Tbilisi Summer Set 2015 (eng)

SET FEST

SUMMER SET 2015

MTVRALI ALUBALI is proud to present the compilation of interviews with TBILISI SUMMER SET 2015 Headliners

Talking the talks: Nino Kakiashvili Shooting the shots/Prepress: Giorgi Induashvili

FANTASTIC MR FOX ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 8 KIASMOS ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 20 R I P P E R T O N � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3 2 M A T T H E W D E K A Y � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 4 4 A G O R I A � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5 6 HUNGRY MUSIC ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 64 THE MICRONAUT ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 82 N I L S F R A H M � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9 8

Photo: Jara Mamaladze

The modern world is more and more reminding me of Fast Food, where people don’t have time for emotions, frequently even protesting against them. This is exactly why the Set Fest team decided to dedicate the Tbilisi Summer Set 2015 to the “emotional” and “conceptual” music.

Ambitious it is but I never stop reminding this team: if there is a paradise, I have already been there during July 10, 11, 12 at the area, previously known as Hippodrome. Classic instruments, techno, nature and underground blended as beautifully into each other, as did the young inventor students, the persons with limited abilities with their exhibition, the party-goers and melomans. They managed to coexist without social statuses, self-centering, posing or regalia.

This was the fourth Summer Set – the festival that endured the nature challenges and the harsh critics and will last for years to come. I believe that without the scope that festival managed to set, the rave would not develop in Georgia as much. Now, Rave scene is as active as never before, the more stress increases the more we try to escape it and find outlet in music.

First of all we would like to thank all of the participating performers for their music, uniting such amount of people and then each and all of them, who made us believe that in the era of despiritualization, a human can never become a robot and exist without compassion, sharing or love.

Nick Dvalidze PR Manager

FANTASTIC MR FOX Stephen Gomberg

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After the performance, around midnight Nino Kakiashvili – Hello Steve!

What’s the story behind your moniker?

Fantastic Mr. Fox – I was making music since 14, when Myspace just started. My older brother convinced me to go on Myspace and so I needed to find a name. So we looked through our children’s tapes and picked it as a joke.

I was not really thinking that anyone would listen to my music so I was just joking around. And then the movie came out with the same name, making me think that I should have picked another moniker. Anyway, it was just a joke back then.

Did you like the movie anyway?

Yeah, I actually enjoyed it a lot.

Can you identify with the character?

Sort of, the movie too is quirky and I think some of my music can be described quirky as well.

When I listened to your set, I felt the elements of different styles. What directs you while assembling this musical mosaic?

I try to find sounds that I like and assume will work well on the dance floor, spending some time working out what’s in tune with what. I try to keep it diverse and interesting so I change things quite a lot. I constantly move around the different parts with Ableton and never play one straight genre. And then I improvise a lot during the DJ set to keep myself interested as well.

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What has contributed to you becoming a musician?

I used to annoy all my family, when I was a kid, hitting on the table with my fingers and making sounds. Then they got me drums, which I was not satisfied with, wanting to get more diverse sounds. As my older brother was making music himself, I asked him to show me how. At that age it was like a computer game and a lot of fun.

And then you came to realization that you could actually make a living out of it...

I did not realize that till I started touring with the band XX. I was doing my degree in Manchester, so never thought of music any other way than just fun. Two days, after I finished my last exam at the university, I started to write CVs to get some real job. That’s when I got an email from XX asking me to support them on tour. After I came back from the tour, it just took off and I started making gigs in Manchester.

And now, music is your full-time job...

Yeah and I am still thinking that it’s all just for fun, sometimes contemplating that I need to get some real job.

What’s your major actually?

History and sociology.

Mine – History and Diplomacy!

Almost colleagues!

What works as your biggest inspiration for creating a music?

It changes but recently it was finding loads of samples and me trying to figure out what to do with them. The thing I love the most is the sounds, to see what they can turn in to.

How about other performers – do they influence you somehow?

I’ve always been a fan of hip-hop sounds and listened to a lot of it, especially the abstract hip-hop like Prefuse 73 and a lot

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of UK hip-hop like Jehst and Rodney P and stuff like that.

Anything where the drums were really good and hip-hop just seemed to have the best drums. Really enjoyed Clams Casino, Asap Rocky etc. However, I don’t listen to it as much as before.

How did you get introduced to electronic stuff?

I enrolled at Manchester University when I was 19. That’s when I first found out about dub-step and really enjoyed it.

When you are that young, you start experimenting a lot and new music scene was emerging. I quite quickly got along with it. It turned into something horrible but at start it was exciting.

What was so horrible about that?

Dub-steps, turning into something not so cool anymore. I think the bass music scene has stagnated a little bit. There was such a ridiculous amount of really talented new artists emerging that it had to die down at some point. There’s still

loads of good bass orientated music coming out, but not to the level it was several years ago. It had become this big American thing. When it first came out it was just bass and drums and that was it. I really enjoyed it, when I first heard it at the clubs. Although, I liked listening and feeling bass rather through my headphones, than at clubs.

How about performing yourself at the clubs?

Oh... I don’t like performing at all. Cause, performing is like the opposite of making music, which is completely introverted. You make music and then people ask you to play gigs and you get used to it after a while but I never need it.

But you have to do it to promote your music and make a living also...

Yeah, and I love travelling, meeting people and seeing different cities but the actual standing in front of people is not my thing. I just like to make music.

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What was a decisive moment in your musical career except going on tour with XX? I think it has not happened yet. I have not really done that much. I was supposed to finish an album like half a year ago, doing only half of it with vocalist but I was not really happy how it turned out. I guess, I tried to make something to please other people, which I did not like and now I’m trying to act according to just my preferences. I even blocked musical websites that have musical reviews and discussions, so, I don’t even know what everyone is talking about. I blocked twitter and any of the artists’ Facebook staying completely unaware of the music made around. It’s better to not try and keep up really, because it changes so much; there’s a new, trendy thing every few months. I think I was lucky to start when I did, just at the start of this melodic dubstep thing. I think it would be hard to have your

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first release now because there are just so many producers. It’s quite easy to get tempted by new genres, but I’m trying to focus on my own thing and not get pulled into new scenes.

So, what do you listen currently?

I am really into old music. Just stuff before 1975, cause it is so much better produced than anything that’s made now.

Well it was a pleasure to talk to you and for closing, would you share your impressions about Georgia?

It is my first time here and I love it. Tbilisi is a really pretty city and I like whatever I’ve seen so far, especially the people.

They are really nice.

KIASMOS

Olafur Arnalds & Janus Rasmussen

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Interview before the performance, around 2 A.M. Nino Kakiashvili – How is the year going on so far for you guys and how is this stop here, in Georgia? Ólafur Arnalds – We love it here, feeling great vibes. The venue is amazing and really looking forward to our performance and connecting with the audience.

Janus Rasmussen – The year turns out to be very busy, it’s pretty much all scheduled through. At the same time, we are trying to work on our next EP, which is going really slow due to stated reasons.

We might not have to do it, to focus just on touring but still we don’t want to stop our creative processes either.

Speaking of creative processes, what can you tell us about the general path of making the compositions? Ó. A. – Initially, on the levels of ideas, we improvise a lot.

Then they evolve through organization and logistics, so it’s not all based on some kind of creative sparks. A lot of it is just the technical knowledge. As we are both on tour very much with our bands we mostly work via email. He makes a beat and sends it to me and I add stuff to it and arrange it into a song, then send it back to him for further adjustments... Or the other way around. But whenever we are both in the same country we get together and make the songs together.

J.R. – I like experimenting a lot with new things – coming up with beats, playing instruments, making some obscure sounds with different plugins. Sometimes something good comes out, which can be evolved eventually... sometimes, it might not lead me anywhere.

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Where does the inspiration spring from? Ó.A. – Life generally. It can be travelling, books, music... But mostly you just have to have a head clear enough to create.

In terms of music, what are you currently listening to that could also influence your art?

J.R. – A lot of R&B and hip-hop actually, for the past two years. We are very much influenced by the latter, consciously or not. Ó.A. – The preferences change a lot. Currently I feel going back to the music that I used to listen about five years ago – a lot of Franz Liszt, Mozart, Chopin – classics, generally.

You must be getting this question a lot -What is the story behind the name “Kiasmos”? Ó.A. – One of my friends from England, now he lives in Amsterdam, who was a doctoral student for film studies back then, told me he learnt some words at university that would

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be suitable for a band name. One of them was “Kiasmos”. It is a grammatical term that describes two opposites existing in one sentence. For example – “Destruction is beautiful” – complete contrast and opposites. It’s actually spelled as “Chiasmus”. Couple of years later, I started a band with Janus and decided that this name would be appropriate for us because of the opposites we have in our music, the electronic and the acoustic elements. Of course, I wrote my old friend, asking whether it would be OK with him if we used this title, and he replied – “with only guaranteed guest list places”.

It would be hard to follow your tours though... Ó.A. – Yeah, he gets an album at least.

And what force brought you together? Ó.A. - Janus is the main force behind this project. He was involved in electornic music for a while and also running an electronic band Bloodgroup, which is very popular in Iceland. I was sound-engineering his band and that’s

how we met, consequently finding our common passion in experimental techno. It was just a hobby for couple of years, before we decided to actually make an album. There is not really a grand idea behind our duo. Kiasmos is just two people having fun and figuring out new things in music. The great force would be just the fact that we want to learn something.

As you are both from Icelandic realms, and we have heard a lot of amazing compositions from there, I wonder if you could really identify any special influences that this country can have on artists? Ó.A. – I think one of the aspects would be that people are really making art for art, as this is a small country and you can’t really get rich, or famous doing just music, or any other kind of art. At the same time, the artists know each other pretty well in their own field, influencing each other more than they would elsewhere. It’s a very small scene there, so you have to work with other people from different genres.

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J.R. – Icelandic music is being stereotyped I think, people always expecting something grandiose from there, if you know what I mean. There is all types of music, like everywhere else and if you live there you would look at the musical scene very differently. It can be frustrating that the outside world thinks a whole country can just make only one type of music.

(The man approaches telling us to round up the interview as live starts in 10 minutes.)

What are your thoughts on the state of “electronic music” today? It’s becoming really intense here, in Georgia...

J.R. – There’s so much going on and if you’re making music today you can do whatever you want. The level of openness and all genres blending into each other is huge. Each day, exciting music is made and it’s a challenge to keep up with all the novelties, and especially finding good ones from this wide variety.

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Ó.A. – I agree, a lot of interesting things happening in all genres, not only electronic music. There must be something good going on, even though it doesn’t always suit to my personal taste.

And this would be a final question, what has the Kiasmos project given you so far, something that would not be achieved without it? Ó.A. – I can see finally people dancing to my music!

Generally, the freedom to do stuff that I want to do, which I would not be able to in my solo projects.

The latter is connected to a lot of arrangements, responsibility and formal communications. While with Janus, we are just friends that have great time together.

J.R. – And for me, as well, a new level of freedom and instrumental expression, which adds a different kind of pleasure and depth to our art.

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RIPPERTON Raphael Gros

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Interview before the performance, around midnight Nino Kakiashvili – Hello Raphael! I know that your artist name derived from soul singer Minnie Riperton.

Tell me more about that.

Ripperton – Hello. Yes, have always been deep into soul music and till now, I still discover songs from the 70’s. It was logical for me to adapt a moniker from this period.

What other influences have you had on your music other than the 70s and soul music?

I am influenced by art generally and all kinds of music. I am just like a sponge, absorbing everything from everywhere – photography, books, paintings etc.

How did you embark on musical path?

I started DJing for friends around 20 years ago. I was a skateboarder and motor-skate kind of guy. We were renting spaces to throw parties and then from that it became something more and around 15 years ago, I started producing as well but it was really tough concerning that it was a preYouTube era, so you had to learn everything by yourself. Nobody would show you anything. It was more about secrets that everybody would keep to themselves. Now, as we share more, it has become easier. 10 years ago, I was a better producer than the first five years and I found myself on a tipping part of my life with a shitty job – a driver in an Opera and it was really the last job that showed me I was not made to do this. It was a parttime job, so I was working at the studio – the rest of the time. That realization was really the turning point. Very soon, I was playing two-three times a week at clubs and it took off really quickly.

How has technology changed your style of DJing through the years?

When I think about it, it was nice to learn the old way because you had to understand everything, each gear you had, making some choices. DJing is a matter of taste and it’s about creating interest. The technology is not important. The only thing that’s important is what’s coming out of the speakers. Whether it’s cassette, or reel to reel, or computers, it’s just a medium. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing CDs or records, it’s about the music.

What I like right now is that internet exploded all the borders, so you can stay in Switzerland and become well-known in Georgia, which is nice.

How is the club-life in Switzerland?

Really bad actually. It has become really superficial, without right spirits or right music. People seem not to know why they are at the club. They are not there for music, that’s for sure. Compared to the 90s, when people were really enjoying going out and just having good time at the clubs, now it’s lost. Maybe it can be paralleled with the quality of life. 20 years ago, it was tougher for people, with a lot of restrictions and they found freedom of

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expression during night entertainment. Now, it’s vice-versa.

It was a nice message of love and tolerance. For me electronic music is highly related to tolerance. It’s about being together and trying something new together. There is nothing about ego or money, it is more about party but party in a good way.

Even when people took drugs, they did it to be able to dance longer, now they do it because they are bored.

How would you describe the impact of your music on your listener?

It depends. Every track is different, made with different intentions. That’s why I like to travel, to read, to go to exhibitions. I like to feed myself of stuff like that in order to make music. I am just like a catalyzer – things pass through me to turn into a music. It’s a magical process. I don’t make music to reach the stars or make money, I want to make music because it’s my language with which I share my emotions and feelings at that moment.

Doing this for two decades you must have had an immense source of inspiration, never stopping to want doing this...

It’s more about my children and never stopping being a kid myself. If you observe, all kids are living the right way of life – they are in a moment and living it fully. They are open to everything and afraid of little amount of things, just of the darkness maybe. I am a 39 year old kid, which has his own kids and they show him the way to open his heart and mind.

I think that’s the way to live. I don’t want to be rich, I don’t want to be famous, and I don’t care about all that kinds of things. I am witnessing all the time people getting famous and losing all the things that I cherish in life, which are basic things – to be here, sitting here right now, going to the small club, in a small country. If I was super heavy, my life would be luxury and shitty. The other day, I saw a movie with Nick Cave, where he was saying something like - stay in your level, stay, where you are productive and stay like this even millions of

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people start liking you, don’t move. It’s a dream state. A place, where you are a human and stay creative but if you are in a big house, with a lot of money, you are too secure.

This is your second time in Georgia and I assume that you must have liked the first time as you came back.

Can you describe the Georgian listener and if it differs somehow from other audiences around the world?

I think it’s a matter of evolution in civilization. And you have civilizations that are really in front of the other and at the moment they may be the most boring places to play. There are other countries that are still building stuff, facing reality of hard life, financial problems and people in these kind of countries are way more in alert of what’s going on in their life and more sensitive. They are less closed into themselves.

I have to say one word that really sucks right now and it’s a “selfie”, which is the ego portrait just saying – me, myself and I. If people continue to think like that then it’s the end. People think it’s the end of Earth but really it is the end of humanity.

Earth would be fine in 10 000 years and would not give a shit about us. It’s just we, in terms of humanity have to evolve, have to be better and more humane, more careful about each other, which is exactly the opposite of what’s going on right now. We are already one step too far the way this planet can handle humanity but nobody cares. As I am travelling, I do witness that all the world is going crazy holding to things we don’t need. We don’t need to travel, we don’t need all this luxury. When I go to New York or Tokyo, the number of humans living on such a small place freaks me out.

If something goes wrong, it’s going to be really really shitty really fast. I read this book about “The Tipping Point” and the first thing that human can handle is to understand, where is the tipping point. You can understand things till certain point but you cannot realize the effect of what is already done and what will happen, because it’s going to be so big that humanity won’t be able to handle it.

Maybe people need to follow their true passion more and then, as you said people won’t need to take selfies, because they would not even have time for it while doing what they love.

Yes, people are bored. They are bored of themselves and that’s the first problem. And ignorance... People go to school and they learn what is religion, what is history, where the problems come from and why, they will be smarter and more apt to having a global view on everything.

Well, how has your surrounding impacted you when you were growing up?

Well, I am a kid from ‘70s. I think we come from the other world, the old one, which is already disappearing. We were humans talking and having interactions. Right now we have technology and we have to be somehow careful about that. I am thankful to my mom who had provided me with the freedom of choice and introduced me to all the different parts of art. Having a choice is one of the most important aspects to freedom, I think. I don’t want to feel secure, I don’t want to be guided by any religion or organization telling me what to do, when to wake up or when to work. It’s not safe but it’s the only way to feel free.

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Well, let’s get back to music. What should the audience expect from Ripperton in near future?

I am always working so I always have stuff coming up.

I have changed my studio recently and would like to explore ambience and experiment more. So, things are going change for the next year. I did two albums already and they came out suddenly, in no time. So we’ll see how things turn out.

What are you currently listening to that you would also recommend us to check out?

Right now, I am really into a girl called Grouper.

She is doing some really nice music. Her whole discography is amazing. Definitely worth to check out.

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MATTHEW DEKAY

Matthew D. Kerkhoff

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After the live performance, around 2 A.M. Nino Kakiashvili – Hello Matthew, looking great!

Matthew – Well, thank you! I don’t smoke and don’t drink much.

It is always interesting how such great passions for any art are born giving the person a life-long stimuli.

How was it in your case?

It’s kind of strange but I wasn’t really interested in doing anything else but music, while still very young. Probably it had to do with being born in a musical family. Even the first memory I have of myself, is sitting in front of a piano at our house, curious about the sounds coming out of each key. Probably that’s when this

engine started, bringing me to the point I am today. Music was and still is an addiction.

And when did the interest for electronic music entered in your life and how did it evolve?

My father was really into gears and keyboards, so he would take me to the international music conferences, where people were introduced to the uses of new instruments and digital synthesizers. These experiences blew my mind, as by that time, becoming just a piano virtuoso did not sound so appealing to me anymore. Electronics appeared like an opportunity to break out from classical boundaries and improvise my own style.

Electronic music holds within itself the ability to actually gather all the different styles giving you a lot of freedom...

It’s true... Electronic music is like hard rock and ballad – two opposite things. To me it has explored only one - the harder,

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the energy side of music, and I would like to see more of the jazz side, or the ballad side or something that has a different function. There are always exceptions to the rules and a good example of that would be what I’ve seen recently, the Romanian DJs called Raresh and Rhadoo playing in a very interesting way, where not only one track is dictating the dance floor but the whole set is taking you somewhere. This is more of an art form than just DJing the tracks that people like. The craft of DJing is actually about playing tunes or tracks that don’t dictate so much, rather putting them all together in such an order that something happens, certain energy is born. I would like to see that more developed and to encourage club owners and promoters to look into this a little bit more and maybe visit one of our “All Day I Dream” parties in New York or Los Angeles and experience something that is a little bit different.

So, in your own observance, how do you think the DJing phenomenon changed through the years?

In the past, the industry had middlemen, who would select whatever public would hear, while today, given the immense amount of music done every day, it’s the social media that decides what is going to be popular. The whole industry seems to have transformed into a system that wants to only please the people and provide just whatever people want, instead of maintaining the art. There is also another aspect to many DJs that have been travelling the world for years and most of them don’t have the time to focus on their performances, or art generally, because of loaded schedules. Personally for me, DJing should be about the journey, where the artist takes the people to his own world. It surely holds the risk of your music not being accepted by the audience. This is the challenge, which makes the process even more interesting, at the same time - setting the ground for the artist to develop.

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Being part of your crowd tonight, I felt some hypnotic effect from your music, the red lights enhancing it even more.

I actually requested the red lights for that sole purpose – to enhance the hypnotic condition. I like to go more in a state where you are being transcend to a different kind of place and at some point, not building up the energy but actually building it downwards, then to come back to the normal state. I try to find a consistency, inviting people to dive into their internal travelling and preferably, with closed eyes.

Sometimes, when they open their eyes, we look at each other, as if saying that everything is OK. That’s what gives me adrenaline and a lot of energy. That’s what I am about, that type of DJing.

I loved the audience tonight and the venue is amazing. My one message to promoters and organizers would be to keep the artists closer to the people, on the same level, not separated by the stage or any physical barrier; to do something different with the scenic environment, in a sense that people can actually contact with the music emotionally, rather than just the energy-based kind of way. I would love to come back here again and hope, next time we will feel each other even closer.

Which club scene has impressed you the most?

There are beautiful venues in Europe and especially in Berlin, they are fantastic. However, if I had to choose a club scene, I would choose the Romanian one. It’s sophisticated, people have really good taste for music, they are very open-minded, loving and most of all – passionate about the music. Also, I would distinguish the “All Day I Dream” project held in New York and Los Angeles. It has a different kind of setting, great sound system, lovely decorations, very warm atmosphere and it’s a day-time event. I have learned a lot from that environment and try to bring the same vibes wherever I travel.

The same kind of attitude is spreading around the world now; for example, the very recent “Outline” festival in Moscow, about which many of my friends said it was the best party they have been to.

You seem to be travelling a lot. How do you deal with that side of your work?

I actually don’t like travelling at all. Every job comes with a price.

There is no absolute satisfaction, although my love for music can

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outweigh my dislike for travelling. The music part is not a job for me, it’s having fun doing the thing I love the most. The travelling part is what I can call the job.

Long-time flight can be somewhat useful though, having a time of your own.

Yes, it is a very special time. That’s when I try to learn, make some music or just write about whatever I feel like, new ideas, new concepts... sometimes I write down new quotes that I am thinking of and hopefully, one day, I can publish them. I try to be proactive with this time.

The negative part is doing all the passport controls and going through the checkpoints, being jetlagged and feeling rough after doing it five days in a row without getting proper sleep. You still have to perform and people expect you to be good. They won’t be looking at how tired you are, they just want to get the best that you can offer and they deserve the best.

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What would be the life of your dream scenario? And what would be the music you would listen to daily?

First of all, I would listen to so many different types of music. I come from a more classical background but very interested in jazz, wide-range, ambient music. As about a dream scenario – I’m starting to realize that I am actually living the dream already. If I could spend more time in the studio, at home, developing my craft would be even closer to a dream scenario. Everything is in balance in life and you cannot always do the things that you like. But generally, this is already a dream. I am very appreciative and thankful for the way my life has developed and all the support I get from people. I’ve been lucky... When I was 16, like 21 years ago, I signed my first publishing contract to start working on music. I think I can consider myself very fortunate as I’ve been doing it since then. Continuing this dream for another 20 years would be really great and I think I will do that anyway. So, I don’t want to stop anytime soon.

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AGORIA

SĂŠbastien Devaud

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After the live performance, past 4:00 A.M. Nino Kakiashvili – As we have just couple of minutes for an interview, tell me what message would you like to deliver to Georgian readers?

Agoria – I like to cooperate with artists exchanging ideas and desires. It could be music, art, cinema, design, dance...

Have something to propose to me and I would be supper happy to do something exquisite with this artist. Cause I love to share time with other artists everywhere in the world. I guess, everybody knows me to be open to diversity, as I do music for movies, for photography artists. For instance, I have already cooperated with the conceptual artist Philippe Parreno,

who debuted his largest exhibition in New York’s Park Avenue Armory. Then, I cooperated with the Tate Gallery in London. It is all about connections and meetings. So, if there is an artist in Georgia, who wants to propose me something, just hit me up and I will be super happy to work with you. It is just as easy as it is. If the connection is right and we are both coinciding in our arts, then we can do many things together.

How different is the audience around the world, the places that you have visited?

The good thing about electronic music is that there is no barrier from the language. You can be in Africa, in Asia, in North America or Europe and you can enjoy the music. There is no need to understand the lyrics, so electronic music is totally universal. But the way you play on stage with the audience differs by the cities and the countries. I love to come to Eastern Europe because the energy is so right, it’s very pure. I am super happy coming to Georgia for the first time. And after playing tonight, I really want to come back more. It was really

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pure, really connected. When I was first in Japan or South Africa, I had the same feelings but it was years ago. It is very important for me to play at places, where the energy is positive. We have so many opportunities, sometimes it’s a bit dark or heavy. But tonight – there was freedom.

Honestly, the sound was so loud! I don’t know any other countries in Europe that will allow a sound so loud. In a way, I was a bit afraid but it’s also something that you can feel with your body, especially if you close your eyes and still it becomes amazing. So, of course, I will come back to Georgia!

We would be happy to see you back again. Is there any specific new artist, a musician that you would recommend us to check out?

There are so many. It’s difficult, as I am receiving thousand tracks every week. So to pick one is hard. Actually, I just received an amazing one from “&me”. His “Woods” will be the hit of a summer. Everybody is loving him, everywhere!

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HUNGRY MUSIC Worakls ~ Kevin Rodrigues N’to ~ Anthony Favier Joachim Pastor

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Interview – before the performances, around 8:00 PM Nino Kakiashvili – How are you guys, how is the year going on so far for you?

N’to –This year turned out to be especially loaded as we are promoting our label Hungry Music as well. We have many things to develop, along with a lot of gigs together. Also, we’ll start the second part of our French tour by the end of summer. It is a really busy year but we are very happy to be here – in Georgia.

Joachim – I have already been here once and this is a great place. I have already told about this to the guys and we are all excited to be here.

Joachim, how was it the last time and what all of you expect from tonight?

Joachim – Last time I was here, it was amazing with a very enthusiastic crowd and fantastic view from the venue, which was “Under the Wheel”. I did not really know what to expect when coming but I left with a lot of good memories after spending four days here. People are amazing, very nice, relaxed and laid back.

Worakls – It’s the first time for me and N’to in Georgia. We can never know in advance, what the new country will be like for us. However, it is a great happiness discovering a new culture, new people each time we travel. So far, the party is going on really well. We all play one after another and closing the night with a good crowd will be perfect.

N’to – A new country always holds a surprise. I really like the venue and am sure that the party will be awesome. Let’s see what happens.

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How did the Hungry Music ingredients, which had initially been on spot, got together and decided to stay together?

N’to – We met around five years ago, sharing the same love for electronic music. All three of us were making our own music, however, we were generally on the same wave.

Joachim – N’to and Worakls already knew each, when I met them at some club. Eventually, we got together and started working on the label. From there, it took off, throwing the label parties, which were a huge success with tickets all sold out, amazing crowds that had come specifically for our music.

Great feeling - doing a gig and knowing that your crowd already likes you, knows your tracks and we are all there to have a good time.

Worakls – The success is yet to come. The idea that works behind the label is not just a success of one or another track.

The thing that makes the label work is the combination of

three different universes that fit perfectly all together, even if it’s not the same. The synergy that comes out of it, is what’s special about our crew. We would not labelize it with any specific style, as it’s not fitting with any trend in electronic music. It’s not deep house, not techno, not house... It turns out eclectic and we have so many different influences that it’s almost not electronic music anymore. It has a lot of melodies and can be defined as soul electronic music. Or at least, it’s our goal.

Digging deeper, what can you uncover that had influenced your decision to actually become musicians?

N’to – I think it’s basically our passion for music since we were children. My journey began when I learned to play the guitar, around the age of ten, so that was inspiring for me to continue exploring music. My background is rock and hip-hop music from my friends’ influences. Now, I just love all kinds of music

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- classic, jazz, reggae, soul music, funk, hip-hop, rock and even heavy metal – depending on mood.

Joachim – I got into music, when I was 4, attending music school for 10 years playing on several instruments. I’ve always loved all genres, from classical to jazz and rock. I worship Vivaldi, Queen, Sonata Arctica for heavy metal or Nightwish etc. We all have strong passion for different styles and bands. Maybe, that’s why we do the music we do because we try to have the melody of one kind, and the energy of the other, combined with the electronic sound.

Worakls – I’ve played music since I can remember myself.

I was training in classical piano since I was three and as a teenager experimented a lot with rock, jazz, Bossa Nova... I fell in love with electronic music after discovering that the possibilities were infinite so I dropped the Economic Studies to pursue music full-time.

Internet provided so many opportunities but at the same time it’s hard to attach a listener to any specific track or album. How would you define your challenges based on that?

N’to – I think the most intelligent way to make music nowadays would be to concentrate on the variety of the projects you have. If you are rhythm music lover, you’ll probably be more inclined to make music for movies, for video games and collaborate with other artists. I think variety is important.

Worakls –One of the biggest challenges for the musician is when people already know him with certain music and he tries to offer something different. It’s always difficult to find new things and try to enlarge your own universe. Usually, when you start making music and put all your soul inside, after finishing, you might feel quite empty and it becomes very hard to get something else from yourself. Thus, enlarging your universe would be one of the biggest challenges. You

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have to think about yourself and what you can do, exploring and feeling novelties all the time.

Joachim – I think they are spot on with what they’ve said.

The big challenge is to stay true with yourself because the music now is evolving very fast and it’s easy to have the temptation to do something you think is going to attract more people. It’s a challenge to always do what you like and regardless if it works or not, you just have to stay true with yourself, the music you’ve got in you.

So, how to balance between what people expect from you and whatever new you want to offer?

Worakls – I am sure that if you really like what you are doing, and the outcome of it, then somebody in the world would like it the same way. So, an artist should not worry about that.

You will never be better in something else than you are in whatever you like doing. Music is universal and at some point, I think that if you go to see a great artist, no matter the style,

even if you don’t like that style in the beginning and that artist is really good, you will like it. A true artist can carry you to his own world. Staying true to yourself and your art and then proposing it to people, is risky but it’s the only way to do something great.

How does your creative process as a trio happen behind the scenes?

Worakls – We work separately actually and then help each other with finishing touches. We regularly meet to discuss the issues concerning our label and that’s the basic thing that we do together but, otherwise, we have three different projects.

Do you have to nudge each other if one of you procrastinates?

N’to – Not particularly but if one of us is stuck on a track then we help each other suggesting ideas and trying together to find new ways.

It may sound cheesy but you seem like “one for all and all for one”...

Worakls – It’s pretty much like that. Actually, the idea is quite the same in our group, which is 1+1=3, meaning that the synergy of the same creates one point more. Besides, since we live our passion and follow our love of music, we don’t really get to procrastinate. When you love it so much, it’s not work anymore. It can be tiring sometimes, when you come back from gigs and you have to be productive during the week no matter the fatigue, it could add some pressure, but if we stay two days without producing a track, we will miss it – so, it’s already a motivation in itself.

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You have performed in many countries, experiencing numerous cultures and audiences. Would you separate any of them as giving you special memories or even becoming the source of inspiration?

Joachim –It really depends on the context of the party itself. We have had many surprises, when expecting a colder crowd and receiving the very expressive one at the end due to numerous reasons – the venue, the timing, the weather... As about special memories, there have been so many of them.

The biggest one recently would be the Hungry Music tour in France, which was really special. As for me, personally, it would be closing one of the biggest festivals in Canada, where it started raining and everything became really crazy...

N’to – It’s really hard to pick one but I can say that even the audiences, stereotyped as less communicative, can provide a really warm energy but my best memories also belong to Canada, Holland and France.

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Worakls – As they say, there are no rules and I would not even define how is who, as what matters, is the journey and not the destination. We have been lucky to travel every week to a different country and especially, when it’s all three of us together.

In case if you have time to stay a while and absorb the foreign culture, do you feel the impact of different countries on your music?

Worakls – Sometimes we do. The last time I felt that was around two months ago, while in Cape Town, South Africa. It was very different from what we experience usually. Generally, no matter if we have time to see the country itself or not, it still does impact at some point with good memories and immense positive energy.

Can we have a sneak peek into your upcoming projects?

Joachim – We are all touring for different festivals as together, as well as separately. By the end of the summer we’ll be

launching the second half of the tour in France. We’ll be also participating in “We Art” festival in Marseille, which is going to be huge. As for our production, we each have our different projects, for example, Worakls works a lot on soundtracks, N’to is producing music for artists and I am working on an album with a rapper and pop musicians. There will be one special release with a remix from really good artists, we really like, for example – Boris Brejcha or Olivier Koletzki. This will be released in few months and I think it will be a very special package.

Worakls – We are working on different projects all together.

Other than that, I’m finishing the soundtrack for the video game, to be released in the USA this month. I can’t disclose the name yet but it’s a fight game. I am also working on the Worakls – the band, which will include one alto, one violin, one guitar and one cello with me playing piano plus the electronic music. So, we’ll be five on stage and try to put some organic music into electronic environments. It’s a big

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challenge to keep the punch and the energy of electronic music with real instruments, at the same time keeping the emotions of my original tracks. We try to always have something new to work on till the last one is over. As Joachim said, we will play on some more Hungry Music tour in France for now, promoting the label, as it is still very young. Actually, rather than promoting, it’s our way of saying hi and let the people, who have listened to us, know that we’ve joined our forces. So we visit even the smallest cities celebrating our first year of existence.

N’to – Hungry Music project is one of the most important.

My new track for the label was just released three days ago, called - “Simple as Fuck”. And, personally, I am working on an album and improving my new live, which I am making with a friend of mine, a musician, who will play drums and percussion instruments like marimba and vibraphone.

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What are you currently listening to that you would also recommend us to check out?

Worakls – For the last two years, I have been listening to only soundtracks of the movies, favoring composers like Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, and John Williams. I would recommend to check out Hans Zimmer, if you don’t know him yet.

N’to – I personally would recommend a French rockpop group Revolver. To me they are like modern Beatles and they are fantastic.

Joachim – It’s difficult to choose but one of the bands I would recommend is Röyksopp - the mix of electronic and pop music. I discovered them only three or four years ago and became a huge fan.

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THE MICRONAUT Stefan Streck

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After the live performance, around 10:00 PM Nino Kakiashvili – Stefan, you look so young!

Stefan – No! I would not say that! Look at all these white hair in my beard!

You know what?! That’s actually adding some aristocracy to you appearance!

That actually sounds great!

As I was watching you perform, you were slightly reminding of young Rupert Everett, the Hollywood star...

I have never heard of him but once, there was a guy, who told me I looked like a policeman from Twin Peaks but I don’t know him either.

I was little, when these series were on and can’t really recall.

BTW, my English is not very good but I’ll try my best.

I think you are doing great, if anything, we can decipher your words. So, Micronaut, does it have anything to do with cosmonaut?

You say cosmonaut too? Because, I am from Eastern Germany and this word was frequently used there, instead of astronaut. But no, my moniker is derived from old comics. Ten years ago, I made a flyer for the party, where we used science fiction images. So, I was searching for Perry Rhodan on internet and I came across these characters, called Micronauts. I immediately thought that would be a cool name for me. That means, I stole it from the comics.

What is the character about, do you identify with it somehow?

It’s Captain Future, the master saving the world.

And you are contributing to saving the world with your positive vibes. I know your special power!

Drinking a lot of vodka I guess!

I think it would be your dance moves. Even during the day-time, when usually nobody is really up to dancing, your moves become contagious making others follow your beats. That’s your special power!

After 20 minutes into the set, I noticed some young people dancing break-beat, thinking to myself maybe, my music is a little bit of break-beat style, which would be perfect – old hip-hop, old break-beat that people were dancing back in the ‘80s.

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I sensed some hip-hop in your set.

I think my electronic influence came from drum ‘n’ bass, with which I started DJing.

You presented a diverse music and also very positive, having some quirky side also, as if teasing at times.

Can you describe your general listener?

It’s difficult. I think it depends on what kind of party I am at, whether it’s a DJ evening, or techno evening. The best for me is when people are calm and open. Sometimes I play between techno DJs and it’s hard for me, because people like to listen to straight dance music and my music is not straight. Today was perfect for me. Great audience and beautiful venue. I think this place could be easily mistaken with Germany, where we also like to sit under the trees, in the Sun, listening to music or dancing. Totally cool!

Georgia has made big steps in terms of developing its club scene. This year has turned out especially busy

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with a lot of interesting events happening. How would you describe the current club scene in Europe?

I am not really immersed into techno scene. Usually, I stay for one hour maybe after I play, because then I get bored with monotonous beats. As about Germany, Berlin has become a total trendsetter, especially the Berghain Club. It’s interesting everywhere, where people can feel free and open.

What do you listen to currently?

A lot of audio-books while I am driving and I drive very long roads. I don’t listen to music that much, just books. I listen to a lot of different bands, maybe more indie ones when I’m at home.

Any recommendations for us to check out?

The old one – At the Drive-In, or some electronic music – Mount Kimbie or Modselektor, they were here last year I think. And Nils Frahm also! If you like Nils Frahm, maybe you will also like Hauschka.

How long have you been into music?

I started in 1996, playing in metal band. We played about 10 years. We were not very famous but had a lot of tours around Europe. We were also in Brazil. But at the end, I felt bored as the music did not touch me deep and I continued with drum’n’bass, getting all the electronic gears, experimenting daily and still continuing to learn.

As you travel a lot, have you come to feel any influences from the places that you visit and do you try to stay for a longer time in order to absorb the local culture?

I always try to stay at least for two days. For example, I am staying here for three days as I really want to look around and get to know the country.

I don’t know anything about Georgia but after these three days I might have some influence from the city. Today, while we were on our way from the airport, I noticed a lot of buildings that look like the ones in GDR. It was very popular to live in such buildings in the ‘70s. We call them “Nieuwbouw”. Many think that they are ugly but to me, when people live together it must bring a special feeling. I had this feeling for 18 years, because I lived in a similar building, with very small apartments, everyone knowing each other. Tomorrow I will have to take pictures of these buildings here. Generally, travelling is one of my favorite things in life. If I stay home for too long, then I am getting this feeling, the opposite of “homesick”. I can’t say what it would be called but any opportunity to go out and see the world makes me very happy.

If you want to sense the authentic part of Tbilisi, you should see the older districts, as the ones built in Soviet era don’t really differ from other countries. The Soviets did color everything in one color reaching GDR as well.

Yeah, I was 14 when they removed the wall. Back then, I was not really thinking about the system, the kind of country I was living in, what we had or what we did not and how things would change after the barriers were taken. But from this perspective, GDR was harsh and very limiting, especially

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for artists. You could not play in bands, buy the instruments...

Holidays were always at the same place... But for me it was fun as I was a child, I had many friends and it was still cool.

Now, it’s also very cool. Leipzig is also a very old city and very special. During GDR time, there lived 700 000 people and after the wall – 200 000 people moved to the West. That meant a lot of free space to do something with, a lot of places for artists. It has turned into a very special place. I read once in New York Times that Leipzig can be called Hypezig, because everyone is going to like it now.

Oh, now I want to go there!

You should, definitely!

What are your plans for future in music?

There are plans to release a new album and Eps. In three months there will be a new EP – “Happy Family”, which will be very positive and friendly. And the album will be next year.

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You are a very positive person and I wonder if you have any kind of remedy, when stress and depression start setting in.

When I am playing in Germany, or Switzerland, I always drive to get to the venue. I drive 7 to 10 hours alone in the car. I think the most important thing to keep the positive vibe is to be cool with yourself. A lot of shit can happen but I am the kind of a guy, who says – shit happens but tomorrow will bring new stuff. I just let it go and don’t hold it in. I am very easy and totally cool with myself. Sometimes, when the gig does not turn out as good as I wish, or the venue suck, it does not matter, it’s still cool – I am seeing many places, meeting a lot of people and experiencing new things all the time. And now, I am in Georgia! Wow! Any memories that you would cherish the most?

Usually, they come from playing in small clubs, where I feel like the part of audience, the part of evening, very much like family atmosphere.

What would be your advice to Georgian newcomer DJs? I have to say something about my way, because I have been making music since maybe 20 years now. In the beginning, when I made something cool, I sent out maybe 500 demos.

Nothing happened for years. And then, one day, I asked Mollono Bass if he would like to do a remix and he was amazed with the tracks, directly offering me to make an album out of them. I though, since 10 years I have tried to do something with this... I think you have to catch the right moment to do something and have fun with the things that you do. I know many DJs, who call themselves so but they don’t make music from their heart. They are playing just because it’s cool. It’s not hard to distinguish real ones, who are sincere and who are fake. I think that Eastern Europe has a lot to offer with good music and the DJs from Poland or other countries should be visiting Germany more. It takes time but I think the next steps will be made from East.

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Yeah, it is vivid in Georgia too with a lot of talented DJs emerging.

When I saw this place I thought – if I closed my eyes and in a snap I would appear at this venue, I would not be able to say which country it is. It looks like something you would see in Germany or France. Technical standards are the same too.

Maybe, a bit louder inside. Both venues, outside, or inside, they are very cool.

The cultural exchange is really intense as a lot of young people from Georgia visit Europe on their holidays, or education and bringing back the best from what they experience.

Was it possible to make something like this 2 or 5 years ago?

The club scene started to develop around 10 years ago and now really catching up with Europe.

And where did you have parties?

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In one of those apartments of concrete soviet buildings that we mentioned earlier... So, if not music, what else would you be so passionate about?

That would be carpentry. I like building stuff from wood.

So if I won’t be making music, I would definitely will be working on wood.

That’s a wrap, I think, and enjoy your stay in Georgia!

Thank you!

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NILS FRAHM

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After the live performance, past 2:00 AM Nino Kakiashvili – How would Nils Frahm tell the story of Nils Frahm?

Nils Frahm – The story of Nils Frahm... wow... He is quite an ambitious young man, who always wanted to do something else than the people around him, always looking for something beautiful, where nobody else would think it is. He would always hope that some other people, if he found that something beautiful, would also come and think – “it is actually really beautiful, what is this?” That’s kind of what he did all his life. Now he is doing music and he does the same thing with music but... When he was five years old,

he would knock two stones together and watch how they would spark. All the other kids had little guns, or other toys, more exciting things, when he was exploring the stones and all of the sudden, a lot of other kids would be exploring the stones themselves. And they did not need any crazy, fancy toys. They could just get excited about something really simple and beautiful. I always found that that’s what Nils does, he finds simple, yet unique little things and wants to share them with people.

Have you ever had a negative feedback in your musical career and has it somehow impacted your work?

Negative feedback is the most valuable one, because all the compliments you tend to forget. You hear many of them and maybe they don’t stick with you but the negative feedback is something you don’t hear so much. When you do, you think about it and sometimes, you can use it to get better. It happened and if it will happen again, it is totally fine. It makes me stronger because it does not destroy me.

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If you stopped doing music, is there any other outlet, any other passion in your life that you would pursue?

Building things with my hands. It could be instruments, it could be a house, and it could be a place, where all my friends work, live and share ideas... A laboratory... I feel like a conductor sometimes, I like to organize network of people, try to inspire people to do something meaningful.

After having a glimpse of Georgia and experiencing the local audience – how did the Georgian reality echo your music?

The thing about Georgian reality is that it’s so diverse. I was seeing only one part of this reality. A lot of young people, who are on their way to something unknown, to something new; who are excited because things pretty much only can get better from here on... and the Georgians are right to believe that now it’s their turn and all of these people are celebrating this. I did not meet the other part of Georgia, where people

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are probably afraid of the future and afraid of what’s in the West, of new concepts, of not being free anymore, because they were depending on a big country like Russia all their lives and they don’t believe why they should belong to something else. Now, they want to be independent, they want to stay in the state of Georgia. I am sure, I can’t play for all of Georgia but I can play for all the people of Georgia, who are brave enough to listen to me and stay there, go through my catharsis, my little recital, my exercise, my meditation.

It reflected beautifully here... Every concert is different, especially because of the people listening to it and I liked it very much. It’s rare that people are so hungry for something and I definitely see difference to other places to play. Georgian reality echoes my music in a very transformative way – it transforms the music into a general force. At some points, I felt that there was just an energy exchange. There was little more than music tonight for me.

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And your music left many in tears...

Tears are very important and useful. Why would we cry if it was not useful? When I was younger, I went to groups, where we would try to cry together, to bring each other to the state of crying, to release pain. Kids do that, as they cry all the time. And they are usually all right, they are stable. We get really unstable because we don’t cry anymore. If my music helped people to get to the point of crying, I am sure they would feel much better the next day. It’s up to them what they do with that “better”.

When they feel better, they might act better. This is my little method of trying to change people’s attitude. Music cannot make politics and can’t build streets or universities but it can change people’s attitude. And the attitude is really important. It’s not what we do, it’s how we do it.

This is the attitude!

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SET FEST

SUMMER SET 2015