About

Why datavase?

Lots of people think datavase is actually database misspelled. Not at all. datavase is an anagram of my real life name. I found it one day making anagrams with the letters of my name and I liked it, so I use it as my artist name.

Can you tell a bit about your music experience?

This is only about me doing music as solo artist, with computers. Nothing about my involvement with other bands (where I played guitars and drums).

My first steps on doing music with computers were most probably (do not remember the exact date) around 1983-84, with an Amstrad CPC 464 and a program called The Music System. Didn’t do anything to write home about, just playing around with some melodies. Some day I have to check my Amstrad disks to see if there is anything saved.

Around 1992-93 I started doing music with trackers on PC. If I remember correctly, I was using Scream Tracker. About a year later I moved to MIDI, and started using Cakewalk and Band-In-A-Box. I printed some music scores from those days and I kept them with me. Thus, some melodies have found its way to some of the demos.

Around 2008 I started doing music using an Atari 520 STe (upgraded to 4MB RAM, TOS 2.06, UltraSatan as HDD), using a program called MusicMon.

Later on, I started making more music more often and experimenting with Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software. My EP called Elements was done entirely with with Cakewalk Music Creator and my LP TurboCharger with Renoise 3.1.

I’ve nevertheless since then stop using DAWs and gone back to use exclusively the Atari STe with Cubase.

Why don’t I use a modern computer with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)?

I’ve tried in the past a few DAWs and though I was able to make some good songs I always had the feeling that I was spending way too much time trying to learn the DAW software or the VSTs instead of doing music. I admire the people that can master one (or even more) DAW. I simply cannot. I cannot be bothered. I’m too old for this shit! I want to make music, not learn how to use a program that will be obsolete in a year or so.

Not to mention that I bought once a DAW (60 euros I think) and now it’s been discontinued and I cannot even run it.

Also, modern computers come with a few things that I dislike: slow boot up, constant unnecessary OS and software updates, slowdown over time, constant interruptions with system notifications, does too many things at the same time that result into distractions, needs Internet connection for first installation.

Slow boot up is the thing I hate the most. My Atari 520 STe boots into Cubase, ready to record with my default template, in just 50 seconds (35 if booting from Floppy Disk Drive). It takes at least double to boot into Windows 10 and then I still have to to load a DAW. That’s the days I’m lucky and there aren’t Windows updates, in which case it make take several minutes and several re-starts. Linux takes forever to boot up and configuring the audio is a nightmare, so I don’t even consider it. Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t want to forget about a musical idea because I’m waiting for the computer to boot up and then I got distracted with some random message about updating to the next Windows version.

For these reasons I’ve chosen to use a computer that does one thing and one thing only: it runs Cubase, very fast and reliably. Even my beloved Commodore Amiga 1200 would be too much with its very capable multi-tasking OS.

And, for one reason or another, I already happen to have an Atari STe and the dongle for Cubase, so is not extra money for me. In contrary to buy a new DAW and VSTs.

Talking about VSTs, I also find them soulless. I prefer manipulating buttons and knobs on a real hardware. Gives me more creative inspiration.

Which are your musical influences?

I listen all kind of music; classical, pop, blues, country, metal, dance, hip-hop, electronic, lots of soundtracks (both films and videogames), rock, folk, opera…

I do not think that my music is influenced by all these styles though. I would say that my main influences for creating my music are Jan Hammer, Alan Parsons, Kraftwerk, Vangelis, Giorgio Moroder, Mike Oldfield, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jeff Wayne, Bjørn Lynne and Tangerine Dream.

Do you play the instruments listed in your Studio’s Equipment section?

Yes, these are the instruments that I currently own and play. Since I was 16 year old I been playing guitar in different bands (pop, rock and metal). In 2009 I played drums in a metal band. The keyboard is something I acquired when I started composing music by myself and using MIDI software. I am not a pianist by any means (I hardly use both hands).