Interview with Aroly Tariq

Mar 10, 2023

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

I’ve always been making up songs vocally, like singing thoughts and my dad bought me a keyboard when I was 6 that I started making little ditties on that straight away. I think if I hadn’t connected so much with sound, I would have gravitated more to visual art, but I resonate so much more with music than visual art. Like

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I’ve been into learning animation software. I think it feeds into my music creativity a lot as it’s given it a visually expression to depict my music.

How long have you been making music?

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

I live in Melbourne. Melbourne has an insanely creative electronic music scene. It’s overflowing with ideas and talent. Living here is definitely a constant inspiration to lift my game.

Tell me about your most memorable shows, if you haven’t played live what is your vision for a live show?

This probably isn’t the coolest story, but Audego was opening for a local hiphop act who is quite popular and beloved. Some boys in the crowed started heckling me mid song, chanting “Hiphop! Hiphop!”, annoyed I wasn’t rapping I guess. As much as that sucked, I do feel like you’re not a performer until you get heckled. I had finally arrived and it was yucky.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

I think festivals are generally fun as the sound systems are usually good and the fold back all nice and the engineers know what they’re doing. I’d love to play at the Art Centre or NGV in Melbourne and do a full visual/sonic thing one day.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into making music and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Don’t get tied up in the smoke in mirrors. Your value doesn’t depend on how your art is received. If it brings you peace, you should keep making it and sharing it.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Of my solo tracks, I think Light Shines Down is my favourite. I like the arrangement and how I sang it. I always like the ones that are my least popular. I don’t know why.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Side Effects and Feral (from Audego). Both are fun to perform and I think people liked those ones the most.

What is your creative process, and what inspires you to write your music?

I struggle with emotionally expressing myself verbally. I don’t even realise that I’ve got a chunk in my belly that is making me feel out of sorts but as soon as I go to write a song, it comes out and makes that feeling all ok. It’s my sideways tactic of getting things off my chest without having to talk about it.

Do you have messages that you like to get across in your music, if so please tell me about them?

I honestly think life is so hard for all of us lately. It’s tough times. I just want to offer reprieve from that and make people feel a bit of happiness and peace. I’m not here to tell people how it should be or to reinforce how shit it is sometimes. I want to give people a little moment to escape into.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

I’m making more songs, though I’ve been knocked out with glandular fever, which has held up my momentum. I want to share songs with cool visuals as independent movements and not really pressure my creativity with deadlines.

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?

I’m most present on Instagram. I’m really not good with any of the social media platforms though, which I need to work on!