Today we are speaking with Melbourne artist/violinist vlesg. Can you provide us with a little information about yourself and your music?
Well, basically I studied classical violin and improvisation at The Victorian College Of Arts , finishing off with a Degree In Education at Melbourne University. I have performed many styles of music including jazz, country, fusion and contemporary music. I have toured around Australia with a Celtic Rock band supporting many different artists. I have also performed on other artists’ albums and have written string arrangements for them as well as for advertising on radio, film and tv.
My music at the moment could hold onto many different threads. I find my compositions not limiting to any musical boundaries, as l feel that my musical experiences are quite diverse, and as such are quite possibly reflected in my music. The one common sound l am delving into is the electronic sounds. I feel it gives my music that extra dimension. Although l still use a live band incorporated with electronics on stage.
Don’t Lift Your Eyes To The Sun (Dub Mix ) is one of your latest singles. What does it contribute to the persona that you have cultivated over the last two years?
The song probably reflects where l am creatively at the moment. The best part of that song to me is the feel and the soundscape elements. It seems to have a few musical elements that l draw on and hope to expand in later compositions.
Can you describe your creative process to us? How does a song go from an initial germ of an idea to a full composition?
The album Solid State Hi Fi was approached with probably 2 different ways at the initial writing process. The instrumental tunes were basically written on the violin first. As in trying to find the right main lines, keeping in mind the style of music that would go with the violin as well as the beats that would be added on later. I would then add the various lines/riffs and glue them together to form sections. From there l demo them onto my laptop and add simple beats and synth parts. Then it’s off to a proper studio where my producer adds his magic and interprets my skeleton parts and plays around with what we think would work. The only difference would be the songs. They are all initially written on the piano but the demo and studio processes are the same.
Listeners make much to do about the quality of online music (128 v 320, FLAC v streaming). What thought have you put into the different ways in which listeners can experience your compositions?
If you want quality audio files go for the lossless. However, with every “take” there is a “give”. If you want higher and lower end spread you will have a higher file size. 128 v 320, in this case you might lose a bit of the higher end, unless you play it at high volumes, then you may or may not notice too much difference. I have had to set my music, for portability sake, to mp3. Really otherwise, in the future l may have to make some decisions there.
What sort of setup (instruments, studios) do you employ during your recording process?
Really, l have a very simple set up. For violin, l usually use my electric Zeta violin straight into some eq, or processor, then trailed to the desk. Most of the sounds we apply on the other tracks are used from internal software.
August 15th is the Enigma – An Introspective show at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Can you go into a little detail about what you have planned for that night? What does the balance of 2015 hold for you?
The Enigma concert really delves into musical experiences from inside myself. The concert looks both ways, as in forward and backwards in my creative musical time, in terms of what l have down previously, in my past, and an inkling of what may develop in the future. So, we have musical past and future being presented together.
The electronic sounds that have been recorded will be stripped back in the show and some of the original parts will be performed on live instruments instead. However, we have expanded some parts because as we are blending both pre recorded and live sounds. Included in the performance will be an A/V display. This gives the performance another dimension. So there are again many elements to the performance. Metropolis will have a string trio, Enigma will have an opera soprano, with all of that we will have a traditional live band set up and also a Rapper and R’ B vocalist.
In terms of the rest of the year, l will concentrate on writing new material with some splattering of a few performances. This will be at a club, where we hope to incorporate some of the pieces we used in The Enigma show, but with a more harder musical edge. Also, there will be a performance at a more specific A/V electronic venue. This may be less live elements, and more heavily reliant on A/V.
Do you see yourself expanding into additional styles/sounds for the future?
A BIG YES. This year, I’m looking at some songs l would like to write with a touch of acoustic piano and only some electronics. This might be a little more commercial in sound. I am also hoping to forge bigger and bolder electronic soundscapes into my music. I would also love to incorporate more live instruments, perhaps a string orchestra.
What would you like to do as a performer before you retire?
As much as possible!! Where ever my fans can take me.
How can our readers find samples of your music and get in touch with you?
Have a look on my website;
Hook onto my Facebook page where l post a lot of what I’m doing with info on shows etc.
Also try Reverbnation.