Introduction

Another artist interview! Read up on the Spanish scene as Christofori interviews JosSs. Find out what he's been up to, and catch his interesting perspective on the tracking scene!

• JosSs's Profile
  

The Interview

Christofori: So let's start with your name, age, and where you're from.

JosSs: Okay, my name is José Manuel Pérez, I'm 31 years old (WOW! hehe) and I'm from the wonderful city of Madrid in Spain.

Christofori: Ah, cool! 31 eh? Don't see many active trackers around that are your age anymore :)

JosSs: jajaje... sure. I think the real scener spirit is not compatible with real life in 100% of cases; but for me... musical life is a tracked life.

Christofori: You're probably right. Speaking of the scene, how's it look in Spain, how big is it there?

JosSs: Well, in my opinion, the scene in Spain is really alive. A lot of groups are "ON" in the scene... and the most important, some great parties are the "hot spot" for all da people here in Spain.

Christofori: That's great! Have you been to many scene parties then?

JosSs: Nahh... life is hard for me (with my age, work is important so I must be in the office most weekends).
I only joined one party "in real life" (and a 90% gamers party) in Seville, where I won the multichannel compo... I also joined BCN and Euskal Party with co-op entries :)

Christofori: Really, sounds like you've been fairly active then!

JosSs: Yeah! In the last 2 or 3 years, I have discovered the internet....

Christofori: That recently, eh? :)

JosSs: Oh sure! It's been a revolution for me! In my first years (before the internet), my songs are "for my ears" only - I had more than 50 songs finished but... they sat on my hard drive. Well, one day, I decided to buy a modem, and I uploaded some songs to TraxinSpace and to the Mod Archive... I also joined some online-compos, did pretty good; won them!

Christofori: So the world got to hear JosSs for the first time, and on a really strong note, at that! :)

JosSs: Yep :)

Christofori: Yes, the 'net makes the world seem to be a smaller place; it seems that it's really helped the scene.

JosSs: sure

Christofori: Could you imagine a scene without the Internet? What would it be like, you think?

JosSs: pffff.... nah! Impossible. The internet is the only way to the scene today.

Christofori: It certainly is the most accessible.

JosSs: Yeah... but some years ago, the BBS were cool; but now, scener life is not possible without a internet access - the internet lets you know people all around the world! Now your "scener country" is your "scener planet" :)

Christofori: So very true. You mentioned BBS's -- did you ever send your music out on any of them?

JosSs: nah... I didn't have a modem back then...

Christofori: Ah, okay then.

JosSs: I sent some songs to magazine contest here in Spain (Like pcmania and etc.) - and only 2 songs!

Christofori: Right, how'd that go?

JosSs: Some people may remember these songs a lot of years after this! But some people don't like oldskool demostyled songs (i had sent "spanish summer" and "Special Emotion" in to the magazine). I thought they were cool :)

Christofori: Yes, I remember hearing of the magazine days; is that how you stayed informed on the scene before you found the internet?

JosSs: No, not really... one friend (a crazy-amiga and c64 user) show me the firsts demos and cracktros...

Christofori: Ah, okay...

JosSs: I was saying wow! The music of these productions makes me... Well, you know... That's the kind of music that I liked for a lot of years. I still have quite a few cassettes with all da best oldskool music :)

Christofori: So is that what you started with, then, when you began tracking?

JosSs: Hmmm... well, my first try at tracked music was made on my old zx spectrum 48k - on a really basic program called "wham! the music box" - it had 2 channels

Christofori: Oh wow!

JosSs: Hehehe.. sure! I don't remember the year, but it was a lot of years ago!

Christofori: I'd bet.. the earliest most people remember are the great 4-chan mods from the amiga days :)

JosSs: Well on the spectrum... As the games became better and better, music of the games did too. I can remember a game called "firefly" - it used 2 channels and a drum channel which was incredible for the spectrum! luty (an old friend and coder) used to disable the music routines and I changed the notes with a hex editor! Wow, those were old times! :)

Christofori: Hahaha, indeed! So since the spectrum, and your first track, how many tracks would you say you've made in all?

JosSs: Hmmm... approximately 150 finished, with more than 500 unfinished - but... life is long :)

Christofori: That's an impressive lot! Yes, you're right on that.

JosSs: I keep uploading to the net - now I have 50 (or so) tracks at the Mod Archive - but soon there'll be massive oldskool update!

Christofori: Very nice - I look forward to that! So have you always tracked, or do you also play other musical instruments?

JosSs: I've always tracked... no more instrument than a qwerty keyboard :) Do I need more!? Tracker tool r00lz!

Christofori: Definately! What would you say is the most important thing about a song? Like, what inspires you to sit down and write a new song?

JosSs: Well... inspiration for me is all da good music tracked around the scene... I want to be like all the great composers.

Christofori: What kinds of music do you listen to, then? Just tracked music, or..?

JosSs: Well, tracked music and all kind of "real" music. My favorite style IRL is Jazz Fusion.

Christofori: Yeah, that's really popular with a lot of people these days.

JosSs: Groups like Acoustic Alchemy, The Rippingtons, Dave Koz, Pat Metheny Group... Wow!

Christofori: Ah, Pat Metheny ;)

JosSs: Oh sure :) "We Live Here" - a great album, and my favorite song is "Flamoco Loco" by Acoustic Alchemy.

Christofori: How much of what you hear, then, would you say influences you and your music?

JosSs: Well , 90% of the influences in my music are scene-musicians... people like Purple Motion, Skaven, Moby, Jogeir, Peter Salomonsen, 4mat, Dizzy (oh dizzy :) and most recent trackers, like Carlos, Reed (reed really r00lz) and a lot of people!

Christofori: Great! Do you have any other interests with the arts than music?

JosSs: Hehehe... I'm architect in real life...

Christofori: Ah, very cool -- interesting combination; music and architecture :)

JosSs: Yep :) One of my first songs was called Cosmic Architecture. With me, it's always architecture and music, I love them both.

Christofori: So you must be very creative then. What about creating things do you like most?

JosSs: It's my life! To track a good song - the best song - it's like to design the best building. When you've got it, you know - and you feel great! It's a really powerful feeling, too; I love making music and designing (architecture).

Christofori: So how much time, per week, would you say that you spend tracking?

JosSs: In the most recent months, probably no more than 15 minutes per day (I only have time to track some little chiptunes). Some years ago, though... it was more than 3 hours/day... and all da weekends! :)

Christofori: Ah, yes, the weekends :)

JosSs: Hey, but I'm not only a chipper! People know me for tracking chiptunes, but chiptunes are just for fun. I like to track them.

Christofori: That's cool, everyone's got their style they like.

JosSs: ...but my favorite styles are demostyle and jazz-funk! :)

Christofori: What's your favorite food and color, and are you a morning person, or a night person?

JosSs: Hmmm... I like Chinese food, my favorite color is blue, and JosSs is JosSs at night :)

Christofori: Ah, another night person :)

JosSs: Sure! Night is when I can relax... do the internet stuff, spend time with my girlfriend, and my friends :)

Christofori: On another random note.. where did the "HisSs" thing come from; it's like your 'calling card' when you enter the IRC channel. :)

JosSs: jajajaj :) I really dunno.. but now JosSs is JosSs when HisSs appears.

Christofori: Just something you picked up along the way?

JosSs: Yep.

Christofori: All right; I'd always wondered if there might be some story behind it. :)

JosSs: Hehe.. well, the first time I entered the modarchive IRC channel... I didn't use mIRC; I think I entered from the java client... Anyway, I had no nickname (or I didn't know how to change it). I started to use hisSs to say hi, and... well... here I am :)

Christofori: so HisSs was born :)

JosSs: Yep! :) A lot of people now know "hisSs" - it's like in the mods, in the last part of the sample text; " - JosSs Was Here - " :) dunno why...

Christofori: If you suddenly became very rich, what would you do with all the money?

JosSs: No my friend, no money here. I've only been working 2 years (I got a late start because of University and military service...) So I have no money... and "I need a house!"

Christofori: Well, I mean, if money were no object, and you could have one thing, no matter what, what would you ask for?

JosSs: A house! Sure! :)

Christofori: Ah, okay! You mentioned the military; what did you do there, and how long was that?

JosSs: pfff. In Spain, serving in the military is now optional.... But 4 years ago :( How long? 9 months.

Christofori: Ah, you had to join then.

JosSs: Sure :( And my career... was postponed 2 years more for this. The military was a bad thing for a 28 year old; it put my career on hold.

Christofori: Yes, it can do that, that's the unfortunate thing when you must serve as you did.

JosSs: Yeah.

Christofori: Well, will we hear any new music coming from JosSs in the next few weeks?

JosSs: Oh sure :) In #modulez (on EsperNet) they are working on a new music disk... Soon, "Da feeling" will be in this MusicDisk... "Glamour" and 2 or 3 chiptunes are 90% finished.

Christofori: Which of your tracks would you say is your best, or most favorite?

JosSs: Hmmm.... "Da feeling" in multichannel (soon available), and "fuck da ripper" in chiptune.

Christofori: Is there anything you feel we've not covered that you'd like people to know about you?

JosSs: Nah.. I think it was a good interview and if someone wants to know more or ask something... just email me. My English is bad but I'll try to reply!

Christofori: Your English isn't really bad!

JosSs: Nah.... It's really bad but, then again, I never learned it in school. I learned English from the internet! And music of course...

Christofori: Haha, such a great tool isn't it :)

JosSs: And great teachers!

Christofori: Sure thing, of course :) Well thank you, JosSs, for taking the time for this interview!

JosSs: Thank you Christofori, it was a pleasure. :)

Christofori: No problem, likewise here :)

JosSs: Greets from Spain!

Christofori: Make sure you check out some of JosSs' music here.