In Conversation With Owsey

Owsey is the producer of fine electronic Ambient Post Dubstep whatever music, if you havent heard it yet why not? There’s a download of his stuff right here. He was kind enough to respond when I asked him a few questions about himself and the results, well you decide. Press play and read on.

Tell is who you are in 140 characters, twitter style?

Owen, Owsey, music maker, human.

Which part of world are you from and what’s the best thing about it?

I’m from Northern Ireland. It’s renowned for its scenic offerings more than anything, but I love it for much more than just that.

Describe yourself as an artist what is your style?

I’ve no term/genre to summarise. It gets called ambient pop, chill wave, post dubstep etc., etc. But I’ve been making a handful of various styles for the past 6 months. I work a lot with photography, putting two & two together, music & imagery. It would be nice if people would refer back to the pictures when they hear my tunes, but it’s in no way a necessity.

What does good music mean to you?

Thoughtful, full of effort. Something with longevity, a keeper. Something I’ll listen to more than twice on first hearing. Passionate, unique to some end, lots of impact. I think these things help gather the components of what good music consists of. And good music can come with an immediate emotional response too – something that might alter your mood as soon as you hit the play button.

How and where do you find new music?

Blogs, Soundcloud, Youtube etc., etc. All of the mundane platforms out there. I really just tend to go digging with no expectations, and I’ll either find something I like or something I don’t.

Are you a hardware or software man? What’s your favourite bit of gear or plugin that you’re currently using?

I don’t really own any hardware other than some of the (arguable) essentials, like an audio interface, studio monitors etc. I own & play a few instruments: piano, acoustic & electric guitars, and bass guitar, but I’m woeful at bass. I sing too, so I have a rode nt1-a for recording. My favourite bits of software are libraries I bought a couple of years back: East West’s Symphonic Orchestra, Kontakt, Sampletank, so on & so forth. I treasure hunt, often coming across really cool, authentic instruments which I control via midi keyboards.

How/where do you find inspiration?

There are a lot of answers to this question – anywhere & everywhere. I’ll jot down a few examples, such as: I might find a quote I like in a book, make a note of it & elaborate on it further down the line. I enjoy photography as I said, so I spend a fair amount of time looking through various photo sites. People, places, fiction & non-fiction.

Any exciting projects your currently involved in?

I’m working on my first EP, broadening my instrument & vocal skills, and I’ll soon be rehearsing songs with with a live band. When it comes to music I’m working a lot these days, it’s very exciting. I’m also collaborating with photographers.

Who are your favourite composers, producers or DJs at the moment?

Frank Ocean, Sorrow, Stumbleine, Debussy, Mew, Flying Lotus, Koda, Bruised Skies, Fleetwood Mac, Brother Sun Sister Moon, Kettel & Secede, Grouper, Helios.

Whats your most memorable tune and what memories come to mind when you listen too it?

I have a very distinct memory of hearing Utada Hikaru’s “Sanctuary” for the first time, upon playing Kingdom Hearts 2, the video game. What comes with it are memories of stupidity, mistakes, growing up, the sort of nostalgic sentiments most people have. Boring shit that doesn’t matter to anybody reading this.

What thing makes you happiest about the current music scene?

Hmm, how genuinely nice you’ll find artists can be.

What thing makes you the saddest about the current music scene?

Impatience.

What’s your top 8 tracks from last year, 2012

I’m not entirely sure. Here are some of the greats, not always necessarily from 2012 but rather my own findings through that year:

Sorrow – Light at the end of the Tunnel
Stumbleine – Bloom
Brother Sun, Sister Moon – Cope
Helios – Equal Ourselves
ZiD – I need 5 minutes alone
Flying Lotus – Getting There
Mew – Panda
Kettel & Secede – Ringvanes

What do you think you’ll be getting upto in the year 2020

I’m glad I don’t have a clue, I’m more than happy rolling with the present. Let’s hope the fire in Owsey is still burning strong.

Any words of inspiration for the people out there?

Yeah, but I’m going to paraphrase Chris McCandless: ” I read somewhere… how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong… but to feel strong.”

How can people find out more about your work?

http://www.facebook.com/owsey
www.soundcloud.com/owsey
http://www.owsey.bandcamp.com
http://www.twitter.com/owseymusic
http://www.youtube.com/owseymusic
http://www.last.fm/music/Owsey