GOTH-TRAD "PSIONICS" Interview②
continuation of last Interview
[GOTH-TRAD "PSIONICS" Interview ①]
Wax Alchemy (WA) - Making of "PSIONICS", Did you had influence from your recent remix works??
GOTH-TRAD (GT) - Since my last album “New Epoch” release, I had been trying to improve my music with more my background through Bass Music/Dubstep.
WA - You used to play mainly dubstep. What was the opportunity to procure your background into music?
GT – The occasion to make the different tempo of music that were remix works for Danny Scrilla’s “Fall Out” and Lea Lea’s “Black or White”. These were the beginning of new direction.
I was originally producing downtempo hiphop and also released industrial, noise/experimental music like my 1st and 2nd album. So I tried to mix with these sounds into new music.
That processes went side by side with those remix works. I think these works were one of the cause which led my new music to new direction. The remix of ENDON was another direction, too.
Danny Scrilla - Fallout (Goth-Trad Remix)
GT – Most of my new album tracks were brushed up through the processes which were cutting dubplates, playing on the soundsystem and looking at the reaction of audiences.
Especially I focused to low-end frequencies which take the full advantage of the soundsystem.
"GOTH-TRAD's Wax Alchemy All Dubplate Mix" check Interview ①
WA - Let me ask about new album. Do yo have any theme or concept for it?
GT – I don’t have a specific theme. This album might be compiled with the music which I freely wanted to express with specific tempo, frequencies and sound texture.
WA - The advance limited packages includes dubplate which featured Boris and Dälek.
How did you get on well each other???
GT – Mr.Atsuo from Boris was the producer of ENDON’s 1st album “Mama” and he really liked my remix for ENDON and he said let’s do something together. I was very pleased because I’m a big fan of Boris’ “Flood” out in 2000. Then, we had the event “Low End Meeting” at Daikanyama Unit last December. We also did a Live session show and made the collaboration track “DEADSONG”.
We arranged Broad Axe Sound System which I use for my Back To Chill night for that event, so full of Bass swirled during the night! The sound of Boris through the soundsystem was intense!
[ PSIONICS - Limited Package Dubplate includes -DEADSONG(PSIONICS version)]
WA - I was there, too. Mr.Atsuo of Boris said “I never thought of the bass lower than us was exist”
How about Dälek?
GT - Regarding Dälek, I was big fan since I purchased their 1st EP in 1998 and have been following them. I was invited from Daymare Recording for their fist tour in Japan in 2005. So I was played as Rebel Familia with them at Shinjuku Loft. I never forgot their Live show since then. This 5 years, they didn’t released anything, but I just saw the information of their show in London when I was London during the tour last January. Unluckily, I couldn't go to that show due to my schedule. But, I got in touch with them and started to talk about this project. They just released their new album”Asphal For Eden” too.
So, collaborating with Boris and featuring Dälek are like my new frontier. I really enjoy making this new album. I believe I could describe new territory beyond the genre of Dubstep.
[ PSIONICS - Limited Package Dubplate includes - GOTH-TRAD feat. Dälek - "Skin No Longer Scars"]
WA - I have cut so many dubplates like dubstep but realized your new album has lower frequency than proper Dubstep.
（Hundreds of broken Fuses by GOTH-TRAD）
It is really hard to cut your recent tracks. I never cut songs fucused on such deadly low-end. Why do you strictly play this super heavy bass??
GT – Actually, I know the low key frequency which sounds easily. And I’ve been making those kind of music for long time. I wanted to try to make something new as sonically. That was my challenge.
Those kind of sounds can be sounded well only from good sound systems but I wanted to establish them as dance music.
They maybe sound like downer, but I wanted to challenge making dance music which is heavy, aggressive and which has the impact to the body, especially.
WA - Comparing with “New Epoch”, doper sections and brutal side coexist in this new album. What is the name of “PSIONICS” came from?
GT - “PSIONICS” was taken from the cartoon film called “Genmataisen(Armageddon)” which I like since I was 10 years old. The psychics called “PSIONICS SOLDIER” battle with evil aliens on the film. I like the sound of this word, simply and I wanted use this word someday.
WA - I see you kept this word in your pocket for long, so is this word "PSIONICS" helped making of album in some ways??
PSIONICS means the power kind of psychokinesis or something mental power influence to physicals.
We make music with instruments or computer, actually. We can’t see what kind of spirituality the musicians put into their music. Those music exist as physical things like vinyl, cassette tape or CD and even if it’s digital data, too. And they reach to the ear of listeners finally. I mean the kind of spirituality which the creator put into the music express as the vibration the air.
Music can influence to someone physically, that’s quite often. Of course the influence as mentally too. When someone experiment aggressive lower key sounds from sound systems, they feel like better or bad. It may forcible but I thought that experience is caused by one of “PSIONICS”.
That’s why I picked this word for my new album.
So, this might be the concept of the album.
Art Work designed by USUGROW
WA - Illustrator Mr.Usugrow drew artworks for this album. The taste is really unique.
GT - When I imaged the album artwork, I thought the monochrome texture of Usugrow would be perfect. So I told him about the meaning of “PSIONICS” and I offered him to draw freely.
I am very pleased with this artworks. I will never imagine this type of artworks by myself.
WA - Why do you release very limite packages, and release exclusive songs on dubplate which is not in this album?
GT - In these years, the releasing as digitally increase more. It is maybe easy to expand music to many people but that situation is getting down the value of music, I think.
I started to buy music of vinyl when I was a junior high school student. I enjoyed music through finding them with spending money. But many vinyl stores were closed now, and the digital music is mainstream.
Unfortunately illegal download is normal for young generation and some DJs are playing with the music only collect as illegally. Actually, on the next day, I released “New Epoch” in Japan as advanced from world wide releasing, there were already some illegal download links on the interenet.
WA - These days, many artists release their music as free too. This situation spur on to be lower the value of music.
GT – This situation like musicians are just cutting their throat.
This is my experience that I was touring in one country and I had conversation with local DJs. I asked them how to purchase music, they said they didn’t have enough money, so they collected music as illegally. He owns his label and gave away their music as free on bandcamp. After that, I met young producer who releases his music from that label. I asked him are you happy to release music as free? He actually spent time to create that music. However he said it couldn’t be helped because that was the promotion.
Because lots of famous musicians give away their music as free, it is hard to expand music of infamous musicians, actually. I can understand this situation but I think they should put the value on their own music.
I also had gave away my music for the promotion before. But I had to think about it since I’ve seen this situation.
WA - In that kind of meaning this is the time that artist and label should re-think deeply about this problem.
GT – We have to take care about digital releasing carefully, too.
That’s why I include dubplates on limited editions. That’s physical thing and it is hard to copy them casually. And I want customers who purchase them to understand our opinion and implication behind each songs.
I just wanted to try to release this type of package. Because we can’t listen to this songs without dropping the needles on the plate. So I put the essences of dub plate onto the music and Wax Alchemy cut them by hand. I wanted share this music very limited to who really want this music.
I will never release this 2 songs as digitally. That’s exclusive literally. I will be happy the customer treat them as their treasure.
『Had a test cut session of "PSIONICS" dubplate at Wax Alchemy Studio. The cut quality was Loud & Proud. Can't wait to play with sound system!』 GOTH-TRAD facebook
GOTH-TRAD "PSIONICS" limited Dubplate
Test Cut at Wax Alchremy
WA - Why do you release this album on USB memory sticks instead of CD?
GT - It may contradiction but I wanted to value this USB sticks as goods and it is one of artworks of this project, not only for listening to music. Customer can use it for other purposes.
On that point, I consider about the convenience of digital. And I don’t want this packages are only for vinyl lovers. My logo designed by Usugrow is on this USB stick. So if customer will use it like include music library of GOTH-TRAD specially, I will be happy too.
I wanted to express this T-Shirts as the one of artworks of this project too.
And of course I know someone loves CD. I want to take care about these fans so I will release normal editions of this album as CD in later this year.
WA - I can’t understand people who upload music illegally, even if they purchase them. Vinyl lovers never ask to someone to borrow the vinyl.
Listeners suppose to understand the processes of making the music, and the spirit of creators.
Do you have any changing about composing or playing style through cutting dub plates?
GT - First of all, the processes of making music was changed. I used to master my music digitally and just burn CDR and play in the club easily. Now, I try to finish them carefully before cutting dubplates.
I confront to each tracks and I put my mind into them more strongly.
Without convenience of digital music, we need skills to play vinyl and need to take care about that Skipping the needles, sound feedback and they are very heavy to carry. Same as the changing
about making music, I really concentrate to play them carefully. I think my mind must to reach to the audiences on the floor. It is intuitive and quick for me to pick vinyl up from my records bag
without turning the jog dial on CDJ. And I think I can do more instinctively.
WA - My friends who start playing dubplates saying something similar to you.
GT - Since I restarted cutting dubplates, I'm checking music more than before which doesn't matter vinyl or digital, new or old music. So, I sometimes edit and re-master other one’s released tracks for my dubplates if I need.
My night Back To Chill has continued every month for 10 years in parallel with my DJ activities. Now, I’m putting extra soundsystem “Broad Axe Sound System” every time, which is meaning we can play on really good acoustic environment . In that situation, DJs playing Dubplates has increased.
There is a good synergistic with the circulation between Music~DJing~Scene. And they are brushing up each other.
So I want people to experience that what’s happening there!
Next "Back To Chill"
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