THE ELECTRONIC CORNER

Asmodi Caligari is a musician with a passion for combining music and film. Here is what he told us about it and many other things.

Sir Joe: Hello, Asmodi. It’s always very nice to meet you, and I’m glad you’re here for the first episode of this podcast about electronic music. I see you have a very nice studio behind you and of course, I want to know a bit more about it later on.
However, my first question for you is about the relationship between your music and video activities: your music project, EGOamp, is very visual, in the sense that it’s closely tied to the world of cinema… and Asmodi Caligari, which is obviously not your real name, already says a lot about that.
Also, your activity as a filmmaker with Delight Film Media, your company, is very musical, in the sense that, for example, you have shot some music videos, including one for me.
Can you please tell us something more about this connection and intersection between sound and vision in your activities?

Asmodi Caligari: As a kid, I liked playing outside and going in the woods and stuff that children love to do, but also I liked to watch TV; especially I watched old movies with Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin, together with my father. I really loved them. So my connection to films started very early and my father was always walking around with a super eight camera, filming and editing.
As a teenager, I fell in love with new wave and synth pop music like Depeche Mode, OMD, Soft Cell, all those bands. Later, when I started making my own music, I was always thinking that movies and sound all fit together. If you’re watching a movie, you always need music to create some atmosphere.
To me, music and film were always one thing. So I love combining those things, and I do it especially in my music.
Even on stage we are dressed up like actors from movies from the 20s, with a cylinder and makeup and so on, and we even act on stage. But it’s not me, it’s Asmodi Caligari. When I’m on stage, I’m a totally different person.

SJ: This comment ties perfectly with my next question, which is the following: EGOamp is a solo project in studio and it turns into a band when you’re live. Is that correct, or do you have some sort of collaboration with other people in studio as well?

AC: Yeah, you’re right. I’m composing the music and the lyrics on my own, although there is a collaboration with other musicians on the new record.
There’s a real guitar, for instance, and a real violin. And my sister is singing on this record too. So, I like it when other people are involved in making the record, but when I’m composing, it’s very hard for me to do it with other people, because it’s a very intimate process. I’m sitting in the studio and I’m testing things.

SJ: I see. Now, where does the name EGOamp come from?

AC: It’s really the name of an old guitar amp.
My former keyboard player, Mario, read some music paper or something about music gear, and there he found the name EGOamp. I thought it was a cool name, because when you’re making music and when you are acting on stage and the audience likes what you do, this is very good for your ego.
So, maybe the music is an amplifier of your own ego, through the band.

SJ: Yeah, that makes sense. Now tell me, what are you working on at the moment? I know you’re always very busy, so I’m sure you have something cooking.

AC: As a musician, there’s always something cooking.

SJ: Okay, so tell us about your next recipe.

AC: I spent a lot of time working on the new album, during the pandemic time. I had some time to compose new tracks, write the lyrics, sing and everything.
I’m still working on the tracks, we are mixing at the moment. Our producer Per got gray hair now because I believe he thinks: “Oh, no, not this track again!”
Additionally, I worked on a Depeche Mode cover song for the next ‘Electropop’ compilation and covered ‘New Dress’ from Black Celebration, which will be on the compilation.
I am very proud of the track and I think it sounds nice.
But back to the new EGOamp album: the vocals and the music sound great.

SJ: Do you have a provisional release date already?

AC: We were planning to release it before summertime, but now it’s already summertime, so I think it’s going to be released in autumn this year, because there’s a lot of things to do, since we are doing it all on our own.
We are making the album cover, the promotional video, etc., so it takes some time.
By the way, if you’re curious about the title of the album, just ask.

SJ: I didn’t dare to ask because I know it can be a very private thing. But of course, if you’re willing to share it with us, please, go ahead!

AC: Okay, I’m glad you asked: It’s ‘Cineaste’.

SJ: How come?

AC: I don’t know. It’s a coincidence. (laughs) We have 13 tracks and every track is the name of a movie, it’s like having a lexicon of film history.
I am a cineaste myself, so why shouldn’t I name the album like that?

SJ: Once again, the connection between EGOamp and cinema is confirmed!
What about Analogue Brain? Are you still doing something, or what happened to that project?

AC: I’m doing nothing with it at the moment, but my wife always tells me: “You should do something with Analogue Brain!”
I’m not quite sure. Actually I composed new tracks for this project, but I’m so busy with EGOamp that I don’t know if there’s something coming out in future… although I still like the old stuff.

SJ: So, we could say it’s a “maybe”.
Now, I know you have prepared something to let us know more about this studio and your recording techniques. Let’s watch it now.

(You are now invited to watch the video below, starting at 11:58)

You can listen to the latest EGOamp work on Bandcamp.

You can find all the interviews with cool artists I have postad so far in the page The Electronic Corner