Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1139344
THIS WEEK MUSIC maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 JULY 2019 4 First off, could you tell us a little bit about your background and musical history? Which aspects of your journey contributed towards you finally braving the '8 Winds'? My musical journey started at the age of eight, when I started learning clas- sical piano and theory. By the age of sixteen, after completing my diplomas, I decided to take a break from classical music to explore pop, blues and jazz. At around the same time, I bought my first synthesizer which changed my approach to music for ever. I be- come obsessed with sound synthesis, sequencing and drum programming, experimenting with many electronic styles, from ambient to house and techno. Between the late 90s and early 2000s I co-founded Spooky Monkey, an elec- trofunk live act, before moving on to work on music productions for theatre and short movies. During this period I also started dab- bling with DJing, playing eclectic vinyl sets at the now legendary Misfits Club. 2009 saw a change in direction as I set up Electroswing Malta with The Chef and Dockerbone, which gave me the first international exposure with tours all around Europe. In 2018, after returning from a three- year stay in Germany, I felt it was time to move back into music production, drawing on the musical influences and experiences I had gathered over the years, both as a musician and as a DJ. 8 Winds is not just a new album, it is also very much an 'event' – launching your new work in spectacular fashion. How does the performance aboard the Fernandes complement the music itself, and how does it feel to form part of this year's edition of the Malta International Arts Festival? Actually the concept for 8 Winds was inspired by the location perfor- mance: it is not so often that one gets the unique opportunity to perform on- board a wooden sailing vessel. I wanted to create a piece that pays homage to the invisible yet omnipres- ent force which has propelled mariners since time immemorial. Being island- ers, the winds play a very prominent role in our daily lives and are constant- ly present in our psyche and language. This led me to develop a detailed characterisation for each distinct wind, from the heavy Xlokk to the devastat- Electronic music composer Alex Spiteri Gingell (aka Dr Zicotron) will be launching his upcoming album 8 Winds on board the Turkish gulet Fernandes, as part of an open-air performance organised under the umbrella of the Malta International Arts Festival. He speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about the music and the show, created in collaboration with guitarist Glen Montanaro, sound designer Aleks Bundalo and dance choreographer Lynne Salomone Reynaud Braving the winds "There is a lack of live performance venues in Malta, especially for less mainstream genres" Teodor Reljic Alex Spiteri Gingell aka Dr Zicotron