voices #21
◦ “voices” is the place where we ask, artists reply and you read.
here we got:
Natas Kunas
answering some questions. We have already observed his ambient / drone / noise work here.
[1. IDEA]
■ The A. O.: The track from “Blue Radiance” that we prefer is “A Vast Profound”. Can you tell us how it came to light?
► Natas Kunas: Good pick! It was actually the very first track made for the album. I had just quit my day job and arrived at a month-long residency in rural Estonia. Filled to the brim with emotions I started playing and condensed that fleeting moment into “A Vast Profound”. Nearly all of it was done on a portable modular synthesizer, using four voices (parts), with great focus on tonal quality and additional layering of the same, but differently processed/altered tracks. During that month in Estonia I did almost the entirety of the album.
[2. CREATION]
■ The A. O.: How do you usually approach composition? Do you start with a concept, a sound, a state of mind or what else? How do you generally proceed from the initial seed to the complete work?
► Natas Kunas: It differs from record to record. Most often it is a general thematic/sonic direction I want to take as a starting point, paired with subsequent exploration and surveying of a few particular instruments/effects I’m most excited about at the given time. It always ends up in between the desired outcome and unplanable accidents. Arriving at a complete work happens quite organically, as I prefer playing and capturing longer takes, often with slow, broad movements and a lot of space to breathe, so it’s usually shortening the recordings then working to expand and complete a brief idea. I also like incorporating a healthy dose of creative restrictions per project, like using very few tracks to achieve as dense results as possible or utilizing a chosen set of instruments. But only as long as it serves creativity and musical direction.
[3. FEEDBACK]
■ The A. O.: What do you hope listeners feel or experience when engaging with your music?
► Natas Kunas: After one performance my dear friend told me that it reminded him he had a soul. That’s a beautiful illustration of what I hope to convey through sounds.
[4. IDENTITY]
■ The A. O.: In a world saturated with digital music content, how do you try to keep your sound distinct and personally meaningful?
► Natas Kunas: I don’t overthink it and try not to bother myself with distinctness/originality. I’m all too aware of the entangled, cross-referential/influential contemporary existence, how much it shapes what we create, to take on a quest of originality. Some artists echo in my work, but I mostly take comparisons as a compliment. It means that perhaps I managed to figure out some tiny shard of something that they also grappled with. However, I search and look for sounds/approaches/ideas that excite and inspire, make me shiver and cultivate personal authenticity.
[5. INFLUENCES]
■ The A. O.: Name 3 albums that you consider relevant to your musical path and why.
► Natas Kunas: ○ Alessandro Cortini – VOLUME MASSIMO
An essential, even eye-opening record that fueled my transition to making electronic music (previously I was more involved in jazz fusion/art rock explorations)
○ Tim Hecker – “Ravedeath, 1972” and “Virgins”
Hecker is without a doubt my biggest inspiration, ever since discovering Pink Floyd back in 10th grade. Truly liberating creativity wise. I love most of his work, but this monumental diptych is in a league of its own.
○ Abul Mogard – Above All Dreams
This album holds one of my favorite songs Quiet Dreams. It reminds me I have a soul.
[6. REGARDS]
■ The A. O.: Leave us with a quote you love.
► Natas Kunas: “Hardcore to the mega!” (Egg Head, Disco Elysium)