“Music has to exist by itself . . . two, three notes. The secret must be there, independent of any instrument. Music must derive from inside, and I have deliberately tried to write such music that can be played on a variety of instruments. It does make a difference to me from which instrument to Continue reading

“I always found acoustic instruments, certainly orchestral instruments, to be capable of much more variety and strangeness and complexity than nearly all of the software I’ve used in the past.” “I also love a recording where you can hear the physicality of what’s happening, whether it’s the breathing of the player or just the effort Continue reading

“Currently, one of my favorite synthesizers is the Korg Z1. 80% of the sound sources on this album are the Z1, whether heavily processed or not.” “I love the uncanny valley acoustic sounds that physical modeling synths produce and the [Korg] Z1 is just an absolute gem in that regard. For myself, physical modeling is Continue reading

“For a while there—and I have to credit a friend with this phrase—we lived under the Rule of the Solo Button, where every instrument sounded lush and big. So you got these really hyped-up sounds—and it’s cool when everything’s hyped up. It’s kind of like the Chipotle burrito, where every element you could just eat Continue reading

“I’m quite often trying to access that space that I was in before I knew how any technology worked, when I was hearing records and imagining what the sounds might be. That to me is a really valuable thing.” “Just get the little thing and fucking max it out. You know, get it doing shit Continue reading

“The reason those bleeps and chirrups and the rest of the clichés appear is that they are semi-automatic, and turned on with a minimum of effort, to fill in embarrassing gaps in the composition. But finding fault with the medium because synthesizers are capable of making bad music is like faulting all piano music because Continue reading

“I record acoustic instruments, and the challenge is to record them as authentically as possible. This could become an obsession, but I’m pragmatic about what I can achieve with the tools at my disposal. Once recorded, the process of composition involves transforming the sounds whilst somehow retaining something of their original essence. For me composition Continue reading

“Since a lot of my gear is analog and all elements correspond with each other, all of the effects I want to apply to the music can quickly be implemented manually. Every piece of equipment influences every other one in some form. And that’s something I could never get done with plug-ins. If I put Continue reading

“I love what technology affords me. Although some of my work can seem nostalgic, believe me I work in the now. I have no desire to set up a studio with a ton of old modular gear, that game is like a fruit machine: loads of people putting money into an expensive setup with flashing Continue reading

“I’m not trying to wrap things up or make final statements or capture anything in a big way. It’s more like, whatever the voyage is, that’s where I am. I’m just traveling along the tops of things, not trying to bring an answer to anything, necessarily, but just to keep making pictures.” Ed Ruscha database Continue reading