Kontravoid dives deeper into the subconscious of the void, riding the line between melodic euphoria and darkwave dystopia. In his new album “Faceless” he presents a collection of songs that span the genres from synth-pop to goth to EBM. This first video for Faceless leads viewers down a psychedelic wormhole depicting Kontravoid as a digital entity that exists not only inthe real world, but also inside a digital hell (or heaven). Animated by Alec Mackenzie , directed and edited by Kontravoid. Maeghan Donovan interviewed Kontravoid about his creation and more.
Kontravoid 更深入地潜入虚无的潜意识，在旋律的欣快感和暗波反乌托邦之间徘徊。在他的新专辑“Faceless”中，他展示了一系列歌曲，涵盖了从合成流行音乐到哥特再到 EBM 的各种流派。 Faceless 的第一个视频带领观众进入一个迷幻的虫洞，将 Kontravoid 描绘成一个数字实体，不仅存在于现实世界中，而且存在于数字地狱（或天堂）中。动画由 Alec Mackenzie 制作，Kontravoid 导演和编辑。 Maeghan Donovan 就他的创作等采访了 Kontravoid.
Can you tell me a little bit about the inception of Kontravoid? According to Discogs, your first release was in 2011 with the Native States EP, what was the driving force for you to become the masked master known as Kontravoid?
I had been wanting to do a darker sounding project for a while, and was in a synth pop band around that time and just wanted to produce music in a different direction. I was also listening to a lot of the influential goth/ebm stuff like skinny puppy, cab voltaire, front 242 etc. My apartment back then was an artist/live work space across from a slaughterhouse in a building that used to be a casket company which had a history of some pretty grim stories. So the character of Kontravoid emerged from me imagining what kind of freak from like an 80s b-movie would live in a place like this, and what kind of music would they make. I’ve always looked at this project as if I’m writing for a character or separate entity. I did the first press shots for Kvoid around Halloween 2011, my friend who took them had some masks at his apartment and I used one for the shoot because it fit the sound of the music, and now I have been going with variations of that aesthetic ever since.
你能告诉我一些关于 Kontravoid 的成立吗？根据 Discogs 的说法，你的第一张专辑是在 2011 年与 Native States EP 一起发行的，你成为被称为 Kontravoid 的蒙面大师的动力是什么？
一段时间以来，我一直想做一个更黑暗的声音项目，当时我在一个合成流行乐队中，只想制作不同方向的音乐。我还听了很多有影响力的哥特/EBM 的东西，比如瘦小狗、出租车伏泰尔、前 242 等。当时我的公寓是一个艺术家/现场工作空间，对面是一座曾经是棺材公司的建筑中的屠宰场它有一些非常严峻的故事的历史。因此，Kontravoid 的角色从我的想象中浮现出来，就像 80 年代的 b 电影那样的怪胎会住在这样的地方，他们会制作什么样的音乐。我一直看着这个项目，就好像我是在为一个角色或单独的实体写作。我在 2011 年万圣节前后为 Kvoid 拍摄了第一张新闻照片，我拍摄它们的朋友在他的公寓里有一些面具，我在拍摄时使用了一个面具，因为它适合音乐的声音，现在我一直在尝试这种美学的变化自从。
You’ve been an international artist for quite some time, of all the cities you’ve played in, do you have a favorite? Are there any places you’ve never played that you wish to play?
I can’t really say a favourite place, most major cities have always been great but I’ve also played shows in smaller places where people just go off, its hard to say. I’ve never played anywhere in South America yet so I’d love to go there. I’d also love to play Japan and South Korea, so hopefully that’ll happen at some point.
你当国际艺人已经有一段时间了，在你玩过的所有城市中，你有最喜欢的吗？有没有你从未玩过的地方你想玩？
我真的说不上最喜欢的地方，大多数主要城市一直都很棒，但我也在人们经常离开的较小的地方演出，这很难说。我还没有在南美洲的任何地方打过球，所以我很想去那里。我也很想打日本和韩国，所以希望这会在某个时候发生。
Last year you self-released a live album, do you have any releases in the works? If so can you tell me a bit about it? Will it be a self-release or on Fleisch or another label?
I have a new album that’ll be out by the time this interview goes up called Faceless. It’s a self-release and includes 6 tracks that I’ve been working on since the end of last year/start of 2021.
去年你自己发行了一张现场专辑，你有任何正在发行的作品吗？如果是这样，你能告诉我一些吗？是自行发行还是在 Fleisch 或其他标签上发行？
我有一张新专辑会在采访结束时发行，名为《Faceless》。这是一个自发行版，包括自去年年底/2021 年初以来我一直在创作的 6 首曲目。
Now that the world is slowly opening up, are you planning a tour? You moved out of Berlin during the pandemic, do you plan on returning?
I have a few shows scattered around the US for the end of the year, with a more extensive US tour potentially happening in the spring. I’d love to come back to Berlin at some point of course, and may have an EU/UK tour planned for sometime later in 2022.
现在世界正在慢慢开放，您是否正在计划旅行？你在大流行期间搬出了柏林，你打算回来吗？
今年年底我有几场演出分散在美国各地，春季可能会进行更广泛的美国巡演。当然，我很想在某个时候回到柏林，并且可能计划在 2022 年晚些时候进行一次欧盟/英国之旅。
Do you have any plans to tour China?
Not at the moment but that could be fun.
你有去中国巡演的计划吗？
目前还没有，但这可能很有趣。
Here’s where the more fun questions begin. Tell me about the first bits of gear that you used when you started making Kontravoid tracks. Do you have a favorite drum machine, a favorite synthesizer?
My first synth was a Korg MS-2000. I learned to write music with that keyboard and it helped me develop a sound pallet I would eventually use for productions later on. I had a Roland R8 drum machine as well, so both of those instruments I’d say are some of my favourite since they helped me get into producing/have some mind of sentimental value to them.
更有趣的问题从这里开始。告诉我您开始制作 Kontravoid 曲目时使用的第一批装备。你有最喜欢的鼓机，最喜欢的合成器吗？
我的第一个合成器是 Korg MS-2000。我学会了用那个键盘写音乐，它帮助我开发了一个声音托盘，我最终会在以后的作品中使用。我也有一台 Roland R8 鼓机，所以我想说的这两种乐器都是我最喜欢的，因为它们帮助我开始制作/对它们有一些情感价值。
How has your production evolved since you first started making tracks to now? Do you start with hardware or software?
The early Kvoid material was recorded using a Korg EMX drum machine/sequencer (the blue faced one) as well as a Juno-60, Korg MS-20 and a Sequential Prophet 8. I’ve since moved everything to software but recreate those types of sounds with plugins and try to stay somewhat true to that era, while also evolving with more digital synths.
从您开始制作曲目到现在，您的作品有何进展？你是从硬件还是软件开始？
早期的 Kvoid 素材是使用 Korg EMX 鼓机/音序器（蓝色面的）以及 Juno-60、Korg MS-20 和 Sequential Prophet 8 录制的。此后我将所有内容都移到了软件中，但重新创建了这些类型带有插件的声音并尝试保持那个时代的真实性，同时随着更多的数字合成器不断发展。
What comes first, tracks you play live and then record, or tracks you record and prepare for live?
Tracks I record and then play live. I always try to go into writing most songs with the idea that they’ll be played at a club, but then try to find a balance so they can co-exist on both an album and so that they’ll also hit hard when performing in a venue.
首先是哪些曲目是您现场播放然后录制的曲目，还是您录制并准备现场直播的曲目？
我录制然后现场播放的曲目。我总是尝试着写大多数歌曲的想法是它们将在俱乐部播放，然后尝试找到平衡，以便它们可以在专辑中共存，并且在表演时也会受到很大的打击在一个场地。
What does your live rig consist of? What is your process of preparing a live set?
Ableton loaded with samples, one synth, a vocal processor and mixer. I had a few nightmarish scenarios early on with gear breaking or synths going out of tune/malfunctioning during shows, so I’ve basically just sampled everything into a Live session and go about things that way. It’s also difficult to do that much on stage when I’m wearing a mask that impairs my vision, not to mention the strobe lights in my face. So I just keep it fairly simple for performances in terms of gear.
您的现场设备由什么组成？你准备现场表演的过程是怎样的？
Ableton 加载了样本、一个合成器、一个人声处理器和混音器。早些时候我遇到了一些噩梦般的场景，在演出期间齿轮损坏或合成器走调/故障，所以我基本上只是将所有内容采样到现场会话中并以这种方式进行处理。当我戴着会损害我的视力的面具时，在舞台上做那么多也很困难，更不用说我脸上的闪光灯了。所以我只是在装备方面保持相当简单的表现。
Tell me about the best gig you ever played and what made it great?
There’s a few that come to mind, one would be the first Fleisch party in Berlin around the end of summer 2018, another would be LA for the Boy Harsher/Special Interest afterparty at this warehouse downtown in the spring of 2019. There were a couple important shows early on in Toronto and Montreal around 2012/13 that helped me get used to playing live, and even though I’m sure they sounded rough they were important to me. Also the one this past weekend in New York, it was one of my first shows back and just felt good to play in front of a packed energetic crowd again after almost 2 years.
你有去中国巡演的计划吗？
目前还没有，但这可能很有趣。
Here’s where the more fun questions begin. Tell me about the first bits of gear that you used when you started making Kontravoid tracks. Do you have a favorite drum machine, a favorite synthesizer?
My first synth was a Korg MS-2000. I learned to write music with that keyboard and it helped me develop a sound pallet I would eventually use for productions later on. I had a Roland R8 drum machine as well, so both of those instruments I’d say are some of my favourite since they helped me get into producing/have some mind of sentimental value to them.
更有趣的问题从这里开始。告诉我您开始制作 Kontravoid 曲目时使用的第一批装备。你有最喜欢的鼓机，最喜欢的合成器吗？
我的第一个合成器是 Korg MS-2000。我学会了用那个键盘写音乐，它帮助我开发了一个声音托盘，我最终会在以后的作品中使用。我也有一台 Roland R8 鼓机，所以我想说的这两种乐器都是我最喜欢的，因为它们帮助我开始制作/对它们有一些情感价值。
How has your production evolved since you first started making tracks to now? Do you start with hardware or software?
The early Kvoid material was recorded using a Korg EMX drum machine/sequencer (the blue faced one) as well as a Juno-60, Korg MS-20 and a Sequential Prophet 8. I’ve since moved everything to software but recreate those types of sounds with plugins and try to stay somewhat true to that era, while also evolving with more digital synths.
从您开始制作曲目到现在，您的作品有何进展？你是从硬件还是软件开始？
早期的 Kvoid 素材是使用 Korg EMX 鼓机/音序器（蓝色面的）以及 Juno-60、Korg MS-20 和 Sequential Prophet 8 录制的。此后我将所有内容都移到了软件中，但重新创建了这些类型带有插件的声音并尝试保持那个时代的真实性，同时随着更多的数字合成器不断发展。
What comes first, tracks you play live and then record, or tracks you record and prepare for live?
Tracks I record and then play live. I always try to go into writing most songs with the idea that they’ll be played at a club, but then try to find a balance so they can co-exist on both an album and so that they’ll also hit hard when performing in a venue.
首先是哪些曲目是您现场播放然后录制的曲目，还是您录制并准备现场直播的曲目？
我录制然后现场播放的曲目。我总是尝试着写大多数歌曲的想法是它们将在俱乐部播放，然后尝试找到平衡，以便它们可以在专辑中共存，并且在表演时也会受到很大的打击在一个场地。
What does your live rig consist of? What is your process of preparing a live set?
Ableton loaded with samples, one synth, a vocal processor and mixer. I had a few nightmarish scenarios early on with gear breaking or synths going out of tune/malfunctioning during shows, so I’ve basically just sampled everything into a Live session and go about things that way. It’s also difficult to do that much on stage when I’m wearing a mask that impairs my vision, not to mention the strobe lights in my face. So I just keep it fairly simple for performances in terms of gear.
您的现场设备由什么组成？你准备现场表演的过程是怎样的？
Ableton 加载了样本、一个合成器、一个人声处理器和混音器。早些时候我遇到了一些噩梦般的场景，在演出期间齿轮损坏或合成器走调/故障，所以我基本上只是将所有内容采样到现场会话中并以这种方式进行处理。当我戴着会损害我的视力的面具时，在舞台上做那么多也很困难，更不用说我脸上的闪光灯了。所以我只是在装备方面保持相当简单的表现。
Tell me about the best gig you ever played and what made it great?
There’s a few that come to mind, one would be the first Fleisch party in Berlin around the end of summer 2018, another would be LA for the Boy Harsher/Special Interest afterparty at this warehouse downtown in the spring of 2019. There were a couple important shows early on in Toronto and Montreal around 2012/13 that helped me get used to playing live, and even though I’m sure they sounded rough they were important to me. Also the one this past weekend in New York, it was one of my first shows back and just felt good to play in front of a packed energetic crowd again after almost 2 years.
告诉我你玩过的最好的演出是什么让它很棒？
我想到了一些，一个是 2018 年夏末左右在柏林举行的第一次 Fleisch 派对，另一个是 2019 年春季在市中心的这个仓库举行的 Boy Harsher/Special Interest 派对后的洛杉矶。有一对夫妇2012/13 年前后在多伦多和蒙特利尔的重要演出帮助我习惯了现场演奏，尽管我确信它们听起来很粗糙，但它们对我来说很重要。也是上周末在纽约举行的那场演出，这是我第一次回来演出，在将近 2 年后再次在充满活力的人群面前演出时感觉很好。
Do you have any advice you’d offer to new artists that are preparing to play live?
Do what makes you feel most comfortable on stage as long as it sounds good. Whether that’s performing with loads of gear, or just playing tracks from your phone. As long as you’re confident and the audience is engaged, that’s what’s most important.
对于准备现场演奏的新艺术家，您有什么建议吗？
只要听起来不错，做让你在舞台上感觉最舒服的事情。无论是使用大量设备进行表演，还是仅播放手机中的曲目。只要您有信心并且观众参与其中，这就是最重要的。
Is there any new gear out there now that you want to get to add to your sound palette?
Not really but if Sequential, Korg, Moog, Novation, Elektron etc. feel like offering up any endorsements I will gladly put their great instruments to use. Could maybe use a Peak or a Prophet 6, like a nice all around polysynth. My dms are open @kontravoid on twitter, instagram. Email is kontravoid@gmail.com
现在是否有任何新的装备想要添加到您的音色库中？
不是真的，但如果 Sequential、Korg、Moog、Novation、Elektron 等愿意提供任何认可，我会很乐意使用他们的伟大乐器。也许可以使用 Peak 或 Prophet 6，就像一个很好的多音合成器。我的 dms 在 twitter、instagram 上打开 @kontravoid。电子邮件是 kontravoid@gmail.com
Interview 作者: Maeghan Donovan
Translation 翻译: Emi
Photos照片: Keyi Studio [ www.keyi.eu ]
@ Location 地点: Urban Spree, Berlin
