Aleš Mav is currently the one and only man behind the band Permanent Moods which is based in north London.
An animator in the visual effects industry by day, Mav uses what time is left each day to create and produce.
Following the debut EP “Surface“, Aleš is back with a new full length project titled “Entities” (released in September 2015).
“Entites” represents an idiosyncratic reflection of human existence in space and time as defined by interpersonal relationships, social interactions, culture and our universe, all combined in this beautiful illusion we call reality.
Jump into the interview below and get to know more about Aleš Mav and Permanent Moods.
Let readers know who you are. Where are you from? What style of music do you create?
Originally I’m from Slovenia, but have been living in London for the past 7 years where I’m working as an animator in the film visual effect industry. While animation is a passion of mine as well, in those late hours after work my musical alter ego comes out and the songs are the result of these nocturnal efforts. Probably best way to describe my style would be Alternative Rock with New Wave elements mixed into it.
Why name the band Permanent Moods? What’s the inspiration behind that?
The need to be creative is an integral part of my life to the point that I feel unhappy if I don’t feel inspired in one way or another to feed that creative urge. Unfortunately due to various biological and psychological factors our ever changing moods often prevent us from reaching our goals. Therefore the ideal state of being for me would be to be in a permanent creative mood – that would be my perpetual source of happiness. Permanent Moods represents something we can never truly achieve, yet the constant struggle to get there is what makes us human.
What led you to decide pursuing the path of music was for you?
I always identified very strongly with the music that I liked. To most people music is a casual form of entertainment, but for me it’s a part of my identity, a part of who I am. I always get a funny feeling in my stomach whenever I hear a new song or a band that I like, it affects me on emotional level. Almost two decades ago I used to be in a band that played an occasional gig of cover songs, but somehow never felt the need to create my own ones. That is until a few years ago when I started writing the songs for my first project that resulted in Surface EP. At that time I started experimenting with DAWs (software for creating music compositions) and VSTs (virtual instruments and effects that plug into that software). I was amazed how far the technology had come in terms of quality of sound – all the sounds and effects I ever needed stored on a tiny laptop! I was just browsing through them, enjoying the huge diversity of auditory sensations. I thought, if I don’t start making music now, I never will. No need for expensive mixing desks, guitar pedals, synths that cost a fortune. All I invested in was the software, a guitar, a bass, a 25 key MIDI controller, a small USB Audio Interface and a decent mic. It’s a start, but who knows where this will take me.
Who or what influences or inspires you stylistically? Have your tastes in music changed as you have aged?
Stylistically my taste in music hasn’t changed much since I was 15. Well, before this I had a disco phase (like pretty much every kid growing up in the 80’s) but that doesn’t count, does it 🙂 Depeche Mode was the first band that I fell in love with and felt like a proper fan, hunting down all of their albums. Soon my interests would expand to other bands as well like The Cure, The Mission, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie & The Banshees, U2 etc. During the years I also became fond of countless less known indie bands and artists. Perhaps on a more subconscious level, movies played an important part in my inspiration as well. Music with somehow darker mood always appealed to me and you can definitely see traces of those bands in the music I’m making today.
You are currently a one man band… are looking to expand that? Or do you prefer creating solo?
I would very much like to find fellow musicians – in fact I use plural when posting the news regarding the band. Permanant Moods was conceived to be a band eventually, it’s just that I wanted to express myself musically with a full length album first, before going out there, looking for band members without having a clear idea of which direction to take. I think this way it will be easier to find musicians you’re on the same page with. What I’m really looking forward to is the unexpected creative fruits of collaboration.
What should listeners expect when they click play on Entities?
It’s a bit hard to describe this album being so personally involved with it for the past year or so, but I would say it has positive, melodic qualities, yet you can feel it has a darker side to it as well with a touch of dreamy melancholia that is meant to be cathartic.
How does Entities differ or how has your sound evolved from your last project, Surface EP?
I think Entities is a big step forward especially in terms of quality of production. I decided to hire a proper producer this time around and it was worth every penny. Peter Penko has been producing records for over two decades and did an amazing job making my songs shine. You could say that the general atmosphere on Entities is brighter than the somehow gloomier Surface making it more accessible to broader audience.
Where can we connect with you online? Hear more music?
Best way would be through our Facebook page where we usually post all the relevant news regarding our music. We can also be found on our official homepage, Reverbnation, Soundcloud, iTunes, Bandcamp, cdbaby, Spotify, Amazon, etc.
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
If any of your readers ever had any inclinations towards making his own music – don’t think about it, just do it! With the technology available today it’s easier to create music than ever before.
