Q:Tell me about the Elyseum project and the new album?
A:The Elyseum project began back In September 2009 with the aim of creating dark ambient electronic music.
The tracks that were to become the album Bipolar were created mostly on a modular synthesizer although a few soft synths were used and some sampling. The mood of the recordings reflects on how I was feeling at the time of making the album. A lot was going on in my life and this came out in the music, if you read the track listing you can see what state of mind I was in. This did have a positive effect on the music if that makes sense as I feel it helped create some really good atmospheres and textures which in turn brought me out of my malaise.
Q:The despair does show in the music you have produced. The tracks "Reflection" seems to have a different, more optimistic feel from the rest of the album, did this track come later on?
A:I think without the melancholy mood I was in, Bipolar would have sounded a lot different, whether it sounds better for it I don’t know. Reflection came a lot later; it was one of the last tracks I wrote. I was feeling a lot better and it shows in the feel of the track, things were on the up for me and writing and recording gave me something to focus on. Sitting in front of my modular synth programming sounds kept me very busy; what seemed like ten minuets work had actually taken hours. All in all it was a very enjoyable experience doing the album.
Q:What sort of modular synth do you use? And how long have you been recording with them?
A:I use a Doepfer modular synthesiser. I have had it for about seven years now and it’s got bigger as time has passed, I add new modules when I need them. It’s up to twenty nine modules now! There are still a few modules I would like to get, some of which are made by other manufacturers. There is some really good kit being made at the moment. One of my other favorite bit’s of kit is the Sherman Filterbank 2, it destroys any audio you put though it. I love it. Plug it in to the modular and the resulting sounds are sublime.
I have been experimenting with the modular for years but Bipolar is the first album I have recorded with it. It takes a lot of patience recording an album on a modular synth but it’s worth all the effort I’ve put in to it. It would be difficult to create the sounds on the album in any other way than how I did and the album wouldn't have sounded like it does.
Q:Would you disagree that the continuing fashion/trend of analog synthesis is just a passing fashion? Or is there still a place for the older machines amongst all the new software versions?
A:I think that the analog trend will pass eventually and people will use what ever sounds are best for their music. I like soft synths and I do use them, I have the Arturia Jupiter 8 which is really good and the soft synths in Logic are good to but I do prefer hardware to software. The trouble with software is when you upgrade your operating system on your computer they sometimes no longer work, you don't have that problem with hardware, and sometimes they crash just when you need them. Sitting in front of a computer screen editing a virtual modular synth is no where as satisfying as patching up a real one. As for digital synths they are just as good as analog synths, they have their own sound and can sometimes do things analog synths can’t do. As far as I’m concerned regarding old or new equipment is if it sounds good use it.
Q:What influenced you to create electronic music? Who were your influences?
A:I’m not really sure what influenced me into creating electronic music. I suppose I partly wanted to emulate other musicians who shaped electronic music back in the late seventies and early eighties. I remember seeing Donna Summer playing “I Feel Love” back in the seventies and thinking how that new sound totally blew me away. I had never heard anything like it in before. Not long after that the early Human League appeared on British television performing “Rock and Roll”, seeing all those synthesizers and three Revox tape machines going all at once was unbelievable. Then I heard albums like “Oxygene” which was very influential. Of course it goes without saying Gary Numan and bands from “Mute Records” were very influential.
A:The Elyseum project began back In September 2009 with the aim of creating dark ambient electronic music.
The tracks that were to become the album Bipolar were created mostly on a modular synthesizer although a few soft synths were used and some sampling. The mood of the recordings reflects on how I was feeling at the time of making the album. A lot was going on in my life and this came out in the music, if you read the track listing you can see what state of mind I was in. This did have a positive effect on the music if that makes sense as I feel it helped create some really good atmospheres and textures which in turn brought me out of my malaise.
Q:The despair does show in the music you have produced. The tracks "Reflection" seems to have a different, more optimistic feel from the rest of the album, did this track come later on?
A:I think without the melancholy mood I was in, Bipolar would have sounded a lot different, whether it sounds better for it I don’t know. Reflection came a lot later; it was one of the last tracks I wrote. I was feeling a lot better and it shows in the feel of the track, things were on the up for me and writing and recording gave me something to focus on. Sitting in front of my modular synth programming sounds kept me very busy; what seemed like ten minuets work had actually taken hours. All in all it was a very enjoyable experience doing the album.
Q:What sort of modular synth do you use? And how long have you been recording with them?
A:I use a Doepfer modular synthesiser. I have had it for about seven years now and it’s got bigger as time has passed, I add new modules when I need them. It’s up to twenty nine modules now! There are still a few modules I would like to get, some of which are made by other manufacturers. There is some really good kit being made at the moment. One of my other favorite bit’s of kit is the Sherman Filterbank 2, it destroys any audio you put though it. I love it. Plug it in to the modular and the resulting sounds are sublime.
I have been experimenting with the modular for years but Bipolar is the first album I have recorded with it. It takes a lot of patience recording an album on a modular synth but it’s worth all the effort I’ve put in to it. It would be difficult to create the sounds on the album in any other way than how I did and the album wouldn't have sounded like it does.
Q:Would you disagree that the continuing fashion/trend of analog synthesis is just a passing fashion? Or is there still a place for the older machines amongst all the new software versions?
A:I think that the analog trend will pass eventually and people will use what ever sounds are best for their music. I like soft synths and I do use them, I have the Arturia Jupiter 8 which is really good and the soft synths in Logic are good to but I do prefer hardware to software. The trouble with software is when you upgrade your operating system on your computer they sometimes no longer work, you don't have that problem with hardware, and sometimes they crash just when you need them. Sitting in front of a computer screen editing a virtual modular synth is no where as satisfying as patching up a real one. As for digital synths they are just as good as analog synths, they have their own sound and can sometimes do things analog synths can’t do. As far as I’m concerned regarding old or new equipment is if it sounds good use it.
Q:What influenced you to create electronic music? Who were your influences?
A:I’m not really sure what influenced me into creating electronic music. I suppose I partly wanted to emulate other musicians who shaped electronic music back in the late seventies and early eighties. I remember seeing Donna Summer playing “I Feel Love” back in the seventies and thinking how that new sound totally blew me away. I had never heard anything like it in before. Not long after that the early Human League appeared on British television performing “Rock and Roll”, seeing all those synthesizers and three Revox tape machines going all at once was unbelievable. Then I heard albums like “Oxygene” which was very influential. Of course it goes without saying Gary Numan and bands from “Mute Records” were very influential.
No comments:
Post a Comment