May 13, 2017: a new episode of The Anatomy Lesson at 11pm EST on CFRC 101.9 FM. "I thought you'd be beautiful..." Music by Maskara, Acteurs, Paco Sala, Last Dominion Lost, Samantha Glass, Orphx, Doom Tickler, some tapes from Janushoved + more. Check out the whole setlist below, tune in at 101.9 on your FM dial, stream at http://audio.cfrc.ca:8000/listen.pls or download the finished show at cfrc.ca or on mixcloud here.
Acteurs - “Why” Corridor (2017)
Ballista - “Lost and Found” Security (2017)
Last Dominion Lost - “Fractured Faith” The Tyranny of Distance (2004)
Orphx - “Mother Tongue” The Living Tissue (2001)
Hrsta - “Heaven Is Yours” Stem Stem In Electro (2005)
Doom Tickler - “Torpor” Spirit Fingers (2017)
PCR - “My disease is my short life” Durchschnittsanfall 1/2 (1987)
Philip Johnson - “Can’t Get What We Want” Youth In Mourning (1982)
Hercegovina - “Untitled B3” Insurgent (2016)
Samantha Glass - “Paradise Type 2” Introducing The Confession (2017)
Paco Sala - “Prince Savant” Ko Yo (2016)
Sirius B - “Build Your Children” Graphic Madness (c. 1985)
Master/Slave Relationship - “Ground Zero” My State of Evil Dreams (1992)
Maskara - “Tear Up Your Dreams” Who Is Society? (2014)
Paco Sala’s current release, ‘The Silent Season’, is the net result of a full tibiofemoral dislocation, a lot of surgery, a lot of really heavy drugs, a seemingly open-ended period of housebound isolation and a subsequent hazy regression to roots and influences. The record is a fever-dream, embodying the period of physical stasis and marking a shift from the outsider pop structures of previous releases with a lot of trial and error in mind. Throughout the record, Paco Sala effortlessly employs delirious, morphing synth structures intertwined with semi-lucid samples and haunting vocals… We talk to the dynamic duo about having zero structure, Grouper and architectural surroundings…
TSH: How would you sum up your creative approach as 'The Silent Season' was coming together?
Antony: 'The Silent Season' is a very definite record for us overall. Although primarily it was a surprise record in the sense that I didn't really have a start process and I wasn't really intending to write a record at all. For me, it's kind of a recovery record since I recorded the music after certain events. I had actually put some stuff together initially and the record was a collection of accidental jams more than anything else. It most definitely wasn't planned and it wasn't structured songwriting at all...
TSH: What unexpected occurrences do you feel shaped the record?
Antony: Well, I had a pretty bad sports injury and had to spend numerous months in traction. I wasn't able to leave the house or move much at all, and I was on lots of medication. The only thing I could really do was sit around in the studio and learn some synths properly. I had a couple of synths that I wanted to work out how to use for years, so what you're really hearing from my point of view on this record is me learning my way through a Korg MS2000.
TSH: Was it liberating to write music without parameters?
Antony: It was definitely cathartic. When you are writing with a structure, you're constantly thinking about things - like I normally am constantly thinking and considering where things should go, but having a process with zero structure was rewarding because of the freedom that came with it. My biggest challenge was trimming down the amount of material we had and simply finding what was usable and appealing.
TSH: How has your creative partnership evolved in recent times?
Antony: Well, we've never really written in the same room, which is quite interesting. However, we connect and combine so well with our music regardless.
Leyli: For me, the crafting process always feels very familiar. I don't tend to have a recipe or a formula; I just always end up looking for an alternative way to express myself. I prefer an isolated experience, so it doesn't matter that we're not in the same room. I just need a quiet space, which allows me to go into the music. Also, when I listen to our music, a melody often just naturally emerges. When I receive the tracks from Anthony, they are already almost complete - I just kind of improvise on top.
TSH: What are the key expressions that you feel have been captured with this latest body of work?
Antony: The significance of the record is very environmental and circumstantial. I'm overly affected by my immediate surroundings. Trivial things like the journey I take home and the weather seep into this record for me. Also, I am relatively political but if feels like the U.K. has been in a state of embattlement for years, therefore if I was to write with political anger, it wouldn't be a constructive process.
TSH: What sort of motivations do you draw on to form a track like 'JP-8000 Workout Nmbr 1'?
Antony: That's an interesting track because the melody, main bit and the keys on this track I played in one go. The funny thing is I couldn't play it again like that even if I wanted to! The process for this track was tonal for me, especially from a writing process - I played it once and that's simply how it came out. It's an interesting track and there will be a different version of it that we will look to present with vocals later.
TSH: Was 'MS10 Workout' another track entailing spontaneity mainly?
Antony: Yeah, that was another track that's just me sat with the synth in question. Again, since I had an open ended amount of time - literally like 20 hours to sit in a room with nothing else happening, this track was another one that was very much a case of constant trial and error. I was particularly intrigued by the way that sound works and the way that sounds are structured for this track. I kept trying to find a feeling via continuously trying until something felt right.
Leyli: For me, that track was very spontaneous and it came about quickly with my parts.
TSH: How is the live format for Paco Sala shaping up?
Antony: A lot of the times when we play live, we tend to only play the tracks that I can remember how to play live, which is a challenge in itself because I cannot always remember what I played with the original pieces that we improvised with. The live shows tend to be pieces that are typically in C sharp minor, because those are the only ones where I can remember what I was playing.
TSH: Grouper’s Liz Harris is certainly someone you look up to?
Antony: I'm just so impressed with how her output is totally about emotion, feeling and tone. There is nothing fancy going on with her music, it's not very sophisticated, however, it's so amazing. Her music is very immediate and very raw - I like how she simply doesn't over-process things, and that’s something that I'm very keen to do also. I don't want to be over analytical because I feel music should be immediate and there should be a rawness to it. Often whenever anything is over-processed, you simply you kill the track and overcook it.
TSH: Do non-musical factors seep into your music much?
Leyli: What I choose to watch and read will always in some way inform my music, even if it’s indirect. Also, even things I'm not aware of inspire me; like conversations around me and my surroundings…
Antony: My surroundings are a huge influence for me. I come from the North of England originally but I’ve mostly always lived in pretty run down areas in London. I'm influenced by the environment that I walk past daily – it takes me past the housing estates and the bits you don't really commonly see of London. When I moved on to this project from the old one, the shift was driven entirely by the architectural surroundings of walking home and this remains the case to this day. Also, from a sound design and music point of view, I'm somewhere buried in the 90s and even with film; the 90s is a period that inspires, interests and drives me most.
TSH: Are sports totally out of the question for you now, Antony?
Antony: Previously I was playing football four times a week, for hours and hours. Now, because of my injury, I cannot play sport anymore. I used to use sport as my output for escapism and letting go of things, this is not the case now. I’ve shifted my musical approach for ‘The Silent Season’ to a much more ambient sound and more noise orientated vibes, simply because the place that I listen to music in has changed so much. When you're at home all the time it changes the way you consume the music of others too.
TSH: What sort of exploration do you relish with future music?
Antony: I feel it's all about looking for an emotion or a feeling - it's always been this way for me. As I progress technically, I'm drawn to constantly wanting to get better at expressing, describing and feeling emotion. It's those little moments of magic that I'm always looking for. It's not so much about precision; instead I'm looking for those dreamlike nuances that are impactful. I get bored if I do the same thing twice, so I like to be open-minded. I want to explore and learn by buying new bits of kit, which will help me to not get stuck in a rut. I'll always be looking to shake things up and discover some sort of vulnerability with my music…
Leyli: I definitely agree - vulnerability is important. For me, working with Antony on this project is very natural and I’ll continue to mainly translate emotions that are genuine and raw to the best of my abilities.
