Written Interview with Floex for FWD.DJ (2019)

Listen to the mix here: http://www.fwd.dj/mix/fwd123-floex/

Where was the mix recorded and what would you like the listener to know about the mix?

I’ve made it in my Prague studio. I think people know me mostly for my more albums, soundtracks, simply more listening based music. I’m actually having fun playing sometimes as Dj in clubs as well. So mix is kind of more dance, techno oriented - it represents what you would probably experience if you meet me playing in the club. I am not really dj who cares too much about up to date tracks. For me it is really hard to accumulate enough tracks in short time which would really "touch me". I guess I am more like a collector who exhibits his favourite pieces carefully chosen over long period of time.

Also there are some of my own tracks included. There are especially remixes, which are usually more upbeat. There is even one unreleased track (the last one in the tracklist) , from the recent dance show I made music for.

What gear did you use when putting the mix together?

Oh, it was just Ableton Live, can’t really avoid my musical background.

Take us on a tour of your studio. What are your go to bits of software/gear/instruments in particular to manufactures the signature beats, and stutters prevalent in your sound?

The most important are the sound sources and production. The major element was the Symphonic orchestra we recorded in one of the greatest studios in the middle of the Europe. Czech Radio Studio 1. Beside clarinet, major instrument on the album is Petrof piano from my studio, which I absolutely love, it is my healer. Whenever I got stuck in my music, the piano helps me to recover.

We tried to make very contemporary album often using 60s, 70s gear to give it some more analogue vibe. It is not surprising we used a loads of Space Echoes as an example. I have two different ones, sometimes I use them together for left and right channel. Take "Machines Are Dancing" as an example (also the fist track of my mix), the main synth motive is originally simple trombone like patch from the FM7, after being processed by SRE-555 sounds more like some strange kind of animal from deep past. It’s the instability of tape and wobbliness of the echo which can give it really distinguishing character. We didn’t use that much synths on the album, it is often very much about the transformation of the acoustical sounds. You can find bits and pieces of Prophet 08, Microkorg, Roland SH-09 or Minibrute there thought.

For me studio work, is often about creating the environments, making research on interesting combinations of the hardware or plugins. I also like to make my own sample banks which I can later use in my production. I have recently released some of my sample collections public, you can download it for free on my website:

http://floex.cz/downloads/samplebanks/

The Clarinet features heavily in your compositions - please give us some information on this instrument that most might not know.

Well I play clarinet from 6, so it was quite natural for me to include it onto my own work. I really like sounds with wooden quality, I guess one of the reasons could be fact that I am "wood" in the taoistic typology. Clarinet has this quality, same like piano for me. It is maybe less expressive and quieter than some others like saxophone, however it has incredible depth. I seem to attract this instrument and people. For example in our band, not only Tom Hodge plays the clarinet, but also our drummer Jakub. There is a joke, that everybody who wants to play in our group has to be able to play it.

The ease with which you navigate classical and electronic genres is itself a creative force to reckon with. Are there any tips or techniques you could give an electronic music producer who wants to marry traditional beats and edm work with an unorthodox instrument like the clarinet?

Thank you. I guess this is not easy question to answer. I think it is the blend of the both worlds what makes the music unique. There is not general principle, it is loads of detailed decision makings I’ve learned over the past. Except maybe one, I like to put things into contrast, at the same time I like to balance them. If I would made track with loads of synths, I would probably have tendency to use more acoustical based drums. If there is loads of acoustic elements in the music, I am going to use more electronic and processed drums.

Your latest album 'A portrait of John Doe' with the amazing Tom Hodge was released recently on Mercury KX sandwiched on their catalog between two Olafur Arnalds lp's. This must have been quite exciting for you and Tom. How did the release come about - did they approach the two of you? Did they have a specific Idea in mind for what they wanted from you or did you guys have full creative freedom.

We came to them with the finished product and offered it. Tom had some connection on the label via Decca Publishing. It is basically Decca Classics sublabel and we found interesting to make this connection between long tradition of the classical music and something brand new. Of course, we are very happy about the "family" of the artists on MKX. Not only Olafur Arnalds, but also for example Luke Howard, Lambert, Solomon Grey to name a few.

Tom Hodge has collaborated with so many musicians that I almost think of this stage name now as '& Tom Hodge' (for some reason he is always the second name). What was it like working with him & how did the collaboration come about? From what I have read the two of you met quite by accident?

Yes, this collaboration really started quite surprisingly. I met Tom in Berlin on the festival, I just came to him after his Piano Interrupted concert to tell him I much I love their music. Very soon after, Tom had this idea to make trip to Prague and contacted me offering we could try do some music together. After few hours in the studio it seemed quite clear, he is not going to appear in Prague for the last time.

This album is really 50/50 collaboration. The fact that he is the second name has nothing to do with his "impact" on the album. We just decided to use the alphabetic order clue. Tom is natural collaborator indeed. I think part of the reasons could be that Tom is man of the present moment. He likes to get inspired and looks for the moments and people which could stimulate him.

Could you go into more detail about the track 'Prelude' on 'A portrait of John Doe' In particular your creative approach to the piece as a whole incorporating the beautiful vocal work of Kim Sheehan with the driving techno and almost hardcore breakdown in the last quarter of the track – a lot of bold choices and disparate elements married in such a seamless way the entire piece comes across as an 'epic' and definitely the high point of the LP as a whole.

This is one of a few tracks which comes originally from the Tom’s sketch. I had the feeling that the track is rather melow, or soft so I was looking for some counterbalance. I came up with this idea to make something more nasty. Created this crazy very hypnotic and techno like gradation based on string orchestration. We wrapped everything around these two principles. Tom has accomplished the composition with woodwind and brass orchestration. Obviously he was major composer of the orchestral parts, since I had previously zero experience in this field.

https://youtu.be/9eld5QZobRU

Tell us a little about your rather unusual tour you recently embarked on (where the orchestra played from Balloons. )

I have already mentioned we have recorded this new album with the Symphonic Orchestra. It was clear at some point it will be very hard to transfer the live experience with the Orchestra always. Playing with 35 people is not exactly cheap and always doable. So we have recorded everybody on GoPro camera and tried to transfer the experience into the projection. We use simple balloons as the medium, they give more 3D feeling to the scene.

https://youtu.be/z91MUdoeV3o

I recently managed to get my hands on (what I count to be the 5th repress of) Zorya - this album is still making waves today - what are your thoughts when you re-visit this LP eight years after its release.

That's interesting question. What I value on this album most is probably it’s musicality. It was really my personal topic for this album as well. From the today’s perspective, I think the album might have been a bit more simpler and also less "chatty". I think I tend to make more abstract and more straight forward music now. This is probably going to be the most significant difference for my future records as well. Especially after very complex album with the Symphonic orchestra we have just released.

What is one the Horizon for Floex? Another solo Lp? More soundtrack work? Another Collaborative LP?

Actually, most of the stuff you have mentioned. The question only is what order it would be. I will be working on the new soundtrack with Amanita for the game "Phonopolis". Also I am getting back to my solo music, which really is something I missed for very long time.

At the same time we will be still touring with Tom and our project in 2019.

What were your favorite LP's of 2018? & What are you listening to at the moment that is really exciting you?

I really love the new Olaf’s Inner River project, you have featured on FWD-DJ recently. I am big fan of his music for longer time. It’s such fragile album, very intuitive, however with very clear intention behind.

I feel like being confused more and more with my personal choices. If you would look into my personal Spotify chart, you would probably find out, that Frank Ocean is one of my most played artists. Couldn’t resist to play it again and again. There is only one music.

Tags: Floex, Inner River, Tom Hodge