Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1055420
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 NOVEMBER 2018 THIS WEEK ART Finding success in Scotland with the high- profile gaming company Rockstar Games, musician and sound designer Danjeli Schembri speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about his recent experience of getting back together with some Maltese creatives for 'Verbi: mill- bieb 'il-Gewwa' – an upcoming multidisciplinary performance devised by the Barumbara Collective What was it that attracted you to 'Verbi', and how did it feel to re-connect with some fellow Maltese creatives after having established yourself abroad? I met Loranne [Vella; writer, per- former, artistic director and coordina- tor] and Sephora [Gauci; performer] in January in Malta and read some of Loranne's literature in the weeks after that. I think the literature was what turned me on to the project. I saw my- self, or a dysfunctional future of myself, in most of the stories. One in particular describes a date, or the preparation of one and the interior conflict of who you are, and what you should like now, and who you were when you were young – a conflict we all face. I for one think that young behaviour is usually much better or at least more fresh than most adult behaviour. Most of the teens have a better and more exciting outlook on life than your average and otherwise successful 50-year-old. I am very in- terested in working with anyone who follows the creed of exploration, the drive to do it and a lack of fear of being judged or scrutinised, facing life with excitement rather than calculation. I have been doing more and more in Malta recently as it looks like the crea- tive scene is improving a lot; the young- er artists are amazing, and the social scene is becoming more international. I did sound design for 'Boulevard' last summer, which was probably the best rendition of the this piece to date and created a whole new a new electronic music set in Maltese with Annabelle Galea for Rock The South. How did it feel to be contributing your "bit" to what is a multidisciplinary performance, and what kind of role would you say sound and music plays in 'Verbi'? I mostly work in multi-disciplinary teams. I like to explore other forms of art and learn about other art forms, then see what I can bring on the table. 'Verbi' being about action, is a very physical performance, so it's not very difficult to include sound and music to it. Walking, eating, speaking, breathing and having sex… most of our actions make sound, some loud and some qui- et, some more and some less interest- ing than others. Having been away from Malta for some years now, how do you view your own previous output in the local scene? On a similar note, are there any projects, initiatives and/or individuals that you think are doing interesting work on the island right now? I think I did my fair share of output for the Maltese scene, and there'll be more in the future for sure. I think the most particular thing I did was doing much of it in the Maltese language. Projects I've been heavily involved in such as Brikkuni, No Bling Show and also my own solo output have all been very par- ticular about using Maltese language, which I think, if you are Maltese you should do. I listen to Nigerian Afro-Beat bands, and French Hip-hop, and although I don't understand the language they are much more interesting than if they would be singing in English, that's for sure. The use of language in itself is an art, and I believe the Maltese are best in the art of Maltese. From afar, the scene in Malta looks like it's flourishing. There's festivals being born, artists uniting, and events getting better curation (I saw that one of my favourite Italian artists, Vinicio Capossella played at the Notte Bianca this year). I also think that the Mal- tese have broadened their horizons. They don't think of themselves only as Maltese but as part of the global artist community. This is probably the first generation to grow as part of the Euro- pean Union and the younger Maltese artists and organisations are doing very well at it. In the sound/music scene I like the work of Electronic Music Malta and Malta Sound Women Network. Great work for improving the Maltese scene for generations to come. Could you tell us a little bit about your career trajectory in Scotland? What advice would you give to local creatives hoping to make it abroad? I came to Scotland to work with Rockstar Games, in the Audio Depart- ment for Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Red Dead Redemp- tion, which was released last month, is already considered one of the best games ever made, so I'm very humbled to have even worked on it. I also met with a lot of creatives in Rockstar and Edinburgh, who are now obviously some of my best friends and have trav- elled around Europe creating interac- tive installations and audio software with them. I now have my own audio company, Signum Audio in Edinburgh. This year we organised The Edinburgh Festival Of Sound, which was a bit different then organising [local elec- tronic music parties] Pudina, although similarly Moira Scicluna Zahra (who usually does the design for Pudina) did the design for The Edinburgh Festival of Sound and at the end of the night there was probably the same alcohol content in my bloodstream. Teodor Reljic The creed of exploration 'Verbi: mill-bieb 'il Gewwa' is devised by the Brussels-based Barumbara Collective