Dan: First of all, GJ, amazing work on this release! What was your initial inspiration behind creating a monster 15-track beat tape?

GJ: Thanks! Well, the last couple of years I’ve been talking with SATURATE! to find a way to put out some music and because of all kinds of reasons, it just didn't happen (there's still a grime ep somewhere on my HD). And then last year the label was preparing for the 10 year anniversary and I was lucky enough to be picked out to release some music with SATURATE!. Since I’ve been involved since the very first compilation, the label's first release, I thought it should be something special. So I decided to make the beats I wanted to make 10 years ago, that was a very cool and inspirational era for me. I was just making beats all day and that was that luckily enough SATURATE! wanted to put out some of those beats and for me, everything got kickstarted there. So looking back 10 years later on that timeframe it made me very nostalgic and kinda wanted to go back to that mind state of 'just making beats'. So for me, this release is kinda full circle, sending the demos to the same people at the label, art from the same artist, that just feels great. I think we nailed it!

Dan: That's wicked man, a great ethos behind the release! The nostalgic part is especially interesting. Looking back, did you ever think you'd be pursuing the passion for that long? And I'd love to hear more about your process of putting something like this together, what sorts of tools are you playing around with to curate the music?

GJ: I think I’m still super excited about music, my taste will keep changing now and then but my love for music is still the same or even more than 10 years ago. About the process... Ableton, some modules, a couple of synths, samples. Basically, everything to kickstart an idea and see from there. I try to make at least a beat a day and work on older projects. I have a huge folder with demos and I pick from there if I put together a release, some of the beats on the tape are fairly new and some have been on my HD for a couple of years. The beat with yunis is from a week in 2020 where we made like 10 beats or so, the collab with Høst is also started in 2020 I think and the one with DJ Ride is pretty new. As it is 10 years of SATURATE! these 3 guys are peak SATURATE! for me, so I’m super happy to have them involved! They all inspire me to make more and better beats, they're monsters.

Dan: That's a great process. Re-usability is everything, and having those demo's ready to bounce from must be nice. You're right, the whole thing feels very SATURATE!!  So what's the next step for your music alias man, have you anything lined up?

GJ: Re-usability is the whole concept for this tape, love the degradation of data when something gets copied, some think it's bad, I think it's great, so many artifacts.  Next up for me, an LP for YUKU, pretty soon as well.

Dan: Couldn't agree more. There's something special about re-using old/broken content. Like when you find an old cassette or USB drive. Maybe in years to come, people will be using your SATURATE! tape to make new music... full... circle. Also wicked, your work ethic is crazy, another release already.

Tuomas: So you're going to use the songs from SATURATE! for YUKU, just a bit degraded?

Dan: Tuomas really just trolling this whole conversation… wouldn't have it any other way.

Tuomas: Subp Yao is one of the hardest working musicians I know (no trolling). All the side projects never surface or are anonymous. He really puts the hours in.

Dan: 100% agree. The work rate is unquestionable, and he seems to throttle the space between releases very nicely. It's easy to put out too much material at once, and your alias can become seemingly over-saturated (pun intended), but Subp Yao balances this by working on bigger and more meaningful projects, definitely excited to see what else he has in store! How often are you making music in your day-to-day life?

GJ: I hope people will sample this as soon as possible, in any way! It's so refreshing to hear music in different ways. I’ll try to work on music as much as possible, on a daily basis. Most of the time I’m working in the morning on my job (which is mostly sound design, audio for video, teaching and mixing/mastering) and after I’m done it’s my own music till I’m tired.

Dan: That's awesome, I always seem to get caught up in this topic, but it really is the cornerstone of your alias. Is there anything that you're doing that you'd like to improve? Something that you've got your eye on? Whether it be a piece of hardware, a routine, a different angle on making music? I'm intrigued.

GJ: I always try to improve stuff but it's not my main goal, most of the time I want to do something different. Just switch things up to keep it fresh and I guess that helps me to get better at this music thing. I just bought the Digitakt by Elektron, linked up with the Analog Heat. I can't wait to make some decent stuff on it, so far I did not have much time…

Dan: ​​Nice! Always improving I see, love to see it. New hardware can really help with your perception of making music, so props to you! Tuomas, having this on tape is a wicked idea, also feels very trivial. Have you worked with many beat tapes in the past?

Tuomas: No, I love tape but that's the first official tape I’ve been producing since I did my debut as a rapper in '96. And re: the first compilation, that was not the very first release but might be the first one if you scroll down Bandcamp.

GJ: Ok, just ruin the story then!

Tuomas: That's what I am here for since 2010.

Dan: As good a time as any. And damn, '96 I was fresh out the womb! 10 years of SATURATE! must feel good. Everyone has their reasons for starting a new project, but to be at it so consistently for so long, it's obvious there's some good ethics at play! What has been the best part about running the label for you so far?

Tuomas: ​​ Well, I just thought about one aspect before I read this question and that was networking with people actually and meeting fellow musicians (mostly nice people) worldwide: like Subp Yao, whom by now I think of as one of my dearest friends.

Dan: The networking is second to none, it's fascinating, people from all over the world can come together like this–something that's never been possible this easy historically.

Tuomas: Yeah, this just happened actually, without thinking about our convo, i linked someone from the west coast of the US to all the nice peeps from the UK. Boom.

Dan: Awesome, GJ and Tuomas, before we look to wrap this up, I wanted to ask if there’s anything you’d like to add? Any future prospects? Any artists or influences you’re feeling right now

GJ: Yeah I want to add that Thomas Wahle always delivers for SATURATE! art and I’m happy he did 3 solo records for me, all amazing art. And I’m happy to be involved with SATURATE! in general, they really kickstarted my journey in this music thing, so mad love to Tuomas and the team!

Tuomas: Aw, well we wouldn’t be anywhere with the music by such great pioneers like Subp Yao.

Our fans and listeners and also I have to thank Fixed Mastering for the mastering on these... always a great job. The people featuring our music in radio and magazines like Rendah Mag. Much Love to everybody involved!

You can buy Generation Loss here.