Your EDM Q&A: Chris Ianuzzi Talks Envelope Pushing and the Limitless ‘Maze’ that Is Experimental Music [Video]

Her at Your EDM, we’ve lengthy carried the idea that EDM and different types of digital music wouldn’t be the place they’re with experimental artists. Mechanizing audio was initially the self-discipline of scientists, in any case, and experimental musicians at all times appear to have that mad scientist arc.

Whether or not we’re speaking Philip Glass, Brian Eno, Musique Concrète or extra modern curious artists like Hans Zimmer, Venetian Snares, Aphex Twin and even Noisia, tinkering with sounds, mods and recording methods components in simply as a lot as composition, emotion and vibes. It’s simply the best way these artists’ brains work, and thank goodness they do. Who else goes to push the boundaries of EDM and proceed to maneuver it ahead? You don’t progress genres by throwing cake and humping the decks, that’s for certain.

As a result of there are such a lot of famous-cake throwers and deck-humpers round and in addition due to the marginally elusive and sophisticated nature of the experimental digital artist, there’s a little bit of a dearth of interviews with these lovely minds on Your EDM. Fortunately, we’ve lastly reeled one in.

YEDM has been following Chris Ianuzzi for a while now, since his days within the equally experimental however extra rock-oriented band Sluka to his ultra-experimental solo venture I, Synthesist to his current releases beneath his given identify, the Olga In a Black Gap EP and Planeteria LP. With these symbiotic releases considerably categorizable as IDM, Ianuzzi has pulled out all of the stops along with his upcoming LP, Maze. Launched slowly as singles over the previous six months, the total and totally tweaked Maze can be out in March.

Maze Ianuzzi each returning to kind and going totally formless, with a few of the tracks virtually having a full-on rock or pop construction and others being borderline chaotic. With an virtually joyful shirking of style and magnificence, Maze does extra than simply push the boundaries of music and sound; it laughs within the face of these limits.

With Maze set to be a kind of albums that pushes the digital music universe to develop only a bit extra, it appeared a prudent time to see if we may sit down and choose one in all these magnificent experimental minds, and fortuitously Ianuzzi agreed to a Q&A. What follows is likely one of the most descriptive and entertaining descriptions of an artist’s course of we’ve heretofore seen on YEDM. For those who’ve ever questioned how these guys suppose, Chris Ianuzzi has supplied a superb window. Maintain on tight, embrace the chaos and browse on.

Why did you need to launch Maze in a collection of singles relatively than all of sudden? Have you ever discovered it simpler or harder to do it this fashion? What number of tracks are left to go?

All of the tracks have primarily been launched in a method or one other. I at all times suppose creating music is a part of a interval in time. Music will be offered like a e book with chapters. When somebody steered that I attempt releasing singles earlier than the total album, I assumed it was an excellent concept.

Albums require loads of time and getting singles out does a few good issues. First, it’s more durable for individuals to overlook about you on this low consideration span world. It additionally offers time to permit the larger work to develop. Lastly, releasing in singles offers the composer/producer an opportunity to make totally different variations after getting viewers reactions. It creates loads of strain getting the stuff within the system on time and I believe that’s good for me. I favored getting viewers reactions from dwell reveals, however now we have a pandemic and issues are totally different with no reveals, so this creates the same impact.

What kind of modifications have you ever made based mostly on the suggestions and your personal observations?

December was the final month and the Piece referred to as Maze was launched. Now earlier than the album is launched I’m making some developmental adjustments. In some instances its like “the Demos are executed, lets see what I’ve to do.” “Dwell in Right now” gave solution to a more moderen model referred to as “Candy Over Time.” “Implausible Hellos” is a remix of some parts from “Good day” on the Planeteria album. Then I made a unique model for the album referred to as “Cosmic Hellos” which is a mixture of the 2. (Laughs) I’ve to cease with that piece now! I’m changing into a “Good day” psycho.

I’m additionally making a barely totally different model of “March of Insanity” for the album. It will likely be processed utilizing the (Dolby) Atmos system, which is a type of 360 spatial audio. I’m working with some nice individuals in Turkey making an AI video for the track too. Its going to be incredible.

Let’s speak fashion a bit: loads of these tracks on Maze appear, to the informal listener, virtually to be the antithesis to your earlier ventures Olga In a Black Gap and Planeteria. You’ve stated, nonetheless, across the time that Olga…was launched, it was meant to be a prequel to Planeteria by way of each fashion and substance. Now that it’s largely executed and out, how do you suppose Maze pertains to these different works?

I arrange a problem for myself with Planeteria. I felt that I needed to maneuver past track construction and repetitive grooves. I’ve been working with songs for a few years with my I, Synthesist venture. so, I used to be like a trainer not permitting outdated habits to be there. I believe I went too far. I didn’t really feel snug being myself generally. I believe it was a very good work-though and I went via the method and discovered. I additionally needed to get higher with my modular synth.

Against this the unique “Good day” for instance, was created in a day, it was throughout album mastering time. I actually was like a insurgent utilizing a drum & bass groove with that. I simply let free on the finish.

On nearer hear, there are loads of parts which can be comparable between Olga…/Planeteria and Maze, however they virtually appear reversed. The ambient sound design and basic woo really feel are nonetheless there, for instance, however they take a backseat to extra organized noise parts and submit punk-style vocals. Was {that a} aware resolution or form of simply the way it flowed as you had been working? What do you suppose it means to your total sound and magnificence?

I positively had a circulate (this time round). I’ve at all times labored with sound design because the core and inspiration of labor. I began making music and wasn’t fascinated by songs. “Infinite Prize” was positively a track caught in my head as I obtained going after which the imaginative and prescient of what a video might be (got here to me).

As I continued making extra music, track (constructions) had been positively current. I then went to “Saturday Night time Confession.” That was initially made for the I, Synthesist venture but it surely was left hanging and I made a decision to complete it. “So Far, So Close to” was initially meant to be instrumental. This new stuff was began earlier than the discharge of Planeteria.

Tech speak time! The opposite factor that’s fairly noticeable on the brand new tracks is the experimental facet of issues has been ramped up and thus the composition will need to have been a unique course of. Did you continue to work scoring-style on account of eager to cram all these totally different parts in or was it extra mad scientist within the studio this time? Or each?

Each. The Mad Scientist is at all times there. I imply, check out the I, Synthesist photos. Maze might be checked out because the fourth I, Synthesist album however I actually felt the necessity to proceed utilizing my identify and being snug with that.

You’ve obtained a wholesome dose of drone getting in these tracks, but it surely sounds fairly totally different than in earlier work. Did you do something in a different way or give you new methods? How large was the Moog factor this time round?

I’m actually into my modular synthesizers and at all times exploring. I don’t consider attempting to make drone or something. I discover issues which can be telling me one thing. Humorous, I didn’t have a Moog on Planeteria. I had a modular Moog a very long time in the past. I did not too long ago get a Moog Subharmonicon and I used it for some parts in “So Far So Close to.” The large use of it’s ultimately of “Infinite Prize.” The patterns growing and altering are all executed with the Sub Harmonicon’s sequencer. I hope so as to add a Moog with the unique Moog oscillators and filters later this 12 months.

Even with the rock-style vocals and what pop followers may name extra structured observe codecs, the Maze tracks appear to nonetheless be pushing the boundaries of experimental electronica. What new strategies or preparations did you utilize to get your outcomes? How a lot was programmed with fashionable/digital strategies and the way a lot was analog/modulators?

I spent loads of time in my life working in rock-oriented bands, utilizing that track construction, so some parts are a part of my vocabulary. I spent loads of time doing scoring and dealing with classical in addition to experimental. I’ve a (various) vocabulary.

I’ve additionally at all times been identified for pushing envelopes. I’m not consciously right here attempting to be a conquistador, it simply occurs. I’ve at all times beloved analog synthesizers in addition to some digital synths, et cetera. Combining these parts will be lovely. I believe sure parts have their place the best way an orchestra has devices.

How does the experimental/sound design finish of issues determine in?

The Maze observe “Setagaya” is an effective factor to speak about (to clarify how I work). It’s not a track; it’s extra sound design-oriented but it surely does have melodic and rhythmic parts that an individual can latch onto. I used to be in a band referred to as Sluka that was signed with a Japanese label. After the second album was completed, I used to be making feedback about how the sounds of Tokyo had been inspiring to me. I began a venture that was recording sounds of Tokyo on DAT after which sampling them and making the music that it impressed with the samples. No person knew what on the earth I used to be speaking about then. The venture was televised in Japan exhibiting how I made the recordings and labored via it. Nonetheless nobody actually obtained it. (laughs) This was 1990, the world has modified rather a lot since then. OK, (perhaps I’m a) conquistador. Or not less than an envelope pusher.

(Flash ahead to “Setagaya”) and I nonetheless had a few of the sounds that I recorded and determined to make one thing present that used them. The sounds that I recorded had been from an space of Tokyo referred to as Setagaya. The prepare and any issues about Setagaya are an excellent factor (to pattern even now).

What, if any, are the extra philosophical or story-telling themes of Olga…/Planeteria and Maze? What would you like listeners to remove from the general expertise of those three releases?

I would love individuals to go on a journey inside themselves to seek out what the items and songs encourage. Olga In a Black Gap started by me utilizing a Russian tender synth referred to as Olga. I had a reverb plugin referred to as the Black Gap made by Eventide. So, my Olga was being performed via The Black Gap. This created a imaginative and prescient for me to latch onto for my very own artistic story.

Which observe or tracks on the album do you suppose can be greatest for audiences to hearken to to be able to get a snapshot of what the album’s about? Greatest observe for EDM crossover followers? Experimental followers?

I believe that “Starvation” is unquestionably an EDM crossover factor, Some even discover industrial parts in it. It is vitally danceable an I need to hear it loud in a membership. Any of the “Hellos” may match into an EDM/drum & bass sort as nicely. “March of Insanity” additionally has factors that would match into the EDM crossover. I’m placing that track via developments proper now. As I discussed, track impressed a incredible pc artist and sculptor in Istanbul, Turkey. He’s making an AI video for it. It’s wonderful to see this develop. It is vitally comparable in strategy to what Duran Duran did with “Invisible.”

Final week we entered my lyrics into his pc and we watched work develop from the pc’s dream state. That is going to be a really particular work. We’re working over Zoom. The video for “Infinite Prize” additionally was created via Zoom work as everybody was in a unique location.
Pandemic manufacturing,

(On the experimental/submit rock finish of issues), I believe “So Far So Close to” is a superb instance of utilizing track construction in improvement but it surely actually expanded with the three minutes of modular world on the finish in addition to inside stuff. The intro has some good analog stuff. The entire track is just a little over ten minutes and I’ll maintain it like that for the album. The one was break up into Facet 1 and Facet 2.

After all this venture remains to be going and never completely completed but, however what else is on the horizon for you? Do you intend to proceed this collection or go in a completely totally different path?

I’m very thinking about performing. I need to dive deeper into the analog modular synth and digital modular synths. I need to make video and music. I make video backdrops for performances.
I don’t see (Maze or something I do) as a collection however simply what I do, I need to make an invite to go on a journey. No restrictions.

Except for that, my daughter Nina began making the Maze observe “Shuttles” and I helped her end it. She is 13 now and a incredible pianist so I hope to work along with her extra sooner or later.

Maze will launch in full in March. The singles launched up to now will be steamed on Spotify and Apple Music or bought on Bandcamp. Keep tuned to Ianuzzi’s YouTube channel for the upcoming movies talked about within the interview.