Secret Thirteen Guide 005 - Damian Marhulets

Interview:

Tell us your story about your musical path. When it started, how it turned into what we hear right now? How much time you are spending listening to music and exploring diverse catalogs? What record format do you prefer (digital or physical) and why? Also, what were the motives to register to "The Guide" competition apart from winning?

I started my musical education at the age of four and played my first concert at five. Originally coming from the classical music background - as a classically trained oboe and piano player - I started to develop my musical education towards avantgarde composition and electroacoustic music in the early 2000‘s. In a last decade I‘ve been mainly active as a performer in fields of free improvised music, live-electronic and experimental turntablism in particular. A couple of years ago I finished my composition studies at Music Academies in both Hanover and Cologne. Since then I work as a freelance composer and performer doing many solo and collaborative music projects as well as organize some experimental music events in Hanover, such as „ExTempore“ Festival for free improvised music...

I‘ve been interested in experimental forms of turntablism and DJing for many years and even wrote my academic thesis on this topic some time ago. Of course, as a music-junky I‘m interested in more traditional forms of DJing too, and play regular DJ sets every now and then. I already had some ideas regarding specific narrative structures for my new mixes, when I accidentaly came across the Guide competition. Thus I decided to use this chance and to work on one of the ideas I had at that time.

Tell us more about this mix concept, ideology and why did you choose this way of compiling and developing it? Did you have the clear idea from the very beginning or did it change after you started working on it? Does it hide any encoded message or specific emotions? Also, could you say that it is your best selection ever crafted?

The mix I did for the Guide competition is a conceptual work. By no means it‘s just a selection of some favorite tunes of mine. My main intention was rather to investigate the machinery of oneiroid narration with its turbulent flows and structural proliferations. The whole mix refuses to follow a linear developement and tends to build a multidimensional structure - a multitude made out of narration anomalies and non-trivial chimeras. You can think of it as a pandemonium plane where every singularity constantly redefines itself. But please don‘t take it to serious, sometimes it‘s defenitely worth a good laugh!

To which type of personalities this mix is dedicated most? Should these persons have more musical knowledge, spiritual balance or both? Could you describe these persons in detail, thus revealing your individuality. Also, do you think that universal music exists?

This mix is dedicated in first place to all sleepwalkers, steam-punk-porn junkies, unicorn lovers, humble maniacs, chocolate monsters, little wolfgirls, deaf astronauts, bearded princesses, ordinary demons, depressive superheroes and acephalous cyborgs. And for everyone else - don‘t be afraid to loose your spiritual balance! Btw, this mix is 100% universalism-free.

Tell us your opinion about the current worldwide intelligent music scene? What do you think about it? What do you think about it's future? What dispersion and attention you see in it at the moment? Please write us your thoughts with examples, so that we know your insights and position.

It is undoubtedly hardly possible to speak about the music scene worldwide. There are just too many differences coming from both geographical location and definition of intelligent music scene as such. Speaking from my own experience, I sometimes wish the scene was more open and interconnected. Working myself in such different fields as classical music, turntablism, free improvisation, live-electronic, jazz or klezmer music to name just a few, I often wonder how hermetic all those little „music-universes“ are. Although I do enjoy the extreme fragmentation of music world with all its obscure slivers and beautiful deviations, I believe, that it is more then important especially for musicians to be able to constantly transgress own borders and explore the unknown musical neighbour realms.

Show Playlist

01. David Grubbs - Radio Baroqie - „Operette: Tape Opera Remix“ (2004, Cubic Music)
02. Nobukazu Takemura - Long Long Night - „Child and Magic“ (1997, WEA Japan)
03. Zu & Mats Gustafsson - Over a Furnace - „How to Raise An Ox“ (2005, Atavistic)
04. Kid Coala - Vacation Island - „Some of My Best Friends are DJs (2003, Ninja Tune)
05. Naked City - Hammerhead - „Torture Garden“ (1990, Tzadik)
06. Adam Pieronczyk - Delicious - „Amusos“ (2003, PAO Records)
07. Dumb Type - Gardening #2 - „Works Vol.1“ (2005, Foil Records)
08. Unknown - Rosie and Nobby - „Flexi Sex, Spoken Filth“ (2003, Trunk Records)
09. Thiaz itch - Plitipitep - „Beinn Puß 1“ (2005, Bedroom Research)
10. Nim - Humboldt Session - „V.A.“ (2005, Frozen Elephants Music)
11. Birdy Nam Nam - Jazz it at Home - „S.t.“ (2005, UWe)
12. Fred Frith - Heat c/w Moment - „Guitar Solos“ (1974, Caroline)
13. Mr.Magoo - Side A - „Magoo in Hi Fi“ (1956, RCA Victor Records)
14. C.Stalling - Variations on Mexican... - „Carl Stalling Project“ (2012, Warner Catalog)
15. Pink Freud - Come as You are - „Sorry Music Polska“ (2003, Zen Posse)
16. Millions & Yoshihide - Live & Remix 2 - „Without Kuryokhin“ (1999, Long Arms Records)
17. Ikue Mori - Kiss of Fire - „Hex Kitchen“ (1995, Tzadik)
18. The Books - Venice - „Lost and Safe“ (2005, Tomlab)
19. Gisburg - Mic & Drums - „No Stranger Not at All“ (1995, Tzadik)
20. J.Zorn & Y.Eye - 4ab - „Nani Nani II“ (1995, Tzadik)
21. Max Richter - Shadow Journal - „The Blue Notebooks“ (2004, Fat Cat Records)
22. Dick Mills - Walks - „Essential Sound Effects: SciFi“ (1991, BBC Records)
23. B.Fontaine - Le Goudron - „V.A. Bearded Ladies Vol. 1“ (2007, Finders Keepers)
24. Jon Brooks - Malign Energies - „Music for Thomas Carnacki“ (2011, Cafe Kaput)
25. Woman of SS - Tied to the Wall - „John Zewizz Presents“ (1999, RRRecord)
26. L.Lunch - How Men Die in Their Sleep - „Drowning in Limbo“ (1995, Atavistic)
27. Ezster Balint - Un Poison Violent - „Great Jewish Music - S.Gainsbourg (1997, Tzadik)
28. Bruno Nicolai - Incubo - „Il Conte Dracula OST“ (1994, Edipan)
29. Unknown - 24 Hour Lover - „Sex Slease and Soul“ (2004, Nice Treat)
30. Burning Star Core - Nyarlothotep - „The Very Heart of the World“ (2005, Thin Wrist Rec.)
31. Ikue Mori - Latino Interactive - „B-side (1998, Tzadik)
32. Gisburg - No Stranger Not At All - „No Stranger Not at All“ (1995, Tzadik)
33. Andre Vida - Woodwing - „Brud: Volume II“ (2011, PAN)
34. John Duncan - Breath Choir - „John See Soundtracks“ (1994, RRRecords)
35. C.Spencer Yeh - Untitled - „Solo Violin 1-10“ (2007, Tone Filth)
36. Ghedalia Tazartes - Sept - „Ante-Mortem“ (2010, Hinterzimmer)
37. Vialka - Merdique - „Split w/ Kruzenshtern i Parohod“ (2006, Self-released)
38. The Fantastikol Hole - Formica Leo - „Mathematikol Oil“ (2005, Basement Apes Industries)
39. Marcus Fjellstrom - LM 106 - „Library Music 1“ (2011, Kafkagarden)
40. Bruno Nicolai - Killer Violin - „Perche‘ Quelle Strane... OST“ (2004, Digitmovies)
41. Makigami Koichi - Haahick - „Koedarake“ (2005, Tzadik)
42. Mats Gustafsson - Louise - „Windows“ (200, Blue Chopsticks)
43. Prelapse - Message for Alex - „Prelapse“ (1999, Avant)
44. Paavoharju - Alania - „Laulu Laakson Kukista“ (2008 Fonal Records)
45. Jean-Jacques Perrey - Little Ships - „The Amazing New Electronic...“ (1996, Vanguard Rec)
46. Ester Brinkmann - Fotografia - „Der Uebersetzer - Il Tradutorre“ (2001, Suppose)
47. Broadcast - A Quuiet Moment - „Investigate Witch Cults...“ (2009, Warp Records)
48. Raymond Scott - Country Fair - „Manhattan Research, Inc (2000, Basta Audio Visuals)
49. France - Frankenstein - „Songs from Dracula‘s Dulcimer“ (2007, B-Music)
50. Roj - The Salt Path - „You Are Here...“ (2009, Ghost Box)
51. Kuupuu - Niittyleikki - „Yokehra“ (2006, Dekorder)
52. Delia Derbyshire - Falling - „Dreams“ (1964, Unknown)
53. Goldmund - Yamase - „Corduroy Road“ (2005, Type)
54. Iain Ballamy - Close to You - „Mirror Mask OST“ (2005, La-La Land Records)
55. Alejandra & Aeron - End I Guess - „Bousha Blue Blazes“ (2003, Lucky Kitchen)
56. Christian Marclay - 1930 - „Records 1981-1989“ (2009, Atavistic)

More about Damian Marhulets: Website