From the earliest of days launching renegade assaults on the illicit airwaves of the UK’s underground radio network, James Clements aka: ASC, has since dispersed his diversified interests that reconvene effortlessly.  We can take what’s ever becoming a deeper passage back in time to ’97 and having been engaged in everything from drum & bass, techno and Motown, it comes as no surprise that these varied approaches coexist and even cooperate in fusing these elements – his own label Auxiliary is a testament to this, a child of his previous imprint success Covert Operations.

Where’s this all going?  The heavy textured movements could certainly assume the role of an ambassador compiling policies dictating humanities advancement, alongside a continued perseverance in field work with film scores and the engineering behind a portrait of synchronised media.

James’ creative world refracts a relentless energy and this weeks broadcast reflects that.  Full support at our end.

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Kn:  You’ve come a long way since the days of pirate radio in your school years.  The entire concept played an integral part in how to approach music, can you tell us about how that scene affected you and what you learnt from it?

ASC:  In all honesty, I don’t think it affected my approach at all.  The only thing I learnt from it were the names of tunes that I had otherwise no access to at the time! It was a lot of fun though, especially being a 15 year old kid still at school doing a pirate radio show.

Kn:  You’ve produced a variety of works over the years across various genres, no doubt a derivative of said earlier experiences.  A few prominent techno releases and projects have come about of late – how do you work on your approach to varying sounds, is it just all the one world refracted through a prism?

ASC:  I couldn’t have said it better myself.  It really is just one world, one vision, just refracted through a prism.  Each light that is dispersed is just another part of my sound.  Obviously when I’m working at 120 and the structure is 4/4, the thought into how the music flows is different than it is when I work at 170 and the beats are broken up more significantly, but I still see it as shades of many different colours of my sound.

Kn:  As far as studio time is concerned, is there anything fresh at the moment that you feel is defining or inspiring different avenues of thought whilst you’re working on production?

ASC:  Nothing immediately springs to mind.  I find going over previous techniques and DSP chains that I’ve created and then approaching them differently, or perhaps just taking a step back and thinking outside the box instead of my usual methods can bring great results.  It’s not always about getting new gear, new plugins etc.  It can be as simple as re-inventing the wheel, so to speak.

Kn:  You’re currently releasing the majority of your work on your own label.  How does the label fit into the broader image of what you’re about – how did it come about and where is it going?

ASC:  I’ve always loved doing my own thing, so when Auxiliary originally came to life, I had this whole vision of what it would be all about and where it would fit in with what I was currently doing.  I think if anything, it’s gone beyond that, into more deeper realms than before.  The label originally came about when I was still with Nonplus.  We’d decided that it would be good to do another label, which I was going to start with Consequence originally.  In the end he decided the time wasn’t right for him, so I decided to go ahead on my own and came up with the name Auxiliary.

As for where it’s going, it’s hard to say.  I see it as something natural and organic.  It’s almost got it’s own lifeform and dictates it’s own path.  I very rarely sign a piece of music just on the spot, usually it has to ‘speak’ to me, and some tracks just say Auxiliary when I hear them.  With my own work, it’s slightly different, as I don’t really write with the label in mind.  It’s usually a conscious decision after I’ve let the track seep into my brain over time!

Kn:  What’s on the horizon from here?  You’re already working on film scores outside of a ‘normalised’ routine, is it one of the things you’ll be spending more time on or?

ASC:  Very much so.  This is a where I feel my future lies and I’m looking more and more into getting that one break that I can then use to take my work to the next level.

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Links:  Facebook  /  Buy Auxiliary  /  Beatport

Drugged redshifts, alien frequencies and the implementation of technology capable of conquering the ocular cosmos would be an appropriate precursor for a dissociative narrative and our host this week presents the scenario in a confronting medium.  The modern classic world of Angelo Badalamenti, Klaus Schulze and Ennio Morricone set a precedent; a world’s indispensable depth comprised of a persistent battle between love and hate.  The collateral fragments of this conflict have assisted the release of varied works across imprints such as Prologue, M_REC Ltd. and Electric Deluxe, the latter of which he now calls home.

To be honest we’re still somewhat perplexed as to how he’s acquired the time to complete the projects that have arisen from his headspace of late, most of which endorsed the dense evolving landscapes that have inspired our vista on submergence.  The parameters within which his work resides are still only a tenant of his expansive disposition – we’re only visitors.

Our broadcast host is Giorgio Gigli.

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Kn:  Ideas and venturing into rolling cognitive terrain play a big part in your productions and performances.  What fascinated you when you were younger that inspired this deeper thinking?

GG:  I was largely inspired by emotional and intimate states.  I can say that my main source of inspiration is Love.  Love as an undefined and metaphysical entity, a mysterious but delightful experience who every human experienced during life.  So I was early inspired by ambient music, modern classical and dramatic soundtracks (like Angelo Badalamenti Klaus Schulze, John Carpenter, Brian Eno, Ennio Morricone, Goblin and Tangerine Dream), all the music I can feel particularly emotional.  After them, I did my first approach to Techno listening artists like Plastikman and Speedy J and labels like Plus8 and Probe, I had early understood and analyzed the strong link between Ambient and Techno.

Kn:  Your sounds vary from ominous deep landscapes to intimidating assaults.  How do you think of these two very different sides to you regarding the way you express yourself?

GG:  Yes.  I have these two different sides in my productions.  They are meant, at first, as the desolating solitude of human condition and, in the second phase, the assault of love against anger.  It may be intimidating, of course, since it’s a desperate but powerful scream of Love in a world of hatred.

Kn:  The idea of ‘tomorrow’ isn’t an easy one to approach for some when it comes to incorporating it in music.  How do you implement that doctrine in your own work? (Feel free to go off on your own tangent on what is a vast subject)

GG:  This question brings me memories of my track “Il futuro è solo il ricordo di uno stupendo passato” (“The Future is just the memory of a beautiful past”). It’s hard to translate music in ‘tomorrow’ since it depends on what idea of tomorrow we have.  It’s a subjective and personal interpretation.  For many of us, the idea of tomorrow is something new and never experienced during the past.  For others, the future is a partial alteration of the past that joins actual dynamics and thoughts.  For me it’s a bit more articulated since I think that future is just a projection of our aspirations and desires inside a better context.  When I think to the future, I think to hope.

Kn:  We expect 2012 to be even bigger than the year we just closed doors on.  We’ve seen you successfully release quality records this year not just by yourself, but also the collaborative products have been cause for attention too.  Have you thought much about what you need to achieve with respect to your personal aspirations?  Anything else you feel the world would enjoy reflecting on?

GG:  2011 has been an important year for me and for techno music in general.  A lot of good stuff was released. It’s a great time for techno and I’m fully concentrated to make 2012 bigger than 2011.  There’re so many great techno clubs in Europe and around the globe so I’m happy and glad of them.  It’s not easy for a producer to understand what you need to achieve personal aspirations.  I think it’s a matter of passion and love in the full respect of other artists.  It’s not a comparison matter, I think there’s enough place for everyone, everywhere.  Everyone is great for what he does, if he does them with love, sacrifice, passion and hard work.

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Giorgio Gigli’s podcast has been realized using vinyl with 2 Technics SL-1200 MKII, 1 Technics SL-DZ 1200 and Ortofon Concorde Pro cartridges, 2 disc stabilizers and an Allen & Heath Xone series mixer.

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Links:  Giorgio Gigli  /  Electric Deluxe  /  Zooloft Records / Beatport

A condensed pulchritudinous outlook on anyones inhibitions arguably sets a scene for an anarchical foray into futurity, and it’s this idea that presents every artist with the ominous prospect of making a difference. It’s the lifeline that we attach ourselves to, one that we find within ourselves that ultimately results in self-procurance – this weeks guest, David Brown, effortlessly acknowledges it. If you had the opportunity to attend Fabric on the fifth of November this year, you would have witnessed James Taylor’s final performance alongside Brown, though it stands to reason that both will fulfill their reverie.

It’s been years of commitment and achievement that commenced with the EP “Bueno” [Swayzak Recordings, 1997] which brings us to this time and place. Since then, the releases of ‘Loops From The Bergerie’, ‘Some Other Country’ and ‘Snowboarding In Argentina’ have been featured prominently throughout the past decade and rightly so. The live exploits that ensued only reinforced the denudation.

This weeks special broadcast will put things right, in your own place. You’re with Swayzak.

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Kn:  You guys mentioned in the past that your friends had to give you a subtle push to release your first work back in ’97.  What were you playing around with in those years and what was going through your heads that made you slightly apprehensive about taking the next step?

S:  Mainly playing around with samplers, beer and drug types – the results were our first album + a series of 12″s but lack of confidence I guess, we weren’t the networking types and we didn’t really fit in anywhere with our sound, we weren’t hipster dj’s and didn’t frequent clubs.  We ended up being lumped in with the british tech house scene something that we were never part of, only we were british and made interesting music!  We never tried to push our music on anyone, it was a series of lucky breaks that got our music out.  Mind you, we financed ourselves and very nervously waited for the results.  We had no clue and you can see this in our first EP artwork – it’s a mess!  We mailed a copy to Laurent Garnier, he phoned up and left a message along the lines ” beautiful and moody” things started to get exciting…

Kn:  Fusing different musical interests that the both of you had would of created an interesting dynamic while you both found common ground.  Was there any particular trait that allowed everything to fall into place and is it something that’s constantly evolving?

S:  At the start our styles were different, James was into deep house and hip hop, I was into ambient and Joy Division, but we worked well together – he brought the funk I brought the darkness.  We both went to the same gigs and drank in the same pubs, we were best mates really linked by our music work.  He would be cutting up beats, I would drop the basslines but after a while the roles reversed.  I used to sample Cocteau Twins, he would sample Bob James so it was an odd mix!

Kn:  …and on that note you’ve incorporated the use of vocals more than once or twice, something others perhaps shy away from.  You both seem to know how to do it right, so where do you think this originated from and what thought processes are involved as opposed to that natural instrument being absent?

S:  Listening to pop music since we were kids, Top Of The Pops etc.  We got a bit bored doing instrumental stuff and chance meetings with a couple of singers got us thinking.  Kirsty Hawkshaw was great, Cassy too, Klaus Kotai, a Berlin legend but I don’t know where he is now!  Richard Davis is “the” voice!  We just told them all – do what you like, we don’t produce that way…

Kn:  On the topic of evolution, how do you feel things have panned out as far as your personal growth is concerned?  If you could reflect on one or two things for us that played a part in who you are now, what would it/they be?  (It’s a pretty broad and deep concept so feel free to go off on your own tangent, that’d be great!)

S:  My belly has grown, my face has fattened, I think I am a better producer and have a good ear for a tune and a ear full of tinnitus too, a better knowledge of music.  I learned a lot not from magazines or youtube but from experience on the road and in the studio and that is important, it’s vital to gain experience.  I didn’t know how to mix records, some would say I still don’t, but fuck em it’s about the music you play and the feeling you create!  That’s not something you learn out of a magazine.  I don’t really listen to digital releases which I could get for free but prefer to support the artist / label by buying their records.  I shop and this is an important point – we need records, we need shops.  I don’t mind others playing digital, that’s just progress but I love vinyl so if it’s not on vinyl I don’t play!  Production wise, I have been taking my time to come back with some strong music, and that’s what it’s about…

Kn:  Not many artists have released several quality long players over the years so it must always be a challenge conjuring up the next project.  What’s in the pipeline, or perhaps more importantly, what would you like to venture into that isn’t a realisation as of yet?

S:  2 new albums next year I think but its been 5 years since our last so in fact this is a new dawn for Swayzak.  My partner quit the music industry so I am solo now but not afraid.  I have been taking time over this, it’s about interesting people with good music, not fodder that is big for 5 minutes.  Some killer new tracks with my friend Richard Davis coming too…

 
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Links: Facebook / Beatport / Construct Industries

 
After headlining one of Australia’s more successful festivals in the form of Subsonic, our interview guests have left a lasting impression we’d like to think, one that’s naturally mutated from the earlier incarnations of Son Kite and Trimatic.  Key components of improvisation, meditation and consistent faith have been integral in their successes – appearances on Cocoon, KNM and mule electronic is more than reasonable evidence.  That’s of course all prior to their upcoming 12″ on Traum as well as the heavily anticipated relapses into the discourse of an aforementioned alias.

Their perspective on life should be something that’s admired, and in their own words, life should most certainly dance through you.  We couldn’t agree more.  Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson are the clandestine soliders that configure the front that is Minilogue.

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Kn:  You’ve previously mentioned that you draw influences from both the techno and trance scenes alike.  What in particular influences the Minilogue sound, and in retrospect have there been any special moments that have played a major role in influencing the development of your sound to date?

M:  We might have mentioned that we draw influence from trance and techno.  But that was before… and everything is changing and developing.  We get older and grow as human beings so I would now answer that life and this universe is inspiring us now. A major change in influence and development was when we started to feel more and think less… we started to “jam” and improvise everything instead of planning what to do.  Our daily meditation has made a big difference in our music as well.

Kn:  You’re currently managing two very different projects; Imps and Minilogue.  Would you care to explain the differences for those who don’t know and how does the production process vary for both projects?  What’s coming up in the future for these two projects?

M:  IMPS was a project we started together with two friends from Melbourne, Ian and Phillip alias Decoy.  They came to Sweden a few years ago and we had a jam session together.  We made an album out of the session and released it on Mule records.  Very improvised and jazzy sound to it… with no goals in mind.  We don’t have anything new coming with this project… yet… but who knows! Minilogue is our own main project (Sebastian and Marcus) and we make everything under this name… techno, house, ambient, jazz… well… music.  We’re releasing a new album with Minilogue next year… hopefully beginning of next year.  We also have a new 12″ release on Traum Schallplatten in January.

Kn:  Minilogue encompasses a depth in musical ideas that seem creatively free, as displayed on the Animals album released on Cocoon in 2008.  From dance floor oriented organic techno to lush ambient electronica, how do these very different sounds intertwine with your own thoughts on the ongoing mission as a single entity?

M:  Nowadays we’re trying not to think so much and feel and experience things instead.  So when we feel inspired and creative we sometimes use this creative energy and put it into music without thinking what to do with it… just letting the energy flow through us! In this way we never really know what is coming out… and that’s soooo nice!!!  It’s still us as an single entity but with a more diverse outcome.

Kn:  Your own imprint under the same name was set up as a concept label where you freely release your own material.  So far we’ve seen great releases from the label which adopts a pre digital philosophy, whereby labels used to release both A side and a deeper B side track.  Tell us about the decision to stick to such a risky format?  Any new releases we should be looking out for?

M:  It is like you say… a concept label where we’re free to release whatever we like without thinking of sales and profit.  We only print a limited amount and make it more of an art thing than a traditional label thing.  In this way we don’t feel any risk since we’re not looking for profit.  If we’re not looking for gain there will be no pain.  At the moment we don’t have any new release planned… we’re putting all our energy into the new album.

Kn:  You’ll be returning to a European winter after leaving Australia.  Is the quieter period of this season a time where you focus on different aspects of your lives and sound and is there anything in particular that you want to accomplish before the curtains of summer 2012 are drawn?

M:  We’re moving away from the future driven way of living since we believe this is something that distances us from life, what is now is never away and we believe our purpose is to meet what is now as honest as we can.  When we get back home we’ll share some time in the studio together and finalize the last parts of our new Minilogue and Son Kite album, after that we don’t really know.

Kn:  You’ve just played the Subsonic Music Festival, just north of Sydney.  An outdoor event that’s perfectly conducive to the deep hypnotic techno sound of Minilogue.  How did you perform in terms of the live construct?  Surely there must be a level of improvisation going on between the both of you when you play live? Are you showcasing any new material for your Australian tour?

M:  It was an amazing festival and we had a super great time while playing.  Our liveset is pure improvisations, we have prepared a way of playing that enables us to create new soundscapes and rhythms while we’re playing, working to get into this very moment; creating a possibility for the people dancing to the music to move into the present moment; the only place where a deep experience can take place.  This is the main reason why we play live.

Let life dance thru you!

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Links:  Minilogue  /  Beatport  /  Facebook

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A few more words worth hearing from Minilogue at Mutek 2010…

We’ve always found a sort of comfort in confiding in electronic assassins and the silent requiems that are a result of their pursuits, perhaps none more so than our broadcast host this week. The birth of his path dates back to the vibrant cultural paroxysm that was Detroit in the mid to late 80′s which choreographed a timeless blueprint thats true soul is easily recognisable in any performance or release that’s made its way from his world.

Now even though he’s confessed that much of that segment in his life has been pseudo-erased, unintentionally or otherwise, it delivered the infrastructure that supported the exposure for ‘The Autonomous Music Project’, sub explorations with Echospace/CV313 and one of the standout records of 2011 ‘Hash-Bar Loops’ on Soma – that’s all without even grasping the  alias’ and back catalogues that encompass various tangents.

We’ll terminate any further projections as it’d only derail the exercise of deploying the decoys that entrench themselves in an ethereal saga. You’re with Rod Modell, aka: Deepchord.

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Track List:

01. Rod Modell “Pressure Drop” (Unreleased)
02. Gez Varley “Soul Gate” (Force Inc)
03. Ghislain Poirier “Orange Brûle” (12k)
04. Giriu Dvasios “Vesu – Quantic Mix” (Cold Tear Records)
05. Grit “Ride” (mnml ssgs)
06. Glimpse & Alex Jones “True Friends” (Kindisch)
07. Itmar Sagi “Mr Bandi – Original Mix” (Drumcode)
08. Phillipe Cam “Karine” (Kompakt)
09. Merv “Melted Vein” (Dancecop)
10. Pacou “All It Takes” (Cache)
11. Female “Viva” (Downwards)
12. Mike Dehnert “Without” (Fachwerk)
13. Murmur “Mesh” (Meanwhile)
14. Scuba “Aesaunic” (Hotflush Recordings)
15. The Juan MacLean “A Human Disaster – House of House Mix” (DFA)
16. Octal “Heavy Petting” (Thule Musik)
17. Haiko Laux “101/106″ (Tresor)
18. Pacou “Minus – MLZ Remix” (cache)
19. Pacou “All It Takes – Huckaby SYNTH Mix” (Cache)
20. Orlando Voorn “Planet Ultra” (Cache)
21. Mark Ernestus “Meets BBC” (Honest Jon’s)
22. GoGooo “Dérive” (mOAR)

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Kn:  Being from Detroit, you wouldn’t of had to look far to find inspiration around you and get caught up in a revolutionary movement developing.  How did things play out in those years for yourself and what did you take away from the relationships you forged?

DC:  It’s funny… I think I’ve blocked out much of this period.  I grew up in Detroit.  I went to school there and made friends there.  I was at the epicenter of the “techno-revolution” there.  I graduated from high-school in 1987, and went into art school after, so I was living in the midst of it all in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and it was influential.  However… not much has happened since.  It’s sad for me.  It seems like many European scenes took over the development of this music, and they have been working it since.  Detroit could have been like Berlin.  People from Berlin were traveling to Detroit in those years to study the model.  They went back with their notes and started vibrant scenes.

Why couldn’t Detroit grow the seed it planted?  I think there was too much ego and people trying to run with the ball, and score by themselves and consequently ignoring the rest of the team.  I think all the successful techno scenes were developed by teams rather than individuals.  If the Detroit techno musicians viewed themselves as part of a team, rather than one guy trying to outdo the other…. we’d have something special today.  I really think Mike at Submerge understood this, and tried this, and it looked like it was going to work for a minute, but then it seemed to unfocus.

Photo by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre

I learned allot there, and made many friends.  Since the 1980’s, Detroit has cleaned up considerably.  Lots of face-lifts, and government grants to clean up the urban decay and blight.  It looks prettier driving through, but I think it’s more dead than ever.  In the midst of “1980’s filthy Detroit”, there was a vibrant art-community drawing from the aesthetic of the city back then.  Great things were coming out of there that were fuelled by the gotham-city darkness.  Now it’s allot more appealing to national chains and developers, but that inner glow is weaker.  I find myself wanting to go there less than ever, and hardly do anymore. Detroit’s soul has been sold.  Berlin may be there in 5-7 years too.  The club scene there that’s making it so vibrant will be the first thing to go once big-money and developers invest more in the city.

Kn:  Like your peers, there would of been one or two defining moments where you felt as though everything clicked and you never looked back.  Anything that still stays with you to this day that makes you smile and keeps true to your own perspective on music?

DC:  I think that viewing my sound outside of a musical context was profound and liberating.  I don’t consider what I do music.  Maybe more sound design.  I really never wanted to create music.  In fact… I always pondered if I was a music hater, or a music lover.  Probably a music hater.  I view what I do as creating soundscapes for stimulating higher thinking.

20 years ago, I was involved with the Hare Krishna’s.  I would chant at the temple everyday.  I loved this and looked forward to it.  It’s all I wanted to do.  I would go into the temple, and start chanting the mantra, and about 10-15 minutes into it, something would snap in my brain.  Chanting this loop over and over caused a profound positive change in my head.  My system was flooded with endorphins, and I had a euphoric sensation like floating in space.

Later, I moved away from the Krishna’s and wanted to recreate this sensation.  I found I could do it by making these loops in my studio.  A similar effect was obtained.  The looks on peoples faces in a crowded club at 4am is extremely similar to the faces at 4pm in the Krishna temple.  The Krishna’s mantra is causing the same psychological effect as a club’s sound system.  My job is to make new software to run on the club’s hardware.  This is how I view it.  I think understanding this loop-aesthetic via my association with the Krishna’s was profound for me.  I like repetition.  I remember I didn’t listen to anything but “Music For 18 Musicians” by Steve Reich for about a year.  Listening to that record intensely for a year was also profound.  But interestingly, for inspiration… I look to artists outside of the musical world.  I’m more inspired by people like David Lynch and Andy Warhol.  Not necessarily by the art they’ve created, but more by their pioneering spirit, and focus.

Kn:  You’ve now moved on from Detroit – was the relocation merely a convenience or was it the result of wanting to expand your own aspirations and vista on where you wanted to proceed?

DC:  Some people are highly influenced by their surroundings.  Others can live anywhere and it has no effect.  I’m the type that’s influenced by surroundings, and found Detroit uninspiring.  The city felt overwhelmingly dreadful.  It was really a downer.  I felt like I needed to get out before I was suffocated.  It wasn’t out of convenience really.  It may actually be more convenient to be there.  As time goes on… I actually would like to be more isolated from a metropolis.  I think a small community in Estonia sounds good right now.  Or Suomenlinna Island near Helsinki.  Actually, in recent years, I’ve become fond of Holland.  Personally, I find the people there to be most “normal” to me.  Their mannerisms and overall way of life seem most similar to mine.  I feel less like a tourist there than anywhere else.  I actually feel (considerably) more like a tourist when I’m in Detroit.  I never felt more like I was home then when in Holland.

Kn:  On the production front, understandably, you have a close affinity with analogue gear.  What’s the situation like today if we take a virtual tour of your own studio space, and what gear is still getting a work out and why?

DC:  I’m actually breaking away from hardware in favor of a more computer-driven approach.  It’s funny… many people make a big deal of the analog gear.  The truth of the matter is… I only used hardware because I didn’t have a computer.  I got my first computer 4-5 years ago.  I was never a computer person.  I bought a Prophet 5 in 1989 for $350, and the only reason it was that expensive was because it was mint condition.  If it was a little beat up, it would have been $250-$300.  That was the going price for a Prophet 5 in the late 80’s.  Back then, I bought three TB-303’s for $120.  I went into a pawn shop, and they had 3 of them.  I asked “how much”, and the guy said “if you take all 3, I’ll do $40 each”.  Nobody wanted this stuff back then.  Back then an Ensoniq Mirage was $2500 (and there was a waiting list at that price…. when the music store got them in, the whole load was gone same day).  Digital was the future.  Everyone was dumping Prophet 5’s for DX7’s.  So I had a load of this stuff because it was cheap.  It only became insanely priced in later years.  Then when all the analog gear became expensive… I started stocking up on Linn-Forat 9000’s and SCI Studio 440’s because now, those were cheap.

So anyway…. it wasn’t really a conscious decision to use analog gear.  It was just because it’s what I had.  I think if I had a computer at the time, I would have used that instead.  In the late 80’s, if I could have afforded to dump all the analog stuff and buy a Mac + Samplecell cards / Sound Designer II / Turbosynth, I would have, but that cost $5000 at the time.  So I stuck with the “junk”… TR808/909, Prophet 5’s, Oberheims etc.  In the future, I would like a studio space, that looks like a white cube, with no gear in site.  Then I decide to work on music, and take a computer out of a hidden drawer.  It’s about Zen.

Honestly, the computer-route IS sonically crappier.  It’s true.  However…. when you consider all the pluses / minuses of hardware vs. software, the plus list is 2 pages long for software, and one sentence long for hardware (sounds good & fun).  That being said… I’ve only used a software synth in one song ever (SYNTH 01 Electromagnetic Dowsing – FM7 test driven by my SND SAM-16 sequencer).  But I do plan on more VSTi experiments in the future.  But for now, I do like the computer environment for recording, wav editing and FX.  I think a computer is the ultimate sampler.  I’ve been porting my old Linn 9000, Studio 440, Fairlight IIx, and EIII libraries into the computer over the past few years.

Kn:  You’ve undertaken several projects in the past, notably conjuring up various alias’, some of which have now been terminated.  What changed on the concept front – allocating the vast sounds of your back catalogue would of meant something to you, a meaning you no longer felt relevant or..?

DC:  I guess it’s just different names for different moods / styles.  For instance… I did a post-industrial ambient project on Kim Cascone’s Silent label in the mid 90’s.  It was processed shortwave radio and MS20 growls.  This would never fit on DC.  So I guess it was more to delineate between different sounds.  I would actually like to revisit some of these side projects.  I feel like some of theme weren’t fully realized conceptually, and would like to go back and complete the original vision.

Honestly, right now I’m most into field recordings.  It’s almost all I play in my home.  I carry a small wav recorder with me everywhere, and record whenever I can.  I like playing these all day around the house while doing other things.  Like the Tokyo recordings in Liumin and the Amsterdam recordings in Hash Bar Loops.  It’s better than photos for recalling a place.  But it’s an acquired taste.  When I play these recording for friends, they don’t get it.  But if you do get it, and can start to enjoy field recordings… you really learn to listen deeply, and this is a skill needed for any musical / sound production.  So listening to field recordings can be a great training for all musicians.

Kn:  The question begs – where to from here in the broader scheme of life?  If we get the chance to cross paths in some years, which I hope we will, what world do you envisage for yourself?

DC:  I would say submerged in the art world more than the music world.  I actually always hated being considered a musician.  I thought it was way too limited to describe what I do.  I like to create conceptual sound worlds.  Massive environments.  Enveloping audio fields.  Without much regard to melody, measure, etc.  My audience has been clubs over the years, but honestly… I feel like it belongs more in an art gallery.  I love how at Sonar Festival (in Barcelona), how the event takes over local art museums.  When I go to Sonar, I never spend any time watching musical acts.  I spend all my time absorbing installations in museums.

I think as I get older, I’ll probably become more of a hermit, living in the countryside and working on music, photography and video in equal measure.  Maybe Netherlands since it’s the place where I feel the most “in place”.  I guess life is an adventure full of possibility.  We’ll see how it unfolds.  I know, thought, that I’ll always be creating, because to me… it’s the key to self-fulfilment.  It’s a purpose for being here.  It’s my contribution to society.  So I can’t stop, or there would be no reason to go on.

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Links:  Beatport  /  Booking via Apelago

 
For a lot of people, it’d feel like yesterday since our interview guest found his feet at the footsteps of Amnesia, Ibiza.  Though as techno and electronica developed over the years and time marched on accordingly, he’s not only participated in the movement, he’s been a pivotal catalyst.  Furthermore, it’s given birth to a procession of heavily fortified releases which more than justified his inclusion on Cocoon’s booking roster.  Now some would argue to themselves, and rightly so, that taking a breath and finding contentment in such an achievement would put their aspirations at ease, though it only served as a direct mandate to continue a digital altercation.
 
Paco Osuna’s words and performances have never fallen on deaf ears, so it comes as no surprise our interview allocation shuts doors and sheds a glimpse of light on fresh projects.

–

Kn:  Your early days playing as a resident at Amnesia in Ibiza must of been very exciting times for you as an emerging artist.  Where do you draw most of you inspiration from these days?

PO:  Day to day I was looking at what the other djs played, it did’t matter what style of music, each dj that was spinning showed me something.  It was a great experience to be part of Amnesia during that period, because I learned how to make people dance and also I learned a lot about different styles of music.

Kn:  You’ve had some big releases on labels such as Plus 8 along with the growing success of your own Mindshake imprint.  What’s coming up next in your release schedule and what plans do you have for developing the label?

PO:  Well, the schedule depends on the gigs.  I am the kind of person that needs to be seated in the studio and relaxed to produce and right now I have so many gigs that once I arrive home I don’t feel like going to the studio to produce.  But as soon as I have had a couple of days to relax I work on it;  hopefully soon I will be focused again on studio time. 

About Mindshake, the idea is to develop the label as much as possible, with parties, new artist, etc… Mindshake is like my little son and as I say before it has to grow up.

Kn:  Any plans for a Paco Osuna Album?

PO:  Yes, very soon I have in mind to work on that, probably after the break I am going to have in January and in February I will be producing a lot and I hope what I do will be good enough to release an album, but what I can say is my album is not going to be for dancefloor, maybe 1-2 tracks but not more, it will be more for listen.

Kn:  Technology has made it possible to stretch ideas without limiting one’s imagination.  Tell us about your new hybrid DJ/Live set up and how it allows you to translate your ideas to produce dynamic sets?

PO:  I dont know, my dj sets always depend on the crowd and the atmosphere.  Sometimes I do sets where I focus more on the music than on the effects and sometimes I do sets creating crazy effects all the time.  It depends on the crowd but I always try to use the technology for the maximum possibilities, because for that it was created and I like not to be obvious and to surprise people with new things.

Kn:  You had quite a busy touring schedule with your Mindshake fall tour.  Tell us why this tour was so special for you?

PO:  It was very special because I had a few people with me recording on video at all times, all the nights and all the gigs, for a project I have in mind for 2012. I will announce this soon!!

Also, every time I am in US it is very special for me, I love that country and the scene there.

–

Links:

Paco Osuna  /  Beatport  /  Facebook
Mindshake Records  /  Beatport  /  B4 Bookings  /  Facebook

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Tour Dates December 2011: 

07.12.11 | BCM, Mallorca. Spain
10.12.11 | Kama Kama, Tuscany. Italy
16.12.11 | Proyecto, Guimaraes. Portugal
22.12.11 | Goa, Rome. Italy
23.12.11 | Kristal Club, Bucharest. Hungary
24.12.11 | Eventual Music 2011, Mallaga. Spain
25.12.11 | Memento Night at Refresh, Padova. Italy
26.12.11 | Pygmalio, Dublin. Ireland
31.12.11 | Paco Osuna 5hr Set at Club 4, Barcelona. Spain

Photography by Jeff Heurteur

Heavy mechanical paraphernalia lines the walls of this weeks broadcast – a confronting acknowledgement of tomorrow’s landscape, perhaps. Montreal born, our guest wasted no time in submersing himself in left field thought after relocating to Athens, an environmental framework that’s escalated his work to be one of Perc Trax’s flagship conspirer. To corroborate the claim, his full album release FLAWS effortlessly defends any cross-examination.
 
You can safely deduce that you’d be hard pressed locating extensive media exposure, and for good reason. It’s more so a tactical development that’s a direct imitative of an artist that’s more so inclined to relocate his conscious in the company of virtual explosions, as opposed to reckless vanity. The next hour that defines this weeks installment is a twisted provocation, and we’ll happily sanction your own industrialised retaliation.
 
Your host – Sawf.

Kn:  Not much is known about you from the media perspective.  Tell us about your background and what influenced you musically growing up?

S:  Well, I was born in Montreal, Canada and soon after moved to Crete, a Greek island, and at the age of 17 moved to Athens.  Before I got into techno the music that got most of my attention was usually close to rhythm noise, industrial and weird electronics in general.

Kn:  Coming from a more secluded area of Europe and with a small number of artists in Greece, from where was your inspiration derived and how did you harbour it to progress yourself?

S:  My inspiration obviously was always coming from non greek artists.  Home practice with every gear or software I could get my hands on is how I developed and progressed.  Focusing on a small amount of software or hardware helped as well not to get confused throughout the process.

Kn:  Every artist needs their own space and not being constantly bombarded by stimulus or being constantly influenced/exposed to trends will always breed a fresh orientation – how do you adjust to the outside world (in every sense) whilst maintaining your own path?

S:  I guess the only need I feel to adjust to the outside world is only through my sound whether its a track or a gig.  Being away from european dancefloors where rhythm music gets a proper play out forced me to maintain my own path sound wise.  Also being into techno before the minimal rise of 2005-6 helped as well in order to be fully aware of how filthy techno can be.

Kn:  As people, we are a direct result of our experiences and surroundings.  What would you say has been one of the most pivotal moments that shaped the Sawf sound over the past 3 years?

S:  Well, when 2008 got my first track out, techno had not begun to get the hype that gets now.  So, in terms of heaviness, I knew from the beginning where I wanted to go.  I think what mostly shaped my sound is, as I said, home practice.  There were times that hearing a track from another artist intrigued me to start a track of my own but the result of this work are some tool tracks I keep for myself.  All the tracks that I have released mostly on Perc Trax are a result of endless experiments and the need always to use different elements on each track.  You can add to that the fact that I try to avoid as much as possible using the same sounds in more than one track and I never have a release in mind when starting or finishing a track.

Kn:  This year we saw the release of your first album titled FLAWS on Perc Trax with a remix package following later in the year.  An intoxicating mix of industrialist techno and sound scape’s.  How did it all come together and how did the different tracks fuse to create a single entity that represented your current time and place?

S:  All the different sounding tracks of Flaws have somehow a connection which is actually hard to be noticed even to me.  Usually when a techno album is out there are some sounds, whether its the drum parts or the strings, that are used throughout its length.  I guess this helps people to call it an album and perceive its unity.  In Flaws this is hardly the case.  After some talking with Ali (Perc) we thought that we could give it a shot and collect all of these tracks (that were made in different periods of time and without having an album in mind) and make an album.  You will not find any trippy underlying hidden message in Flaws’ order of tracks.  Of course, current time and place did not play any role on releasing except the fact that it was the beginning of 2011, which looked like an interesting year in techno and hard electronics.

Kn:  With an ever increasing arsenal of releases, most of which have featured on the previously noted label Perc Trax, have you thought about where you would like to direct yourself?  Cross collateralising various media or other ideas that are on a different tangent to your current state? 

S:  Yes – Perc Trax has released most of my work even the most strange and undanceable ones.  Media, except sound, is not my strong point so I would rather leave it on the side for the time being as I think that my sound is still evolving and I would like to focus on that.  Moving synchronised image is something that seems appealing to me but since my technical knowledge is on a low point I would rather not get into it myself.  Other ideas besides 120+ bpm should be some low tempo tracks that i make when i get tired from the speed of the beats and have not a releasing purpose .

 
It’s been a calculated campaign that’s defined the lead up to Australia’s Subsonic festival, and one of it’s headline artists has spent a few moments with us to discuss his own relentless pursuit of electronic fulfilment.  It’s perhaps this focus that places his perspective in a more realistic space that insists on originative reconnaissance, rather than a dilute solution that often others find comfort in.

These traits played an imperative role in securing consistent releases at Laurent Garnier’s F Communication’s imprint – a reassuring sense of purpose, surely.  Now, as we move forwards from those earlier successes he’s broadened his own expectations, that he’s solely placed on himself, leading to an eclectic foray working alongside the likes of Spencer Parker, Phonique and Pig & Dan.

This weeks interview guest, Alexkid, will provide further elaboration.

 
Kn:  It’s been some 14 years since your first release “Playground”, and having the backing of Laurent Garnier would have fortified your own confidence.  How did that moment eventuate and what did you immediately take away from it?

A:  The immediate effect was that my family understood I was being serious about making music.  Before releasing a record, your family always thinks you’re daydreaming and don’t really understand.  On top of that, the release was on Laurent Garnier’s [label] who was already widely known in France.  It is funny how your music materialized as an object suddenly makes people understand you’re serious about it.  I have to admit that my mother always supported me in my choices, but this made her feel secure about what I was doing.

Now, if we talk about confidence, I never had an approach to music as being someone who was doing the right thing.  Confidence is when you know what you’re doing but I don’t think that the opinion of someone else validates your choices.  I never ask my friends if the music I do is good.  Either they do like it, either they don’t… so, to make it short, releasing on FCom helped me, and of course it proved me and my family that I could be doing this “for a living”, but it never made me feel my music was better than someone else’s.  As an artist, I believe it is good to have doubts, and the fact that I’m never 100% happy keeps me going.  We’re all in search of the perfect beat.

Kn: …and no doubt you were heavily involved within a fresh movement in the French scene back then. How do you feel the French music environment is proceeding at the moment?

A:  Here in Australia, the french scene is mostly represented by the likes of Daft Punk, Ed Bangers, and Institubes.  I feel this is not really good.  It’s been shadowing other artists who truly want to defend electronic music.  I’m friends with some of the before mentioned guys, but I never did relate to their music.  I think it is pop, not electronic.  At the moment there’s a little crew in Paris doing amazing stuff, and also being great djs.  I would name all the people from Lola Ed (Dyed Soundorom, Shonky , Yakine, Seuil, Okain) and also people like Varoslav, Mlle Caro, Molly, who bring a fresh vision on the music and are passionate about it.  There is a bit of a Renaissance and I hope it will last.  The scene at the moment in Paris is much more interesting than when I left Paris to Berlin about 3 years a go.

Kn:  Earlier forays into Drum ‘n’ Bass and Nu Acid would have aided in a diverse outlook, surely.  How did you create a cohesive assortment of ideas amongst the deafening noise of the electronic music fulmination?

A:  Ha… good question.  I actually just do what I like, I don’t know if I am cohesive or not.  I always felt I wasn’t making much sense!  I grew up with House and Techno but started with Downtempo and Drum and Bass…  I did so because I play guitar and it felt more right to include these elements in this genre.  Now that I barely ever put any live instruments in my songs, I feel like doing house and techno.

Kn:  On a similar note, you’ve worked with a range of artists and vocalists.  How do these projects take form?  Are you proactive or is it something that mutually solidifies as you cross paths with others in your life and are there any examples in particular that have redefined your perspective?

A:  I work only with people I have a good feeling with and I leave a certain amount of freedom as I believe good music appears from collaborations.  I like being surprised and being put in danger, artistically, so I’m always keen on hearing something I didn’t expect. Though, it has happened that I didn’t like some of the results and asked to restart again.  It is important to keep in mind that an artist needs a certain margin of freedom to feel comfortable in doing something, that’s what I try to give to the people I work with.

Kn:  F Communications was your prominent base for sometime – how do you work with labels these days given the fact your work has appeared on various platforms that have their own direction?

A:  My latest stuff was with Cadenza, Freerange, Rekids, Cabin Fever, NRK, and now Desolat.  I feel that all of these have a link in common.  It is some kind of leftfield House, beat driven but a bit edgy too.  I feel this mash up represents me.  F Com at the end had too many expectations regarding what I should do and it eventually led me to release a third album (Caracol) that to me is a bit in between two worlds but not in a right way.  They would have loved me to release more “Come with Me”‘s and “Don’t Hide it”s but I didn’t want to go that way.  I always compare electronic [music] to jazz and we, as electronic musicians, are supposed to explore.  I like pop but that’s definitely not what I want to do as Alexkid.  I love putting vocal tracks in an album but I dislike that they’re the ones becoming club singles… they should be aimed at radio play.

Kn:  As mentioned, many labels harbour their own visions but those that approach it from the angle of constructing a family certainly allure intrigue.  What are your thoughts on the over all approach of newly erected labels today?  What sets some aside from others?

A:  Hmmm… difficult.  In my opinion, very few succeed to have a real image at the moment and some of them had it but lost it trying to follow a trend.  Also, and Alas, the whole digital era has brought a lot of confusion to the situation and people have lost perspective of what they should really do, and most of all why they should do it.  Less and less people are passionate about it.  A big part of the young generation of dj’s do it because it is cool to be a dj but they don’t wake up with that thing in their guts that keep them going.  You can also apply that to producers and labels.  Everything is diluted, now that it is so easy to come up with something semi-decent.  We have semi-decent-tracks- released by semi-decent labels, played by semi-decent dj’s and all the good stuff is lost in this tsunami of half-decent, generic music (not to say that most of it is pointless).

Before, if you wanted to make electronic music you had to buy hardware, spend a lot of time learning; the labels would be more picky to release you music because vinyl has a cost and djs would be more picky  because a vinyl was 8 or 10 euros.  Now, the value of music is lost.  Why would a young kid try to put value in his music and have people feel the compulsive need to buy it when they themselves download the music for free on the internet?

I would like people to do it with Love.  Thank god there’s people doing so.  Maybe some should just stop making music, if they do it for Fame.

Kn:  The Subsonic festival here in Australia that you’re participating in this weekend is going to be a defining moment on the summer calender and you’ll also be joined by other well respected artists. How are you approaching the lead up to this festival as opposed to a standard tour or club event?

A:  I’m really looking forward to this.  I’ve only heard amazing feedback about it as being a first class festival as a matter of comfort and vibe.  I have played a few times already for the guys, and they’re lovely, so I can’t wait for the fun times ahead.  I really do not know how I’m going to approach this but I will do my best to bring something maybe a bit different.  It is always a connection to the audience.  Sometimes there’s a great connection, and you can go far, sometimes it is a bit more tricky and you don’t have the exact same freedom.  I’m sure it will be a blast.

Kn:  All the effort and prolific work in the past sets a precedence – where to from here?  Talk us through what’s going on in your head space that’s dedicated to tomorrow?

A:  If I only knew where I’m headed, I most likely would be able to get there…  but I like taking unusual paths.  Maybe I will end up doing arty installations, who knows…

–

Alexkid plays Subsonic Festival this weekend in NSW, Australia.  Tickets available directly from Subsonic Music

Links:  Alexkid  /  Faceboook

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Track List: 

01 Jeff Mills – Brace Yourself (AxisCD044)
02 Egor Boss – Neon (Gynoid051)
03 Delko – Asilo (Ness Remix) (SHT031)
04 Dacido & Meta – Eruption (Jeroen Search Remix) (FluxusDigital01)
05 Lee Holman – Perception (HOME009)
06 Jeroen Search – Paper Space (CSF035)
07 Claudio Masso – Just a Reason (Gynoid053)
08 A Hvich – Directory T (Logotech’s Innerview) (Archetype 001)
09 Shifted – Junk (Mote Evolver21)
10 Joboday – Display (Patrick Bolton remix) (SMR011)
11 Dadub – Biopoiesis (SA Monad VIII)
12 Darkcell – Radiant Flux (Translucent 3)
13 Mattias Fridell – Justify Or Prove (Gynoid054)
14 MFS – Institoris (Translucent 7)
15 Antonio De Angelis – Straight To The Bank (Gynoid07)
16 Peter Van Hoesen – Last One AT 1080 (Inertia-1)
17 Headroom – Strike (PRUK34)
18 Headroom – Giger (COMP01)
19 Blind Summit – Subconcious Distractions (UTSCH)

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Kn:  It’s been eleven years now since your first release with close friend Alexander Johansson, and even longer since you started to bind an ever closer affiliation with music in Sweden.  Can you tell us a little about how growing up led you to where you are now?

MF:  Well, I really think I’m a product of the environment, hehe.  I grew up in a very musical family and I found friends with a similar music interest early on.  We used to buy records and record tracks & mixes on a double-cassette deck I had.  My parents had an old keyboard with a very simple sequencer that we played with & recorded the result.  That’s probably the foundation for my early productions.  Electronic music got us hooked right away.  A few years after I met up with Alexander we discovered that we shared the same common goal to really focus hard on our biggest interest music.  

The Techno movement is Sweden was coming on strong and we really liked the whole thing.  It was very inspiring.  We had so much fun during these learning years and we were probably considered very nerdy for sitting in front of computers, synths & groove-boxes and constantly talking about music and music production, haha.  After our first release we got some amazing feedback and the record went well.  Soon after we got offers from other labels and that’s the path that took me to where I am today.  After several releases Alex took a 6 year long break from Techno but I never stopped.

Kn:  You played an equal hand in founding Tonal Path with Glenn Wilson, which certainly has hosted some outstanding records in the past and this year is no exception.  If we deconstruct its origins, what was the underlying sentient behind starting the project and what have you learnt along the way?  Plans for it’s future?

MF:  The Tonal Path project was set in motion after much talking between me and Glenn.  We wanted to have a platform for our collaborations and Glenn felt that his other labels didn’t fit the style & direction we wanted to focus on.  He had a nice logo formed as a T from a former live-project with Dean Rodell and we decided to use that one for the label.  Also the name Tonal Path comes from an old track by Glenn on Planet Rhythm that made a huge impact on my work and its also one of Glenn’s personal favorite tracks from himself.  We figured that was a nice name to use especially since the musical output on the label was gonna take a different “path” or “bridge” then our previous work.  We worked fairly hard to form the musical concept and discarded many ideas along the way & the first release “The Bridge” is something we’re really proud of.  We got some nice demo submissions and felt we wanted to let a selected bunch of artists hop on the vision of the label.

For 2012, Tonal Path will release more records from producers we really like and share the same mentality and ideas with.

Kn:  On the subject of recent releases, your own EP Pataphysics on Labyrinth not so long ago is one of the stand out pieces of work this year as far as we’re concerned.  How did you approach the record and what kind of strategies and tactics do you incorporate in the studio, generally, to communicate the ideas from your head space to the final product?

MF:  Thanks!  I’m really happy about the reactions to that EP. I’ve always been into mysterious music and music with a certain science-fiction approach. Previously I have released tracks like this on Teskoba and Sub sequent but with this EP I went a bit deeper, atmospheric and slower.  I have always liked science.

I made “Column of Gas” first and it really started out as a simple jam session in the studio while I was following the Kepler telescope and its journey to find new exoplanets.  The melody sequence was setting the mood and I figured it would sound nice with some sweeping eerie atmosphere clusters in the background.  The drums are the obvious 909 sounds, processed with tubes, reverbs & delays.  It feels like when making this sort of Techno there is a frame you have to stay within to keep the consistency.  I like this, limiting yourself is inspiring.  I wanted to have a movement in the rhythm sections as well as the synths so that was what I focused on.  The other tracks on the EP follows these directions as well but the “Solar Nebula” track is more dreamy.

Back in the days it used to be so much harder for me to translate what I had in my mind to the machines and the music, but today it’s kind of a 6th sense really.  I like to work with a concept, an idea very often.  Though in most cases I just sit down and start with something and see where it’s leading and I go from there.  I use lots of effects processing when I work.  I like to build huge chains of effects and experiment with them.

Something I use very little of is, surprise, compression.  I used to smash the compressors like crazy in my productions but the recent years I’ve been leaning away from it, its a maturity thing I think… To not use compression at all.  I am aware that it sounds really odd, haha.  There are many other nice ways to get punch and bite in the music, like saturation, filtering & balancing. A friend to me used to say this “First you need to learn everything the right way, then you know how to exploit the faults”.  That also applies to music production!

A trick I can share is to side-chain a reverb with a kick, make the reverb mono and low-pass filter it, mix it a little with the kick and suddenly you have a nice warm bass-line playing along with the kick.  Experiment with different time & decay values and different filtering to suit your needs.

Kn: …similarly, recycling and rebuilding ideas is always an ongoing process.  Does reflecting on your own previous constructions aid in your push forwards, and what does it mean to you at a personal level?

MF:  Yes definitely.  Reflecting on my own material is really pushing me forwards.  Sure sometimes I can sit and listen to an old track I made and wonder what I was thinking but not that often anymore.  I have lots of very old unreleased tracks that I still like a lot.  There is a special charm about listening & analyzing older tracks and production wise I’m often happy with my old stuff even today.  When it comes to sound quality… let’s say I just know so much more today but of course its an experience that I’ve gained through the years.  Experience is really important.  In todays modern age I find that many young producers complain if they can’t get a record out after just 3-4 months of music-production experience.  Why stress?  There is no need to do that, it’s not good to be impatient.  Better to take the time needed to really learn and explore and research!

Kn:  The mix you’ve done for us is something you should be proud if, it’s a killer journey, so many thanks at our end.  Is there anything we should be aware of as we move ever closer to 2012?  Anything in particular that’ll ensure you’ll be content knowing everything is in it’s right place?

MF:  Thanks, glad you mention “journey” this is something I often try to accomplish with my mixes.  Happy to deliver a mix to Kana! Regarding 2012… I have much stuff coming up that year & many nice projects I’m happy to be part of.  I’ve signed with a couple of very interesting labels which I’m honoured to work with so 2012 will definitely be good!  Something people will see more of is that I will use more aliases for different styles of music, I started this already this year.  It feels like I managed to cause confusion with my many varied styles under my own name so I’m going back to use more aliases again.  Beside this I have remixes and music coming out on Gynoid Audio, Reform, Eshu, Sonntag Morgen and other nice labels.  I’m really looking forward to 2012.

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Links:  Facebook  /  Myspace  /  Soundcloud

Buy:  Juno  /  Beatport

Bookings:  8bit Bookings

Finding peace and encouraging solidarity isn’t a trait that’s omnipresent in the world of electronic music as far as we’re concerned, but it certainly does exist in those who are still dreaming, and it’s this allurement that brings us to this weeks guest.  His presence on the global techno stage over the years is a result of a relentless and solitary crusade that’s manufactured the creation of his own imprint, Asymmetric, which now plays host to an alternative view on not just the music itself, but the way it’s distributed and the psychology behind its consumption.  These varying ideals challenge the foundations of the industry.

Having already concluded that a path least travelled presents itself with countless opportunities to progress that would otherwise be missed, he’s enforced a firm cooperative relationship between reengineering hardware and developing customised software – a redefining creative voyage that isn’t often undertaken.  Now, if you were irresolute as to whether or not it’s feasible to harbour conceptual mercenaries, this will dissolve any skepticism.  

This weeks broadcast is in the form of Inigo Kennedy.

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Track List:

Drugstore – The Birth [cicuta002]
Inigo Kennedy – Resist [unreleased]
Xhin – Vent (Pfirter Remix) [sa011]
Mike Parker – Fwd (Donato Dozzy Remix) [prg017]
Makaton – Paradise Lost [token013]
Inigo Kennedy – Yellow Leaf (v3) [unreleased]
Walker Kennedy – Untitled 02 [unreleased]
Death Abyss – The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste [mak032]
Exium – Frontline (Inigo Kennedy Remix) [nheoma011]
Inigo Kennedy – Nothing But Sun [unreleased]
Allan Nonamaka – Most Wrong [fvtd003]
Inigo Kennedy – Revenge (Blawan Remix) [token019]
Death Abyss – Love Is A Weakness [mak032]
Inigo Kennedy – Quagmire [token017]
Allan Nonamaka – The Essence [unreleased]
Donor – Em1 (Forward Strategy Group Remix) [pp033]
Stanislav Tolkachev – Negative Space [tua001]
Inigo Kennedy – The Map [token001]
Elektrabel – Hraju09 [poh007]
Lucy – Pentad [sma010]
Inigo Kennedy – Scatter [token019]
Inigo Kennedy – Untitled (2011_08_05) [unreleased]
Steve Bicknell – Why + For Whom (a1) [cos10]
Inigo Kennedy – Aldebaran [unreleased]

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Kn:  Your label Asymmetric hosted some of your best work.  Is it an avenue you think you’ll reinvent, or are there deeper projects that you’d like to intertwine into your own ideals?

IK:  In many ways Asymmetric was developed specifically to release work that I was very happy with but that was otherwise considered too risky or not commercially viable for other labels or organisations.  I’ve always adopted the position of that being nothing but a compliment even if that might be misguided!  This goes back more to the vinyl days when of course there are commercial pressures to take into account; vinyl is not cheap to manufacture or distribute.  Asymmetric is a much more personal outlet too.  If there’s one thing I want to achieve as a ‘brand’ it’s that Asymmetric is very personal music and quite distinctive.

For various reasons I adopted the digital avenue very early on and evolved Asymmetric the vinyl label to become Asymmetric|MP3.  To me it was clear that this was the way things would go and I doubted then, as much as now, that the right business or commercial models would ever exist for the digital medium.  For years there seemed to be people flailing around in the dark and, in my opinion, also adopting technology for the sake of it; the actual music suffered a lot.  Historically too there were a whole lot of people in the middle that made far more (money) than I ever would from my music.  Not necessarily the primary motivation but definitely unfair and unnecessary.  Now I release the music for free via Asymmetric|MP3 and that’s something I feel reasonably strongly about.  Many people still, although less so now, hold the opinion that this in some way devalues the ‘product’ and I think it’s a pity that that is the way things are.  It’s been interesting to see people realise the inevitable over the last five to 10 years though.

Kn:  On top of your consistent monthly podcasts, the pseudo-recent release of Trust – Acceptance involved yourself and other artists.  A sign of solidarity between those involved no doubt as it’s a free release.  What are your thoughts on it being something that should be incorporated more often?

IK:  Oh yes!  It’s been quite a commitment to produce 90 minute mix every month this year!  Now that the latest TS0011 is done and there’s one more to go this year I haven’t yet decided which way things will go in 2012!

There’s an increasing amount of music made available for free and the quality is shooting up too.  There are actually quite a lot of compilations and net labels around that have adopted a free distribution model.  I’m not really sure if it’s a mark of solidarity or just a commercial reality; it wouldn’t be possible to do projects like that if there was a commercial angle; if there was one it would be basically pointless as everyone involved would take home about enough for half a beer.  I think it’s good to encourage an attitude of generosity with people’s creativity.  It’s also a way of moving away from constraints and let’s people release music that maybe they are really pleased with or that means a lot.

photo by k4

Kn:  Your Asymmetric releases introduced quite a unique techno sound to the world right from the beginning.  A sound that would distinctly become ‘Inigo Kennedy’.  It was documented early on that you achieved this by rewiring the internals of your synthesizers in order to create unique textures.  What fascinated you to get inside these machines to begin with?  Do you still practice these techniques?

IK:  I’ve certainly spent a fair but of time with a soldering iron in my hand!  My early records were basically recorded to cassette through a mixer I built and part of my early sound was more or less down to a brutal filter unit I designed (it’s in the attic these days).  I hacked together all sorts of guitar pedals, oscillators and so on back then as well (there are boxes of all sorts of electronic bits and bobs in the attic too).  Thanks to my dad I’ve got a very inquisitive attitude to technology that has followed me all the way through life.  I suppose it’s contributed to me having a signature sound but I think that that’s also got a lot to do with attitude in general.  Rather than fall back onto the staple techno hardware I’ve always sought out more unusual and digital synths; things that you really have to get under the skin of but that to me is where the gold dust lies.  The same goes for software, I’ve avoided a lot of the big players and like software that encourages accidents or feels more like sculpting than simply filling in squares and joining dots.  There’s no denying I like technology and I’m very happy to feel like in the last few years finally the software revolution has started to allow things to get back to the organic and emotional side of creativity.

Kn:  Leading on from your eclectic production techniques, what are your thoughts on “random generation” VST’s and the like?

IK:  I’ve developed a fair few of my own things in this area; VST plugins to process midi, Reaktor, Max/MSP and so on.  I’m not an advocate of truly random techniques (they’re contrary to how our brains operate so are generally unsatisfactory) but I am very interested in controlled randomness or allowing accidents to happen in subtle ways.  I think some of my best music has come about but letting the machines do unplanned or unpredictable things and then, if necessary, taming the result.  In a hardware studio to some extent this is easier as it’s more about moving faders and controls.  In the software world the concept is perpendicular, there’s less immediate control but there are almost infinite options.  I’m a big fan of a modular sequencer called EnergyXT (the original masterpiece v1.4.1) which I still use religiously.  It’s an inspiring and very transparent way to work to me; allowing you to connect elements in a very organic way.  I don’t like to feel like I’m making music in a linear way and the process of recording a track for me is much more like a one-off performance than a premeditated repeatable thing that has been designed to the smallest detail.

Kn:  Do you have any stand out influences as to why you got into electronic music? What do you like/dislike about the current state of EDM?

IK:  My road to electronic music was through 80′s synth pop and proper early electro into Depeche Mode, etc.  My local library played a big part – the original 80′s “home taping is killing the music industry” era!  What a great way to discover all sorts of otherwise unknown music.  Several very influential radio DJ’s like John Peel and Colin Faver (a London radio legend) pushed me along as I got into techno and Dave Clarke and Jeff Mills opened my ears to the art of vinyl manipulation in the early 90′s.  Without a doubt Aphex Twin is the genius at the top of my inspiration tower.  I’m pretty gob-smacked when I occasionally read comparisons between my music and his.

I think the current state of music is actually pretty exciting.  It’s been through a bad patch as I mentioned above but there’s some fantastic talent around at the moment and there are people doing genuinely interesting things.  There’s a really nice cross-fertilisation of styles happening at the moment – abstract, industrial, techno, experimental.

Kn:  In house sound guys… do you see them as an expectation, a big help, or just a waste of time?  Tell us about your funniest and worst experience with them?

IK:  I suppose I’m fairly agnostic.  Sometimes things are excellent and sometimes they’re a shambles.  Everyone’s got a job to do in a club environment.  There’s a lot going on and a lot of people trying to do a job without knowing anything about each other; that’s not easy.  There have been times when an over enthusiastic sound engineer is tweaking the levels down all the time but it’s only ever really a frustration when the equipment simply isn’t up to the task or is set up badly in the first place!  To be honest the worst (and sometimes best) experiences come from inebriated random people jumping on the stage, picking up needles, stopping records but that’s all part of the fun!  

Usually when there are technical problems it’s when there’s nobody in sight to sort anything out; bad organisation more than anything else.  That said, nothing is quite as embarrassing as picking up the wrong needle during a set!  All too easy with four decks on the go, especially if they’ve for some reason been connected up in a totally confusing order – which happens surprisingly often in itself!

I’m sure when I get to Sydney in December after 24 hours of flying everything will be awesome at the club there! This time I’ll just have to battle with the unpredictable jet-lag!

Links:

Inigo Kennedy  /  Facebook  /  Discogs  /  Asymmetric  /  Discogs – Asymmetric

News:

Saturday 3rd December 2011, Swarm & Fervent presents Inigo Kennedy @ The Valve Bar, Sydney, Australia

Inigo Kennedy ‘TS0011′ mix available for download now!

Out Now:

Inigo Kennedy ‘Revenge’ [TOKEN019] featuring a remix by Blawan
Exium ‘Roots Of Time (Remixes)’ [NHEOMA011] featuring a remix by Inigo Kennedy

Coming Soon:

Joint release between Inigo Kennedy and Allan Nonamaka on Fervent
New Asymmetric|MP3 release [ASYMP321]