Forest Cry is a musician from Helsinki, Finland. Poignant, therapeutic melodies infused with post-dubstep elements are certainly difficult to pull off, yet Forest Cry appears to do so in his music effortlessly. Comparing Forest Cry with some of his contemporaries there is no doubt that he would sit comfortably alongside artists such as Mount Kimbie and James Blake.
We think that Forest Cry is a young artist who is already very talented, something that IA are hoping to harness in 2011.
“My mix is more of a collection of my favourite tracks rather than a proper mix. There are tracks from many different genres, from Techno to Post-Dubstep and Folk. I immediately fell in love with these tracks when I heard them for the first time, I guess that was the inspiration, I Just wanted to put on tracks that I love.” [Forest Cry]
IA: Hi Forest, firstly thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and secondly thanks for recording the mix exclusively for IA.
FC: It was my pleasure to make it, I haven’t recorded a mix for a while so it was fun to make one!
IA: How did you first get into electronic music?
When I was younger I used to be a huge hip-hop fan but I guess when I went to high school I started to get into other types of music. I don’t know when I first got into electronic music but I think I have always liked more ‘organic’ sample based electronic music rather than heavy synth music. Thom Yorke´s Eraser was a big tune for me. I guess it had inspired me to explore the deeper realms of electronic music.
IA: What producers and artists do you gain inspiration from?
FC: I’ve been into ambient music recently, artists such as Tim Hecker, Steve Roach and William Basinski. I really enjoy ‘Post-Dubtep’ acts such as Mount Kimbie and James Blake. I’ve also been influenced by Burial, Boards of Canada, J.Dilla and of course Thom Yorke.
IA: What are you trying to convey in your music, is it a reflection of your personal thought, or is it of your surrounding environment?
FC: It’s more of what comes up each time to be honest. My music is heavily based on sampling. I normally start off by chopping up some samples into tiny fragments and start playing around with them. It’s like revealing hidden dimensions of the original song. When I find something that hits me emotionally I try to develop it. Emotions are vital for me in music. I am fascinated by indigenous cultures and there are traits of this found within my music.
IA: What’s the Helsinki music scene like, what kind of music do you encounter on a daily basis or over the weekend?
FC: I don´t think the club and electronic music scene is that big in Helsinki. I think people are more into rock and indie stuff. There are these house music clubs where I sometimes go to but I am not really into that scene to be honest. There are some great Dubstep nights where I should go more often. I really like this one Finnish Skwee artist called Eero Johannes, he’s got some great tunes!
IA: If you could release music on any record label, which would you choose?
FC: At this point I’m not fussy, anyone that wants to release my stuff. I am open to offers.
IA: From listening to a couple of your tracks such as ‘Please Stay’ and ‘Watson’ your sound is akin to Mount Kimbie. How do you plan to develop your sound in the future?
FC: I think the main goal is to develop a unique sound. I really like Mount Kimbie and some other Post-Dubstep acts but I am trying not to mimic them. What I really need to develop my sound is to get better monitors! I’m now working with a pair of headphones and some “Hi-Fi” speakers…but that setup isn´t working well.
IA: What tunes or artists are you digging at the moment?
FC: Honestly I’d have to say Mount Kimbie, James Blake, Joy Orbison, Gold Panda…and many others!
TRACKLIST
1. Lisa Koch – Summer Song
2. Trentemøller – Forest
3. Pryda – Muranyi
4. Nathan Fake – Dinamo
5. Mount Kimbie – Would Know
6. James Blake – I’ll Stay
7. The xx – Crystalised (Dark Sky Remix)
8. Ryuichi Sakamoto – War & Peace (Aoki Takamasa Remix)
9. Washed Out – It’s Kate’s Birthday
10. Floating Points – Love Me Like This
11. Forest Cry – Please Stay
12. Joy Orbison – So Derobe
13. Sade – The Sweetest Taboo
14. Forest Cry – White Hawk