Yagya Special Interview For Sutemos
I guess not a big number of our readers know the name of Yagya. And if they do know it that is because they have heard his dreamy Rhythm Of Snow album. And even less people know that the real name of this young Iceland guy is Aрalsteinn Guрmundsson. This musician made me think once again that the people in Iceland are really unordinary. That may be the reason why I did not want to loose a chance to know one of them better (this was not a hard thing to do, especially when you can find his email on the package of the album). As he has told me himself that ?i don't think people have the patience to read long answers?, the interview is short enough, but as the one wise guy has said ?size does not matter. Quality does?. Anyway below you have a great chance to take a closer look at the interesting person who can surprise and has a good sense of humour (and besides that he creates a wonderful music).
I?m pretty curious how can this be that a country which has relatively small population has born such a big number of professional musicians? ?
Well, there are so few people that tell us that we can?t do stuff, so we end up believing that we can. I heard this saying once: ?Believe that you can, Believe that you can?t; either way your right.? Well that?s my theory, anyway.
What is that you like most about Island?
The weather is fun. It can be warm and sunny one minute and then snowing the next. The summer night are very bright and the winter days are short. I like also that there are very few people here, so it?s easy to do something reletively well.
As far as i found on the internet you've released only one album. Do you still make music?
Yagya has only released one album but I have been involved in other projects such as, Plastik (released one 7? one Static Caravan), Sanasol, 42 Cows in Town (now that?s a silly name?), Rhythm of Snow (I called myself that once. I was going to used that instead of Yagya but decided that it would be a better name for the album) and a few other. The style differs as much as the names. I don?t have one style that I?m really good at, but then when something becomes a rutine in my music making, I want to change something. I still make music and have made many songs since Rhythm of snow, but fate has not allowed them to be released yet. I?m working on that. I hope I will make music for a long time now and continue to discover new things in music.
What musical equipment you have/use?
I used to have a sampler (Yamaha A3000) but now it?s are collecting dust under my bed. It did a good job on Rhythm of Snow, but now I only use my computer and a software sampler. I mainly use samples from sample CDs as I don?t like to spend time sampling stuff and sotfsynths are not very interesting to me (yet). I like my sound a little bit dirty. Then I mix it in my computer and export it as a wave file and burn it to a CD. Sweet and simple!
Would you call your music IDM or you have your own definition of yagya sound?
I guess they call it ?minimal techno ambient?. I like minimal music, I like ambient. I like quiet music, I think. But I think I don?t want to follow some definition, even though I have been heavily influenced by minimal dub/techno music like Rhythm and Sound, Gas and Basic Channel.
Do you like sweets?
I really like the swedish biscuits called Condis, Remi and Troja. I think I eat one pack each day! They are excellent!! But I stopped eating regular candy and soda-drinks with sugar some time ago, because I ate so much of it. My friends say I am only fooling my self and I probably still eat a lot more sweets than most people! So yeah, I think it?s save to say that I like sweets. Very much.
What is most important thing for you in music: the sound, the idea, the arragement, the quality?
First thing that comes to mind is the over all feeling of the song. If the song doesn?t move me in some way, I find it rather pointless. I guess that would be the idea and sometimes the arragement? Then comes the sound, that?s rather important. I remember when I had only one synth (Roland JV-30, that?s a long time ago?) and had to make all my sounds on that, then I didn?t think the sound and the quality was very important. But when I get better equipment I realize that sounds and quality are just as important as the feeling, although I have never been very motivated for sampling my own stuff og working very much on the sounds. The sounds and the quality are the transport for emotions. If you have good emotion and can get it across, then sounds and quality can bring it as further if they are good.
How did you get on Force Inc.?
I made the tracks on Rhythm of Snow when I heard K?forst by Gas. I was so impressed with Gas, that I wanted to make similar music. When I had made a few tracks I sent it to Force Inc. because the released K?forst on millplataux. They liked it and released my music. Very lucky me!
What does Yagya mean?
I chose it when I was told that it means ?Food for the Gods? in Hindu. That?s what I like my music to be, something that is can please the gods and the universe. But I think it is also some ritual that is performed to please gods so they will be nice to you. I hope it?s working for me?
Which snowflake is your favourite one?(Remark: each track in the Rhythm Of Snow is named after a numbered snowflake)
I would say that number 11 is my favourit. The one I didn?t make.
What is your biggest dream?
I would like to own a space station orbiting the earth. I figure that I just have to make some hit album and then I have some money to build it. It will take some time, but I think I?ll be able to do it. Then when I am in my space station I will build a special room that will move very fast around the station, so time will pass more slowly for me (according to Einstein?s special relativity theory). That way I will be become the oldest man alive, yet physically fit, and will be able to wittness the 22. and 23. century through my special room. It will have to move rather fast, but I will be able to afford it, because of my hit album, you see?
Are you satisfied with the music you make?
Sometimes. Usually I am very pleased with some track I make when I finish it, but then when I listen to it again later, I find very many flaws. Also I always want to make some kind of music that I haven?t made before. I always look at my tracks as a step in learning something more.
Imagine you are asked to create a track that reflects your whole life. What will it be like?
Well, Rhythm of snow is a bit like my life. Always the same old stuff happening, yet somehow very pleasing and warm.
Whats is the best book you ever read?
Hmmm? I?m have mainly read sci-fi books, and once I thought Sailing Bright Eternity written by Gregory Benford was my favourit book. But now I?m not so sure. I like very much the ancient chinese book called I Ching, for it has very much wisdom in it. But mainly I like books that teach me something new and strange, like sci-fi often does.
What is the strangest thing about you?
People sometimes say I?m strange, but I haven?t figured out why. I?ll have to answer this question later, when I?m older and wiser.
Do you enjoy making snowmen?
Yes! I really love it! Especially when I mold them in some way like a bear or something. Calvin in Calvin & Hobbes is my mentor in this. But I have many years to go to become as good as Calvin is.
Review:
Yagya ? Rhythm of Snow
Further:
Force Inc.
[ Interview: Walkman ]
[ Artworks: Yagya, Ssilence ]
I?m pretty curious how can this be that a country which has relatively small population has born such a big number of professional musicians? ?
Well, there are so few people that tell us that we can?t do stuff, so we end up believing that we can. I heard this saying once: ?Believe that you can, Believe that you can?t; either way your right.? Well that?s my theory, anyway.
What is that you like most about Island?
The weather is fun. It can be warm and sunny one minute and then snowing the next. The summer night are very bright and the winter days are short. I like also that there are very few people here, so it?s easy to do something reletively well.
As far as i found on the internet you've released only one album. Do you still make music?
Yagya has only released one album but I have been involved in other projects such as, Plastik (released one 7? one Static Caravan), Sanasol, 42 Cows in Town (now that?s a silly name?), Rhythm of Snow (I called myself that once. I was going to used that instead of Yagya but decided that it would be a better name for the album) and a few other. The style differs as much as the names. I don?t have one style that I?m really good at, but then when something becomes a rutine in my music making, I want to change something. I still make music and have made many songs since Rhythm of snow, but fate has not allowed them to be released yet. I?m working on that. I hope I will make music for a long time now and continue to discover new things in music.
What musical equipment you have/use?
I used to have a sampler (Yamaha A3000) but now it?s are collecting dust under my bed. It did a good job on Rhythm of Snow, but now I only use my computer and a software sampler. I mainly use samples from sample CDs as I don?t like to spend time sampling stuff and sotfsynths are not very interesting to me (yet). I like my sound a little bit dirty. Then I mix it in my computer and export it as a wave file and burn it to a CD. Sweet and simple!
Would you call your music IDM or you have your own definition of yagya sound?
I guess they call it ?minimal techno ambient?. I like minimal music, I like ambient. I like quiet music, I think. But I think I don?t want to follow some definition, even though I have been heavily influenced by minimal dub/techno music like Rhythm and Sound, Gas and Basic Channel.
Do you like sweets?
I really like the swedish biscuits called Condis, Remi and Troja. I think I eat one pack each day! They are excellent!! But I stopped eating regular candy and soda-drinks with sugar some time ago, because I ate so much of it. My friends say I am only fooling my self and I probably still eat a lot more sweets than most people! So yeah, I think it?s save to say that I like sweets. Very much.
What is most important thing for you in music: the sound, the idea, the arragement, the quality?
First thing that comes to mind is the over all feeling of the song. If the song doesn?t move me in some way, I find it rather pointless. I guess that would be the idea and sometimes the arragement? Then comes the sound, that?s rather important. I remember when I had only one synth (Roland JV-30, that?s a long time ago?) and had to make all my sounds on that, then I didn?t think the sound and the quality was very important. But when I get better equipment I realize that sounds and quality are just as important as the feeling, although I have never been very motivated for sampling my own stuff og working very much on the sounds. The sounds and the quality are the transport for emotions. If you have good emotion and can get it across, then sounds and quality can bring it as further if they are good.
How did you get on Force Inc.?
I made the tracks on Rhythm of Snow when I heard K?forst by Gas. I was so impressed with Gas, that I wanted to make similar music. When I had made a few tracks I sent it to Force Inc. because the released K?forst on millplataux. They liked it and released my music. Very lucky me!
What does Yagya mean?
I chose it when I was told that it means ?Food for the Gods? in Hindu. That?s what I like my music to be, something that is can please the gods and the universe. But I think it is also some ritual that is performed to please gods so they will be nice to you. I hope it?s working for me?
Which snowflake is your favourite one?(Remark: each track in the Rhythm Of Snow is named after a numbered snowflake)
I would say that number 11 is my favourit. The one I didn?t make.
What is your biggest dream?
I would like to own a space station orbiting the earth. I figure that I just have to make some hit album and then I have some money to build it. It will take some time, but I think I?ll be able to do it. Then when I am in my space station I will build a special room that will move very fast around the station, so time will pass more slowly for me (according to Einstein?s special relativity theory). That way I will be become the oldest man alive, yet physically fit, and will be able to wittness the 22. and 23. century through my special room. It will have to move rather fast, but I will be able to afford it, because of my hit album, you see?
Are you satisfied with the music you make?
Sometimes. Usually I am very pleased with some track I make when I finish it, but then when I listen to it again later, I find very many flaws. Also I always want to make some kind of music that I haven?t made before. I always look at my tracks as a step in learning something more.
Imagine you are asked to create a track that reflects your whole life. What will it be like?
Well, Rhythm of snow is a bit like my life. Always the same old stuff happening, yet somehow very pleasing and warm.
Whats is the best book you ever read?
Hmmm? I?m have mainly read sci-fi books, and once I thought Sailing Bright Eternity written by Gregory Benford was my favourit book. But now I?m not so sure. I like very much the ancient chinese book called I Ching, for it has very much wisdom in it. But mainly I like books that teach me something new and strange, like sci-fi often does.
What is the strangest thing about you?
People sometimes say I?m strange, but I haven?t figured out why. I?ll have to answer this question later, when I?m older and wiser.
Do you enjoy making snowmen?
Yes! I really love it! Especially when I mold them in some way like a bear or something. Calvin in Calvin & Hobbes is my mentor in this. But I have many years to go to become as good as Calvin is.
Review:
Yagya ? Rhythm of Snow
Further:
Force Inc.
[ Interview: Walkman ]
[ Artworks: Yagya, Ssilence ]