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Harald G.: Many of our readers may still remember the name Sasha because of the Interview with Das Raumpiloten already published in April 26th 2016 by us. Today Sascha Wehling is back at our interview-corner, however, no longer in his capacity as an active musician, but as the operator of the netlabel Aumega Project.
Sascha, you gave up the music project Das Raumpiloten, which is a pity, not just for me because of the very demanding music. How did it happen?
Sascha: Das Raumpiloten is put on ice first of all. Probably there will be something more of it in the future. Actually there should be released a split in 2016 with the Mayan Ruins, which was formally planned for the middle of 2014 and also a new album.
Unfortunately, a couple of unpredictable things have happened in the last year that neither the split nor the album allowed to be released.
At the moment it is just the same, that I need some distance from this project.
But since the interest obviously still exists, we became f.e. invited to this year´s London Psych Fest. I'm thinking of the fact that something is going to come in, I guess. But not in the near future.
Harald G.: Could you imagine, in middle or distant future times once again as an active musician to become creative, possibly also in collaboration with other artists?
Sascha: It does not make so much fun for me anymore and it has not the same value for me, even as a musician in appearance. But surely I'll be recording something, alone or with someone else.
At the moment I have two solo projects and something like a band exists also. But maybe at another time.
Harald G.: But let's get to the topic of our interviews today: You operates the netlabel Aumega Project, a veritable treasure trove for onnoisseurs and enthusiasts lovers of psychedelic music and related genres. Maybe you like to give our readers the link to your label website firstly?
Sascha: So first of all there is our Bandcamp site. Here you can listen to the music and download it. For a better overview, there is now also a homepage and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/aumegaproject) you can update about new releases.
Of course you can find us also on YouTube.
Harald G.: Since when do you run this netlabel and how did it happen?
Sascha: I run the netlabel since September 2014. I had the wish to start my own label since a long time. I originally thought of classical publications on CD and vinyl, but it seemed to me somehow, no longer really contemporary, dut don't missunderstand me, I have nothing against CD's or vinyl, I have bought a lot of vinyl up to nine, ten years ago, and I appreciate the charm of them.
Personally, however, I do not see any need to reproduce digitally produced on analogue sound recordings, what most happend.
Anyway, I became by Das Raumpiloten more and more familiar with sites like Bandcamp and recognized that such platforms could be really optimal for a netlabel use. Since long I am already international networked, I simply started it.
A netlabel simply offers a lot of benefits for all sites. From the environmental pollution caused by production, packaging, sales, etc., quite apart from that, it also offers a number of advantages for the artist, so f.e. you can merge from the recordings directly into the publication, without wasting time for the production of the data media, or one also can change something quickly at the last minute. Of course, for the music lover, it is hardly any easier than coming to his coveted estate via the digital way. But the most important thing is the fact that I can offer music that is affordable for everyone. Because it was also a huge concern for me to offer a platform on which you can also hang around when you do not have much money. To date only two albums are fee-based and the proportion of paid albums will always be extremely low, compared to the free and the "name your price" albums. With the "name your price" publications of course you have the possibility to enter a zero, so the "name your price" album becomes a free download.
For me are all welcome, the people who download their music for free as well as for those who pay for an album.
At Aumega Project the music is most important, the other artists and me primarily want people who are interested in this kind of music and supply them with this music and without limitation.
That does not mean, however, that I will not publish something on a physical disk. I can imagine to publish an high requested album, but that would rather be exceptions.
Harald G.: Without counting exactly how many albums you published there already, I think that it goes steeply to the number 100. I have used the phrase of "psychedelic music" but you can better explain it to our readers , what does the music lover could find on your label?
Sascha: There are more than 80 albums and EP's, but this year they will certainly rise above 100. The visitor has to expect a variety of genres, from avant-garde to zamrock, from accoustic to purely electronic, analog and digital recordings, everything with a certain reference to the psychedelic or with a deeper level in the music that makes experience possible. First but not only, music rather for the brain than for the legs.
Music that is not only for entertaining, but also for thought.
At this point I would return the musical journeys back into the game, which I had already mentioned in the last interview. Because it is quite good: "musical journeys".
Since I attach great importance to working as internationally as possible, so the music lover of course also expect a wide range of different cultural music styles.
Harald G.: Like any other label, you have strict criteria, making the selection of the material. What conditions does a band or a sound project artists need to fulfill, to give him a chance to publish his works on your netlabel?
Sascha: So first, of course, they must be able to inspire me with their music and how they can trigger this enthusiasm with me, I can not describe exactly now.
The music should, of course, at best have something separate, one can grab and, of course, have a depth which touches.
But I can not really say that, at the moment, so it's best to just let me know, and I'll listen to it and decide if it's something for me and above all for the label.
It is also such a thing whether it suits, I had also already a number of musicians and bands cancel, because their sound just did not fit. Purely musical, there was nothing wrong, it simply did not fit.
If I get the feeling that an artist is primarily concerned about money, the thing will not develop positively for him either.
At Aumega Project, music should always be a priority, and I expect that from the artists.
Harald G.: When I browse the releases on your homepage, I discover some artists, who have been guest in our interview corner or about whom we have reported elsewhere in the editorial section of our online magazine. How do you get the material for the publications? Are they artists to whom you get f.e. by your activities in social networks or do also bands or solo artists contact you? Or differently asked: How could f.e. I as a musician, who is interested to publish his works on your Netlabel, approach you?
Sascha: Some artist like Weites Luftmeer or Lubinka, released vinyl too after the re-release on Aumega Project and this is how they found their way to your magazine.
Other artist like Mike Häfliger, who plays also in the Space Invaders, or Klaus Morlock who is well known for his soundtracks in the seventies and you maybe read allready about them in other magazines.
First I only asked bands and artist I personally knew if they´re interrested, like f.e. Nicolás Desulovich's Ars Caelum and Ludi Voyak from Argentina, who´s also running Nebular Silence, a very interesting netlabel. Or the Mayan Ruins from the United States, I already know since a few years.
Anytime I also look on the popular sites for new bands.
It happens naturally too, that other artist give me tips and send me material from friendly bands.
Otherwise some artists send me their material via e-mail. But the most music I found by myself.
If somebody are interested in release their music on Aumega Project, the best way is to send me their material via e-mail [email protected] or contact me via the Aumega Project Facebook site.
Harald G.: Of course is the best music and the best label nothing, if nobody recognises it, so wich media do you use to get your work to public, to reach your target group?
Sascha: At this moment I concentrate mostly in the media radio, thus I have f.e. some permanent monthly radio shows, at the Underground ÄxpÄrten and Radio Sunrise ( every first saturday at 10:00 pm CET) as well as on Wild Thing and at Exarhiotis every first sunday at 01:00 pm CET) where I present the Aumega Project program.
Soon there will also be a show on Marmalade Radio and I think this will not be the last radio station. You can listen to the shows also on Mixcloud.
Otherwise I use anything available to get heard.
F.e. I send the releases to blogs and mags and of course I spread flyers.
In this year there will come also much more on YouTube, but I don't want to spoiler to much about this.
Harald G.: In the name of our editorial staff and in the name of all readers, I say thank you for this interview and wish you much success for your future. And like always the final words may belong to you...
Sascha: In the end, I might want to point out two samplers. For one thing, that would be "A Trip Into A New State Of Mind Vol. 1", who presents a nice over 4 hours long overview of the Aumega Project and Nebular Silence program and their will be also come a new sampler "Far Beyond New Galaxies" who will be release on march the 2nd.
A release radio special will be take place on the same day on Radio Sunrise at 10:00pm CET. Who likes to listen is very welcome, I´d appreciate.
More Sampler-Specials will take place on Exarhiotis and on Wild Thing Radio on Sunday, March the 12th at 1:00pm CET and on ISKC-Radio on March the 20th at 09:00pm CET.
I thank you and the whole team very much for the interest, for your time and effort, stay healthy and keep going on.
I also thank the reader for his interest and for his time, I hope he could find some music and have a great time.