name: Planet Boelex
homepage
: www.boelex.org
occupation: Finnish musician-hobbyist
Intro:
For some time, Planet Boelex is releasing his unique sweet flavoured
music. I think that he doesn't get enough exposure online so I decided
to conduct a little interview. As you can read below, Ossi (Planet
Boelex) is giving us his opinions about todays .net labels, his
influences and other cardinal points in life (like knowing his
geography). :) I personally heard some PB's stuff a way back during the
90's, when he was a part of early .net labels/modgroups. Releasing .xm
and .mod tracks (quite popular in those days, because there was no
alternative). I promised him that his old nickname and releases from
that time wouldn't be mentioned. I semi-kept my promise, becaquse I
needed a good intro story. :) I hope that Ossi won't be mad... After
all, he lives in Finland and I live across the Europe in Croatia. His
hands couldn't possibly be that long! :)
I've started this interview by listening to his latest EP called Second Thoughts [mtk147] released on Monotonik (their latest release). You can download it here. If you like this masterpiece, and there is no sane reason why you shouldn't like it, give it a nice review over at archive.org.
Hi, Ossi... For starters, can you introduce yourself to Croatian (and net) public?
Hello,
it's nice being interviewed. :) I am 25 year old Finnish hobbyist
musician, nowadays known mostly from the Planet Boelex "alter ego".
When did your music career start?
Well,
I'm not sure if we could call it career, but my first release appeared
on the net around 1997, I've been doing stuff since like 1995 or so.
Were you part of demo scene in those days or just freelancer/musician?
I've
been following demoscene things happening since early 90's from the
Amiga days, though I've never participated into it myself that much.
Things started for me with the netlabels (or modgroups as they were
called by the time).
Phase^D,
as I recall... You prefer .net label than real life labels. Do you
think you'll release something on some real life label?
Netlabels
have been fine for me so far, but it seems that new labels are being
established every week or so. This is getting a bit frustrating, just
too many releases coming from everywhere. Real label releases doesn't
sound bad, though it's not my ultimate goal. I feel more that I don't
want to limit the listeners to those who can get hold of the records,
if the editions are small.
Your last EP released on Monotonik is something really special. What inspired you to produce such great tracks?
I'm
glad you liked it. Some people get inspired by the summer, some by the
beer. I get my inspiration mostly from good music. I've been mostly
doing the kind of music I'd like to hear myself. The records I've been
listening (too) much probably reflects directly in my works, but I've
still my own touch which identifies the sound. (so I've heard :)
I hear a lot of Squarepusher's influence in your tracks. Melodical, but yet rhythmical... Without drilling. :) Am I right?
Yes,
it's kind of true. Lots of older Warp catalogue is influencing me,
including Squarepusher. Early Autechre, Plaid, Boards of Canada are
probably the ones that make the deepest impact on me. Nowadays "drill'n
bass" doesn't impress me that much, ofcourse it's good that things are
evolving and new kind of experimental sounds sounding fresh. But I find
myself comfortable being stuck in the older pieces. My own productions
are often referred as kind of "semi-retro" too, which is not a bad
thing afterall.
Once I
refered to your tracks on some forum as Muffler demo-styled tracks with
Warp atmoshpere. For general public, Muffler is Finish producer who was
in hotspot back in the '98 and '99 as the most popular demo musician.
Nowdays he produces and releases drum 'n' bass tracks. For the time
being, you just produce? You don't perform?
So
far no performing, but this might change in the future. Nowadays new
solutions for electronic performances have some very interesting
products, which I've been experimenting lately a bit. Some day, there
might be performances, but they need some careful preparation, so
please don't take it as a promise.
Software or hardware, concerning producing? Don't give us any names, just an opinion. 
Software
definately going strong. Hardware, for me is more likely a nice
addition that could make more possibilities in a live performance, for
example.
From your point
of view... Do you think that .net labels are here to stay? I mean, for
10 years now some of them exist (like Monotonik/Mono211 or Tokyodawn).
Do you think that things will drastically change in the future?
This
might be tricky question for the current label owners as well! :) Since
you mentioned Tokyodawn, they have already taken the steps further from
the traditional netlabels, they release real records, mixes, their
artist perform live abroad and so on. I'd be very pleased to see the
long running labels being there in 2015 too, maybe evolved few steps to
direction or another. But I'd also like to see more netlabel related
review sites, for picking up the real gems from the masses. Just look
at the number of releases on archive.org, for example, I couldn't think
myself as the only one missing a bit of guidance.
One
guy from Croatia is maintaining a blog with .net label release. He's a
previous Theralite .net label owner/organizer. It's some quality
stuff... You can find it at http://phonq.blogspot.com - I think that
that's the right thing for focusing on new artists, releases and labels.
It's a free commercial for Argus... On with the show... :)
Yes, I'm familiar with that one, and few others. It's totally what we need more.
I couldn't agree more... Tell us something about your future plans? Any new EP's or stuff like that?
Well..
some new releases will be up, the summer is finally here, but if you
know Finnish weather you probably know I'll have plenty of rainy days
to work on new stuff. No timelines for releases, it doesn't work out
that way for me. Maybe preparing the performance, that would be new and
exciting.
Well, your
music gives a certain summer note... I can picture myself in some
lounge bar listening to "I Met a Girl With Butterfly Wings (Planet
Boelex Remix)" or Shower Curtain. What is your personal favourite track
or EP ever released? You can go a waaaay back... :)
I'd
have to say that I'm very pleased with "Windbreak" myself. It's very
simple tune with the most basic structure, and it was done in a very
timely manner, however it just works. :)
Some
people claim that remixing isn't composing, because one is using other
people's ideas, forms and samples... I don't approve that theory
because I think that remixing is a way of expression. One hears a good
song and gives a personal touch to it. Can we hear your opinion?
In
my opinion remixes are very nice addition, often giving new aspects to
the original work. Sometimes I have found some specific remix of a song
interesting, even if the original track did not do much for me. Also,
the remix could not be better than the original, since there wouldn't
be anything without the original. It's kind of co-operation work,
definately good, adding flavours from two (or more) artists that might
represent totally different genre. I'd love to make more remix works
myself, especially with vocals.
Have you done a lot of remixes during the years?
Actually none released, prior to the one with ST. (he's refering to his latest EP released on Monotonik)
Are you ready for some quick questions?
I suppose so
To be a sellout and release something on some major label or to be cool and underground? 
More likely the underground.
I heard that winter raves were a big hit in Finland... Would you perform on subzero temperatures? :)
If the equipment could do, definately yes!
What is hardcore techno?
Reminds me of repetive 4/4 beats, not interesting.
Where is Croatia?
Near Yugoslavia?
Uh-huh... ;) Words of wisdom for the ending of this little interview?
Remember, if something is free, it doesn't mean it's not any good.
DraCo