Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/753405
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2016 This Week 33 When did CRUX first come about, and what were your initial goals as a musical ensemble? CRUX was formed in early 2015 and was originally made up of three members, two of which formed part of a band that split up a few months before. The idea was to experiment with new sounds and take a direction into the electronica genre. Initially we weren't so sure where it would take us and how it would work, especially live. It was all a matter of trial and error. We never really set any goals to begin with, we just wanted to keep mak- ing music and try new things. Add- ing a guitarist to our formation made CRUX's sound bigger and better. What are the roots of your at- traction to the synth-pop sound, and how did you develop it as you went along? We all listen to a wide range of musical styles, synth-pop in par- ticular being an early influence to our song-writing process. Artists like Kraftwerk, Kavinsky, Depeche Mode, amongst others, were influ- ential to all of us. They opened up doors in a sense that we discovered more artists, and styles of electron- ica that helped us develop our own sound. You refer to yourself as less of a band and more of a "musical collective". What does this mean, when it comes to your day-to-day practice? Writing and performing is only a fraction of what we do. Since al- most everything is computer based we have to tweak and mix our own sounds, being analog or digital. We consider ourselves as a musical col- lective because of the way we do things. Everyone gives his input in all elements of the song writing process, and although when we perform live we stick to our sta- tions, we do not necessarily have to stick to our own instrument when creating of a song. How would you say you differ from other Maltese bands in the scene? What do you bring to the table? First of all, as a band we per- form in a linear formation, where all the band stands next to each other. When it comes to equip- ment we use, we do not have the generic band setup. What we use are synths, drum machines, drum pads, and laptops. Although we are an electronic band, and prob- ably most would consider that our shows would be at parties, we also performed gigs such as the Beer Fest and Uriah Heep amongst oth- ers. What can you tell us about your new single and video, Smiling Man? Why did you pick this par- ticular song as your single, and what was the process of translat- ing it visually like? 'Smiling Man' is a dark atmos- pheric composition accompanied with an even darker narration, voiced by Jeff Clement, that reaches a climax in various parts of the plot. We chose this song as our next sin- gle since it is one of our favourites from our album Ego vs Ego which was released early in 2016. The idea to create an obscure mu- sic video came when we met Steven Levi Vella, a film director known for his sinister style. The concept behind the music video was all his idea. He suggested using the latest collection by local fashion designer PARASCANDÅLO on the models involved in this project. What do you make of the local musical scene? What would you change about it? The music scene has grown over the past years, with different genres of music becoming more popular amongst the locals. More bands are making their own mu- sic as opposed to just being cover bands with a couple of originals, and trying to make a mark locally and abroad. However more music events where artists can showcase their material are essential. What's next for you? Apart from 'Smiling Man' we are planning to release our final single from Ego vs Ego with an animation video in January 2017. We are also writing new songs for our second album which we hope will take us overseas. The style might be a little different since we are trying to take our music in a new direction. Apart from the music we are also trying to focus on the marketing aspect of CRUX, with merchandise, devel- oping a website and so on. CRUX will be premiering the video of Smiling Man at The Funky Mon- key, Manoel Island, Gzira at 20:00 tonight. For more information and updates from the group, find them on Facebook: https://www.face- book.com/cruxmalta/?fref=ts Electronic artist Dean Demanuele tries his chances with local crowdfunding platform Demanuele is campaigning to raise funds on Zaar.com.mt FANS of Dean Demanuele's work and lovers of electronic music can now support one of the genre's lo- cal practitioners by donating to the artist's recently-launched Zaar campaign. 'Summer Blue', Dean's new EP, will go into production early next year and €3,000 is needed to get it mixed, mastered, to create its music video and artwork and, fi- nally, make the rewards as soon as the campaign is complete. As a Maltese electronic artist, Dean has travelled around Europe with his music, and has played at top venues in Germany, England, Switzerland, France and Spain (in- cluding Ibiza). Now based in Malta, he is encouraging music lovers to be part of this project and to help create a new vision for the local music industry. "The electronic scene in Malta is a growing one and we need to keep feeding it more than ever," he says. "I'd like to create a new niche and encourage support for this particu- lar genre. I hope to show a new vi- sion to the international industry." Demanuele is no newcomer to electronic music. While based in the UK and Berlin he worked with top artists including Pig&Dan and Lee Van Dowski, while fans of his own work include Laurent Garnier, Luciano, Oliver Huntemann, Loco Dice, Richie Hawtin and John Dig- weed. Dean explains that Summer Blues will have a melancholic sound in- spired by his time in Berlin. At the time he was working with one of Germany's largest electronic music agency, Jackmode. The result is an EP with five tracks lasting around 35 minutes. And, to encourage supporters to click on Zaar's 'donate' button, Dean has lined up a number of rewards. "The EP will be released both in CD and digital format, with special signed copies ready and waiting for you as soon as we manage to make this campaign a successful one. For those who help fund us, will receive their copy ahead of time – even earlier than the world's top DJs. We're also giv- ing out personalised and thank you video calls over Skype, label-brand- ed stickers, badges and t-shirts," he says. "We're very grateful for the sup- port and keen to interact with those with a love for electronic mu- sic," Demanuele added. Demanuele's campaign will be live on Zaar.com.mt from November 25 Dean Demanuele Sending shockwaves Ahead of the launch of their debut music video for the song Smiling Man, the new electronica group CRUX speak to TEODOR RELJIC about what motivates their musical direction, and their plans for the future CRUX will be launching their music video for the song Smiling Man tonight at Funky Monkey, Gzira