We are very excited to welcome Mary Yalex to the label soon, and her upcoming release set to be announced in August. Mary’s work has appeared on respected labels such as Muzan Editions, map.ache’s ‘Kann’’, Carsten Jost’s ‘Dial’, Sound as Language, and her own label, Yalex Recordings. Her productions have spanned various ambient and experimental styles, and I am very excited to present a new album distilling her years of hard work into her sharpest vision yet.
There’s no better way to get to know an artist than stepping up to the isolatedmix series to illustrate your music style and background, and the mix is a great reflection of what to expect from her new record.
Mary Yalex’s album on ASIP is set to be announced in August, so in the meantime, please enjoy a short interview and perfectly curated mix (including a track from the upcoming album to preview).
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Hi Mary, what has influenced you to produce music today?
As a child, I was attracted to music not played with acoustic instruments. My mother had a Vermona Piano Strings in the DDR. It was 1989 when my mother bought them and I was 5 years old. I liked to play Rum on the piano and tried to play melodies (and the scratching of the sliders, when you wanted to switch to strings, was really terrible as I remember it).
Music has always played a big role in my childhood. I would look and listen excitedly to my mother's record collection, from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin to Bronski Beat. I think the music you hear as a child is a much greater influence than what you hear today, and my interest in electronic music works was there from the beginning.
Over the years, you acquire techniques and repetition, and processes for how to make music. But today's influence is much more based on what happens around you, as in the world; how you perceive things and the people you are surrounded by, more than the music you hear. A melody always comes out of a mood and feeling.
I’m interested to learn about this production process; how you approach making music conceptually - do you have ideas & concepts or improvise?
When I make music, I sit down at my synthesizer or electric piano and play a melody first - the main core. It has to feel great, if not then I'll throw it away. I never force myself to make music, for me it is important, there must be a feeling and it must flow. I like to use the same techniques that have been acquired over the years - it is a familiar process of editing.
So what motivates you to sit down and make music? Is it a personal outlet? How easy does it come to you?
For me, it is a passion to make music, a feeling that has to come out. I get in a bad mood when I can't make music so it also helps me cope with moods, discovering new sounds and possibilities again.
What instruments/gear do you tend to focus on or always work with?
I mainly produce with Elektron Octatrack, Clavia Nord Rack 2 and Elektron Digitone.
You normally accompany your releases with your own paintings - how would you describe this relationship? Were you a visual artist or a musician first?
I used to paint in my childhood when I lived in Austria. I only really started producing electronic music more recently. I want to give the whole thing a picture - something that is more than just a photograph.
How does your home city and local history impact your music?
I have been living in Erfurt now for a year and a half. I'm getting older and I'm also looking for a quiet life. I don't need the hustle and bustle of a big city anymore. Here in Erfurt I also have my studio. During the Corona period, I decided to go back to my home country. It hasn't really changed much for me as I live very withdrawn. For me and my music, the place has never played a big role. Back when I went to Leipzig in 2008, there were more opportunities in my learned profession.
Your isolatedmix is a mixture of different styles of artists, many of whom are on regular rotation for me. Can you tell us how you approached the mix?
I always look for pieces that match my mood. You start with quieter pieces, which are also a bit atmospheric. I like to combine emotional music with ambient drone pieces, the dreamy pieces at the end. For me, it always has to sound like a trip.
If you could make a mix of any type of music, what would it be and what might be the most surprising track inclusion?
You have a new album coming up on ASIP, what can people expect?
To describe it briefly, it is for me, one of my most profound and dynamic albums…
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Listen on Soundcloud or the ASIP Podcast.
Tracklist:
01. James Murray - Careful Now
02. CORBEN - The Zills
03. Ripperton - Ingénuité
04. The House In The Woods - Tone Intervals
05. Chestnut People, Priori, Ludwig A.F: - IV
06. Viul & Benoit Pioulard - Catalune
07. Mary Yalex - Endless Possibilities
08. Lauge, Alvaro Suarez, Fallen Metropolis - -FAM015- May 7 - Live
09. Room 208 & Zuwe - Time Moved Like It Used To
10. DJ In A Dream - La Silhouette
11. Måla - E Is For Elegance (With Burning Pyre)
12. Martinou - ...in all it's splendor
13. Boliden - Pools
14. Malibu - Atlantic Diva
15. Boy is Fiction - Silversand
16. nthng - Looking Outside
Mary Yalex | Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Soundcloud
