First off, just want to thank you for participating in this edition of Infidel Interviews. Could you start off by giving a little information about you to the audience? Whatever you feel comfortable with, but name, age, and where you live would be pretty standard?
My full name is Ralph Paul William Essex. I am 45 years old and from Portsmouth City, a Naval Port with Southsea beach, which is a suburb of Portsmouth, on the South Coast of England, it is situated opposite the Isle of Wight. I studied on the Isle of Wight and when we were kids, my two younger brothers and I would visit there with my Dad and we would have a nice time.
What did the name Catgotwasted mean to you / symbolized when you first started the project? Has the name / meaning changed or evolved over time?
I thought the name, Catgotwasted. It's about my cats, Cleo and Chloe losing a home where I lived before I moved to The Isle of Wight at age 20 to study a BTEC Course in Music Technology. It was a two year course and is an alternative to about 2 A-Levels. I sublet the flat to a close friend and somebody tried to rob him in an aggressive burglary, people were after his Technics 1210's. Poor dude had to leave the flat quickly and he did get Chloe a nice home with a kind family.
Poor Cleo wasn't found a home and was left outside to fend for herself. So, in her mind, she would have been very shocked and was found by a neighbour who lived in a flat above, found Cleo meowing outside the door and he rescued her and looked after her and still does as he has owners' rights and didn't want to return my cat to me.
I didn't find out until a couple of months after the event and believed for years that she might have died and there was a grief I went through in losing my two cats.
I thought it up whilst living in Brighton after my Degree in Art, Media & Design, History & Cultural Theory. I still hadn't found out about Cleo and the upstairs neighbour and was feeling down at heart.
How do you enjoy where you live? Is there a vibrant music community where you are? Would you say you find that your local scene influences your attitude and/or creativity?
I was born here. It is an Island City. Catgotwasted is my version of Jaws but from a synthesizer rather than a beach. Portsmouth City is home to many people but the fair at Clarence Pier will be open.
There are plenty of characters to be found here.
What do you feel separates your music from the rest of the music in the British Electronic music scene?
I always aimed at producing something that could be acquired, or available on CD.
Available to download in digital format.
Multi-Genre.
I thought that it would be easy. It wasn't.
Do you consider yourself to be part of a particular sound or scene? What is your thoughts on the nature of genres and styles, and do you have any particular ones which you find to your enjoyment more, listening and/or production-wise?
I always wanted to blend in and out of styles, contrasting, master and slave levels being faded in and out. I took too many drugs when I was younger and I was convinced that I would live a life in music. It's a common affliction of artists to be destroyed for being original and unsuccessful, simply for not following trends or fashion..
When you first started making music, was there a particular sound or artistic/musical influence that you would say was your biggest inspiration to start pursuing the creative path yourself?
I have turned myself inside out with trying to break the mould and try to reach achievements, artistically credible that could be termed as experimental, of it's time and social position.
Would you say that your choice to pursue music has changed your life since you started? Would you say that creativity has evolved you spiritually, emotionally, or logically?
Thank you, Matthew for reminding me of logic. Following the course of life that fortune does or does not offer, all I have learned is that striving to be original, I am defiantly against genres. I wanted to be a Jimi Hendrix but within technology.
When it comes to composing music, do you approach things with a clear vision in mind, or do you prefer to let songs feel themselves out? Do you have any particular techniques or tricks you use to keep yourself creative and consistent?
It is an effort of will.
What do you see in the near, and far, future for your creative output?
I haven't even really started. I like how it goes and companionship seems to be the thread I'm weaving.
You have released quite a few releases over you're active musical years. What has been your favorite album you have put out so far, and how do you feel your music has evolved over the years?
My album Cloud Surfing is the one I would turn to.
If you could collaborate with any musician or artist, dead or alive, who would it be? And what in particular draws you to want to collaborate with them?
I generally haven't had time for people in my life.
I don't like to collaborate because music is very personal to me.
I have been in bands as a singer. When I started this, I only wanted dearly to be a singer.
Outside of music, what are some of your favorite past times and emotional engagements?
I am online a lot.
I like to smoke a bit of weed. I like to think that I invented the one rollie skin joint. I like to drink sometimes but not too heavy these days as my maturity should be telling you. I have come to the point where money is more important than booze.
I am a Lone Wolf. My name, Ralph means Wolf in that funny book of names.
To be honest, I love women and think they are the more amazing of the sexes.
I am in love with somebody and have been since February 2013.
I name my guitar after hers!
When it comes to non-musical media, what do you find yourself most inspired by, and what about it draws you to it as a source of inspiration? Do you participate in the gaming world? Avid reader perhaps? Maybe cinema fan? Combination of some lol?
I do most reading whilst in my studio here online.
A bar of Snickers?
Would you consider yourself to be an overall political or spiritual individual? If so, if how what would you say are your strongest/most important views and/or causes?
Ecology, philosophy, alchemy, alcohol, psychoanalysis, feminism, optimism, health, a view of doing something with my life and studies.
God IS watching over all of us.
May God be with us to guide us through the ups and downs of life.
In an industry that is driven by sales, and consumerism, what are your thoughts on digital downloads (legal and illegal)? Do you feel that streaming and digital download stores aid the accessibility of music? How bout music piracy? It obviously hurts sales in some regards, but it also boosts the access and distribution of the release which could lead to potential fans who do come to shows, buy physical copies of music, and get merchandise? Do you feel there would be enough turn around in that sort of system or are you firmly against file sharing?
They call it Windows because of the view!
Thank you so much for participating in this episode of Infidel Interview. Any parting words for your fans, or my audience?
Not all spirits will love you but you got heart. People read you with more force if you try to actually do something that has an influence over them psychologically or, more commonly, if it affects the ego.
An act of love is always better than one of hate.
Get all the lowdown on Catgotwasted's project including a biography, release catalog, and links to his social media and streaming websites, check out his Encyclopedia profile on The Infidel Netwerk:
https://www.theinfidelnetwerk.com/catgotwasted
Get up to date information at Catgotwasted's official Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/catgotwasted2/
You can download many of Catgotwasted's track's on his official Bandcamp:
https://catgotwasted.bandcamp.com/