Artist: Sensient (Zenon) Interview by: Mish (Chillosophy Music)

Hey Tim! how's it going?

Good, thanks for asking

Tell us a brief intro about you... What's your full name, how old are you and where are you currently living?... what about your favorite food?

My full name is Timothy Larner, im 27 and live in Melbourne, Australia. My favourite food is anything that makes me feel good after eating it - healthy stuff!

Which was your first approach to electronic music? How did you get into the production thing?

In 2000 I went to my first dance party - The Dawning. I was fascinated by the futuristic qualities of the music and I wanted to try and create my own interpretation of what I heard. I used very early versions of Fruity Loops back then.

Who or what has made a major influence on your music?

I guess my biggest influence is having a drumming background. This makes my music based a lot on rhythm and percussion. As far as other musical influences I think im still influenced indirectly by my Dad...through him I was exposed to jazz fusion music while I was growing up and I still love it, which perhaps makes me have a more experimental approach. Ive always loved metal/rock as well which I guess explains why a lot of my music is quite dark.

Hardware vs. Software... a very common topic these days, what do you use in your set up? Besides your computer, what would be the most important piece of equipment in your studio?

My setup is pretty minimal. I use a PC running cubase, Battery for drum programming, a field recorder for some sampling and I have a Virus KC which I use a lot to get tweaks and rips...plus many other bits of software and samples. The Virus for sure is my most important equipment. There is a lot of good software around these days but not much, if any can match the fatness and wideness of hardware.

What's your way to work when you're making a track?

I always start with a kick and bassline, they need to be fat enough on their own to carry a track alone. I usually set a loop to 16 or 32 bars then fill it up as much as possible with grooves and effects. That’s the easy part. Then the hard part is structuring a track. It takes so much concentration to get everythin placed perfectly, and for the track to flow properly. The best tracks are written very quickly, in a day or two. Usually it takes me about a week though.

The latest album "AntiFluoro" is your third one, right?. How's it different from "Blue Neevus" and "Pressure Optimal"? What was the creative process like? and how long did it take the making of it?

Antifluoro has the best production of all my albums, but this is to be expected as any artist progresses in their career. When I listen back to my first album Blue Neevus it has a much more minimal approach with lots of space between the sounds. Then with Pressure Opitmal I started to get more technical and detailed in my work and started to incorporate some jazz/fusion influence. I must admit I never sit down and say “I will write an album now” - I just make tracks when I can. Then when I have 8 or 9 tracks that are good quality and have enough variety to work together well as an album I will release it. It took about 1 year to make all the tracks on Antifluoro.

How is the trance scene in Australia?

Its really strong right now and its defintely my favourite in the world. Musically we have heaps of wicked artists around. For some reason a lot of the acts from Australia have an original sound and seem to not be so affected by the trends which affect trance in a lot of places. The parties are great too, we are lucky to have a lot of genres represented at out parties and festivals which is exciting and refreshing.

I know both running a record label and making music is not easy cake... How is it for you?

Yeh it can be hard to concentrate on both. Usually I spend 1 week per month making music, then the rest of the time is spent in the label. When im touring it gets hard to stay on top of things.

What's happening at the moment in the Zenon Records headquarters? What names are involved this days in the label? What's coming next in the release schedule? Any new talents to watch out for?

The latest release is from Shadow Fx. He is a guy from Melbourne making smooth, deep progressive with a Zenon edge. Then will be an all australian compilation - Bush Food. The core names involved with Zenon are guys like Tetrameth, Shadow Fx, SunControlSpecies. Then there are some newcomers that will be released on the next compilation - Autonomech, One Tasty Morsel and Tristan Boyle. I will eventually release albums from all these guys as well. We have a nice posse of artists down here in Oz, complimented by overseas acts like Krumelur and Moses.

The kind of music you release in your label is very specific. In my opinion, it's not totally progressive trance as we're used to hear it and yet it's far from mainstream psychedelic trance... In matter of sales and popularity, how has this affected the label?

Well for sure the sales of zenon are low compared to that of more mainstream labels, but we sell enough to get by and put out the next release which is enough for me to keep going with it. I think zenon is becoming more popular quite quickly as people are hanging to hear something outside the normal, as too much of the music around our scene sounds the same in my opinion, not enough labels are taking risks by releasing music with an original sound and concept.

The music industry has experienced a huge revolution with the internet in the last years, what's your opinion both as an artist and as a label owner?

The internet is great for promotion, sites like myspace and beatport enable my music to be heard quickly and easily by so many people around the world. Of course the internet has also allowed people to illegally download music, which is a fact of life these days. cds sales are low but I don’t expect to make money from that anyway, the gigs are the main source of income.

Which places have you performed so far? Which has been your favorite gig? And which place you'd love to go?

Ive played in many places including Europe, Israel, US, Mexico, Brazil and New Zealand. I guess the most exciting gig was at Boom 2006 - it was the biggest crowd ive played to and had a mammoth vibe. Place I would love to go...hmmm some island in the Pacific thats warm and sunny...Tahiti would be nice!

What do you like to do in your spare time? any hobbies? day jobs?

Im a bit of a film buff, so I go the the movies once a week usually. On top of that I go bike riding, swimming, hanging with my girlfriend and mates.

What music do you listen at home?

Well right now as I type im listening to Keith Jarrat (jazz), I don’t really listen to dance music at home, I prefer to save it for the party. I like Telefon tel aviv, Badun, Secede, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Helmet, Meshuggah...anything but trance heh.

How do you picture yourself when you're 64?

Hmmm regretting that I spent my 20’s and 30’s making silly repetetive squiggle doof doof music instead of getting a real job!

Last but not least, any words, hellos or thanks?

Thanks to all who’ve inspired me (what a cliché!), especially the zenon posse and my girlfriend Josey. And to you for the interview!

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