By Kieran Webber
Nawksh is one of the few artists floating around today that is truly pushing the boundaries of what is music and what it is meant to do, in a sense it is very rebellious. His debut physical LP ‘Mythic Tales of Tomorrow II’ is set in the fantasy world of CERATYL, and was released via Guruguru Brain, the independent Tokyo label run by Kikagaku Moyo.
After listening to the debut album and reading up on the young man himself we were fascinated by him and his music, how does one create such unique and strange beats? What makes this man tick? Well we were lucky enough to have a few minutes of his time to find out.
CLUNK: So how did you get into making music and why?
Danial: I started playing guitar when I was 9, covering Oasis songs and started writing and recording soon after, using ACID pro and the Windows sound recorder to layer guitars and vocals. I’m not sure why. One of my earliest childhood memories was listening to Pink Floyd and thinking I was making the music happen, that this was ME playing. My father makes music too, so I got early access to a guitar and keyboard. In 2006, my friends and I got a cracked copy of reason from my brother and the rest is internet.
CLUNK: The Western Media would like to portray Pakistan as an area that has a suppressed creative scene of young people, but with artists such as yourself this is clearly not true. What is Pakistan’s creative scene like and how did you become involved in it?
Danial: Does the “western media” like to portray it that way? If so I’m not really aware of it but that’s interesting to think about. There are very creative, passionate artists living here and making some wonderful stuff. It’s mostly internet, and not as active in the physical world and that’s okay. I’ve been playing music with various bands since… 2003?
CLUNK: Not only do you make music but you are a video game developer, what games have you worked on and how did you get into that?
Danial: I’ve got one game up at nawksh.itch.io. I always loved games and someone gifted me Macromedia Flash 4 around the same time I started playing guitar, and not being smart enough to use ActionScript I started with comics and animations… I finally started coding in GML and made my first prototype in 2007, and I ended up using that more logical side of things to take a break from music to balance things out. It turned into something I did more and more often and I got faster at putting ideas down, until I finally released Told No One in 2015, and that was my first real game by which I mean that you could download and play it through to an ending.
CLUNK: What is the backstory behind the fantasy world you created CERATYL?
Danial: Exactly.
CLUNK: You are playing at this years Liverpool Psych Festival, which comes as your first show outside of Pakistan. What are your feelings towards this and what can we expect from your live performance?
Danial: I’m super excited for the Liverpool Show. Can’t wait!!! I’ll be playing tunes from the MToT and stitching them together to take you through certain unspoken aspects of it.
CLUNK: Explain to us your recording process and how you go about making music?
Danial: To make this music, I record drums and guitars and sing over chopped samples. I make lots of samples and do a ton of sound scapey stuff, collected in folders to make songs out of later.
CLUNK: What sort of music did you listen to growing up and has it had an effect on the music you make today?
Danial: All kinds of music! And yes it has all had some effect on what I now make.
CLUNK: Your show in Liverpool will also act as the first time you meet your label in person, how did the the parties come to meet and are you excited to meet them?
Danial: I‘m really excited to meet them and hear Kikagaku Moyo play live! They expressed their interest in releasing some of my music through a soundcloud message in 2014.
CLUNK: Lastly, what can we expect from you the rest of the year and beyond?
Danial: Peasant’s Palace, Corpse Runner EP, a second and improved batch of MAAL, and Adware Shrine, in some order, before next summer!