Crossover to the sounds bubbling east of New York City, east of Ibiza, and even east of Berlin. Once you've passed all these music meccas you'll eventually end up on Russian soil. It is there, in the city of Moscow, where Mira Karianova a.k.a. Ishome sequences sounds for hours and creates anything from ambient, electronica, techno, and bass rhythms that just stick. The Russian producer's name is suddenly sprouting on the radar of many electronic music fans, but that does not mean she is a newcomer–definitely not.
Assuring that she began making music at the budding age of fourteen, it's clear once you witness her recreate her live sets or take notice of the sound design in her debut album, Confession (2013), that she probably is not bluffing. Showcasing maturation in her music and ardent concentration when she's doing her thing on stage, the passion and devotion one can sense from Ishome is undeniable. Keeping quiet to the press and even admitting to having a disconnect with her fan base, which has to do with the introvert tendencies of her personality, it's a big deal to us at EARMILK that she agreed to fit this concise interview with a fifty minute podcast into her occupied schedule.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/181862636?secret_token=s-IFjyi" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]
EM: So, how long have you been producing your own music?
I: I’ve started when I was 14, which means I’ve been doing it for about 10 years now. Of course, I’ve not planned on doing it that long, but it’s only now I understand that back then I was already taking music very seriously and personally, it was touching me on a very deep level. When I woke up the first thing I’d do is to set on my player and put in my headphones, and that's how my day started.
EM: What were the driving points that made you turn your focus from being just a music fan to producing your own sounds?
I: Music was the only thing that really resonated with me back then, and on the same level was the idea of having a dialogue with computer about musical topics. That’s how it all started, and still goes actually.
EM: What makes playing LIVE special for you as opposed to just doing a regular DJ set?
I: I like to do both, but most of my performances are Live instead of DJ set. That’s usually because during the live performance I’m able to improvise more, taking different lines from different records and putting it into something new. It’s also an easy way to change some parts quickly and enjoy the new outcome myself, because one way or another you will get bored playing the same sounds.
In my case I won’t be able to play much DJ sets anyway, because there is not that much music that I really like and the audience is interested in. Usually not many people want to hear some drone/ambient sounds at 2pm, unless it’s a «go to sleep & trip» party :)
EM: What inspires you to keep going?
I: Everything and nothing, can’t explain it clearly. The only thing i can say that it’s a cumulative process. A slow one though, to create even something basic it takes sometime.
EM: Aside from your Ishome moniker, you also reserve a project geared towards your techno endeavors – how do you make time for both?
I: That’s correct, at the moment there is only one other project than Ishome, it’s called Shadowax. Can't say it’s techno, just the music that doesn’t fit Ishome, but i still feel there is some value in it. Time is not really a factor that concerns me, because it takes a long time for something to come out of me anyway.
EM: Russia’s electronic scene is something we are just beginning to get more of, any emerging acts you’re excited about that we should have in our radar?
I: I agree, with recent years we’re getting more and more solid acts and musicians. I think this is due post USSR era, those who were born in late 80s are becoming more mature. And Internet helps with promos. A few names i’d watch out for: Nikita Zabelin, Unbalance, Unbroken Dub, Koett, Mujuice.
EM: Where have you had the most fun playing? What makes this city/venue a special place for you?
I:As for recent gigs, i really liked playing everywhere in Romania (3 cities), very welcoming and friendly people. Also i liked my last gig in Berlin, this is by no doubts a special city to me. And last but not the least – Donetsk, Ukraine, this was one of my first gigs.
EM: What are some of your favorite records at the moment?
I: Ambient Noise Level – Sleeping with the Window Open; Cwtch – YV; Ambient Noise Level – Night Train; Everything produced by Robert Hood; Alessandro Cortini – Salta; Alessandro Cortini – Menta; Stanislav Tolkachev – Open Cage; Stanislav Tolkachev – Future; Sleeparchive – 4; Sleeparchive – Acd-bleep
EM: What’s in store for 2015?
I: I’m working on new Ishome release at the moment, if all goes as well i expect to finish it sometime in January, and then concentrate on my second project – Shadowax. Also February will be full of gigs, Germany, Poland, stay tuned!
EM:Tell us a little about this mix you put together!
I: I wanted to record something like this for a long time. the mix is oriented only on my personal feelings, but maybe not that much on the audience of the website. This music is really close to me, something that brings out those same emotions i had when i was a child listening to my player day and night.
Check out the mix Ishome crafted and enjoy the 50 minute sound wave excursion of entracing emotions and state of mind!
Tracklist:
1) Miyuki – Leap Into The Void
2) Lyonel Bauchet – Noodle Jazz
3) Alessandro Cortini – Salta
4) Lyonel Bauchet – 250e Sequencing
5) DJ Koze – Ich Schreib' Der Ein Buch (ft. Hildegard Knef)
6) Ishome – Untitled
7) Skee Mask – Cylo
8) Ambient Noise Level – Night Train
9) Dasha Rush – Spring Paris
10) Boards of Canada – Uritual
11) Ishome – Earth (pad)
12) Rhizome – Rokot
13) Lyonel Bauchet – Occupation des Usines
14) Miyuki – Self-Proclaimed King Of H+
15) Emptyset – Awake
16) Nocow – Batleth Part I & II
17) Kraftwerk – Radioactivity (live)
18) Answer Code Request – Odyssey Sequence
19) Oxix52 – Azldyne
20) Oxix52 – Stillness
21) Donato Dozzy – K Untitled (D2)
22) Ambient Noise Level – Patriarch
23) Milieu – Midnight Beacon
24) Abdulla Rashim – Red Uprise
25) Alexey Arkhipovskiy – Vanya
26) Leandro Fresco – Buenos Amigos
Also check out the video below which showcases Ishome live mixing her Confessions album.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUIG8P8bvSQ[/youtube]
