MAHIANE / ULTIMAE Interview - GAIAN MIND SUMMER FESTIVAL 2008
Mahiane:
Q: As co-label-head for Ultimae Records you’ve gotten to help design the sound that defines Ultimae. Do you find it difficult working with artists to keep the sound focused and at the level of quality you wish to uphold?
The difficult thing is when you hear a wonderful piece of music and cannot do anything with it because it’s just not the Ultimae sound. In this case I do my best to direct the artist to other labels. As for the artists we already work with, it happens once in a while that they present us with a track that doesn’t reach our heart or guts and in this case we just explain that it won’t be on the album or comp. I think the artists have come to know and trust us and they understand that if we say no it’s because we want to be completely proud of their/our work. I once met a label manager in a festival who handed me a promo of their latest release, he said it was shit but it was soandso’s album and people would buy it anyway. Man, I felt so sad. I will never walk in these shoes. I want to laugh, cry, feel dizzy, jump up and down, lie heart open, ask for mercy and more, but never feel ashamed.
Q: You’ve arranged a couple of compilations on Ultimae Records now and even featured two interludes that you produced on the latest Oxycanta album. Are you now working toward producing more of your own material as an independent artist? Should we expect full-length tracks from you in the future and perhaps eventually an album?
I do not have any time now to work on a full album. But one day I will take it for sure. I will find the door to parallel time. And there it will be just me and music.
I’ll do my best to create interludes for the next Oxycanta chapter though, this I can promise!
I do not consider myself a composer, I live with one and work with many I admire. And I wonder what I could bring that would even come close to this perfection.
Q: Your elegant and entrancing voice has become a well-known element within the Ultimae soundscape particularly in some of Aes Dana ’s releases. Do you feel it is important at times to specifically describe the direction of the conceptual journey within the music as a way of guiding the listener toward an intended experience?
Oh that’s lovely to hear. You see I do not find my voice so elegant and entrancing as you say. I was extremely shy as a child and worked on a lot of things. Using my voice is one of the last challenges and probably the hardest.
I feel it’s important to put human in the picture sometimes and to tell a story. But no always, music carries its meaning and this can be perceived differently from one person to the next. Too many vocals can drown the dream. When we used my voice, it was more as a story teller, not to guide, just to tell.
Q: As many people know of your role with Ultimae Records, what would you say we could expect from a DJset of yours in relation to representing Ultimae and other sounds outside the realm of the label?
That’s a funny question dear! You can expect me to play music that I love, what more can I say? I never prepare a set. Usually I’m at the ambient stage way in advance and get a feel of the place and the people. And a feel of my emotions. And when it’s my time, I get my records out and start playing…
Here’s a hint though, it will be atmospheric, electronica with a touch of breaks and plenty of pleasure J
Ultimae:
Q: As Ultimae Records, it’s obvious that you have a distinguished sound that defines the “Ultimae” sound. How would you describe the overall concept of this sound in relation to the vast majority of other downtempo/chillout music being created currently?
Hmm tricky, we do not compare ourselves or our productions to other labels and artists. We produce what we love, what moves us. And that’s what counts. You ask about what’s being currently created. Where is “currently” in the time frame? What is the time frame? Beautiful music doesn’t belong to any such frame.
At least not to us.
Q: The Ultimae sound has an organic, emotionally intelligent, and atmospheric quality that has been compared to that of the classic wizards, Future Sound of London. Were they an inspiration at all, and do you feel this is somewhat of an appropriate comparison?
Both Vince and I have a lot of respect for their early work and so do many of the artists we work with. So why not? Yes it can be an appropriate comparison.
I cannot answer for all our artists, but what inspires us, I mean Vince and I, is our environment, our emotions, people, historical facts, nature and technology.
Q: With the release of Solar Fields’ "EarthShine," Ultimae saw the first full-length trance release. Is this a sign of what’s to come with Ultimae’s expanding sound or will the primary focus stay within the chill realm?
Once in a while we’ll release trance. But our main focus is on ambient and many of it forms. We released this album from Magnus because we love his music and so do a lot of people. It had been played at several festivals nad many people asked for the album. It took a few years for Magnus to do this leap and get this out of his system. We’re all happy about it. But for him as for us it doesn’t mean trance is the path we’ll be trading in the future.
Q: The old phrase “trance-ambient,” one that I feel can appropriately describe Ultimae Records, hasn’t been used very much since what many people refer to as “the golden years of ambient” in the early 90’s when there was a trance-ambient boom and an explosion of chill-out areas at events around the world. Why do you think people say that the Ultimae sound captures that same wonder that we remember from 15 years ago, and how does this relate to the resurgence of chill-out stages and rooms over the past 6-8 years?
We have heard that before. Maybe it’s because both Vince and I were in that scene 15 years ago and that we carry the same love for the music as we did then and wish to give as much as we got.
For a long time ambient got considered as the side dish for the trance scene, because trance was getting harder and faster and people went for that and forgot to rest. Looks like as we get older we like to sit and chill a bit more hey ;) We’re happy to see more labels willing to produce this music and more organisers giving it the space and time it should have.
Q: This will be Solar Field’s second Gaian Mind appearance and I’m sure that he’s communicated his thoughts on his previous experience around our summer festival. Are you all anxious to come as a team of three to the forest of the Allegheny Mountains to represent and share that which Ultimae does so well?
Anxious? Not at all! Excited oh yes J
www.myspace.com/mahiane / www.ultimae.com
Interviewed by Jeremy Wolf (aka SOLOMOON).
June 4th, 2008