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Interview: Influences And Vintage Sound Of ‘Family, Vol. 1’ By IATO

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IATO Interview

IATO (Icarus and the Owls) is an enigmatic music producer with an affinity for vintage synths. In this interview, he talks about some of his influences and sounds while encouraging you to enjoy his most recent album, ‘Family, Vol. 1,’ which ushers all to the shores of fantasy through retro-futuristic melodies.

1 – Which artists had the biggest influence on shaping your debut album Family, Vol. 1?

Oh boy. So many. I would say what really inspired me to pick up a synth was Vangelis. As for this album, Tears For Fears, Pink Floyd, Sparks, Gary Numan, Phil Collins, etc. 80s era stuff that I grew up listening to. I honestly thought the music I was writing didn’t have a place anymore but once The Weeknd released ‘After Hours’ it showed me the stuff I’ve been writing had a place and still had a fanbase.

2 – What motivated you to take the moniker IATO as an artist?

IATO stands for Icarus And The Owls which was a short story I wrote when I was in grade school about an alien that came down and would communicate with owls and people. I can’t remember much of it but IATO always stuck with me.

3 – Do you think your vintage sound will stick around for years to come, or is it just a temporary style exclusively for this album?

The vintage sound will 100% stick around. I’ve always preferred the vintage synth sounds over modern.

4 – Why did you choose to name this 13-track material ‘Family’?

It’s really a nod to my family. I’ve put them through shit since I was a little ankle-biter. This shows them that this can be worth it one day if this were to take off.

5 – Are you already working on Vol. 2 or are you focused on other stuff for now?

Yes and no. Every album I release will be titled Family Vol. 1,2,3, etc. but I’m working on an EP called ‘Skinwalker’ that I will be releasing between albums.

IATO
6 – What kind of synths, instruments, and equipment did you use to achieve these super cool beats?

I use Logic Pro as my daw of choice and the synth that I use for the whole album is a Novation Summit. I keep everything very simple because I’ve noticed (for myself at least) that the more gear I have the less I get done. That goes for VST’s as well. Almost everything you hear was done with mostly stock plugins.

7 – Are you the one singing in the songs or have you collaborated with any vocalists?

All the vocoder vocals to my knowledge are me minus I think one part in “Beyond the Sea.” As for the female vocals, I hired a vocalist off Fiverr. Other female vocals are samples from Splice. When you don’t know anyone who does music, having samples for vocals is pretty helpful.

8 – Out of all the compositions, which one do you think has the best lyrics? Why?

Maybe “Icarus,” I’m not sure. It’s like asking to pick your favorite kid.

9 – If ‘Family Vol. 1’ could be the soundtrack of a movie or series, which one would it be?

Well, when I first showed people my music way before it was released they told me it reminded them of Stranger Things and Drive.

10 – Finally, do you have any delightful memory that is etched in your mind while you were working on this project?

Honestly, it’s all kind of a blur. I just remember being like “Oh, it’s done” and being like “Well, what do I do now?”


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Hi, my name is Erick Ycaza. I have a BA in Advertising & Graphic Design. This blog is to provide you with daily music news and share my personal style.

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