Batch Sound - Psykotrash interview - English subtitles

Tell us about Batch Sound The project was born in 2008. At the time I was creating electronic music inspired by the 80's sound, but with some 8-bit influences in it. The project was originally named "Artificial Music Array". Later I looked for a more efficient name so I used "Batch Sound" removing the 8-bit influences Intriguing name. Was it inspired by something in particular? Well, it was chosen among a very long list this one that we have chosen has origins in the Batch function which programs the starting point of other computer applications. We liked the idea of 80's music that is re-started in the present age. I think it really reflects the idea of our project. What are your inspirations? We are inspired by many 80's media, from trash and action movies like John Carpenter for example, and to lots of new-wave, synth pop and electrowave bands. But clearly every part of the 80's is an inspiration for us in fact we like to play every genre of that age. Yes, the guitar part was inspired by the 80's rock solos with pop riffs inspired by Michael Jackson songs, by the cult created by action and John Carpenter movies and by Cyberpunk too. The whole Cyberpunk literature had a lot of fans in the 80's but unfortunately the whole genre has disappeared. Let's talk about your Psykotrash LP. We think that Psykotrash is quite ambitious. It's not an easy listening CD since it lasts more than 50 minutes and it contains two shades of the 80's music. The first is the "trash" part and when I say "trash" I mean disco music. "Paninari"'s music, easy disco tunes with very simple contents, they are tracks that you may find in some clubs. The second shade, located in the central part of the CD contains tracks inspired by movies and by Carpenter, like we were saying before. They are soundtrack-like tunes, therefore they are a bit more demanding. They have a varied songwriting and they are not simple tunes, you can understand them at the end like if they have a story to tell. Yes, so we consider the soundtrack tunes to be the "progressive" ones while the others are more "easy-listening". Isn't the CD a bit too long and varied to be fully appreciated? Well this isn't a "pop" CD, it's not like you listen to the first seconds of the songs and you immediately get a grasp of them. Every track on the CD as a variation or a message that evolves, they are never so simple. It's a CD that requires a bit of awareness from the listener, a CD with a mainstream sound, in terms of the 80's music of course, but in the same time it contains a deeper message more evocative we should say So the listener should be aware that every song has a message that must be acknowledged. So we suggest a multiple listening of the tracks in time for a complete understanding of our Psykotrash. I think it's a very entertaining CD you have easier tracks and then you have more engaging songs that have movie-like atmospheres with a strong groove. It could be an interesting album for fans of the 80's disco and for lovers of "progressive" music. MOK, what was your approach to electronic music as a guitarist? Well, the songs are very expressive and they are pretty groovy, so it wasn't hard to express my guitar style. For the two solos in Nightrust and Cartagena Rock I had a different approach. Nightrust has a more rhythmical solo while Cartagena Rock's solo is more melodic. City Lights Blues solo was improvised, according to the blues tradition. Chief Pink, I would like to ask you: The sound you obtained in the CD is very similiar to the 80's, can we say the same for the instrumentation and technology used? Let's come clear on that: I didn't use old 80's technology or instrumentation. Purists may criticize this choice, but I think the artist has to approach music the way he likes best. Doesn't matter if you make an 8-bit CD using a Nintendo instead of samples, what matters is the final product. I have made a list on the CD of all the instrumetation I used. The oldest one is a Zoom RFX 1000, that has been around for some years, which I recommend to everyone who wants the possibility to digitally modify the sound with some vintage effects, plus it supports a Vocoder. I strongly recommend it, also it doesn't cost too much. I even used an old Yamaha to edit some samples, but most of those I used were obtained digitally, from the internet, As I said, I don't think it's a bad thing. Purists may not like it, but what matters is the final result. You will judge if we achieved the 80's typical sound in our CD. Some songs really resemble soundtracks from the 80's, so is there a movie in particular that inspired you? Well, I am watching lots of trash movies from the 80's, more for my own pleasure and culture anyway. If I have to choose a movie that inspired my music, I can say John Carpenter was my main inspiration, and the soundtrack of his "Prince of Darkness", which I recommend to all the fans of the horror genre but it's the only one I can name 'cause if I have to name them all I would probably list all the 80's movies since they all can inspire a CD like Psykotrash. Well, I would like to add the Lethal Weapon movies and the animated sci-fi flick "Rock and Rule" in particular which I recommend since it's one of the best non-disney animated movies of the 80's.