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Interview with Adem
Interviewed By: David Roth
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Travling Tips, Advice from his Grandmother,and a possible trade for his Bangers & Mash recipe.Interview conducted December 2004 by David Roth |
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How did you feel about the reception of your recent US and Canadian tours?
Both recent tours of the US and Canada have been phenomenally received. I’ve felt welcome and excited by the response. Apologies to those of you in the West coast – I’ll see you in 2005.
Do you prefer to open for larger bands in bigger clubs or play more intimate shows headlining smaller venues?
Both options are very attractive. I’ve had an amazing time opening up for Explosions in the sky and Badly Drawn Boy, playing in massive places to lots of people. Surprisingly, considering how much my music court intimacy, the live show has translated very well to the large stage. I do love, however, the magic that can happen when playing a headline show in a small place. Having time to develop the atmosphere, being able to connect personally to everyone in the audience is something that I love very much. The ideal is for the two to continue, hand in hand.
Will the band Fridge release any new material anytime soon? Yes. When we have a little time to hang out we record. We are part-way through a new record. It’s sounding pretty damn good, even if I do say so myself. We hope to release it next year some time. You’ll be hearing more of Fridge in the near future.
What music were you listening to when you wrote Homeongs? How do you think that's reflected in the record? A selection of some of the music I was listening to at the time (indeed, have been listening to for a long time):
In a silent way - MilesDavis
Little Lights – Kate Rusby
Moving up Country – James Yorkston
Journey in Satchidinaanda – Alice Coltrane
Blue – Joni Mitchell
Music for mallet instruments, voices and organ – Steve Reich
Radiohead, Bjork, Lisa Germano and the music of my friends, Fourtet, Manitoba, The Memory Band, Polly Paulusma, meon and many others.
How has it influenced the record? The best way I can answer that is to point you to the records, tell you to listen to them and then listen to my record afterward.
Why record Homesongs at home? It's a good title and all, but there's got to be more to it, right? I started working at home because that is where all my stuff is. I liked knowing that I had all of my instruments at hand as well as knowing other raw materials were at hand. Homesongs is more than just a title. As the central themes of the record revealed themselves (it really was like that), the idea of recording at home became central. I felt that everything I did had to be honest and true. To take it into a studio would have felt very false indeed. I liked the acoustics of my place (called the ‘werehome’ on the album because during the day it was a home, by night a studio). And I think the atmosphere created was just right..
This might be a lazy critic's question, but with so many stylistic forebears in the British singer-songwriter community -- Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, whoever else you want to throw in -- did you feel any pressure to make Homesongs sound a certain way? To what extent were the legendary British songwriters an influence on you?
I’m sure British songwriters had a huge influence on me and the record, but no more than, say, Aphex twin or John Coltrane or Pavement or Vashti Bunyan or Hella. All music that I listen to has influenced, in varied amounts. I never listened to more British Singer-songwriter stuff than anything else, but there is some truly great stuff out there. When starting to write and sing, I made a conscious decision to not think about what I was going write about and how I was going to sing. I wanted to see what happened rather than guiding and goading myself in a particular direction. ( BTW Jeff Buckley was American)
I'd shy away from the gearhead-y questions if not for how remarkably clean and precise the production is on the record. What experience had you gained with recording in the past? What equipment were you making Homesongs on, and how familiar were you with it going in?
I’ve been producing records for years as part of Fridge, so I was confident that it was possible to record a high quality album at home.
*Non sound on sound readers, look away now
For the Gearheads out there, I recorded using:
Cakewalk, version 8 and 9 on a PC
PC: Pentium II 0.350 GHz (350MHz)
Creative Sound blaster pro soundcard (mini-jack in is broken, so one channel in at a time).
Two borrowed Shure Beta 87a’s (Thanks Mike).
Mixed to one track using a Mackie desk.
One Creative ‘wand’ mic.
(Free with Computer – great for quiet acoustic recording)
TLA Ivory series Compressor. Kenwood stereo as monitor.
*The rest of you can return to this enlightening and exciting interview again now
What were the challenges in playing so many instruments on the record? What were the benefits, do you think, of that? Playing everything gave the same benefits of being in control with all other aspects of production – I knew exactly what I wanted, and therefore could provide exactly what I imagined. If I could play the instrument. The challenges included learning to play instruments required and figuring out ways around those that I didn’t have to hand to learn.
How'd you get down with Domino?
Masonic secret. (Actually Domino release Fridge in the UK initial contact was made there).
There's a lot of unconventional instrumentation -- particularly in the area of percussion instruments -- on Homesongs. What were the instruments you used, and which was your favorite? Where'd you get them?
ALike children, I love them all equally. A couple I love a little more equally than others. I have to give credit to the autoharp which provided the impetus for the whole project. Bought at a flea market for £8 (about US $15), it was the basis of the first song I wrote for what became this project (Statued), and is also the sound you hear on pillow. I am fond of the baby toy that I use on cut that sounds like a bike freewheeling. I like some of the bass drum sounds created by hitting pillows or closing boxes. You see, nothing is safe in my house. Everything that can make a noise is an instrument.
Now that you've recorded a record at your home, by yourself, do you think it's going to be difficult to go back to a studio and record with other people? How do you feel about doing that? I think you have different mind-sets for different situations. I’ve been in studios and homes recording with other people and it’s been a nice change. I’m particularly looking forward to finishing the Fridge record.
Any closing comments recipes, jokes or traveling tips?
You can find out more at www.adem.tv. When touring/travelling, if you are checking into motels or hotels after midnight, the people at the reception have permission to negotiate the rates. Ask and ye shall receive Cheap Rates. The deals you can get from the Poshest places will astound you.
If anyone can point me to a place that sells a good sausage in America, anywhere, I will tell you how to make a sublime Bangers and Mash.
Oh, and as my grandmother used to say, ‘Always brush your teeth and wear clean underpants – you never know when you might get run over’.
Thanks for having me
All the best, Adem. |
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