Thursday, March 25, 2010

ESPVisuals Interview with Ivan Shopov / Cooh

Today we have an interview with the extremely creative Ivan Shopov aka. Cooh

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Ivan Shopov and I am freelance artist and music producer from Bulgaria. Born in a small town called Troyan, that's situated in the middle of the Balkan Mountain in Bulgaria.


How long have you been illustrating and what are your influences?

I started with drawing when I was 6 as my mother is an artist too and I grew up in her studio. Later on I studied in the school of applied arts in my home town, taking ceramic and sculpture classes. Then after another 5 years I graduated at the National Academy of Arts in Bulgaria with speciality of graphic fine arts. So now I have been doing graphic prints and drawings for 13 years. My influences come mostly from the shapes of the nature twisted through the modern and classical art.

You are also a musician, producing electronic music. Tell us more.

I have been doing electronic music for the last 11 years and I have over 40 drum and bass and dubstep vinyl releases with my aliases Cooh and Balkansky.
Currently working on a few new projects in different styles. One of them is with my new alias for techno music - Drum Kid and another for hard and trippy dubstep - Underhill together with Dean Rodell and Current Value.

How does your music relate to your art or vice versa?

Its all connected, as I am a really creative person and cant stay a minute without doing something with my eyes and ears.
For me the art is in both directions and both help each other in the creative process.
When i do music its the same sence of composition, contrast and balance you have to apply for drawing a picture, so most of the time I spend half of my day drawing, the other half doing beats in the studio.

3 words to describe your art?

Organic, Abstract, Freedom.


3 words to describe your music?

Energy, Emotions, Future.


What are you currently working on?

Preparing new try point prints for my future exhibition in Belgium and setting up a portfolio with my current works to get some more attention over my art from galleries and art collectors.
Musicwise I am finishing some collabs for big labels, working on my solo stuff as Cooh, Balkansky and Drum Kid and sorting my tours all around the globe.

6 comments:

Vasco Bernardo said...

Hello there,

I saw this invterview, from Ivan Shopov's facebook page.

I would like to know if he can give more details about his future exhibition here in Belgium because I would love to catch it!

Appreciate any details!

Anonymous said...

Will get the info on that soon. ;)

Unknown said...

Its not confirmed yet, but should be a little exhibition before my gig on 15th May in Belgium. More details to follow :)

Vasco Bernardo said...

Ok, I'll make sure I catch it :)

And what city is this Bass Factory in?

I'm sorry, but I'm not from Belgium, I'm from Portugal doing an Erasmus semestre...

Unknown said...

here is a flier for the event, have to talk with the guys and see where the exhibition will take place :)
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/122/l_e495224048804c9c9718c80a47daa9e4.jpg

Vasco Bernardo said...

Just remembered I have a trip booked to Portugal in those days.

:( Sadness no to see the exhibit :\

I've seen your work on your myspace and it's really great, I got to know you over your dnb tunes but your drawing really are great.

The "Moth Machine" is just amazing. (both the artwork and the ep haha).

Keep up the good work man, hope to see you some of this days killing the decks or the papers ;)

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