Quantum Leap

DJ Interviews: OXI Band

Here's my interview with the ban Oxi Bands who shared their musical beginnings/

How'd you get started in music?

 

OXÍ Banda began in November 2019, when the bass player (Mateo Corrales) and the guitar player and composer (Alejandro Vásquez Arango) decided to create a Hard Rock band with many Pop influences. The name of the band is the first three letters of the word “oxymoron”, which means contradiction and represents the personality of its members. OXÍ is a Colombian rock band.

 

Who are your inspirations or influences?

 

We are influenced by great bands from the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as Eagles, Bon Jovi, Nirvana, Guns N'Roses, Metallica, Soda Stereo, Caifanes, Heroes del Silencio, among other bands

 

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

 

We would like to emphasize the idea of playing music for the pleasure of doing it, because art is about sharing with other human beings what we fall in love with and can generate an emotional connection with other human beings. If you like our music, that's great and if you don't, there's no problem because rock is about being honest with our feelings.

 

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

 

Particularly, we emphasize the bass melodies, because our bassist has more experience in different musical genres, such as funk, salsa, vallenato, among others. This gives greater rhythm to our musical proposal in the field of Hard Rock.

 

 

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

 

We are always making some type of publication on our social networks (X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube) regarding our concerts. In addition, 2 months ago we published our first album of 12 songs titled "Inocencia", it is available on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Tidal, Youtube Music, among others. 

You all can listen to their music thru the following links

 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaZrmpdbjqmwM5YcjQloa9g

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/artist/0LyE1AXWMM1gHEsQIgWfPk?si=piFt5VGrRseDRcfWhZ8yGw&nd=1&dlsi=c1f6edfd35ef44b0

TIDAL: tidal.com/browse/artist/39079844

Apple Music: music.apple.com/co/artist/oxí-banda/1506035126

Instagram: instagram.com/oxi_banda

Facebook: facebook.com/OXÍ-Banda-101691485104998/?ti=as

X: twitter.com/OxiBanda?s=08

TikTok: tiktok.com/@oxibanda?_t=8VM4cfa9vJl&_r=1

RUMKICKS 송가(Goodbye Song) Official MV

[MV] RUMKICKS(럼킥스) "Don't touch my head" official M/V

DJ Interviews: Crimson Disc

 Hey there everyone its your old friend DJ Dizzy here, & I'm back with another interview this time with the band Crimson Disc, This is a dou bnd consisting of meers Wolf & Cam who sat down with me to speak on their musical beginnings.

How'd you get started in music? 

Wolf: "It was 1977, punk was conquering the world and me and my mates were hell bent on starting a punk band, so the not so famous "Störning" ("Disturbance") was formed with me on bass guitar." 

Cam: "I was a church boy and there came a need and an opportunity to do something musical, so I decided to teach myself guitar in 1990 and played in a group with my siblings. I also started as a bass player. Maybe that helps the brotherhood between us, we both have seen band stuff from the unassuming bass 'corner', whilst the main performers were doing their flashy stuff out front!"

 Who are your inspirations or influences? 

Wolf: "At first almost all of the first wave of punk, later on all sorts of artists like Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath etc."

Cam: "We both really dig the classic rock of the 70s and 80s, I'm a bit softer than my viking friend, taking in pop influences that make him throw up in his mouth :). Rock people like the Offspring, the Killers, Green Day, whilst Elton and Billy Joel also get a look in, and bands of New Romantic phase of the early 80s like Duran Duran and Depeche Mode."

What advice would you offer aspiring performers? 

Wolf: "Just. Do. It. Get some friends together and start a band. If you're not trained before, it will probably sound like crap to start with, but you will learn, and you will have fun doing it. Later on, you should really try to get a live gig - live gigs are probably one of the best aspects of music.

 Cam:  Don't be afraid to write songs and make mistakes. Hindsight is better than fear."

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers? 

Wolf: "Well... I partnered up with this bloke on the other side of the globe, making it as good as impossible to play live, hehe. Seriously though, we have a very interesting partnership going."

Cam: "We try to not put limits on ourselves and just go with what feel the song needs. Composing without the other party being in the room is a different process and has it's pluses and minuses, but we were mates before the music... I think that has been important, even if we do live in different hemispheres."

 Any new gigs or albums in the future? 

Wolf: "Yeah, our 4th album will probably hit the digital outlets during 2024."

 Cam: "It certainly will."

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Chance (GMV) - NEFFEX

Tell Me by King Of FullMoon

This is a music video that was done on Bandlab by this band that I'm featured in called King Of FulMoon & the song is called Unreal. hope that you all enjoy it & thanks for listening

DJ Reviews: Lonely Heart Drive by Electowave

Hey there folks its DJ Dizzy here & I'm back with another review & this time around its Electowave with their new track Lonely Heart Drive.

The song

Now to start off this review I have to say it was a real cynth overload because this song relied heavily on the elcotronic synth sound with some undertones of EDM thrown in & well they really let the music speak for itself on this track which gave it sort of an intense sound on its end to be honest  when you think of a song about having a lonely heart I was sort of expecting to have some lyrics to the track but it is interesting to have the music say something.

The Video

The video for it mostly emphssized the concept a lonely heart there were also messges scattered around such as I miss you & I'll call you & I felt like it gave the song/vid a sort of stalker vibe, Now no dsrespect to Electowave but when you do a song thats about a lonely heart the thing to do is to have a mellow sound & meaningful lyrics  but you can be the judge for it.

Some of it didn't really match what ut was trying to speak on & it looked like something put together at random & just spun together some random locals in the process so to be honest they could've done a better job.

In Conclusion

The song & video weren't really on point with ech other & I was expecting something on the mellow side of things no disrespect to Electowave but things weren't really on point with each other & whie it was oversaturated with synth it was still a decent bop its my personal opion that this wasn't really the best track by Electowave  so its a 5 out of 10. 

You can check out the video vua the link below & until then I'll catch you on The Flipside! Stay frosty & rock n roll.

Electowave-Lonely Heart Drive

(1) LONLEY HEART DRIVE - electwave 💖 (Official Music Viedo) - YouTube

DJ Interviews:Izamanya

Here's my interview with Switzerland based singing dou  Izamanya who shared their musical origins 

DIZZY How'd you get started in music? 

IZAMANYA Over the years we have participated in or produced various bands and projects. We sold a lot of records back then and also gained touring experience. Our career started in switzerland years ago and in between we also played in wacken and a lot of great festivals all over Europe. With all these experiences we did a restart with the IZAMANYA project in 2016. 

DIZZY Who are your inspirations or influences? 

IZA: In terms of singing, I was fortunate to have a very talented vocal coach at the very beginning of my musical career Unfortunately, he died much too early, and I have not been able to really open up to any person/coach since then. I’m discovering and creating my own style and technique. 

MANY I started playing guitar @age 13 – then joined my first rock band at 17. Since then, I have had some guitar teachers in different music styles “on and off”. Most of the time I was learning by doing. Generally, I practice/play the guitar between 3-6 hours every day– and it still feels like there are no limits and definitely no ends to my process. 

DIZZY What advice would you offer aspiring performers? 

IZAMANYA There are always ups and downs – we think the most important and difficult is to maintain a long-term vision, to have endurance and stay focused on our goals! You can't take it for granted to always have the chance to work as a team on songs and sounds – remaining independent, openminded – and flexible - do your daily instrumental exercises and and ...of course a lot of fun!! 

DIZZY How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers? 

IZAMANYA The Izamanya sound results from a union of our personalities - instruments and voice. It's important not to chase any trends and to remain authentic. With so many different terms and subcategories in metal, we actually have no idea where we are classified? In any case, we are proud to have achieved an “Izamanya” sound. Music is on the one hand a vocation, a feeling, a state of mind in which I like to be, for me an eternal search for personal development.... I would say a life task. In addition, you can say and express so much through music...also provoke or give courage....in any case we carry responsibility with our music. We certainly allow the current world events or moods to flow into our sound, because it influences us heavily. If the Izamanya – rock can do something to improve the world – then we've achieved more than expected. 

DIZZY Any new gigs or albums in the future? 

IZAMANYA We have been busy writing songs over the last few months and now have a big bag full of “preproduction” with which we are recording the full wadding in the studio. Gradually release 4 CD's in 2024 / 2025 and a complete vinyl longplayer. At the same time we will continue to promote our riffs acoustic / guitar & vocals and then start an Izamanya Bang your Head tour with the full band in Switzerland. Of course we hope that it will also go abroad. We will see - and are excited to see what the future has in store.

DJ Interviews: Frank Schmitz

 Here's my interview with Frank Schmitz at musik post.com

How'd you get started in music?

I've always been interested in music and enjoyed singing along to my favorite songs, but it wasn't until 2016 that I had the time to buy a guitar and learn how to play. And I was already good at writing lyrics as a schoolboy. So I came up with more and more lyrics. In 2021, the time had finally come for me to release my first song.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

I'm not the youngest anymore, so of course I grew up with all the well-known groups and solo artists that everyone knows. It's important to me that songs are melodic and rhythmic, but I also love ballads. For example, I like some songs by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bee Gees, Hollies, Elton John, Leonhard Cohen, Eric Clapton, Barry Manilow, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, Pink, Ed Sheeran, Michael Bublé, Lady Gaga and other younger groups and artists. And they have certainly inspired me in some way. It's difficult to pinpoint a specific group or artist. 

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

As I said, I'm no longer the youngest, but I'm relatively young in the music industry. As a result, I naturally don't have as much experience from which aspiring artists can benefit. But because of my life experience and the personal development that I have actively undergone, I think it's important not to let family or friends dissuade you from your path. Of course, the first songs are not perfect and later on you will realize that there is still a lot of room for improvement. So go your own way, don't let yourself be put off and, above all, persevere. You don't win fans overnight.

How do you set yourself apart from other bands or singers?

It is very important to me to inspire people with my music and my lyrics, to give them food for thought, to give them courage, to cheer them up, to give them joy and also to show them that there is always a way out of difficult situations. Through my life experience, my personal development and the many books I have read, I want to give other people something that will make their lives more beautiful, more colorful and easier. I am also convinced that music can connect people with each other and thus the whole world.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

I've only released one album so far and that was in German. With this album I am supporting a hospice that took wonderful care of my dying mother at the time. I plan to release an album with my English songs at some point. But I haven't yet come up with a suitable social idea that I could sponsor.

On 24th May 2024 I'm releasing a great new song that was written in collaboration with a Canadian musician and an English producer. It's about wolves. You will be surprised. We've managed to combine a serious topic with fast-paced and danceable music. And on July 19th, 2024, I'm releasing another song with the same people involved, which is about something very fast and sporty. Let me surprise you

DJ Interviews: Divarella

 Here's my interview with singer, Divarella who sat down with me to speak on her musical  beginnings

Here are the questions

How'd you get started in music?

I started at a very young age. I remember checking my nursery English textbook for rhymes that I could turn into a song, it was more of a hobby for me then. I even wrote a song in the middle of an exam in secondary school. It happens whenever I zone out of my immediate environment(whatever the trigger is) and I find myself in this space right inside my mind, it's beautiful and therapeutic.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

Growing up I had none, everyone in my family had different tastes in music, nothing peculiar but along the way, I became drawn to pop music and also interested in sounds like Avril Lavigne, Sia, Taylor Swift and Little Mix. These stars shaped my life- teenage years up till present.

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

Well as an aspiring artist myself, it's not been easy but I'd say that consistency is really needed in this field. Remember why you're into it in the first place and remind yourself of it, at all times. Tread at your own pace and don't compare yourself to other artists, you're different and let people see why you are.

How do you set yourself apart from other bands or singers?

Presently, I'd say everyone has similar sounds but then it's okay. Major difference would be the aesthetic, your aura as an artist. I mostly write songs about my personal life experiences which usually have a sad yet calm vibe to it, although I try to switch up once in a while, so nothing is off limits. My music is my diary which I want to share with anyone who's interested enough to listen. 

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

I have two singles (titled Roses Are Red and Your Heart) coming out this Friday (May 10) and I'm so excited!  I can't wait to share it with everyone. I'm also working on my releasing my first EP album by late June or early July. Stay tuned.

DJ Interviews: Ghanima Galach

Here's my interview with singer   Ghanima Galach 

How'd you get started in music?

I grew up in an artistic environment (my parents are both musicians) where classical music was prevalent, but I developed a strong passion for rock and heavy metal, so I started to learn electric guitar. Later on, I attended music school at my hometown's main university and eventually joined several rock and metal bands. 

2020 lockdown came, and that's when I decided to go on solo, founding a project based on synths, to explore atmospheric and experimental music. I also have a solo black metal project. 

Who are your inspirations or influences? 

From classic rock acts such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, UFO, Scorpions, and NWOBHM bands to heavier stuff, including several black metal, doom, death, and heavy metal bands,. 

I also share a great love for artists like Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, Alphaville, Kraftwerk, and others.

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

If you are not passionate about it, better find another gig. When you do it for the money, you will soon be disappointed. Try to learn something new every day and show respect for your craft. 

How do you set yourself apart from other bands or singers?

I really never thought about that. I'd say that the wide variety of influences and styles that are displayed in my musical projects set them apart from the rest.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Regarding my black metal project (Khlyst), a new album is in the making and is expected to be released in October. 

Ghanima Galach, which is my atmospheric/synth/dark ambient act, is now on hold just to let me focus on the production of the aforementioned project.

DJ Interviews: Bottlecap Mountain

 

Here's my interview with Bottlecap Mountain who sat down with me to discuss their musical beginngs.

How'd you get started in music?

My dad’s a drummer, played professionally my whole life, I was always around it. I started with drums and I always sang. Started learning the guitar around 14, played in some high school bands, started playing professionally after high school around Austin. Met and played in a band with Ray (drums) and Doug (guitar, backing vocals) called The Spoiled for a few years. Started Bottlecap Mountain after making what started out as a solo record in 2013. Been great friends with Chris (bass) for years and I met Yvonne (keys, backing vocals) around 2014. 

Who are your inspirations or influences?

Lots of those but to name a few:

The Beatles of course, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Springsteen, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Hendrix, The Who, The Kinks, R.E.M., PJ Harvey, The Stones, The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Talking Heads…

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

Get out there and do it, cut your teeth. Be true to yourself, be honest. Aspire to be great, not for fame or fortune but for the craft, for the cause so to speak. Don’t settle for mediocrity. At the end of the day, are you happy with what you’re putting out into the world?

How do you set yourself apart from other bands or singers?

I mean, everyone wants to set themselves apart right? Again, I think being true to yourself, being honest, having a point of view. We try to treat everything we do as if it’s the best thing we’ve ever done, all killer, no filler! Of course it doesn’t always work out that way but just because you don’t think it’s great doesn’t mean that someone else won’t. Respect your audience and respect yourself. Give it your all and that automatically sets you apart. 

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Our 7th studio album “Electric Love Spree” comes out on June 4, we’re super excited about it! 

And yeah, we play regularly around Austin so if you’re in the area chances are you’ll have a chance to see us. We might do a little tour this year too but still in the planning stages. You can keep up to date with us by following us on the socials and checking out our website: http://bottlecapmountain.com/

Special thanks to them for this interview & you can learn more about them via the links below so until then I'll catch you on The Flipside! Stay frosty & rock n roll

ttp://bottlecapmountain.com/

Bandcamp:

https://bottlecapmountain.bandcamp.com

Instagram:

http://instagram.com/bottlecap_mountain

Twitter (X):

http://twitter.com/bottlecapmntn

YouTube:

http://youtube.com/c/BottlecapMountain

DJ Interviews: King Of Mars

Here's my interview with none other than King Of Mars

How'd you get started in music?

My family was very musically inclined and I was listening to music throughout my early years to all different genres new and old. I was given computer access at a young age and used FL Studio. I studied music videos for years. I started to write poems in the 4th grade and my teacher believed I had a gift. I kept writing songs and free-styled a lot. I really took a risk and dedicated everything I could possibly handle at the time. I was inspired by my favorite artist and producer. Big Sean and Mike Posner. The Finally Famous albums gave me the motivation to freestyle, write songs, record, and mix until fame. I was 14.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

I did it my way like all the legends. Juice WRLD and Lil Peep (RIP) inspired me to be original and with bountiful genres. Big Sean inspired me to work on my flow relentlessly. Mike Posner inspired me to become a prominent sound engineer. I am a big Juicy J fan. I like to keep his music playing on repeat when I need to get hyped. I think his creativity is underrated. His music is energetic and fun. Mad respect. This list goes on forever…

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

Performing is fun, but you don’t make a lot of money until you are famous. Hear me out for a second. Get famous with streaming services by utilizing social media and gain a following that way first. That will get you just as famous if you work smart. If you break the internet you don’t have to do shows. Especially if you are independent. Internet money is now the most valuable work in the industry. A.I. created a way to get money within the server using all resources and especially on social media. The world is a dangerous place. Get rich at home. “If you talk to the internet long enough it will listen.” - Russ. 

A professional studio isn’t shit if you know how to mix. All the legends know that. Make a booth at home. Save yourself time and thousands of dollars. This is how most successful artists start and continue as they 

“Do it your way. Only you are going to make it and not them. Everyone is a domesticated animal on a rock. You are special. Would you take advice from a cat?” - King of Mars

How do you set yourself apart from other bands or singers?

I predicted the future in prophecies foretold in my lyrics. The proof is me in the booth. I talked and still talk now about things way ahead of our time and did it for years in my lyrics. I make statements in my music. Those statements of mine become true later on. Listen to my lyrics and look at the release date and you will understand. I am a lyricist farmer and I don’t claim to be a prophet. 

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

I am never not working on music related activities. I am about to record new music today. If you want to be legendary you have to work like 1000 people at once. Being manic helps. Thank you very much for reading. God Bless! >

DJ Interviews: Summer Lee Carlson

 Here's my interview with up & coming singer Summer Lee Carlson

How'd you get started in music?

I’m from a very musical family and started singing when I was 3 years old. We’d travel around

doing shows and my Mom would stand me up on table tops in Shirley Temple style dresses to

perform.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

I remember a commercial coming on the TV and the line, “I learned the truth at seventeen. That

love was meant for beauty queens,” and immediately ran to the (fairly new development) of the

internet to look the artist up. It was Janis Ian and I proceeded to devour all of her lyrics the way

you would poetry. Same for Leonard Cohen. Their songwriting is incredible. I was also very

influenced by old school movies and musicals with Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and

women with big voices like Barbara Streisand and powerful performances like Tina Turner.

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

Keep finding a way. There’s always going to be a reason to quit or give up. But don’t do it. Dig in

and scout out the tools you need to keep going. You can always find a way.

How do you set yourself apart from other bands or singers?

I am not really trying to be anything other than myself. It’s not that I don’t want to be cool,

believe me I do. I just know I never will be, ha. I’m also just trying to be consistent and work

hard.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Yes! I’m finishing out my “first pancake” and full album this Friday, May 3rd actually. And I’ve

already begun work on the next album with Mute Speaker. I’m so grateful to be working with him

and really pleased with the new direction we’ve taken, which dips much more into Jazzy Hip

Hop, Soul & some new surprises.

DJ Interviews: Daividh Campbell

 Here's my interviwe with Daividh Campbell

How'd you get started in music?

In the late 80’s a DJ over heard me singing in the house we lived in together.  He asked me if I had ever thought of getting singing lessons! Ahahaha my reply was ‘OMG am I that bad’? he replied with ‘no,no quite the opposite, you have a really smooth voice, and would be perfect in a studio, all you need is some vocal lessons to show you breathing technique etc’ .  So that’s what I did.  Got myself my first vocal coach, went once a week and practiced the rest of the week to a cassette recording of the session.

I tried three different coaches – all different styles, learning along the way.  Eventually I found a producer/vocal coach who taught me studio recording techniques and how to structure songs etc.  And from there it just took off, demos of my own tracks, recording guide vocals for other artists.

 

 

Who are your inspirations or influences?

I love the 80’s electro sound.  Synthwave/Electrowave. 

 

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

Go for it.  Join a chorus, I am a member of the Brighton Gay Mens Chorus and its not only a social thing, it keeps my vocals in check.  You learn so much in a chorus.  And then when more confident, look at a vocal coach.

 

How do you set yourself apart from other bands or singers?

I have very varied tastes and can more or less sing anything.  I can sing well live and have been told I have a ‘very good voice for recording’.  I’m not interested In being ‘famous’…I just want to sing.

 

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Well, a few weeks back the Brighton Gay Mens Chorus held the 50^th Anniversary of Abba winning Eurovision at the Dome, that was with 6 Eurovision artist and was brilliant fun.  I am a part time presenter for TransRadioUK with a show twice a week, I am currently collaborating with two artists who have written tracks for me.  I am planning to re-record a track I wrote and demoed in 1997 – taking it from ‘Ambient Pop’ to ‘Soft Rock’. 

And I am also back in the swing of writing brand knew tracks. 

DJ Interviews: Ben M. of 4886 Studios

For a change of of pace, here's my interview with game developer Ben M at 4886 Studios as he sat down to speak of his humble beginnings

How'd you get started in gaming development:

Back in 2018, my dev partner and I decided to leave the UK and move to different countries. I moved to Germany, and he moved to Canada. We are good friends and stayed in contact. I had started doing some sci fi themed digital paintings in Photoshop, when he messaged and said he and some others wanted to try and make a game. It was just to be something very basic: landing a spaceship on the Moon, then getting out to have a walk around. Not only was this of great interest to me as well, it also tied in with the artwork I had been doing. We discussed it more and more, and over the weeks as the ideas grew, other people that started with us dropped out. At the end, there was only my dev partner and I left. We had worked together a lot in the UK on video projects, and we gel incredibly well, so we got to work straight away. Having zero experience in game development, naturally it was a massive learning curve. The Moon project eventually took us around 3 years to make and release, and went from the initial exploration idea, to a psychological cosmic survival horror set in a Lunar prison.

Who are your inspirations in gaming?

Gaming wise, Hideo Kojima's earlier work I find phenomenal. John Romero, Shinji Mikami, Keiichiro Toyama as well. Though I think it is the games themselves that are inspiring. I love the Fallout games, but Todd Howard is not an inspiration at all. My background and education, as well for my dev partner, is in film and video. So a lot of our inspiration comes from films. When people describe a game as a cross between X and Y game, we would say it is a cross between X and Y films. Our first game, Gray, was a cross between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Event Horizon. That also gets the idea across better than saying a psychological cosmic survival horror. As well as games and films, my inspirations come from oldschool anime from the 80s and 90s; lots of cyberpunk and mecha, as well as those old paperback sci fi novels from the 50s to the 80s.

How does your company  set yourself apart from other developers?

Well, I live in Germany, my dev partner in Canada. We haven’t seen each other in person since 2018. All communication is done through voice messages and emails. Our name, 4886 Studios means how many miles apart we are. 4886 miles and we can still make games together. 

What advice would you offer to people who want to get into your profession?

If you want to do it, just do it. Engines are free, tutorials are free, lots of free assets. A lot of people will tell you to start small, make something you can complete in 6 months. Do that if you want, or make the game you want to make. Our first game took 3 years to make and release. We thought maybe we’d hate it and only make the 1, so why not go all in? Yes, it is challenging, but it is incredibly rewarding. I’ll never forget that feeling of clicking “publish” on our game. 

Any new games in the future?

We are currently working on SoLo, a scifi third person shooter. With our first game, Gray, we weren’t skilled enough to utilise decent combat, so the story evolved around not being able to fight. With SoLo, the game revolves around combat. Fast paced sections with a hard Synthwave soundtrack, and slower tenser parts like Resident Evil 4

Bonus question: Do you have any projects coming out as far as TTRPGs?

No TTRPGS, but I do convert and paint Warhammer 40k

Special thanks to him for doing this interview & I wish hinm luck in hi upcoming gaming projects. So until then I'll catch you on The Flipside. Stay frosty & rock n roll!

DJ Interviews: The Filthy Honey

Here's my interview with band The Filthy Honey

How'd you get started in music? Well, I tried to work in a shop, a haberdashery - "what size are you? Do you wear black?" That sort of thing. But I didn't like the hours so I became a full time dreamer.

Who are your inspirations or influences? The music I'm releasing at the moment was written years ago so I've forgotten what influenced most of it. One song was influenced by the Syrian civil war whilst another was just simply a rip off of an Eels song, so it varies. I'm currently working on an album that tells the story of Red Dead Redemption 2 - so I guess you could say that's my inspiration at the moment.

What advice would you offer aspiring performers? Don't expect anything from it. Chances are, you're not going to make a living out of it so don't stress out trying to do so - just try to have fun instead. If it happens, then it happens. If it doesn't, well, at least you had fun along the way. Of course, I was the complete opposite of that when I was younger.

How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers? I honestly don't think like that. I have no aspirations so I don't plan my music in that way. I just write whatever music I feel like writing at the time. if it sounds like someone else then so be it. Likewise, if it doesn't, that's ok too. And if I think a song sounds too much like someone else, I just change the key of it.

Any new gigs or albums in the future? I think there will be another single in the summer called "Here it comes". After that will be the album. And then hopefully after that Red Dead Redemption 2 inspired album.

 

DJ Interviews: Bob Salmieri

Here's my interview with Italian performer/producer Bob Salmieri who sat down with me to discuss his musical origins 

How'd you get started in music?

I grew up in Rome from a Sicilian family. In 1960 we went to live in a new neighborhood, inhabited only by people from Southern Italy, refugees from Libya and Tunisia. Among these there was a child whose father went to night clubs to play the guitar, so he learned to play and taught all of us, a large group of children. Many stopped, but I continued, passing through many musical instruments, without neglecting those from the Middle East, before finally falling in love with the Sax. The Middle East has always fascinated me; my father, as I said, was of Sicilian origin but born in Tunisia since in the early 1900s, it was the Italians who emigrated to North Africa, so I have always been interested in Arab and Middle Eastern culture.

Who are your inspirations or influences?

This is a difficult question because, having played and composed for almost 50 years, I have had many musical influences and cultural suggestions. Let's say that I have always liked shuffling cards. Without going too far back in time, I am currently interested in finding a Mediterranean path for Jazz. I have released several albums in recent years where the main inspiration was the classical myth of the Mediterranean, suggestions from Ovid's Metamorphoses, from classical mythology such as Homer's Odyssey and so on. My Mediterranean Jazz is simple from a harmonious point of view, with deep and ancient melodies and good rhythmic support. I often use oriental percussion or even the Turkish flute, the Ney, the oldest known wind instrument. But I am very much influenced by traditional jazz, from Coleman Hawkins to Miles Davis who struck me with his continuous search for new ways to conceive music, without ever forgetting the deep origins of his roots.

What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

I would suggest looking around and understanding in advance where music is going and what the new trends are, knowing well all the IT tools that allow you to develop your ideas and above all to open up to the world and seek contacts and collaborations with musicians from all over the world. This era has completely changed the way we enjoy music, opening new avenues and closing many others. We must understand that the world changes and we must strive to keep up so as not to become dinosaurs. I want to point out that the CD, for example, has been dead for about ten years if not more, people no longer have CD players and new cars don't have them, computers no longer have a CD slot and it's it's increasingly difficult to find factories that make them but still many music critics ask for the CD to do reviews. Here is an example of a dinosaur.

How do you set yourself apart from other bands or singers?

As I was saying, I try to make the music that I feel and that is connected in some way with my Mediterranean and Sicilian origins. This helped me a lot: in the past, leading my ethnic/jazz music group Milagro Acustico, I discovered the Arab Poets of Sicily, who lived in Sicily during the Arab domination of the island (827-1091) and I set to music the their poems in three albums, I translated the quatrains of the Persian poet Omar Khayyam into Sicilian and set them to music and so on. This made it a lot easier for me because I had inspiration at my fingertips and I believe this makes my music, from jazz to ethnic and border music, unique and recognisable. Copying other people's music makes no sense and in the long run, it doesn't pay.

Any new gigs or albums in the future?

Having several active musical projects, I publish quite frequently. Every month I manage to release two or more songs and every now and then I release an album. This is another novelty in the musical world, now there is an increasing tendency to release singles and not albums.
The next releases under my name are on May 10th with "Let the rain come" accompanied by Mediterrean Jazz Project, on May 17th in duo with the Spanish guitarist Elson Complex "Awaiting the sol" and on June 14th a song dedicated to the Palestinian affair will be released entitled "Bright Lights of Gaza"
Other things are in the pipeline but we will have time to talk about them.

Special thanks to him on this interview & you can check out his atest works in the link below. So until then I'll catch you on The Flipside! Stay frosty & rock n roll

Bob Salmieri

Bob Salmieri Bastarduna Quintet

Erodoto Project

Milagro Acustico

Mediterranea jazz project

Kafiristan

Beato Angelico