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Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Gregory Paul Mineeff:
Ambient, Modern-classical, Electronic, Downtempo, Chillout, analog textures, analog and acoustic instruments, alternative.

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Gregory Paul Mineeff:
I am a composer, multi-instrumentalist from Wollongong, Australia. I began my life as a musician beginning with piano but stopped to pursue the guitar and rock music. As a teenager I was obsessed with the electric guitar, fixated on the music of Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, ACDC and Pink Floyd. Jimi Hendrix's music and the way he constructed melodies and harmonies, as well as his improvising, has always fascinated me. Along the way I became interested in music for film and classical music and began collecting and playing as many acoustic instruments as I could. Piano became a fixture in my life and I began composing simple minimal piano pieces, collecting many over the years. No matter what instrument it is, my fascination with music is always around the act of creating something new, composing and constructing a new piece of wonder. I composed my album GRIND in response to the beautiful natural surroundings of my home in Wollongong and since releasing this album have enjoyed collaborating with many artists around the world. My second full length album After Today was released in January and I am looking forward to seeing how it goes about finding its place in the world.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Gregory Paul Mineeff:
I have always loved music and it has always been something that just felt right to me. From the first time experiencing music from my grandmother's organ to the music classroom at school I knew it was for me. I was always into music of the 60's, 70's, 80's and early 90's with it playing constantly in my home whether it be Pink Floyd or Dire Straits. The music that really connected with me at that time was Nirvana. I loved the rawness of the music, the edginess to it, the minimalistic and simple nature of each song really resonated with me. The minimal aesthetic of those compositions influences me to this day. Music was the way I identified my place in the world as a teenager and the place I sought refuge. I made many cassette tape recordings of instrumental guitar pieces and experiments throughout this time. Following from this I loved the improvisation style of Jimi Hendrix, particularly pieces like Little Wing. His edginess and always being on the edge makes his style particularly appealing. I love the work of Nick Cave, the simplicity of the compositions and the rawness are always an inspiration. As time went on I became interested in music for film, particularly the work of Danny Elfman, and I absolutely adore Neil Young's score for the Jim Jarmusch film Dead man. I was always seeking out rawness in music and artists I felt were risking a little, pushing boundaries, which led me to the work of Bjork. Her music is always a beautiful departure from the ordinary. It also connected me to the world of electronic music and the infinite possibilities available for modern composers and musicians. Another artist I respect enormously is Radiohead and the solo work of Thom Yorke. I am endlessly fascinated by their boundless creativeness and the unique music and place they have created. Boards of Canada and the world they have created for themselves to exist is an endless source of inspiration as are the minimal piano compositions of Philip Glass. All of these artists have influenced my current music in various ways. The artist who has perhaps inspired me the most though, is Yann Tiersen. I adore his solo piano work and everything he has done, the album Skyline being my favourite with the track The Gutter a particular favourite. Ultimately, my love of music is in the act of creation and the immediacy of this construction. I absolutely love and am influenced by literature, art and music and my response to this and my own creation of art is an integral part of the process.

Nagamag:
What Are you working on at the moment (Jan. 2020)?

Gregory Paul Mineeff:
I am fascinated by vintage analog instruments, analog synthesisers, electric pianos, tape effects and acoustic pianos. and I am working on composing more solo piano pieces. My goal is to be as simple as can be while conveying a sense of melody. I am also working on performing my new album After Today live with film projection and look forward to developing this project. I always look forward to more collaborative projects too.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Gregory Paul Mineeff:
Foo Fighters "Exhausted"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?

Gregory Paul Mineeff:
Yann Tiersen "Penn ar Lann"

Nagamag:
What are the genres that describe better your music style?

Thomas Lemmer:
Electronic, Ambient, Downtempo, Chillout, Trip Hop, Deep House

Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?

Thomas Lemmer:
Thomas Lemmer is known as an Electronic/Ambient music producer. With 9 albums, 7 EPs and 17 singles and multiple appearances on top-class Chillout/Electronic compilations, Thomas Lemmer is considered one of the most active and established artists of his genre. His two albums STILL and ZERO GRAVITY reached the iTunes Electronic Top 10 in Germany. His album PURE reached the Top 10 of the iTunes Electronic Charts in Switzerland and #2 of the Album Top 10 in the official German Chill Out Charts (Deutsche Chill Out Charts). His album AMBITRONIC was a considerable success and held a position in the official German Chill Out Charts – Album Top 10 for 36 weeks. His music is played worldwide on established radio stations focusing on Chillout, Ambient and Electronic music. Thomas Lemmer loves collaborations. Together with Christoph Sebastian Pabst, he produced the album MEERBLICK (sea view). A concept album with a focus on the sea. The album was a great success for both of them and they are already working on a follow-up. With Andreas Bach, he produced the album NIGHT TRAVELLERS. A very organic instrumental album that is highly regarded in the scene. Currently, Thomas Lemmer has focused on the piano. He fulfilled a long heart wish with the EP “In Silence”. Ambient piano music at the highest level.

Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?

Thomas Lemmer:
I grew up in a very musical family. My parents bought me a piano when I was 5 years old. I remember smaller audition afternoons as a child and I was always allowed to attend the rehearsals of my father's band. That really affected me. Then, fast forward, I think I started composing at the age of 16. At that time, I had a pop duo and we started writing our own songs. So my first writing experience was together with a singer. As we now had our own songs, I played them for my piano teacher at that time. He then asked me when I would like to record these songs in a studio as he was a producer as well. So that was my first experience with producing music. After that, I started with two cassette players to record my own demos at home. Musically I was influenced mainly by pop music at that time. I loved and still love for instance Phil Collins, Genesis, The Beatles or Michael Jackson. That was the music I listened to. I still remember listening with the headphones to all the musical details a Michael Jackson production has or how Phil Collins's "In the air tonight" fascinated me. But I was also influenced by playing a lot of classical music on the piano which helps me a lot today when writing music. I think what really drew me to music production was that I was simply fascinated by music production. I bought so many records at that time and listened to every little detail of each production and dreamt of doing that myself.

Nagamag:
You seem to love collaborations. Tell us about it.

Thomas Lemmer:
Absolutely! I love collaborations and enjoy working, writing and producing with other artists. I have worked with various singers on my albums and recently released two full-length instrumental albums. With Andreas Bach, I worked on Night Travellers. With Christoph Sebastian Pabst, I worked on Meerblick which is German and means "sea view".

Nagamag:
What are you working on at the moment (Jan. 2020)?

Thomas Lemmer:
Since I have just released a Neo Classical / Ambient EP called "In Silence", I wanted to focus a little more on the piano. So I decided to work on my own interpretation of Erik Satie's Gymnopédies.

Nagamag:
Most artists have a favorite song from a different music genre than the one they are producing music for... Which is yours?

Thomas Lemmer:
Phil Collins "In the air tonight"

Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which track from a similar artist you admire?

Thomas Lemmer:
Boards of Canada "Reach for the dead"