EXPLORING THE VAST MUSICAL COSMOS OF BLACK SPACE

Any artist’s creativity journey is an exciting adventure, full of myriad twists and turns. Take the musical mission of Swiss producer Alvin Juvet AKA Black Space. Over the last few years, he’s developed an exciting reputation for himself on the deeper, emotional side of melodic techno on labels such as ICONYC and Hive Audio. Yet, eight years ago, his earliest endeavors were more of a tropical house and dubstep nature.

These twists and turns continue on a more nuanced level as he develops his collection of hardware synths and digs deeper and deeper into his sound and creative process. All the while juggling an intense day job in finance.

Fresh off the back of a series of releases on ICONYC – the single “Dark Har” and both “System Passant” and “Limbo” on the ICONYC 5 album – we called him up to find out more about his ongoing creative journey, his love of space and what twists and turns we can expect to enjoy next.

Ready for take-off?

Black Space: It’s definitely two different worlds. My current job is an internship as I’ve just finished my studies.

Are you on the problem-solving / analytical side of banking?

Black Space: Yes. If I have to describe in a nutshell the role I’m in, then when you see in the news that the central bank has been pumping money into the system, well, I work in the department that makes that happen or not happen.

Then making music in the evenings and DJing on the weekends. A perfect balance…

Black Space: Exactly that. But it requires a lot of organization and compromise. I say no to a lot of after-work events and even to a lot of social invitations from friends because I just want to make music. And if I don’t make music during the week, then during the weekend it’s even more complicated because I’m DJing.

The compromises one has to make to pursue a life as an artist. I was thinking that a lot of production and studio creativity is problem-solving. So, I was wondering, if you applied similar logic or solutions in the studio that you do in your day job?

Black Space: There is a lot of problem-solving, but essentially they are very different processes and ways of using your brain. During the day, being logical and having to use numbers, then coming home and making music. At points, I was finding it very difficult, but then I realized I was using the same processes and solutions, and that wasn’t the best way to do things. I have to be in a very different mindset. So now, I don’t get the bus or tram home, which gives me more time to make my mind clear from the logical reasoning and I can listen to music in the meantime and get into the right frame of mind.

Ah, good idea. What’s the scene like in Geneva?

Black Space: I’m in Zurich now, but only recently. I’d say in Zurich there are more opportunities and the city pushes you more creatively than in Geneva. But Geneva is my home town, so I have a different influence from there.

Tell us about ‘Dark Har’. Yan Menge, the singer, is an old friend of yours isn’t he?

Black Space: Yes, he’s a friend from high school. We’ve been doing music for eight years. It started with tropical house – Kygo style – and before that, it was melodic dubstep, which was quite funny. Both Yann and I have similar minds, so we both enjoy making music together.

Then I took a break for two years doing music on my own. Then I made the track “Vinsobre” on Einmusika with him, which was really nice, so we started making music again. I think “Dark Har” is a very different track for us. It's a lot darker and it was nice to record with him. It’s funny because we heavily processed his voice with lots of FX, which was a lot of fun.

Brilliant. It’s interesting how some of your earliest influences and productions were dubstep. I think it’s cool how Skrillex was a gatekeeper for a lot of artists and how people always find their own sound. You’ve gone from a very extreme sound to something a lot more subtle and emotional.

Black Space: It’s true, but when you look over everything I’ve done over the years, there’s one consistency which is the melodic aspect of each track. For example, Seven Lions was a big influence on me. He makes heavy music but still very melodic, and that was a very big inspiration for me. Also, acts like Camo & Krooked, I’m still a big fan of them now. I don’t produce it anymore, but I still listen and I am always working on my melodies.

Melodies convey emotions!

Black Space: Yes, exactly. It’s the point I try and do with my tracks – convey emotion. Sometimes melancholic, sometimes happy, it depends on the track and context.

It sounds like you’re finding your sound and groove and ability to convey emotions even more so than ever before.

Black Space: It’s funny because all the new tracks I’ve made are done with new synths I’ve just bought recently. They have character and help you create the sound you want.

Has it always been an ambition to develop a hardware collection?

Black Space: I’ve always been a geek and fascinated by technology, so I guess it was only a matter of time. I originally got a Moog Sub 37, but I realized I didn’t have the knowledge of how to use it. It’s much easier to use VSTs, but I really wanted a polyphonic. Not just as a tool for my tracks, but as an instrument to enjoy playing in my home. Then I found the brand Udo, which is based in Bristol. The point was just to have an instrument I could play without any production. Something that’s expressive.

I read in an old interview with you that you wanted to learn piano. Did you do that over lockdown?

Black Space: I play every day on this instrument, and I’m getting better, but still learning. When I was using VSTs, I was drawing notes on the computer. I knew the basic rules, but when you play with your hands, it’s very different. It’s real life. It’s faster to find the melody now. When you physically play, you can feel it and you can also feel when it’s wrong.

Yeah, that’s totally true. Are you finding a lot more happy accidents when you’re improvising?

Black Space: Yes and now I understand the pros when they say a physical instrument is different to a VST when it comes to happy little accidents because you cannot control everything. When it happens, you have to record it – that’s the magic of it.

Do you record a session and make your own samples?

Black Space: It depends. In the beginning, I was using the instrument to receive MIDI from the computer and use the sound from it. But now I record everything I do, improvising and cutting bits of the recording I like for my track. It’s more complicated to use a real instrument in a workflow because you control less, so in a five-minute take, around 90% is trash, 10% is okay, and then around 1% of that is worth using. So it’s a lot of work. But when you use VSTs, you can go, “This isn’t good,” and you can modify the parameters. You can be a lot more precise. You can hear the difference in “Dark Har”. The bass has been recorded live, so it’s a little rougher than the releases I’ve done recently on Einmusika, where the bass is more controlled and very sharp in terms of sound.

As humans we’re not all sharp though, are we? Imperfections are the soul! You’ve got a natural groove…

Black Space: Yeah, sure. I think it’s a natural balance between control and flow, because if you don’t control anything, then it’s chaos. But if you don’t flow enough, then the track hasn’t got a life of its own.

Amen! So tell us about your love for space…

Black Space: I really enjoy creating ambiance in my tracks and having sounds that really make the background of the track. That’s the space I really want to create in my production. It creates the atmosphere, sense of space, and mood in my music. I’m also obsessed with music from sci-fi films – the techniques they use are a lot like ambient music and for me, that’s also essential.

Eliciting an emotion… Like a film without a score wouldn’t have impact.

Black Space: Yes, definitely. It’s as important as the characters.

Finally, if you went to space and could only take three albums to listen to, what would they be?

Kiasmos – Kiasmos. These guys are a duo from Iceland who have had such a strong influence on me. I just love the music they made together and listen to it so much. It’s a big influence on me.

M83 – Hurry Up, We Are Dreaming. This guy makes movie soundtracks, so he understands the importance of ambiance. It’s really melancholic and emotional. This album is perfect for me. Everything I have in my tracks is inspired by this album.

Stephan Bodzin – Powers of 10. Stephan is a master of the ambiance, and I love how he mixes weird sounds with powerful basses. For me, he is the Skrillex of melodic techno. He introduced a new style in the melodic techno scene and around 2017 every tutorial was how to do the Stephan Bodzin bass. He made it famous!!

These albums are based on the experience I’ve had seeing the artists live. I’ve not seen M83, but Kiasmos and Stephan’s live shows are amazing.

GETTING TO KNOW SOUL ALT DELETE

Ctrl Alt Delete: a soft reboot. A way of disrupting functions and changing directions…

Soul Alt Delete: a hard reboot. A rising artist disrupting the status quo and forever exploring new directions…

Aged 27, the UK artist has racked up impressive Discog points with releases on labels such as ICONYC, Senso, Minds Of Sin, and City Wall, picking up the attention of key DJs along the way. Support has ranged from Maxim Lany to Faithless, by way of the inimitable Sasha, who spent last summer closing his set with Soul Alt Delete’s track “Encounter”.

Soul Alt Delete is a palette that ranges from top-gear techno to melodic progressive, and one that keeps on expanding with every release. Refusing to sit still, Soul Alt Delete’s disruptions and explorations continue with creative fervor, passion for the music, and obsession that’s partly driven by his autism. We called him up to find out his journey so far…

Let’s go back. Right back. How did you get into all of this?

Soul Alt Delete: When I was a lot younger, I played guitar. I played from age 7. Very early. I was good. I loved heavy metal and shredding, and I reached an age where I got out of it. Then, one song changed everything… "Strobe”, Deadmau5. I racked up 4000 plays on my iTunes, I loved it so much. I thought, “Wow that’s the sound I want to make.” Gradually, my guitar stayed in the cupboard, and I started exploring DJing. That must have been when I was about 13. But of course, I figured that to get ahead as a DJ, you can’t just be a DJ, you need to make records, too, right?

Getting your music out there!

Soul Alt Delete: Exactly. So I started making music and, to begin with, it was awful. But I stuck with it, and I’ve learned so much along the way. I have to say that I’ve simplified my process and I actually use Splice for all my samples. It’s probably a bit of a PR nightmare to admit that, but I’m happy to tell you.

All chefs can use the same ingredients but can come up with very different dishes!

Soul Alt Delete: That’s right. And I never build a track from a single genre of sounds. Although I usually start off with tech house drums. I remember something Ben Remember taught me at the Toolroom Academy: he said there’s one thing that people always remember in a track, it’s percussion and drums. So I’ll start off finding good samples, and then I get creative.

Do you always start with the drums?

Soul Alt Delete: Always. For me, you can’t get into the groove or get creative until you’ve got that swing. But I’m always thinking of my sound, too. What I’ve found difficult is in this industry you have to have a brand for yourself and a sound that people can identify. I want to enjoy making what I want to make, but I don’t want to confuse fans.

That’s such a fine line, isn’t it?

Soul Alt Delete: It is but I’m inspired by artists like Alan Fitzpatrick. Last year, he did this amazing Anjunadeep release. A whole album. He’s techno to the core, so if he’s got the balls to diversify to that extent, then that’s the benchmark for me. So, for example, my Senso release was very dark techno, but then, right after that, I released my ICONYC release, which is more of a progressive sound. That’s the way to do it. The really good artists are the ones who do all of the styles but have that one identifiable brand.

I guess it depends on mindset, in terms of which style you explore when you’re creating…

Soul Alt Delete: Yes. And there are quite a few brands I want to play as a DJ, and I use them as inspiration. RESISTANCE, Ultra’s more underground brand, would be a dream to play, for example. Anjunadeep’s Explorations event in Albania would be an incredible place to DJ, too. So I think about those types of events and what I would love to play at those events and then create from there. To have a vision before you start making the track is really important for me. It’s helpful to know what boundaries I want the track to exist in before I start, and then I use that as inspiration.

Who inspires you?

Soul Alt Delete: Many people, but I have to say that, without my dad, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am. Having a father figure has been essential to me. Even when it’s down to things like teaching me that the world isn’t a nice place. I can count on one hand how many times he’s told me “Well done,” and that’s taught me I don’t have to work just to get a “well done.” He’s taught me resilience and perseverance.

Yeah, not seeking instant gratification I guess? You’re seeking things for your own benefit and not for “likes,” which are the social media equivalent of “well done,” aren’t they?

Soul Alt Delete: Definitely. For me, I’ve noticed there are three stages to success. The first stage is when you start and people support you because you’re trying something new. Then you get to the next stage where you’re doing well, but people step back because you’re doing alright for yourself. Now, if your dad hasn’t prepared you for that moment when people you expect to support you no longer support everything, then you’re not ready for the final stage of success, which is when you’ve made it and everyone wants to know you again. I feel I’m at that second stage, and I need to reach that next stage. So my dad’s job was not to be my best mate but to teach me to be resilient.

Success can breed contempt in some situations…

Soul Alt Delete: Perhaps. Things change, don’t they? I’d hang out with people and it would be about partying and not being serious, but when you want to do something different or more ambitious, then some people want to keep you at their level. It’s the “crabs in a bucket” mentality. Of course, I do have friends, and I thank them for being very loyal, but certainly, recent successes have led to change in my social circle. But it’s okay. Something the guy who invented Dell Computers said once stuck with me – “Celebrate your successes for a microsecond.” Even though Oliver Huntemann has signed me, ICONYC has signed me, and Sasha’s playing my tunes, I can’t celebrate this. I don’t want to be complacent at all or it’ll pass. I think that’s something my autism has taught me, too.

Can you tell us more about your autism?

Soul Alt Delete: For me, I have the perfect balance – I have the chaos of the autistic mind but enough mental stability to be social and operate in the world.

Autism can be like a superpower or a super skill in a sense, can’t it?

Soul Alt Delete: Yes, but this changes a lot from day to day. You wake up some days and think, “Wow, I’ve got this amazing talent.” But on the same hand, you do feel like your outcast because you can’t relate to people and show emotional empathy or understand what they’re feeling. I was explaining to a girl I’m seeing that I do have trouble understanding when I’ve upset someone.

Does it affect how people have treated you in the industry?

Soul Alt Delete: Sometimes. I go to a lot of conferences, and I’ve met some amazing people, and they understand me and how I behave. But other people treat you like you’re a complete idiot. The same people who often promote peace and love on their platforms. It’s not fair to treat someone badly because they’re not like you, or you have something in your head that makes you think differently.

I find conferences difficult. Lots of disingenuous conversations.

Soul Alt Delete: I’ve slowly learned the art of doing conferences right. The cool people always end up meeting. You have to sift through shysters to meet the real people. At the end of the day, it is business. I’ve paid a lot of money to be there, so why talk to someone who can’t help my career? That might seem cold, but it’s business. There’s a fine line between being rude and being professional. “Great to meet you, have a nice time, enjoy yourself.” Manners go a long way. Be polite, be persistent and you’ll be recognized. My dad taught me that too.

It's true. So on to your music… ‘City Walls’ is where you found your groove and made yourself known to the world, wasn’t it?

Soul Alt Delete: Yeah, Ross Haper has been amazing. We met at Phonox, I wanted to give Len Faki a USB and Ross was there early too. We got talking in the smoking area talking about philosophy, art, religion, and even touched on music. Later on, he gave me his card and told me he ran a label so I gave him some tunes. He came back saying, “These are amazing, I’ll sign these.”

At the time, I wasn’t getting signed, and I thought I sucked, and the releases started to flow from there. The first one was a dark techno Berlin-style warehouse record which wasn’t an immediate success, but my second release, "Encounter,” did really well. Maxim Lany played it on his stream in front of a plane at a massive airport, and it took off. My next release on the label Borneo Function did well too. It got picked up by Faithless, Anthony Pappa, and Maxim again, too, which has been an amazing way to get my music out there. I owe a lot to Ross.

When did Sasha start playing your music?

That was my short album, Arrival. Ross messaged me saying Sasha had played it on one of his Last Night On Earth podcasts, and then he played it as his last track at an event in Liverpool. Getting his approval was insane. You start off in the bedroom and your parents think you’re a loser wasting your time, and then one of the biggest DJs in the world says your music is ready. It’s given me a lot of confidence. To have that type of break has been a blessing.

What a great summer for it because everyone was appreciating the rave so much post lockdown…

Soul Alt Delete: Yeah, that’s right! It’s great to hear a track played in a stream is amazing, but at a live show, it’s a whole other animal. It was a live show with real people and the last track as well, so a bit of a moment. To know he thought it was good enough to finish my set with is a great feeling.

Absolutely. So how about the ‘Network’ release on Oliver Huntemann’s Senso? How did that come about?

Soul Alt Delete: It took them seven months to get back to me, I was thinking, “This is going nowhere.” My parents were suggesting I get a job. Then they got in touch and said “He likes the tracks, he’s going to download them and play them over the weekend. If he likes them he’ll sign them.” There was a tense couple of days, then on Monday, they called me and said he liked them, and I did a backflip. I’ve listened to Senso releases since 2013, I’d say it’s one of my primary inspirations. Hatzler, Andre Winter, Dubfire, Joseph Capriati… They’ve all been on the label. It’s ridiculous. The whole team is super cool and it made the whole experience so easy. It’s a beautiful feeling.

How about your ICONYC release?

They found me through my music, with “City Wall” being on their playlist. I sent music across and they liked the sound. I’d gone for an ARTBAT / Eric Prydz progressive house sound on this one, and it came just in time for the fifth-anniversary album. I followed that with “Words Not Spoken,” it’s a very heartfelt release, I dug deep and really got in touch with my emotions on it.

We’ve come full circle… You’re exploring and developing your sound.

Soul Alt Delete: Yeah, definitely, and I will always be seeing how I can push it and develop it. Right now, I’m really inspired by the ARTBAT sound. Their Circle set really blew me away, it’s a new, fresh sound that I’m enjoying exploring. It’s more musical and that’s inspiring. I think we’re going to enjoy a lot of musical, progressive music now.

Do you think that’s an effect post-lockdown?

I think the whole time in our lives gave producers time to shine. DJing got reduced to a live stream setting, which wasn’t as fun, so it gave listeners more time to listen and producers more time to shine. Guys like Ben Bohmer, who’ve really broken through during that time, pretty much play their own music when they DJ. He’s created his own sound to such a degree that he doesn’t have to play anyone else’s music. Yotto as well on Anjunadeep. Artists like these guys have created their own entity, their own thing. That’s inspiring and that’s where I want to be…