One of South Africa’s most pioneering electronic music creators, Markus Wormstorm has been rehearsing in the Red Bull Studio for his up-coming album launch over the month of January. We spoke to him about the album, the launch and his current musical vision.
1. Tell us more about the launch you are having on the 2nd of February
I’m launching my 13 track album “Not I, but a friend” in collaboration with some great instrumentalists on the 2nd of February. We are having the event in an abandoned mansion in Bishops Court.
The event is an invite only, 1-hour showcase, running from 7pm till 10pm and I'm having the whole event photographed by Dave Southwood. The dress code is formal; I wanted to instill a sense of “underground grandeur”.
My good friend Elisa Wessels will also be showcasing some of her work from her ongoing exhibition at Salon 91 in Kloof Street called “Beast and Mind”. Elisa and I have been friends since we were 13, and she also did the album art for “Not I, but a friend” and it suits the album perfectly, it was a very natural collaboration for us.
I have printed 1000 copies of the album and it will also have a free download option with an accompanying music video by Jannes Hendrikz.
This launch is the first part of a series of ideas and musical endeavors I'm undertaking over the next months. The second offering will be a compilation album of various artists on my own label, Biblio.
I’m also planning to launch a deconstructed version of “Not I, but a Friend” kind of more for a live surrounding, a “louder” version of the album as it is now, along with a parallel project I'm making with the same musicians.
2. You are playing with a very distinct set of instrumentalists, why?
I've worked with classical musicians before who are more traditional and quite rigid in a sense. A lot of classical musicians I’ve played with don’t improvise, and are governed by sheet music.
I chose to work with a set of instrumentalists whose ability to play and passion for synergy were very prevalent in their playing. The project is half notation / half improvisation I’d say. The musicians I'm working with are:
Inge Beckmann on vocals. I have worked with and known her for many years and we really get each other on a very spiritual level.
Brydon Bolton on double Bass. Brydon has a great sensibility and awareness of the sound.
Kyla Rose Smith on violin. She is bringing a great element and beautiful tone to the project.
We have been practicing the project using it as a base for another album, running parallel to this one.
3. Explain the significance of the particular settings and moods for this album.
Well, the abandoned mansion was bought for R27 Million in the mid 90’s, but the sale never went through and it was abandoned for legal reasons.
The caretaker has done a fantastic job of looking after it but slowly over the years nature has reclaimed it. I find this gives it a great deal of charm, I like the cinematic appeal, and how it suits the album. I like how it sparks imagination.
This has a great symbiosis with the message running through this project. It signifies a shift for me, almost moving from one phase into another. The intro of new me, symbolized by the use of “a friend”.
4. It seems this idea of the shift has become very prevalent, explain that to us a bit more.
Look, It’s not that I’ve scrapped everything from my past, but my sound is definitely more mature, more self-indulgent to an extent. I’ve gotten to the point where im less concerned about pleasing others, and I really enjoy something that’s more musically intricate.
At the end of the day, I love all music with attitude. I love to be able to picture things, driving through the streets at night, cinematic scenes. It’s usually what influences my music.
Another huge shift for me has been the start of my music agency and label, Biblio.Our aim is to up the game on what people can expect locally, and we’re really just getting started.
Biblio is a commercial endeavor that serves as collection library for music that doesn’t suck. We provide music and scores to brands for media purposes. I am quite precious about the artists I work with: Only certain people contribute music at the moment, I’m really keen to see these musicians grow.
Another thing that makes Biblio special, is that we do the filtering, we tailor the music we offer companies, I’m viewing it more as a high-end boutique service in that regard.
5. Expose something interesting or hidden that people might not otherwise know about this album.
My twin brother Ilea, who many people have never actually met, helped me compose and conceptualise the album. He’s got agoraphobia, and is actually a low level savant, and it’s been really difficult for him to express his vision for this album, so the collaboration was fantastic.
You can listen to and download the track, "Lillian" from the album, "Not I, but a friend". Keep an eye and ear out for the full album available for download next week.
.jpg "Kyla Rose Smith")
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