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Conjecture is a post-industrial, or better an IDM project by Vasilis A., that released its latest, excellent album ‘Urbanitarianism’ via RAUMKLANG MUSIC. Just before tomorrow’s idm showcase at MODU (WRONGPAD & Kapelomusic) Conjecture talks to Last Day Deaf…

Conjecture is a Post-industrial/Ambient project. I Like this basic info you have on your Facebook page! For the Last day Deaf readers that don’t know your project, would you like to be more descriptive?

Conjecture started as an art project in 2012 when I was studying in the fine arts University of Western Macedonia. The “statement” was to create atmospheric music (ambient actually) inspired by the nature I was surrounded. The target was to create all the sounds by combining both field recordings and hardware electronics. One year later I decided to give a rhythmic touch so the final result was closer to that we call today as “Industrial” music. After all even if I don’t agree with the term, Conjecture is an IDM project.

Your latest album Urbanitarianism is an excellent combination of ambient, experimental, idm & industrial, and it was released via RAUMKLANG MUSIC (your 2nd one via this label) like Aevin. Would you like to talk about the influences, recording equipment & in general the album itself?

Urbanitarianism’ describes the shamanic religions that exists and survives in western world. There are some really “primitive” and “violent” shamanic religions, like the Aghori’s, that survives underneath or alongside with the Western civilization. Some of those religions are forbidden because of the blood rituals that includes also human and animal sacrifices. “Urbanitarianism” is a word that I create to describe how the big metropolis hides or “swallows” unconventional culture. The city itself was my basic influence. My love for the urban living and the multiculturalism pushed me to make this album. I mostly use a combination of hardware and software Vst’s to compose my music. In this album I also enjoyed the mixing with Sotiris Laskaris (elDot, talos). It was a difficult album, not only in the composing or the mixing state but also the result is more “aggressive” and “gloomy” at the same time with the abstract breaks and glitches destroying the sound layers. That was exactly what I wanted to compose. A deconstructed building of cement, iron and glass.

So in brief could it be an ideal soundtrack for the urban decay?

Definitely! ‘Urbanitarianism’ is an album created to be listened in the city. I didn’t experiment only with the sound but also with the silence. There are some moments of total silence in some tracks that the listeners can use wisely to experience a combination of the album and the city itself. If you listen to the cd with earplugs in the city, those “stops” will be filled with the sound of the city, and you can experiment with different places for different results.

So it differs thematically from your previous one (Nunavut) that explored the Canadian arctic region of Nunavut. Quite a different thematology I guess. Right?

Not exactly…Each release is a research of shamanism in different timeline and culture.

Fine! How do you feel about being part of the 18th November IDM event at MODU by Wrongpad? Any clues what we should expect from you that night?

Well being a part of any event is something that intrigues me each time. I want to do my live-sets as more as different i can. You can expect a full night of beautiful music and inspiring visuals!

Which artists have mostly inspired you? Both electronic and non-electronic ones?

I’m mostly inspired by visual arts, photography and video art. My inspirations are “artsy”. I gain inspiration from the works of Damien Hirst, Cai Guo-Qiang, Richard Shera, Ackerman, Elias Merhige, Antoni Tapies etc…But there’s also inspiration from the music of Gridlock, Massive Attack, Lustmord, Bad Sector, SPK, Skinny Puppy, Vangelis, Fetish Park, Tricky, Front Line Assembly etc etc.

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What kind of equipment do you use and what do you think of all these free music softwares (VST instruments, sample libraries, Freeorg, etc.) with which everybody can create music?

I love searching for all those free vst’s on the internet. I use some of them in all of my releases like Majken‘s Chimera. The truth is that the composing part is always starting with hardware. I use mostly Korg synths. A micro korg, a micro sampler and a monotron LFO. Those are my Alpha and the Omega of all my tracks. But I believe that without the free vst’s and libraries out there wouldn’t be much space for inspiration and new ideas. Everyone can create music and I believe that everyone have to try it. We’re living in the post-modern world so everyone can do something good.

Describe the best (and worst) Conjecture experience so far…

I was in Serbia playing live in a deconstructed building, there were many people listening and dancing and I was a little bit sick, tired, sleepless and drunk. And suddenly a guy came up from the crowd and asked me if I can play trance music, because he thought that I was DJ’ing. That was really awkward!

Which are the plans for Conjecture project?

Making music is always my basic plan.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Thank you for the interview.

Photo credits: George Lianos (1st one), Vaia Pilafa (2nd one)

Christos Doukakis