The Parallel

Colin Mckeown- aka The Parallel is a firm believer in letting the music speak for its self and when your music is as good as his then you should definitely listen to the message.  Many artists in the Techno genre have completely forgotten or simply missed the point what Techno was all about.  It was never about shameless self promotion or the craving for adulation and wealth. A genuine Techno artist instinctively knows this.  They feel the music, they must write it as if its the very oxygen they need to breathe and Colin is one of them.  There’s no agenda with Mckeown, except the music.  He doesn’t play the self promoting PR game, and has no wish to do so (we doubt you will see Colin Twittering about feeling chirpy today). That in its self could be a PR stunt but its not we can assure you of that.   We had to send a special ops team  to capture him as he walked to the corner shop for a pint of milk and force him at the barrel of a big oozie to supply us with this interview, and even then he was quite reluctant.

Of course he wants people to enjoy his music and hopes he can make a dent on the scene and become a respected artist through his work.  But he wont sell his soul in order to get there.  For that alone you have to give the man respect, particularly in today’s world where there are billions of shameless self promoting drone bots  running rampant around the internet screaming me me me !

So lets see what The Parallel has to say for him self.

1.  Where are you based and do your surroundings inspire you creatively.

I’m based in Dublin, Ireland.. I would have to say no as I have lived in the same area all my life and am very used to my surroundings.  My inspiration comes from the love of listening to electronic for many years and putting my take on things.

2.  What got you interested in this music as a listener and writer.

It was when i was around ten or eleven listening to the local radio stations (pirate and commercial) in Dublin. I was searching channels and everything I was hearing was the same old pop and rock tunes. But then I happened to come across a pirate station playing Cubic 22’s, Night In Motion , Hardcore Uproar , Altern 8 and I was hooked since then. The music sounded very exciting and wanted to hear more.

Then listening wasn’t enough, I had to make music, become an active participant. I got my self an old Atari ST and an equally old music programme called Tracker and just started doing it. I was about 15 then but it was nothing serious at that stage. I got seriously into it about 2005 and after a few years my sound had developed the way I wanted it to and then I began releasing stuff under the Parallel name. It was important for me to be in to what I was writing, it had to be true to my musical beliefs. It wasn’t a case of get a release out there as fast as I could.

3.  What is the driving force behind your music making activities.

The driving force would be the love for Techno and electronic music, simple as that. I still have as big a big passion for the music now as I did when I was 15.

4.  Do you have plans to perform live or DJ

I have played out a few times now and love doing it. I recently played at Test Festival in Spain which was a great experience. I do have plans to perform more.

5.  Are there any artists who have been a major influence on you.

Some major influences over the years are luke slater, model 500, Kraftwerk, laurent Garnier, Steve Rachmad, Brian Eno. At the moment I’m really into James T Cotton, Aroy Dee, Lusine, Djorvin Clain, Johannes volk, Samuli keppi..the list goes on! There’s lots of exciting artists and DJ’s around today. its a great time for Techno in my opinion.

6.  What do you use to make your music. Are you a soft or hard man, maybe even a bit of both. Do you have a go to piece of gear you use when creating a new song.

I have an all software set up using Ableton Live with all high quality VST plug ins. I dont have a particular favourite plugin. I use whatever feel like using at the time. Im usually so in to doing my tracks Im thinking more about what noise do I need so if I need to seriously manipulate a sound I will drop it in to Abletons Sampler or if I need a particular synth noise I will usually just programme it up from scratch. I like working in a completely software environment because I feel its makes the song writing process quicker. I may buy some hardware in the future but I’m happy with an all software set up for the moment

7.  Describe a typical day in the studio for you. How do you start off making a track. Do you prefer working in the day time, evening , or is time irrelevant

I normally make tracks in the evening and night. I feel more creative at that time than during the day. I usually start making tracks around seven or eight at night. But I can quite as easily start writing something at three or four in the morning.

When beginning I usually start with percussion first. I find a kick drum that I like and take it from there building up layers of percussion adding hi hat’s, toms, claps etc. When I have a groove going I move on to creating pad and bass patterns. Then if I’m using samples ill see what fits and add it to the track as i go along.

8.  Do you ever experience  periods of non activity waiting for inspiration to strike. Or can you conjure up inspiration any time you like.

I usually have a period of around three months of intense writing activity where nothing matters except me and the music. Then I will stop for a while. But during those three months a lot of stuff gets done. Some of it will get shelved, but I’m happy with 80% of what I’ve made. I like working at a fast pace and try not to dwell on a track for to long. Those three month periods give those tracks a kind of consistency, a moment of what I’m feeling at that particular time captured forever.

9.  Do you see your self as an artist who will continue to develop. Where do you imagine or would like to see your self in five years time

Yes I see my sound developing all the time. I like to make different styles of Techno so it will always be evolving just as the genre its self has. I’m always trying new things with every track
I dont know where I will be in five years but I would eventually like to see myself as an established artist in the industry and if I’m respected for the music I make I couldn’t ask for more than that.

10.  If you had a time machine and could only go back back in time over the past century with one piece of music kit which musical period would you choose. What would you do once you got there

I would travel back with a Roland TR909 drum machine and seek out Claude Debussy. I’m sure he would make some amazing beats. The chord structures he used in some of his stuff really appeals to me. Its dark, moody, but melodic. Very much like the original Detroit Techno.