Skopje Clubbing .: Presents Interview with Saso Recyd :.
Interview with Saso Recyd
When the techno music was having its global widespread, the electronic scene in Bitola
(if it can be claimed as such) was having its first electronic duo Xavier Acid 15 years ago.
Their "weird" music for the time being, is now listened by a rather numerous audience. Meanwhile the
band members of this duo have turned into Djs designating their name as foreign pseudonym, and doing
dj-gigs for their personal pleasure and symbolic amount of money. However living in a modern age, has the accommodation of electronic communication, which is a resource for spreading out the music to the picky and delicate clubbers around the world, under the name difficult to translate such as "Trpenie Spasenie".
Ulica: In April 2007 you were having your first release of the Ep "Trpenie Spasenie" for Definitive Recordings, followed by the "Julija" and "4 notes" released for Funkwelle label. However long before this happened at all, you were present in the Macedonian electronic music scene. Can you tell us something for your beginnings, inspiration and musical influences, bearing in mind that this was rather unknown music for most of the population.
SR: Yes, this yes year has been quite good for my music production. I have support by many local and foreign djs. Nevertheless for this success i needed "numerous years of dedicated hard work". I have my beginnings in house and acid music as well as the Detroit techno, however one of the strongest influences i had for my music profile was from the album of Plasticman (Richie Hawtin) - Music 1994. For
most of the people this music unfortunately is still unknown, never the less everyone who follows this particular style of music can get the right info from (tip: Google). There are many fans of this music that are not sincere and have so called "short fuse" for it, moreover for them it presents just a period of their teenage life. Constantly there is some kind of influence in this music, a particular sound that is popular and it is accepted by various artist involved in this kind of music. On the other hand this is not permanent and the search for something new is never ending.
Thanks to the modern communication based on the development of the internet, it is quite easy to discover some young talents. Compared with the old days where you were supposed to send your demo in a CD format, now you only need to send an mp3 file and that's it. For me now it is easier to get an offer from a label, ever since my music has been present for some time on the global electronic scene, making me now the one who chooses hehehe!
Ulica: In the beginning of the 90es you were a part of the cult duo Xavier Acid, which went in the history of Macedonian electronic music. Can you tell us the story behind Xavier Acid?
SR: There is only one person that can tell you the better than me, for the story of Xavier acid, and that is: Ilija Talev. He was the founder of Xavier. Xavier had a vision and knew that this music will be the sound of the years to come. This has been going on in same time with the global widespread of the techno music.
Ulica: You were introduced with quite a new sound for that time. Can you explain how that sound, which nowadays it is meant for quite large audience, was accepted in those days?
SR: I am very pleased when i hear that there are still fans of Xavier Acid. Maybe the audience which was present in those days had a more sincere look on the music and had a different attitude for the artists rather than today.
Ulica: After Xavier Acid, you continue to work with music production and you were putting together your home studio. How did you manage to handle the major transformation of the global electronic music scene, and how these changes influenced your distinctive style of music? (techno,tech house,electro,minimal,minimal house)
SR: No matter what i have created, i was working simultaneously on my music, and to be honest the style that i have been working on in those days it is closer to the music that is popular nowadays, meaning the minimal sound. I am very delighted by every good change in the music, no matter how much the music changes, until it has the groove inside it will last, and the groove never dies.
Ulica: Saso Recyd last year had his debut release for the Macedonian label Excel Recordings. The cooperation with Sound Diffusion had a great outcome. Your remix of Reviser has become a club hit. How did everything happen?
SR: Sound Diffusion have me a huge support. It is a pleasure to work with them. Through their musical establishment for Excel Recordings i share their point of view for the Macedonian electronic scene.
Ulica: We have mentioned the releases for the foreign labels. How did you get in touch with the owner of Definitive Recordings which is the well known name on the electronical scene John Aquaviva, as well as with the label Funkwelle from Germany?
SR: The most interesting fact regarding John Aquaviva(Definitive Recordings) is that he approached to me and my music. He said to me that he has listened to the tracks "4 notes" and "Alfred Hitchcock" and he asked from me to send him over some material in order to release my Ep "Trpenie Spasenie". On this release there are four tracks: "Alfred Hitchcock", "My Spanish talk", "B-Side" and "Visited" co-produced with Nikola Kunich. As a result of the long cooperation with Patrick Lindsey, my first vinyl "Julija"/"4 notes"
was released for Funkwelle as a release on this label. The sales of the record are excellent and i still receive positive reaction from many djs and producers. You can find more on www.myspace.com/recyd.
Ulica: What is the meaning for you to have releases on world wide known labels and what kinds of feedback have you received?
SR: Having respect and support from well established and world known artist, makes me even stronger in what i create and more dedicated to the visions that i have for creating good and quality music.
Ulica: The software for music production nowadays is very easy to access. Can you compare the tools and the machines that you are using today, between those that you used in the beginning with Xavier Acid?
SR: It is not that important what you use until the final product that you make has a good quality. For the albums of Xavier Acid we had only Atari Computers and several synthesizers. Today you can find any kind of software which will limit your ability rather than helping you out, that is if you are not quite familiarized with it. Word of advice for those who are into music production -
stick to what you are most comfortable with, copying from others will only make you distant from your personal and authentic concept.
Ulica: Despite the fact that you are into the music production, Saso Recyd is well known to the audience as a dj, following the world’s trends of quality electronic music which overwhelm large number of the audience. What is your personal point of view, how do you feel the "development" of the clubbing scene for the last 10-15 in Bitola and in Macedonia?
SR: I certainly enjoy in the parties where i have large number of audience which enjoys in the music that i play. Not quite often happens to me that i can spot a certain group of people which helps out in the selection of the next song. If you find yourself at a party the best thing to do is let yourself to the music, because you can't find many good parties nowadays having a different music from the one that you listen driving in a taxi. The goal of this music is exactly this, exploring what the sound can make in order to present something new to the audience.
Ulica: Is it necessary to have clubs that will constantly promote the clubbing music, unlike nowadays this to happen from time to time?
SR: It is very important when the club has a distinctive selection of music played inside, where on the other hand in our clubs you have a total mix up of music. I can say only bravo for the place called "The Club" from Skopje, a club that is about to open its season and offer us a good line up of djs, and even better parties. As it goes for Bitola i would be more than happy if there is even a small club that is specialized for electronic music.
Ulica: The next step from the music production is presenting yourself in front of an audience. How does it feels when you present your music through live-act, and do you feel that the people in our clubs can make the difference between live-act and Dj-set?
SR: There is a great difference when you are presenting your own music. I can't say for sure whether the audience can make a difference for this matter. Most important thing is that the audience has to be well informed, and this to be up front information for the live-act, and most certainly the audience has to accept the artist and its live-act. If the audience is up to it, then there are not boundaries for that. The live act as such gives the artist a lot of freedom, and in such manner a new track or a remix can be born.
Ulica: In most recent years it more than obvious that there is a new generation of musicians and producers that used to work a lot "at home", however it is the case now that they have more than an usual resident audience. What is your cooperation with the Macedonian producers?
SR: In Bitola there are lots of talented producers, no matter who has a good production has my sincere support. If their tracks are good and i like them, certainly they are played by me, as far as it goes i push it around even to be released on some label. However no matter who is producing music, has to strongly censor and criticize his musical creation. It happened even to me to finish a particular song, and right after the next day to notice that there is still lots of work to do in order to be good as it should be.
Ulica: "Julija","4Notes","Alfred Hitchcock","Reviser Remix" for Sound Diffusion have become well known hits in the clubs no only in the local clubs. It is more likely to find them in tracklists of some of the world known djs. Soon after these release what can we expect?
SR: Soon enough my next release we be available on the label LEFTOUT which is owned also by LEFTROOM UK. On that vinyl release i am going to have 3 songs plus a remix by a MINUS label artist Tractile. These songs are already complete and you can listen to them @ www.myspace.com/recyd. Recyd is the pseudonym that i will use as an exclusive artist for this label (LEFTOUT) and under this name i plan to release also the album consisting out of 12 songs.
When the techno music was having its global widespread, the electronic scene in Bitola
