Under the Running Board : Circuitrip
Caught up with Rahman aka Circuitrip and Label Head for Ehsan Records (SG) for a few beers and a long overdue interview session.
It's Thursday evening,12th of May at some rooftop bar in Arab Street. We're into our 2nd round of drinks before we decide to get serious and start the interview. The following documents my adoration for one of my favourite noise artist, Circuitrip.
R - I'm Rahman, I do freelance work to get me through the day and perform as Circuitrip.
OHD - Cool. I've known you for quite some time now and you've always been in the underground scene from crust to metal etc..When did you get into noise/experimental music?
R - I guess it's was somewhere around '98 where everyone was starting to breakout out of the norm. I personally love extreme music and always looked for something that pushes the boundaries and noise/experimental music was the "new" platform for me.
OHD- Was there any particular artist or band that inspired you at that time?
R- Japnoise like Astro & Incapacitants have always been a big influence, I know a lot of people would cite Merzbow as a God or something but I'm not too fond of his methods and much prefer Masonna for his uninhibited use of feedback.
OHD - I love Masonna too man!First record I got into was Spectrum Ripper, it was harsh and soothing at the same time, Madness!
OHD - So you have a pretty decent discography and constantly put out releases, is there anything you're working on now?
R- Yeah. I'm currently working on a 4-way split release and a S.E Asian compilation that will feature artists from Thailand,Vietnam, Indonesia and many more..it's probably my biggest project for Asia and both will be out late this year or early next year on my label, EHSAN RECORDS.
OHD- Right. Speaking about split releases, you often collaborate with other artists for live shows as well, what are some challenges compared to playing solo?
R- Working on my own is great.. there's more time to experiment. When it's a collaboration I tend to be more sensitive or diplomatic so things are more cohesive.
For live shows, a lot of people think it's just noise but you really need to listen to the layers and figure out how best you can get the most out of it. You can plan as much as you want and sometimes it doesn't go accordingly because in noise music there is no boundary.
OHD- I hear you. How is your creative process like? Is there any rituals you do to prepare yourself?
R- A lot inspiration comes from my past. I've had a pretty fucked-up past with sadness and despair that continue to haunt me until this day, so yeah.. whatever that comes through my music is a part of my blood.
OHD- When you're all plugged in and ready to go, do you have an idea in your head of how to get this "fucked-up-ness" out through your music?
R- It starts with whatever mood I'm in but naturally takes on a life of it's own through my hands.
OHD- People know you as Man or Trojan and many associate you with the Singapore noise music scene both locally and internationally, but tell us something about you that people would've never guessed.
R- I'm actually a shy person [laughs] and don't communicate well with others so some may say I'm snobbish but once you get to know me you'll see that I'm just shy.
OHD: Alright. So you travel a lot and play shows overseas a fair bit, how does the the scene abroad compare to Singapore?
R- The true noise scene in Singapore is really a small collective.People get into trends here more than anything and it's just been recently that noise music here got some form of recognition due to more international acts coming over and promoters capitalizing on it.
OHD- So it's more like different people are into it for different reasons, most of them are trying to be part of something they don't understand right? What about countries like Indonesia? Who have such a vibrant noise scene.
R- The noise music community in Indonesia is a part of a bigger music scene with great support compared to Singapore. Over here people are biased based on what equipment you use and who you know, you don't get this shit in Indonesia, they're are so supportive of upcoming artists and offer a helping hand whenever they can.
OHD- Noise music has certain characteristics in terms of imagery and philosophy in some sense, are you influenced by any of these or anything else?
R- Beside my personal struggles being the main driving force behind my music, the "system" here makes me frustrated and angered, this influences my sounds as well.
OHD- It's really like some form of therapy for you I'd imagine.
R- Yes it is.
OHD- Anything else that drives you?
R- My friends that keep doing what they love to do despite having family and financial commitments, I truly respect that.
OHD - Any future plans?
R- I'm just getting my life on track and seeing how things go for now... maybe I'll stop doing music maybe not.. just taking things day-by-day and keep doing what I love.
OHD- It's really good to see some artists pushing the envelope and coming out with new sounds and such, are you contented with yours for now?
R- I don't feel the need to produce anything more than what I'm capable of, it's not a competition for me and my sounds are a good representation of myself.
OHD - Last question - One Word - What do you represent?
R- [10 sec intense contemplative pause]...Freedom.
We wrapped things up with a couple of more rounds into the night and talked about hopes, dreams and massage parlors.
http://circuitripx.bandcamp.com/releases
Ehsan Records
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