Music Websites for Creative Commons and Free Music producers

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2020!!

In the last years we have seen a lot of new platforms for music, for earn money and reach a lot of listeners. But what happens when your music is too weird or to complex for "too much" people?

I talk of genres like sound collage, drone, dark ambient or a mixture of experimental and unrated genres.

Really do you need all those webs like Apple music, Tidal, Spotify, Itunes, Google play, etc? Do you think that you can find the true listeners for your music there? In a place that the most listened genres are pop, reggaeton, trap, dubstep, latin ballads and all kind of massive easy listening commercial stuff? If you think that the answer is yes, well i respect you. But maybe you must consider change your music style or your sound to the previously mentioned...

In the last time i saw too many experimental artists, trying to show a surrealistic image of themselves like celebrities or like hollywood stars...but is that the real path of the non commercial musician?
buying bots in facebook or in soundcloud for create that illusion of popularity...?

If you make music for dozens or maybe for hundred persons, why do you espect reach thousands or millions? We don't talk about conformism, we think that is something about be consequent with your own essence and with your own kind of music.

The true is that it doesn't matters where you upload your work, the important is share it in different websites, make collaborations with other artists, appear on v/a compilations, release your works in non commercial free music netlabels, show yourself in the social networks, have presence as artist and know and share feelings and mix your sound with similar producers to you.

You can't just upload your tracks and stay quiet, waiting that thousands of people turn from one day to the other into your fans. You have to use a lot of time on share and spread your work in multiple websites, forums, even in art pages. In a world full of superficiality you must have a powerful image or a striking female, male model, or the collaboration of friend illustrators or digital artists for your cover artworks. You need be authentic, and try to don't be a copy or a clone to none famous artist.

And if you need or if you want money working in non massive or in strange genres, really you are on the wrong side. Change your genre to something more easy listening and pop, you are loosing your time.

Anyway, the important thing of this post is show you alternatives for upload your music. These are some good alternatives for "non-massive music" for reach persons that maybe walk in a similar way  to you. And for allow people to free download your work and appreciate it as art and not like a product, not like a pair of shoes.

Below you have some alternatives for upload your music, but remember that you must share it in facebook groups, in forums about your genre. make collaborations with others, begin to spread your vision and mark presence in your genre. Also you can create a concept that highlight your work.

Well, from our point of view, here you have some alternatives and the better websites with less obstacles and limitations for creative commons and free music producers.

We consider points like: formats admitted, stability of the website, his presence in the web and the seatch engines and his limits of download and upload. We not consider number of users for the obviously reason previously mentioned.

We don't mention sites like Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Reverbnation or Orfium due to they have too much limitations, Ads, and also for their notorious commercial direction.

https://archive.org/

Rate: 9/10 

 Formats admitted: Most audio formats:

Flac, wav, mp3, ogg, etc.

Allow Music: Originals, Public Domain, Remixes, Bootlegs, Dj Mixes, Podcast, Video, etc.

Stability of the website: Good

 Website interface: Low. looks like a blog // For Desktop / Mobile use 

Presence in the web, search engines: Excellent

Download limits: No Limits

Upload limits: 2.0 GB per file.

Files are downloadable in: Exactly the same uploaded format

and apart create mirrors in other formats like ogg, torrent, mp3

Interaction with users:  Allow comments in albums, reviews.

Search Options: Medium. As a website of multiple video, photo and other files
you can search by genre selecting audio files, but is a little complicated.
Other good option is join to the netlabel collection for find latest releases on non-profit netlabels.

Pros:  - Your files remain in the web forever.

- - You can organize your full albums, allow album downloads in compressed files.
Excellent quality of sound. Multiple options. 
allow upload adult content for cover artworks (for noise and hardcore genres)

Cons: - some people don't know how download the files.

- you will have visits, but you don't know the number of people who download the files
- you can't create an artist profile, only collections.
don't have an app for cell phone.

https://www.jamendo.com/

Rate: 6/10

 Formats admitted:

wav, flac, aiff

Allow Music: Only originals

Stability of the website: Excellent

Presence in the web, search engines: Excellent

 Website interface:  Excellent very good design. // For Desktop / Mobile Use

Download limits: No Limits

Upload limits:  480 MG per file.

Files are downloadable in: mp3 180 kbps

Interaction with users:  Allow comments in albums, follow, reviews.

Search Options:  Low. The website only highlight most played artists.

Pros:  - You inmediatly will have instantly some listeners
- You can organize your full albums, allow album downloads in compressed files.

-  - you can create an artist profile with links to external webs.
Have Creative Commons Options.

Cons: - the albums and the tracks will be download in medium mp3 quality.

 - the website is more oriented to popular music.
- ask too much steps for upload a full album ( you must choose, song mood, speed and a lot of  others options for finally finish the upload)

https://hearthis.at/

Rate: 8/10

Formats admitted in free account: mp3
wav, aiff, flac (only for pro users)

Allow Music: Originals, Dj Sets, Podcasts, Remixes of music without copyright.

Stability of the website: Excellent

Presence in the web, search engines: Excellent

 Website interface:  Excellent very good design. // For Desktop / Mobile Use

Download limits: 100 download per track

Upload limits:  500 MB per week 

Files are downloadable in: mp3 in the same uploaded quality

Interaction with users:  - Allow comments in the time line of the tracks
even emoticons, reactions.

- allow message between users
- allow follow, reposts, give likes without limit.
- you can create events
- you can stream live performances

Search Options: Very Good, you can search by genre, length, latest tracks added

Pros:  - very similar to soundcloud with less upload limits.

- you can follow users without limits (mostly of time you will receive follobacks)

- a very good interaction with other artists and their music

-  you can create an artist profile with links to external webs.
Have Creative Commons Options.
You can create Events of new releases or announce your shows.

Cons: - the files only can be download it individually.

- the download limit. Have some publicity of the pro users.

https://freesound.org/

IS A SITE DESIGNED FOR UPLOAD SOUNDS SO WE CAN'T RATE 
IT AS A COMMON MUSIC WEBSITE.

Rate: 6/10

Formats admitted: mp3, wav, flac, aiff

Allow Music: Only Sounds, created by the uploader.
(short drones, ambient excerpts, noises, monotonous beats, acapellas
experimental music with voices but don't allow melodic songs.

Stability of the website: Excellent

Presence in the web, search engines: Excellent

Website interface:  Low, looks very simple, like a blog. // Only for Desktop Use

Download limits: No limits

Upload limits:  1 GB per file. (All sounds are moderated by the owner of the website)

Files are downloadable in: exactly the same uploaded format

Interaction with users:  allow  comments, send messages to other users.

Search Options: Good, you can search by genre, mood, etc.

Pros:  Is very popular so real people will use and will download your sounds.
Have Creative Commons Options. Allow create an "user" profile. Very good sound quality.
Allow download packs.

Cons: - 
have few profile options. 
The design is a little old fashioned.
You must log in each time that you visit the website.

https://yung.cloud/

Rate: 6/10

Formats admitted: mp3, wav, flac

Allow Music: Only originals

Stability of the website: Good

Presence in the web, search engines: Medium

Website interface:  Good, Nice, Is easy to use. // Only for Desktop Use

Download limits: No limits

Upload limits:  9,77 GB Of Space

Files are downloadable in: exactly the same uploaded format

Interaction with users:  allow likes, send messages to other users like soundcloud.

Search Options:  Good, you can search by genre.

Pros:  looks very friendly, good design, very high upload speed.
have a lot of free space for uploads.  Have Creative Commons Options.

Cons: - don't exist a repost option.
the files only can be download it individually.
have few profile options. Just few external links can be added.
you can't order the tracks on the playlists.
You must log in each time that you visit the website.

https://audius.co/

Rate: 4/10

Formats admitted: mp3, wav, flac

Allow Music: All, bootlegs, dj mixes, everything, even copyrighted material

Stability of the website: Good but take some time in Load the web.

Presence in the web, search engines: Low

Website interface:  bad, looks like a retro videogame web // For Desktop / Mobile Use

Download limits: No limits

Upload limits:  No limits 

Files are downloadable in: exactly the same uploaded 

Interaction with users:  allow likes, reposts like soundcloud.

Search Options:   Good, you can search by genre.

Pros:  - no upload or download limits
- you can create an artist profile with links to external webs.
Good profile options. The website 

Cons: - the files only can be download it individually.
the site looks a little old fashioned.
Don't have creative commons options.
You can't send messages to other users
Take some time to load.

 

https://logamp.com/

Rate: 6/10

Formats admitted: mp3

Allow Music: Only originals, Remixes, Podcasts, Dj Mixes

Stability of the website: Good but take some time in Load the web.

Presence in the web, search engines: Good

Website interface:  Medium, looks like a retro videogame web /// Only for Desktop Use

Download limits: No limits

Upload limits:  No limits (only mp3)

Files are downloadable in: exactly the same uploaded mp3 format

Interaction with users:  allow likes, reposts like soundcloud.

Search Options:  Good, you can search by genre. Also you can search draws
and photography.

Pros:  - no upload or download limits (mp3 format)
- you can create an artist profile with links to external webs.

Cons: - the files only can be download it individually.
the site looks a little old fashioned.
Don't have creative commons options.
Take some time in Login.

https://audiomack.com/

Rate: 4/10

Formats admitted: mp3, aiff, wav, ogg, m4a

Allow Music: Only originals

Stability of the website: Good

Presence in the web, search engines: Good

 Website interface: Medium, looks like blog or a clone of soundcloud /For Desktop/Mobile Use

Download limits: the website don't allow free downloads 
but anyway you can include external links on description
or replace the buy link for your free compressed file.

Upload limits:  50 MG per file

Files are downloadable in: -

Interaction with users:  allow likes, follow, reposts like soundlcoud.

Search Options: Good, you can search by genre.

Pros:  - few upload limits

- you can have all your albums there and include your links
- you can create an artist profile with links to external webs.

Cons: - no allow downloads
- the site looks a little old fashioned
- have some ads. Too much commercial direction.

https://freemusicarchive.org/ 

Rate: 3/10

INACTIVE FOR UPLOADS.

******IN 2020 STILLS NOT ACTIVE FOR UPLOAD MUSIC***

Formats admitted: mp3 with a maximum of 8 mb per file
you only can upload music to the web filling a submission form.

Allow Music: Only originals, authorized remixes

Stability of the website: Medium

 Website interface: Regular, looks like old fashioned // For Desktop / Mobile Use

Presence in the web, search engines: Excellent

Download limits: No

Upload limits:  8 mb per file

Files are downloadable in: in mp3 320 kbps, 256 kbps,

depends your mp3 files.

Interaction with users:  Allow comments in albums, follow, reviews.

Search Options:  Medium, you can search by genre but is a little complicated and confused.

Pros: - Your music can be download for video use.
- you can create an artist profile with links to external webs.

- you will have a lot of instantly plays and downloads by the community.
- You can organize your full albums, allow album downloads in compressed file

Cons: 
- ask permission with a submission form for upload music
- medium quality of sound
- the web don't have an optimum stability, sometimes is offline.

The website change like 3 times of owner, so now works with a lot of bugs
and broken links. Is not clear when will be available for upload music again.
Meantime is a place for find creative commons music.

https://fanburst.com/
(OFFLINE / Closed in 2019)

Rate: 5/10

Formats admitted: mp3, wav

Stability of the website: Bad

Presence in the web, search engines: Medium

 Website interface:  Good, friendly design

Download limits: No limits

Upload limits:  No limits

Files are downloadable in: exactly the same uploaded format

Interaction with users:  low level, give likes and reposts in tracks.

Pros:  - no upload or download limits

Cons: - the files only can be download it individually.

- have a option of create compressed file for albums, but don't works well
- poor interaction with the other users
- a lot of shutdowns per month 
- poor artits profile options, few options in general

Interview to Ray Kosmische (January 2020)

This time in our section of interviews we know more about the experimental composer and writer from Manchester, UK: Ray Kosmische.

CHECK ALL RAY KOSMISCHE WORKS IN :

https://raykosmische.bandcamp.com 

http://rayknightwriting.weebly.com/

How you define the concept and the name of your music Project?
I am a fiction writer and Ray Kosmische is where I make music with other musicians as well as on my own, using notebooks and unfinished writing ideas, instant composition and studio overdub experimentations to create recordings. My name is Ray Knight (as in ‘sun-ray’; not Raymond) and the Kosmische bit is because of the ‘K’.



Do you play live performances? Or you have a future interest in do it?

I am not that interested in performing live and haven’t performed as Ray Kosmische so far.
The whole project is basically about recording.

The process usually starts off by capturing a unique moment in the studio and then experimenting with overdubs.  I never make music unless it is being recorded, so if I were to do any live event it would be recorded and released.


How you define your own music?

It was originally a sideline to a lot of socialising and has now turned into another part of my creative lifestyle.

In which year you start to make music? Tell us something about your first compositions

I have been messing around with tape recordings since I was a kid. I started making “music” as Ray Kosmische in 1998.

My first release, True Orbit, was a live studio mix recorded onto a Fostex 4-track tape recorder using a radio, synthesiser and effects pedals.

I played the first take back and treated it with effects, then listened to the overdubbed tape playing in reverse.

It sounded so good that I decided to use the whole recording reversed as the first track on the album as well.

What is Kosmische music, it seems that is a genre or sub-genre of rock music?

It’s experimental rock/electronic music that started in the late 1960’s in Germany.


I love bands and albums from this genre, but don’t claim to make kosmische music and never set out to do this kind of music. I noticed that the way me and my friends were putting tunes together was similar in approach to this style. It was just the natural sound that came out with our antennas up at the time.


There’s some esoteric, spiritual or any other kind of occult message in your music?

Not intentionally. It’s made for entertainment purposes really.


As writer, which is the importance of lyrics and poetry in your music?

As important as the drums.


Favorite composers, or inspirations?
It would make sense for me to first mention producers, which would include; Holger Czukay, Norman Whitfield, Phil Spector, Scientist, Brian Eno, early Frank Zappa, King Tubby, Mikey Dread and Joe Meek.


Musical inspirations would include; Johnny Cash, Malcolm Mooney, Eric Burdon, Nico, Syd’s Pink Floyd, Arthur Lyman, early Kraftwerk, F.J. McMahon, Lee Hazlewood, Bobbie Gentry, Ennio Morricone, John Foxx, Cluster and a lot of film soundtracks, including classic Sci-Fi & Spaghetti Western films.

Tell us more about the concept and the main inspirations about your latest work in Cian Orbe: Entrails Across the City.

It is a Science Fiction concept album originally released in 2011. Down-home. Craft arrives.

Witnessed by Mr. Ebbins, who then informs Mrs. Ebbins. Aliens have a Landing Assembly, transform themselves into an insect swarm, head to the city; entrails.

The bars, clubs, restaurants etc, and then houses of government take note.
Flame Mission 12 is established. The world changes, things move in a different way.

Good or bad? Who knows? Investigate.



Main plastic, digital, artists as inspiration for your cover artworks?

A local artist, Chien-Hui Lu, kindly designs a lot of the covers. I find her use of mixed media fits in nicely with the sound of my music.


Personally, I am into abstract painters and street photography from any era, photographers like Daido Moriyama and Henri Cartier-Bresson.


In some of your tracks you mix electronic and rock genres, from which artists you have that inspiration. And apart what do you think of rock musicians who don’t agree with add electronic effects or use electronic devices in their works?
Hawkwind, Brian Eno, John Foxx..

As far as not agreeing with adding electronics to rock; I get where they are coming from sometimes.

It depends, for example; I am a punk rock fan and love that classic guitar/bass and drums sound. So with some forms of music I don’t think there is any need to add electronics.

But for my music it’s everything I set out to do.

It should be done in a none-cheesy way, Roxy Music’s first two albums did it brilliantly.

Do you use some psychedelic substances for create your work?

I don’t. When I first started promoting the music, I thought calling it experimental sounded a bit serious, so called it psychedelic instead.

I naively never thought about the connection to psychedelic substances.


Which genres do you like to mix in your music?

Experimental, cosmic American music, musique concrète, easy listening.


Which are the main concepts or thematics in your lyrics?

Cities and word play.


How is the place where you live? Do you have some inspiration on your music from your city of residence?

I live in Manchester, which is a buzzing city; like the worker bee symbol of the Industrial Revolution.

There is of course, a big musical history from here. All of the reversed tracks by Manchester band The Stone Roses were an influence on Ray Kosmische.


I’d already heard backwards parts in music before; by Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles, but to hear a whole song remixed in reverse was new. It fitted into the ambient electronic music that I was also hearing around at the same time.


The most musical inspiration I’ve had from any city I’ve lived in has been meeting musicians and interesting people.


Which are your favorite Ray Kosmische tracks and why?

Besides liking them all equally, I was pleased with the flow of the albums ’Lasso’ and ‘Bringing back Talk Over’ after they were edited.


What music genre you think that is the worst, and why?

Anything “retro” is very corny, because it’s pointless.

I’m not into musicians and bands who call themselves “Psychedelic”, but just don’t get that it’s all about what Acid Mothers Temple, Can’s ‘Mother Sky’ and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown achieve. You need to let that freak flag fly or it just doesn’t work!


You agree or don’t with have some of your music in the popular streaming platforms (spotify, i tunes, Apple music, etc) why?
I don’t use, or really know much about these sites. I think I’d have to set a price for downloads and don’t want to do that, so for now, I stick with Bandcamp only.

What you think about the current experimental music movement in the netlabels?
It seems healthy. I am pretty new to looking into netlabels at the moment though.

What’s good about them is that they provide somewhere accessible to everyone, to find similar music collected by people who actually like it for real.

Netlabel’s special powers are that they are great for musicians who don’t want to compromise their material. Especially if you remove the money making element, like Cian Orbe does.

Plus, it’s more fun to compute.


Any other not massive artists who release music in netlabels like you that you like listen it?

Modulator ESP, with the albums ‘Heliosphere’ and ‘Event Horizon’ being my favourites.


I also like Humanfobia, with ‘Atmósfera Lívida’ being my favourite release I’ve heard by them so far. Mist Spectra’s vocals send a shiver down my spine, in a good way!


Currently I am digging 101011010101/Pokemonolive. Her EP ‘101011010101’ is brilliant. The songs on her SoundCloud page and recent video ‘zombieland’ on YouTube are great too, she is a big star in my opinion.

You make collaborations with other artists? Any good experience or recommendation to some artists that you want to tell us?

At the moment I am working with multimedia artist Frank Abbott. We plan to release a video online this year.

It won’t be a music video, more like an experimental short film.

I can’t recommend any musicians I have played with, as what I’ve heard outside of my own stuff, isn’t my cup of tea.


Any anecdote in the creation of some track or an album that you want to share with us?
During a track from my second album, one of the guitarists grew a full extra arm! He had it amputated just in time for the next album though.


Any additional Words to your listeners?

Thanks for all the support. It means a lot.

 RAY KOSMISCHE RELEASES IN CIAN ORBE

24/10/2019:

 Submersion Suite (EP)

link: https://archive.org/details/submesion-suite 

27/11/2019:

 Entrails Across the City (Album)

 https://archive.org/details/entrails-across-the-city

 

TOP 2019 10 BEST MUSIC ALBUMS ON THE INTERNET ARCHIVE

Internet Archive music releases in 2019? Yes of course, still existing some non-profit netlabels who believe in make art for love to art.

Here you have my own selection of the best Releases of this 2019 in the netlabel 

Internet Archive platform. (This time wasn't included releases of my own netlabel)

top created by Sábila Orbe ///

(not in order of relevance)

Artist: Rosalie

album title: Tsuki

netlabel: Buddhist on Fire

genres: Dark Ambient, Horror Soundtrack

link: https://archive.org/details/bof086/

Artist: Roedor

album title: Cronotopia

netlabel: Monofonicos

genres: Post-Industrial, Minimal Electronic

link: https://archive.org/details/MNE012_Roedor_Cronotopia/

Artist: My Own Cubic Stone 

album title: Transmute

netlabel: Murmure Intemporel 

genres: Downtempo, Ambient Experimental, Minimal 

link: https://archive.org/details/MI316-MOCS-Transmute/

Artist: Astrovia 

album title: Solar Nursery Vol. 2

netlabel: USC • United Studios Corporation

genres: Drone, Noise, Dark Ambient

link: https://archive.org/details/astrovia-solar-nursery-vol-2/

Artist: Podarces 

album title: Frozen Journeys

netlabel: Eg0cide 

genres: Drone, Noise, Dark Ambient

link: https://archive.org/details/eg0_214/

Artist: Elvii Marten

album title: Third Spaceship

netlabel: Enough Records

genres: Idm, Abstract Electronic

link: https://archive.org/details/enrmp443_elvii_marten_-_third_spaceship

Artist: Thomas Park

album title: Oracle At The Center Of The Earth

netlabel: Treetrunk

genres: Drone, Noise, Power Electronics

link: https://archive.org/details/OracleAtTheCenterOfTheEarth/

Artists: Meavy Boy / アロキン

album title:  No Sleep (Split)

netlabel: SPETTRO rec

genres: Ambient wave, vaporwave

link: https://archive.org/details/MeavyBoy-Arokin-No_Sleep/

Artist: Gabriel Pereira Spurr

album title: Superfronia

netlabel: Sattvaland Records

genres: Psychedelic, Experimental, Lo-fi

link: https://archive.org/details/gabrielpereiraspursattvalandrecs/

Artist: Valovoima 

album title:  Vortices

netlabel: Pakkaslumi

genres: Hardcore Techno, Breakcore, Experimental

link: https://archive.org/details/pakkaslumi16/



BONUS (One of my own music projects: Humanfobia, but in other netlabel)

Artists: Humanfobia / Fudix

album title:  Concave Vision

netlabel: Skull Dungeon

genres: Experimental, Glitch, Noise

link: https://archive.org/details/humanfud

INTERVIEW TO ZEFFON

INTERVIEW TO ZEFFON

This time in our section of interviews we know more about the prolific and creative soundtrack, musique concrete composer Zeffon.

How you define the concept and the name of your music Project?

I would say I define the concept of Zeffon as something that is meant to stop people from fighting about trivial matters. The thing that I wish first and foremost that Zeffon would show the world is that life is worth living, and it’s okay to have fun when you’re in a bad place economically, socially, or politically.

Zeffon also follows the character I created a long time ago named “Dränsilane”. That name originates from a map I drew in elementary school that marks a place west of a mountain range as “Castle Drans”. The -ilane part of it was added in 2011 to make the name less like a Swedish word that apparently means “drain”, and I had a very large desire to avoid making up words that meant something else in another language at the time.

Zeffon comes from two words: zephyr and griffon. Zeffon is the name of a dimension, but also is my name for a strange beast with a large head that turns people to stone.

Another concept Zeffon and Dränsilane represent is pulling logic and reason out of chaos, and that’s been my source of inspiration all these years. To pull reason and logic out of chaos, you need to be very spontaneous  with your music, or else it doesn’t work! So for me, I often improvise or use the first idea that comes to mind when creating a piece. When I do this, I find that a lot of the random names or sounds I pull out of my mind line up with each other. For example, one of the significant numbers in Zeffon’s theory is 48. I didn’t realize why until later when I realized another significant number that I came up with for Zeffon, which is 10,707, can be factored into three pieces: 3, 43, and 83. The number 48 is in there, divided by threes. Therefore, I came up with the idea that the Third Eye is what can divide the being represented by 48. In any case, anything to do with Zeffon is connected with each other in this way.

Do you play live performances? Or you have a future interest in do it?

I have played a total of two live performances, both at talent shows. I don’t have too much of an interest because I don’t have a lot of people around me in the Renton-Seattle area who love the same things I do!

How you define your own music in genres? Which are you favorite genres or whice genres you mix in your music?

I think the closest phrase I can think of that would define my music is “80s cassette culture” because of the similarities in aesthetics and sound. In terms of genre, I like pretty much everything, so each year I mix something a Little bit different in my music. In 2018, it was vaporwave. In 2019, it was dub reggae and chiptunes. In any case, every time I discover something interesting, I have to try my hand at imitating it.

You mention in the description of your releases some polytical thoughts, can you explain the relation of your ideology with your sound?

I mention political thoughts such as anti-fascism, anti-communism, etc. because to me, it’s important to poke fun at people who believe they’re morally superior to everyone else because of their political ideology. I originally commented on politics around 2011-12 because of how I felt common people were just used by social elites to carry out their bidding. It could be a leader of a country or a teacher giving extra credit to students who protest at an event. At that time, my music’s sound started becoming especially dissonant.

As politics have continued to become increasingly divisive (especially here in the United States), the whole idea behind mentioning politics has evolved. The reason I began to sample policial speeches like Mao Zedong’s 1949 address is because I wanted listeners to realize that politics can be made into art and weird tape collages. If people’s first reactions are to sample and cut up a speech as opposed to reacting to it, it makes politics much bearable and even serves to de-radicalize individuals, because they stop taking it so seriously.

Favorite composers, or inspirations?

In the older days (pre-2015), I was more inspired by movies and books: Lovecraft, Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett, and one of the things that started Zeffon in the first place - the Castle Series. That’s where I Heard Hecate Enthroned for the first time and the track “Goetia”, which inspired me to create Zeffon. I was also inspired a lot by Legend of Zelda, old PS1 JRPGs like Legend of Dragoon, and my first Final Fantasy game I bought for the GBA. One musician that was very instrumental in inspiring to start writing music however was Vim! and a lot of the other artists on the old Monotonik netlabel - I found Vim! because of a Newgrounds animation I watched called “The Rotten Antenna”, which uses his track “01” to help set the mood for a desolate wasteland.

After I made albums like “Proteins” in 2015, I became more concerned about how the music was made, rather than what it caused the listener to envision. This was inspired first by Tribes of Neurot, Neurosis, Kekal, but grew to include artists like De Fabriek, Mission Papua Holland, Daask, Het Zweet, Narwal, and The Lost Attic / Technological Aquiver.

Why most of your tracks have a long duration? Do you feel it like a soudtrack or an interpretation of a movie soundtrack?

To me, if you’re making a big statement in your music, the track should be longer. I think initially the idea for making long tracks came from weird macabre influences like Castle or Legend of Zelda, where you might be trapped in a world where you’re in stasis - mostly dead, but slightly alive. I try to envision how much slower things would progress for a being that was undead, and the tracks’ length can be interpreted as a simulation of that.

Do you feel that your music is dark? Or you feel it in other direction?

I guess it can be dark, but I like to balance it out with a little light every so often. If some of the music is meant to simulate what it’s like to be undead, then I like to contrast it was light-hearted tracks of those who are alive.

One thing the music is supposed to represent is being a better place than you were before, so yes, it does have darkness, but that’s supposed to be reserved for the start. As the listener moves through the music, it guides them to a better space of mind.

How is the place where you live? Do you have some inspiration on your music from your city of residence?

A lot of my earlier album covers were pictures I took of my place of residence when it was dark, foggy, or somewhat dreary. Part of the reason my tracks have nature sounds in them in because of the fact that I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It’s very green and lush here, it rains a lot, and the spring colors are great, vibrant greens.

At the same, my house is surrounded by alder trees. Because of the moderate humidity around the Renton-Issaquah area when it rains, it usually causes the trees to rot on the tops, and those parts of the tree eventually fall off with the tree still alive below. This is another image that’s stuck with me all these years, that beautiful nature can obscure an unpleasant, but somehow divine ugliness. The forest may look good from the outside, but there’s something decaying while struggling to live on the inside. I don’t think it’s a bad thing; being an alder tree that decomposes and slowly becomes part of the forest is a peaceful feeling for me.

 

Which are your favorite Zeffon tracks and why?

My favorite tracks are the ones that make an image for me in my head. I would say that some of my most favorite tracks I’ve ever done are the longer tracks from 2018-19. The first untitled track on “Zeffon Continues to Travel” is a favorite of mine, as well as “Bloody Eye”, which is present on “Mint Leaf Understood By Exploitation Films About Cannibals (Christmas Time)”.

What music genre you think that is the worst, and why?

I definitely like most genres, but pop-country music is probably my least favorite, since I don’t feel like it pushes any boundaries. I may be wrong though. Another genre I don’t like as much is Harsh Noise Wall. I like the community around it, but I always felt like I had dusty gravel in my ears listening to it, so I couldn’t really enjoy it aesthetically. I HAVE made a few attempts at making it though.

Why you choose mainly release your music in non-profit netlabels?

I do that because I remember listening to a band called Freakhouse when I was starting Zeffon in 2009. I had money that I wanted to give to the band so I could buy their álbum, but that money wasn’t on a credit card, so even though I could afford it, the only things I could hear were the 30-second excerpts on iTunes. I didn’t want to do that to anyone else who would be in the same position, so I felt it was necessary. In any case, it helps people hear experimental music that maybe they wouldn’t have heard otherwise.

You agree or don’t with have some of your music in the popular streaming platforms (spotify, i tunes, Apple music, etc) why?

I’m okay with it, but only in limited amounts. I know that streaming platforms take a HUGE chunk of the revenue that comes from streaming, so I really wasn’t interested in helping Spotify profit off my creativity. As far as I know, their CEO hasn’t written a song in his life, but he’s far richer than I’ll ever be.

What you think about the current experimental music movement in the netlabels? 

I like the fact that people are experimenting more and more - almost every netlabel I see wants something more experimental, which I think is good. I just wish I could meet these people in real life, as opposed to through a computer.

Any other not massive artists who release music in netlabels like you that you like listen it?

Vim! is one of my favorites because of the now-defunct Monotonik netlabel, but I’ll have to do some additional digging before I can answer that fully. I don’t spend a lot of time listening to netlabel music, but thanks for reminding me to do that!

You make collaborations with other artists? Any good experience or recommendation to some artists that you want to tell us?

I’ve collaborated with Grozny 93, of which I’m also a member. I’ve also collaborated with the sinister avant-garde black metal project Salqiu, from Brazil/Portugal. More recently, I made a track called Light-Footed Knee Dub with Greathumour, an experimental project from the US.

I particularly liked Daveli’s Cave from Greece, mostly because that project reminded me of what I’ve tried to accomplish on an abstract level with Zeffon. That’s the recommendation I have right away.

Any anecdote in the creation of some track or an album that you want to share with us?

I’m not entirely sure I have anything for you except what I’ve described in my answers above.

Tell us more about the concept and the main inspirations about your latest work in Cian Orbe: LoFi Zeffon.

As interesting as I hope people think this album is, it’s not very complex. The name “Manipura 7” is derived from the Manipura chakra, and at the time, it was meant to be a generic name for all Zeffon albums moving forward, except for singles. This didn’t come to pass, since I’ve obviously named albums things other than “Manipura”, but it was the main idea, much like how Narwal named their albums “Nirvana”.

Any additional Words to your listeners?

I would say that everyone needs to remember to have fun. That’s the main thing I hope that everyone can take away from listening to Zeffon or Reading this interview. Life doesn’t have to be upsetting or boring.Ç


ZEFFON RELEASES ON CIAN ORBE

The Broken Wheel (2017):

https://archive.org/details/cior-142-zeffon-the-broken-wheel-album

https://hearthis.at/cian-orbe-collection/set/zeffon-the-broken-wheel-cior-142-2017/

Zeffon - Delete the Mouth and Inhale (2017):

https://archive.org/details/cior-167-zeffron-delete-the-mouth-and-inhale 

 https://hearthis.at/cian-orbe-collection/set/zeffon-delete-the-mouth-and-inhale-cior-167-2017/ 

 

LoFi Zeffon (2019):

https://archive.org/details/zeffon-lofizeffon

https://cianorbe2nd.bandcamp.com/album/lofi-zeffon-cior-336