A glance into an artist’s mind

Tell us about yourself and your music

I am a singer/ songwriter/ composer from Slovakia, my music is hard to define as I am changing my style quite often. ‘Unstable’ would be the right term. To give you an idea, i use these hashtags #independent, #experimental #alternative #electronic. I make vocal and ambient, instrumental tracks. My musical expression depends on my current inner moods, varying between darker and lighter shades, summer and winter, current and ancient, deep vs. lo-fi, etc. I don’t care much about trends or the latest releases of other bands and artists, I rather try to do my own thing regardless of what’s ‘in’ at the moment. I feel like my music has to be timeless, just like a beautiful painting will be.

Talk to us more about your latest release

I am currently working on my album ‘MEDIEVAL’ which is inspired by a time long forgotten, yet we still have some reminders of the past, and these I am exploring as much as I can. Slovakia is the land of castles, we have one every couple of miles, and each tells a different story of which I am keen to learn and retell in my album. I enjoy visiting old medieval towns which we also have plenty of, and I try to find out as much as I can about each to satisfy my curiosity. Sometimes, a melody comes up in my head, and back in my home studio, I try to paint the acoustic picture of what I saw and felt.

http://mikiozuka.com

What inspired you to write this release?

Travels, wanderings through the countryside, through nature, wilderness, and pristine waters is what fuels my heart and soul. MEDIEVAL is inspired by medieval times, I use the lute, the Celtic flute, the harp, and other antique instruments to recreate a world as it once was. Also, I try to play with the rhythm and use different beats that were more widespread in the past. I mix these medieval melodies with current synths, sometimes I add vocals to it. ‘Fiorentine’ is a gateway to 15th century Florence.

Describe the writing and recording process

I work at my home studio in Bratislava, where I have space and the freedom to express myself creatively. I have the lifestyle of a monk, or so I feel, as I spend time alone a lot. This is the environment I need to let my creative energies flow and to immerse myself into whatever I am working on at the moment. For ‘MEDIEVAL’ I spent quite a lot of time with antique books, in little medieval towns, in abandoned castles and ruins, and I acquired lots of ideas there. Melodies started to flood my thoughts, and so it went quite quickly, the flow was there. I hope you guys are going to like it. Thanks, everyone for listening.

Any plans to release a video?

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKtSwjmSPoKmfDA6BZlMVfA?view_as=subscriber

Any plans to hit the road?

Due to this whole virus thing I am not planning to go anywhere soon, for now, I am staying here in my country, Slovakia, and I will try to tell stories with my music inspired by where I am from.

As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?

As previously stated, maybe it is a boring answer, but I try to be myself, I am not trying to copy anyone’s style in any way, I tried to take the time to find myself and to express what needs to get out. All I can do is pray that someone else in the world is going to somehow relate to what I am doing.

Who have you been listening to lately?

I mostly listen to my music :) I don’t know why it’s the only thing that fills me up and gives me chills every time.

Who are your biggest influences?

I have no such thing, I don’t know, I just do what I love most and I do what my heart tells me to do, what I am guided to do. Plus, I believe in God, and He shows me the way. I was given the gift of music and I have to share it with others.

Tell us about your passions

My passions are to explore the unseen, the lost, to find a truth that has been twisted and erased, to find the purpose of life. It is an obsession. My passion is to learn new things, to uncover new places, to get to know new people. It is very enriching. I like to visit art galleries, antique bazaars, I love to visit interesting places that are off the beaten track.

What else is happening next in your world?

After ‘MEDIEVAL’ I will be working on a new album, it will be called ‘MOZAIK’, just like the name of my label. It will be a mixture of many different experiences just like a mosaic. I am curious and excited about how it will turn out.