Peret Mako AKA Peret von Sturmer, is a classically trained saxophonist who made the jump to electronic music by buying an Akai 3000 and a Mac 7600 with CuBase (he jokes that it took him two days to learn how to turn it on). Since then he’s DJed, soundtracked a theatre production and a computer game, recorded an album that earned him entry into the Red Bull Music Academy and become a father. Basically, he’s been busy.

Are you a detail-oriented musician, a perfectionist?

I have very critical ears that keep me working on things until they say it’s good enough. If not, they beat me around the head yelling ‘This is hurting us just as much as it is you’. I just keep working until I think it sounds good. I do lots of little tests on myself. I’ll turn off the computer screen and listen to the track, when I realise that I’m not paying attention any more I know there’s something not right with that section and I keep working on it or cut it. Jazz music is my mental template for what things should sound like. It’s burnt in there from teenage fanaticism.

Why do you prefer not to sample in your music?

I like it just fine as their music without putting my grubby little hands over it. Also, I like the challenge of having to come up with everything myself. It can be frustrating because you don’t specialise in just drums or keys etc. and get really good at that, so you have to reinvent the wheel every time you start a track. The attitude’s got a bit of the classic Australian home handyman in it... ‘Went down to the local hardware store ‘n got mi’self a beaut sampler (harf price) and look at that! Made mi own bloody record!’

Do you read your own reviews?

I never used to. I thought it would affect how I approached my music. For the album I have though. I put so much work into it I was really interested how people would react, if they would connect with it. Press writers have their own literary conventions that can really blur the character of a record. It gets slotted into this genre or another or they have never heard the artists I reference. I got a really nice review who referred to a couple of tracks as Tech House which is not my thing at all. If I saw Tech House in a review I'd probably not listen to it which shows how we all fall for the terminology; what can you do, you have to describe it somehow? There has been some positive and negative reviews which is fine. I don't mind if someone hates my record as long as they articulate why.

Do you still play saxophone?

Not as much as I’d like. I have it at work. Once I get home it’s nappy changing and baths and teeth cleaning and twinkle twinkle little star. I’m putting some more work into it at the moment so I can use it in the live show.

PERET MAKO will be launching his album at BarSoma on Saturday Jul 19 with support from Nathan McLay, Fergus Alexander and Adrian Matyear.

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