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Mix of Sun Ra music

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  • #2
    mntothat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 135 ✭✭mntothat


    Hope this might interest a few. A quick interview ahead of tomorrow's gig in the Grand Social, where Mike explains how his reel to reel Sun Ra edits work.
    :cool:

    MN: Jazz has had a huge influence over you and your music but a particular mention goes to the artist Sun Ra. Amongst many of the Jazz luminaries, is there anything in particular about Sun Ra that appeals to you?

    MIKE: Sun Ra’s orientation to music theory, and his playing style. I like how he could introduce any emotion possible throughout his chord progressions. Sun Ra would often play a beautiful chord progression that would resolve in a lot of tension. The type of resolution in a chord progression that could indicate deliberate chaos or insanity. That’s the magic behind Sun Ra. I studied music theory for over 10 years, so i know how complicated his playing is. I always wondered what Sun Ra would sound like combined with the knowledge of synthesis within Reaktor. Sun RA + Reaktor. That’s something I’ve been pondering for quite some time. I studied books on theory. I was fascinated with the french composer Rameau. He broke down music theory in algebraic terms. I was so obsessed with combining his discoveries of math and music theory that i actually hired a mathematician, and flew to Prague to have a Reaktor programmer help me to construct some of his ideas within Reaktor.

    MN: What was the main motivation for touring Sun Ra Reel to Reel sessions? Could you tell us a little bit about it?

    MIKE: No one had ever done a party like this in Europe, so I combined my skills with a sharp eye to create this opportunity for Sun Ra fans, and it has been quite a large success. I always try to go further and push the boundaries. People told me that it would never work. Now the guy that said that is standing in the line to get in. You have to take chances. Some things work, some don’t, but I was convinced that there could be an audience for this type of party, and I followed that thought.

    MN: Sun Ra featured on your first volume of Reel to Reel edits, out soon on Kindred Spirits. Care to tell us a little about this? Any other artists in mind for future releases?

    MIKE: That was one thing that blew me away on my last tour. That opportunity came out of nowhere, and I was extremely glad to participate in releasing some of my edits on Kindred Spirits. But i must thank the knowledge and wizardry behind Ableton Live to produce these edits. These edits were done in Ableton Live, and were then transferred to my reel to reel. I could have played them digitally, but that’s not what I’m into. I don’t dj or play digital music. It would have been impossible to extend so many complicated parts on the original Sun Ra songs. Are you kidding me? Try to do an edit on tape that extends just 1 loop 16 times? That would have been a nightmare.
    One magical thing you may want to note about my Sun Ra – UFO edit: First of all, my edit starts off with a accapella chant of “UFO” There is not a section, or part in the original track that is free with the vocalists chanting that. How did i do it? That’s the magic and technology behind Ableton Live. The highly crafted intro I constructed gave the finished edit the full functionality this track needed. It is much more suitable for club play now. I swear by the workflow in Ableton Live.

    MN: Any other influences for you? Like growing up in Detroit, what were the earliest catalysts for your taste in electronic music?

    MIKE: Ken Collier, The Electrifying Mojo, Detroit techno, George Clinton, and Kraftwerk. This is the stuff that most djs and Detroit producers all agree on as being an influence.

    MN: As you quite rightly pointed out before, we still love vinyl. I recently read an article where you pay homage to the ‘fallen heroes’ of the record shop. Is there a future for the knowledgeable guy behind the counter or even the record store itself?

    MIKE: Yeah, Europe is the savior of electronic music. There are still quite a few passionate and knowledgeable guys that still work in record shops, so i think all is fine regarding that. I don’t question if record stores will close anymore. All of the good records are always sold out when you go to a shop. Why is that? It’s because vinyl is still selling. If anything, record stores will close due to the amount of bad records being released these days.

    MN: You are heavily involved in running music production courses and seminars at Youthville, Detroit. This project must be a rewarding experience, what?s the focus of your classes?

    MIKE: I teach Reaktor by Native Instruments, and Ableton Live. The students get to de-mystify synthesis, and learn how things are done regarding beat making and production while using reaktor. Students can also building their own synthesizers and samplers too. Ableton Live helps the students turn those productions from Reaktor into complete songs and remixes. Both of those programs work extremely well together, and it equips the students with everything they need to know about computer production.

    MN: Any alumni from the courses that we should be keeping an eye out for, what can we expect from the next generation of Detroit artists?

    MIKE: Ah yeah. There’s a kid in my class for sure. He’s the next. I cant disclose anything more about him because he’s only 13 years old. He’s making house, broken beat, hip hop, and anything he likes. He will be the next from Detroit, for sure.

    MN: And what’s your own studio set-up when you get down to making some music?

    MIKE: The Waldorf Wave, Roland s 770 Sampler, Korg Triton, Reaktor, Maschine, Ableton Live, and tons more software if needed.

    MN: You’re involved in a huge array of projects from your own productions, remixing, re-edits, production workshops, past work in Record Time and much more. What has been the most rewarding experience for you? Anything that makes it all worthwhile?

    MIKE: Teaching has been the most rewarding experience as of late, especially doing workshops in European universities. I have done workshops in Russia, Israel, Italy, Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Vienna, Budapest, and tons more. That’s the most rewarding experience because it places me under pressure to learn more.

    MN: Any plans for the future Mike?

    MIKE: Deep Transportation and S Y N T H releases, and a new Sample CD.


  • #3
    dasdog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,788 ✭✭✭dasdog


    I did a tune a few months ago myself using audio from a youtube video of Sun Ra's band tuning up and a documentary about methamphetamine addicts in Australia. It's dance music though but I see where there's plenty of scope with such a good source.

    http://soundcloud.com/dasdog/iceskating


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