pinguino: Today we're interviewing Kilna, a fresh cyber popstar we found in San Diego. Kilna, tell us the the definition of "cyber popstar" and why you choose that image to portray. KILNA: Well, firstly I'm a geek, I can't help that, and secondly I'm a musician. Its just kind of a natural progression of those two aspects. I love sci-fi and I think that a lot of the time when sci-fi is represented in the music world its too much "n'sync" and not enough "nine inch nails" pinguino: Describe your style as a musician to someone who has never heard your songs or mixes KILNA: Madonna and Trent Reznor's bastard child. I'm trying to find that fine line between easy to listen to and still edgy. Its a hard place to find sometimes. pinguino: It's hard to create something new that people haven't heard before, or to put a good twist on a song that people already love. How do you approach new projects? KILNA: Well, when I'm remixing something that already exists, especially when its something good that I already like, its a challenge... I try to take my favorite elements of the existing work and bring them to the foreground. Like in my "Terrible Secret of Space" mixes, the "go stand by the stairs" and "do you have stairs in your house" groove sections. :) pinguino: Do you have stairs in your house? KILNA: Currently, no. The house I was in when the main body those versions were created did have stairs. I was protected. As far as my original work goes, I'm finding that the type of music I end up creating is new just by virtue of what I like in my music being a bit abnormal. I don't mind robots and dark orchestral sections hanging out with pop-ish techno sounds. I am noticing that lyrically I'm ending up more Trent than Madonna, which is alright just not quite what I was originally expecting. I'm such a happy person and these dark lyrics just keep on seeping out of my brain. One interesting thing I didn't know about musicians that I discovered during all of this... You're not supposed to feel bad or narcisistic about listening to your own music. pinguino: Do you get sick of songs you made early-on, like the space-robot mixes? KILNA: Amazing enough, I have NEVER gotten tired of "Terrible". And I worked on that one on-and-off for months. It always felt a bit awkward listening to a song after I called it done... but you have to be the biggest fan of your own music. pinguino: What else are you a big fan of? KILNA: Well, Information Society, Depeche Mode, New Order, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Cuase and Effect, Echoing Green, (forgiving) Iris... musicially Pretty much if its synth-pop I'll probably diggit. I am a HUGE farscape fan. That show rocks the casbah. And "enterprise" is growing on me. I think the world would be a much happier place with naked vulcans. Most geeky things have me. I am a technology FREAK. I wear an e-holster, which is quite possibly th emost geeky item ever invented. I now lust for the new Samsung color palm-pilot phone all-in-one unit. pinguino: What neato tech-toys do you wish were invented and in wide use? KILNA: Here's my ideal gadget: covnergence heaven... built in everything: phone, hi-speed wireless internet, mp3 players (from onboard storage or streamed from the net) headphones, heads up display on glasses And an arm-mounted half-keyboard type device pinguino: You might not have a robotic dog, but you'd be the first to get a wearable computer =) KILNA: I would look like a borg, but I would be in heaven. Yeah, my best friend Das has an Aibo. Spent $2k on it, and now its sitting in his closet. *sigh* pinguino: Poor doggie KILNA: And of course I'd be up for implanted technology, but I sure as heck ain't gonna beta test. KILNA: Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt. Uh, oh... gotta reboot. KILNA: Dang cyberchip :) pinguino: How have people been finding out about Kilna? KILNA: Well, my own big mouth right now... I am a fequent poster to Slashdot under the alias 575. I'm planning on a lot of cross-promotion though through the many existing channels for new artists to post their music to the web. MP3.com is one of the many sites of its kind for getting your stuff out there. Also, I'm going to remix other artists' music, and have my music open for others to do remixes, which should drive folks who may not have known about me. One thing about my being a CYBORG POP-STAR is the fact that unlike most people in the music industry, I'm actually an active user/maker of technology. All of the features of my web site were programmed by yours truly. pinguino: Time for greets/shoutouts! KILNA: Props to all my crew, 'SUP!!! A big thank you to the people who have listened, and an even bigger one to the folks daring enough to call themselves a fan. This is the beginning of something big, and its going to be a blast. Two songs coming out this month, original songs with vocals, in addition to the 5 already up.