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Interview by: Submerge / Orlando of Impact Mechanics

A.PAUL (aka LOUDON KLEER)

Loudon-Kleer-Mix

A.PAUL-Math Remix

A.Paul-Pangea-ultima

Loudon Kleer- Atom

Loudon Kleer- Bias

Orlando Impact: At the present time the word Techno and Minimal are really hyped by the UK press. Also the fact that the bpm’s are the same as house gives it more of a chance to be diverse. Where do you see the Techno scene heading in the future?

A.Paul: I think it’s a good time for electronic music, I can see a bigger connection between genres which means between people, I guess. House djs playing techno, techno djs playing also different stuff, breaking some dogmas and preconceptions. I still think there are too many categorized genres, though… way too many. It’s a media thing, that’s how the press works on every field in life, and music wouldn’t be different.
Anyway, I don’t feel disturbed by the minimal scene, since I’ve always liked the sound, just think is over-hyped and it will lead to a premature extinction, as it always happens in these situations. Still love funky techno, hard groovy stuff as well, the style that I’ve been working with more, over the last years.
It’s hard to tell where is heading since this is what techno is all about, innovation, and breaking barriers, with some nostalgia twists every now and then, but always trying to push music into a next level.

Orlando Impact: How did you get into music?

My first contact with music was by the age of 6. In my country most people would listen to commercial pop and rock, but my sister used to listen to a daily radio show where all new emergent dance styles would play for 2 hours everyday. It was a mix between disco, funk, synth-pop.. I got hooked straight away. Then she bought my first twelve inch, Two Tribes by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.. that was my first contact with professional vinyl.

Orlando Impact: When you’re working on music what equipment are you using?

A.Paul: I used to own a few machines, but after a few years of just watching them catching dust, since I was then mostly using just software, I decided to sell most of it. Software always had a strong role on my production. I started using trackers on Commodore Amiga back in the 80’s, then when I moved to PC’s, I used Cakewalk, Cubase, Fruity Loops and also learned how to use Logic on friends studios that had Mac… Currently I use Ableton Live a lot. I had some trouble in the beginning, trying to get good sound out of it, but it was just lack of experience. Now, that I finally managed to get the sound I want, I intend to carry on using it, it just intuitive, easy and fast, makes my life easier. I use also other tools & lots of plugins… Reaktor , V-Station, ReFx Vanguard, Albino etc.. Recently I stared buying some hardware gear again…

Orlando Impact: As owner of the reputable label Naked Lunch; tell us what artists you have slated for releases in the future?

A:Paul: Naked Lunch was originally conceived in 2005, started as a vinyl label, but was one year later that it had the chance to grow, and build up as I intended. I try to keep it a very open minded label, releasing lots of different techno styles on it, and I can say the feedback has been amazing over these last 2 years. Lots of people send me music every week, and I release stuff both from unknown and established artists, but I don’t really plan it in a long term. Possible, nearly confirmed next guests will be Mark Williams, Boriqua Tribez, Andreas Kramer, and also a lot of my stuff as well on Naked Lunch and also on my other labels The Light, Parallel 125, Dirty Ego, LK Music and Triple Recordings.

Orlando Impact: Can you give us a current Top-10 tunes?

A.Paul: Top 10 – May 2008

01. The Advent – Heavy Traffic (Kombination Research)
02. Gabry Fasano – Reactor (Sacrifice)
03. Patrick Skoog – Psyche (Patterns)
04. Michael Wenz – Panik (Naked Lunch)
05. Industrialyzer – Kosmos (Codeworks)
06. A.Paul – Alloy (Ekho Port)
07. A.Paul – Free Form (Impact Mechanics)
08. Green Velvet – Temptation (Relief)
09. Oscar Mulero – 46 (Warm Up)
10. michaelangelo – Transmutate (Labrynth)

Loudon Kleer: Top 10 – May 2008

01. Pan Pot – Crank (Mobilee)
02. Workidz – Washmachine (Toolroom)
03. Gel Abril – Your Face Is A Mess – M. Broom Remix (Be As One)
04. Angel Alanis – Life (Impact Mechanics)
05. Kaiser Souzai – Autocumulus – Piemont Remix (BluFin)
06. Monoroom – Knister Knaster – A.Collins Remix (Gastpiel)
07. Loudon Kleer – A Few Things EP (Parallel 125)
08. Darien J – Dubstar – Perc’s Dub (Cubism)
09. Monoblock – Untone (Cynosure)
10. Alessio Mereu – What U Really Want (Analytic Trail)

Orlando Impact: Can you name a track from your own productions that you like the most whether it being under the alias loudonkleer, as well as a couple of tracks from other artists that you think are well produced right now?

A.Paul: Well, I’ve done so many track in the past 2 years that it’s hard to answer to. There is lot of good music out there, better check the charts above to know what I am into right now.

Orlando Impact: You have been receiving a lot of attention under your alias Loudon Kleer, tell us how you came about that name, and what Name/style of music do you prefer to produce under?

A:Paul: I changed my life philosophy a lot in the last years, and that made me grow a lot both as an artist and a human being. In the past I did music with lots of rules with the perspective of being accepted, to fit a particular market or taste range. That is definitely not the right way to do things, but I learned how to free myself, translate my soul vibes and moods into music, and by doing that, now I do feel free to do whatever I want. Loudon Kleer was born in 2006, my rebel experimental alter ego, with whom I can do from house to techno, ambient, electro, whatever I please. I still love to produce and play pounding techno as A.Paul, but I also love everything else I do. In the last 2 years, I’ve done over 300 tracks… I know they are not all master-pieces, but I still like a lot of what I’ve done in these period, and I know now that now people respect my work for what it is. I spotted the name “Loudon Kleer” in the movie Who’s That Girl with Madonna, and I thought it was a nice funny way of playing with the words. I like to play with words and avoid the obvious.

Orlando Impact: So what kind of music do you like to listen at home?

A.Paul: Mostly electronic stuff, in any genre. I love electronic music. But my favorite listening place is my car. I used to play every Friday and Saturday in my country (Portugal) so I drove millions of miles… I love to drive and listen to music. I’ve always like classical music and some jazz as well.

Orlando Impact: Some of techno artists have started returning to a kind of old school studio set-up like out-board stuff after going through new technology. What is your opinion on Hardware vs Software?

A.Paul: At the end of the day, men need tools. Whatever fits you better, whatever you feel more comfortable with, will lead to better results. Personally I started to buy some hardware again, cause I felt I needed to add an extra human feel to my music, more buttons & stuff to play with, but as I said before, I’ve been mostly using software and you can do great music just with software. Just as long as you find your true artist soul you can make good music with any tool. Get a decent computer with a good sound card, a midi controller, or just gear with external sequencer, like in the old days. Possibilities are infinite, just as long you believe in yourself and you practice a lot.

Orlando Impact: Do you have any next break artists, Labels or DJs in your mind?

A.Paul: There are loads of amazing artists around. So many people touched me over the years, and some of them still do. Also lots of new artists experimenting and doing great stuff. On the minimal side, in the 90’s I first had contact with Robert Hood and Mills sound, and later with Richie Hawtin as well, I think the Concept Series are still amazing. Today names like Pan-Pot, Pig & Dan, 3 Channels, Akufen, 2 Dollar Egg, Sleeparchive, Stewart Walker, Boris Brejcha, Damon Wild, Mike Parker are the ones that please me the most, I think. On the other department, Cisco Ferreira has always been my mentor, still love most of the things he does, there is also a Portuguese producer called Industrialyzer that is already rockin big time as well, been playing his stuff a lot. Other names that rock my sets are Oscar Mulero, Mark Broom, Surgeon, James Ruskin, Joey Beltram, Mark Williams, Ben Long, Chris McCormack, Gary Martin, Eric Sneo, Mike Humphries, Chris Liebing, Adam Beyer, Speedy J, Ben Long, Cari Lekebusch, michaelangelo ,Elektrabel, Takaaki Itoh and the list goes on…

Orlando Impact: What’s coming up next for you?

A.Paul: Music, music, music… I’ve been working with computers since I was a kid, and in so many fields, I’ve done graphic and web design, I’ve wrote for magazines, designed merchandising, and I end up realizing that I was not focusing properly on what is my true “me”. I love to produce music, dj, run my labels, and I do feel privileged to be able to do that. We live in such strange times, such much shit going on in the planet; I think we do a great job by loving and spreading such an amazing thing.

You can visit A.Paul @ http://www.myspace.com/djapaul