Rediscovered _ Interview With Kiazma

Jackson Nyman has a fresh take on Techno..

I mention it in the interview as I’m not going to pretend that ‘I’ stumbled upon Kiazma’s music all by myself..

BUT – One night I saw a Facebook post from hardware hoarder Paul Birken; who regularly shares interesting music.. AND I clicked the link. It sounded cool.

Kiazma – Jackson Nyman, doesn’t have much on his soundcloud, but I especially liked the energy of Countermeasures the sounds in Slip Rhythm. As there wasn’t enough to satisfy my curiosity, I thought ‘Fuck it..’ and sent him a message. In short, that’s how all this happened.

Jackson is an open & friendly guy. It was a pleasure meeting him and finding out about where he was from and what he was about. I really like his music and the fact that his set-up is so basic when producing is an encouraging sign, isnt it?

It’s always interesting to hear other people’s stories.

Hope you enjoy his mix too.

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Photo Credits: Nina La Viva

Hey Jackson… I’m very pleased I investigated your soundcloud after Paul Birken made an online recommendation about you. I liked what I heard and so thought I’d follow up on it with you. Thanks again for agreeing to do the mix & interview. What are you up to?

Good man, thanks for reaching out. I’m currently listening to the subsekt mix I recorded earlier today at my family’s place – I’ve been staying with them for the Summer holiday so I have a makeshift “studio” setup in their basement.

I’ve seen pictures of you playing in a band so there has probably been some kind of transition over to Electronic Music in the last few years? Would you mind telling us a little of that background & story?

Absolutely. My background in music goes back to playing guitar throughout my teenage years. I was really into metal back then and was for a while actually planning on going to school for guitar performance and pursuing a career as a studio musician or touring a metal band. Over time I drifted more toward other styles of music and eventually started stumbling on electronic music. At first it was early “brostep” (given the similarities to metal), but after a few months I started exploring more and digging into the genre. Eventually I got really into Drum & Bass, especially the deeper side of things (ie the sounds of labels like Exit Records or Autonomic). Around this time I started learning Reason, and during my first year at University I started making my own tracks. Since then, it’s been a continuous journey of discovery – from DnB I discovered the minimal, dark side of dubstep, and eventually the kind of house and techno that influences what I currently make. I suppose I burned out and became somewhat disillusioned about a year and a half ago and stopped making tracks, but I became really inspired a few months ago and started falling in love with techno again.

That route via Dubstep or EDM.. Call it purism or snobbery, but folk can get polarised fairly quickly when certain genres are mentioned. Was the path that you explored beyond those one that gets travelled often?

I certainly think the route I’ve taken is one that others have followed as well – if anything, I think it’s vital to not simply stumble on one type of music and never explore beyond it.

Great point Jackson!

I’ve always been driven by a deep curiosity to discover new music. Looking back at the other genres that I’ve come across along the way, they’ve definitely served as gateways – or “stepping stones” as you mentioned – for my investigation into the past. Similarly, from each stepping stone there have been lessons and impacts: from DnB I learned an obsession with mixdowns and rhythmic layers; from dubstep the importance of bassline textures, subweight, and sound design; and from metal the power of delivering an intense live performance.

What are the Mid-West / Minnesota like for your style of Electronic Music?

It’s somewhat of a peculiar area to be for my music. Minneapolis definitely has a longstanding history of techno, but I honestly had no idea it did until recently, despite spending nearly all of my life in Minnesota. I was actually talking with Mike Gervais (a veteran of the scene here) about this recently, and how the state is usually ignored by most touring acts and as a result has had to build its own scene and culture from within. So there’s definitely a different vibe here than you might find elsewhere.

I’ve spent the last few years in University in Madison, Wisconsin, and unfortunately the scene  isn’t quite as developed there, but there’s a similar effect going on with building from within, though at a smaller scale. I suppose there is a lot of room for niches to co-exist, but sometimes you find yourself being the only one in it!