8 Questions with Mario Bajardi
8DIO Artist Spotlight - 8 Questions with Professor, Mario "BJM" Bajardi.
Introduction:
Mario Bajardi is a Violinist, Sound designer, Electroacoustic Musician and Composer.
He is also Sound Design Teacher at Academy of Art & University of Palermo - and main sound designer on the 8Dio Blendstrument Motion Texture library. Mario created over 21GB of content for the Blendstrument Motion Textures library by using a very complicated setup, which includes a full KYMA system and the ability to physically draw waveforms in real-time.
The Sound Of Wine
1. Tell us a little bit about your musical background- and influences?
After I graduated in violin, I always felt the need to find new sounds.
I began by buying a Korg01 and a Pc496dx2. Then I decided to enroll into the electronic music course at the Conservatory of Catania. In those days I used to compose by combining the violin sounds, to electronic ones, trying to create an Electronic Symphonic. This research can be found in the records published by the Iter-Research. This passion is surely triggered by the fact that as a child, I was surrounded by LP’s of progressive rock genre, ranging from Genesis to Marillion, or even discs of electronic culture and soundtracks from E. @Morricone to Stockhausen and Stravinsky. Do you remember the soundtrack of the film "A Clockwork Orange" composed by Wendy Carlos? You can imagine how many wonderful visions was created in an additional atmosphere - thanks to these sounds.
2. What genre of music inspires you and what artists do you enjoy listening to for entertainment?
Today, I listen to composers like Amon Tobin, Eskmo and Jon Hopkins without neglecting electro dark pop groups ... Blonde Redhead for example, the Cure or Massive Attack or even the great Björk. Besides, I love progressive rock and I love Genesis and Marillion. I would also add a lot of other music from classical to contemporary ... If only I had time to listen to everything.
3. As a Sound Design Professor at Academy of Art & University of Palermo, how do you inspire your students?
I always start with a phrase that goes like, "sound is as important as oxygen, without oxygen we would not feel the sound and we could not live".
At least I think so, through the etheric body. I try to feed the curiosity of my students by making them listen to music, which is different from that kind of music the mass media usually broadcast.
For me, it has become a mission to spread the music, the sound, and its beauty in order to live in this atmosphere.
Blendstrument Motion Textures - Mario did 21GB of content for this library
4. How did you discover 8Dio and how did that develop into creating sounds in collaboration with 8Dio?
I've been following 8Dio since it was born, and I used the sounds of Tonehammer even before its birth. Well, are you familiar with binoculars? Being so far away from 8Dio, in my lovely Sicily, I have followed them right from the start, loving their vision and intelligence in creating everything that could be useful for us composers. I immediately looked for Tawnia and Troels whom with their open innovation, vision and sensitivity, have given me the opportunity to add a work related electroacoustic research, to their library. A specific work that I have been carrying out for some time with the Symbolic Sound Kyma system. That is actually how Blendstrument Motion Textures was born.
5. Being a collaborator to 8Dio Blendstrument Motion Textures, could you tell us a bit more about this project, and the idea/concept about this instrument?
The sounds, I used for @Blendstrument Motion Textures comes from my violin, my piano, and some electroacoustic elaboration of particular objects. Then, everything is reprocessed using granular synthesis and morphing. Recently I have been working with @Nino Errera, a fantastic percussionist and creative person, to make new sounds and there will be some surprises.
The vision about Blendstrument was, to create an instrument with an infinite amount of combinations and which never can produce the same instrument twice. It can generate anything from the most beautiful angelic ambiences, to pulsing filmic motion textures. Anything from dark and disturbing textures, to the most extraordinary EDM drums.
6. What are working on at the moment and how have you integrated 8Dio samples into your work?
I am creating two audio CD’s. The first is called SCHENGEN which is in the process of mastering, the second CD is a work that will be released next year. In both my works there is a massive use of sounds created by 8Dio. I love harmonies and melodies. Sound is an integral part of this continuous morphing between different compositional techniques. We need to give new solutions and atmospheres, which is able to move and to touch people.
7. I was told never to order a cappuccino after noon! Is that true? And why?
That is not true :-)! The food that you can find here is so varied and amazing, that only a cappuccino would be a shame. Would you prefer a single sound or a symphony of sounds? From sweets like our Cannoli to delicious Rotsserie such as our IRIS, Calzone, Arancine (all fried!)
8. What inspires you for the future?
I believe in VR and AR from Oculus to HTC vive to HoloLens. We can develop something giving more attention and importance to sound. I imagine sound systems that are able to give a 3D effect without using headphones. Can you imagine it? Being immersed in sound and video into new worlds.
