Kevin Tutt

Onelung

I first started creating electronic music when I started my job with PC World magazine nearly 5 years ago. I had always been doing home recordings with keyboards and drum machines, never happy with the quality and the complexity of operating manuals for the various equipment etc. After finishing up with the alt rock band CICADA, I tried my hand at the electronic-computer based composition. Having a high-band Internet connection allowed me to download lots of music programs which allowed me to try out and choose the best way to compose etc. With the huge amount of sound manipulation programs around and the easy methods of acquiring all manners of plug-ins and software multitrack recording devices, this was for me. I work on a extremely hi-speced PC, so these software oddities go hand in hand with the style of music I make. And yes PC's are capable of anything Mac's can do (Actually far better and more personal)

DJ Shadow was my major influence "Entroducing", the phrase that sticks is ... "all samples, no real musicians". I thought BANG that's what I want to do.

Now 4 years latter I still have no solid process in creating songs, they just happen. I have been heavily influenced in recent times by Drum n Bass and Jungle, mainly because they are similar in style to ONELUNG. Although I prefer to keep away from the mimicking of styles from overseas artists as 90% of Kiwi electronic artists do. Try to create my our distinct flavour, drawing on the stuff I like from time to time.

I have distributed all ONELUNG songs on the Internet for the last few years. I am currently offering Napster users ALL the ONELUNG catalogue of high-quality mp3s until it closes. The funny thing is though, only a hand full of people have downloaded my stuff. Also noticed the mp3 sites are starting to close down from pressure from the copyright lobbyists all over the world.

I source 99% of my sounds from the Internet. I have compiled 12 cds of wav samples - beats, bass, sounds which I edit and recreate through my sound manipulation lab. I get my sounds mainly from copyright-free types of sites. It's great to be able to use unusual keyboard sounds, drums etc in my song construction. Believe it or not, samples aren't only ripped off from records, TV and the radio. That's the beauty of using the Internet to souce these sorts of unusual noises and tones.

I think mp3 is a great medium for getting music out there. You aren't constrained by equipment and playback devices required, say, if you only had a record or a cassette of your bands stuff. Quality and ease of distribution make mp3 the best and cheapest means of getting song around. No postage, time delays etc. There are plenty of mp3 sites that are able to showcase your stuff, allowing a broader audience than if you released locally.

Yeah I suppose so. I personally like to buy from a record shop, the unexpected surprises of finding something you like, the hot sweaty feeling you get when you have to decide, "Do I buy this or this" I think the smaller record companies around the world offering unique and hard to get stuff will do well from this type of distribution. For the unsigned artists, they will struggle to distribute music by themselves with out a label to organise the point of sale contact.

Copyright is still valid in the electronic age but where do you draw the line? If you sampled some shit recording of a 70's album and it was changed to a point where it didn't resemble its original form at all, I think the copyright rules don't apply. But if you to a riff from a well known classic and used it yourself ....Funny how guitar based musicians rip off riffs (standard or non) and don't ever have the same copyright infringements as electronic artists do. I still think ALL big record companies rip the artist off left right and centre. The word "Copyright" gets bandied about too much these days and not many people exactly know what the rules are.

Sampled music has taken on its own identity in the last few years, most people could not tell if the drums have been played or the keyboard riffs are real. Sampled music takes sound to a new level, turning musical standards on it's head. Its a good thing because music needs new directions every few years. Instrument based music in the wrong hands becomes mundane and regurgitated. The real guitar geniuses will take this to a new level but there aren't too many forward thinking guitar muso's around. Rather rattle out a blues cover and pat themselves on the back and say how good they are. I think the cross over between real instruments with electronic is very cool though.

Interesting question this one. I fucken hate DJ's. I really hate the way they have been put on a God like status, dance parties etc. To me a DJ is someone you hire for 21st parties. They haven't evolved much from there. I used to DJ at the local rollerskate rink. Am I a god? Don't think so. There are DJ's who ARE wizards and do release recordings and do influence the way people listen to music. Bottom line though, most DJ's are only playing someone else's songs!!!!