SIP - SoundLAB Interview Project

Becoming Animal


—>
becoming animal

  • artist biography
  • —>

    Interview:10 questions

    1. When did you start making music, what is/was your motivation to do it?

    Depending on how you use the term we either started at birth or we haven’t really started yet. Either way, we just have/had to do it.

    2. Tell me something about your living environment and the musical education.

    We try to find some small niche to live in. However some of us are kept behind bars (it’s a life sentence). We know what we know through our instincts and a modicum of schooling.

    3.Is making music your profession? What is the context in which you practice music nowadays?

    No, we swap things sometimes, but not hard currency. And we don’t think there is any context.

    4. How do you compose or create music or sound? Have you certain principles, use certain styles etc?

    We just get going. There is an element of mimicry, communication and a fair bit of the unconscious expression of sublime joy.

    5. Tell me something about the instruments, technical equipment or tools you use?

    We record using a Marantz PMD671 flashcard recorder with DPA & Sennheiser Microphones, a rycote and some headphones. We put it all together on an Apple. We use our throats and our arms, our legs and our wings.

    6. What are the chances of New Media for the music production in general and you personally?

    About 50/50

    7. How about producing and financing your musical productions?

    We are self-supporting. In the plural. If, of course, that doesn’t contradict our answer to number 8.

    8. Do you work individually as a musician/soundartist or in a group or collaborative? If you have experience in both, what is the difference, what do you prefer?

    Since we have the usual array of parasites living within us: amoebas, worms, bacteria, fungus and viruses, most of us isn’t really us at all and, therefore, we believe everything is collaborative. Which we very much prefer.

    9. Is there any group, composer, style or movement which has a lasting influence on making music?

    Walter De Maria, Eno, Roland Kirk, Pauline Oliveros, Francisco Lopez, Chris Watson, Harold Budd, Bernie Krause, Hildegaard Westerkamp, Roedelius, Debussy, Satie, Basil Kirchin, Evan Parker, Todd Dockstader, Werner Herzog, a kid down our street who won’t stop bashing his drums, John Cage, Laurie Spiegel, Marcel Broodthaers, Adrian Self, The un in unnatural, Moondog, The Vegetable Orchestra, Scanner, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Alvin Lucier, Francois Bayle, Don Cherry, Cocorosie, David Thomas, Thai Elephant Orchestra, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Popol Vuh, Messiaen, Alice Coltrane, Vashti Bunyan, Roxanne Shante, William Wegman, Bill Viola, Ths Singing Canaries, This Heat.

    10. What are your future plans or dreams as a soundartist or musician?

    To respire, reproduce and then to decompose.