Deurun presents: Tambourine Man

Deurun presents: Tambourine Man

1 February, 2011 | 3.37AM

• Written by: deurun
• Filed under: Music News : artist to watch 2011, deurun, records, tambourine man

Nicolá Cruz aka Tambourine Man was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. From an early age he incurred into music by playing the drums and percussion for local bands. This leads him into the science of acoustics were he begins to experiment composition, electro acoustic music and recording. Since then, music has become more than a dedication but a real career. This interest in music brought him to study in Mexico where he graduated as a Music Producer/Engineer, developing this way, a serious live act which has taken him throughout Ecuador and Mexico, playing in venues next to big representations of electronic music such as Spektre, Marco Carola, DjOsho, to name a few. Through time and experiment, Tambourine Man has learned the art of sound design implementing many styles of synthesis in his music, combined with high fidelity recording, which provides real organicity to his tracks; this defines his sound.

1. What music did you grow up listening to?

- From ethnic music to mainstream. Mainly all stuff that proposed something new.

2. At what point did you realize you could make money, and a career, out of something you love?

- That would be when I started having support from people unrelated to me, which simply enjoyed my music.  Then it was complete for me, I do something I love and I make a profit out of it.

3. If you weren’t a producer and a DJ, what do you think you would you be doing?

- Since I’m a percussionist, I’d probably be drumming for a band or something related to the music business, further than that, nothing comes to my mind.

4. Talking of producing, what’s your studio like?

- Some audio and acoustic books scattered around… a bunch of old instruments, cowbells, tambourines, ocarinas, flutes, percussion in general, ethnic instruments… a good old pair of KRKs… couple of MICs… music sheets… keeping it simple; music comes from us, not from the machines.

5. What’s the longest you’ve spent making a track?

- This is a huge variable.  I think the longest I’ve spent is about three weeks. The thing is that when inspiration comes, you just have to let it flow, otherwise you get stuck and rethink too much.  A song could be done in an hour or in months.

6. Do you prefer performing Live sets or playing DJ sets?

- Definitely prefer live sets, this involves much improvisation, tweaking, playing with the groove and the crowd, plus you can get as creative as you want, maybe some microphones.  Lately I’ve been making a ride (cymbal), which processed a certain way will give you a cool stab sound.

7. When did you start playing in clubs yourself?

- I received and invitation from a local club, back then I was practicing my beat matching techniques, no productions yet.  That would be like 6 years ago.  Really important to learn how to manipulate your crowd, only experience gives you that.

8. What’s been the most satisfying record you’ve done so far?

- That would be “Solar”, a four track epin which I had the opportunity to work in a state of the art studio, equipped with vintage analogue stuff (always a pleasure to work analogue), excellent acoustics, it was very fulfilling either musically and technically.  It went out for local distribution only.

9. What would you like to say to aspiring producers?

- I’ll probably tell them to learn about music! Read, ask, investigate, get deep into it.  Electronic music involves melody, harmony and rhythm just as every other style of music; therefore you need to know how to manipulate that in order to create. Also, I completely agree that less is more.  I know that we’ve heard this a thousand times, but it takes long to understand.  This is really the key for a cleaner and better sound.

10. Who have been the biggest artists to influence you?

- Babicz, Holden, Shadow…. lately Mount Kimbie; there’s always someone new.

11. Where do you see yourself going in the long term?

- I see myself taking Tambourine Man to a higher level of performance, maybe involving other musicians and some surround tricks.

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