Hails my friends,
today I'm talking with the man behind i AM esper.
today I'm talking with the man behind i AM esper.
Welcome Justin, let's start right away.
Tell us in Your words a bit about the hystory of i AM esper.
Justin:
i AM esper started in 2009. when i was living in an attic. I used borrowed instruments, broken acoustic guitars, broken drums, tv sets, found objects etc. to create my first demo, I posted it on the web and people liked it so i decided to continue. I eventually saved up and bought an electric baritone guitar and starting using only guitar and effects/pedals to make my drones.
Mos:
That's incredible, why have You even started to make music?
Justin:
I started playing guitar when i was in 6th grade. Every since I haven't stopped. Ive been playing bands since 8th grade. I remember when i was younger a friend of mine put on aphex twin's 'selected ambient works 2' and i feel in love. I spent many years, struggling with finding a style of music, that i connected with. That one day when i was in the attic it hit, me to starting making sound collages. After that I realized that was the best way to express my emotions, though minimalist soundscapes.
Mos:
Where do You take all the inspiration for Your music?
When I see Your enormous dicography I can see that nature is a big influence in Your making.
Justin:
The idea behind the project is the love of animals and nature. So the soundscapes represent the moods of nature. I also have some themes of space which I find very interesting. I also sometimes have themes about ghosts, which relate directly to a haunting experience I had years back.
Mos:
Haunting experience? Would You tell me a bit more about that?
Justin:
In the house I lived in growing up, my step dads mother was not a very good person. She would haunt my dreams and my sisters dreams, I would see images of things that happened in the past when my step dad was younger and I told him and that we exact to memories. My release 'she haunts me' is partly about that experience the title track is the soundscape to those twisted dreams I had. At one point, I could even see long twisted fingers sliding against the door. I also had a dream of a boy and girl being dropped into the lake than them turning into bones. It was later told to me she threatened to drown the children.
Mos.
Wow, that's totaly crazy.
Ok, let's get back to Your music. Many people label it as "Black Ambient" which I do not agree with, but how would You call or describe Your music? I know that You've started a new chapter of i AM esper.
Justin:
My project is first and foremost a drone ambient project. but I take influences from shoegaze, post-rock, doom metal and black metal. Since when the sun sets over the wilderness, and the trees rattle in the growling winds full length I have decided to go more in that direction of post-rock/drone ambient. I dont know why every one calls it black ambient or whatever. Someone even once called it 'blackened drone doom'. This is why i decided to change logos, to maybe stop someone of the comments like that. I love black metal but i feel its false advertising at this point.
Mos:
You've done some split releases with different artists the last one is the split with Qwertzuiop. How is it for You to work with other musicians? I mean i AM esper is a one man band so, is the proces of making a split release very different for You?
Justin:
As for splits, usually I just make some tracks and try to blend alittle with the artist im working with on the split. But usually same process as a solo release.
Tell us in Your words a bit about the hystory of i AM esper.
Justin:
i AM esper started in 2009. when i was living in an attic. I used borrowed instruments, broken acoustic guitars, broken drums, tv sets, found objects etc. to create my first demo, I posted it on the web and people liked it so i decided to continue. I eventually saved up and bought an electric baritone guitar and starting using only guitar and effects/pedals to make my drones.
Mos:
That's incredible, why have You even started to make music?
Justin:
I started playing guitar when i was in 6th grade. Every since I haven't stopped. Ive been playing bands since 8th grade. I remember when i was younger a friend of mine put on aphex twin's 'selected ambient works 2' and i feel in love. I spent many years, struggling with finding a style of music, that i connected with. That one day when i was in the attic it hit, me to starting making sound collages. After that I realized that was the best way to express my emotions, though minimalist soundscapes.
Mos:
Where do You take all the inspiration for Your music?
When I see Your enormous dicography I can see that nature is a big influence in Your making.
Justin:
The idea behind the project is the love of animals and nature. So the soundscapes represent the moods of nature. I also have some themes of space which I find very interesting. I also sometimes have themes about ghosts, which relate directly to a haunting experience I had years back.
Mos:
Haunting experience? Would You tell me a bit more about that?
Justin:
In the house I lived in growing up, my step dads mother was not a very good person. She would haunt my dreams and my sisters dreams, I would see images of things that happened in the past when my step dad was younger and I told him and that we exact to memories. My release 'she haunts me' is partly about that experience the title track is the soundscape to those twisted dreams I had. At one point, I could even see long twisted fingers sliding against the door. I also had a dream of a boy and girl being dropped into the lake than them turning into bones. It was later told to me she threatened to drown the children.
Mos.
Wow, that's totaly crazy.
Ok, let's get back to Your music. Many people label it as "Black Ambient" which I do not agree with, but how would You call or describe Your music? I know that You've started a new chapter of i AM esper.
Justin:
My project is first and foremost a drone ambient project. but I take influences from shoegaze, post-rock, doom metal and black metal. Since when the sun sets over the wilderness, and the trees rattle in the growling winds full length I have decided to go more in that direction of post-rock/drone ambient. I dont know why every one calls it black ambient or whatever. Someone even once called it 'blackened drone doom'. This is why i decided to change logos, to maybe stop someone of the comments like that. I love black metal but i feel its false advertising at this point.
Mos:
You've done some split releases with different artists the last one is the split with Qwertzuiop. How is it for You to work with other musicians? I mean i AM esper is a one man band so, is the proces of making a split release very different for You?
Justin:
As for splits, usually I just make some tracks and try to blend alittle with the artist im working with on the split. But usually same process as a solo release.
Mos:
Many ambient and drone artists choose to only make music and not to play live. Why have You deicided to play live and how was the experience?
Justin:
At first I planned on never playing live ever. But my friends pushed me to do it. It won't be a regular thing at all. I get very awkward around people especially large groups. Because of my set-up live I have to keep things even more minimal, and i chose a more noisey drone style for live. My friend Justin M helps me out with electronics live. I found it a fun experience so far, but I dont plan on doing a lot of shows on a regular basis.
Mos:
You've started a net label, please tell me what's the point behind it?
Justin:
I recently started my own digital imprint for paid high quality downloads called 'mysterious fur records' basically its for when reliable labels who do physical releases are busy at the moment. I wanted an imprint attached to the releases instead of 'self released' I won't release to much on this imprint but when i have to I will. Im currently working on the first EP i will release this way. All funds from this will go into my physical label salamander lane productions which has been on hiatus, to hopefully start releasing other bands again.
Mos:
We've come to the end of the interview. Thank You for taking the time to answer my questions and the interest in my zine. I wish You all the best in the future. Please feel free to close this interview the way You want.
Justin:
Thank you for taking the time,
I appreciated it and please excuse my poor spelling and grammar :)
Many ambient and drone artists choose to only make music and not to play live. Why have You deicided to play live and how was the experience?
Justin:
At first I planned on never playing live ever. But my friends pushed me to do it. It won't be a regular thing at all. I get very awkward around people especially large groups. Because of my set-up live I have to keep things even more minimal, and i chose a more noisey drone style for live. My friend Justin M helps me out with electronics live. I found it a fun experience so far, but I dont plan on doing a lot of shows on a regular basis.
Mos:
You've started a net label, please tell me what's the point behind it?
Justin:
I recently started my own digital imprint for paid high quality downloads called 'mysterious fur records' basically its for when reliable labels who do physical releases are busy at the moment. I wanted an imprint attached to the releases instead of 'self released' I won't release to much on this imprint but when i have to I will. Im currently working on the first EP i will release this way. All funds from this will go into my physical label salamander lane productions which has been on hiatus, to hopefully start releasing other bands again.
Mos:
We've come to the end of the interview. Thank You for taking the time to answer my questions and the interest in my zine. I wish You all the best in the future. Please feel free to close this interview the way You want.
Justin:
Thank you for taking the time,
I appreciated it and please excuse my poor spelling and grammar :)