Asmodelle's Asmelectrix

Asmodelle's Asmelectrix

Asmodelle is an Australian actress and female electronic music Composer and former dancer turned Electronic music artist. While living in Japan in the early 90s Asmodelle got involved in Electronic music and is now a dedicated electronic composer with over 300 compositions. She has composed for film soundtracks, art installations, chill out events and more recently music CDs.

Her style is often played from start to finish like regular music and can be performed live and sometimes uses samples in a seamless manner. As a consequence, the music has a different quality about it: a non-mechanical one. Her style is unique and the tracks are all very original and her skill lay in her ability to improvise something completely new which is then moulded into a refined piece. As a child Asmodelle was taught classical music but there is very little evidence in the modern sounds she creates.

Her commercial music career began when she started composing for films with Night Star Pictures Pty. Ltd., and since mid-2010 Night Star Pictures Pty. Ltd. has begun releasing much of the music Asmodelle has produced in their studios. Asmodelle has numerous film scores as well as CD released which are scheduled for release in 2010.

Many of her tracks vary in style and feel, and varying between: Electronica, Chill-out to Ambient or even Experimental.

Asmodelle lives in the Central Coast of New South Wales, in Australia and is actively involved in the music scene within Australia and overseas. Many websites feature her photos and also play teasers of her music - she is very well known, especially on the world wide web.

Asmelectrix
Asmelectrix is Asmodelle's fourth album and her first album that uses sampling extensively. There is an electro-dub feel to a few of the tracks, while others are more up-tempo with a house feel. And a couple of the tracks are more akin to dance music.

This album is also the sequel to Asmodelle's third and popular album - TRANSELECTRIX - and some of the tracks off that album are rearranged into a new format in ASMELECTRIX. Comprising dance music and sampled tunes for lovers of up-tempo beats. An album of up-beat electronic music tracks with an electro-dub feel, ranging from chill-out to trance.

This album has a very different to Asmodelle's earlier work, and features some of the latest sounds with dance and chill-out beats, mixed with a funky edge.

Some of the album was conceived while in Japan, and then taken to the studio in Australia a few weeks later. The album is a different take on dub electronica with some rhythmic yet unusual tracks. 'Asmelectrix' is not strictly a genre album and fits fair between many different electronic music genres, but having said that it is highly listenable because of its uniqueness.

Interview with Estelle Asmodelle

Question: How would you describe your music?

<Estelle Asmodelle: I guess my style is mixed, a sort of hybrid of chill-out with electronic and some house music. But it's not usually repetitious like so much electronica. However, on the new album there are two tracks that have some noticeable repetition and that was deliberate as many electronic music fans love that sound but to me I like to make my samples seamless so they sound like they aren't repeating. So in a real sense I like to say my electronic is a non-mechanical one.


Question: How does Asmelectrix differ from your previous albums?

Estelle Asmodelle: This album, 'Asmelectrix,' is different to my other albums, as it has a more upbeat tempo, while past albums, were mostly chill-out style. This new album - being my 4th Album - is true electronica and some of it is dance as well but all the tracks on the album have a real electro-dub feel to them. I think also there is better production value in 'Asmelectrix,' as well, for I got the chance to do all the recording at Night Star Pictures newest HD studio, while the previous three albums were done at a smaller studio. All in all, the album is longer than the others and many of the tracks are also longer, as some are nearly 8 minutes.


Question: How does it feel to hear your song played all over the airwaves?

Estelle Asmodelle: It's a real kick to hear my music on the radio, and I have to stop and think, "Wow, just how many people are listening to this right now..." clearly, although an invisible audience, the listeners of a track played on a mainstream radio program is larger than any one concert I've ever given or will give. It really makes you feel that all the hard work in producing an album is well worth it - when a station plays some of the tracks. There are some stations that play my music quite a lot and that's such a blast!


Question: Why inspired you about the music industry?

Estelle Asmodelle: When I was younger and at Uni I used to play in a band but it was half hearted and more about performance art than music, but then when I was working in Japan as a model in the 90s, I went along to some Japanese electronica events and was totally hooked. A little while after I went out and bought my first synthetiser and started mucking around with the sounds and was addicted in no time at all. Ever since then it's been a progression of learning and trying new things and getting the right equipment, to the point where I am now. In fact you could say my music is a product of Japanese electronica!


Question: Do you write your own songs? What's your inspiration?

Estelle Asmodelle: Yes I write all my own material. I also make all my own samples - many artists use other people's samples and you can always tell when a new song or instrumental track comes out and you've never heard it before but it sounds oh too familiar, it's because the artist has sampled other artists work or used samples that musician sell to other artists. This is really prevalent in the electronic music scene more than any other music scene and to me dilutes an artist's work. I usually start by improvising something on a keyboard and then take it to the synthesizer and start to make samples out of sections of the work and then begin the recording process - after than I then play live to the pieces and add what I call the non-mechanical human touch. When people listen to the work, its new and the sounds a fresh but sometimes the genre is recognisable, for example the first two albums sounds like 80s music as that what I was going for - in sort of tribute to 80s electronica.

This album 'Asmelectrix,' was inspired by a return trip I made to Japan last September - just over 1 year now - I went back to Tokyo with two very good friends and we travelled around to Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima and back to Tokyo and so all the tracks on the albums are a product of that wonderful time - in fact some of the tracks have Japanese names: like, 'Hirai Ouchi' (Hirai is the suburb of Tokyo I used to live in and Ouchi mean house or home), Yotsuya Garden, well that's a famous garden in a quite suburb of Tokyo called Yotsuya. Then there is 'Ginza Interlude,' which is about returning to my favourite place in Tokyo, namely: Ginza. And 'Shinkansen to Hiroshima,' is about the bullet train ride to Hiroshima.


Question: What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

Estelle Asmodelle: I am very eclectic, and listen to many different kinds of artists but to name a few here is some of my favourite artist that I often listen to: Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Beatport Artists, Euphoria Dance, Gatecrasher Artists, Joris Voorn, Steve Roach, Biosphere, Jean Michel Jarre, Robert Fripp, Portishead, Ministry of Sound artists.


Question: What's next? Tour/Album/Single?

Estelle Asmodelle: Well there is another album planned for release in December of this year (entitled: 'Near Earth Landscape') but my label, Blue Pie Records, are talking about performing in Europe but to be honest I really want to complete this other album before any performance, even if it's not released until early next year. I also have some tracks coming out on a US compilation album and another promo compilation album in Australia in December called, 'For the Record,' by various Australian artists and promoted by Drum magazine. Then there is my management label Night Star Pictures, who want me to do a soundtrack for a film as well, nothing official yet with that but it's probably going to happen January 2012. So there is a lot of recording in the new few months, and the performance.

Question: Was there a moment you contemplated throwing in the towel?

Estelle Asmodelle: Oh sure, there have been times when I thought of selling all my gear and parting with my most precious keyboard (My Korg M1 - the first synth I bought in Japan at the very beginning - although I don't use it much yet it's really important to me) and then either giving up music all together or just playing classical piano for fun - then after feeling sorry for myself I get a glint of inspiration that takes me back to my music and it starts all over again... I am an electronic music addict... and I'm on the 3 step program, 'step towards the synth, step towards the music, step into playing...'.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Estelle Asmodelle: I use to prefer performance, the trill of performing in front of people - there is nothing like it - the adrenaline starts pumping and you are on a real high! But more and more I am getting a low level high - an endorphin high - from refining pieces in the studio, for in the back of my mind I know there is a vast radio audience out there who will hear this piece and there are also people who will buy the album and so I get a real trill putting a huge amount of creative effort and inspiration into a recording. I guess ideally a combination of both is best but to be honest its mostly recording at this time.


Question: What/who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Estelle Asmodelle: It's probably going to sound odd but two musicians and their albums where the real seeds of my desire to be a professional music artist and they are: David Bowie and Brian Eno.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Estelle Asmodelle: The biggest challenge was finding a record label - I had made so many demos and sent then to every label I could think of - I could pretty much plaster my bedroom with rejection letters. Then I decided on self-publishing and that's when my label found me - Blue Pie Records - who are proving to be one of the largest independent artists' labels around - pretty much said 'we want you - here's the contract.' It's very hard to get a label and its harder still to get a label who believes in you and your vision and isn't set to rip you off. I guess, if all fails I've learned to do it myself but that's when things got interesting.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Estelle Asmodelle: What is different about my life is that there is no typical day - but just let me say - there isn't a day that goes past that I don't check the CD sales, I usually don't look at the money - I am looking to see who bought what and where they are from as my label provide a digital sales report that shows that data and it's interesting to see what tracks people like the best and where they are from. Then the next thing is returning emails to people and there are so many each day but you have to stay connected to fans and contacts all the time - no one likes to be ignored - so it's a priority for me to check that every morning first thing.

Then its catching up with what's going on in the world - an artist has to be informed and intelligent - I try to educate myself all the time and its through learning new things, not only about music, people and the planet but a whole array of things that inspires my work. Then when that spark fires, and lately it's been firing on a daily basis, which means going into my home studio and working on something. The rest of the day is up from grabs, it may mean talking to a label or a distributor or a magazine or even a radio station... it may also mean working with a designer... it's never the same. One thing is for sure, each day hold a real surprise and when my phone rings you never know who it's gonna be. Last Wednesday it rang while I was parking in a Sydney car park and it as the BBC radio in London wanting an interview, which meant changing my day around and catching a cab over to ABC studios in Harris Street, Ultimo for an uplink interview live on air in London - and it's always been like that for me.

Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Estelle Asmodelle: Most artists here talk about the fans and fans are great and without them artists would not be able to continue to play music - but for me it's primarily the music - I love playing music and that's why I usually like to record live in the studio, rather than overdubbing or computer generated samples, to play the music usually make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - especially when I am playing something new that no one has heard, it's like discovering a unknown country - or revealing a secret that was there all the time but only just then was it brought to light. It's a very satisfying feeling.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Estelle Asmodelle: If I could collaborate with an artist then I love to work with: Brian Eno, Joris Voorn, Steve Roach, Robert Fripp. If it was another label I loved to collaborate with: Ministry of Sound, or Café Del Mar.


Question: Do you have a website fans can visit?

Estelle Asmodelle: www.estelleasmodelle.com


Question: What is the story behind the name, Asmodelle?

Estelle Asmodelle: That's an easy one - Asmodelle is my last name and I just use my last name only usually.