Phone interview with Slyther

I'm not interrupting an enjoyable evening now am I?

No, Not at all -- I'm just finishing up work for the night.

Oh I guess you're like me being industrial/industrious all the time.

It's a long time since I've been referred to as "industrial," but I do seem to be constantly working on something, even if it's not readily apparent when looking at my actual release schedule.

Funny thing is that years ago when I worked in a factory as a lab technician, my aim was to move on and not have to live the 9-5 life, but, now that my life has moved on and I've left all that behind, there's no great difference when it comes to the basic principals of working, what I do now is similar on many levels, the work ethic remains the same, and ironically, my hours are longer than 9-5!

All very "industrial" I'm sure...

So what exactly do you do for employment? It seems you've lucked out and work with sound all the time.

I wouldn't exactly say that I "lucked out." It is a job, and it gets just as tiring and tedious as any other.

I sit around all day and create different sounds for movie scores. (All very glamorous I'm sure) I work for my old friend Graeme Revell (founder member of SPK ), who's a successful motion picture composer, it's my job to provide him with an ever fresh library of sounds.

I'd be lying if I said that I don't enjoy it, but at the same time there are occasions when I'm working on sounds for a particularly uninspiring movie, that's when it gets difficult, at those times I invariably create distractions such as writing email, making coffee, watching TV, etc. --things that one can't necessarily do at a regular 9-5 job, so there obviously are benefits!

It sounds great!

It pays the bills. A lot of the time I'm working on movies which aren't too good and it can get quite dull, for example Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Streetfighter, and No Escape . We're talking Hollywood here, not high art.

At the same time there are other more interesting projects, particularly from the perspective of sound, such as Strange Days , From Dusk Till Dawn and the two Crow movies.

So do you do anything besides work? (Audio projects included...)

Certainly! I see friends and make attempts to be sociable -- it's important to get one's priorities right. I consider my friends to be my true family, and real life does take a precedent.

I read a lot, and to unwind after too much time in front of the computer I like to watch movies, from so-called "art" movies through to typical Hollywood junk

I'm a laser disc nut, being something of a purist when it comes to things like proper aspect ratios, director's cut's etc.

Of course I do listen to music a lot, I'm a perfectionist and have invested a lot of time and money in a quality playback system (it's a guy thing).

Thing is, when it comes to doing something other than work, I'm in the privileged position that the sound design work that I do is exactly what I'd be doing in my free time, and when I think about it, it's a bizarre concept to get paid to do what I'd be doing anyway.

It can be worrying at times, particularly when there's a particularly hectic deadline and I'll be working on sounds for a movie score for days on end. When it's over I'll immediately go on to work on sounds for one of my own projects, I try to walk away from it once in a while, and do something else.

What computer programs do you use?

My main tool is my trusty Macintosh , with Digidesign hardware and software. The main piece of software that I use is Digidesign's Sound Designer , together with a collection of plug-ins that makes it a very powerful sound manipulation tool.


What was your childhood like?

My childhood? Interesting question... Does it matter in the context of this interview? Well, I presume it was a normal childhood, at least from any subjective viewpoint. I was born I grew up and now I'm older and not necessarily wiser (laugh...)

Is there anything that inspired you in your childhood?

Since growing up is an ongoing process of learning, inspiration and disappointment, it's difficult to think of specific key moments or items of inspiration. I'm Welsh and, quite logically, grew up in Wales, in a very rural place with a population of 4,500, (so you get to know everybody), at the edge of the Snowdonia national park. My first language is Welsh - I always speak it with relatives, and used to at school and at work, though now I've moved on to speak English almost exclusively.

I always felt like an outsider in a small community without specifically knowing why, and felt a need to move out and on to other things.

A pivotal moment had to be the discovery of books and reading, realizing that there was a whole new world of knowledge out there, that was quite inspirational.

Sound, as opposed to just music, has been a part of my consciousness as far back as I can remember.

The singular important event related to the fact that I'm dyslexic (try spelling that one if you are), which went unrecognized until my mid teens, as such I was downgraded in school, then an English teacher recognized my dyslexia and it was subsequently taken into account in grading my schoolwork. This resulted in my suddenly finding that I was intelligent after all, (although this might be open to debate).

This one teacher was responsible for my getting high grades in school, for supporting and encouraging my self expression and also cultivating my thirst for the new, this was a pivotal period and I wish I'd had the chance to thank her.

Of course I'm still dyslexic, which is no big deal, the only time it's a pain is when I'm working on business letters when it can look rather unprofessional! Rest assured that my spelling checker is well used.

Well, what inspires Lustmord now?

Influences are constantly shifting. I'm pretty much a hard core skeptic, question everything! I'm of the opinion that we happen to live on a very insignificant little planet at the edge of a very insignificant galaxy, in a universe which if it has any meaning at all, will always be beyond our meager comprehension.

The more popular world view that we're somehow important within the vast scheme of things doesn't convince me.

I don't feel any need to believe in any ideology, be it the existence of a god, or the truth of science, to me it seems patently obvious that universal truths will remain unknown, which is interesting in itself. The unknown interests me much more than the rather mundane known. The uncertainty of knowledge is actually quite inspiring.

So you use these influences in a positive manner though.

Yes.

What do you think of the noise/Dark Ambient scene?

What do I think of it? Hmmm... I don't really think anything of it. Noise has been utilized as both a dynamic and subtle element of music so often in the past... I don't see (or hear) anything interesting in blindly repeating things that have been done before.

It's much better to build on past work. The so-called noise/dark ambient scene seems bound both by imitation and limitation, it doesn't interest me.

Dark Ambient is a term that's been applied to my work, but I don't really see it as being specifically dark. Sure I can see how someone can come up with such a view but I see the sound I produce as being really more about depth with an emotional content, rather than darkness.

It's all a question of perspective I suppose. If people just see darkness then they're missing the point.
What I'm trying to do is create a sense of place that can only exist within and through the music.
I'm trying to bring the place to the listener, rather than taking the listener to the place.

What kind of music do you like? Any favorite live bands?

My tastes are very eclectic and my music collection is extensive.

The music I particularly enjoy listening too, such as Dub from the 70's, Martin Denny , Kraftwerk , etc. tends to be slower in rhythm and have an emphasis on a sense of space between the notes rather than just a wall of notes. Although it may not be readily apparent when listening to Lustmord , these along with things like Hip-Hop rhythms would be my direct musical influences.
As for live bands, I don't go to gigs anymore, mostly because I've been spoilt over the years -- too many tours and guest lists, it really isn't the same having to pay to get in and stand around in front of the stage, besides I really don't enjoy the live music experience anymore.
In the past I used to enjoy The Clash and particularly Throbbing Gristle live, but these were more of a sociological phenomenon and a place to meet rather than the traditional live "rock" situation.

The only concerts that I'd go out of my way to see these days would be anything put on by the On-U Sound label ( Tackhead , Dub Syndicate etc.). Now that I live in LA, I only go when a friend is performing, or I might visit a techno club if a friend is DJ'ing.

There is some good music out there, well I have my own record label so obviously I like music.

How is your label Side Effects going ?

Just fine thanks!

I release things that I think should be made available, and that I'd like to own myself, so its success isn't really based on the same things that a lot of other labels would be concerned about. I'm doing it for the love of it, as corny as that might sound. I realize I'm not going to make any money doing it. You really need a day job if you're doing this, either that, or make a conscious effort to make the music commercial, which obviously isn't what this is about.

Having said that, Side Effects is doing fine, sales are healthy and provide the finances necessary to fund future developments, and there are quite a few interesting releases planned.

I'd like to make it clear, that although I have fun running the label, it is taken very seriously, and there's a very real desire to release quality material.

How do you compare the older Lustmord field recordings in real natural caverns with awesome organic reverbs to the newer more electronic approach and digital reverbs?

A hell of a lot easier to produce! (laughs)

The older material was an attempt to capture the essence of specific locations, and incorporate that elusive quality into the greater whole of the Lustmord sound, although the logistics involved were often a nightmare, with results often disappointing sonically, the process itself was a very important reason for attempting it in the first place.

Later as digital audio became more affordable it became easier at first, to set up a quality portable system, and later to produce the effects I was trying to achieve in the studio with software, rather than with physical locations.

All those field recordings became a logistical nightmare, and since Lustmord has always been about sound, it's the finished result that's the main objective rather than the means of collection, however the source sounds do play a very important part in the overall meaning, both subjectively and symbolically.
It's something that was tried and applied, and now I have moved on to use a different approach.

How big is your studio?

It's compact -- which is the way I prefer it, everything is at arm's length.

I'm not one of those "gear" type of people, although over the years I seem to have picked up a lot of knowledge about recording equipment, for me it's just a means to an end, and doesn't absorb to much of my interest other than finding out what's the best for the job.

Outside of the Mac, I have a few synths -- about five or six, and prefer those that don't try to emulate real instruments, my favorite being the EMS Synthi A that I've had since the beginning.
Then there are various effects processors, my favorite at the moment being the Eventide H3000 D/SE.
Like I said I use Digidesign's Sound Designer software as my main tool since it's perfect for the kind of extensive sound manipulation that I indulge in.

I consider the studio itself as my main instrument, which of course makes it difficult to re-create the process for a live performance.

So do you favor digital audio to analog?

While there's so much more that can be done with digital to improve it, such as a higher sampling rate, and converters are definitely a weak link, overall I still prefer it to analog.

On early recordings the digital recorders were very primitive. It's still developing. Analog and digital both have their plus' and minus.' Sure if you have a really good and unfortunately very expensive reel to reel analog machine with Dolby SR then the quality is much better than domestic digital, but when such an analog recording is transferred to vinyl then those benefits are diminished, and all the clicks and rumbling negates any benefit.

I still think that digital recordings sound superior. Nobody can convince me that a piece of black plastic with a needle being scratched through it can sound better than even current digital. Analog looks better on paper but as far as the sound once it's been transferred from tape onto vinyl ....Of course I do accept that an analog master tape can sound superior to digital, but if were talking about a domestic product, then digital is superior.

Are you aware of people using your discs as music for making love?

(laughs)Yes, it's been mentioned, what prompted that question?

Well, my girlfriend asked me to ask you about it because she had an invitation to have sex by a guy from the O.T.O. by him asking if she wanted to go listen to Lustmord and have sex!

(More laughter)-That's great at least people are being ...er...creative with it. That's the whole point of Lustmord. It's meant for you to immerse yourself in the sound and draw your own conclusions as to the meaning of it all. I give hints here and there, both within the sound and in the album sleeves, but in the end it's up to you the way you utilize it. I only hope that if she took up the offer that the sound helped make the earth move for her!

So you have a set idea what you're trying to accomplish when you record or mix a track?

Definitely.

Oh come-on... You don't ever stumble upon a sound and say "hey that's cool-I think I'll turn it into this! record it and see what happens...?"

Yes- of course that does happen, I'd be a liar if I said otherwise, there is always the element of stumbling onto something so to speak but I do have a very specific plan of the sounds I create and their context in the overall piece.

So there's a definite meaning behind Lustmord?

Yes, there's the immediate level together with more covert elements constantly evolving underneath and hidden subtexts just to keep it interesting. Some are really specific and others are deliberately kept vague. It doesn't really mean that I want to make a big deal as to what those things are though.

Now that I've got to the bottom of the Lustmord theory and approach do you wish to have any closing comments?

Kids, Don't try this at home !