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12 Questions Episode 394: Agustin Basulto

With Agustin Basulto having new music out now on Sound Avenue we catch up with him for the latest episode of 12 Questions.

1. How old are you, where are you living and how long have you been producing and Djing?

Hi guys. Thanks for having me! I’m 26 years old and I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ve been producing and Dj’ing for 5 years since my first steps.

2. Where do your musical roots lie, what are your first memories of electronic music and when did you know you wanted to pursue it seriously? Are there any particular productions or artists from the past that really made you think to yourself ‘this is what I want to do.”

I ‘ve been connected with music since my childhood because my father was a musician and he taught me to play the guitar. I passed through different periods and I learned to play other instruments as well. I’ve always played music with bands, until I met electronic music and became fascinated with it. When I discovered Ableton I realized that it was my perfect setup.

3. How difficult was learning to produce for you in the beginning? Did you take any Audio Engineering programs or production courses to help you out or are you pretty much self taught? And did anyone give any advice early on that really helped?

I took classes with different producers, some I choose because of their experience with softwares and others because I liked their music. Then I started to deepen my knowledge on the technical phase. The process was quite dynamic and I could get information from different sources.

4. What parts of the production process do you find the most difficult and what comes easiest for you? When you do hit a creative block what helps you through it?

The main ideas and drafts of tracks are the easiest for me, I make them quite fast. Maybe even in hours I can finish a totally new track to add in my live set and then improvise its structure when playing it. But it takes me a lot of time to finish the structure in order to sign them. I can change them many times before i come up with the final version.

5. You have a new EP out this week on Sound Avenue with a stunning selection of tracks and an amazing remix from Pole Folder. It’s your second project for the label. Tell about the writing process of the EP, the thought process behind the remixer selection and how you came to work with Sound Avenue again?

Thank you so much! It was a long process because it are tracks I had finished a long time ago, and they had different versions. Dominique (Madloch) saw potential in them, so I retouched them again to give them a new approach. When he mentioned the possibility for Pole Folder to make a remix, there was nothing left so say, i knew he would make an excellent work. He is a great artist, I always liked his music and heard him when he came to my country. I chose to work with Sound Avenue again simply because it’s a great label, managed by a great person, great artist and very profesional. (Madloch).

6. Apart from electronic music what other genres do you listen to and who are your favourite artists outside of electronic? and do these genres or artists have a direct effect on your own productions?

I like to look always for new music, but regarding genres, I listen jazz, classic music and Argentinian Folklore (autochthonous music from my country), which stuck from my childhood. Nirvana, as a band I listened through all my adolescence. I believe that everything we hear, directly or indirectly, has an influence on what we do as artists. The interest thing is to see how we can reorganize all the elements we like and make something totally new.

7. What was the first and last physical (CD, Vinyl, Cassette etc) piece of music you bought?

My first CD was “Volvió la alegria, vieja” by Dos Minutos, a, argentinian punk rock band. And the last one, was “Get Lost V” from Acid Pauli.

8. Tell us something about yourself that might surprise people?

My best ideas happen when I’m sad or blue about something. And is when I least want to make music, so i really force myself to do it no matter what. When I hear it the next day and I remember how i felt, everything seems healed.

9. What’s a normal day like for you? Do you have a job outside of electronic music? And what do you like to do when you’re not working on music?

I’m my own boss and that helps a lot to be able to dedicate as much time I’d like to music, which is my true passion and what makes me really happy. In the morning I usually do the “administrative tasks” of music. I hear what I made last night, I upload material to hear in the streets, I download new material (libraries, vst’s, etc) and I read/watch material that can help me improve my music. Then I go to work and at night I usually do the creative part: I continue some project or make new things. That’s the method that helped me the most to go forward and I try to follow it as many days I can.

10. Which producers consistently inspire you? And where else does your inspiration come from?

The producers that inspire me the most are those that make something completely different from the rest, although they aren’t related with my sound. That’s what I value the most personally in an artist. Those who can reinvent themselves according the moment they’re going through and have something new to offer. To name a few, Kiasmos, Stimming, Jacques, David August and Jan Blomqvist.

11. There are countless producers out there trying to find their way and create their own unique sound, what advice do you have for them?

First of all, to try focusing on the creative side without wanting to sound as their musical referents or having the sound quality of the tracks they like. Try to find what really likes them and what they’re capable to do. And if they realize they are not capable, do not get frustrated and focus in learning how to make that possible. And what’s most important, to enjoy the process of making music.

12. If the final DJ/live set of your career was next week what would your last track be?

This is a tough one! I suppose I’d go into the studio to see what comes up, knowing that I don’t have much left.

‘Regen’ is out now on Sound Avenue, you can purchase the release: here

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