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Interview

Iron Cthulhu Apocalypse p3

How Iron Cthulhu Apocalypse started composing and playing ambient music...

READERSVOICE.COM: When did you start creating ambient music and what sort of instruments or technology did you start with, and how did you learn to use them?

IRON CTHULHU APOCALYPSE: I’m almost 35 now and I started making music when I was 12. I haven’t made music consistently since then, though, but I’ve made a lot of different genres. I started focusing on ambient a few years ago, and dark ambient in particular. It was after a long hiatus from music entirely. When I started making music, though, my first instrument was just a casio keyboard. It had some basic editing functions on the sounds, though, so I could make ambient-style sounds with a little effort. Technically I would have made my first ambient tracks around age 12, recording direct to tape. I don’t have them anymore but I remember going for a very minimal style even then. A few years later my dad bought me an old synth from the 1980s and I had a drum machine and four-track-recorder, also. Then I moved up to a Roland MC-505 and some samplers. I didn’t start using computers consistently until much later. I’ve never had any formal training though and I’ve never really read any manuals on any of it, except maybe the samplers. At this point, I exclusively use computers, and aside from tutorials on Youtube it’s all been trial and error.

RV: I read that people like to read to your music, like one guy said he wanted to read the novel Metro 2033 to the music. Others play computer games to your music. Do you get other groups of people, like artists or writers who like your music?

ICA: Most of the comments are from writers. I think ambient music is particularly good for writing because writing requires a lot of focus and precision, and if music is too forceful it can hamper that. But I also get comments from coders and such. I get negative comments about the music not being attention-getting enough, too, but I think that’s because a lot of people don’t understand the purpose of ambient music.

RV: I really like the mini album Where the light touches not. I think it would be very relaxing to people who are stressed out. Do people say they use your music to get rid of anxiety? I saw that one listener to your eight hours compilation of dark ambient music on Youtube said the songs were creepy but comforting.

ICA: Yes, people often comment that my music helps with depression and anxiety, as well as insomnia. Some also say that it induces depression. It’s interesting how that works.

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