9+1 Q&A with MOREGO

What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

Well, since childhood, I had a strong desire to the sounds, from soundtracks to natural and ambient sounds, I loved music, instruments, speakers, players ect. My first keyboard was a gift from my sister at age 8. I was really attracted to that keyboard. On the other hand, I was always curious about what can I find inside electronic devices like old TVs, Radio and Cassette Players and Music Boxes. I think these two approaches paved the way for me as an experimental and electronic musician.
At age 16, when I was a young but serious Metalhead, I decided to make my own music. I bought an electronic guitar with my own money and started to learn DAWs and Mixing Techniques. I started my first music project “Xerxes The Dark” in 2005 and another musical project called “Nyctalllz” Project in 2007.
In Summer 2009, I decided to start a new project as some of my previous projects/bands were discontinued (like NaHaN, Blind Owl and Ostanes), and I wanted to experience with more rhythmic and melodic music. At that time, I’ve chosen the name MOREGO, which is derived from my real name. I started to compose some neo-classical opuses and released a demo in 2011 titled “Departed Blind Owls”. After a while, I started to compose some ambient and post-rock songs, but due to a lack of budget the quality was not very good and I decided to release the songs as another demo album under the title “Seasons of the Wrong Mind” in March 2013.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

My most recent album named “Solivagant” and released on Canadian record label “D.M.T. Records” in late September 2018. It’s a Downtempo Ambient/ IDM album and contains 9 songs. The album mixed by me on my studio (DIM Studio, Tehran) and mastered by Vincet Cardinal (Studio Plasma, Quebec).
Solivagant is a Story of a lone man (perhaps me) that his hobby is wandering alone and listening to music and thinking. I dedicated this album to my mother, the song 4, “Starlight” is written for her. Also this album is a tribute to all the lone souls, including myself, It’s a tribute to loneliness, solitude and the beauties behind the nostalgic and strange feelings. As Schopenhauer said “To live alone is the fate of all great souls”. Haha.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

For MOREGO project, Pink Floyd, AES DANA, H.U.V.A. Network, Shpongle, Massive Attack, Portishead, Hans Zimmer, Vangelis and Krusseldorf were influenced my musical sight.
I think my inner thoughts, dreams, struggles, visions, strange experiments, strange feelings, loneliness, surgeries, anesthesia, and my personal life are affecting my musical career.

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

MOREGO can easily penetrate into your heart, cuz it’s directly rose from my heart. MOREGO can provide you a collection of minimalistic, nostalgic and lo-fi opuses like those released on “Seasons Of The Wrong Mind” demo album.
Also in Solivagant album you can find High Quality Electronic Music, which is still Nostalgic and Emotional. It’s a downtempo ambient/ IDM album with modern and glitchy beats and rhythms mixed with different emotions and minimalistic approach.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

Albums: The Dark Side Of The Moon, Animals and The Wall

Movies: It’s hard, cus I’m not selected my movies yet! But I will pick from David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, James Cameron, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan Movies!

Books: Hafez’s Divan, Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

I like both, in studio I’m alone with myself and it’s favorable to me. But performing live in front of people is always exciting too!

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

Yes, the funniest thing is that I’m stuck between two big walls. In one side, my country, I can’t sell my music, and there are no serious supports from artistic societies or foundations, we have no PROPER record label to release our music here (hence we have too many audience and music producers here), we have no respects and too many restrictions– and on the other side, the whole world boycotted my country and I can’t receive my royalties via Paypal. Even, I can’t receive my CDs easily. These walls – which are like a grave – squeezing us between the wheels of life, and it’s Funny… a kind of black comedy. So, why I’m insisting to carry on? Cause, I can’t live without music. Just Like a junkie who can’t live without his/her drug…

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

I think Ascension is somehow unique(!), Cause I like the way that energy flows through the song, it contains different parts, the most important part is when you enter a sudden VOID and float on that space for a while and progressively you will discover the reality behind it.

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

Yes, I must go to work, earn money and buy some new gears for MOREGO’s future Gigs… haha!
I’m working on New MOREGO album, it’s more technical and yet emotional and a bit dark album! More noises, more glitches and more distortion. Also I’m planning for some live performances on summer.

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

I have nothing in my mind at the time, just Thank You and my True Folks who are always my source of motivation.

Photo credits: Luc Hamasyan

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

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