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.
From a young age, I was attracted to music. I believe I was around 12 years old when I got really into electronic music. All the synths, instruments, percussive elements, and basslines I would hear in those tracks were all unknown to my mind. I was curious enough to be willing to look for ways I could create such music myself. My curiosity led me to discover different ways you could make music from home, using only your computer. As soon as I learned that no fancy equipment or musical instruments were needed to get started, I did it very eagerly.
I started with hip-hop beats and slowly drifted to house music, then to bass & electronica as time passed by. At the moment, I am experimenting with different styles of bass, trap, indie, and electronica. I always thought of music as a hobby, so I wouldn’t say I worked continuously on music alone, as I was, and still am, a student and have other hobbies and works besides music. But that initial impulse definitely gave me the basic knowledge & confidence I needed to take it to the next level.
Provide us with some info about your latest release…
My latest release “Work Hard Play Hard” is a bit different from my previous releases. I believe, I started the actual project in 2020, and I finally decided to finish it in 2021.
I listen to a variety of music genres, but I particularly like experimental music with bass elements. Similarly, I try to incorporate bass with my music while keeping everything mellow at the same time.
While I have realized that there are many things I could have made better in “Work Hard Play Hard”, I would say this track packs more than just some experimentation. We could call this a follow-up to my song “Eternal” from 2019 in a way, except this one’s a bit darker.
Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?
Strange as it may sound, I get inspired by literally anything around me. Colors, random noises, plants, crowds, river, thunder, video games, star constellations, numbers, and the list goes on and on. But when it comes to people, there are some people who I would consider to be my greatest influences, whether it be for my music or me as a person.
Surely, my close ones have had a significant impact on me to become who I am today as a person. I also look up to people with certain traits who tend to stay away from the crowd and do certain things a bit differently than the rest. But now, talking about music, some artists whose musical styles might have influenced my latest tracks could be Slow Hours, MY BABY, The Glitch Mob, grandson, AViVA, and many more. And one of the tastemakers who I have huge respect for is definitely MrSuicideSheep. I’ve discovered countless gems through his curation.
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?
I always try to experiment with different elements to the best of my knowledge and ability, all while following certain procedures, but I believe it’s for my listeners to decide that. But no matter what I work on (music or non-music), I always have a story to tell.
I genuinely want every single creation of mine to be meaningful and be full of stories that I wish to share with the world. I can’t express myself very well with words, so I use the frequency of color and sound to express myself, which gives me the most joy.
Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…
Haha, this is a difficult one. If I had to pick some books, then it’d be any 3 books that would teach me everything I would need for my survival on the island. As for albums and movies, they’d be there to provide me with entertainment, so I wouldn’t mind picking something fun to watch or listen to.
For those 3 albums, I would go with Genshin Impact’s soundtrack album called “Jade Moon Upon a Sea of Clouds” by Yu-Peng Chen with about 69 tracks in total, varying from chill to energetic, then “Demon Days” by Gorillaz, to have some nostalgia, and finally, “Always Live for Always” by Skott to have something modern. These 3 albums are actually some of my all-time favorites. I listen to them quite often.
As for 3 movies, I would probably pick a comedy called “Saint Young Men” which takes place in Japan and is about Jesus Christ and Gautam Buddha having fun together, haha, then I’d pick one more anime movie called “Princess Mononoke” by Studio Ghibli, and lastly, “Avatar” by James Cameron.
Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?
Hmmm, being a producer, I’d definitely have to go with my bedroom studio, hahaha. I do not have plans to perform live anytime soon. My bedroom setup is all I have for the music and art that I try to create.
Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?
I don’t think there’s anything interesting that I can think of right now, but I do remember the time when I had been pronouncing Deadmau5’s name wrong the whole time. Later, I realized that It was actually pronounced Dead-Mouse and not Dead-Mau-Five, haha.
Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?
I’m not sure if this happens to other artists as well, but every time I release something, I start disliking it the next day. Well, I wouldn’t say I hate them, but there’s this uncertainty that leads me to realize that there are so many things I could have done differently or much better. So, the track which I have fewer regrets about would probably be “Astral Bass” which also came out in 2019. I also love how I incorporated cinematic elements with bass and electronica while making the track very energetic and chill at the same time, if I say so myself, haha. I guess I’m just jealous of my old energetic self. Now, I care too much about technicalities and whether a song is going to perform well or not.
Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?
I have been busy with my work and my other projects for the past couple of years, hence why I’ve been so inactive, despite having started the project about 6 years ago. But… I plan to be active again and release more music very soon. I’ve been learning and experimenting with music every once in a while, even though I haven’t had that many releases.
If you’re reading this and never heard of me before (which I highly doubt you have ;D), I would invite you to connect with me on Instagram @palshu for updates, where I’m mostly active on.
Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…
What do you do besides music?
I have been interested in art & music from a young age, and that part of me still hasn’t changed. Somehow, I’ve been able to continue both of my passions until now, and I do not plan to stop anytime soon. Besides music, I do visual art and creative direction/management. You can find some of my non-music works under my name Pax Red. Additionally, I experiment with musical styles that don’t fit me as Palshu as Pax Red or my aliases.
Curated by: Christos Doukakis
Recommended listening:
.
.
Connect with Palshu: