How did you start?
Truth is that I started when I was 12 years old at school during the breaks between classes. I asked the director to let me play cassettes on the school speakers system, soon after that i landed a job on the local radio.
Where are you based?
Presently Im based in Berlin
Please give an example of your music creative process?
Some times I feel only playing and sequencing machines, other times I just work on some textures and ambiances on my modular system and when Im happy with the result I create a bit around it. There are also times when I spend days recording and then chopping song from old jazz, soul or whatever records I find, then I load those parts on my amazing Octatrack sampler and I just mess around with them until I have a clear idea were I want to go. then I just press record and I jam the different parts and patterns I’ve created, everything is recorded multi track so after I can go to the recordings and do a bit of edit. Most of the time I record long takes which I after cut down to a reasonable time.
What are you working on right now?
I have been working on a lot of new original music and remixes which will start coming out next month. Also running my summer parties called Loosen Up which I do at Club Der Visionaere here in Berlin.
My own record label it’s set to release the first E.P early next fall. It’s the natural continuation of my nights, obviously will be called Loosen Up Records
What is your gear setup?
APB analog mixer console, the ever growing modular rig, eventide pedal fx’s, moog pedals, a few digital reverb and delay units like 80’s DP4 and Tap delay TC Electronis, some new roland boutique and the good oldies like the SH 101, TB 303, JX 3P. for bass I mostly use a Moog vogayer and a Cjwemann S1. But the real bread and butter of my every day rutine are the fantastic Elektron Machines, I own the Octatrack, Analog 4, Analog rytm and a Machine Drum, they are such deep and generous machines !
What do you like to do outside of music and does it affect your music?
I like to build and repair stuff like synthesizer also to restore machinery, like this 80’s pinball machine we are restoring with my uncle in Argentina.
whatever that puts my hands and brain to work makes me happy is like a therapy. I have a big thing for motorcycles too. for a few years I was restoring to new an old motorcycle for the 70’s it took me a long time to find each original part but now is ready and it’s a beauty! to do long off road trips is one of the thing I enjoy the most. Every time I come back from those trips I feel fully recharged and ready to lock my self down in the studio.
How would you describe your music genre?
I don’t. I just can make it. To describe it would mean putting it in a box and I want it to be as elastic and ever changing as possible
Do you know any music theory?
just a tinny bit from when I was younger, but to be honest I’ve been thinking on going back to taking piano lessons, maybe next winter .
What are your plans for the future?
Becoming dad for the first time in November will be pretty much my main occupation for the years to come.
Besides that, touring South America in October, releasing Chic miniatures first album by the end of the year and releasing quite a few 12 inches under my name and a new Alias called “Fresno” and putting time into the record label
How did you get into music?
I guess like many kids of my time, a lot of records in the house and a musical Family
What are you listening to at the moment?
Right now im going back to old house records from my collection, but since I like all kinds of music lately I’ve been revisiting artists like Atahualpa Yupanki , Wolfgang Lackerschmid. as we speak im listening Phaedra by tangerine Dream.
Who are your top 5 influences and icons?
My main musical influence is until today Depeche Mode, also Pink Floyd was huge in my life Akufen was a revelation for me in the year 2000, the early days of Luciano also had an impact when I was starting to produce as well as Ricardo.
When are you playing next?
This weekend starts today at la fête de la musique here in Berlin, Friday at Badaboum in Paris, Saturday in Bucharest with Luciano and Sunday also in Bucharest on a day time party
My nights:
Loosen Up @ Cdv facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loosenup.official/
Side Project:
Chic Miniature, project along Guillaume Coutu Dumonts facebook https://www.facebook.com/chicminiature/
https://soundcloud.com/ernesto-f
@ernestoferreyra