This week we interviewed Beatbender, a name that has been featured on Metalectro a few times with their releases and tracks. With several originals, official and free remixes, a number of live shows alongside some of the bigger names of the hard eletro scene and 3 EPs already under their belt, with their most rcent official release “We Are Animals” EP out just recently on Jet Set Trash, we thought now would be a pretty good time to get hold of the Beatbender duo for an interview. So, here they are, time to find out what Beatbender is all about, where they’re coming from and what else we should be expecting from them in hte near or not so near future!
01. Hi guys! Would you mind introducing Beatbender?
Hey! Beatbender are Gustavo Silva and Paulo Garim, musicians and producers electro-something duo hailing from Oporto, Portugal.
02. How long have you known each other and how did it all start for Beatbender?
It feels like a lifetime… Yeah we’ve been friends for almost 20 years. We’ve played on various bands/projects, a couple of them together. First time we had a electronic project together was in 2003, an undefined electro-rock concept called “Antenna” that was probably way too ahead of its time and had a pretty short lifespan as a result of that.
Back in 2009 we ended up playing in the same band again, this time in a mainstream electro-rock band called “Slimmy” and we had the invitation to work on a remix for that year’s album. We were already working on our studio and dropping some ideas to start a new project of ours and that remix was the spark that started it all.
We had quite a good reception to our work and since people kept asking for more, we kept on working and delivering the goods.
Slimmy – Set me on Fire (Beatbender Remix)
03. How would you describe your music and who have been the main influences would you say that helped you shape your style and sound?
Its um… Mixed Feelings. There’s a bunch of influences on our work. Lots of different kinds of music. From Rock to Classic, from Minimal to Hardcore. Concerning names, its such a huge list. We’re both avid consumers of a LOT of different kinds of music.
04. Where or what do you draw inspiration from and what are your musical backgrounds? Have you ever played in any rock/metal bands?
We do have more than one project going on and we had quite a few in the past. Gustavo has been producing electronica in a lot of different genres since the 90’s and Paulo been playing guitar and bass since forever. We probably answered to the inspiration part in the previous question.
Travelling, life on the road, the world that surrounds us, our personal life experiences, the night life, the party people. These are things we draw inspiration from, everything adds up to the recipe. We like to throw every this and that to the recipe and add that hard/rocking feeling at the same time dancy and melodic.
05. You have already produced a few originals as well as remixes, do you prefer working on one more than the other for some reason and if yes why?
Both are good to express ourselves creatively, we can’t really say there’s one we like the most. Both provide us with different kinds of satisfaction.
Rocket – Suicide in Venice (Beatbender Remix)
Knooper – Focus (Beatbender Remix)
06. What would you say is your biggest music achievement/highlight so far and what your most embarrassing moment?
Making to the top10 of all the labels we’ve released with so far is a damn good achievement. Also, having the chance to share the booth with most artists we love and respect. Also providing a lot of our friends with entry points into the scene. Its rewarding.
Embarrassing? Well it sucks when the lights go out 3 times in a row.
07. You have already released 3 EPs, with your last one “We Are Animals” taking things to the next level if you ask me. What feedback did you receive for this EP and are you happy with it?
Thank you!
Yeah, we had an awesome reception to the EP and the tracks really work on our live sets (for us that’s the best part) and people respond very well to them on the dance floor. We think it’s the refinement of what we’ve been working on Beatbender and we’re really proud of it. We always try that our next release surpasses the previous.
Beatbender “We are Animals” EP
08. Should we be expecting another release from Beatbender in 2012 and what are you working on at the moment?
At the moment we’re working on remixes and collabs. Not sure if there’s going to be a new EP in 2012. Although we do have original tracks waiting for a new release we’re still enjoying this last one.
The remixes we’re going to release are going to be cool though. We had the pleasure to work with Tim Tonik, Hijack Da Bass and we also have a surprise coming!
09. You have been playing quite a few live shows and recently you played with Cyberpunkers as well. Any more shows coming up and who would be your favorite artist to play and share the stage with?
Got a few scheduled for December. NYE is a must because it is usually such a crazy party. And everyone loves it right?! Although this year we’ve decided that either its a nice event or we prefer to be in the crowd and have fun because otherwise it’ll be the second year in a row that we work on NYE… hahah (its not work, you know, but… yeah)
Regarding favorite artists… Cyberpunkers are always a blast. We’ve had a chance to play with them like … 3 or 4 times now and it’s always crazy. Played with quite a few national and international names but to be honest they’re all so awesome that it’s easier pointing out the un-cool ones. Although we’re not going to do that… sorry ;D
10. Any interesting onstage/backstage stories to share with us?
Hmmm, well, recently we got to the destination airport and we found out 1h after that the promoter “forgot” about us.
Also, one time Paulo went to the front row and smacked this drunkard that was harassing two girls. Made everyone go even wilder.
11. Out of all producers/artists you can think of, who would you dream of collaborating with and spending a few days or hours in the studio with?
Most of them are dead now. BUT! We would obviously love to be in the studio with a bunch of nowadays artists like… [insert cool nowadays artist here]
12. Do you prefer working only with computers/sequencers or do you get your hands dirty playing and recording instruments? Do you use samples and what’s your opinion on sampling and copyright?
It really depends on the mood and inspiration. We really try to draw sound from anything that makes sound. We don’t really follow that analog/digital war and computer vs gear thing. Anything is good providing you have the skills to use it works for us.
We do use a few drum hits samples. But that’s it. All the rest is synthed, pretty much from the white noise to the bass lines.
Copyright.. Well, sample copyright is needed but really depends on what and how you’re sampling. If you’re using something creatively and making it better and not similar to the original then why not… it shouldn’t be a copyright infringement. Now, if you’re just adding a beat to a vocal sample or vice-versa and calling it yours, using no creativity at all… Then that’s not cool.
Sampling from really old stuff shouldn’t be taken as an infringement though, especially when you sample from stuff that’s not even music. I mean, who cares about some early 60’s TV show or something like that nowadays. But hey, its the law.. And its so unclear in that subject and changes from country to country that’s probably better to be safe than sorry.
13. What is music for you and what do you think about the way the music industry is changing?
Music is a means of expression. Its also a form of art. The process of transforming feelings into moving air that ears transform into feelings again. Its a heck of a science, feelings and air displacement. 🙂
The music industry is changing because there are more people consuming music nowadays than ever and there is so much room for so many stuff. At the same time, technology has provided anyone with the necessary tools to create and express. So that’s why there is a lot going out nowadays.
It feels like a race sometimes but its not necessarily one. It pushes boundaries and at the same time it makes a lot of things evolve. There surely are a lot of bedroom/pro/commercial/cheesy/hard/soft/midget stuff flooding the market nowadays but the deal with music has always been the same, like Peter Warlock said: “All good music, whatever its date, is ageless – as alive and significant today as it was when it was written.“
14. Any comments about today’s mainstream music? Do you agree with Haezer’s “Commercial Music Is Dead” and why?
Commercial music is dead. “Dead” as in it’s so saturated with the same disgusting concepts and ingredients that it’s as good as dead. But the commercial business concept around music is very much alive and still keeps a lot of millions spinning.
Also, there is a very thin line that separates good pop music from awfully bad pop music but that’s people education fault. People should be responsible of banning bad music. Because the industry only sells what people want, isn’t it? There’s room for every kinds of music though imho.
15. Do you believe that an electronic music artist can earn his/her living from music nowadays?
Well, we do make our living from music for a while now and especially in a country like Portugal that’s a crazy concept!
We both quit our day jobs, started earning a lot less from music but hey… we’re a lot happier now! It’s tough, but it’s possible. You just have to work a lot and since its something you love, it’s not “work” at all.
16. What are you listening to lately? Any tracks/artists you recommend?
Latest Haezer stuff is dope. The latest Black Keys album, Soundgarden was a massive surprise! We love and admire that oldschool rock sounds. Also any of the latest Jet Set Trash releases.
17. What’s the best and worst thing about working with each other? Do you spend time together outside the studio and what’s a day in the life of Beatbender like when not producing music?
We really understand each other even when we’re shouting at each other (yeah it happens!).
We like to hang out with friends, movies, outdoor barbecues and cooking (yep eating > world), drinks (yep drinks > eating), have fun, visit stuff, have fun during the crazy Oporto (or wherever) nightlife. Yeah most of our fun goes on during the night because we’re pretty much the noctivagus kind. It starts at 3am and ends at 3pm next day.
18. If your studio was on fire what would be the first thing to save?
Our asses!! We have off-site backups!! xD
Nah in all honesty… I dunno, it really depends on our chances at the time. The studio is such a mess and it has so much crap connected and so much crap overflowed with crap on top of crap I would pretty much be stuck in the cabling and thus about to be set on fire before deciding what to take. Maybe the small things, our keys, cellphones… :X
We don’t really own any irreplaceable epic vintage older than my grandmother analog gear or something like that. Anything we could grab at that time would be enough. Not saying it would be easy to bear… Keeping our fingers crossed wishing that never happens!
19. What do you think about the Metalectro blog and the music featured on it?
We’ve been following since it started. A hell of a job if you ask me!!
Big ups to all the team.
20. Anything else you’d like to mention and we forgot to ask?
Thanks for having us! We would like to take the chance to send massive greets to everyone and to thank for the support and hope to see everyone in one of our gigs sometime soon! Stay true!