Interview With Planeswalker

Entry: 12 June | 1232HRS

Planeswalker

Following his latest release titled “Entity”, we sat down with the sound wizard Mervin aka Planeswalker to find out more about his creative process and the inspiration behind his music.

Tell us more about yourself and what you do.

I’m Planeswalker - an electronic producer and composer, I use the medium of sound to imagine worlds, journeys and experiences. I love to convey these in the form of live shows or performances too. I also spend a good bit of time discovering and recording new sounds and sonic texture, these become a palette which I work from.

What got you into electronic music?

Jon Hopkins got me into electronic music. I first came across his EP Asleep Versions and was blown away by how it had the power to just draw me into this four-track journey. I remember on it’s first listen I just lay down on the floor, rooted in it’s transcendental allure. Later, I discovered that Asleep Versions EP was actually a re-work from his album Immunity. I was fascinated by the possibilities beyond solely acoustic instruments. At that time, we were at the point in conservatory training that we were learning about experimental music, John Cage, the New York Hypnotic School which featured luminaries such as La Monte Young, Steve Reich and Philip Glass. This was also the point where we see these explorers bridging the gap between music and technology, Brian Eno was one such figure out of the New York lineage, and Jon Hopkins was a one-time Eno protege. Yes, I am (have always been) fascinated by music history.

What is the story behind Planeswalker

I was originally creating and producing music as Theemptybluesky, which resulted in an initial LP titled Aphelion. I think at that stage in my life I was just on the verge of discovering new worlds and frontiers, really being bold with experimentation in the sounds I used and the different techniques. On reaching a point where I felt more confident of what I was doing - I realised I wanted to explore different dimensions and worlds, different planes of existence, to share all of that in some sort of a sonic medium of expression - that became Planeswalker.

What does music mean to you

Music is the power to listen to the energies that flow, all around and within, and then to channel them into some tangible form (sound). Music is both a spiritual and intimate experience to me.

What inspires you?

The universe inspires me. No really, I think life and all it’s endless mysteries never fail to inspire me. It’s easy to forget how small we actually are within all this, and it’s humbling too.

To find our more about Planeswalker and his works, you can check out his Website | Soundcloud | Instagram

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