After nearly 6 months of audiotool.com we really feel that a strong community of digital musicians and signal junkies is developing and that the standard of the music on the site is continuing to rise. So we thought it was about time we started interviewing some of our favourite users to hear what they have to say. Here is the first one: Luke Meets Jonjon (by telephone)
First off thanks for agreeing to do an interview, you are one of our favourite users so it is great to be able to ask you a few questions about what you are doing and how you do it.
My pleasure.
Ok so where are you Jonjon?
I’m in my house in Kenilworth, England. Its a small town near Coventry.
Is that where you make your tracks?
Yeah, I recently moved my stuff into the front of the house so I can make more noise.
Ok so now for some questions, questions questions questions: What got you into making music?
I was DJing first just for fun and then it was kind of a natural progression from there. After being into it for a while I went to music college and learned a bit about how to arrange tracks, signal processing and stuff like that.
What were your early tracks like?
Well I was totally obsessed with drum and bass so they were just really raw drum and bass tracks but then after going to college I started venturing out of my comfort zone and started working on more experimental breakbeat kind of tracks.
What kind of music have you been listening to recently?
Im always listening to a real mix so its hard to say, lots of reggae, ska, 80s synth pop is definitely on the list, Kraftwerk. Not much in the way of new stuff, the only new stuff I have been listening to is Anthony Rother and Gregor Tresher and more experimental dreamy techno like that.
Does what you are listening to have an impact on the music you are making?
What came first the chicken or the egg?
What?
Its hard to say, I suppose in a few of my newer tracks some undertones of ska can be heard. I started trying to make a reggae track after I got some insperation from some old songs I was listening to but I was not able to create the dubby bass sound that I wanted. I think it is impossible for peoples tracks not to be somewhat inspired by what they like or what they listen to.
Ok now for some word association, name an a device in Audiotool
Umm…
Quick, quick, quick
Umm the pulver…thingy
The Pulverisateur?
Yeah the Pulverisataeur.
Why the Pulverisateur, is that your favourite device?
Every track I make includes at least one Pulverisateur. When I first started using Audiotool I was scared of the Pulverisateur because it had so many controls but after I turned all the switches off and started with just one ocssilator I realised that it is such a heavy device that can really create a lot of different sounds. I really love the sub bass you can get from the Pulveristeur.
Ok if you could have any device you wanted in the Audiotool application what would it be and what would it do?
Umm… do I have answer fast on this one?
No, no thats finished now
Ohh, ok umm…(long pause) I think it would a be something like a granular synth that I could use to make pads and big sweeping atmospheres. I can not make the big sounding pads I want by using the Pulverisateur, Im sure it is possible but I have not managed it yet, yeah I think it would be a big granular synth.
Who is your favourite audiotool user at the moment?
I like yas but I have not heard anything from him/her for a while. I also like Sandburgen and crazydruminator, their sound design is amazing. I also like rnzr, his basslines are mega but also I really like how he can make such a wide range of different sounding tracks.
What is Audiotool for you, what does it mean in your world?
Is this the part where I kiss the ass of Audiotool?
Yes
Ok then, for me Audiotool takes the idea of user-generated content to the extreme, it really feels like the antithesis of the whole pirate music thing. A few years ago everyone was talking about file-sharing and people stealing music, now there are people anonomously making music themselves and it can be heard by any one online and downloaded, it is impossible to argue against that. Also there is no big corporate agenda with the music, no bloodsucking record company stuff or anything like that, its just the users.
What would you change about Audiotool? What do you not like?
Umm… Im not sure whether its my computer or not but I have to be really careful about how many devices I use because after a good few devices are on the desktop it becomes really easy for the whole thing to overload but in a way I think it helps me keep my tracks more minimal and I take more care about the use of each sound. Maybe if it wasn’t like that I would over do it.
Anything else?
I would like to see the community expanded although Im sure that is already on the cards. I can not contact other users easily without commenting on one of their tracks and then I do not know whether they will see it or not. I would not want personal messaging, maybe that would be too much but it would be cool for each user to have a box on their startpage where other users can make general comments or get in touch.
You mean like a shoutbox?
I don’t know the technical word for it.
A shoutbox
Whatever, yeah one of those on each users homepage would be cool.
Ok Jonjon, thats it for my list of questions, thanks a lot for taking the time to do this.
No problem, Im happy to talk about Audiotool, thanks for getting in touch.
Ok great, so your going to get back to it?
Back to what?
Making banging tunes
Oh right. Yeah, will do.
Nice one Jonjon, thanks again. Hopefully speak to you again sometime.
So thats it?
Yeah thats it, auf wiedersehen
See ya mate.
