying to see if I could make some music but honestly it was just too much and Youtube wasn’t what it is now back then, and either way I was much more into playing guitar, drums, violin, and other instruments.
Once I started to see these very physical, contained machines (which of course had been around decades before this) and realized it was something that really clicked with me, I fell in and it completely took me over. I kept investigating and trying new machines, buying and selling, and the Deluge was another great one that I wrote the majority of my original name (Chroma Surge) with.
But for the first few years I was VERY experimental, and eventually I decided I wanted a bit more focus so that people had a general idea of what to expect when they heard one of my songs. I still experiment a lot and like to make a fairly wide range of tracks, but I try to keep my album releases fairly coherent.
And the direction itself was always a bit inevitable, being still very much into metal and generally liking darker tracks I wanted to focus on a sound that was kind of a blend of my musical passions. The name, well, was the one I landed on after a word brainstorm, always wanting a kind of dark fantasy name mixed with something either related to music or sci-fi… So Hex was like, a spell from a witch or a curse or something, and Wave for a sound wave like a square wave or something. Sort of like a new kind of sound wave, made entirely out of curses? Hey, names are silly, and I never take myself too seriously!
What are some of your biggest musical influences, particularly in the dark synth and electronic genres? How have these influences shaped your sound?
As you can probably expect from my last answer, most of my biggest musical influences are actually metal, and lots of video game soundtracks. NIN though for sure influenced me a lot as I listened to those albums a ton growing up. From metal, it’s mostly things like the melodies they tend to have, as well as my love of really punchy, distorted sound which you hear in my music a lot. I couldn’t really say particular influences as I listen to a lot, but the primary kind I’m listening is a lot of Finnish, Swedish, and German metal like old In Flames and Opeth, Children of Bodom, Powerwolf, Amorphis, Finntroll, Borknagar, Amon Amarth, so on and so forth. But plenty of others from other regions like Gojira, Periphery, Cryptopsy, Ghost, etc.
For games, lots of retro stuff like the Zanac and Gauntlet soundtracks for NES, and really just a lot of Nintendo music because man, they know how to make a soundtrack. Super Metroid? Amazing.
But yeah, since getting into more electronic stuff, it’s these days what I listen to 50-60% of the time. “Dark synth” is a genre that is kinda loose and some people probably say one artist is and another isn’t, but stuff like Carpenter Brut, Perturbator, Daniel Deluxe, and Mega Drive. But honestly I’m usually listening to independent artists on Bandcamp or Youtube, like PVC members and others that I follow, because I find it usually more interesting and varied and I like the personal aspect of it.
Walk us through your creative process. How do you approach composing a new track, and what role do your hardware instruments play in this process?
There’s kind of two modes here; I’m either writing music because I want to write something and have no idea what, or I have a melody or musical idea that I want to build off of.
If it’s the latter then I usually try to copy what I’m thinking of first which is usually a melody, by picking a basic sound and recording it into whatever like my Digitakt or Syntakt or whatever I have at the time. After I have it down roughly, I usually pick a kick to start as I feel that is the best way to get the basic bones of the song to build from, then go from there.
If I just want to write something and don’t know what, honestly I’ll often go through presets or just kind of sound explore for awhile until something neat catches my ear like a nice sounding synth or a really punchy bass drum, then I’ll kind of figure out at that point what kind of song I want it to be and paint some notes or beats, then build from there. Sometimes (or a lot of the time) I get a bit carried away and add too many parts, as I keep thinking of a cool sound I could fit in or another melody that would sound nice… But I always try to remember, less is more!
As I have the Vermona Perfourmer Mk2 right now and it is pure knobs and no menu diving, and no saving of presets, it has really helped me just kinda go with it and find a nice sound and not obsess over if it’s perfect or if I can do it again. Going with the flow is a nice way to create.
Your music often features apocalyptic and sci-fi themes. What draws you to these themes, and how do you incorporate them into your music?
For sure the musical influences help a lot, but I’d say more for the themes it is from video games, movies and books. I have always really loved both fantasy and sci fi on a pretty much equal level and have a hard time picking one over the other, so I usually end up blending the two. For game influences definitely my biggest one is the Dark Souls series and pretty much all Fromsoft games. I just love me some skeletons and wizards, what can I say?
But more loosely, I like kind of invoking the spirit of retro PC D&D games or something, which often had wicked soundtracks and just really nerdy and cool art and themes. This is also why I am a fan of (and sometimes incorporate parts of) the Dungeon Synth genre as well because it is all about that.
You've been part of Petite Victory Collective since the beginning. How has your music evolved over the years with PVC, and how has the collective influenced your artistic growth?
Honestly, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am without PVC. Since joining the community it really gave the music a bit more of a sense of purpose, instead of just randomly getting some comments from people, it feels more like you’re part of a bigger thing and everyone supports each other and it’s just wonderful. I greatly appreciate each and every person in the group, and always strive to hear as close to everything that the members make as possible. Which honestly isn’t hard, because it’s almost always of shockingly high quality!
PVC is definitely what influenced me to keep with it and define the music more, which led me to Hexwave. There are so many (SO many) great members with strong, defined sounds that it really was inspirational.
How do you translate your intricate, hardware-driven sound to live performances? What can fans expect from a Hexwave live show?
Well that’s a good question, because I have only played live one time and it was only for less than 15 minutes! The scene here in Toronto isn’t super easy to just go and play somewhere and I’m not really the type of person to set something like that up. However, there is a wonderful event called TEMOM that happens every second Monday in a month, but I’ve only been able to make one of them because of my work schedule! I hope to hit a couple more this summer because there’s lots of talent there and it was lots of fun last time.
Last time I made heavy use of the “song mode” on the Syntakt to keep the music chugging along with the structure so I didn’t get lost and could focus more on just parameter changes or temporary fills and whatnot. I’m not sure whether I will do that again next time or try a fully loose style, but I need to honestly do a lot more practicing of mock live sets at home. Especially with my new setup! The Vermona is fantastic and I’m fairly quick with it, but it does of course take some micromanaging as you have to manually turn everything. But that’s the fun of it!
What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced in your creative path as Hexwave? Conversely, what are some of your proudest achievements?
For the biggest challenges, honestly it’s mostly how often I run into walls with my gear and decide I need to change something to something else, which beyond the buying and selling aspect of it is mentally taxing by having to relearn a new setup. But at the same time, I really love learning new gear! And I would say I am proud at how well I do that, and I always dive into the manual and often make videos about little hidden “tricks” I discover. Anyway, no changes for a long time (I’ve said that before) because I love this setup!
Some of my proudest achievements would be my albums. As Chroma Surge I put out 4 which have some cool tracks that I’m nostalgic for, but honestly they’re a bit of a mess. Since switching to Hexwave, I am pretty happy with everything I’ve put out, which is one EP and 3 albums! That’s a lot of albums for a short amount of time on the scene I think (not as much as some people I know, GeorgeL909!!). And maybe I’m weird, but I listen to my own albums quite a lot. And when I do, I’m usually thinking, damn, I made this, that’s pretty cool!
Other than that, I’m happy with how much my Youtube channel has been growing! I am not one to obsess over the numbers or anything because it’s always just a creative outlet for me and never a plan to make it a “thing”, but I like making tutorial type videos and mostly from those I’ve hit some milestones I’m pretty happy about. It just feels cool having some random people around the world appreciate your stuff.
Also, while I’m not part of it now and it has changed forms, very proud of the work I did with the great team for Massive Radio for the time we were together there. Great memories and really really cool thing we made together, and everyone worked so hard and did an amazing job. And it was nice having my own radio show for awhile (Patterns In Noise), maybe it’ll start up again one day (but probably not!).
You are coming over to Copenhagen to join 2 of our major events here in November: Push The Buttons and Sonic Playground 2024! What are you the most looking forward to? Any expectations/wishes?
Yes I am! I have been looking forward to this trip for a very long time, can’t wait for my wife and I to make it out there finally and meet everyone and listen to all this great music live! I’d say the biggest thing I’m looking forward to is the social of finally meeting so many good friends in person (even though I’m quite awkward socially so, I’m sure I will make a fool of myself!).
And then to get to see and hear the music making and performing first hand, very cool! All the times that I have seen shots and heard clips of these events it has never disappointed. PVC just has too much talent for that!
Outside of that, just also looking forward to exploring the city, eating the food, and relaxing!
What advice would you give to aspiring electronic musicians who are just starting out? Are there any lessons you've learned that you'd like to share?
Yeah! The best piece of gear is the one you have, so don’t be like me and change your stuff every 10 seconds! Learning a machine inside and out really helps you be confident and write the music you want, and most machines have a lot more to offer once you learn their intricacies.
And if you are starting out, don’t go straight for the flashy, trendy looking thing that you see in influencer videos. Don’t get me wrong, influencers are very useful for sharing info and I watch a lot of them a lot, but look at what the musicians are playing.
Find someone you like and see what they use, then look into that and decide if it’s for you. In the end, there is almost no chance you will strike gold and be happy with your first machine and never change it, so trust your instincts and just go for it. Elektron can be pricey, but it is also a very strong and common and stable choice!
Join a group (like PVC!) so you can bounce ideas off people that know you and your style, it can really help to encourage and drive you.
And never be afraid to make any kind of weird or supremely normal music that you decide you want to make. Do techno one day, and a noise soundscape the next, and be proud of it all. Music is art and it has no rules (and if people tell you it does, thank them for their advice and continue!).
"Ruinous" by Hexwave
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“The next Sonic Playground event is right in the corner! See you on November 2nd - Save the date! In the meantime you can enjoy this recap from last year”
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