Thursday, June 4, 2009

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

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Interview with Jon Hassell by Lawrence English

Posted: 04 Jun 2009 05:21 PM PDT

Diary Entries From A Fourth World – Jon Hassell
By Lawrence English

For the better part of four decades, Jon Hassell has explored a multiplicity of musical states that have sought to unlock a previously unheard language of the trumpet. Born in Memphis, Hassell's musical life has been a passage through diverse sound cultures in search of a personal language informed by his distinct collection of interests and united under his self-coined 'Fourth World' sound.
After studying under Stockhausen exploring European Serialist traditions, Hassell returned to the states in the late 1960s and found himself working closely with Terry Riley and Lamonte Young exploring Minimalism during a highly fertile period, which birthed works including Riley's 'In C' (on which Hassell performed for the debut recording). As the 1970's wore on, Hassell became increasingly focused on refining his performance language, which was increasingly shaped by his time spent studying under Pandit Pran Nath. Teaming up with Brain Eno in the early 1980s for Fourth World, Vol. One: Possible Musics he began to truly define his interests syncing traditions from Asian and African musics with electronics and his own brand of expanded trumpet playing that references equally Minimalism, Jazz, electro-acoustics and contemporary composition.

"When I started this brand if you like of Forth World Music," Jon Hassell explains from his home in Los Angeles, "it was merely a matter of opening my ears up. If I hadn't done it there's a good chance someone else would have. In many ways when you start to listen to this other music around you, it means you need to ask 'what is my culture?', how is it that you're going to use the possibilities that are at your disposal? The other musical cultures you're listening to have grown in this Petri dish and are created with all manner of limitations within a locality. I wondered how can I, in this culture where I exist and where I know everything about everything, create something meaningful from this artificial state."

There's little question that the notion of 'culture' is an increasingly complicated phenomena – a result of increased access to information (and cultural artefacts) and reduced geographic boundaries. Globalisation and the instantaneous connections that come with modern technology are both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand it means contact can be instant and direct, but it also results in the terms of engagement being altered. For example during most of the later half of the 20th Century access to music came from radio, tape trading and other less 'instant' sources – almost forcing the more curious of listeners to hunt harder and engage deeply when a musical trophy was captured – today almost every recorded musical event is a mere packet of data away. With some much choice comes an inevitable inability to find the time needed to absorb such vast oceans of sound, not to mention the countless other cultural morsels on offer.

For Jon Hassell, much of his early musical life was housed in movements and musical discovery periods that have become 'legendary' through the lens of time. It may be said though, in this day and age such significant localised explorations appear harder to realise.

"You're right, it's difficult for things like that to happen now. That comes down to the 'all at onceness' that we have – the 'google' effect. If you consider this idea of locality, any group of people making music who are located away from the modern world, the more local and the more unique something potentially is. You think of musical cultures like Gamelan or the music made by some of the Pygmy groups, they grew in their own space by their own means. Like with hip-hop, you can continue this idea into that as after all, these music's are defined by their limitations. These guys make music with what they have at their means, with maybe a little contact with the next tribe, but that's it. I think as everybody gets to know more and more about everything – the colours begin to get more grey or white, maybe it all becomes white noise.

"So for me I really value the path I've taken – starting out in Memphis as a kid with Johnny Cash's car on my block, going off to the conservatorium, to Stockhausen, then back to new York to hit the minimalist thing with Terry and LaMonte, then Kronos and it kept going. It was around that time I started to rethink the trumpet, to start from scratch and reach out to this thing I could hear. It came down to this question that Brian and I are talking about in The North And South Of You – Making The World Safe For Pleasure, that question is 'What is it that I really like?'. Lock yourself in a room and keep asking yourself that question.

"Now, with Itunes and all that, you still have corporations who have interests in you liking a particular music and there's peer pressure for people to take into account as well, so with this chance to know every music ever made it's interesting that it still occurs that people know all The Beatles songs for example, but have never heard any Gamelan music for instance. That's what is happening now, so for me I feel blessed that I came along at a time when I could be part of these cultural pockets and move between them in this quest of 'What is it that I really like?'."

Another pressing concern with the growth of rapid musical distribution networks is the potential hybridisation and eventual loss of geographically isolated musical traditions. With younger generations distracted by the seductive shimmer of music from outside their 'local' area, the passing on of musical heritage that has occurred for many centuries is beginning to break down. Conservation of these traditions is in full swing throughout locations throughout Tibet, Mongolia and parts of Africa amongst others, as the last musicians pass away, taking the aural traditions that fuelled their cultures for centuries with them.

"It's ironic," Hassell laughs softly, "that in fact there's a new kind of missionary that is saying 'don't just imitate what you hear on the radio and dream of going to New York to play there' – it's more about valuing that element that you have at hand. Not just with music, take a table – why trade in your beautiful wooden table for some piece of Formica. There's a lot of that sentiment out there, what I call North think, meaning the developed verses under developed in some sense. Of course this will be interesting when we talk about it in Australia, as things are quite different there to many other nations in the Southern Hemisphere.

"This idea I use of North and South, relates to a syndrome that came from primal experience of living in the cold or the warmth, not so much geography. For example, someone like Bjork can come from the north, but have a very southern attitude, so there's lots of ways to mix it up. In any case, there's this reverse missionary thing going on – let us people of the north, speaking broadly of that term of course, help you people of the south keep what you have. Don't get a guitar and try to be Elvis, keep what you have. It's a very complex world in that regard –the only thing I see is to find some Oasis, some place, geographically or mentally and try to exist in that without trying to be, and know everything."

Hassell's own musical oasis is still very much in a state of development and modification. His latest disc for ECM Last Night The Moon Came Dropping It's Clothes To The Street (his first for ECM since the now iconic Power Spot) is an utterly stunning listen. Its deep, open spaces offer a listening environment that is rarely heard these days – lilting trumpet phrases, float amid sparse sound environments that are scantly littered with free flowing delay lines, gentle processing and unrelated yet sensitive pulsing elements.

"I am conscious of weening people from periodic sounds," Hassell admits of his approach to composition, "getting people to move away from drum machines and that kind of period definition. Like when you play with an African drum ensemble or something, they aren't counting a sub-beat – they are taking cues from the movement of phrases and it creates an openness. Take a look out a window, the leaves are moving at one pace, the car goes past at another, a bird flies past – if you try to periodise that picture you find all these little rhythms happening and I think a lot of my music is like that."

Hassell is also increasingly interested in answering his question of 'What is it that I really like?'– something reflected in his continued drive to create music that he considers 'post-orgasmic'.
"In November 2006 I came up with this idea that the more beautiful the music I make the more pleasure I am entitled to – that's a little bit like self pleasure, but for me I divide music in pre-orgasmic and post orgasmic. I feel what I create falls into post-orgasmic music. I mean pre-orgasmic is like the build up, rhythms growing and pace, where as post-orgasmic music is like floating and that's the kind of place where I reach out to and ask what is the most fantastic and exotic music I could create here! That's been my motivation from the beginning and still keeps me going to this day, so it can't be all bad."

Jon Hassell plays live at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Luminous Festival on Saturday June 6.

Lawrence English

Interview with Rachid Taha by Bob Baker Fish

Posted: 04 Jun 2009 05:10 PM PDT

rachid-taha-main-image
This is an interview with French Algerian performer Rachid Taha that I did for Inpress in Melbourne. It’s only short and was not particularly flowing due to having to go through a tranaslator, yet I was so taken with his last album Diwan 2 that I was very excited to have the opportunity to speak with him.

Rachid Taha is a musical maverick, the Algerian born French raised vocalist and band leader effectively melding numerous genres of music together including traditional North African folk, punk rock, funk and electronic music, all tied together under his distinctive gravelly whiskey soaked vocals. He’s a man who’s bought into the rock and roll dream and his stage performance is renowned for his bedraggled appearance and confrontational attitude. Yet he’s also one of the few artists who have effectively married the seemingly disparate musical traditions of North African music and Western rock, and made this middle ground his own. His music is often intensely political with a social conscious, drawing upon his immigrant past, racism and intolerance.

Bob: Do you believe that music has the power to change things in society?

Rachid: It has the power from time to put a band aid.

Bob: Is that what you feel like you’re doing with your music at times?

Rachid: Music from time to time cures headaches but as you know headaches always comes back. It’s cured the migranes.

Bob: It’s medicine.

Rachid: From time to time to time

Bob: Your music mixes funk and politics is this an important and conscious mix?

Rachid: There’s nothing better than a hard beat and because I’m a bit of a union person, a militant when you’re fighting for your rights and I love having a slogan.

Bob: Rock and punk seem to be very important to you. What is it about those styles that interests you so much?

Rachid: It’s because it’s youth it’s memories. I grew up with rock and roll and punk, that’s why it’s one of the main ingredients

Bob: How did the decisions come about it to link it with traditional instruments like oud or darbuka?

Rachid: It started from the begginning with my first band, Resident Permit the traditional music was there. It’s like a friend that never leaves. It’s a mix of couscous and hamburger. When I was going out clubbing I was listening to funk music but when I was coming back to my parents house I was listening to traditional music. There is no problem for me to go from one to another. It was part of my natural environment.

Bob: Your music touches upon many different genres across all of your albums. Is it important to change styles regularly?

Rachid: I hate serving the same dishes.

Bob: I know you’ve worked with western musicians like Eno, Robert Plant or Steve Hillage. What do you get from collaborations with new people?

Rachid: It brings me some ingredients. I want to keep talking about food because I love cooking. Brian Eno, Steve Hillage or Robert Plant they’re like spices.

Bob: Okay then, well I’ve seen a picture of you kissing Brian Eno’s head. What does it taste like?

Rachid: It tastes like salt and pepper. (laughter)

Bob: Just before this interview I was watching some of your You-tube performances. People seem to be concerned that you drink too much before your performances.

Rachid: It’s probably my Australian side sometimes (laughter), people always leave comments and I don’t want to go into the drinking conversation but they probably saw me once and I was drunk. I’m only human that’s what happened.

Bob: Who is in your band that you’ll bring out to Australia. What instruments?

Rachid: There will be traditional instruments, also guitar, bass and drums are also traditional for me.

Bob: Have you played with them for a long time?

Rachid: With Akim it has been 15 years, At least 5 years they’ve been playing with me, but for two it is 15 years.

Bob: How does this time transalte into the music?

Rachid: It translates via real complicity, a real understanding.

Bob: What kind of material can we expect?

Rachid: Some new tunes and it depends on how much time I’ve got but I’ll also plays songs from the older albums.

Rachid Taha is playing Friday 5th June, Prince Bandroom, Melbourne, with special guest Systa BB
He is also appearing at the Luminous Festival.

Vangel - Biblio EP (5&1/4 Records/Equinox Digital)

Posted: 04 Jun 2009 04:21 AM PDT

Vangel - Biblio EP

Vangel makes great use of public and private libraries as his primary source of sound samples, but incorporates live instrumentation from some of Toronto’s premier session musicians, creating a great jazz/electronic hybrid, a very accomplished affair, blurring the lines between disparate genres and sound sources. The five tracks contained here lay between the sorcery of electronic production, the spiritual life of jazz, and folk influences, never overstating any particular flavour.

Released on a small Canadian label with an intent to produce limited number releases with environmental recycling packaging. With this release, old 5 & 1/4 inch floppy discs have been reused to clever effect. This release has also been picked up by forward thinking Berlin hip-hop label Equinox for digital release.

A refreshing ep.

Wayne Stronell

The Emperor Machine - Black Ken (DC Recordings)

Posted: 04 Jun 2009 04:13 AM PDT

The Emperor Machine - Black Ken

This is the first single in a new series that will recede The Emperor Machines third album, Space Beyond The Egg, due for release this June.

Black Ken recalls the 70’s discotheque, mixed with elements of John Carpenter soundtrack paranoia. You Clapper is a more modern afrorock oriented track, incorporating African rhythms, heavy funk bass, and the usual analog melodies we have come to expect from The Emperor Machine. This new material seems to be showcasing a more live sound and composition, making this album eagerly awaited, and any upcoming live shows a necessity to see.

Wayne Stronell

Higamos Hogamos - Infinity Plus One (DC Recordings)

Posted: 04 Jun 2009 04:08 AM PDT

Higamos Hogamos - Infinity Plus One

A relatively new signing for J Saul Kane’s DC Recordings label, moving even further into kraut dance territory. Infinity Plus One comes across motorik with trademark 80’s synth, and a vocal that somehow reminds me of The Jesus & Mary Chain early in their career.

The Creeper, remixed by Muscleheads, strips the rhythm down to its carcass, interspered with playful blips and demented synth lines, building to a tribal trance inducing climax. The Emperor Machine deliver an extended remix and dub instrumental of slowed disco dub, subtly allowing elements of the original to filter in and out. The dub instrumental sounds like something straight out of the 80’s, it could be a crazed dub version on the flipside of a nameless indie 7″.

Wayne Stronell

Higamos Hogamos - Major Blitzkrieg (DC Recordings)

Posted: 04 Jun 2009 04:04 AM PDT

Higamos Hogamos - Major Blitzkrieg

Major Blitzkrieg was the standout track on Higamos Hogamos’ debut album with its hard hitting kraut rock drums, crazed bubbling synthersizers, a great guitar hook, although it seems all too brief at two and a half minutes.

The Mickey Moonlight remix injects a large dose of African rhythm, and a Konono No.1 style guitar and amplified kalimba, delivering a really original sound, a great remix. Depth Charge round off the ep with his Buzzer Remix, turning the synths up to eleven, adding catchy percussion and as always with Kane’s productions, a generous dose of dub effects are added to the remix. A cracking little ep.

Wayne Stronell

Boozoo Bajou - Grains (!K7/Inertia)

Posted: 04 Jun 2009 03:56 AM PDT

Boozoo Bajou - Grains

Satta, their 2001 debut, showcased the Boozoo Bajou sound, a very unique blend of modern electronica, but pulling influences from blues, jazz, soul and dub that seems to be a finely balanced approach, which gives a very listenable result, avoiding the throwaway ‘world music’ tag that much of this genre seems to be labelled with. Due to their craft in production, they’ve remixed and collaborated with many artists, compiling two volumes of there remix work for artists such as Common, Joe Dukie (Fat Freddy’s Drop), Oh No, Willie Hutch, Tony Joe White to name just a few.

Grains is the duo of Florian Seyberth and Peter Heider’s third album, taking a lighter and brighter sound with acoustic folk and classic song writing. There seems to be more live instrumentation on this album, together with guest vocalists, in particular a recent discovery from the UK, singer-songwriter Rumer. As obsessive record collectors, Florian and Peter include their old-school inspirations, explaining “we didn’t try to make an authentic West Coast album, it’s just that laidback California thing was in the back of our minds, it coloured the whole thing”. Thats a pretty good representation of what they’ve achieved here.

Wayne Stronell

at 5:52 PM