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Lucidflow:how does a creative day look/feel like for you?
Interesting question and very open ended. Creativity I believe has a direct correlation to the environment in which you surround yourself in – it cannot be forced. Up until recently, I felt in some ways that I was doing this, as I had limited time to devote to creative pursuits, a direct result of balancing my time.
On a personal note, for nearly 8 years, I was a venue manager at one of Melbourne’s biggest house and techno clubs, Brown Alley. Almost my entire life revolved around running the event side of the business, including DJing, producing and event management, and at the same time, trying to write music, DJ each week, run a label, and travelling in between. For example, once I had a gig in Buenos Aires and I left Melbourne on a Wednesday stayed there for only one night then flew straight back to Melbourne, went straight from the airport to the club for my event that very night. These types of experiences definitely helped to build my character and I learned a great deal from my time there.
However, all of this left little time for my own creative pursuits, so I made the decision to leave last month and since then, I have found myself being very productive, positive, and much more spontaneous. For instance, the day after I left, I sat in a park with my laptop and a controller for hours and hours, experimenting with sound, something I never previously had the freedom to even consider! I’m very thankful for my experience throughout that time – the events, people, artists and good times shared definitely influenced my creativity and ambitions for the future. I never thought when I attended my first Sunny party at 19 years of age that it would change my life. I’ll never forget those days and I honestly believe when it comes to musical creativity, you always have a strong affinity with the sound you first fell in love with. I guess that’s why so much of my sound is associated with various forms of low slung, deep music.
Having said that, inspiration for me usually comes after heading out and watching a DJ that really takes it to the next level, and I equally get inspiration watching a DJ who is very uninspiring, one dimensional or pedestrian – it makes me want to write music. Every now and then, you see someone who completely changes your perspective on things and the experience stays with you forever. Recently I had the pleasure of seeing Andrew Weatherall play at a great club, Nu Guernica in Melbourne, and his approach instantly resonated with me. It reminded me of the uncompromising hypnotic style I heard played by the resident DJs at some of the first parties I attended, but with a modernised flavor and unique sleaze that was a game changer for me, big time. I admired Weatherall’s patience – standing on the floor, I gauged he was at 111 BPM 2 hours in, and the place was heaving – a true programmer who basically doesn’t give a fuck – I like that. I went home, showered from sweating up a storm – I haven’t danced 4 hours straight since I was a pup ;) and got to work in the studio. I’m inspired by DJs and producers who have the ability to interest me in a piece of music that outside of that context, I perhaps wouldn’t have considered, but the manner in which they play it, present it, or program then makes sense to me.
Phil K is a major influence for this reason also, along with his technical skills and ability to get himself out on any situation. He has taught me that there are no rules, and if you have the balls and ability to program music in a way that makes sense to you, then an audience will eventually trust you and will go wherever you take them.
The role of a DJ is to entertain, but it’s evident when there’s no self belief in what you play. I now hear things in a different way – whether it’s a vocal from one of my dad’s Persian records, or a sound score from a scene in a documentary, link -> https://soundcloud.com/darius-bassiray/darius-bassiray-sound-score
https://soundcloud.com/darius-bassiray/darius-bassiray-if-your-alone
It can work, you just need to find your balls and find your flavor. This happened recently – it was about 4am and I was watching rage on TV, and heard a riff from this Sade tune that was performed live – instantly I went and wrote a (tasteful I hope) re-edit / remix of it. know touching a piece of music such as this can be sacrilegious, i hope i kept and maintained the integrity of the original as well as giving it a bit of my own personal flavor. Link->
https://soundcloud.com/darius-bassiray/sade-love-is-found-darius/comments
Matt Radovich is another source of inspiration for me due to his diverse range of music that he plays and his ability to adapt him self to any environment, I admire his attitude and demeanor which correlates directly to how he performs as an artist.
But the best way I can answer this question “what does creativity look / feel like” in a wider sense, is that in age of electronic music being more and more generic and dare I say easy to make, if you listen to an artist and can instantly identify their individual style, then this is the very essence of what this question means. Look at artists like Mathew Jonson, one chord and you know it’s him. Listen to a Habersham record or to James Holden, or Apparat record, same with Lusine – they don’t imitate, they innovate and do so in a manner that does not date –they are true artists. Good music will always have longevity and will remain timeless.
I am now at a point now where I can translate what I’m feeling creatively with greater ease, and with more time devoted to music this will only come more naturally to me I think.
External forces and factors play a big part in creativity and the quality of your output. I believe two of my favourite productions have been written under two dramatically different circumstances, one being tragic inspiration due to the recent death of my best friend’s brother. After spending the night with them after the funeral = I went home and wrote a record in one take, using an emotive vocal I spent hours sourcing and the track flowed naturally, Last week, it again invoked tears when I heard it played on John Digweed’s Transitions radio show – not something you can listen to every day but how can you control creativity? This will be a very special release on Text Book Music soon – link ->
https://soundcloud.com/darius-bassiray/mike-callander-still-lost
https://soundcloud.com/darius-bassiray/darius-bassiray-if-your-alone
Another example is a remix I made after being stuck in a hotel room for days far from home after playing in Melbourne the night before. The inspiration and environment in which these two records were written couldn’t have been more different, but this goes to show – the urge to create can come from all kind of places. Link->
I am not a producer who has 15000 unfinished projects, if I’m finding something doesn’t work then I bin it, simple.
In the end, life and everything it throws at you affects your output.
Lucidflow: How do you hinder yourself in being creative?
You mean what hinders me from being creative? Well, priorities play a big factor. Relationships and not neglecting those you love at the expense of making music, is something you learn over time. It is important to understand there needs to be a balance in all aspects involved in your life. Easier said than done sometimes however.
Lucidflow: how do you support yourself in being creative?
If you mean financially, well it’s not easy. I worked corporate for 2 years after studying at university but it was not something I enjoyed. I recently saw one of the most inspirational videos I have ever seen which sums up the answer to this question better than I could ever articulate in words. See it here ->
I then formed my own touring company, Funf – www.funf.com.au and am writing music. I recently got engaged, and all these decisions combined have me feeling the happiest I have ever been.
Lucidflow: How did you come across Lucidflow?
I first came across Nadja Lind through mutual friends in Melbourne and through SLAM who sent her my music as they thought she would like it.
I shared their music with my good friend Muska, and he fell in love with it, so we invited Nadja and Helmut to play at one of our event in Melbourne, along with Lusine and Robert Babicz. I am very thankful for the opportunity they have given me to present this podcast.
Although I do play a very ‘Lucidflow’ style of techno, my DJ scope is also very broad which is why I decided to do a 6 hr podcast for this. It will be split into two parts and played over the next month. It has been one of the biggest artistic challenges I have ever encountered in my musical career to be honest, a solid 5 month process. My goal was to showcase how I play when I am given an extended set time length which really only happens when I DJ outside of my home city Melbourne. The challenge not only was to present a cohesive well programmed set but to for it make sense if people only listen to it in sections as opposed to the full 6 hours which most may only listen to in full on long drives or at home at an after party for instance, Also as it features ambient , electronica, world music, deep house, techno, btrakbeat, and everything in between it really has been a challenge and extremely testing at times – but it was also very rewarding. I hope you guys like it. Big thanks must go to Rhonda, my fiancé, for being there for me throughout this challenge – I have enjoyed the experience. I also need to acknowledge all the artists – Habersham, Phil K, Jay Tripwire, Chris Fortier, Delic, Kriece, Sasha, Muska, Altruism, Paul Beynon, Mike Callander, Tornado Wallace and many others, who either wrote music especially for it, or gave me exclusive tracks. Most of all, thanks to Nadja Lind for her patience and Caroline Beynon for her support J
Lucidflow: Tell us one of your greatest wishes:
As cliche as it sounds, just to be happy in life and relationships, be content and to hopefully pass on some knowledge I’ve learned along the way to others who may get the same great opportunities I have been fortunate enough to have had thrown my way. Currently, I’m working in partnership with some other industry leaders, setting up a platform to do just that, so watch this space!
Lucidflow: Anything else you would spread to the Lucid world?
Thanks for having me guys and I hope you like the podcast. The next 3 hours will air in a few weeks, watch this space. On the production front I have remix coming out on Haul Music soon -. link, I’ve just released a new record ‘Coma’ on Manual Music – link
https://soundcloud.com/darius-bassiray/darius-bassiray-coma
and I have an original “If You’re Lost I’ll Be Your Shadow’ coming out on Text Book Music with remixes from Jay Tripwire, Deepchild, Chris Fortier, Kasey Taylor, Habesham, Altruism, and Paul Beynon link -> as well as a remix for Kriece’s Kindred Sounds. I am also touring Europe for the first time in August so I’m really looking forward to that.
My new company Funf www.funf.com.au – and we have some really exciting events and tours with the likes of Jeff Mills, Axel Boman, Wbeeza, The Revenge, Cosmin TRG, Len Faki, Robert Hood, Chris Fortier, Oxia, Sasha Dive, Genius Of Time and many more coming up so im going to be a pretty busy man ;)
Im also in the process of launching my own website www.dariusbassiray.com and www.textbook-music.com
Thanks for your time J
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:39:04 — 364.1MB)
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DARIUS BASSIRAY – LUCID PODCAST – MARCH 2013 – PART ONE:
1 Intro: Aes Dana_Signs
Spoken word – Andrew_Weatherall
Excepts from: Digby_&_Oliver–Human_[Zero Tolerance]
2 Random Rab-The Roots of Light
3 Prefuse 73 – Radio Attack Part 2
4 Talking One Language – Vargo
5 Pathfinder – Bird of Prey feat. Ryan Johnson and Robert Rich
6. Deceptikon – Germanic
7 Unknown – Super Beat 8
8 Edmund – Feels Good
9 Random Rab – Sunesis
10 Mathew Jonson – New Model Robots
11. Lukas Greenberg – Instrument Of God
12. Kriece, Shamatha – Centrepede Frightened By A Majic Mirror
13. Ultramagnetic MC’s , DJ Moe Love – Talk Of The Town (Instrumental)
14. Visuaral – The Spice
15. Alturism & Timmus – Fingering The Squid
16. Agoria – For One Hour
17. Alex Smoke – Prima Materia
18. Mathew Herbert – It’s Only (DJ Koze Remix)
19. Kassem Mosse – Untitled B1
20. Mathias Kaden – Kawaba – DJ Koze’s Kosi-san Remix
21. Derik Marin – We’ve Been Expecting You (Zoi Remix)
22. Lovebirds – U Give Me Love (Greg Wilson’s remix)
23. DJ Butcher – Music Turns Me On (Greg Wilson Re-Touch)
24. Lostep – Moanin’
25. Mike Callander – Twilight (Tornado Wallace Remix)
26. Tanner Ross – Straight To The Moon
27. Alphaweezen – Freeze
28. Craig Bratley – Birdshell
29. Craig Bratley – Birdshell (6th Borough Project Remix)
30. Grinderman – Heathen Child (Weatherall Bass Mix)
31. Unknown – Unknown
32. Tornado Wallace – Insect Overlords (Whats Up With The Hat?)
33. Raz Ohara – El Zahir (The Sorry Entertaine Remix)
Spoken Word : (Gaffa Tape Your Thongs At 8 Poof Doof)
34. Deniz Kurtel – You Know Its True
35. Mike Callander – Still Lost (Darius Bassiray & Paul Beynon Remix)
36. Baffa – Walice In Onderland (Bubba’s ‘Down The Hole’ Remix)
37. Trickski – Can’t Get Through (Clubmix)
38. Squiddhartha – Vector Selector
39. Jon Convex – Zero
40. Kriece & Shamantha – Impala
41. Chris Carter & Fine Cut Bodies – Fiddlesticks – (Habersham’s Pickup Stix Mix)
Spoken Word Jon Denver – Chronic Nissan
42. The Hacker, Eric Borgo – Zone (Ivan Smagghe & Tim Paris Remix)
43. Q-Tip – Movin With You
44. Prefuse 73 – Living Life
Bookings / Contact
WORLD: kevin@stablemusic.com
AUS: alex@funf.com.au
WEB:
DARIUS BASSIRAY : DariusBassiray.com
TEXT BOOK MUSIC – www.textbook-music.com
FUNF: www.funf.com.au
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/darius-bassiray
FACEBOOK:
DARIUS BASSIRAY: https://www.facebook.com/darius.bassiray
TEXT BOOK MUSIC: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Text-Book-Music/102307629825761?ref=stream
FUNF: https://www.facebook.com/funftouring
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:39:04 — 364.1MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS
