THE SEED

Seeds are the essential ingredient to life. From them sprout plants, animals, ideas. Metaphorical seeds grow in our minds into mythologies and doctrines, which some argue to be that which distinguishes humanity from other life forms. We all know that “you reap what you sow”; the initial intention behind every action casts the colours that will shade the entire outcome.

Yet life is sustained by death. Plants thrive on the nutrient-rich compost of their dead forebears; we must kill plants and animals to keep ourselves alive. Decay is, therefore, not the antagonist, but the catalyser of flourish. For it is from rotten leaves that fresh flowers bloom.

And thus we land in the ever-present duality that has plagued poets and pragmatists alike. This grand play we call life, cannot be limited to pleasure and beauty – which ballet does not contain strife? In which comedy is there no tragedy?

This EP is the first we release; it is our seed. The track Womb of Decay was the first that Liv, Laura and India made together, shortly after they had met. It was the seed of many years of creative synergy that shaped Lady Joker into what it is today.

BLACK HOLES

The black holes in the known universe have long been an object of fascination and speculation. Black holes are so dense that not even light can escape their gravitational force. What is their meaning, their purpose? Is there information contained within them, or passed through them? Will we ever know whether the information that enters, exits in a new arrangement of matter, within a different time?

The stomach is known to hold our emotions, and our intuition – a “gut feeling”. In Love Song for a Demon, we project a black hole onto Laura’s stomach. This represents that we have agency over the energies we allow in our lives, our bodies, and which we can send into a black hole, never to return. It is also a metaphor for how depression weighs us down, sucking out the light.

Furthermore, “words are physical”. The syllables we speak have an impact beyond the mere meanings we attribute to them. We send the frequency of their sounds into the world and into each other. This is represented by a line on the stomach, which moves in response to words.

SURREALISM 

Avatar by Dorothea Tanning (1947, Oil on canvas, 14 x 11 in.)

One of Lady Joker’s primary pillars of inspiration is Surrealism, as defined by

Breton (1969 [1924]): a movement that seeks to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind. Breton describes it as ‘pure psychic automatism,’ in an endeavour to express thoughts uncensored by reason, aesthetic considerations, or moral judgment. This movement encourages the exploration of dream-like scenarios and the bizarre, often blending reality and fantasy in unexpected juxtapositions to challenge the conventional perception of reality.

Lady Joker follows Surrealist visual practice by bringing abstract concepts into physical form.

THE LITTLE PRINCE

Our track A Lost Piano draws inspiration from The Little Prince, channelling the story’s poetic metaphors and the haunting beauty of its desert setting. Just as the prince encounters the vast, empty sands where he learns profound truths, the piano represents something lost yet full of meaning. The barren desert becomes a metaphor for isolation and introspection, where the absence of sound heightens the significance of every note.

In The Little Prince, simple encounters reveal deeper truths about love, loss, and connection. Likewise, the music of A Lost Piano mirrors this simplicity, with delicate, sparse melodies that echo the story’s themes of innocence and wonder. The lost feeling is amplified by the use of the piano’s black keys, whose sombre tones evoke a sense of searching in an emotional landscape.

LIEVELINGE

Camping de Lievelinge has been a significant source of inspiration for the musical project Mèraque. The accommodations at Camping de Lievelinge are delightfully original, with converted trams, buses, gypsy wagons, and tipis, providing a unique and memorable stay. Amidst their time there, they found themselves immersed in the natural beauty of the surroundings, with opportunities to swim in the lake and leisurely wander through the enchanting forest.

Soul Safari Studio, located at the campsite, proved to be an ideal haven for Mèraque to explore and develop their musical ideas. It was within this paradise-like setting that they brought to life tracks like “Isla” and “Kabanova,” often collaborating with guest musicians who joined in on their creative journey. The videoclip of “Isla” also was in the Spiegeltent, a tent which was used by Belgian circus in the early 20th century.

WILDEBURG

In between the bamboo forests and calm water pools there is a festival called Wildeburg. It is famous for its broad experimental music and art program. Mèraque played here two times at the Kas, a stage hosted and decorated by House of Chi collective. Both live recordings of Kabanova and Huli took place at the Saturday night in the Kas. 

The light artists of Beeldjutters masterfully crafted a breathtaking atmosphere through their ingenious light installation, meticulously recreating the awe-inspiring beauty of a sunset.

RUIGOORD, LANDJUWEEL

Landjuweel is the annual, multifaceted celebration of Ruigoord, an artist village with a rich history. This unique event carries a profound tradition, marking the 50th anniversary since the village was originally squatted by a collective of artists. Nestled in the heart of Amsterdam’s western port, Ruigoord has valiantly resisted industrialization for many years, preserving its distinctive character.

For Mèraque, Ruigoord is a cherished haven, offering a place to experiment on stage and collaborate with other inspiring artists to craft innovative, multidimensional art performances. The village generously accommodates 50 ateliers, encompassing a diverse range of creative pursuits, from music production to light art and fine arts. Ruigoord’s thriving creative community continues to be a source of inspiration and a fertile ground for artistic exploration and collaboration.

CLARINET & SAXOPHONE

In Mèraque’s vibrant sound, the clarinet and saxophone take centre stage, influencing the melody significantly. These instruments play a crucial role in the folk music traditions of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey.

During weddings, the clarinet player leads the dance, captivating the crowd. This musical tradition dates back to the late Ottoman era (19th century) when folk ensembles started incorporating Western instruments. Urban Chalgia ensembles embraced modern instruments, while rural musicians continued with native wind instruments like the gajda (bagpipe), kaval, and zurla (flutes).

In the present day, Balkan musicians, blend both worlds, merging traditional and modern elements to create contemporary compositions. This innovative approach ensures the survival of cherished practices and traditions, resonating with the lives of the new generation.

This image was captured during the Galicnik wedding in Macedonia.

VAN AMSTERDAM NAAR BERLIJN

During the lockdown, SpaceAgePoetry longed for parties where they could perform and dance, particularly in Berlin. However, the train journey to Berlin takes an incredibly long time. Six and a half hours are simply too long for a sustainable “party machen” experience. The lyrics are written during lockdown times in Amsterdam. This tune essentially chronicles SpaceAgePoetry’s cherished memories of that time and the love for the city of Berlin.

THE OTHER SIDE

The lyrics of the track ‘The Other Side’ depict the tale of an unwavering bond between two friends. On a rainy Sunday evening in Amsterdam, one of them undergoes a challenging experience with psilocybin, resulting in a strange situation of a loss of identity and reality. The other attempts to reassure his friend; however, the rhythm and timbre of his voice unintentionally intensify the trip, leading to the perception of ambiguous messages. Psychedelics can sometimes feel like a stormy upheaval in a vast sea, but ultimately, one just needs to navigate the trip or, in this case, stay afloat.

THE REVOLUTION

As long as there is injustice, resistance will persist. Revolution is an evolutionary process that oscillates from one side to another. It is the fervent heartbeat of societal metamorphosis, a dynamic dance of change where the dissonance of oppression meets the harmony of empowerment. This ceaseless ebb and flow shapes the contours of history, a testament to humanity’s unwavering pursuit of a more equitable and just world. The track ‘The Revolution’ conveys the influence of the wealthy on the rest of the world, and how our resistance eventually propels us toward the next stage of evolution. Sometimes, progress necessitates dismantling existing structures in order to foster growth.

THE REVOLUTION

BALKAN BEATS NIGHTS

During a live performance of Carlama Orkestar, in between the powerful saxophone harmonies and percussion grooves, Mèraque’s founders, Jorick and Martin, met for the first time. At the time they had no idea what a huge role and impact it would later have in how they realize some of their musical directions. They continued visiting other genre-related gigs, to find the right inspiration for their own compositions. A major influential moment was experiencing Balkan Beats in clubs like Melkweg Amsterdam and Aknathon, where they experienced the integration of world music, percussion and vocals with deep electronic productions as done by DJ Tommi and Raromski. With their project Mèraque, Jorick and Martin ended up bringing those elements, among some other musical wind directions, together on stage and in the studio.

CONTEMPORARY FOLKLORE

Folklore consists of traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth. In our Western society, it is harder to maintain those traditions in music nowadays. One of the ways how Mèraque keeps traditions alive is to apply them in a contemporary setting: mixing modern and traditional influences together. Artist Filip Petkovski is an inspirational example: he used traditional Macedonian folkloric customs to address current social themes. Through his exhibition “Vita”, he critiques the objectification of women’s bodies and the complexity of human emotion. Movie directed by: Filip Petkovski.

ORATNITZA

There are multiple bands from the Balkans and Orient who combined folk music with electronic beats. One of them is Oratnitza. They created an original sound by using typical Bulgarian vocal choirs, woodwind instruments and percussion on a bed of slow beats. By adding the didgeridoo, they created something really unique, never heard before in modern music. These trailblazing combinations and journeys of experimentation inspired Mèraque to explore their own paths in a much broader way in both electronic and folkloric music.

VISIONAIRY ART

Through the journey of creating their EP, Mèraque was inspired by the colorful paintings of Helena Arturaleza. Her work is characterized by spirituality and nature, also known as Visionary art. This art form inspires a worldwide movement, which brings a deeper understanding of life communicated through images. Her paintings are like mirrors, reflecting insight. The artworks are a reminder of how beautiful life actually is. Mèraque’s cover artwork “Dancing Birds” is a painting created by Helena and will be released on December 8. The Artwork that you see here, is “Eternal Sunset” (Acrylics and oils on canvas) and is inspired by one of the sunsets Helena experienced in Costa Rica.

NATURE & CULTURE

I am passionate about freedom and moments alone. That is why I spend most of my time in the nature side.
A large part of my work is focused on what always remains and that many times we are not able to admire easily and fully. I believe that to reach the beauty of art, it is necessary to resort to the mind, conscience or soul, always respecting and creating a sincere connection with nature and its essence.

Knowing other cultures and traveling allows me to broaden the perspective in ways that go beyond what I can imagine. Traveling favors learning in many ways. Interacting with other cultures stimulates the brain in a positive way thanks to the novelty and adventure that is created, renews us as people and this gives space for the imagination to be filled with memories and new ideas to continue working.

THE VISUAL & TRANSFORMATION

Any type of visual work is an instant generator of ideas. Many of my tracks are born from some visual impact, this goes from a simple poster to a feature film. I am completely convinced that a sound when accompanied by a message or visual work has a greater power to transmit a feeling or generate different emotions.

Not everything can always be good, I also try to learn from the bad experiences and dark moments of life.

It is in those moments where i discover new challenges where the hidden is shown and where the sounds convey a face or a message that many times we do not want to reveal. I really believe that there are moments in our lives where we are given a place to break and where we experience a powerful transformation, letting go of everything that no longer serves us, reaching a moment of awakening.

FAITHLESS

Faithless has set the bar when it comes to performing dance music in a live setting. Exactly 20 years ago, they performed at Pinkpop Festival in The Netherlands. Bandmember JanJaap attended the concert and shares; “I guess a few moments in life seem to stick with you until the end. To experience a ‘drop’ like the one in the song Insomnia, while being part of such a huge audience is a life-changing event. I need to figure out how this is done…” It seems that performing dance music live is still pretty rare. Dialoque always had the ambition to make a connection between different scenes. Not just being a band or just a DJ, but combining two disciplines in one act 

FROZEN

‘Somewhere during the production of ‘Let me go’, band member Mart started to hear similarities to Madonna’s famous song ‘Frozen’. Inspired by the song’s layers of filtered drum beats, he sampled a live-recording of Bill Withers and ran the intro from ‘Kissin my Love’ (performed by drummer James Gidson) through a KORG MS-10 synthesizer. After adding the new drum sequences to ‘Let me go’, the track ‘Frozen’ became a huge mainstay for the further development of the song. As the breakbeats of Madonna’s track find their origin in 90s gems like Massive Attack, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy and Kasabian, we tried to transform their musical heritage into our own contemporary sound for ‘Let me go’. It also seems to be an unlikely coincidence that the lyrics of ‘Frozen’ describe some of the experiences the band has gone through this last year.’

DEPECHE MODE

“Depeche Mode is imprinted in the mind and has been such a huge influence in “the dark progression” in electronic music. It creates impressive compositions with nowadays authentic synthesis sounds, combined with original acoustic elements. Dialoque’s song “Let me go” has elements that are very closely inspired by the song “Home” and “One Caress”. The full-bodied string orchestra used by Depeche Mode, spirited the powerful violin phrase played by Eva, which is actually a stack of twelve individual violin-tracks, recorded in a huge overdub session. Biba’s vocals are overshadowed by its darker lyrics; the emotional power struggle between a lover letting go of her inamorato.

DAVID BYRNE

Reading David Byrne’s “How Music Works” leads you to many different insides. Byrne goes as far back as 45,000 years to images of music-making in Neanderthal cave dwellings to examine the path a piece of music takes and all the external factors that influence it before it reaches our ears. It tells you about so many aspects of music, from a cultural but also an acoustic point of view. Apart from that, it shows how a composer or artists can combine so many aspects of different cultures or habits in one musical production or performance. It is unavoidable to get inspired, while reading in how many detail and sublayers a creator can think.

RUIGOORD

The artist village Ruigoord is an important location and inspiration for the EP. We first met in Ruigoord and often play music in the Church as well as at the festivals. It’s an important place within the borders of Amsterdam where many artists and musicians perform such as Yør Kultura, Trippin’ Jaguar, and My Baby.

MY BABY

When Moos’ dad dove into Smid & Smid studios for a new musical project, he took Moos with him. The studio engineer connected with Moos and after hearing some tracks, he decided to take him under his wings and became a mentor for him. Having just finished My Baby’s second album, he gave Moos the stems of some tracks.

When Moos returned with some dubbed out psychedelic remixes, the band really loved his work. It’s been a deciding factor in the direction the band took after that and so he became a co-producer of the third album, recorded at Electric Monkey studios.

TRIPPIN’ JAGUAR: FIELD RECORDINGS

For this track the guitar parts that Mozes played added a very rock ’n roll, dusty desert vibe, and just like the desert we tried to keep the overall sound open, wide, mystic and minimalistic. I get really inspired by field recordings and recording acoustic instruments.

You get this organic and raw open sound, and there may be a lot of interesting surprises in your recordings like pops, clicks and noise that I like to use to create unconventional grooves. As for minimalism, every sound really has its own role and plays its own part in the bigger picture of the song. Together all the elements weave into a mysterious storyline free for interpretation by the listener.

YØR KULTURA: DESERT DUST

The first time we met DJ Isis was at our first gig ever in the church of Ruigoord. We later heard this church has been a central point in the musical career of Isis, which makes this location extra special. Soon after we decided to work together on some music, which resulted in us doing this remix for her.

During our music process, we get a lot of inspiration from different kinds of artists from different genres. Depending on the moment, weather and time of the day we listen to different kinds of music. Our musical influences are constantly evolving, which we believe keeps our sound dynamic.

The inspiration of the remix is coming from a lot of desert dust, late studio nights, sushi takeaway and of course a good sound system. We tried creating a track that gives a warm cosmic vibe and keeps on going. It starts a bit off slow and spacey but keeps building throughout the track.

SpaceAgePoetry takes you on a trip through space using stories and music. It’s a combination of deep & slow electronic music and spoken word, that organically evolved out of the shared music taste of Josh Dupree & Justin Samgar. This is Justin’s story:

SpaceAgePoetry is the culmination of a lot of things. Influences on me as a person and finding my way in life. It’s weird to realize in hindsight that the thing I didn’t like going to every week, was also one of the most defining features for me as a poet.

My dad is a pastor in a cult. The way he preaches and used to tell us stories was very specific and is something I unintentionally copied from him. I found a way out and have been looking to substitute that affection I lost ever since and more importantly, what ‘the truth’ is, I felt, that was withheld from me in that period. This struggle found its way into the lyrics of the Sputnik EP.

My mother has named me after the singer of The Moody Blues, Justin Hayward, but I have been mostly raised with a lot of classical music and opera. As a teenager, I started and at a later point only wanted to listen to hip-hop, thereby finding a way to reject my parents’ music and faith. Only later in my life, in my twenties, I discovered music from bands like The Doors and Pink Floyd and more electronic-oriented music.

In that time the lyrics from Jim Morrison and Gil Scott Heron really touched me and inspired me in a special way. I didn’t feel lonely anymore, or as much, through my writing. These two poets inspired me to take SpaceAgePoetry in the direction it has been going and even further. Huge inspirations are also Flying Lotus and Moderat. When I met Guy, I found out that we both have a broad taste in music, complementing each other. We started looking for electronic music that helped to elevate my lyrics and their recitation. After many rehearsals and performances, we set out the musical direction for the productions on our first EP.

Conceptually, the rapping alter-ego of Flying Lotus, called Captain Murphy, is one of the coolest things happening in hip-hop in recent years. Concerning finding ‘the truth’, Neil deGrasse Tyson opened my eyes with his documentary Cosmos, it’s still is one of the best I’ve ever seen. I was always into space and science because I felt there was more than the narrow view of religion I was raised with. The Sputnik EP is my account of this journey.

HESSEL STUUT

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what inspired me to produce this track (Zwarte Gaten), I guess it has something to do with hip-hop. In the early days, I used to listen to hip-hop a lot (and still do). The first source that comes to mind is the Beastie Boys, as they were experimenting with samples and sounds relatively new to hip-hop back in the day. Hello Nasty features some interesting material, bringing a more songwriting approach to hip-hop, with lots of twists and turns in the tracks.

Deltron 3030 also sprung to mind, a futuristic, science fiction themed side-project from Del tha Funky Homosapien. They used this outer-space theme for all tracks and lyrics. Working with a similar approach, the talented Dutch producer Kubus produced DMT with Rico. A song about hallucination/space, where beat and lyrics go hand in hand, just what I tried to accomplish with Zwarte Gaten.

MYRTHE VAN DE WEETRING

I am inspired by (the possibility of) extraterrestrial life. There are many possible explanations for the things we fail to comprehend. Explanations could be anything, varying from string theories based on assumptions to polytheism based on beliefs. Explanations like string theory and religion are very commonly accepted, despite the improbability of some aspects, yet extraterrestrial life somehow mostly remains subject to sci-fi movies. Let’s add extraterrestrial life to our train of thoughts.

ARJUNA SCHIKS

My biggest inspiration would be the artist NU. For me, he was one of the first producers experimenting with downtempo that felt like a modern take on house music. Especially his four seasons sets, like S O L in the video above.

And because of that was still very much danceable. It had these amazing acoustic and atmospheric vibes to it that made it feel modern and familiar at the same time. To create that feeling he blended in a lot of world music and for me is a true pioneer in the genre.

With ’Ons Juweeltje’ I took a lot of inspiration from that. The tempo is pretty low, whilst still being playable and impactful on the dance floor. For the track, I worked with a lot of acoustic sounds spread on a dark backdrop to give it that distinct sound.

The collaboration with SpaceAgePoetry allowed me to experiment with this. And because of the extensive amount of hours in the studio together it really paid of in a special way. It wasn’t easy to keep the track fresh and interesting for 9 minutes, but I’m really happy we pulled it off and made this amazing track.

DIALOQUE

The process of making the track Supernova started with a beat Justin had heard that Jasper made, named after his son’s nickname.

Justin liked the beat and the groove so we decided to use it for this project and turn it into a real Dialoque band track. Using this as a starting point, we recorded the guitar and violin.

We added new keys and changed the structure of the track a bit. The main idea was to really create some kind of supernova breakdown in the middle that is referring to the text Justin wrote.

The violin was recorded last and gave the finishing touch to the break. We are really happy with the result of this collaboration track. It’s so beautiful to see how a simple idea can become so much deeper and intense by working together with more people at once.

PERCUSSION

My first music lessons were on a djembe when I was eight years old. It thought me the importance of the rhythm, still mostly the basis for my music. It’s also thanks to these lessons that I learned to appreciate sharing music and the intimate bond between musicians that results from that. Like spontaneous drum circles we used to do.

It immediately aroused my curiosity and desire for music. In the beginning, therefore, I was totally focused on African rhythms, the culture, and also that side which is both original and pure in a tribal sense. Most of what I produce usually begins with a rhythm because it is the place I’m most drawn to the most and I invite you to feel that.

FIRST STEPS

Having to stop percussion lessons, because of a lack of musical schools where I moved, prompted me to find my own path. I had my djembe at home, but nobody to play with. And because this was where I had the most fun, either way, I persisted and found a new way.

I had the chance to start my first tracks on a PlayStation with Music 2000 which sort of filled the gap of having no-one the play with. This was a small revolution since software for music production was pretty expensive at the time. After two years of creating house and techno tracks, I decided to buy Korg Electribe ESX-1 sequencer that allowed me to express myself more.

My first tracks on this machine were varied, but as a rule, the rhythms were created to make you dance. I practised various styles, such as hip hop and Drum ‘n Bass. After that, I sold my PlayStation to invest in a computer and a DAW to find the true infinite possibilities of musical creation.

DAFT PUNK & ELECTRONIC MUSIC

The artists who have been my main inspiration for years. Artists with an unusual personality and breathtaking music. When Homework went on the radio, a shrill sound came out of nowhere that forced us all to move our bodies. The depth, the quality of the textures the groove and all this mix of new sounds you’ve never listened to before was a revelation.

This allowed me to take things to another level in my production process, and it still does. Creating an alliance between organic sounds, such as vocals or guitars, combined with more electronic and strident sounds is one of my main lines of conduct. Music can not be explained, it speaks directly to our emotions, our sensations, our heart.

TRAVELING

Thanks to my parents, I’ve always had the chance to travel. Travel is something I’m very attached to, just as much as music. There has always been a relationship between my music and my travels. Because music can feel like a journey as well. It was a great experience with a lot of different emotions.

My last trip to Australia in 2015, where I had the chance to stay there for a whole year, deeply changed my perception of making music. Something I didn’t have the time to do before because of my work. This inner discovery was made during this journey, with beautiful encounters and a way of life that I had never experienced before. I participated in many events around art (mostly aboriginal culture) and music, through festivals of all kinds and meeting musicians by the beach and in the streets. It really allowed me to dream again about working in the music industry.

Today, music is the result of adaptation for me, it is also the ability to communicate my emotions, even shared emotions, to unite us and reduce tensions.

SHIGETO

From the start, drumming has been the backbone of my relationship with music, and as a drummer, watching Shigeto work is a marvel. His style ranges from hip-hop to jazz drumming, two genres which I’m a big fan of. As an artist, he’s also influenced me to create music which attempts to push the boundaries of sounding both organic and electronic, melancholic yet uplifting, calm yet lively. Lastly, his live shows are also inspiring, he doesn’t hold back and puts everything into the performance – which is a work ethic I aim to uphold.

CLUB AUTONOMIC

From around the ages of 18 to 20, I solidly listened to and made only drum & bass. It was a like a bug, and all of a sudden I became obsessed with the genre. Along with this, I started DJing, going out to raves, and making more music. After a while, a lot of releases started sounding the same, but when the autonomic podcasts came about, it was like a breath of fresh air. Here’s some music which takes from the drum&bass template, flips it, and the end result is something soothing, relaxed, and not specifically designed for the dance-floor – but it worked. I was really taken back by its originality, which was a unique turning point for me.

BLOC. FESTIVAL

I think festivals are almost an epitome of what music is all about. People celebrating, dancing, and coming together for a single cause – to have a good time. They’re such amazing experiences to share with friends, and you get to listen to a ton of new music – which is like creative fuel to me. The last two Bloc festivals were inspiring for several reasons: the people I was there with, the people I met, and the music I encountered. Those weekends have had a lasting effect on me, despite the fact that unfortunately Bloc. is no longer around.

PASSION

To me, music is all about the emotional response I get from it. For example, the warm sinking feeling I get when I listen to my favourites. The feeling of accomplishment I get when someone tells me they’ve had the same response when hearing my music. The feeling of elation I get when I find that new sound to use in my tracks. The rush and thrill of playing my music live. It’s personal, but I think that’s always been my purpose, it’s what I live for and why I make music. Essentially it’s who I am, and I’d like to share that with you.

THE JOY OF CREATING

A year ago I quit Music University. My friends were surprised and not many understood why. My decision also left me confused: I did so much to get in, but somehow I wasn’t in the right place. After I quit, the urge to make new music was gone and it took a while for it to come back. When it did, it resulted in these songs. The feeling that followed is best described as a big relief, like making up after a fight with your best friend. But moreover, I rediscovered the joy of creating something out of nothing, something that was not in this world before and will be here longer than me. This Boards of Canada track somehow captures that insight, possibly because this track was one of the reasons for me to start making music again.

COLLABORATION

After seeing the movies Oldboy and The Handmaiden, Park Chan-Wook became my favourite Korean director. I love how he combines black humor with bizarre storylines, but what especially strikes me is his collaboration with composer Jo Yeong-Wook. Jo’s soundtracks go so extremely well with Park’s films. It’s fascinating how two people can complement each others work in such a way, that the symbioses formed in the final piece of art, causes each contributor’s work to reach a whole new level.

KOREA

Besides music, I study the Korean language and culture. I’m fascinated with the cultural difference, language, and history, and it influences my music a lot. Sometimes in a very literal sense, like the title of this EP, “San”, which means “mountain” in Korean. But more often, studying Asian culture makes me wonder about how people think so differently in different parts of the world. I strongly feel that trying to understand different perspectives, can alter your worldview, but also broaden your artistic mindset.

CLUBBING

I always find it very strange, that the environment in which house music is made (in my case sitting behind a messy desk, in a comfy chair and with a coffee mug in my left hand) is so different from where the music is actually played: a smoky, dark and loud club. While working on this EP, I really tried to close my eyes from time to time and imagine myself being on the dance floor. I asked myself these questions: What gets me in that mood of being able to lose myself in a seemingly endless DJ set? What do I want to hear next? I can’t wait to try out these tracks on a real dance floor, instead of an imaginary one.

Watch the full Planet Rose documentary here.

SIDA

A real inspiration for this album was traveling. The tracks of the album were made during my Brazilian and European tour and so they were done in cities like Sao Paulo, Berlin, Amsterdam. One of them was a really special one called Nida in Lithuania. It is the westernmost point of Lithuania and the Baltic states, close to the border with the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast exclave.

I played there at a party by Nearing, the local radio station. The whole stay there was really inspirational. The track I made there tries to capture the view and deepness of the place… full of nature and mysteries.

THE MOON

Another great inspiration for this 5-track EP was the ‘Moon’ itself. It has always been important for me to look at it at nights and somehow I feel that it was definitely present in the process of making these tracks. It has two sides, one really bright, clear and facing the earth; and another really obscure and hidden. I think these tracks contain some of this duality.

The song ‘Tonada De Luna Llena’ written by the Venezuelan artist Simon Diaz (August 8, 1928 – February 19, 2014), really describes this feeling about duality in a poetic way.

ETHIO JAZZ

One of the internal quest I was on this year, was exploring and adding scope to my harmonic and rhythm knowledge. I’ve found a lot of new inspirational music and always from different parts of the world.

Jazz was always a good partner for me but finding musicians as Mulatu Astatke really opened the game. I was always a big fan of strange melodies and in this kind of music, you can find some crazy atmospheres.

ABSTRACT HIP HOP

Hip hop has been always a great inspiration. Mainly at the beginning of my electronic quest. Beats, Melodies, structures, and concepts from hip-hop were really present the last times.

Producers from the past like Dr.Dre or J Dilla and contemporary like fLako or Kaytranada are something very impressive for me.

HERBIE HANCOCK

I discovered Herbie Hancock at a very young age. I have to admit, that I have somewhat of a strange relationship to Hancock. For instance: I bought a book about him once, didn’t read it because I lacked the focus, but he still very much intrigues me. I keep putting on his records, even though I don’t fully understand the story he wants to tell. That captivates me.

Like the beginning of Chameleon, his sound can be very electronic but it’s mostly acoustic. He makes music that’s almost physically present, that you can almost touch. When you close your eyes it’s as if you’re actually there, which I think is awesome. Besides all of this, he just makes extremely exquisite music.

The journey he made as an artist is also really interesting. He started out as a wild young rebel on stage and with the coming of age he explored different styles of music and became more placid in the way he plays. I imagine myself going on such a journey in my career. The diversity in styles is something you can hear in my music: an exquisite mix of electronic and acoustic sounds.

SALVADOR DALÍ

Dalí to me is most memorable for his clocks. I am particularly keen on that work for it’s such a simple everyday object and he is able to create so much exciting work from it. That’s very similar to how the process of making music works. You’re never finished with a track. There are always new ideas and variations that you can add to your production, even though the final product most of the time is just one track. It’s a cool idea that you can make like 40 tracks from one song, each being a variation on the original theme. Sort of like making 40 remixes. I’m not sure how interesting that would be, but Dalí’s work shows that it can be interesting and that the possibilities are endless.

For instance, when I started singing I found a copy of the lyrics from the Lionel Richie song Hello. I started playing on the piano and just sang the words not knowing how the original song actually sounded. That gave me the freedom to change the whole song around and play a reggae version, or a rock version or turn it into the ballad it is. Even now I occasionally sing the song but with different chords. By doing so, you can really train and get to know your voice. Just like I think Dalí became a better artist by varying on one theme.

RAY CHARLES

The best piano player I know. He seems to be hitting every single note with his soul. The same goes for his voice, it flows perfectly through the music. When I listen to his music, I mostly don’t even focus on the lyrics. And I think that’s what makes him so genius. You can hear his voice and instruments alone, that he likes to drink and smoke and that he has been living a heavy life. His voice is so pure that I consider him as one of the greatest singers ever.

Ray also introduced me to one of my favourite instruments: the Fender Rhodes. It has an amazing sound and feel to it. In the past, I’ve been saving some money to buy one, but in the end decided to buy a synth. Nevertheless, the Rhodes adds extraordinary colour to the sound and inspires me to do the same with my own productions. I find it hard to explain, but it just makes me feel really good. Listening to Ray Charles helps me with producing music. I listen to his music before I begin and it always gets me in the right state of mind

It’s a dream to be as good as him one day, but that requires a lot more practice and experience from my side. And I wouldn’t be too fond being blind either.

PRINCE

Again, my inspiration comes from a totally crackbrained artist. It’s also what links all my inspirations together. I admire the crazy ones that do things differently and don’t care about the status quo. They are the ones that push things in a new direction and they push me to go beyond my limitations and be a better artist. They show me that making music doesn’t abide by any rules; they’re only there to break.

One of which is Prince. His influence actually boils down to one scene from Purple Rain. It’s the scene where his ex-girlfriend comes to see his show with her new boyfriend after they broke up. He then directs his performance completely to her and, not so subtle, lets her know what he thinks of her. It starts with a filthy beat, which only he can make and is a highlight on itself. When he starts singing it only get worse. The lyrics are so nasty: “I met her in a hotel lobby masturbating with a magazine”. He’s got the performance to match and he really stabs the song and the words right into her heart. It’s so well performed that it almost feels like he’s assaulting her.

He breaks with conventions and doesn’t care about what anyone thinks of what he does. Being able to convey so much emotion and being able to direct it to only one person in the audience in such an unbound way is just crazy! I would really love to be able to do that some day.