We just found Alien Pimp’s latest 20th Anniversary Freebie #3. The track is entitled “Last Night”. Alien Pimp says that the song is based on some vocal improvisations he did to test a mic. What followed seemed infectious to him, and the recorded track is the final consequence of that process. Alien Pimp is an eclectic and unpredictable electronic artist, just when you think he has found a groove of mysterious, tense and layered tribal sounds, he injects something new into the mix and switches gears into sublime melodies and captivating rhythmic moments. Considering the vast creativity of the enigmatic mind at work here, it’s no surprise that this unique project, like most of Alien Pimp’s work defies easy categorization.
Alien Pimp’s catalog is an essential education for anyone with even a slight interest in the history of electronic dance music. It offers an unparalleled look at a crucial period in the development of the diverse and far-ranging sub-genres which compose the modern electronic musical scene. However, regardless of the Pimp’s massive influence, it is above all an incredibly enjoyable thrill-ride, an irrepressibly euphoric experience that comes daringly close to replicating the experience of peak-time clubbing at its best. So forget the blather about how great Alien Pimp was or will be. Just enjoy this music for what it is in the here and now, and that should be good enough for anyone.
“The Bucharest music scene starts with the great 20th-century composer George Enescu, but it quickly branches out to D.J.’s like Alien Pimp and rollicking Gypsy bands like Taraf de Haiduks.” – New York Times – 2006
“If a country played a major role in the rejuvenation of techno, well it’s Romania, the birthplace of Cosmin TRG (who lives in Berlin now), and of Silviu Costinescu, aka Alien Pimp” – Beatscape (France) – 2012
Alien Pimp is not only an artistic alias of DubKraft Records’ honcho Silviu Costinescu, but also a pioneering name in Romanian and international electronic music. 2016 marks its 20th year of continuous and prolific activity. A biography that accurately represents these two decades is seemingly impossible to put together. The artist himself argues that no one could properly keep evidence of the hundreds tracks released (covering almost the entire spectrum of electronica and beyond), the countless deejaying performances and airplays worldwide, and the other highlights.
Down below you can read a recent discussion on Alien Pimp’s past, present and future that provides some basic and essential understanding of what he is about. The interviewer is a fellow musician and part-time journalist, Andrei Bucureci, frontman for Crowd Control, some of the best newcomers in Romanian indie/electronica during the last couple of years. Instead of getting attention for his past, Alien Pimp prefers to offer his supporters some of his most recent work as a gift and a sign of gratitude. A stream of monthly free songs and electronic music tracks will be released until the end of the year, often accompanied by his own video productions.
Interview >>
While you weren’t paying attention, ALIEN PIMP CAME OUT OF THE CLOSET: “I’M TRANSPECIES”. He’s also cross-genre. Musically
AB: So who’s Alien Pimp anyway?
AP: Exactly!
AB: I hope you realize that this is a legitimate question for many people…
AP: Well, Alien Pimp was not a person initially, but rather something like a comic book character, because people need an image and a story to associate with the music. It was always about quality entertainment, but over the years things started to lean more on the serious side. Then my work and my messages started to become increasingly personal. As of now, the line between myself and my character is very blurry.
AB: You were born in the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania, you can’t possibly turn into an alien after that…
AP: Luckily I found ways to turn some of that in my favor. It’s true what you say, but look at it this way: there’s all this big debate right now about people that identify themselves differently from what they were born. Well, I’ve never fully identified with this species, even as a child I found it pretty weird and absurd. So a while ago I slowly started to come out of the closet: I’m trans-species. Or rather a species, meta-species. I just don’t need to identify myself with any group of anything. I see myself as a conscious intelligent sovereign entity. I just need to be allowed to manifest myself freely and honestly, and my identity is going to reveal itself. So I’m just trying to do that. Honestly, identifying yourself as anything is usually just wishful thinking, you are what you are, but when your thoughts and actions start aligning with your projection, you start morphing into it.
AB: Mental. So what are your alien features now?
AP: The imagery people project on me from their imagination is usually something like a little green Martian flamboyantly dressed as an old school pimp from Earth, dealing pleasure from three-titted alien species. I played with that a bit, but what I’ve been projecting most of the time is pretty different: someone with common human physical traits and looks, doing an alien kind of pimping, much more evolved. My Facebook page states “Pimpin’ hoes is considered quite primitive where I wish I was coming from. So I pimp good vibez and resources. It’s an alien kind of pimpin’, not pimpin’ aliens! Big difference!”
AB: So how are we celebrating these 20 years of alien pimping? A big party, maybe a retrospective album?
AP: No, none of that, no PR stunts, no long biographies spread all over the media, no “Best of” album, no cult of personality. I’m just treating everyone, all year round, with monthly free releases and some videos. And I’m sending out a message of gratitude to everyone that has ever contributed something positive to this damn long roller-coaster ride that’s not slowing down.
AB: And music-wise, what to expect? Your style changes from track to track…
AP: Whatever you expect, chances are I will deliver something different, so no point in expectations. My style is no style and all styles. But lately I’m more into composing weird cross-genre songs, and less into producing instrumental electronica tracks, even if I use the same tools. And I started to play more with my own voice too. So you can at least expect to see that reflected in the upcoming releases.
OFFICIAL LINKS: SOUNDCLOUD – FREEBIES – FACEBOOK
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