We talked a bit with interesting artist Merlin Ettore, which soon will be performing at our event – ШАБАШ.
“Pulling few punches but with X amount of club torque, Sorcery nails a distinctive spin on industrialized fusions of dancehall, techno and hardcore dance music geared up with trampling horsepower”
⁃ Where you were born? Tell us about your hometown. Who you wanted to be when you were child?
I was born in the french part of Canada and my hometown is Montréal, Québec. Montréal truly is a great city with an amazing cultural scene. Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to be an artist and/or musician.
⁃ Can you remember how your music path was started?
I grew up in a highly artistic environment, both of my parents are multi-disciplinary artists. They founded one of the most important avant guard / contemporary / cutting edge performing arts company for young public in Canada. For the last 40 years they have been producing new circus, multi media experiences and experimental music on a massive international scale. So, I’ve always been surrounded by all of this since day one. In addition I come from a legacy of drummers, I’m the 3rd generation. My grandfather was a drummer and my father as well. So I guess the musical path has just always been an ongoing thing for me.
⁃ What was the first passion for you, drums or electronic music?
Drums definitely. I got my first drum kit when I was 6, before that I was smashing anything I could find, my favourite was kitchenware apparently. I started playing live shows when I was 12. Nonetheless, I’ve always had a deep fascination for electronic instruments and the possibilities on a compositional level. My father is very much into tech, so I’ve always been around samplers, keyboards, mixers, electronic drums and computers.
⁃ What impress you most of all during music creation?
When I’m creating I’m in a perpetual discovery process. It feels like as if I don’t really know where I’m going and I’m being guided by whatever I’m doing. Whenever I try to make something pre defined or too planned I never really get something interesting out of it. With time I get to know certain paths of this creation labyrinth which I can easier revisit and push further.
⁃ How did you find your pseudonym?
That was simple. It’s just what I do.
–You play live, so tell us about your live set up🙂
My live rig is ever expanding or shrinking. I get bored quite fast, so I always need to find new ways to make things exciting for me. This time I’ll have my laptop running Ableton outputting a bunch of loops separated into 3 stereo stems, with a bunch of effects to mangle and re structure the clips I’m launching via the Push2 controller. Then, I have the Elektron Analog Rhythm Mark I on the drums duty. On the lead and bass line duty I use my modular, I have a 2 row case with the eloquencer sequencer, Wave Razor dual oscillator, filters and effects. I’m summing all of the 10 inputs through an analog mixer. Everything is clocked with my RME sound card.
⁃ How do you feel when you are creating music?
Love, pain, boredom and everything in between.
⁃ Inspiration for the artist is very important. What inspires you most of all?
It depends. I have discovered that I can draw inspiration from many many things and that muses come and go. At the moment I’m really into kick drum design.
⁃ Tell us about Atonal atmosphere. Which emotions did you get there?
Atonal is an amazing festival of monumental proportions. They have really done something unique. I’ve had the chance to perform twice. The first time it was on the main stage with SUMS. That was massive. The second time I was invited by schneiders laden, the legendary modular store, to perform an improvised set on their stage. That was also super fun.
⁃ You had a lot of collaborations with different artists. Tell us about it! Which experiments were the most interesting?
I have a pretty huge list of collaborators actually, the range is quite wide. I’ve contributed with my drumming for musicians involved with Frank Zappa or King Crimson or Mogwai or Huun Huur Tu. But also with various techno artists like Kangding Ray, Dadub or Belief Defect to name a few. That’s how far music goes, I also have a long history of working and touring with various performing arts like circus, dance and theatre. I also worked a lot with multi media, art installations, etc. I truly love collaborations. I guess I’m a social creature by nature so I’ve always been interested in working with other artists. I guess every collaboration has something to bring.
⁃ Do you have any other projects besides music?
I’ve studied cinema and photography, so I’m also doing quite a lot of video and media projects. I’ve worked with fashion, music and advertising as a director. I have quite a specific visual language so I get called mostly to develop content that recalls my style.
⁃ How much time do you live in Berlin? Do you visit parties there? Tell us a bit about Berlin nightlife.
I’ve been based in Berlin for the last decade more or less. I do find myself in parties quite a lot, but often to see friends play or to play myself more than doing strictly the party thing. Berlin nightlife is one of the most open scenes I’ve come across. Pretty much anything goes as long as you don’t kill the party vibe.. Also, it has one of the sexiest self destructive silver linings, to be handled with care!
Interview was prepared by Mavka Lisova.
