his set at DEMF last year was more interesting than almost all of his records. he definitely seemed to be more into the end product than any nonsensical twiddling.
tom On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 4:49 PM, free what? <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Some of his music almost approaches D&B / 2-step with his programming, but > he's also into 4/4 stuff and just about everything in between. Yet he > continually makes it all very listenable. And for what it is, incredibly > funky.. > > > > I had the opportunity to have dinner with him before he played NZ recently > . > > A very giving person . who was willing & eager to take user requests for > ableton live > over a Thai curry. Only 1 hours after giving a two hour workshop on Live. > (which was > really interesting too .. (sales pitch?)) > > He was saying that Dubstep is the sound that is influencing him at the > moment and his > current meddling are in the area between electronic and these types of half > steps. > > I found his live (monodeck) set to be quite remarkable. It was incredible > to see/hear > someone play a dj style set in a live format (if that makes sense). > > He was playing tracks like a Dj, picking and choosing what to do next, but > was not > in anyway limited to just nursing the sequencer in its inevitable program. > The feeling > remained like a Dj set, where you felt at any point he could (and did) > choose > to drop it or break it down .etc. > > He argues strongly (and proves it live) that the interface is the future of > computer based > music. However he talked a lot about thinking about your set/interface, > creating limitations > and then working with in these parameters. > > He felt that in this digital age of possibility, the best results come from > working within a > set of boundaries you make for yourself. ie. 10 buttons, 10 faders, 10 > knobs. 10 banks (?) > > (Which is the universal success of the Dj medium. bring on Claude Young!) > .. > > I did ask him weather he would call his music minimal or techno .. he > didn't really bite > either way and preferred electronic to minimal but admitted n long term > affinity to techno > and Detroit. (telling a great story about sitting next to Mills on a plane, > having no idea who > he was, but being surprised at his knowledge about Detroit techno!) > > However it was conversations with monolake that started thoughts about > minimal being a > production technique as much as a genre. > > In the regard of setting yourself a framework of limitations and creating > with in that. > > Where Dub perhaps was a technique developed as a result of limited access > to gear, > and studio boffins using what they had in new ways. > > Minimal is a result of an almost infinite access to options through > software, that is best > managed by develops a self imposed philosophy of limitations. > > Obviously technique is no filter for quality. However a technique might > help the music > develop itself and create some direction in a sound. Turning efforts > towards musical > content as opposed to gadget/widget content. > > .. > > I thought monolake and his music was very refreshing. The greatest aspect > of his show > in NZ being that he brought a new audience out to listen to electronic > music. Something > that many recent visits by old masters has failed to do. > > It kept me pulsing on the floor, knees up and all that. > > I would tender that the relationship between techno and dubstep is in the > production > values of using space & sonic density. There is also a closer BPM > relationship in that > dubstep is nearer to half of techno than half of other breaks styles. > > etc > > .simon > > > > > >
