One of Bonzai's most prolific artists, Blufeld delivers his 4th artist album - A World Less Ordinary. We are delighted that he accepted our request to have another interview with him after the one we did for his previous album Thoughtscapes and you totally adore. If music that sets your imagination free is what you are after don't miss this top album that is now available at beatport click here and in October in CD format as well.
Welcome to Blufeld's A World Less Ordinary, enjoy your stay and his very informative answers.
Interview is written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias, Music Journalist & radio host at 1mix radio
Dimitri: First of all I’m very glad to have an interview with you again for your brand new album A World Less Ordinary released on Bonzai Progressive. The latest interview that we did was about your album Thoughtscapes on Bonzai Progressive sublabel Green Martian. Do you feel that signals something for your career that your new album is released on the main legendary label Bonzai Progressive that has been home for many beloved artists through the years? Do you feel more proud about it and do you understand it as an achievement?
Blufeld: Yes it really is an achievement to be on the main imprint, but tbh my first album entitled: 'ON A DEEPER LEVEL' was released on the main 'Bonzai' imprint which was called: 'Bonzai Trance Progressive' back then...........overall for me I feel this album is so far a good reflection of where I'm currently at right now as a producer.
Dimitri: If you compare the 2 albums A World Less Ordinary with Thoughtscapes can you mention the main differences and maybe similarities between the 2 albums.
Blufeld: Well the biggest difference straight away is that this 4th album is NOT a concept album, which 'Thoughtscapes' was...........'AWLO' is created to give a feeling of being part of a non conforming world where the listener makes the rules in their own mind, but of course some of the general feel to a few tracks will have that all important 'Blufeld' sound and stamp on them!!! :)
Dimitri: Can you pin point to us the lessons that you have learn from the production process of the previous albums and you have applied this knowledge in the production of this new album?
Blufeld: Do you know what, YES I most definitely can, one of the most important aspects of the production process I have learnt that makes a real difference is the proper use of equalising my mixes, this has really helped me so much to layer my tracks and convey my sounds better, so the feel of my music sounds more rounded and luscious to the ear. But I guess this is just something that any producer may gradually come to understand more and more over time.
Dimitri: Before starting to produce the new album did you had a meeting with Bonzai Progressive bosses to discuss the direction that you wish to get with this album or did you start with totally blank canvas and you have been left alone in your own devices to produce it?
Blufeld: Well to be fair not really, although I had spoken on several different occasions about the direction my music should take, and the general overall feel that was to be more appreciated on the 'Bonzai Progressive' imprint. This new album I appreciate still leans a little towards the trance side of things perhaps, but I can say that going forwards from this album, it will be a kind of gradual crossover time for me to produce more prog house orientated tracks. But yes 'Bonzai' know I will generally come up with the goods, so they leave me mainly to work on things myself.
Dimitri: I’m very interested to learn if you have consider during the production of your album the feedback that you got from fans and fellow djs for the previous albums or you try not to be influenced from previous feedback?
Blufeld: That's a difficult question really because I do take the feedback from fans or DJ' s seriously, and their opinions do matter to me. But for me when starting work on a project such as this, its really a big undertaking which is hard enough in itself without overly worrying about what everyone else will think, or you would never write anything. You can't please everyone obviously, so you just have to go with wherever your creative mind and heart take you.
Dimitri: How long it took you to produce the album and have you finished it working full time or did you worked for it whenever you had an inspiration for a track and you had available time?
Blufeld: In all the whole album took about 15 months to write from start to finish, and I also had a day job in between all of this so it was when I could find the time to get in the studio to produce tbh!!
Dimitri: Have you produced any tracks that didn’t manage to make it to the final tracklisting and why you decide not to include them?
Blufeld: There where 2 tracks that didn't make the final tracklisting, the first was the intro track to the album, I get very fussy with that track to be honest! And the other actually was switched very last minute as I had written a new track in the studio shortly after the original final tracklisting, and thought to myself.........”No, this track really fits this body of work perfectly and the feel I'm trying to project, better than the track I replaced it with!”
Dimitri: Is it possible to note the influences that you had for the production of this album? Are these influences certain tracks, piece of news or soundtrack of a film or maybe intimate personal events that happened in your life?
Blufeld: I really have so many influences, but its mainly just my mind being set free in the studio, as I find that is always the best way to be! This last year has been a tough time in my life, and there have been a few personal challenges I have faced, and the new album was my way of creating that escape if only for a moment!
Dimitri: Which tracks were produced faster and which ones you had difficulty to finish and why?
Blufeld:I never rush any tracks..........although the title track to the album 'A World Less Ordinary' seemed to really come together very smoothly, it just clicked so nicely into place for some reason! The toughest track to perfect was 'Equivocal Mind' as this is a dedicated track and meant a lot to get this soooo right!!!!
Dimitri: Please can you choose one of the tracks of the album and describe to us the production process of it step by step?
Blufeld: Well if I said 'Memoirs Of A Mountain', I would say I already had a basic and hooking chord idea in my mind, so the rest of the process was I guess firstly laying down a good kick and percussive flow, then to move onto a deep and driving groovy bassline which brought the heartbeat to the track, then onto applying my melodic audio lines which consisted of 2 different synth's.
Then finally to implement an atmospheric touch to the journey.........all the while through all of this I was constantly paying special attention to my general eq'ing of my audio lines, to finish I did an overall sweep of my automation and frequencies, and the track 'Memoirs of a Mountain' was born.
Dimitri: Have you upgraded your studio equipment for this album? Have you used any piece of new software or hardware that have helped you very much and you wish to recommend it to our readers?
Blufeld: Not really for this album I didn't..........I would say I love the tried and tested 'Access Virus' for synth work, and the 'Maschine MK2' which I recently acquired really has helped my drums, and some of the old skool vst plugins out there which give you that nice groovy and gritty analog sound as that gives a lovely texture to your work.
Dimitri: You have a wonderful understanding of how to arrange a very strong melody and all your tracks are blessed with fantastic melodic themes. Is the arrangement of a melody the most difficult part of the production and how do you manage to come up with so sweet melodies?
Blufeld: Thank you that is kind of you to say, although I actually don't find this that difficult, as its normally this part of the process that is the original idea for the track. I find getting the arrangement and the flow of a tune just right is the real challenge in creating a totally finished piece.
Dimitri: Your tracks on the album are moving from breaks and chill out to deep progressive house and trance. Do you understand your music through musical genres or you wish to not categorise yourself under particular genres and being type casted as producer of a certain type of music?
Blufeld: I just create what I feel is needed to give a good rounded finished body of work, and I totally go with the flow.......but yes I feel its quite nice to have a little bit of a variety of styling on an album, as it can showcase your versatility as a producer.
Dimitri: What exactly means for you each track of your album and to reveal any story or incident that happened during the production process and you would like to share it with us?
Blufeld: As explained earlier in one of the previous answers I gave, this album is all about creating a mysterious atmosphere, whereby the listener can immerse themselves and set about discovering or creating a 'World that's Less Ordinary' as their own form of escape from the confines and the rules of the one we live in!! :)
So each of the tracks in this album play their part to enhance the imagination for that unique world that the listener will create for themselves!
1. Introspective
2. A World Less Ordinary
3. Out Of This Life
4. Glenderamackin
5. Threlkeld
6. The Vivid Unknown
7. Tulgey Tales
8. Jubjub's Invincible Wings
9. Equivocal Mind
10. Memoirs Of A Mountain
11. Emotional Tentacles
12. Without A Trace
13. Gone For Long
Dimitri: All your tracks have magnificent atmosphere and manage easily to absorb you in their magical world. Do you think that atmosphere is the most important element in a track and if not which element you think makes the difference in any track?
Blufeld: I think in any track having a unique atmosphere to give it a defining character of its own helps bring across YOUR sound, and the identity of that individual production. But as with any production or piece of music, 'Atmosphere' is nothing without all the other elements in check, like arrangement, equalising, mastering, and a good hook!
Dimitri: Besides this album you will release soon a chill down album as well. Please can you tell us what this album will be about and if you have a release date for it?
Blufeld: To be fair I think this is one of those compilations that has been a long time coming from me, due to the consistent following and fondness expressed by followers of my sound for my 'Chillout' works!........but its not been the right time until now to consider doing something like this!
This 'Chilldown' album will feature quite a few of my memorable or most enjoyed 'Chillout' tracks or 'Chillout remix versions' of my past singles, as well as a few exclusively written chilled tunes for the album! We will be looking at a possible late Spring /Summer release in 2016 on the 'Bonzai Progressive' label most likely. With maybe the odd extra surprise thrown in, although I can't say much more about that just yet!! :)
Dimitri: Do you have your own radio show? How is it called and do you think is important for you to have your own radio show?
Blufeld: Yes I have had a radio show for several years now which broadcasts monthly on PURE.FM on the Trance Channel at 4PM GMT called: 'Progmospherica Sessions'..........
For any that miss the shows check out my itunes podcast link, and feel free to subscribe!
I think its very important to have a radio show as its an opportunity or a platform for you to showcase not only other peoples great musical works, but also to test drive your own upcoming productions to a wider audience! :)
Dimitri: Are you going to support the release of the album with a DJ tour and if a promoter wants to book you what he is going to expect from you during your set?
Blufeld: I currently have no plans as of yet to do a tour, although I answer this the same each time, I have definitely not ruled this out for the future, in fact it is a major consideration for me to try to start my first live performances in 2016....fingers crossed I can make this happen :) You heard that here first!!!!!!
Dimitri: Your music is truly cinematic and travelling. Are you interested to compose a soundtrack for a film or TV series? If yes, do you accept suggestions and ideas and what kind of films would you like to work with that inspire you the most?
Blufeld: I do like the idea of composing music for film or cinema, but I believe that the film would definitely have to have a very emotive and thought provoking plot for my sound to really shine and come alive!
Dimitri: Finally which tracks we are going to see soon released as singles and do you have any remixers in mind that you would like to remix them?
Blufeld: Well I have a couple of singles coming............one taken from the album entitled: 'Out Of This Life' with remixes from 'Audio Noir', 'Platunoff' & ' Ruslan Vashkevich', the other is called 'Letting You Go' which is not taken from the album, but is being released soon on 'Sunstate Records' with several remixes to accompany this also! But I will be surprising next year with a few collab's that are set to be very exciting! Including a new project hopefully with a couple of close producer friends! :)
I would really like to use this opportunity to say a massive thank you to you Dimitri for this interview, and to also thank everyone that continues to believe in and support my sound and music..........it means more than can be imagined to me :)
Additional info:
Blufeld podcast click here