Interview
1. How did you first get into making music, and what eventually led you to explore modular or hardware synthesizers?
I started playing piano when I was 12, and really quickly got into making electronic music, collecting synths and sequencers, riding the wave of electronic music in the 90’s. It felt like a futuristic world and it still does 🙂
2. What are your primary goals with music right now—are you focused more on live performance, recording, sound design, or something else?
I think it’s 50/50 between making music in the studio and making music live – I love both, but the live-part is relatively new for me. I’ve been a music professional for over 20 years, always working in studios but never been on stage – and I love the energy that it gives me!
3. Can you walk us through your current setup? Are there any particular modules or synths you find yourself going back to again and again? Why those?
My approach is a bit different because I do use ableton/ laptop, but I’m using a lot of hardware synths and a drumcomputer too. My drumcomputer is the Elektron Analog Rytm mk2, which I use with mostly my own samples, and that I program on the fly during a show. Then there’s a Korg MS20 that I use for leads, and that I play live on. There’s a Behringer Model D ( I have a Moog Matriarch in my studio but I’m afraid to bring it on stage) for basslines mostly, and I’m also patching the LFO to the Filter input on my Behringer TD-3, which I use for acid stuff. The TD-3 is going through a Eventide H9 multi effect, I’m triggering different patches that I made from Ableton. The MS20 is going through a Strymon Timeline for delays and the Analog Rytm is going through a Hologram Chroma Console which I’m using for the Low pass filter and the space echo, for which I can control the feedback with my foot on an expression pedal. Really cool. Then, there’s a few controllers to help me with Ableton and minimise looking at a laptop; a Novation launchpad pro for triggering scenes and a Novation Launch Control XL for mixing/ fx sends. I use a DJ Techtools midifighter to control a bunch of stuff in ableton, from filters to distortion to max for live thing I programmed on the master buss. I need more hands 🙂 Finally, I’ve added a multitrack taperecorder, which I use with a bunch of tapes that I recorded drones one, and that’s going through a Walrus Audio Monument and a Hologram Microcosm, so I can create moving and ethereal pads on the go. A lot of fun 🙂
4. Do you find yourself constantly changing your setup, or do you prefer refining a stable rig over time?
After every show or two, I find that I’m tweaking my setup. Sometimes it means changing out gear, sometimes it’s more logistical stuff, where I make sure stuff isn’t moving around in my flight case during travel or something like that. But it’s ever evolving 🙂
5. When you’re starting a new piece or live set, what usually comes first—rhythm, melody, texture, or concept?
I always start from harmony. I sit down at the piano, play some chords until I get a vibe and I build from there. I guess it has to have a certain mood, I’m always looking for that melancholy.
6. What role does unpredictability or happy accidents play in your music-making process with modular gear?
I don’t use modular gear (yet) but things do go wrong, or I stumble upon something that just really works very well during rehearsal or during a live set, and those are always the best moments. Like when you left a reverb on a track fully open and a new pattern comes in and it just washes out everything, stuff like that always triggers me.
7. Do you write music with an audience or context in mind, or is it more personal and exploratory?
I never think of the audience when I’m making music. It really is for me. I’m chasing a feeling, and when I get there, it’s successful for me. But on stage is something else. I try to give energy, I try to be open to the energy of the room, and respond to what’s going on.
8. How do you prepare for live performances with such a hands-on, often unpredictable setup? Do you plan your performances ahead of time, or is a lot of what you do live improvised?
I practice until I feel I have a grasp on what can be possible, and from then on I just let the moment decide. I am still playing songs, but I can stretch them into oblivion, and skip songs altogether, if that feels right. I’m working on ways to have more room for error and improvisation.
9. Have you ever had a gear failure or patch mishap mid-performance? How did you handle it?
I haven’t had my gear fail on me yet, other than some tuning issues with the Model D, but I’ve been lucky so far. Knock on wood!
10. What’s been the biggest challenge in your journey with modular or hardware—and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge is keeping it interesting for myself, while also providing a nice experience for the audience. I hope that when I’m having fun, they are too.
11. Are there any artists, scenes, events or movements that have deeply influenced your approach to sound and performance?
I’m a huge fan of Ludowic, Rival Consoles and Max Cooper. The way they give the audience something to enjoy, while keeping it fresh for themselves is something I strive for too.
12. What advice would you give someone who’s curious about getting into modular or hardware-based music but doesn’t know where to start?
Just buy something from Elektron, watch a bunch of YouTube stuff and start! I’ve seen pretty cool performances from people with just one or 2 pieces of gear. It doesn’t really matter. As long as you’re have fun and creating a mood 🙂