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By John Moxey
Hari Ossa, a unique composer whose work encompasses a number of genres from progressive rock to electronica talks to Songstuff about the progress with his new album and tells us a little about what he's been up to.
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Interview
John: Hari good to see you! Last time we spoke in interview you were recording your first album with Artifical Bliss recordings. A lot of time has passed and I though it about time we had a catch up.
Hari: Yes, you're right, a lot of time and the album is still unfinnished...
John: So what's happening? are you still intending finishing it?
Hari: Of course! it's just that I didn't like the way the album was going. It was too obscure and sad.
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John: Back to the begining then?
Hari: No, I like that feelings and I like the music I recorded, but the album needs some light in order to contrast with all dark stuff.
John: That makes sense.
Hari: Now I'm trying to add some major tonalities and "happier" music, but in my own way. New recordings are more in the way my old music was, a bit complicated to play with some odd time signatures.
John: Interesting. Progressive electronica?
Hari: I'm not aware of style names, so I can't say if that will match my sounds...
John: So what sort of music should we expect? What has most influenced it?
Hari: I'm a BIG Zappa fan so complicate stuff is natural for me, but I don't want to be a "Zappa wannabe", I don't think I can either. Some years ago I stopped making music in my computer to have a real group, those were the "Antartic Hippies" years, after that I decided to use my PC again but not to continue with what I was doing in the past, I wanted to experiment more using the computer as an instrument and not just as a recording tool and decided to simplify my music, you can hear it by yourself, most of my new stuff has one or two chords...
John: Is there an all encompassing theme, orwill it be a cllection of unrelated tracks?
Hari: Yes, it has some "conceptual continuity", it's about my view of society nowadays and how humans live in a fantasy world unaware of the planet, the universe and their own ignorance.
John: how have you tried to approach it? How has that manifested in the music?
Hari: I approached from the eyes of a working man, how life reaches the monotony of going to work and repeat the same things all days while all your dreams are waiting in the back of your mind forever. I tried to reflect that not onli on the lyrics but also in the music by using repetitive loops and keeping one chord most of the time that was the obscure part of the album, the new part laughs about that guy who dreams by night and does nothing but follow orders by day.
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John: Can you give an example of how you have approached one of your recent tracks? How do you start? Lyrics? Melody? How do you develop the track from there?
Hari: Well, the latest thing I've done I started with the drums, I just got some excellent drums samples, so I spent some time playing with the sounds until I got a nice rhythm. Then I realised that I needed an intro, so I did a drum intro that really sounds like a guy playing the drums, I know it's kind of weird to focus on details like that when a tune is not even completed, but I'm not a normal guy!! After that I started with a bass line, initially just a synth line, but I'm planning to add some real bass later. Usually what I do at the end is to record voices, that's the worst part for me since I'm not really a singer.
John: Awww. we'll have none of that putting yourself down business here!
Do you find your approach varies much between songs?
Hari: Yes, I can start a song from anywhere, bass, drums, chord changes, even start a tune around guitar solo!!
John: So, how far through the album are you? Do you have a target release date?
Hari: The album should be out on March, and right now I say it's 70% ready to go, the bad thing is that 30% left is most of the vocals, compose some "B" parts on a couple of tunes and of course mixing and mastering...
John: Great! I hope you will let Songstuff know of the final date! Before anyone else of course...
Hari: In fact I'm going to let you hear the whole things as soon as it's done!!
John: Great! I'll look forward to it! Do you have any singles planned?
Hari: Not yet, but I should release a couple of them according to the contract, that will be out after the album, and I want them to be different from the album music.
John: Are you still with Artifical Bliss?
Hari: Yes. Simon (Artificial Bliss co-Founder), sent me a message some time ago, he wanted to know how the album was going, really patient guy... hehe
John: So you don't have much contact with them?
Hari: As you may noticed I've been out of contact with everybody... focusing on guitar making right now!
John: A new passion?
Hari: I started repairing electric guitar and basses a lot of years ago, as long as I figured how stuff worked, but never tried to build an instrument by myself, I was more of an electronics guy who also did setup and other little repairments. Thanks to friend luthier Marco Buitano I'm learning the magic things about woods and glue !!
That mp3 I'm sending is the track I was talking about, with the nice drum samples.
John: It sounds interesting, though I would still prefer to play them than make them.
Hari: Still has no voice and needs some more parts to be a song.
John: Thanks, I'll have a listen...
Hari: Making guitars is no different as making music, you work in an instrument that hopefully it will be loved by a musician, and part of his/her life.
John: Almost industrial sounding (feel not music genre).
Hari: It's in 7/8.
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John: Yeah, I noticed. Getting rebelious?
Hari: Do you like the drum intro? I was getting sick of 4/4.
John: Yeah good jazzy intro.
Hari: It's incredible because I composed it using the mouse note by note!!
John: So, are you planning a video? I seem to remember an experiment of yours with stop/motion.
Hari: That would be a lot of work and I don't thing I have the time for that, first thing after finishing the album will be a complete renew of my website which is right now a bit forgotten by its owner...
John: Ah. ABR has no plans for one?
Hari: Not atm, but we haven't talk about it so who knows...
Hari: There's a 3 part song in the album called "Step over step" it opens and closes the album and has a variation at the middle of it, that will be a nice tune to make a video for that tune is the heart of the album.
John: Well I wish you all the best with finishing the album, ontime.
Hari: I hope so too!!
John: Will you come back and chat to us again around launch time?
Hari: Count on that!
John: Great! Do you have anything else you want to share with Songstuff visitors?
Hari: Yes, the emperor is not wearing any clothes!!
John: How long have you called yourself the emperor?
Hari: ;D
My wife calls me that.
John: Now the world will...
Ok Hari, thanks for talking with me. It's been good to catch up. Roll on March! I can't wait.
Hari: Thanks John for the interview, its been a pleasure as usual, thanks also to all the Songstuff staff for their constant support.
John: We try our best! Ttake care speak to you soon... and who knows, I might get you to make me a guitar!
Hari: Anytime!
To find out more you can find our more about Hari at his website www.hariossa.com.
Discuss this article in our Music Forum.
About John Moxey
John Moxey started Songstuff in 2000 and is an active songwriter and musician as well as a regular Songstuff author of music and music technology related articles and member of the site crew.
John started playing his first instrument (piano) in 1971, and has been writing songs since 1979. He began playing his now main instrument, the guitar, in 1982. In 1986 he finished training as a studio engineer and in 1997 obtained an Honours Degree in Electronics and Music from the University of Glasgow.
John now plays several other instruments including mandolin, violin, bagpipes, didgeridoo, bodhran, and vocals.
John has a broad range of performance experience from choirs and orchestras to pipe bands. He has sung for, played in and written for various bands, and produced songs across a number of genres.
John Moxey - Full Site Crew Profile
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