11. Philip GlassFacades
I first came across Phillip Glass when I saw Koyaanisqatsi. I immediately started devouring as much ambient and modern-classical music as I could. In that field, I eventually got introduced to the composer Michael Gordon in New York and we almost did a project together, but just listening to what those guys were doing and how they were classically trained people that were bending and twisting what you could do with classical composition really inspired me. I love film music, that kind of larger-than-life kind of approach. And when I saw Koyaanisqatsi I was just like who is this guy Phillip Glass? I straight away started buying records to hear more of him and this 12” really reminds me of that period in the early 90s when I was hearing all kinds of connections between what I was doing and things from the past. ‘Facades’ really reminded me of one of the sort of monotonous jungle tunes we all loved that just build and build and build.
Thinking of that connection between visual art and music, do you see sound in terms of shape and structure when building a track?
Not exactly shapes but I kind of feel the colours of music. So when I’m putting music together, I’m trying to match up the colours- the feeling of the colours. Whenever I’m hearing stuff, I’m always seeing the tone and the colours, and then I’m trying to match them together. For me, when producing a track I don’t see things as separate – I don’t hear the bass individually, it’s more about that tone having a colour, with a feeling attached to it, that I’m trying to relate to the beats. All my songs have colours and feelings and I’m trying to match them up. I don’t overly think about tracks before making them, it’s more finding those sounds and tones whose colours match and putting them together so they vibrate and feel good together.
