Jimmy Bass
www.free2jam.com [prior domain - Yo Jimmy where are you?]
Tell us a little about your background? I was into programming basic and assambler when I was a little kid. Like every Generation X kid I was into Tron and Wargames I've been into zx spectrum. Commodore and those first little computers in the evolution of computers. then I got into music and forgot about computers. then I got back to computers again in 1996 and although I am still into music I am still also into computers and Internet and design.
Where are you from?Turkey, Istanbul
Design education:I studied industrial product design. In Mimar Sinan Art School.
What inspires you?Everything in life. daily experiences, Rita's lovely shaped nose, the view at my window, internet, all media and everything around me everything that i see hear, taste, see, touch and comprehend inspires me.
Being a musician do you think the music you listen to plays a major role in the outcome of your work?I think of music as not an art. It is something other than art for me because once you hear the music there are no boundries. So I am a musician first if I am asked. because every other thing i do artistically builds itself around music. I am into all kinds of music as long as listening I listen to everything as long as it sounds good to me.that means millions of moods. when I design I search within myself my mood and put a music on and go for it. but when i design I have a tendency to keep music out of what I do design-wise maybe that is a mistake but that is how i try do it.
What software do you currently use to create your pieces?I use the good old photoshop. flash, after effects, 3d max, freehand for design mainly, for music i use everything from fruityloops to buzz but cubase sx is my main sequence tool. i experiment with things to come up with something fresh. sometimes an application even as simple as ms paint can inspire me.
On a personal note, I myself is a Musician, describe to our viewers the equipment you use. Guitar, Amp, effects, etc.,I have 2 Nuno Bettencourt model Washburns, an Ibanez rg 70, electric guitars, ovation and Yamaha acoustic guitars and I have a Fender amp with a Yamaha effects processor.
What do you see in the future for Flash and other Macromedia products?It is really hard to predict the future.but the craving in human to create new things is insane so I can only say it is only going to get better and better. All applications will expand and evolve so Flash and Macromedia too.
What do you like to do besides playing guitar and design?Actually I am more concentrated into singing and songwriting for the last 6 years. So in music I am not interested in details anymore. I try to look at the whole picture. try to come up with vocal melodies that makes sense without accompaniment. a piece of music has to be good without any accompaniment. I want to write songs like "happy birthday to you" drums guitars and bass and strings and everything else is make up,in another way I am trying to write tunes like Milla Jovovich's beauty without her make up on.when she wakes up at 7 in the morning before her first coffe in the day. Besides all the things I do i am just a silly dude. I like junk food Jack Daniels and movies and stay awake at night.
How did you first learn of the Internet?My girlfriend showed me about it at 1996 that's why I got into computers.
What do you like/hate about the net?I hate spam mails, everything else is great about the net. It became a vast universe, after the big bang it is still growing bigger.i love it.
Do you think that Flash is cool or overused?JB: Well flash is a cool little proggie even if it is overused sometimes it is still for good. I think the humanity is at a level that everything is overused already.
Do you prefer technologically advanced sites or sites with simple but good design?For me simplicity best . I think it got to a phase that less is more. That is the new trend and I think it is the best. I say America is re-explored again through collective trial and error of the designers . So it is at a very good phase. For me it is like mr slowhand smiling to shredders (look at my flashy licks i can play fast) and saying easy boy, take it easy. Here is the A minor chord and D so dig that. but for sure it is going to change again in to another direction which I can not foresee. Depends on technology
How important is actionscript for today's flash designer?I steal from Levitated.net and play around with their codes. I am terrible at actionscript. If I want to execute something I always ask for help from the experts.
What are your bad personal and design habits?About design I steal from others a lot and overuse some stuff and I feel like getting in a rut lately. Say I sometimes get obsessed with a font sometimes and use it all the time. for example Din is always going to be my favourite font. personal bad habits are I smoke a lot and sleep late.
Design styles you dislike:Can't think of anything right now.
How would you like to be remembered?I dont want to be remembered, I want to be around forever.
Do you have any new projects coming up that you can tell us about?I am thinking about updating my site with a lot of new stuff that are on my computer that are waiting to be organized. And put some more new music on my site.
Everyone has a morning ritual, I myself has to have two cups of coffee, what's yours?Same here. I drink 1 cup only.
Final comments:Thanks and keep grooving :)
