Interview: Five minutes with Waveshaper
Image credit: Svetlana Kovalenko
From the depths of synthwave emerges Waveshaper, the Swedish producer who is building to the release of his unique album, Mainframe next month on the 17th of September. Ahead of the album, we’ve been gifted with ‘Friends Again’, the captivating single that gives us a small token of what to expect. Now, it’s no secret that we’re fans of synthwave and everything it entails so when we came across a producer who was able to hold his own with the likes of Com Truise, John Carptener and Droid Bishop, it seemed only natural to sit down and explore his creative mind. Find out more of what the producer has to has to say in the exclusive below.
Just a heads up, we hear rumours of a North American tour for Waveshaper in 2022, circumstances permitting. While this might seem terribly far away, we’re already hoping that the producer might extend that tour to the UK and pop in for a visit.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
It is a creative process for me as well as pretty relaxing. Also, making music that connects to my childhood memories is really fun.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
I usually start with sound crafting and the ideas come from that.
What’s on your current playlist?
It’s quite mixed at the moment. I have currently been listening to Gaspard Auge’s music. The second half of Justice. Also nowadays I have started to follow the Spotify Release radar every Friday to see what’s new. There are always some good findings to put on your playlists.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
It’s kinda fun with my music being quite in the underground scene. When you play live all that sense and thinking disappears. It is all for real and you need to give the audience a great experience. The most memorable moments is, of course, when you get a good interaction and dancing to your music.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
I bury my head deep into my synthesizers to figure out interesting sounds & chord progressions. For me, it is also important to bring in new elements for my releases to make my job fun and challenging too. I need challenges and change.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
A day? We might need more 🙂 I usually have quite a few projects active at the same time in order to vary the creative process a bit. Starting out with an already existing idea is good because it might feel a bit tough with a blank paper. I also normally decide what type of synth to go for in advance rather than digging through all of them. In the past, I was quite flexible and had a lot of time for production but today I need planning & planning is important in order to deliver something.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
Back in 2013 when I started this project, I came across a bunch of artists that did retro-inspired synth music. I understood that it had become a thing that now later on eventually is a big part of popular media. Back in the early 2000s, I did covers for movies like The Terminator theme etc. I never thought that anyone would be interested in that listening to that niche nerdy music but I was wrong. 🙂
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
Some notes for myself about the set as well as a cold beer.
Any emerging artists on your radar?
KLOUD, F.O.O.L, Bossfight. They could all become very big I believe.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
In my studio I have some retro videos games etc that I can spend some time with during my sessions. Take breaks. A good nights sleep and just messing around with sequencers & synths.
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
I have been gearing up on analog synths since I was like 15. In 2004, I bought an ARP 2600 off from eBay. My friends bought things like motorcycles and cars and no one really understood how important that ARP 2600 was for me. It still serves me well as a very creative tool today and many tracks have started just by creating a sound / sequence from that almost 50-year-old synth.
Any side projects you’re working on?
I have a more techno / electro project called Position Zero. It’s a fun project but lately, I haven’t had the time to work on it.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
Absolutely. You learn things from every release and things need to evolve to keep things interesting. I am very happy with the sound on my upcoming album, Mainframe.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
The album Mainframe is the central part. Which later on also includes a music video. I have been doing some music for a sci-fi documentary & is currently wrapping up some collaborations so there is quite a lot in the pipe
Famous last words?
Just have fun.
Follow Waveshaper:
Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Instagram – Spotify
