[loop.cl] Chile
Lineland, aka Malcolm Felder, is a musician based in Queens, New York, that proposes in its album debut for Audio Dregs "Pavilion" [2003], the conjunction of acoustic instruments that are process through a musical software. In addition, the textures, timbres and the field recordings are elements that allow to form a dreamworld. More info. at lineland and audiodregs
How it was your experience transition with the four-track Casio recordings to the music software set-up?
"My approach to songwriting did change slightly when I starting writing stuff with a computer. I had no experience writing sheet music, so this was really the first time I was able to structure and arrange songs visually. So, that was great. I also began using the computer as a sampler and sequencer, which made things a little easier. But all the possibilities that the computer had to offer seemed overwhelming at times, and I often found more inspiration in the limitations of a broken old keyboard and a four track recorder. So, while recording "Pavilion" I abandoned the computer pretty regularly, and returned to methods that seemed simpler and more tactile".
I think the four-track Casio did the kind of cheerful and playful harmonies in "Pavilion". What's your opinion about?
"I'm certainly attracted to those kinds of sounds, if that's what you mean. There's something endearing about these old, broken sounding instruments playing pretty melodies. You feel sympathy for them, and instantly become more receptive to what they're saying, I guess".
How did you get into producing?
"I don't really like producing all that much, it's just something I got into out of necessity. There were just a lot of ideas that myself and friends wanted to commit to tape, but we were all broke, so I just started recording and producing stuff with my computer and lots of borrowed equipment. It was pretty exciting producing the "Pavilion" album, because I felt I could finally indulge in a lot of the shameless production techniques I love so much in pre-1970s recordings, like excessive panning and over-compressing things. It is fun, and there are definite advantages to being so autonomous, but it is extremely time consuming for someone with no training, and I'd rather be playing music then recording it".
One of my favorites tracks is "Acorns and matches"; the melody lines of the guitar and keyboards, and "At times divide" with its Latin percussion. How did you get to this musical idea?
"I suppose the guitar part in "Acorns and matches" was inspired by the kinds of long meandering melodies in Indian film scores, and George Harrison of course. I think I was imagining that guitar part as a woman posing some sort of question about love to her friends and family, and the second part of the song is their response. I'm not sure where "At times divide" came from, I wrote it fairly quickly. I'd like to think it's what it would sound like if Erik Satie wrote a samba".
You are quite busy with your side-projects. Could you please tell us about these ones?
"My most recent project was a recording made over a couple days while camping with two friends. It was done with a bunch of battery operated toys and a handheld tape recorder and is barely listenable. It is pretty interesting, at least as a voyeuristic oddity, and I may post it on my website soon. But most of my side-projects are on the back burner right now. At the moment, I'm trying to add vocals to some new Lineland material, and I'm busy figuring out ways to perform this stuff live".
Text Guillermo Escudero
