Ecotronica is a new genre of music inspired by environmental issues. It can be described as â??Sound electronics acoustics mind blowing ecology". Ecotronica combines post punk sounds with a bit of electronic flow - something for fans of the true musical greats of modern music. We caught up with Ecotronica artist HAPI to learn a bit more about the movement... What does Ecotronica mean to you? It combines science and the environment with music as an art and a form of self expression to help to create global positive change. Each song expresses an aspect about the way people are regarding the environment and the world â?? well the environment is the world, really. How did you decide that this is what you want to be doing in life? I always had a burning ambition to do something â?? it hit me when I was ten years old but I didnâ??t know what I was going to do. When I was in my teens I explored music and I gradually realized that this was what I wanted to do but I also wanted to go to university. Believe it or not, I was inspired by Brian May of Queen â?? I can remember being shocked that he had been to university because at that time I thought that musicians were generally relatively uneducated. So you thought this was your chance to do your bit to help save the environment and your community while having a good time? The environment is one of my areas of expertise - I really want to create positive for everyone and everything through music and loads of people love music so I am combining the two. Loads of people love nature and our environment as well and yet important areas of our planet are still not being adequately protected. Do you worry that people are tired of hearing about green issues? Absolutely. So am I sometimes but the problem is not going to go away, it has to be solved. To anyone who is sick of hearing about the environment I would say join in and help because once the problems are solved, no one will need to go on about it any more. Do you get annoyed or frustrated with the world sometimes? Every day actually â?? I just put it into my music. Itâ??s like when youâ??re growing up you donâ??t think that your generation will become cynical, lazy and set in their ways - you think that itâ??s going to be different. Actually, I have noticed a difference lately, people are more aware now than they were but the next thing that we have to be careful of is green washing. Now companies are realizing that there is money in being green, some can make unfounded claims about their products. You need to be careful about what you buy. Do you have any message to those who read this interview, and have the same concerns as you? I hope that they can be supportive of me because I believe that I can make a difference. There needs to be a new figure head and role model and I think that I am the right person for this. Barack Obama has enough to deal with in the USA, as for Al Gore â?? fine that heâ??s trying but as I am an Environmental Science graduate I think that I can perhaps bring a more rational view point to the issues. I have seen some of the feedback about Al Goreâ??s film on the internet and itâ??s obviously difficult to convey Environmental Science to the public as people will pick holes in a theory unless itâ??s water tight. The information can be confusing but we have to keep questioning and also to not give up just because the issues can be difficult to understand. Finally youâ??ve been working hard on your debut album this year called 'Every Atom is Sacred' due to release in 2009. Tell us more... This album is cathartic for me. If you listen to it, itâ??s the lyrics which have the message â?? Iâ??m saying to the world or the listener things that I feel I could never say directly to people in person as they would be offended! I donâ??t understand why people are so sensitive about the way they live â?? the â??people donâ??t like to be toldâ?? thing. People have to be told, especially people who have a choice but continue to make the wrong choice â?? there are some people though who are struggling day to day and helping them is part of the change that needs to continue and ideally to increase. We need more change, faster. The developed world is now developed, itâ??s not perfect but in my opinion we have to look outward because what happens in far away places in the world affects us all. So, HAPI, what's your dream for 2009? To save the world? No seriously, that would take longer than a year and I couldnâ??t do it on my ownâ?¦maybe to try to get everyone to join in! Listen to some of HAPI's music at www.myspace.com/hapivibe

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