GAIAN MIND SUMMER FESTIVAL 2007 - APHID MOON Interview
Interview with APHID MOON (aka Jules Hamer), by Patrick Myers (aka KARMAKANIK).
Patrick Myers - First off, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. We hope you are as excited to play at our festival, as we are to see you perform! Your first release with which I am familiar is the now classic "Chi/A Lot of Radio" 12" released on Flying Rhino in 2002. The sound on the record was definitely unique: chunky, driving, techy, and expertly layered but with just the right amount of playfulness on top. Tracks like "Disco Biscuit" and "Reactor" from your first album "High Diver" (Dragonfly 2003) continued in a similar vein, sort of bridging the gap between the slower, minimal tunes popular at the time with the faster-paced full-on sound. Your subsequent full-length "Global Culture" (Nano 2005) and recent collaboration album "Big Fish" (as "AMD" with Dick Trevor, also released on Nano) seem to have pushed more in the latter direction, bumping up the average bpm count, and showcasing a richly produced and deeply textured full-on style aimed squarely at the dancefloor. So how would you say your sound has changed over the years?
Jules Hamer - My sound certainly evolved over the years. The access to new technology and sounds is certainly a driving force but I think the intention to get the dance floor moving is the same. My first album High Diver was a little darker and progy and second Global Culture a bit more groovy, the latest Big Fish is probably the most advance and sophisticated in production and programing.
PM - Was the change in style a conscious decision on your part, or a gradual, evolutionary metamorphosis?
JH - As to answer you question was there a continuous decision in developing the style from a prog to more dance friendly fullon I’d have to say yes. But for me music goes in cycles for the audience and the producer. My first tracks released in the nineties were more acidic and fullon goa than the tracks on High Diver so I really always liked the fullon and it was in the late nineties I discovered a more proggyer sound. These days I like both prog and fullon so there are elements of both styles sometimes in the same track. Most of my tunes build through out to give an intense release. I know a track will work for others if it give me a release and get me dancing round the studio that is something you have to discover in each track before you can be really happy with it.
PM - What impact has the "software revolution" had on your compositions?
JH - The access now to so many software instruments, plug-in FX’s and sample banks has now reached a point which its is almost impossible to keep up with it all. For me it has been an amazing journey having access to kit in the virtual world, which in the real world would have been a complete dream for any one lacking serious investment. In a way I feel it has leveled the playing field, if you have talent you have no excuses as to why you can’t produce top quality music, all you need is a computer and a software sequencing package and you have a full blown studio. Of course this means there are millions more people now making electronic music, therefore more competition, but for things to move on and develop it has to be a good thing.
PM - Has writing music with other artists influenced you at all?
JH - Writing with Dick has meant we push each other further. We have a similar vision of prog to fullon so together I feel we have developed our sound to a new level. Developing new idea’s keeps it interesting with the amount of software development at the moment if would be a crime not to find out what it can do. As for living and working in London we have a good stable of talent, old and young, I work a lot with Lucas of TIP, Tristan, Laughing Buddha (who are both on the Nano label now) and various other Dj friends. Each time there is always an exchange in musical ideas, production techniques as well as being fun, which I think is essential to any artist producer to keep the creative juices following.
PM - What would you say the difference is between the typical "AMD" track and the typical "Aphid Moon" track?
JH - Working with two people really means you can double the workload. When one person gets tired the other often steps in with new inspiration. The AMD music I think can be more detailed with extra time spent on production. This then pushes the way you work by your self because you have a new standard to work towards. The main difference between an Aphid Moon and AMD track is that the combination of energy of Dick and I writing together is different from the energy you get when I write by myself. When you write by yourself you can be a little more self-indulgent so it is good to be able to do both.
PM - What other artists/labels/producers do you find most inspirational?
JH - I like Nano and Alchemy records a lot the artist on both labels seem to all have their own original styles. Though the older artists on U.K. labels, Twisted, Tipworld, Dragonfly, Flying Rhino, Phantasm and Atomic records, have always been a big inspiration for me. Production of some Israeli acts ‘Domestic, Xerox’ and old German acts notably X-dream and Delta hit levels of production that were a great inspiration. These days with the changing technology the sound is moving fast and some of the younger geniuses are developing new techniques so it is good to be aware of these developments and incorporate the ones, which suit your style. In the U.K. there is a good buzz these days with people sharing new production techniques and ideas and I am enthused at the way everyone is developing their sound and production to a new world class level at the moment.
PM - There is considerable controversy in the trance scene over what constitutes a proper "live" set. Some artists are denigrated for merely "pushing spacebar in cubase", essentially just playing their songs directly off a computer exactly as they were written in the studio. Others have attempted to use real instruments or new programs such as Ableton Live to add a level of improvisation to their performances. What does an Aphid Moon "live" set consist of? What differences might we hear in the live presentation than what was on the recorded version? Do you play all new unreleased music, or a mix of new and old tracks? Do you think the very notion of "live" music is fundamentally incompatible with electronic composition, or are there ways to give party goers an authentic and unique live experience?
JH - I have never been one for just pressing play sitting back and relaxing for the whole set. Although this approach can have its advantages you should never under estimate the effect of a nutter jumping up and down waving there arms at the crowds and having everything prerecorded give you the liberty to do this. I however I would be bored if I did nothing else through out the set. I use Traktor to mix live my tunes for my solo set. The new version has four decks with FX on each deck. This has amazing potential for mixing your tracks up and producing totally unique sets where you are layering loops from several tracks and some sounds from other to produce a flowing raging remix in the new combination. This allows me to mix and match from my whole back cat and change the set real time on the day depending on the crowd and vibe. It also means that the feeling of a particularly good multilayered mix is translated into genuine fullon nutter dancing behind the decks. With AMD we are developing new live vibes. I’m still mixing it all up on Traktor plus I am sending a midi clock synch to Dick’s computer. Dick is using Abelton live which is being slaved whatever bpm I’m mixing. Between us it is possible to sequence a track entirety from scratch though I don’t know many people who have embraced this yet. With Live Dick can mix things like extra breaks grooves and FX very easily plus run softsynths and tweek them on top. Dick and I are also working at playing real instruments played though a slaved gate, which can produce amazing effects, and although the instruments are played live they have machine like tightness to the beat. This is definitely the start of real-time live sequencing and I think it’s only a matter of time before a new style starts developing from using these types of progs. The down side maybe that the artist becomes so busy programming that he doesn’t have so much time to jump around. Still the vibe created by live sequencing can produce some real time magic that may have been missing.
PM - New technology has democratized the spread of music all over the world. Although online music downloading has obviously had a negative impact on traditional CD sales, websites like Beatport and iTunes are seeking to take advantage of this emerging paradigm, allowing users to legally download music on a paid track-by-track basis. What are your thoughts on the future of music distribution? Do you think the Beatport/iTunes model is a viable solution for the music business?
JH - I think it has great potential making easy access to more people to new music. In theory it should help artists access their audience easier though it also creates a problem of volume of music for the potential customer to wade through. Programs that can sample your taste and suggest new artists and tracks are going to become important as these sites constantly expand. Niche site I think have potential to cater for specific tastes in much the same way as record label do with there own quality control of what tracks they will stock. I myself am developing a shop that sells high quality wavs and mp3 of my back catalogue at www.aphidmoon.com/digital-downloads Though it’s really just to have a presence on the net where my body of work is catered for. My plan is to develop my shop to add music from friends and producers I really like so there is a certain quality control that reflects my own taste.
PM - What effect do you foresee this model having on the industry? (For example, some have argued that it will eliminate "filler" tracks on albums and compilations because consumers will be able to pick and choose which tracks they will pay for.)
JH - For some tracks it has the potential to be really good if you have a track on a comp and it’s much more popular that the others the artist may not be getting the true credit for that track if just sold in CD format. With the option of individual tracks being downloaded if your tack is more popular you get more royalties so you are rewarded directly for your work.
PM - Do you use any digital download sites yourself or do you still prefer traditional media?
JH - I have yet to find one that rivals the tunes I get from my friends, which is their own original music and labels promos. Though as I am djing more these days I do visit them before a gig and download a track or two, which I can’t get, hold anywhere else. The ease of piracy means that it is more difficult to sell music in vast quantities though your music may in fact have even better distribution than before.
PM - What format do you use to put together your own DJ sets?
JH - I use WAV or AIFF, which is 16-bit cd quality either on CD’s or Tracktor. Though in live I’ve been looking into FLAC files, which are, half the sizes of WAV and AIFF but with no loss in information like a zip file for audio. When they are played they sound exactly the same as CD quality. Abelton Live can play them so I’m thinking of using them with Abelton.
PM - Do you think the negative aspects of online music downloading (piracy/theft, poor sound quality, loss of money to the labels/artists) outweigh its benefits ("cutting out the middle man", direct and near-instantaneous data transmission, availability of the music to wider audiences, creating larger fanbases, especially in countries that previously lacked legitimate music distribution facilities) or vice versa?
JH - It is certainly changing the way an artist has to see earning a living. You can’t rely on massive royalties to bale you out and pay the rent. Though pirates may have distributed your tracks widely you haven’t had the benefits from the royalties. Artists have to accept this to a certain extent at the moment. It puts the emphasis on the Live aspect of music an artist these days in effect has to sing for his supper. The extra promotion you gain from the pirates has to be turned into gigs and performing royalties for you to gain any sort of living. But this for me is a large part of what the music is about anyway.
PM - Meanwhile, social networking sites like MySpace have put musical artists directly into contact with their followers like never before. Has this medium changed how you interact with your fans and fellow artists?
JH - It certainly is great to be connected to all those people. It is great for keeping up and making contact you may not have developed otherwise. Plus checking new music by Artists you meet and discover. I use it quite regularly but I tend not to spend hours browsing and socializing as this can end up sucking you in and using all your time.
PM - Despite a draconian, imperialist government, a comparatively small population density and a relatively low awareness of electronic dance music, the psytrance scene in the US continues to grow steadily and incrementally, with established scenes on both coasts and new "mini-scenes" popping up in all manner of locales. Have you performed or traveled in the US before?
JH - I have never performed in the States before. Though I did travel around the east coast when I was nineteen before psytrance existed and I was into rock.
PM - What is your impression as a foreigner of the scene here? How does it compare to the scenes in other countries? Why do you think psytrance and electronic music in general have been slower to take off in the US than in comparable countries around the world?
JH - I am yet to find out. But from what I’ve gathered it has been slow to expand. It could be due to a kind of materialism that is prevalent in the USA psyche which values music that is a save bet to make lots of money over originality and innovation. The big Acid House raves in the nineties bought dance music to the masses in U.K. and Europe and although it was cracked down on it had already touched enough people to keep supporting it. In the States I’m sure there was a similar revolution in electronic dance music but maybe it didn’t hit the same critical mass so went more underground as a result. The development of psy-trance has relied on the good will and enthusiasm of its artists labels, promoters and audience creating an untried and tested form which has no guarantees of success apart from the enthusiasm and stubbornness of people not to give up on it. I think its is the same passion that people in the USA are developing the scene and is beginning to expand like it has done in Europe, Israel, South America and Asia.
PM - Have you heard anything about the Gaian Mind Festival from other artists or partygoers? What do you anticipate the experience will be like? How do you think it will compare to the larger European festival circuit?
JH - I have heard that it is a very good festival and looking forward to finding out. Festivals of this type tend to attract similar types of people whether in U.K. Japan, Israel, Europe, Brazil and cultural boundaries are broken down so people really relate on a good level I should expect it will be the same in Gaian Mind.
PM - Do you have a girlfriend/partner/wife/family/children? What are your main interests outside of trance?
JH - I have a girlfriend who I live with in London who has a massive enthusiasm for art, film, comedy and music fortunately. I enjoy many hobbies with computers web design, video editing, and philosophy as well as music production. I enjoy sports ride a bicycle, play casal ultimate Frisbee in the park (a game you invented I believe) and a bit of surfing and sailing when I can find the time. I also enjoy cooking having worked catering for quite a few years. Plus I am a bit partial to sitting in old English pubs with a pint of bitter and a friend or two sorting out all the world problems and maybe creating a few new one in the bargin.
www.aphidmoon.com
www.amd-trance.com
APHID MOON will be performing live at GAIAN MIND SUMMER FESTIVAL 2007.