LIFE IN LOCKDOWN - ZARDONIC INTERVIEW

''THE QUESTION IS, WHEN WILL THIS REALLY BE OVER?''

Here at Future-Rocker, we thought we'd do what everyone else is doing: reach out to friends and checking they're okay. Covid-19 lockdown is the first global shared experience since the World Wars, so it'll be fascinating to see how everyone handles the sudden change of lifestyle.

First up, is Venezuelan Metal Drum n Bass overlord, ZARDONIC. We caught up with the hyperactive artiste to find out how he's occupying his time.

It's an obvious question, but...what are you doing during lockdown? 

I definitely can get no chill, so I am always working or finding a way to put my time to good use. Even at home with nothing to do, you can only play video games and watch Netflix for so long. So I have done everything in my power to expand my network of contacts and at the moment enjoy working with several new clients in need of soundtracks, mixing, mastering and remixing services. One of the highlights of my career is being able to create the soundtrack for the sequel to the topseller hit Superhot VR. The new game will be called Superhot: Mind Control Delete, and it is now available on Early Access via Steam. No idea on soundtrack release dates yet, but being involved with such a powerful, fun, caring team has been a very enriching experience for me. They definitely don't work like most other people do, and that's the key to their success!

Besides that, I have done remixes for Lisa Miskovsky (Mirror's Edge), Liv Sin, Satan Takes A Holiday, Skarlett Riot, Smash Into Pieces ( see above ), Shining, and I am currently working on the mix and master as well as guest music for the soundtrack of the new indie game Hellbound, produced by Argentinian developers Saibot Studios. This game is EVERYTHING I wanted in a game. Fast paced first-person-shooter, blood, gore, magic, it's literally a 90's kid's wet dream. Imagine Hexen, Duke Nukem 3D, Serious Sam, Doom and Quake mashed together with modern visuals. No story. No objectives. No bullshit. Just good ol' shooting through hordes of respawning demons to get the yellow, blue and red keys all the way to the next level. There's a free-to-play survival mode available right now and a demo of the first level. Mind you, it's not easy and quicksaves are out of the question. That's something you get with the full version only. But it will be frustrating unless you know what you're getting yourself into. You should check it out!

Also, since the last Friday of March I had two new remix singles released which are leading up to the release of The Become Remix Album. It comes with 10 new remixes of the tracks from the 2018 album Become, including my own VIP version of Takeover together with Fickle6 of The Qemists adding new verses to it, as well as remixes by Code: Pandorum, Sadhu, Vigilante, Pythius, Voicians, Merikan, Enduser, Sinister Souls, Shadow Sect and Hocico. Four of those remixes will also come with their own instrumental version, so that's fourteen tracks total.

You escaped your troubled homeland Venezuela - where does Zardonic choose to set up his Base of Operations, and are they strict or loose with the lockdown there?

I'm in Burscheid which is a small town in the province of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. That's where Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Münster and Wuppertal are, so even while I am in the suburbs, I am very close to a lot of major cities and that makes movement super easy for me. Things here are done a little differently because of the culture. So while some activities have come to a halt, people are simply keeping their distance and wearing masks and gloves everywhere. Supposedly everything should be over in a couple weeks, but we will be required by law to wear protective masks. Air travel is obviously out of the question, which is driving me crazy. If I didn't have the blessing of working in the studio with such amazing people, I don't really know what would become of me. I am extremely thankful for this because I didn't know I was preparing for such a situation.

When lockdown is over, what do you want to do first?

The first question is, when will this really be over? You know? We have no idea what the hell is really happening. I personally don't even know what to believe anymore, but I guess I hope to be able to get my tour back on track. I had a whole tour planned for this year to promote the Remix record with a lot of dates cancelled / postponed, and it was planned to be done together with Fickle6 who has been doing a wonderful job. He knows how to keep people excited and I love hanging out with him. So hopefully we'll get to that. But I can't think about what I'll do until I know when. If I think too much about what I want to do after the lockdown, it'll be like a daily reminder of the things that I can't do right now. And that drives me insane. Better focus on what I can do now, because there's not much else we can do, can we?

 You can pre-order the BECOME REMIX ALBUM here.


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ZARDONIC EXTRA!

NEW FROM FIXT: BECKO - 1YEARSUNFREE (feat. Sho from Avante)

A mixture of emo, EDM...plus a big dose of Stabbing Westward, we think - Italian multi-genre musician / producer Marco Calanca - aka Becko - is Fixtmusic's latest signing.

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NEW ZARDONIC!! - 'REVELATION'

VENEZUELA'S FINEST RETURNS WITH ANOTHER ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN STOMPER

CLICK BELOW FOR:

THE NEW ALBUM BECOME

See our past FUTURE-ROCKER interview with Zardonic

Future-Rocker's DJ chat with Zardonic

DEADMAU5 & ARMIN VAN BUREN: MASTERCLASS TRAILERS

BLUE STAHLI'S ATMOSPHERIC 'REBEL YELL' TEASE!

Blue Stahli ( real name: Bret Autrey ) is more well known for his catchy blasts of crushing industrial overkill than any sweepingly evocative atmospheric pieces. However, the latter is exactly what we get here, as he and label FIXT release this spooky teaser, which we hope is ahead of a full-on rockin' version of the Billy Idol classic. 

Deep-cut fans will be interested to note that this down-tempo interpretation and that familiar chord sequence makes us think of Joy Division's New Dawn Fades, as covered by Moby on the soundtrack to Heat ( which we will also include below ).

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'POINTERS': CRUSHING NEW EDM / METALCORE TRACK FROM THE ALGORITHM!

Want that floppy disk? Get it here.

ZARDONIC'S GUIDE TO DJ-ING - PLUS NEW STUDIO MIXTAPE!

Future-Rocker caught up with Zardonic between recent gigs, to get the inside scoop on touring and album production.  

''People go there to see Zardonic. And Zardonic they will hear''

It takes some balls for a DJ to compose and record his own music and then DJ it at a gig. What was it like the first time you played your own tunes at an event?

It sure does, and Zardonic has BALLS OF STEEL!! Nukemisms aside, it was interesting! Especially because when I started, I was still on that trial and error process any self-taught artist and engineer has. Monitors? I barely had some Maxell headphones and some Hi-Fi speakers. With enough time and practice, I mastered my own sound, but you don't expect to have a club-ready mix with your first few tracks. I think the very first time I played my own tunes was at some house party in the middle of nowhere. And I remember being extremely excited about it. All I wanted was to play. I didn't care about any of the business side of it. Just me playing shit out of Traktor v 2.0 on my old ass Pentium D computer. Oh, did I mention I didn't have a laptop? Yep. Me, my computer monitor, my PC tower, some old ass keyboard and mouse. No fancy stuff. Just me and my passion and nothing in between. Good old days!

What do you do onstage to your own tunes to make them different from just playing the CD as it is?

I've started to add little toys to my setup to make it all more fun and interesting. I don't really use the sync button either, as convenient as that might be, but might have to start doing so, if I want to do what I want to do - which is having a semi-live act so to say. That's why it's so easy for a lot of DJs to play four decks and market themselves as veterans. It's all in the sync button. And I'm not against it. People need to understand that being a DJ is exactly that. It doesn't make them better or worse than the next musician. It's simply a different art and a different delivery. Go ahead and get on stage and do the same shit and see if you can do it any better. And whoever knows how to do it and can deliver a powerful result whatever the method, that's perfect in my book. I don't think the main stage at Tomorrowland would benefit from having Zakk Wylde playing the guitar instead, the same way Wacken wouldn't benefit from having Calvin Harris on it. Or would it? Zardonic ft. Zakk Wylde. Hmm. I like the sound of that.

Describe the composing and recording process for the album.

Lots, lots, lots, lots, and lots of experimentation. And then some. Until I have gigabytes worth of sample-packs I designed on my own. Then I choose whatever inspires me from there, and that works as the main spark for an entire tune. "Pure Power", for example, the intro loop, that was pretty much where the song was born from. Everything else derived from there. "Raise Hell", the first guitar riff you hear. "Antihero", the bleeping loop. I try to find a midpoint between the composition ethos of an EDM producer and a Metal composer. It all starts with a loop, and then I add enough variations and things to it, so it maintains that human touch most dance music has been lacking for a long, long time.

Describe how you plan a gig. For instance, how audiences differ, and how you plan in advance.

Planning for every single crowd you play for is not something I exactly agree with. I'm not a DJ that plays what people like. People go there to see Zardonic. And Zardonic they will hear. I think that's part of the misconception of a DJ these days. I was talking to Savant about it the other day, I remember him and his manager Josh saying "Fuck being a DJ". Best quote ever right there. What we obviously mean is not to ditch the CDJs or the turntables if you will, we simply mean fuck being what people think a DJ should be. We are artists. We play our shit, we play what we like and you follow or leave. I've never cleared a single dancefloor in my entire career. I've played Electro at Drum & Bass shows, Hardcore at House festivals, you name it. It's just me and I go with the flow. Eventually you do know that some people like certain things, others like other things. Russians LOVE their hard music but don't like Hard Techno, for example. Venezuelans love it. Florida is all about the four-to-the-floor, so my Industrial Electro works better there. Holland is all about crossbreed. Atlanta is more about trap and dubstep and whatever. That doesn't mean I haven't played Hard Techno for the Russians or Electro for the Polish. And again, not a simple complaint. It makes perfect sense. If you keep the crowd grabbed by the balls at all times, there's no time for them to rest, then you burn them, and I don't mean that in a good way. If there's something I've learned in 11 years of career is that people also like to listen to music, not only dance to it, and are more appreciative of an interesting set than a bunch of drops one after another.

Any chance of a full DJ set being released on CD, such as the excellent Moscow World of Drum and Bass gig..? - You should definitely sample that Russian announcer saying ''ZAARRRDONNNNNNIIIIICCCCC'' for a future song!

AGREED!!! Dude, I fucking love those voices. They use them all over Russia. I might actually do that for next time. I'll hit them up about it! I would love for a full set to be released on CD, who knows man! That's a great idea right there for sure!

ALIEN BASS: ZARDONIC'S INVASION OF EARTH AMPS-UP!

''I do like to think Zardonic is DJ music and not Metal music''

Note! Since this article was published, Soundcloud have added ads to their format. It can be annoying but hang tight the music's worth waiting for!

One of the inevitabilities of modern life is the proliferation of hybrids: People experiment with technology and cultures that previously would not be accessible. They fuse their disparate influences, and make it their own. There is no better embodiment of a cultural gene-splice, than ZARDONIC. A pan-cultural collision of dance and heavy metal ( distinct from industrial, EBM or electro-goth ), DJ Federico Agreda brings a hard-edged apocalyptic form of dance music to the world's arenas.

This is Zardonic's time. We talk to him before - and then after - a ground-breaking Sri Lankan gig, where he was the first dance DJ in the world to headline a metal festival, and on the eve of the release of his CD, Antihero.

First of all, explain how Zardonic came about. Being from Venezuela, how has your background shaped your music?

I think living in a country where bullying is the rule makes you inevitably angry and vindictive. That paired with the terrible economical and political crisis the country is facing. I left the country in July 2014 shortly after the latest riots began. Kids playing the hero / freedom fighter / terrorist role with anything and everything from burning tires to mortars, against a relentless military police. Thankfully for some, it wasn't happening all over the country. But it sure was happening three blocks from where I lived. So I couldn't even go to the yard to look at the twilight - my hometown, Barquisimeto, is known also as Twilight City because of the incredible sunsets we have - without seeing clouds of smoke, hearing all sorts of explosions, gunfire and screams. Not to mention there's been a recent electricity regulation where they have to cut the power three days a week for 2-3 hours at random times. It was the perfect scenario for all sorts of raiders to do as they pleased. And they did. And they still do.

What’s the music scene like in Venezuela?

Despite what I just told you, the scene is surprisingly REALLY good. We have all sorts of internationally acclaimed artists. Look em up whenever you want: Guaco, Los Amigos Invisibles, La Vida Boheme, Desorden Publico, Gustavo Dudamel, all of them incredibly talented and successful. When it comes to Metal, I guess I could mention Paul Gillman and Krueger in terms of popularity, but the underground has a lot more to offer in terms of composition quality. Verminous is a great death metal band to check out.

You obviously are influenced by metal, but I notice from the tracks you’ve remixed - such as Arkhon Infaustus and Anaal Nathrakh – that you have a singular taste for the more 'progressed' Black Metal that came after the millennium ( Black Metal was/is a hyper-fast form of heavy metal, originating in Scandinavia in the 90s ). Is it fair to say that this is an era that interests you specifically?

Nailed it. Post-2000 Black Metal is right up my alley. Older classics like Bathory, old Mayhem and old Sepultura are also among my favorites, but that technical touch you hear in Mayhem's "Grand Declaration Of War ( 2000 )" as opposed to their "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas ( 1994 )" is something I personally prefer. 

I agree. When Mayhem went back to a more primitive sound to please the die-hards, they were in danger of making themselves obsolete.

I don't even know what they were trying to do by forcing their old sound back. That's involution. They should have kept the path they were taking if you ask me. A lot of people keep complaining about bands changing their sound. That's like you complaining about a fifty-year-old not being able to think the same way he did when he was ten. Evolution is natural, and so should be music. You can always go back and play the old albums and enjoy them for what they are, but trying to replicate it in new music will never be the same.

Were you into the more 'electronic' Black Metal such as Thorns and Aborym?

Of course!! I'm still waiting for Thorns to release another f**king album! And "With No Human Intervention" by Aborym is probably one of my favorite albums of all time! Loved the work of Attila Csihar ( Mayhem's vocalist ) particularly on that one.

''I am not a guy trying to bring electronic music into metal - that has been done to death''

Genre-busting music is always difficult to label. For example, I’ve noticed Celldweller is often listed on dance charts, whereas it would be more accurate to call it Metal, Progressive Metal, or perhaps even Electro-Metal ( – and very distinct from Industrial, which is how his music is labelled on my iPod ). Without wanting to reduce what you do with a simplistic label...what do you call the music of Zardonic?

Zardonic is Zardonic and I do what I feel, but I do like to think Zardonic is DJ music and not Metal music. I am not a guy trying to bring electronic music into metal. That has been done to death, and Celldweller is an excellent example of it. What I'm trying to do is the opposite: bring metal to the dance arenas. I like the energy you find in dance events. People are moving, they give you so much power, and everybody is all gathered and happy. Add a bit of extra heaviness and power to that and you've got an unmatched formula. That's why my live shows are still DJ sets. It's dance music with a lot of rock metal, not metal with electronic samples. In other words, I'm a DJ that sounds like a band, and not the other way around.

What inspired you to wear the mask? Kiss, Daft Punk, or Predator?

None of them. The mask was originally conceived and it's based on my logo which is based on my own face. People keep comparing it to Predator because it has "dreads" - RCA cables, to be precise - which were a later addition. But it wasn't inspired in anything that wasn't my own. Although I do like the idea that the final result resembles all of those things you mentioned, and other characters such as Deathstroke, Fulgore, Cyrax... a guy once said it looked like the cross of a Cylon and the mask from Scream, so I guess everybody will see what they will. I see nothing but the real me. Quoting Oscar Wilde, "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."

Give us your Top 5 list of classic albums, any genres.

I hate Top 5s. I always end up turning that into a Top 10, 20 or 50. So I will just throw the first five albums I can think of:

Behemoth - The Satanist

Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Sinfonia

Mayhem - Grand Declaration Of War

Dodheimsgard - 666 International

Ulver - Themes From William Blake's 'The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell'

- And I guarantee you that I could keep going, and I'm leaving a ton out of that list that I listen on a daily basis. Sixth one and I'll stop: Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects - Sol Niger Within

I definitely agree with you regarding Arcturus and Mayhem, although Ulver was a bit too soft and proggy for me. What are you listening to at the moment?

Behemoth's "The Satanist" has been on repeat for a long while. It inspires me. Gives me an energy I can't explain. That's why I mentioned it as a classic, as I do believe it is the absolute best they've released. Contemporary artists, to be fair, I have a hard time finding new music that I like. I have to dig a lot, and sometimes the stuff I find that I like is probably music that was released a long time ago but I failed to discover then. God Is An Astronaut has an amazing sound. Some of the new DevinTownsend is good. Ne Obliviscaris, Xerath. That kinda stuff. But there are very few bands that understand how to make music that sounds interesting and at the same time hypnotic enough to be enjoyable. A lot of bands are on this quest to be the most technical, the most bizarre, or the most hard hitting, and you end up with a pig-squeal-fest with a lot of noise behind it. I can hardly mention any guitar riff composers I like these days. That's what "Bring Back The Glory" ( from Zardonic's Vulgar Display of Bass album ) was about. Bringing back the flavor of the 90s and early 2000s. That, for me, was the era. But maybe I'm just getting old because that's exactly what my old man would say about the 60s and 70s. He loved Pink Floyd big time!

What famous artists would you like to produce?

None. I have no time to produce anyone else that is not me. Unless they pay big money. 

So I guess whoever brings a balance of excellent music, open-mindedness and a fat wallet.

You’ve just announced that you’re headlining a Sri Lankan metal festival – that surely must be a first – both for 21st Century music culture and the Sri Lankans!

Tell me about it! It's going to be very interesting I think. I did it already when playing alongside Dimmu Borgir in Caracas. At first I thought the metalheads were gonna throw shit at me, but it was an excellent show and everybody was cheering and heard nothing but great comments about the set. There's always the occasional ignorant person that still thinks that being a DJ is only pushing buttons. I'd like to see Steve Vai trying to do a DJ set the same way Andy C does. It's another instrument man. Whoever fails to understand that is simply being square-headed.

Who’s idea was it, and what can the fans expect?

The Sri Lankans put it together. The fans can expect a set obviously a little more brutal and metal than usual, so I will be able to give free rein to all my black metal remixes. It's been a while since I played any!

Zardonic seems to embody one of the possible futures of heavy metal. Talking of futurist speculation, are you a fan of science fiction?

Big time. I see Zardonic as an antihero in a post apocalyptic future. But I think that topic has been overdone too much, so I want to be able to portray it in a different way. Still sorting out the ideas and don't want to give much away yet.

What books do you like to read and what movies do you like?

Never been much of a reader. They call it ADD in the United States. I need a movie. Most of the time I watch thought-provoking movies whatever the genre, but I have a sweet spot for great dramas. Movies like Dallas Buyers Club or Get Low. Robert Duvall's performance was outstanding there. I feel every time I watch those movies I grow as a human being. They give me perspective, inspiration. That's what I need from a movie.

Would you ever appear in a sci-fi movie, like the guys in Die Antwoord?

Maybe. But if I do appear in a movie it has to be done right. There's a difference between doing what Die Antwoord did with Chappie and what Bjork did with Dancer In The Dark.

Any plans to release a CD for those of us that like to keep music libraries and study liner notes and artwork in the booklet?!

Yes indeed. September 18th. You will be pleased!

''No matter how metal people think Zardonic is, Zardonic is an electronic music act''

Update - ZARDONIC'S SRI LANKAN GIG REPORT:

What was the Sri Lanka gig like? How responsive was the crowd?

I can't complain about this experience man! We had a fully packed Viharamahadevi Theatre - I dare you to pronounce that! The crowd was tough at first, but that's natural. No matter how metal people think Zardonic is, Zardonic is an electronic music act. It's obviously going to work better at EDC than Wacken metal festival. But I did some special tricks by the end of the set and some live vocals on top of it, and when I least expected it I had a moshpit in front of me! I think I was yet to play such an aggressive set.

Sri Lanka seems a long way from the busy music scenes of Europe and the Americas. What's their local scene like?

The local bands were great, a few of them need to improve a bit perhaps, but nothing that good advice and practice can't fix. I heard some mad potential. My favorite was Coat Of Arms from Dubai, and Seven Thorns did a pretty interesting job. There was also Demonic Resurrection from India, as made famous by the Global Metal documentary. Excellent stage presence as well.

Great interview - thanks for your time, and good luck with Antihero!

Thank you for yours!

ZARDONIC'S NEW CD, ANTIHERO, IS AVAILABLE HERE AND WILL BE REVIEWED ON THIS BLOG IN THE OCT / NOV EDITION!

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