Gregory Kyryluk

Gregory Kyryluk: "Concept of Motion" Interview (AmbiEntrance© - 1998) Under different project names, Gregory Kyryluk has recently released two new discs; a helping of "classic" electronic music with Alpha Wave Movement's Concept of Motion and with Open Canvas' Nomadic Impressions, a middle-eastern influenced electro-ambient journey. Come meet the man behind the sounds. (Photo contributed by Gregory Kyryluk; Photoshopped by DJO)

Link: Could you introduce yourself to our audience? Who is Gregory Kyryluk? Kyryluk: Hmm. Gregory Kyryluk is a nomad of a musician who works a day job because his of stubbornness not to commit to recording commercial music. I am really an introvert who enjoys the intellectual stimulus of certain music as well as a down-to-earth guy who likes when people in their fields (what ever that might) be push the envelope. Link: Does your day job correlate with your music in any way, other than to pay your electricity bill? Kyryluk: I work as a shipping manager for a cruise ship photo company at one of the world's largest commercial cruise ports here in Miami. It in no way correlates with my music, but I do meet a lot of European photographers who like electronic music and this gives me a chance to introduce my music to them. I also enjoy photography at an amateur level and they give me free tips! Link: I'm intrigued by your last name... What is the origin of Kyryluk? (Is it pronounced KEER-il-uk?) Kyryluk: That exactly right David. I am impressed that you could actually spell my last name phonetically. It actually Slavic. Ukrainian, I believe. Link: You were born in Connecticut, live in Florida; Concept of Motion was inspired by the expanses of the western U.S. and released on the GROOVE Unlimited label from the Netherlands... that's a lot of geography. How does it all tie together? Kyryluk: Well, I arrived on the Florida shores at the age of two only to learn later in life I enjoy the great north as well as the subtleness of the South west much more. Three years ago during my marriage I decided I had enough of Miami and packed up the VW and moved to Phoenix, AZ. Living out in Arizona was a great personal experience to me. The desert, always very intimate, came across as a barren place to me as a younger man. However I took to a new perspective when I finally visited. There is a great sense of peace and introspection in the desert which you have to physically take in when you're out in it. I also enjoy wide open spaces and the beauty of the terrains. This influenced my music quite a lot, hence the quieter passages. As far as Groove Unlimited, Kees Aerts and Ron Boots the owners took a liking to Transcendence, my first release, and made an offer. Not many US labels where interested at the time which I never understand what goes through their minds. I find Europeans have a more broad interest in music. Link: Would you say your music has received more attention in Europe or in the U.S.? Kyryluk: Funny you should ask this. I really don't know how well or how often it's played in Europe but I do know that AWM has received a nice bit of airplay on contemporary new age and instrumental music shows. I also know that Hearts of Space has played AWM and Open Canvas on a few shows which made me quite ecstatic since it was HOS that really got me into e-music 15 years ago. I am glad Stephen Hill still has that show going for the listeners' sake. Link: I've been enjoying your new Concept of Motion disc; it has that "classic" electronic sound, with shades of Tangerine Dream, etc. Who are your influences? Kyryluk: There is a lot of the older Berlin influence like TD and Klaus Shultze but I didn't necessarily want to come across as a blatant want-to-be. I guess certain elements in everyone's music reflects their mentors. You can definitely hear it in blues and jazz. But I have so many more influences like Eno, Roach, a lot of the ECM music of Ralph Towner and even ethnic Indian middle eastern music like Omar Faruk Tekbelek and Kudsi Erguner, the ney player. I am an avid listener to anything not mainstream. I also tend to listen to music for the rhythmic content or atmosphere. Link: What's your most recent favorite disk, and why? Kyryluk: That's a bit tough since I tend to listen to such a wide variety of music... but here it goes. Future Sounds of Jazz #3, Stephen Bacchus "Pangea", Supertramp "Brother Were you Bound" (great Kafkaesque lyrics), Al Gromer Khan "Tantric Drums", Gilberto Gil "Quanta Live", a lot of Hossam Ramzy (Egyptian percussionist) and Jeff Pearce" Vestiges". I like interesting music with intellect behind whether its indigenous acoustic/ electronica or jazz. It has to move me to the next listening level. I really don't listen to the radio at all; it's toxic and really has little artistic value other than being a billboard for the next big pop hit. Link: Gear-wise, do you work more with analog or digital synths, etc.? Kyryluk: Here is one of those questions that I am supposed to push a certain product and get a kickback by a top manufacturer. Anyone from Roland or Akai reading?! I use mainly older synths like my favorite Ensoniq ESQ-m which I like for the shear graininess and ability to fill a lots of space with. I also use a Korg Ex-8000,Roland JV-880 w/ expansion boards, E-Mu Classic Keys, Kawai K-3m and a trusty Dr-660 drum box all patched up with my Power Mac running old Master Tracks 6.0. I am really into improvising and don't like to get bogged down into the science of programming stuff it takes away the soul of a piece of music. Link: You work well in both an energetic mode (a' la "Motion Generator") and in a more subdued style (like "Sanctuary"). Which is more "naturally" your form of expression? Kyryluk: I enjoy both very rhythmic music and subtle thought-evoking, mind-expanding music. I will say that I enjoy creating softer music since it demands much more patience from a listener and has the opaque hypnotic effect to take you to other places. In todayÕs world here in the U.S. people are too stressed out in their daily lives; the last thing they need is another syrupy pop song or techno tune screaming in their ears... My music balances the two listening spectrums.. Link: I've noticed that... there's a lot of energy but it's never beating you over the head. I thought some of the faster tracks sounded like action-movie music. Would you be interested in doing film scores, and if so, what kind of movies? Kyryluk: I have always affiliated music and the visual art to go hand in hand. I mean you can look at a David Muench or Ansel Adams photo and almost feel the music flowing out of the terrain. I would like to do a film score for perhaps an independent film since my music is a bit more moody/atmospheric in structure. It would fit in quite nicely in the background of say a b/w drama. I do enjoy independent and foreign films a lot more since there is more concern on the story line than drawing a audience in for a quick kill at the box office. Link: You've also recently released Nomadic Impressions under the guise of Open Canvas. What can you tell us about this project? How does it differ from your Alpha Wave Movement creations? Kyryluk: Basically Open Canvas is the much more ethnic tinged electronica which again is more rhythmic than AWM. AWM is more subtle although I took the music to the limits on the new disc but the music is more spacey. I usually tend toward a sci-fi feel in the titles and it is generally an extensions of my other personal hobbies like science and technology interests. Link: I see at the Groove unlimited website that you contributed Alien Artifacts of Ice to an X-Files-influenced CD The Truth is Twisted. What can you tell us about that project? Kyryluk: Groove Unlimited began these collaboration discs from music inspired by the X-Files. I happen to be and still am a big fan of the show and Kees asked me to come up with a concept for a track. I always enjoyed the enigma of a visitation from a foreign intelligence. Perhaps just to prove we are not the hierarchy in the known universe. Link: I've also been enjoying your 1996 release Transcendence. Is it true that Veil of the Twilight Moon was basically recorded spontaneously? It reminded me of early Steve Roach material. Kyryluk: Thanks for the compliment. I think Transcendence was a long awaited release and received some very positive support from listeners and radio. Veil was an improvisation I did using I think a Roland Sound Canvas and a DR-660 drum machine(efx). It was late in the evening and I was tired from a long day of work when I just let the dat machine roll and the music just flowed from me like waves on an ocean. Really I think sometimes I place myself in this exhausted late evening trance (no chem.) and start improvising the next day or so I listen back and I am truly without a clue as to how I came up with a piece of music. Link: What does the future hold for both Alpha Wave Movement and Open Canvas? Kyryluk: I would like to release a totally peaceful a disc of AWM music with minimal beats. Sort of like a background piece of which I had in the back of my mind for great many years. Lately I have also been working on ambient/jazz/electronica which has a "jazz" tinge with the AWM atmosphere. As far as Open Canvas, I am currently working on the new disc which has more pulse to it and a lot more Indian influence. Link: Do you ever perform live (As AWM or Open Canvas) here or abroad? Kyryluk: No, I have never performed live. For many reasons. One, when I was playing bass guitar a long time ago I would freeze up when I began performing in front of a live audience. Two, I don't really know how to pull of a live electronic performance and a lot of my music is improvised believe it or not. Maybe down the road I will give it another shot but it would definitely have to be in the right venue with an audience who are into the music. Link: I see Open Canvas was Number Three in the Musical Starstreams Top 20 albums of the year... how did Waveform get involved with Nomadic Impressions (since it was originally a Groove Unltd. release)? Kyryluk: Well, I believe I sent Forest a copy of the Groove release since I have listened to a few of the Waveform compilations and thought "Hey, here is a real nice US label with some rather good music on it." He took a listen and was drawn by the music and decided to make a deal with Groove. It worked out quite well since Waveform has a nice distribution in the major chains not to mention Forest's internet show. This gave my music more exposure and perhaps got Groove's name out a bit more in the US.

Link: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, and best wishes. Any closing comments? Kyryluk: Any time David. I think your interview was well thought out and you are one of the few people out here in cyberland promoting good contemporary instrumental/electronic music. Readers out there who are into the vibe of the music just spread the word... that's the only way to educate radio listeners about it.

This interview posted December 25, 1998