Oedipax and Jonjon

Interview

Musical Background

Oedipax: I started learning classical piano at the age of 10 and have been playing ever since, occasionally branching off into some modern music. Jonjon: I've never learned an instrument, but I tinkered with drums, lots of keyboards and a couple of synths as a kid. I grew up with lots of Reggae and Ska around through my father. Then one day, as a 10 year old, he bought me the Jungle-Mania cassette tapes and I was hooked! I would listen to the old Rave tapes at school, then I took up the turntables around 15, I taught myself how to mix and scratch records and spent much of my youth at record shops, club nights, raves and so on. I did a few DJ sets with my mate but nothing much. I haven't mixed a single record for over 5 years. Maybe I'll treat myself to some 1210's and start collecting old records again.

Musical Style

Oedipax: Right now, it's primarily dark and influenced by Industrial and technical/mechanical sounds and falling a lot within what people would call Drum and Bass or Jungle. I also dabble a bit with Jazz samples within a Jungle or Drum and Bass context. Jonjon: Hard for me to say, but I believe in good drums that still have that older more acoustic sound and I love to pair a deep low end bass with the beat. I'll usually have some theme going and if I'm in the mood, I'll add a half decent melody.

Started making music

Oedipax: I started regularly composing melodies and writing compositions on the piano at the age of 13, however, I found Audiotool in 2011 and started making electronic music at the ripe old age of 31! ;) Jonjon: I was 18 years old and mostly used Reason

On Audiotool

Oedipax: I found Audiotool through I believe what was Google's app store at the time and was introduced to electronic music production through this handy platform in early 2011. Jonjon: In 2009 Luke recommended the original Hobnox site to me, so I uploaded some music and was actually really blown away by some of the musicians and video artists on there. Then I signed up for the first version of audiotool the night it went live. It was a few weeks before I published "Man in Grey" which was part of all those early tracks that I deleted.

Lovestory

Oedipax: Jonjon found me! ;) I saw that he faved one of my tracks on Audiotool and said something nice about it back in 2011. I clicked on his name, listened to a couple of his tracks and realized his great talent straight away. We started talking about music and both found common ground through our similar interests. Over the course of a year, we wrote about music, shared our thoughts about art, life, and many other topics, and learned from each other. Eventually, we decided we needed to meet in person. John came to the U.S. last year and stayed with me, and I found upon meeting him, it was like meeting someone I had already known forever. Before he had to go back to the UK, he proposed. I accepted wholeheartedly. Through the process of U.S. immigration and loads of research and paperwork on our part, he eventually was able to make it back here to the U.S. in May of this year. We married in June and we are living very happily together. :) Jonjon: Warning: Have tissues at the ready. I was drawn to Suzanne from the moment I heard her early experimental tracks such as "Burn" and she was really into my afterglow remix. We began chatting on each others walls, then through email, video, pics, phone. Eventually we found we had written a huge romantic novel through e-mail! We share much in common and had experienced similar periods in life. We became best friends. Then we became romantic and I went over to Seattle a couple of times for the maximum period of time allowed. We got to know each other, we fell in love and had a lot of fun. I proposed to her at the beach one summer's evening, Suzanne accepted and then a week later, through many tears, I had to depart back to England and begin the whole immigration process which took an age, mountains and mountains of paperwork and much longing. Suzanne came to England for the first time to meet my family. When I got approved to return, I was the happiest man on earth. So then I went back for good, we married in June this year and we're enjoying life together very much.

Message to the community

Oedipax: Thank you all for all the music you make. Many of you are coming up with such innovative and incredible music. Keep doing what you do for the happiness you find in it. Many of you also know how much making music can be used as a creative and even personal outlet for emotions, dreams, and thoughts. Take it as an opportunity for exploration whether you want to express a deeper part of yourself or simply use it as an opportunity to learn more about certain aspects of music production. Whether you're just starting out or have been at it for years, remember that what you have within you is priceless regardless of popularity, fame, or recognition. Keep learning with fresh eyes and listening with fresh ears, but mostly, don't forget to have fun. ;)