INTERVIEW
Craig Padilla
Craig
Padilla is a musician and was also the Penguin Guard of Icycal
in Working Designs Sega CD title 'Popful Mail'!
MT>
You've been composing and creating electronic music for over a
dozen years. How did you get started?
CP> I've actually been involved with music since I was five.
I've always enjoyed "trippy" music. I remember listening for the
first time to The Beatles' "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band"
album and The Moody Blues' "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" in
the early seventies when I was about 6 or 7 and I was totally
fascinated with all the unusual sounds because most of the popular
music, even today, stays away from sounding different, if you
know what I mean. I mean, "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" remains
one of my all time favorite albums next to Pink Floyd's "The Dark
Side of the Moon." Anyway, I'm going off here... In the 9th grade
on a field trip to the local planetarium, the music of Jean-Michel
Jarre's "Oxygene" was playing in the background. The director
asked if anybody had any questions about the presentation. Most
of the students asked questions like "What constellation is that?"
and "Where is that planet?" and I asked "What music is THIS??"
Ever since then, I was completely hooked on electronic music.
During the summer of '86, I hung out at the local music store
and recorded myself playing around on Yamaha FM synthesizers.
(Yeah, I know: "What a nerd.") But ever since then, I've been
buying synthesizers and composing electronic music!
MT>
Why electronic? Why not a more traditional instrument like the
guitar or piano?
CP>
I've been playing the guitar since I was 5. I've learned the drums,
trumpet, brass baritone, and recorder (which a lot of us kids
learned in the third grade). I prefer electronic music because
of the creativity it can offer. The guitar and piano are nice
instruments, and I do use an occasional piano sound in my music.
But, for me, I feel that the TRUE art of the synthesizer is to
take unfamiliar and unusual sounds and make melodies with it.
If a person who prefers mainstream music (like pop or country)
listens to my music and says "Wow, that's cool!" then it's a really
great feeling. In my opinion, most mainstream new age artists
don't do anything too creative. I mean, Yanni is an excellent
keyboardist and musician, but I think most of his music is wayyyy
to "mainstream" for my tastes. (I would've called it "sappy" but
I'm trying to be polite here...)
MT>
Your first album "VOSTOK' is about to be published on the Spotted
Peccary Music label. Please tell us about this exciting upcoming
album.
CP>
"VOSTOK" is a very unique CD for me because it consists of only
one track running approximately 50 minutes!! I wrote it to be
heard on infinite playback. As a matter of fact, I get tired of
hearing my music over and over which is why I'm continuously composing
new material, but my wife and I have been listening to "VOSTOK"
on repeat at night while we sleep for the last year!! I've never
written a piece quite as hypnotically peaceful (and long) as "VOSTOK"
and I can't wait to share it with more listeners of electronic
music. It's a slowly building composition. It's very minimal for
the first 10 minutes. Eventually a slowly rhythmic sequence enters
the piece and things begin to build from there. Then, about 25
minutes into the piece, it slows down for another 10 minutes before
things slowly build back up. I think it's a wonderful piece of
spacemusic and I'm very thankful that Spotted Peccary Music is
releasing it!
Actually, I've released about 10 cassettes in the 90's. Beginning
in 1996, my friend and music collaborator Skip Murphy helped me
produce my first CD called "THE EYE OF THE STORM" which is on
my own See Peace Records label. I had about 1000 of these mass-produced.
Then, about three years ago, I got on the internet and that has
helped open many many doors for me and my music! Right now, Backroads
Music in Calfornia and Groove Unlimited in the Netherlands currently
distribute this and my 12 other CD's being produced at MP3.com!
There's also a label in France called Infinium Records that has
included me on their artist roster, and soon I'll be releasing
some music on Tony Gerber's SpaceForMusic.com Records label! It's
been a long 13 years preparing to get my name out in the world,
and living in Redding hasn't made it any easier, but it's finally
happening for me! (Man, I LOVE the internet!) As a matter of fact,
I have many hours of music available to download for free on MP3.com.
You should check it out!
MT>
You were the voice of one of the Penguin Soldiers for Working
Design's classic 'Popful Mail' game on the Sega
CD. How did you land this coveted position?
CP>
I work at a local television station making commercials for a
living. Working Designs is located here in Redding, CA and they
used to have me create all their promotional videos that would
be shown in video games stores. (Eventually, they bought their
own editing equipment and edit their own videos now.) Victor Ireland
(oh oh, I'm name dropping here) uses local voice talent for his
games. One day he told me that I had a small "lispy and nasal"
voice and wondered if I'd be interested in reading for the Peguin
Soldier in his Popful Mail game. I've always enjoyed
acting and I was playing everything that Working Designs released
for the Sega CD. I figured it would be really cool to be "immortalized"
in a video game, so I HAD to say yes! It was a small part in the
game which meant that only the actors with main parts were going
to be listed in the credits. Oh well, at least I got paid!
