by Aaron Russell for Abstrakt Reflections | March 20, 2011

After making a name for himself in the underground rave scene with his darkstep sound, Synthetic Violence (formerly Brain Confusion) has emerged from Latvia to join Abstrakt Reflections. Trading the hardcore aesthetic for a more calculated, inspired approach; Synthetic Violence endeavors to stir the heart and mind with a new release this spring.

We were honored to briefly speak with the young Latvian producer. Our transcript follows:

AR: You mention in your bio that you live in Latvia. What is the state of electronic music in Latvia?

Igors: Yes, I have been living in Riga, Latvia all my life. Here in Latvia, most people who listen to electronic music choose styles like Dubstep, House, Minimal Techno, etc. A few listen to underground music styles like IDM, Industrial, Hardcore, etc.

If we had statistics about the styles people like; I think one in fifty listeners know something about or listen to styles like IDM or post/industrial music. People here love club music, love to dance; not to listen and think. I think it is perhaps too difficult for them to enjoy. The construction of drums and melodies (IDM specifically); it is not rhythmic nor predictable…

AR: How do you feel living in Latvia influences your music?

Igors: I don’t think living here has effected my music. All the ideas I invest in my music are taken from people I know, from communication, from love, from hate. I communicate with people from all around the world; with artists, friends, and colleagues from work and the university.

The most amazing ideas in my music are from love, from my girlfriend. She is amazing. These new ideas you will hear in my new album; dedicated to her. It is a new style; something I have not done before. It was a great experience that I did entirely for her!

AR: How did you discover electronic music?

Igors: It was a long time ago; I think 17-18 years ago. My big sister came back from a rave and gave me a tape cassette with digital hardcore and drum and bass recordings. It was my first trip around electronic music. I was shocked when I listened to it. Those were great times!

AR: What inspired you to begin making electronic music?

Igors: In 2004 I was visiting my friend. He showed me a program for music making which he’d downloaded some days ago. It was Fruity Loops. When I arrived back home I downloaded it and started creating. After a month I realized it was too simple and downloaded Propellerhead’s Reason, which I work with to this day.

AR: What tools are you currently using?

Igors: Now I work with Propellerhead’s Reason 5 and Ableton Live 8 for software; sometimes using live drums and piano; and Korg Kronos, Korg R3 and Korg ESX1 synthesizers.

AR: Your music is an array of styles, blending hardcore, drum and bass, idm, etc. Would you say you are at an experimental stage artistically? Or do you purposefully change styles from time to time?

Igors: I am working toward creating my own style of music; something people have never heard before. I want to blend something hard and dark; something distorted but with atmosphere. Distorted, bright pianos and complex, hard, distorted drums and glitches, with noise, etc. Many artists are experimenting with similar sounds but I want to do something different. I want to have a unique sound.

For instance, if you listen to Aphex Twin‘s new album for the first time (which is very unique stylistically) you still understand that it is his music. He has something in his music that you can hear in all his work. Something unique only to him. I want to be the same!

AR: What led to the conclusion of Brain Confusion and the subsequent birth of Synthetic Violence?

Igors: Brain Confusion was a time when I did not choose the style of music I wanted to create. I was producing drum and bass but then I decided to do IDM and Noise music. Synthetic Violence began when I passed from one style to another. I didn’t have much experience with IDM.

AR: What do you wish for listeners to take from your music? Does your music carry a political, cultural or social message?

Igors: I want people who listen to my music to feel what I felt while producing the tracks. My message is more a cultural message. I want people to use their imaginations a little; take a trip with sound somewhere in the back streets of consciousness. I want them to discover something new; to have new experiences while listening to my music.

AR: Who inspires you as an artist?

Igors: Influences for me have been artists such as Aphex Twin, Venetian Snares, Ophidian, Kashiwa Daisuke (the track “beautiful sunday”), Converter, Mlada Fronta,
Synapscape, Hellfish, Annedonia, Tapage, Technical Itch, Reeko, British Murder Boys, Silicon Scally, Swaizak, Hecq, Kattoo, Beefcake, Drumcorps, Bong Ra, Nebulo, Architect, Mendelayev, Nikakoi, u-Ziq, Bjork, Radiohead, Sybreed, Paura, Cannibal Corpse , etc.

But the greatest influence has been my girlfriend, Julia. She is my muse. The greatest ideas in my music come from our love. I am very grateful for her patience and love. Without it I would not have accomplished what I have. Thanks to her, I found my style in music. A style which critically differs from my previous recordings.

AR: What are your plans for the future? 



Igors: During the last six months I’ve been working on a new album which will be released through Abstrakt Reflections this April. The new album will be critically different from music I’ve produced before. Ten tracks with a hard, brand new sound in IDM/Glitch/Noise/Post-industrial/Experimental styles; dedicated to my love, Julia. The album will also contain remixes by Tapage, Access To Arasaka, Apparent Symmetry, c0ma & VNDL.