The Outerworld - Knowledge Magazine [Extended Interview]

The Outerworld, aka Bass'Flo & Nemanoe, are an atmospheric drum & bass production duo that, in their own words, "represent the frequencies from deep space, planetary landscapes, synesthesic visions, and inner-feelings". Since joining forces in early 2011 they've been going from strength to strength with tracks like Prometheus and they're now set to release their debut compilation album, AM Producer 01. With a gig forthcoming at our Kmag Presents Advection Music event we sat down with them to get to know them a bit better. When did you first try your hand at DJing and producing? Bass'Flo: I started DJing when I was 15 and started producing music when I was 17. I became more focused on producing music as there's just something spiritual and magical when you're in the studio composing music from an inspiration that comes from another dimension of space & time. Atmospheric music takes me places far away into the unknown, I guess that's the beauty of making music, it's a blessing that music makes me feel like this. Around 2005/2006 I was discovered by Galaxi [Advection Music USA], he asked me to send some tracks over, I sent him about 8 dubs and he was blown away. He signed the tracks immediately and also mentioned he was performing in the UK that following weekend and asked to come down. This was to be my first ever Central Projection experience. This actually was a night that changed my life, the music inside took me to another world, the atmosphere was so deep that even the people on the dancefloor were hypnotised by Galaxi's performance. A few weeks later Galaxi introduced me to Tidal [Advection Music UK].

Nemanoe: The starting point was in 2008 when I made my first tracks. I think the main thing that inspired me to make my own music was the huge desire to be heard by people around me and worldwide audiences. I'm more of a music producer rather than a DJ, only because I was producing first. I started mixing my first beats in 2010. I really like DJing as well because I get to hear my music loud on a club soundsystem and it's good to check for any mistakes in new mixdowns from a quality control point of view. Where are you from and to what extent would you say this influences your music? Bass'Flo: Based in Birmingham UK, i was surrounded by music from a young age, as i was growing older i started to appreciate classical music from the likes of Alexandre Desplat , Thomas Newman, Atticus Ross & Hans Zimmer, i was inspired by these movie composers for many years, it was a musical direction for me, a few years later i discovered an internet radio station Bluemars: - Music for the Space Traveller, this station played ambientdrone music 24/7, there were 3 stations within this radio that i still remember, - Bluemars, Cryosleep, Voices From Within. i remember the 1st time i experienced this music, it felt like modern classical music. it was around this radio station that changed my feelings towards music, i started taking interest in astrology due to the channels visions of space music, i still remember playing this station everynight before i went to sleep, and i would get up in the morning and it would still be playing, Atmospheric dnb came about when i was trying to produce electronic ambient music, i did alot of research in the music industry to find artists simular to my style and the name that came up was Aural Imbalance from Ascendant Grooves, this was a time when i felt, ''i know exactly where my music is heading, into the cosmos of deep space'' my 1st ever CD purchase was Producer01 LTJ Bukem, i remember just playing the clips on amazon.com and thinking about visons of new worlds, my inspiration was growing more deeper than ever before, Looking Good Records was a label that formed a group of artists that had the same visions from outer space, this is why atmospheric drum & bass is soo unique in today's scene... this is where my journey begins..

Nemanoe: My creative process varies, but when I get inspiration for a track I try to keep it in my mind for as long as possible so next time when I work on music I already have a loose idea of what to make. Generally a lot of my inspirations come from movie soundtracks, documentary programs, life sounds and even human emotions. How would you describe your approach to making music? Bass'Flo: I always close my eyes before starting a music session around midnight. I always spare five minutes of pure silence, sometimes I just play classical music, it really depends on my mood. I have a window on the top of my studio where I can see the stars at night, this helps me a lot when it comes to deep inspiration. There are a lot of emotions I feel before I even start making music, ambient drone soundscapes are the key to my music. I always start with a drone that helps me drift away into deep space; I spend hours or even days so that the ambience is close to perfection. I also have a telescope in my studio with a map of the universe, looking at stars and planets from long distances, this is another strategy that helps me think about deeper visions. My external influences are science fiction movies and space documentaries, I have always admired the philosophy and concepts of alien spacecrafts entering Earth's atmosphere and questions like "does life exist on other planets?" I find these reflect my emotions in music on a deeper level, I really take my music into a dimension where it takes my listeners on a journey into the deep cosmos. I believe atmospheric drum & bass can take you places far away from earth. There is a spiritual feeling towards this specific genre, that really helps turn my visions of deep space into galactic soundwaves. When I'm working with Nemanoe it's very different, our sounds have a lot of similarities, when both combined, a new sound is born The Outerworld.

What's your studio setup like?

@bassflo

Behringer MX 9000 48 / 24 Dual Input, 8-Bus Mixing Console. M-Audio Delta 1010 - 24 Bit 96 khz Digital Recording System, Cubase SX Re-wire w/ Reason 6, 2 Flat screen TFT Monitors, M-Audio 02 MIDI Controller, BX8 Studiophile Monitors, Behringer | Ultrabass Pro / Virtualizer Pro / Multicom Pro-XL / Ultra-Voice Digital / Tube Ultra-Q, T.C. Electronic Finalizer Express, Tell us more about the AM Producer01 LP compilation and how you approached making it... Bass'Flo: This is a project that started after me & nemanoe finished working on 12 tracks individually and then we started on The Outerworld project. I already had a lot of solo material in the studio locked up for many years, at least 1500 tracks that were unreleased and same with Nemanoe. So we both thought it would be a great idea to release a compilation album with three CDs: The Outerworld, Bass'Flo and Nemanoe. We wanted each CD with an ambient drone introduction, this would really reflect our emotions as a story, so it would take our listeners on a journey to understand where we are coming from. The compilation is available to buy now on pre-order via the Advection Music website and there will be a special digital extended version of AM Producer 01 with four bonus tracks due for release in August.

Got any other releases / remixes in the pipeline we should look out for? Bass'Flo: I'm currently working with Nemanoe on our next Outerworld album for 2015, we are lookin to work with Kirsty Hawkshaw, Aural Imbalance, Ethereal 77 & Deep Gemini. I have also been working on a special collaboration project with Ziyal from (Sweden) who was also featured on AM Producer01 (Disc 2) we have recently finished our album for New sub label (Cosmic Origins Records) Lookout for Bass'Flo & Ziyal Presents: - Timeless Travellers LP | Featuring a special remix by Aural Imbalance & Ulrich Schnauss! also lookout for the final Expeditions EP Vol.3 mixed by Jay Le Roc (Central Projection), lookout for Southern Hemisphere & Tomorrow's Explorers | Volume One (Featuring MC DRS) by Advection Music UK, i'm currently working on another album with Ziyal who goes by the name of Purl in ambientdrone music, lookout for collaborations projects from Purl & Sinius. forthcoming on AM4 Productions late 2014, Aural Imbalance remixes from within the advection camp! Bass'Flo - Dark Horizons EP, Advection Music DVD Files (Live Sessions) my solo album will be in progress for 2015, and much more! Kirsty Hawkshaw & Robert Manos projects are in the pipeline for 2015.

Nemanoe: I've recently started working on a remix for Bass'Flo on a track entitled 'Jungle'Flo' which will be finished very soon and forthcoming on Advection Music UK. It's an old skool jungle tune with fantastic atmosphere and kinda raw jungle subs and Amens that takes you on a deep journey into inner space. As Bass'flo mentioned we're currently working on our debut album 'Origins of The Outerworld'. What else have you been working on in the studio recently? Bass'Flo: I have been working on alot of new material with Nemanoe as we are still working on the next Outerworld album for 2015, also working with Ziyal on our next downtempo album, this will be an interesting project, we both have the same passion for music, we have the same visions of intergalactic space, i'm also working on solo material, i feel like i have learnt soo much since the making of AM Producer01, im currently working on slower ambient drum n bass @ bpm160 for Cosmic Origins Records, i'm also concentrating on solo ambient filmscore music as 'Sinius' also working on collaboration project soon with Future Engineers featuring The Outerworld, im currently working on a few exclusive projects with Deep Gemini (Featuring The Outerworld) Are you making any other styles of music apart from drum & bass? Bass'Flo: I have been working under Sinius on ambient drone film score music, this is an external project for upcoming movies. I'm also setting up a new record label with Tidal called Along Way From Detroit, we have been inspired by dub-techno for many years and decided to set up our own label focused on the alternative deep side of our ambient visions, this is a label affiliated with Advection Music UK. Look out for AWFD nights in Birmingham, we are looking to book artists such as Jeff Mills, Derrick May and Deepchord Echospace.

Nemanoe: Yeah, I do different experiments in electronic music under the new name Nopast. This is my alternative electronic project. Here I don't care about the rules and borders when I make such tunes. It's more about good experimental electronic music that takes a listener to another dimension. This project is targeted for AM4 productions, which is oriented to make soundtracks for movies. What do you get up to outside of music? Bass'Flo: I don't really get time to go out much, I spend most of my time in the studio producing tracks, the only time when I step out, is when I have gigs with Central Projection. When I do get free time I try and catch a movie with a few of the lads from Advection Music, it's nice to catch up with each other. Later on when I get free time in the future, I would like to visit Antarctica with the Advection crew as an expedition, this would help inspire me on a whole new level. I have always been inspired by documentaries about Antarctica, there's something really mysterious about this location that really attracts me.

Nemanoe: I like to link up with my mates, go gym and also I'm a big fan of tennis, I play and watch tennis regularly.

Any advice for any aspiring producers / DJs out there? Bass'Flo: If your looking to get into the music industry, learn everything you can step by step, music is a never ending journey, i spent over 8 years producing atmospheric drum & bass music, im determined to never stop what i do becase this is what i was born to do, If your a DJ/Producer i recommened you have a strong mentality like this, beacuse it's important where you stand, don't let no1 put u down, because it's happened to me in the past, be strong! i have been through alot of phases in life trying to make it into the music industry, many years have faded away from a blink of an eye, my journey from beginning to present has been a struggle, i devoted my life to music from a young age, i spent many years creating atmospheric deep space music, studio sessions use to last 48hours with no sleep, i missed out on social life from a young age, there were times when i felt like i just wanted to give up because i felt like i was getting nowhere in life, which led to deep depression, but what made me strong as a person 'i believed in my music'

What tracks, producers and labels are you feeling at the moment? Ziyal is a producer that inspired me when i 1st heard 'Return To Essence' this track took my emotions into another dimension, i have never heard anything like it, just listening to this track i could allready feel the emotions within Ziyal's history, i can see a story behind this producer, he is definitely an artist to look out for! Im also feeling Aural Imbalance's new material, i really respect A I, because he comes from a background of atmospheric music, even to this day he still makes the same music he made 10 years ago, and never changed his music style to go commercial, ''this is what u call an artist that believes in his sound from beginning to end'' Ethereal 77 is another artist im on the lookout, his unreleased material would hypnostise you into the core of deep space electronic music, he became a fan of Advection Music UK from the birth of AM Producer01 LP, he was blown away from the production on all 3CDS! this is a blessing for The Outerworld, support from a legendary artist like this, does not come that often, it takes time learning your craft in music & years of dedication. Record Labels i'm currently feeling Arctic Music by Paradox, this is a label that really pushes ambient jungle to the core, every track on this label has been inspirational, his visions in ambient jungle is spiritual, The Outerworld will be supporting alot of tracks from this label for our upcoming Europe Tour 2015. Anything else you want to tell us about? Bass'Flo: We'd like people to support the AM Producer 01 release, there has been a tremendous amount of hard work put in to produce this LP, and anyone curious about how this sound translates to the dancefloor we encourage you to check out an AM Producer tour date in your area.

Nemanoe: We would like to thank everyone that has believed in the music, it's the deep followers like you that keeps us going, and it keeps the scene alive. Special thanks to Knowledge Mag for featuring us, we have been working for years non-stop to get to this point.

AM Producer01 limited edition 3 disc set has now SOLD OUT. However you can now buy the Expanded Version with 4 bonus tracks. http://www.advection.co.uk/amproducer/preorder/