Exclusive Interview with 'PURE INCH'

Pure Inch guides you through his own sound path of chilled, danceable tracks that are influenced by the 90s rave scene and electronic music.
He uses deep house-inspired spacey synths and wordless vocal layers in the song “Hold Me Tight.” The song is made available on August 24, 2022, through Deep People Records. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

PURE INCH: Hi, my name is Janis, and I live in Riga, Latvia, but was born in Daugavpils, couple hours drive from Riga. My interest in music started out in school, where we started to play in local school parties. Soon, we discovered rave parties (end of 90’s), where DJs were playing music from vinyl, that we did not hear anywhere else or on radio. That’s how I started to be interested in electronic music. Soon I discovered “tracker” apps, where you were able to make your own music.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

PURE INCH: At childhood I attended music school with cello as my main instrument, but did not finish it, because my cello teacher moved out from my city and school offered me to play violin instead, but I was not interested. I left music school after my 4th year. With music trackers and later with first DAWs I learned all by myself. Currently I am member of FMM school, run by Keith Mills, where he teaches, how to finish music fast and not get stuck in 8 bar loop.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘PURE INCH’?

PURE INCH: My first and strongest influences were The Orb, Underworld, The Prodigy, Kraftwerk. Name “Pure Inch” is a reference or remix of my surname, that is “Puriņš”

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

PURE INCH: It’s all about melody or phrase, that catches listener’s attention. My sound is still evolving, but I like to use wordless vocal layers, spacey and atmospheric synths.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as EDM?
**PURE INCH**:
When I am creating new tracks, I don’t think, what style it will fit in. At the beginning I tried to emulate sound of early electro music, that was played by AUX88, Dopplereffekt, Miss Kittin, Westbam. Now, when I open my DAW, I just feel the current flow and go with it.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?

PURE INCH:

Music can play big role in political, cultural and also it can unite whole nations. In Latvia we have several songs, that have really strong musical code. As example, I can name song “Saule, Pērkons, Daugava”, composed by Mārtiņš Brauns. It is choir song, composed in 1988, when idea of Latvia could become independent became real. You can even listen to this song without knowing Latvian, but still feeling that spirit. It was also translated and used as anthem for Catalan independence movement. I haven’t tried to put political or cultural vehicles, my tracks come without specific message behind it.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

PURE INCH:

It gives me sense of fulfilment, when it is finished and ready for a release. My current goal is not to keep my music in the folders, but ship it, so it does not stay only in my laptop, but is available for anyone.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

PURE INCH:

Usually I start with the melody and then add some drums to feel the groove. If I am happy with main element or theme from the melody or any other instrument, I quickly move forward and develop everything else. Sometimes ideas comes from different places – after club nights, walking in the park, theatre plays.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

PURE INCH: I have not faced any difficulties yet. The biggest difficulty so far is to find music label for the tracks.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

PURE INCH: If I find the label, that is happy with my tracks and is ready to release it – that’s my small step forward and I am grateful for that.