“I was always the black sheep in America with my music”, Krista Bourgeois interview

“I was always the black sheep in America with my music”, Krista Bourgeois interview

Telekom Electronic Beats: What has your path been? How and from where did you arrive at your raw, relentless, hard-edged “corrosive grit” style?

Krista: As a teenager I was really into deathcore and metal. I found electronic music at 16, and as I dug deeper and got to know the different genres, I realized that industrial techno and hardcore give me the same feeling I had listening to heavier guitar music. In the first year of my career I was still looking for my voice, for what comes out of me most honestly. Since then my sound has become harder and more intense, but the industrial foundation has always remained throughout.

TEB: Is there any serious interest in the genre in the States at all, or is it a fairly difficult terrain for a hardcore techno producer in the land of pop vocals and smooth melodies?

Krista: The American scene is slowly growing, but overall there is not much interest. In Portland, where I come from, house and bass music were more popular, so with my music I was always the black sheep in the USA.

TEB: Your career path then led from America through Berlin to Rotterdam, the capital of hardcore techno. How do you feel there? What is it like to experience the local scene up close?

Krista: I love Rotterdam, and the hardcore heritage makes the city truly special. My agency and my home label, PRSPCT, are based here anyway, so it feels good to be in the heart of the scene. As I see it, far more parties are held here for the different segments of the industrial genre than in Berlin, so I feel completely at home.

TEB: How did this move through several stops reshape your artistic approach, if it did at all?

Krista: My approach actually has not changed, certainly not because of these moves. I was quite consistent in not compromising, even though in Berlin it was much harder for three years to get bookings with my style. Of course I am grateful for the Berlin years, I learned a lot about myself, but when I first visited the Netherlands, I felt right away that my place was there.

TEB: You describe your instruments as “designed tools of chaos”. What exactly does that mean?

Krista: My gear is entirely modular based (and I also have an external sequencer), which means I hand-picked every component to create the ideal sound tool. That is what I find most interesting about modular: no two systems are alike, each one reflects the personal taste and way of thinking of its owner.

I designed mine to be a noisy, distorting box of the apocalypse.

TEB: Do you think your performances through in advance and build them up, or do you rely entirely on intuition when you step behind the decks?

Krista: I used to plan my sets in much more detail, but now that my equipment is fairly fixed, I handle it much more loosely and don't stress about it. There are usually new patches I definitely want to play, and I think ahead about roughly when (intro, middle, end) I will fit them in. I also take into account the time of the set and the mood of the party to decide what energy I want: straight four-on-the-floor all the way, or perhaps more experimental broken drums.

TEB: How do you see the further possibilities for development in modular hardcore techno live performance? Beyond your current setup and technique, what else would you like to realize or bring in?

Krista: I am currently working on launching my own audio-visual label, Somnium (arriving next year), which over time will grow into an event series and special A/V sets, where my partner makes live visuals for my modular gear. I have been carrying this vision with me for years, and I am really looking forward to finally putting it into practice and sharing it with everyone.

TEB: What is your message to Hungarian ravers? What should they expect from you?

Krista: It is a great honor to make my debut in Hungary at Inota, and I am putting together a unique set specifically for this evening. Expect post-apocalyptic atmospheres, jackhammer-strength kicks and a good dose of distortion!