With Paul Kardos having new music out on Stellar Fountain this week we catch up with him for the latest episode of 12 Questions.
1. How old are you, where are you living and how long have you been producing and Djing?
I’m 25 years old from Hungary. I was started my producing activities when I’m about 11-12 years old. I remember the very first time when I tried Fruity Loops 3.56 on the front of the 2000 years. Next with the passing of the years I tried the latest versions of FL Studio but I choose Ableton finally. If I remember well I may have been 15 when we started to mixing with my elder brother Adam Kardos initially house music like Tom Novy, Chocolate Puma, Ron Caroll, etc.
2. Where do your musical roots lie, what are your first memories of electronic music and when did you know you wanted to pursue it seriously? Are there any particular productions or artists from the past that really made you think to yourself ‘this is what I want to do.”
Do you remember the music program which called Dance Ejay? I was about 10 when I played on it. I just packed the already prepared loops, but I always felt it is not enough for me, I wanted to create my own loops, my own melodies, my own bassline, and all tiny details of my track, and this program was improper for this in my opinion. I never learned it on any kind of musical instrument unfortunately, but it didn’t get discourage me from music creation. When I tried the first music engineering program, I could promptly that I want to do this!
3. How difficult was learning to produce for you in the beginning? Did you take any Audio Engineering programs or production courses to help you out or are you pretty much self taught? And did anyone give any advice early on that really helped?
I was started this whole thing totally alone, and yes it was so difficult 🙂 There were some very “bad” days, when I realised some things difficulty, because my English was so weak when I am 12, and we don’t have internet in 2002 yet for more help. Nowadays the internet is almost there all household, so the learning is easier let there be a word from anything. There is a lot of tutorials, and reviews to learn whatever you want. When I tried to learning Ableton it was a new challenge for me.
4. What parts of the production process do you find the most difficult and what comes easiest for you? When you do hit a creative block what helps you through it?
I think all parts is difficult of the production process, because in our days we must be very creative, so every little details is influences your work. Day after day I try to make something new in my producer life, but it’s not easy and to top it all increasingly more the smart electronic musician, so in my opinion it’s a big attention demanding trade or hobby, but very very cool.
5. What’s a normal day like for you? Do you have a job outside of electronic music? And what do you like to do when you’re not working on music?
Every morning of weekdays I go to work, and after the work I’ll try to create something interesting music. The weekend’s for the family, for my wife, for my little daughter. With my brothers we are really like fishing if the weather allow’s it.
6. Apart from electronic music what other genres do you listen to and who are your favourite artists outside of electronic? and do these genres or artists have a direct effect on your own productions?
In my childhood I listened some different genres like punk (sum 41, blink182…), Nu Metal (Korn), alternative rock (Nirvana), Hip-Hop, and the then electronic music (Trance, House) of course that mostly influenced me.
7. What was the first and last physical (CD, Vinyl, Cassette etc) piece of music you bought?
Maybe the Eiffel 65’s europop called cassette.
8. Tell us something about yourself that might surprise people?
Sorry mate, I’m not an interesting person!
9. Which producers in your opinion get consistently overlooked?
Hm…This is a very good question…but I don’t really know who is overlooked, because I feel it so nowadays the music industry is not about the quality, I mean not the qualitative electronic music the more saleable,or rather there are so many talented producers on this planet, who’s cannot break out because of this.
10. Which producers consistently inspire you? And where else does your inspiration come from?
The producers who’s mostly inspire me is not others than Eelke Kleijn, Guy J, Kollektive Turmstrasse, Henry Saiz, Marc Marzenit, Stephan Bodzin, and many many more
11. There are countless producers out there trying to find their way and create their own unique sound, what advice do you have for them?
Just in one sentences. Let it not be stopped what they do, and let style be melded, be creative, and never give up!
12. If the final DJ/live set of your career was next week what would your last track be?
Robert Babicz – Duba (Guy J Remix)
Paul has new music out now on Stellar Fountain, you can purchase the release: here
