Cold Tear Records

At first, it wasn’t supposed to be an interview, me (Evaldas) and Martin (Optical Frameworks) were just having a chat on skype. So it came out as an interesting and deep interview. I didn’t edit it, didn’t fix any mistakes. It is how it really happened. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as i enjoyed talking to Martin.

Check out his album “Surrounded fog” here: http://coldtear.com/optical-frameworks-surrounded-fog/

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[5:59:52 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: here we are
[5:59:53 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[5:59:58 PM] martin dlabaja: hi, good to see it works
[6:00:15 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: we’ll do this interview later
[6:00:28 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i’m feeling a little out of balance emotionaly right now
[6:00:44 PM] martin dlabaja: hehe, ok, get over that!
[6:01:46 PM] martin dlabaja: good to have you here, facebook is a slow monster for chatting
[6:02:21 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: yeah skype is always better
[6:02:24 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: the best
[6:02:27 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: for chat and stuff
[6:02:29 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:03:12 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: been using for years
[6:03:45 PM] martin dlabaja: and you mean … an oficial interview for coldtear?
[6:04:03 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: yeah like other artists have interviews on coldtear
[6:04:20 PM] martin dlabaja: wohoo!
[6:04:28 PM] martin dlabaja: I’m a rockstar
[6:04:49 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: hey cold tear isn’t that big
[6:05:34 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i changed to 1996 techno and i’m feeling better now
[6:05:44 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: was listening to secede
[6:06:07 PM] martin dlabaja: can’t get enough of Basic Channel old stuff x)
[6:06:08 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: plus this sunset made it so melancholic
[6:06:10 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: too much
[6:06:11 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:06:23 PM] martin dlabaja: I’m trying to get myself into learning
[6:06:44 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: you’re learning?
[6:06:47 PM] martin dlabaja: not going so well when you dance on your chair while reading about transmitions
[6:07:05 PM] martin dlabaja: yeah, still, schol stuff
[6:07:10 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: yeah
[6:07:10 PM] martin dlabaja: will graduate this year
[6:07:14 PM] martin dlabaja: two month to go
[6:07:38 PM] martin dlabaja: cant wait!
[6:07:41 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: do you have any plans after you finish shcool?
[6:07:56 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: it’s a big moment for everyone [: graduation!
[6:08:26 PM] martin dlabaja: hehe, for me … I will get rid of my schoolmates, they dont like me, I hate them for exchange x)
[6:08:49 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, I’m looking for a job for next year after graduation
[6:09:02 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: yeah that’s for sure. you don’t want to continue studying?
[6:09:12 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: college?
[6:09:18 PM] martin dlabaja: then, after year I am going to study a photographic university
[6:09:27 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: oh that’s cool [:
[6:10:07 PM] martin dlabaja: and then Im going to collect money to see John Kerr in Japan, hehe
[6:10:18 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: sounds cool [[:
[6:10:31 PM] martin dlabaja: never had a plan
[6:10:46 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: me too i’m doing everything spontaniously
[6:10:51 PM] martin dlabaja: now I got motivation for all unimportant stuff like … living and money
[6:10:52 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: you know how i founded CTR?
[6:11:00 PM] martin dlabaja: no?
[6:11:02 PM] martin dlabaja: tell me
[6:11:50 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i thought i should start a label, so i took a piece of paper and started drawing sketches of a logo, i took the name off one of my tracks, and the next day i was building a website
[6:11:50 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:12:07 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: just like that
[6:12:28 PM] martin dlabaja: wow ,cool, and how did you found artist to contribute?
[6:12:39 PM] martin dlabaja: *find
[6:12:57 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i was making some dub techno so i already knew some guys in the scene
[6:13:20 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: myspace was still cool at the time so i was surfing the profiles
[6:13:22 PM] martin dlabaja: so that’s why a lot of producers from your country are on the same boat, cool
[6:13:26 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: and looking for cool stuff
[6:13:26 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:13:45 PM] martin dlabaja: and how long is it now from the idea to today?
[6:14:02 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: it’s full year
[6:14:04 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: one year
[6:14:13 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: it was a productive one
[6:14:13 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:14:30 PM] martin dlabaja: got to be proud!
[6:14:35 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i am
[6:14:52 PM] martin dlabaja: thats good, you’re doing really a beatifull service
[6:15:12 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i was still recovering after my depression, i had a lot of free time
[6:15:24 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: so it was good to keep my self busy
[6:15:33 PM] martin dlabaja: wow
[6:15:52 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, that helps me too
[6:16:05 PM] martin dlabaja: I wouldnt say I have some free time
[6:16:46 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: well i was a student at a college, i took academic vacation for the rest of the year, because i was so fucked up
[6:16:47 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:17:09 PM] martin dlabaja: what did you study btw?
[6:17:15 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: bussiness management
[6:17:18 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: still studying
[6:17:27 PM] martin dlabaja: last year?
[6:17:34 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: nope second to last
[6:18:37 PM] martin dlabaja: http://bng.rajce.idnes.cz/skola/images/SPS_Zlin.jpg
[6:18:39 PM] martin dlabaja: hehe
[6:18:49 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: it’s your school?
[6:18:56 PM] martin dlabaja: yes
[6:18:59 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: cool
[6:18:59 PM] martin dlabaja: electro
[6:19:05 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: our schools look like jails
[6:19:05 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:19:18 PM] martin dlabaja: doing a project about acoustics in music for my final exams
[6:19:30 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: interesting
[6:19:36 PM] martin dlabaja: about my experiments with reverbation
[6:19:47 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: would love to see it
[6:19:47 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:19:51 PM] martin dlabaja: (I used a real reverb using glasses, gallons and so)
[6:20:01 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: wow
[6:20:30 PM] martin dlabaja: I know it’s how Noisia did a lot of moving in their basses
[6:20:58 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: cool [:
[6:21:06 PM] martin dlabaja: you can re-record a bass, microphone inside a big glass, twisting with it like crazy, sounds really moving then
[6:21:07 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i don’t know much about this
[6:21:24 PM] martin dlabaja: I used to record weird stuff
[6:21:47 PM] martin dlabaja: been working there: http://kstudio.hys.cz/ (I did that website btw)
[6:22:03 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: wow impressive
[6:22:03 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:22:06 PM] martin dlabaja: crazy times, recording metal, punk
[6:22:22 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: you have some true experience then
[6:22:23 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:23:04 PM] martin dlabaja: I have to say I’m proud of this sound: http://bandzone.cz/ovocelenina
[6:23:12 PM] martin dlabaja: It’s mastered in my bedroom, hehe
[6:24:06 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: cool, you’re so young and have some professional experience, that’s awesome
[6:24:06 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:24:29 PM] martin dlabaja: hehe, thanks!
[6:24:50 PM] martin dlabaja: have to go now, to concenrate on school now
[6:25:06 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: ok
[6:25:06 PM] martin dlabaja: will stay online here
[6:25:18 PM] martin dlabaja: cant wait for intreview, hehe
[6:25:20 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: cool we’ll talk later
[6:25:21 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[6:57:50 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: let me know when your’re not learning
[6:57:54 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: anymore

After some time…

[7:20:49 PM] martin dlabaja: allright
[7:20:55 PM] martin dlabaja: just sec, will get a ice
[7:21:04 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: ice?
[7:21:09 PM] martin dlabaja: for whiskey
[7:21:19 PM] martin dlabaja: hehe
[7:21:38 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: oh [:
[7:21:43 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i don’t drink alcohol
[7:22:45 PM] martin dlabaja: new thing for me
[7:22:47 PM] martin dlabaja: ok
[7:25:11 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: what were you learning?
[7:25:57 PM] martin dlabaja: parameters of amplifiers, as it’s one question for me to pass the exams
[7:26:09 PM] martin dlabaja: brighter side of my school
[7:26:13 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i see [:
[7:26:58 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: you’re using field recordings for your tracks
[7:27:08 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: can you tell me, how does it work
[7:27:11 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: because
[7:27:20 PM | Edited 7:28:07 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i want to start recording too
[7:27:26 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: do you just go out somewhere and take your recorder?
[7:28:31 PM] martin dlabaja: mostly it’s impulse by weather or mood, fog is the most inspirative
[7:28:59 PM] martin dlabaja: also its not possible for me to go out at bright day for thats not what im looking for in my tracks
[7:29:10 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: cool [:
[7:29:15 PM] martin dlabaja: at night, there are no cars and people disturbing
[7:29:38 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i imagine you’re just walking around in the fog, is that’s why your album is called “Surrounded fog”
[7:29:38 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: ?
[7:31:43 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, the album was recorded during autumn, a lot of night walks till early morning, when there’s a fog outside I just can’t sit home
[7:32:40 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: but there’s definitely something more involved
[7:32:46 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: what gear do you use?
[7:35:51 PM] martin dlabaja: I use old open-reel tape decks, so when i get home with some new recordings I like, first part of proces is connecting my recorder to old Tesla B730 reel deck and then I re-record it to tape. I have collections of reels with dates and moods on it
[7:36:55 PM] martin dlabaja: I also use tape decks I have personally tweaked to get control over speed, feedback them in a loop and making echoes in it
[7:37:03 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i’m really fascinated with analog gear
[7:37:19 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: but i don’t have any [:
[7:37:50 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: you’re making echoes with your tape decks?
[7:39:35 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, it’s really fun to play it, I would say that it’s a fundament of my music, it’s lovely when you can touch the reel to slow one triplet of echo to get a disharmony, to touch things, to touch music …. I would love to get a real tape echo one day, like RE-201, for now it’s in phase of earning money
[7:40:08 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: awesome [:
[7:40:16 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: any synths?
[7:41:43 PM] martin dlabaja: no and that fact makes me sad, i’m spending a lot of money on buying another gear not asociated with music only (i still dont have a drivers licencse as i bought a camera rather)
[7:42:07 PM] martin dlabaja: but my dream is to get my hands on old Korg Ms20, or Yamaha Dx7!
[7:42:24 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: you must be using VST’s then
[7:42:25 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: ?
[7:42:26 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[7:44:25 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, im using vsts, always outputted to tape deck i use for re-recording vsts straigh back to daw (then final mix on another deck)
[7:44:40 PM] martin dlabaja: it adds flavour i need to hear
[7:44:53 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: ok so anyway tape deck is the main thing
[7:46:05 PM] martin dlabaja: i have never really get used to listen the “modern” music mixed in digital, till childhood I always loved listening to grandma’s old LPs (and making her go crazy for every needle i broke)
[7:46:27 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: hehe
[7:46:41 PM] martin dlabaja: also …
[7:48:23 PM] martin dlabaja: my father used to own two open reel-tape decks with mix and played on local discoteques back in days, it had to be really unique!
[7:48:35 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: wow
[7:48:46 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: so your dad is an oldschool dj
[7:48:46 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[7:49:38 PM] martin dlabaja: he used to play in days when communism was there and for example playing raggae was bit dangerous act
[7:49:50 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: but he did?
[7:49:51 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[7:50:03 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: or he did play only what he was supposed to play
[7:50:40 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, he did and I still own tapes he recorded and played on discoteques when it was late night
[7:50:54 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: what a great story [:
[7:50:55 PM] martin dlabaja: very grainy and noisy, caught on an old antena
[7:51:55 PM] martin dlabaja: funny thing is that he didnt tell me this … he told after he saw my room
[7:51:56 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: so you’re playing with vinyl and tapes from your childhood right?
[7:53:06 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: your dad saw your room and realized you have this in common? [:
[7:53:07 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, in a fact I love being sentimental about this, touching music makes me go out of this world, back to days when i was a kid and my phantasy was enough to keep me away from the world as i wanted to be, no suffering from “must do system things”
[7:54:22 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, when i got into dub music i wanted to own a tape deck so i told grandma to give me the old one, got home, connected it with pc, re-recorded my old drum and bass track to it back to pc and it blown me away!
[7:55:02 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: sounds great [: do you remember your first tracks?
[7:55:03 PM] martin dlabaja: after week or so, father went to my room and when he saw what i was doing he told me “mm, Martin … maybe I have something for you”
[7:55:25 PM] martin dlabaja: he’s bit introvert, hehe
[7:55:33 PM] martin dlabaja: same as me
[7:55:45 PM] martin dlabaja: sure i do remember!
[7:56:35 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i remember i was recording mine on a tape cassette recorder and it was absurd, so stupid i almost laugh when i remember them
[7:56:54 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i was dancing to them
[7:56:55 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[7:57:18 PM] martin dlabaja: i started when i was 15 … i loved chemical brothers stuff and started to discover no-u-turn drum n bass records …. i was satisfied but i always wanted everything to be even “deeper” so i got home after one walk to see what i can make
[7:58:13 PM] martin dlabaja: after year of self-learning i realized it wont be that simple so i started to learn about acoustics
[7:58:47 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: all i did was just making track after track, 5 tracks a day
[7:58:53 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: sometimes even more [:
[7:59:15 PM] martin dlabaja:
[7:59:23 PM] martin dlabaja: yes, same here
[7:59:56 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i was using MTV Music Generator
[7:59:59 PM] martin dlabaja: same beats, same pads, happy i can make every track long as i want to
[8:00:13 PM] martin dlabaja: i was angry by stupid small lenghts of my favourite tracks
[8:00:30 PM] martin dlabaja: so i used to make tracks 20 minutes long or even longer
[8:00:44 PM] martin dlabaja:
[8:00:57 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: wow [: i have always been stuck on making short tracks
[8:01:02 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: and i’m still stuck on that
[8:01:23 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: my longest track is like 7:30
[8:01:39 PM] martin dlabaja: that’s good for you, i notices you are making good compositions
[8:01:54 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i hope they’re good enough to be so short
[8:01:54 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[8:02:09 PM] martin dlabaja: i was always more satisfied with monolitics moods caused by minimal hypnotic beats coming over and over again
[8:02:26 PM] martin dlabaja: maybe im also lazy to make complex compositions
[8:02:44 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: yeah i love good monotonic loop, to hear it over and over again
[8:02:53 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: it’s like swinging
[8:02:56 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: or something like that
[8:02:58 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[8:02:58 PM] martin dlabaja: i love the tracks that set a mood and can hold it for a long time
[8:03:15 PM] martin dlabaja: thats why i got to ambient and dubtechno after everything i have passed in music
[8:05:03 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i see
[8:05:04 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[8:05:27 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: what are your biggest influences?
[8:05:38 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i mean famous artists and stuff
[8:09:05 PM] martin dlabaja: as many other I love projects by rod modell, his drone/ambient stuff is what i was looking in music for a long time, also good photography really inspires me in making music. Inpiration is ever changing flow as artist that inspires me!
[8:09:29 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: cool [:
[8:09:46 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i think we have a great interview here
[8:10:07 PM] martin dlabaja: Thanks evaldas!
[8:10:17 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i’m thinking
[8:10:35 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: do you mind if we make all of this conversation an interview?
[8:10:37 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i mean
[8:10:56 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: from the beggining when you were trying to learn while dancing in your chair?
[8:11:10 PM] martin dlabaja: sure, no problems
[8:11:18 PM] martin dlabaja: i may only add two things if i may
[8:11:26 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: sure
[8:11:32 PM] martin dlabaja: i forgot to say what inspires me:
[8:11:42 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: i forgot to ask then [:
[8:11:46 PM] martin dlabaja: nono,
[8:12:42 PM] martin dlabaja: what is really inspirig is … im frequently visiting old places like forbidden buildings, old factories.
[8:13:00 PM] martin dlabaja:
[8:13:07 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: abandoned parts of the city?
[8:13:08 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [:
[8:13:58 PM] martin dlabaja: and … can add “thanks” to the end of interview?
[8:14:15 PM] martin dlabaja: i now it can be bit cliche ….
[8:14:25 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: hey feel free to say whatever you want
[8:14:30 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: [;
[8:15:27 PM] martin dlabaja: So for ending, I would love to say big thanks to John K, for his call from Japan, it saved a lot!
[8:15:46 PM] Evaldas Azbukauskas: ok [:
[8:16:06 PM] martin dlabaja:
[8:16:09 PM] martin dlabaja: huh
[8:16:11 PM] martin dlabaja: feeling nervous