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 i:Vibes has interviewed the extremely talented Irish trance producer, Pulstate. Check out what this inspiring young artist had to say...
Desmond Mallon aka Pulstate is a lad of 16 years hailing from Cork, Ireland. He has been producing music since the age of 11 and some of his influences have been Hans Zimmer, The Signalrunners and Daniel Kandi. He uses Reason 3 and has produced some real hot gems like ‘Fuel The Passion’, released on Infrasonic Records and has received support from Armin van Buuren on A State Of Trance, had four plays on BBC Radio 1 with Judge Julies and reached #25 on the Audiojelly charts. He also has produced ‘Lost Forever’, due for release on Infraprogressive in August / September. He also has gotten busy doing remixes, including two for Andy Tau, ‘The Path’ which was released on Infrasonic's main label, and ‘North’ which will be released on Bonzai soon. Some known DJs have only the best words for him.
“It's incredible how that much talent comes in a little package!” - Phillip Alpha.
“One of the funniest and hyper young producers to rise over the following years. A true fighting talent, indeed!” - Daniel Kandi.
The trance world is getting better acquainted with this youngster and i:Vibes had the chance to have a chat with him.
i:Vibes: Hi Desmond, how are you? How is your summer going? Are you able to enjoy the weather and friends or is music your top priority?
Pulstate: I'm feeling very well, thank you. The summer is going well musically, yet outside of that, the Irish weather has halted everything. Since I’ve gotten my holidays, we haven't had one really warm and humid day, it’s just been rain and more rain, and even if it isn’t raining, it will be extremely cloudy, windy and unpleasant, but I guess this gives me the initiative to produce some new music. I've managed to go to a tennis sport camp, with some friends and it stayed dry, which must be good luck. As far as priorities go, music is definitely at the top. It's a lot more serious when you’re signed, and is a big step, but it is one I'm glad to have taken.
i:Vibes: You’re from Cork, Ireland. You’re only 16, but how was your early childhood?
Pulstate: My childhood was a very happy one. I've been raised by two fantastic parents who are honest and strict, but are hugely funny, and are always there for me whenever I need them. I think this is a huge factor in your confidence to improve at anything you want to. When I was very young I travelled to many places, including Spain, Menorca, Majorca and Portugal. Unfortunately, it’s hard to remember the most important details at such a young age, but I remember it was very warm, the facilities were fantastic, and the scenery was beautiful. Growing up in Cork has been relatively easy. The word ‘Cork’ means ‘marshy place’, as it describes our land, for those intrigued by the name. When I was 8, I had an interest in football, even though I disliked watching it on television. I joined a local club, yet soon left because I didn’t like the physical aspect. Even though I had left, my passion for the sport seemed to keep growing, and it wasn’t long before I was back at the club again. At 11, I rejoined and have been part of the club ever since. For 2 years, I couldn’t get my starting place in the first eleven, but stuck with it, and now I am a regular centre back and vice-captain of a team who have won the league twice. This period of my childhood was a very important one, and one I look back on with immense pride. Music was introduced to me by my father, and when I was 11, he brought me home a program called ‘Garageband’. With a scary talent for putting loops and melodies together, I wanted a more advanced program. At 13 I moved to Reason 3, and still use it to this day. I guess that is an extremely short summary of my childhood so far, but remember, by age, I'm still a child!
i:Vibes: You are still in school. What are your favourite subjects? What would you like to do later in life besides music?
Pulstate: Yes indeed, well my favorite subjects have changed since my first year. I would have considered history and geography my favourites, but having done much work in other areas, I am hugely interested maths and english. The one thing I want to do in life, is have options. Since I’m interested in and quite good at maths, engineering would be a field that would float my boat. Even when I was 5 and 6, I used to read engineering books on how machines worked. Probably my biggest ambition is to be a professional football player. I know it’s going to be difficult but I genuinely believe I have what it takes, so we’ll see. Many people don’t know this, but I’m actually a good graphic designer, and I can code websites and design them. I joined a forum in summer 2006, and spent a few months learning Photoshop, and it’s certainly paid off. I think it’s another priceless skill to have. Finally, if music becomes my biggest passion, I will most likely try to make a living out of it. I can only see myself doing something I enjoy, but at 16, there are plenty of other areas that will interest me in the future, I'm sure.
i:Vibes: What was the deciding moment, where you knew that music would play an important part in your life?
Pulstate: The day I came home to a private message on Messenger saying that Infrasonic Recordings were offering to sign ‘Fuel The Passion’. Breathless would be an understatement, yet I felt like maybe I deserved it and that I wanted to improve and get even better than before, so that Infrasonic would want more work from me, and that is what has happened. I must also mention that when other people started to like my music, I knew that I was onto something. In the beginning I was completely insane, my productions had no structure and the melodies were poor, but deep down I knew I could fix that, but I never thought I would have fixed it so quickly and have improved so much.
i:Vibes: What was the first record / CD you bought?
Pulstate: When I was young, I used to listen to a lot of rock music, by artists such as Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, A and P.O.D. One day while walking through HMV, I bought a CD called ‘Supercharged’. It was a compilation of the best rock music of that time. Looking back now, I am stunned by how much my taste has changed.
i:Vibes: Hans Zimmer is one of your musical inspirations. What makes him so special and what track of his has made you wonder how he made it so perfect?
Pulstate: Hans Zimmer is the best musician in the world currently, and probably in the top ten of all time, in my opinion. Hans Zimmer’s mind is what makes him so special, it’s the melodies he hears in his mind, and when you combine that with the level of technical skill he has, you’ve got something quite frightening. Zimmer has an ability to bring emotion out of you and he also is able to control the mood of a listener. It’s the way he can take average chords and make them a hit, it’s the way he sees the finished product before everyone else, and most of all, it’s the way he executes these things. I bought ‘The Last Samurai’ soundtrack and to this day, I am still in awe. In my opinion, 30 percent of the success which the film enjoyed was because of the incredible soundtrack. It is my favorite movie of all time also, even though Gladiator comes close. Hans has inspired many of the melodies you hear in my tracks, and I think even if he stopped producing tomorrow, I'd still rate him as high as I do. Just a musical genius.
i:Vibes: Daniel Kandi is also a shooting star in the trance world. He is also another musical inspiration. You are friends with him. What is the most important thing that you have learned from him as a person and in the studio?
Pulstate: Daniel has been nothing short of a gem to me since I met him two years ago. Many who are at Kandi’s level of success will forget about the small people who helped them in the past and only remain in contact with the big ones. Kandi sets the perfect example for me and people younger than me. He is ready to help with whatever you need and will offer a comment on any new productions of mine. This is something I’ve learned, and take into my personality everyday. Well, then we get to Daniel’s productions. I think the company who created Reason are still in shock, because Daniel has taken an advanced program and squeezed the life out of it, making sure he can get every EQ and compressor he can into his tracks. The man is a genius with trance melodies, and can create the most amazing atmospheres in his music, he can give you a burst of passion, make you feel sad, or put the euphoria up a few decibels, and this is why his music stuns me. It would be hard to point out a single thing I’ve learned from him for music, but I am just happy he’s even helping me at this age. Friends are hard to make but easy to lose, and I am definitely not losing this one! Thanks Daniel!
i:Vibes: How did you exactly get involved in the Irish trance scene? Do you have an Irish mentor who has helped you with advice?
Pulstate: The biggest mentor for me has been my father. Always available to give me criticism on new music and always available to give me a round of applause when the music is perfect, he’s been a huge influence. When the saying “A father's advice to his son” was invented, I am guessing music wasn’t an area which was advised! I guess when I started releasing music and my nationality was Irish, I was automatically part of the Irish trance scene.
i:Vibes: Why did you choose Pulstate as your artist name? Does it have a certain meaning?
Pulstate: I needed a name which was unique, and had meaning. To me, Pulstate is a feeling of passion for music, but not just music, whatever you pursue in life, and it’s about that feeling of doing the impossible, going against all the odds. During a time like this, the heart pulses and the mind acts faster than normal. To combine the two, Pul - State, meaning a pulsing state of the heart during a passionate mood. This is what I hope my music does to the listeners, and I hope they feel refreshed after listening to my music. When Infrasonic were signing me, I think the uniqueness of the name was an important role also, as Infra have reserved the name for releases on their label.
i:Vibes: John O’Callaghan is another big musical inspiration for you. He lives only a few miles from you. How has it been that you have never met him?
Pulstate: When you try to come into contact with someone with such a high profile, it’s very difficult. For example, you try getting Tiesto’s MSN address. Your chances are very slim, unless you talk to the right people. I hear John prefers to keep his MSN for business purposes only, and I must respect that, but if the chance ever comes where we talk, I'll definitely meet him in person.
i:Vibes: You produced ‘Fuel The Passion’ when you were 14. Describe how one can produce such a beautiful track at age 14? What is your secret?
Pulstate: Thank you for the kind words! My secret is to keep improving and keep trying to do the impossible. I don’t think age is a major factor in how well someone can produce, I think it’s just about a learning curve and finding your rhythm at the right times. ‘Fuel The Passion’ came out of me in the middle of a dry period with no inspiration as I wanted to write a piece about a feeling I love to have and a mood I love to be in. It’s funny how you can have no ideas or new melodies in your mind, then suddenly, click, and it’s as if your mind opens and then they don’t stop flowing out! I couldn’t be happier with how it came out, and I am so proud of how well it did, and is still doing!
i:Vibes: ‘Lost Forever’ is a hot track. What was your inspiration behind this track?
Pulstate: Yet again, I wanted to convey a feeling which we’ve all felt in life. When we’ve lost something or someone. I lost my grandmother and wanted to create some music in memory of her, as she was an amazing person. I wanted to mix a rough edge with a melodic precision to portray how I felt. It came out better than I thought it ever would, and I feel it was definitely worth signing. Expect a major package, with some huge remixes!
i:Vibes: How would you describe your sound?
Pulstate: ‘Unique’ would be the first word. I think having your own sound is the most important thing, even if your music is not great, being able to establish artists is a key factor and I think you can do that when you hear my music. I would describe my sound as atmospheric, melodic, driving and emotional, and at times, haunting. Euphoric piano chords combined with growling side chained basses has always been a concept of mine, and I am very happy with how I am putting it into practice. I try to differentiate my sound as much as possible, and have short and to the point buildups. I think I did that really well, as ‘Fuel The Passion’ and my remix of Andy Tau - The Path are two completely different sounds, yet from the same artist. I like the direction in which I'm heading.
i:Vibes: Describe your studio! What is your most prized possession in your studio and why?
Pulstate: Small and Cozy! I use an Apple iMac G5, Reason 3 and a Korg Microkontrol. I don’t use VSTs although I may switch to Logic Pro 8 at some point, so I own no hardware. My most prized possession is my mind and my ability to create melodies. Besides that? The computer!
i:Vibes: When you’re in the studio, is there a certain methodical way in which you go about producing a track, or do you just go in and start playing with sounds?
Pulstate: I always like to establish a main melody and theme, then start working from there. Depending on the track, I may use some presets but I mostly like to create new sounds. I'll mostly play my melodies on my Korg MIDI Controller and then Quantize them so that they are in time. Basses are just easily drawn MIDI notes and beats and percussion are MIDI also. Then it’s all about perfection, with parametric EQ’s, Compressors, Maximizers and Stereo Imagers!
i:Vibes: You have made some beautiful remixes for Andy Tau with ‘The Path’ and ‘North’. You seem to have a special relationship with him?
Pulstate: Yes, Andy and I have been friends for a long time now. I first met him when I got asked to remix ‘The Path’ and then we just became friends, since he loved what I did. It was also him who gave me the fantastic opportunity to run my own Sublabel, Future State Light. We are always in contact and trade over new tracks for criticism. I am very pleased to be a friend of his.
i:Vibes: You will be releasing the remix of ‘North’ soon on Bonzai. How do you go about making a remix? What is the most important thing for you in a remix?
Pulstate: For a remix I usually change some things, then get it down to as little MIDI channels as possible, and start attaching instruments for each channel. I will only remix if I like the original track, that’s really important, even if I was offered a remix for Armada or Anjunabeats, I'd have to like the track first, and these days artists are given good treatment from labels usually, so I guess I'm lucky.
i:Vibes: What other releases can we await from you in the future?
Pulstate: Of course, ‘Lost Forever’ which will be out in a month’s time. I also have a new remix for Infrasonic in the making, with the original by Six Senses. A remix for Perceptive Recordings, and a remix for Monster Tunes UK, so there is plenty of tracks to come, and I hope I can make a serious breakthrough into the scene even further than before.
i:Vibes: You run the sub label Future State Light. How is the label coming along?
Pulstate: Great, Andy Tau has been a wonderful help and I have signed some artists already, as well as creating the official graphics for the label. Our first release will be a sampler of a few different artists with 2 mixes of each. An original mix which is DJ friendly, and a Mainstream Appeal Mix(TM) for people who just want a straight to the point piece of trance which keeps all it’s original elements, and because of this, our tracks will target the mainstream also, as I believe this is where mainstream music is going, and is why it is so successful.
i:Vibes: How big is your passion for trance when you are running a label at age 16?
Pulstate: I've never asked myself that question, but it must be massive. Devoting time to a project like this is a major thing, but I love trance so much, I was very excited about the chance to do it. As I said, when you enjoy what you do, time, money and any other distractions don’t come into play, it’s just about achieving your personal goals, and I’ve achieved many so far, and I will achieve a lot more.
i:Vibes: With what artist would you like to be locked away with in the studio for 24 hours and why?
Pulstate: That is a difficult one, but it would have to be Hans Zimmer. I would learn more from watching him produce than a year in a studio by myself, simply because he’s a musical genius and a gentleman. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t mention Daniel Kandi and Signalrunners here. Daniel uses the same program as me, and I could pickup some techniques, and as far as technical skill goes, Signalrunners keep setting the standard, so to see their works of art in action would be an experience and a half!
i:Vibes: How is the state of the Irish trance scene?
Pulstate: I guess it depends on which subgenre of trance you mean. Commercial and cheesy trance is very popular here, with people like Cascada and Basshunter dominating the scene, but I believe melodic, uplifting and driving trance is by far the best. Even still, if you want honesty, I have never liked Basshunter or Cascada, but they earn my respect for how they've achieved so much success.
i:Vibes: You’re also a DJ. What is the most important thing for you as a DJ?
Pulstate: To try to be different. I’d feel like an idiot if I went out, played an hours set, didn’t interact with the listeners, and just stood there, not animated. Music is expression, and I see DJing as manipulating that expression by EQing and mixing it, and most of all showing it! Any DJ who doesn’t bop his head to the beats of the music he plays, is not having fun, simple as. I would say that a main goal of mine is to spread the idea of melodic, uplifting and driven trance around the world, and having a show or a gig is the ideal way of doing that.
i:Vibes: You have a radio show on Dreamradio, the largest EDM station in Ireland. What is the goal behind this show?
Pulstate: The goal is to get listeners into the Pulstate mood and to also attract some more fans if possible. Of course, I can never leave out that the main goal is to have some fun, while exercising a skill which is more advanced than people think.
i:Vibes: Is it difficult getting gigs in Ireland? I am sure with the support of your music, you will get gigs.
Pulstate: Right now, at 16, I am too young by law to do a gig here, but from what I hear it is hard to get gigs in which you can play trance, it has to be rap or pop music, which I am not a fan of. When I apply for my first gig, I'm certain being a signed producer will be a major advantage.
i:Vibes: How would you describe a two hour set by Pulstate?
Pulstate: A passionate, driven, emotional roller coaster of powerful kicks, full sounds and huge climaxes. This is what trance is about!
i:Vibes: You have achieved a lot for 16. What are your long term goals as a producer / DJ?
Pulstate: I want to become the most recognized Irish producer of trance, ever, which is quite hard when I'm competing against people like John O'Callaghan and Bryan Kearney, but I believe I can do it. As a DJ, I hope to do many gigs, earn some money, visit new countries, and meet new people. I hope I can do what I love for a living.
i:Vibes: What are your current five favourite tracks?
Pulstate: In order:
1. Jonas Steur Feat. Jennifer Rene - Fall To Pieces (Original Mix), Beauty personified, and a wonderful singer.
2. Bjorn Akesson - Perfect Blue (Original Mix), Passionate, driven trance with an epic melody.
3. Oceanlab - Miracle (Michael Casette Remix), A fantastic concept brought to life with a mainstream appeal.
4. Adam Nickey - Shift (Original Mix), Can't get enough of that bass! Side chain at it’s best.
5. Will B - Upgrade (Allan O’Marshall Deep Club Remix), The master of glitches and percussion is back at his best.
i:Vibes: What are your five all time favourite tracks?
Pulstate: After 4 hours of thought:
1. Hans Zimmer - A Way Of Life (From Last Samurai Soundtrack), Words cannot explain the quality of this.
2. Daniel Kandi - Breathe (Original Mix), Best structured trance track of all time in my opinion, with a climax that takes your heart and raises it about 140 beats per minute.
3. John Powell - Atonement (From Bourne Supremacy Soundtrack), The strings make me shiver.
4. A – Nothing, We can never forget where we came from, this was a rock song made years ago and was sung with the utmost rage and anger, and backed with a band which I've never seen beaten in terms of power.
5. Above & Beyond - Can't Sleep (Original Mix), Fantastic vocals, sense tingling sound effects, and powerful chords with a pumping sidechain bass make this one of the classics.
i:Vibes: What are your hobbies?
Pulstate: I play tennis and football as much as I can. I love going for walks, going to the gym and swimming. I'm also very interested in martial arts, and did Judo for a short time before an injury halted my success.
i:Vibes: What classic trance song would you like to remix and how would the Pulstate version sound?
Pulstate: Hemstock & Jennings - Northern Lights.
I would tone it down and make it a more melodic affair with echoing piano chords and a malevolent bass. Joined with a gentle breakdown and a furious climax, this could be a lot of fun. I may try it in the future, as I do have the MIDI of the track, so look out!
i:Vibes: Thanks Desmond for the chat and good luck in the future!
Pulstate: Thank you i:Vibes for a wonderful interview!
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