THE ELECTRONIC CORNER
EFF
Electric Melancholy Master Meets Sir Joe
EFF says:
I don’t find myself that interesting
I’m a classic metalhead
Songwriting is all about hard work and sticking to an idea
It’s good for me when the mix is done by someone else
EFF is a sort of mysterious figure in the world of electronic music, but things will change a bit, after his interview for The Electronic Corner, although we will not have the usual accompanying video.
Sir Joe: There is very little information about you in internet. Why is that, considering that most artists think that the more exposure you have in internet, the more chances you have of being successful?
EFF: To be honest, I don’t find myself that interesting to share with others.
I hardly post anything about myself even on my private pages. There’s no big idea behind it, I’m just like that.
SJ: Another interesting and peculiar choice is the lack of titles in your singles, which only carry a sequence release number. Why?
EFF: There is no special reason for this either. I numbered the first 3 singles consecutively and when I was working on the layouts, I realized that this is actually a good recognition feature. But I think I’ll stop with the numbers at EFF 13 at the latest.
SJ: Can you tell us something about your background as a musician?
EFF: I’m actually a classic metalhead and have only ever sung in metal bands. I don’t really know how to play an instrument.
I can play melodies on my keyboard as far as I can, and I have a feeling for what a song needs to be complete.
I honestly see my talent especially in the structure of a song, and also in the capability to write songs.
SJ: What is your definition of electric melancholy?
EFF: Since I’ve been making music, I’ve actually been writing sad lyrics all the time, and probably this won’t change any time soon. That, in combination with the electric sound, results in electric melancholy.
SJ: When you create a song, do you usually start from an idea in your mind or do you start playing until you bump into something that inspires you?
I play on my keyboard until a melody sticks (that takes between 10 minutes and 3 weeks), then I build the frame with my drum computer and sing rough melodies to it. A lot of songwriting happens in my head; even when I’m not listening to some music, all the time I’m thinking about it.
SJ: Are you planning to keep releasing only singles in future, or are you considering to release an album?
EFF: Before the release of my first single, I dealt with the topic of “how to release music nowadays”. Because I don’t play live or perform anywhere else, I had to think about how I could keep my music in front of people for a longer period of time.
You can currently see it with other artists who simply release an album and after 2 – 3 weeks (no matter how good the album and the concept is) it unfortunately goes under due to the amount of music that is released in the meantime.
I didn’t want that, and I really didn’t know how well my music would be received.
Looking back, I think I made the right decision. I’ve had it all before. Recording and rehearsing as a band, working on a “big” album that would be released on record and performing the music live in this context.
So this “single” way has been something new and exciting for me so far, and it also gives me the opportunity to give every single song its own stage.
I also have the freedom to theoretically finish a song today, have it mixed and mastered in two weeks and release it a week later. I don’t usually have to wait for anything or anyone.
SJ: Can you tell us something about Goblin Sound Studio?
EFF: Goblin Sound Studio is the studio of my friend Andy Roszcyk, near Cologne. We have done dozens of things together and he is also responsible for the mix and mastering of most of my songs.
I write the songs all by myself, but it’s not bad to have a second opinion, and it’s good for me when the mix is done by someone else.
SJ: Do you mostly use hardware or software?
EFF: I usually work with VST (Korg, Waldorf, Roland, Moog etc.) and my Cubase program. I usually record with my Neumann TLM 102 microphone.
I use a simple SSL 2+ as a “rehearsal“ interface, which can also be used to record a background effect.
We say thanks to EFF for shading a light on his personality and his music.
Don’t forget to visit his Instagram page
You are also welcome to check the other interviews for The Electronic Corner