Music is Magic - an interview with Mantis Oh

Take a look and listen to this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OIwmZyFvpg&list=UUZGo7LRQwnjyJhG3oAE-KUw&index=1

Amazing don’t you think?  Mantis Oh is one extraordinary avatar not only is he a talented designer of Sci Fi themed prefab dwellings and gadgets and much more, but he is also a magician of music, oh and a really great guy to boot.

For an out of this world experience you want to visit his sim which is home to Hybrid Productions a Techno Record label by DJ Cari Lekebusch (his real life self).   You tp into the UFO mother ship come main store where all his original designs, prefab buildings, gadgets, sound devices and much more are available.  You can listen to the radio stream while you are there.  To get down to the sim itself, you can use the teleporter in the centre of the mother ship or touch the airlock above the north doorway.

Once you get down on to the sim you will be blown away by Mantis’s creations, you will feel has if you have been transported to yet another realm beyond that of Second Life.  He enjoys making different kind of buildings, depending on what they could be used for, from clubs, homes, skyboxes or mood setting background props.  He says enthusiastically that inspiration comes from what they are to be used for, “I also like to utilize various natural sacred geometries when constructing them. Always loved to mix ancient architecture with futuristic/fantasy settings, so you could label H-Productions with ‘Ancient Futuristic Design’".   On a recent visit to the Yucatan he was greatly inspired by the Mayan pyramids and other constructions. An experience he highly recommends anyone with an interest in building.

Mantis came to SL because he has always had an interest in computers and started to play with the Commodore VIC-20 and C-64 back in the early 80's.   He says he fantasized about virtual worlds on a global scale while playing games like Elite as well as reading or watching movies on the subject which eventually lead him to Second Life. As SL evolved so did he and in about 2006 he started a project that would bring his record label and graphics label into SL.  Mantis had looked at the alternative virtual worlds that are available, but he says that SL fits him best.

Mantis Oh is one very busy avatar!!  His real self, Cari Lekebusch, runs a record label (H-Productions) and he finds himself touring across the world all year round.  In his spare time (what little there is) he spends of all things SL.  He loves building and exploring and he says he has me many cool, fun and interesting people in his time in SL.

Mantis has given countless performances since around 2007.  He throws his my own events as well as guesting at many of the classic SL Techno/Electronica clubs.   Being the magnanimous type of guy that he is, he has also performed at RFL and other charity events. His next event is scheduled to take place on the 6^th April, keep your eyes on the SLE for details closer to the time. He is currently looking forward to creating an art/LEA sim soon, where several events and parties will be hosted over the course of 4 months.

I am no spring chicken (talking RL here), but I have to admit to rather having taken a fancy to Techno music and so I was interested to find out from Mantis what it was about this music genre that was so special. Laughingly he replies “Good question! I could write a bible sized manuscript here, but let me try to shorten it :) One of the more concrete reasons is music and sound in general.  I have always been extremely fascinated by it and studied its many faces. Music is magic, and I would like to know as much of it as possible. Techno is my main choice because of the instrumentality and "shamanistic" elements. It is a pure, stripped down form of music that leaves the listener (or better said experiencer) to add his or her own imagination into the mix. Real Techno is best experienced, not listened to. It is designed for a larger club environment - thus a platform where many can meet.”

 I then asked Mantis where the inspiration for his music came from, to which he adds “Anything and sometimes nothing =D LOLZ.  There is so much cool stuff on this planet, and then all the stuff we have in our imagination as well. The list would be endless =O and people in general are super interesting also. Everybody has a unique story - I guess I like unique stuff - natural things, diversity, dynamics, contrasts and strange stuff :D .  During my performances I get a lot of inspiration as well, and it teaches me what things work in such an environment. It’s a very, very tasty feeling seeing lots of people enjoying themselves to your music, and blowing off some steam over the weekend :D”

The great thing about SL is that there is always an opportunity to broaden one’s horizons and I think without a doubt interviewing Mantis Oh and researching him and his real life self, Cari Lekebusch, has been just such an opportunity.

Mantis, we look forward with great anticipation to your future creations as well as blowing off some steam to your brilliant music.

SLURL:   http://slurl.com/secondlife/Flavor%20Country/128/120/119

Links:

Website: http://www.lekebuschmusik.se

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cari-Lekebusch/36671431790

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carilekebusch

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/carilekebusch

Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/carilekebusch/

Press Kit: http://www.advance-artists.com/carilekebusch_presskit.zip

Tour Dates: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cari-Lekebusch/36671431790?sk=app_4949752878