Hiroshimabend
interviewed by Barbara Grim and J.N.T.
Before reading the following interview feel free to check out Opiumdenpluto to listen to the music of Hiroshimabend for free.
A translation will be ready in a week or two. So stay tuned!
Abseitiges:
Michael, first, let me say thank you for your
interest in this interview. Surely, it is a premiere both for you and
for “abseitiges”.
You are producing under the name of “puppy38”,
however, without a doubt, your dominant musical output is
“Hiroshimabend”. Before we dedicate ourselves to this cryptic
name, I have other questions:
On
your website, you are asking your listeners to burn your music on
CDs, and to distribute it! What does this kind of marketing mean to
you and why did you not decide on a traditional form
of label distribution?
Hiroshimabend:
In
1998, after composing and recording my own self-produced works for
over a year, I was made aware of MP3 technology through a good friend
telling me about Napster. In that instance I understood the
traditional record business model to be effectively over. Here was a
technology that could make music almost instantly accessible to
anyone in the world having access to the internet. To me this meant
that even if hiroshimabend got a record deal, only one CD had to be
sold, converted to MP3, put on a file sharing service, and at that
point, for all intents and purposes, nobody would have to buy another
copy of the CD. So I figured it would take the industry a while to
catch up and decided to learn how to build my own website, where the
music would available to download for free in lossless MP3 format.
At live shows and on my website (www.opiumdenpluto.com)
I have been selling limited edition USB flash drives called “23-8-1”
which is basically my entire discography (including all sleeve
designs) excluding newer material. I ask for (but do not require)
donations for downloads of my music via opiumdenpluto. This has
generated some income, but the exposure this has generated, not only
for the music, has been sufficient enough to get me on the bill
opening for several well-known acts, plus a lot of solo shows. It
has also helped draw attention to my production work, so I have had
the opportunity to produce and remaster releases by other bands, some
of which, ironically enough, are on independent labels, such as
Klanggalerie.
Abseitiges:
Positively
speaking, the music of “Hiroshimabend” is not only cryptic, but
also hypnotically closed. Once, I did compare the listening
experience to the swimming in a milky lake
out of jet-black ink. Why did you chose this taciturnity and
labyrinthine structure? Do you want to emphasise a general refusal of
pop, or do we have to deal with an aesthetic or even ideological
decision?
Hiroshimabend:
I
cannot tell you how much I enjoyed that description of my music. I
cannot tell you how many times I have been listening to one of my
pieces during post-production that I have practically “tranced out”
and almost forgotten what I was doing. It can really take you away
from wherever your mind is and put you in a different, hopefully more
special place. More than one person has described it as very
hypnotic. I
never consciously decided to do something so out of the ordinary or
“taciturn” as you describe. It is just something that happened
naturally. I come from a background of having listened to music from
so many varying genres that I have always had one ideal, which is to
create something that didn’t sound like anything I had heard
before, something that was my own, yet at the same time could give
the listener the same feeling a lot of music gave me when I was
younger. The complex simplicity of true art is that it should engage
the viewer/listener on their level. They make up the stories in
their mind as to what the music means. Of course there are sometimes
subtle guides along the way; it could be a sample from a movie, or
the title of the piece (albeit often in the form of an undecipherable
acronym), or even the sleeve design. The point is to make something
where the listener is not being told what to think or how to feel.
It’s totally up to them.
Abseitiges:
But
still, your music creates certain associations. Personally speaking,
I had been often reminded of “Muslimgauze”, partly of Job Karma,
and additionally, of diverse noise and former industrial bands, such
as Throbbing Gristle, or Psychic TV. If I am not mistaken, there are
photographs depicting you visiting Herman Nitsch. Please excuse this
brief excursus, but pictures by Nitsch, which somehow always
oscillate with beastly rawness and tenderly exposure to colour, are,
in my opinion, partly pictorialized sequels of your music. Where does
your inspiration come from? Are there any musicians, bands, or
inspirations from the field of art or literature influencing your
work? Are there any musicians who you want to strongly recommend to
our readers from abseitiges?
Hiroshimabend:
First
I will answer something with regards to Nitsch. My wife told me
about him when she planned for us to go to the “Pentecost-Feast”
at his estate. I had never even heard of him, so I did a little
research and found a connection to Coil. Upon seeing his stacks of
canvas and massive body of work I envisioned finding a way to contact
him about using some of the photographs I took for a future sleeve
design. While I was there I recorded some audio from a video that
was playing and plan on fitting samples from it into a piece I am
working on for later release. I could completely relate to the
subject matter as well as the method of creation he used and was
inspired a good deal by the experience. With regards to inspiration,
it was actually Muslimgauze that inspired me to take the music of
hiroshimabend into longer formats. When I first listened to “Gulf
Between Us” by Muslimgauze I had such incredible sensations. It
was like a full meal with coffee, dessert, sex and a cigarette
afterwards. As a listener I could not have asked for more. I
realized that while some of my pieces at that point were shorter, to
tell a whole story and allow the listener to really sit back and
become immersed in the sounds would require a longer track.
Uninhibited and unconstrained with regards to the length of the
tracks became my modus operandi. This allowed me to really get into
the environment of the soundscapes I was creating and explore the
ideas more fully without having to edit them as much just for the
sake of making something quick and easily digestible. I would have
to say as far as other artists/musicians/writers that have in many
ways shaped my own music, the list is long. I mentioned Coil
earlier, and was once flattered that my friend Joe Lifto, who I was
giving a preview of a track I was working on (assuming he knew it was
mine), asked if it was a new Coil release. Certainly I have to also
include ambient/instrumental pieces by artists like Cindytalk,
Throbbing Gristle, Chris & Cosey, Einsturzende Neubauten, Skinny
Puppy, Nurse With Wound, David Sylvian, This Mortal Coil, Maeror Tri,
Troum, Job Karma, Cabaret Voltaire, and Voices of Kwahn. Two
instrumentalists, Mick Karn (fretless bass) and Dwayne Rudolph
Goettel (synthesist) have had a great deal of influence on me for
over half of my life. I have also taken a lot of inspiration from
producers such as Martin Hannett (my biggest influence and a spirit I
try to channel during production and post-production) and Dave “Rave”
Ogilvie. Authors Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Neil Gaiman, Phillip K.
Dick, and Arthur C. Clarke have inspired many of my creative means.
The hiroshimabend piece “Mspais” is actually a musical
interpretation of the emotional scale I went through when reading
“Imajica” by Clive Barker. Artistically I am inspired by my wife
Katja Svejkovsky (approaching her about using some of her artwork for
sleeve designs was pretty much how we met). I am also a big fan of:
the graphic design work of Peter Saville, illustrators John J. Muth
(who interestingly enough also composed a flexi-disc of ambient
sounds for a comic book series he worked on) and Pierre Clement,
paintings by Dali, Miro, Rothko, Henri Fantin LaTour, Bosch, Mondrian
(to name but a few), and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. I can easily
say that without influences from these and many more creators I would
not be here talking with you today.
Abseitiges:
Now, we are coming to the question that surely
the majority of our readers is interested in: „Hiroshimabend“?
What does this actually mean? Did you deliberately chose this name,
since it possesses so much associative potential that ranges from the
German romanticism to the technical revolution and the atomic
fallout? Or are we additionally confronted with personal levels of
meaning at this point?
Hiroshimabend:
I
have always been fascinated with wordplay and double-meanings. I saw
a documentary about Trinity and the scientists developing the atomic
bomb at Los Alamos, New Mexico that featured Hans Bethe and many
more. I then did a little research on current-day Hiroshima, and
very little remains to show how decimated the city was. I couldn’t
help but reflect sadly upon the fact that despite it now being a
beautiful city (which I hope to visit one day), just the mention of
the name conjures up such horrifying imagery. I had just began
composing and recording my first E.P. “Beta1” and the sounds
were simultaneously dark and droning with hints and glimmers of hope.
One late evening during a session I was taking a break from
recording and noticed that despite the solitude of the studio and
darkness of what I was creating, the place I was in mentally was
really exciting and energising. I remembered an aerial photo of
Hiroshima focused on the Ōta River and the name just occurred to
me…hiroshimabend…a beautiful bend of the river situated so close
to a city whose name evokes dreadful imagery.
Abseitiges:
In
your performances, visual elements, mostly in form of video players
have been prominent, which, according to my opinion, repeatedly
formed a surprising symbiosis. Still, as far as the visual dimension
is concerned, you are denying the concrete, remaining in the
abstract. Which status does this visualisation hold for you? Do you
think that “Hiroshimabend” is a project that is more successful
in this multimedia space than alone, at home, in front of the own
sound system?
Hiroshimabend:
I
have been a graphic designer since my early teen years and later
worked as a Production Assistant and Producer at an advertising
agency in the U.S. The visual element has always been important to
me, but only in the last few years have I acquired access to the
tools to make deeper ideas come to fruition. This has enabled me to
recreate the realms I envision when I am composing and recording. I
have not yet fully realised these realms for any sort of full-on
audio/visual spectacle outside of the visuals I have produced for
live performances, but I do have plans for several pieces including a
potential feature-length production that will have absolutely no
dialogue other than what is implied by the soundtrack and score. One
project I am rather proud of is probably my least accessible due to
its very nature. It is a version of Pasolini’s “Salò: or the
120 Days of Sodom” in which the score and dialogue were completely
removed. I then inserted my own composition called “The Morning
Julia Regiment” which has elements and sound samples from the film
that I synchronised within the movie. Due to the fact that the
dialogue is not in the finished piece, I burned in the subtitles.
While the movie itself is very difficult to watch, it is an
exploration of a truly immersive experience. You hear the music,
read the dialogue, and in certain moments (the click of a gun hammer
or a group of people singing) things run in tandem to each other.
Since it has been almost impossible to arrange a performance where I
perform the music while the film is being played, I recently began
work on a similar, yet more accessible project. I cannot fully
disclose the basis of the project here but I can give you a hint: it
is tentatively titled “IYCSWISWYE.”
Abseitiges:
However,
are there any plans from your side to publicly present such
adaptations?
I know that you have been performing in Vienna various times before
and that you are soon organizing your own event, which I will address
later, for the first time in this city. Until now, what are your
experiences with the Viennese audience? How did you experience your
gigs so far? Is abstract, electronic music suitable for a city like
Vienna, which seems to be completely fallen out of time?
Hiroshimabend:
Since
attending a show recently by Christian Fennesz at Grelle Forelle Club
here in Vienna, I have planned to discuss a performance of the above
mentioned audio/visual piece there. It is, in my estimation,
probably the best suited venue for such a performance. I was
recently discussing the state of the scene here in Vienna with Manuel
Knapp and we both agree that the city is ripe and ready for a
renaissance in live abstract electronics and experimental sound
sculpture. Everything is there; plenty of artists working in the
medium, and certainly interest in the music once people are exposed
to it, but I think it will take a more collaborative spirit to really
make that happen. Visual artists could easily tap into the well of
sound designers to use for performing at gallery openings or using
long sound loops of experimental music at exhibits. Maybe
independent film makers could have a hand in things if they used
artists in the field to compose soundtracks or film scores. As far
as my experiences with Viennese audiences at live shows, the
reception has been overwhelmingly positive at places like Club Rhiz,
Xi-Bar, Fluc, and Down Under. In the states it was much harder to
even get shows at more than an independent coffee shop or maybe an
“alternative” dance club just due to the nature of being in such
a niche genre as what I like to call “Ambient/Avant-Noise,” so
being here has increased my visibility several times over. The
trouble is getting people out of their homes and away from their
televisions, computers and playstations. I opened (as a D.J.) for
Factory Records legends Section 25 in December of 2013 at Fluc and
barely 20 people showed up. This instance stuck with me and inspired
me to create Up Your Jam (which I understand we will discuss later)
with the intention of changing this dynamic and shaking the scene up
a bit not only locally here in Vienna, but on a global scale.
Abseitiges:
Let
us briefly focus on the multimedia aspect of your project. Are you
planning to break open the space of frontal acoustic
irradiation?
To be more precise, are 5.1, 6.1, etc. systems
and sound systems
an option for you, which you can use as elaboration for your musical
expression?
Hiroshimabend:
Definitely!
In fact, all of my recordings are currently archived in a format
that will allow me to easily go back and remaster them in 5.1 DVD-A
(5.1 Surround Sound DVD Audio). I sold everything I had in my studio
(except for my primary studio system and a laptop) prior to moving to
Vienna about a year and a half ago. As soon as I have replaced the
audio interface that was damaged beyond repair in the move with a
more suitable one than the one that’s on the motherboard of my main
studio desktop I am currently stuck using, I plan on getting to work
on the first of the series to be remastered in the DVD-A format. My
only hope is that I can actually get some sort of distribution deal
with an independent label since it is a growing market and actually
one of the few with consistent growth, especially to audiophiles. I
think the music of hiroshimabend is best suited to this format as it
completes the circle of immersiveness the sounds barely intonate in
standard stereo format. I have also been reading up on 22.2 surround
sound systems used in Ultra HD for further possibilities down the
line.
Abseitiges:
What
type of software and hardware are your currently working with, and do
you have any kind of dream-setup?
Hiroshimabend:
As
mentioned previously, my current studio setup is quite scaled down
from what I worked with in the states. I use a laptop running
Propellerhead Reason and Native Instruments Traktor, an Ensoniq ASR-X
Sampler/Resampler, and my main studio system is running Cakewalk
Sonar Producer Edition with tons of plug-ins, soft-synths and FX,
including all of the software for mastering in 5.1 for surround sound
DVD-Audio. For video production/editing I use Adobe Production
Premium CS 6. All registered versions in case anyone is wondering.
My dream setup sounds ominous but is well thought out, covering not
only my own personal needs (some of which will be replacing gear I
previously owned*) for recording/production/mastering, but should
also be more than adequate when the time comes to build a world class
studio for other artists to record in, so I will break it down into
those two groups:
Instruments:
Ensoniq ASR-X & ASR-X PRO Sampler/Resampler (at least two)*
Roland SP 808 Sampling Workstation (with dual d-beam controllers…similar to a theremin)*Korg Radias Synth*
Six and Four String fretless basses*
A decent electric guitar*
Line 6 X3PRO FX unit (dual channel version)*Roland VS-2480DVD (primarily for live shows)*
Korg MR-1 Mobile Recorder (for high quality field recordings)*
Korg MR-1000 Mobile Recorder (for even better high quality field recordings)
Studio:
8 Focusrite ISA-430-MKII Producer Pack Channel Stripsplugged into
8 Korg MR-200S dual channel recorders (5.6 MHz/1-bit satellite broadcast quality recording)plugged into
One or two RME Fireface 800 Audio Interfaces
plugged into a really kick-ass Desktop with so much power that it’s ridiculous.
As many ART M3 Microphones as I can get my hands on (used to own one of these as well) along with proper equipment such as Mic Shields suitable for capturing surround sound recordings
Several more Line 6 X3PRO units
Enough Pro Audio speakers and reference monitors to warrant living far outside the city
Maybe a fire extinguisher or two
Ensoniq ASR-X & ASR-X PRO Sampler/Resampler (at least two)*
Roland SP 808 Sampling Workstation (with dual d-beam controllers…similar to a theremin)*Korg Radias Synth*
Six and Four String fretless basses*
A decent electric guitar*
Line 6 X3PRO FX unit (dual channel version)*Roland VS-2480DVD (primarily for live shows)*
Korg MR-1 Mobile Recorder (for high quality field recordings)*
Korg MR-1000 Mobile Recorder (for even better high quality field recordings)
Studio:
8 Focusrite ISA-430-MKII Producer Pack Channel Stripsplugged into
8 Korg MR-200S dual channel recorders (5.6 MHz/1-bit satellite broadcast quality recording)plugged into
One or two RME Fireface 800 Audio Interfaces
plugged into a really kick-ass Desktop with so much power that it’s ridiculous.
As many ART M3 Microphones as I can get my hands on (used to own one of these as well) along with proper equipment such as Mic Shields suitable for capturing surround sound recordings
Several more Line 6 X3PRO units
Enough Pro Audio speakers and reference monitors to warrant living far outside the city
Maybe a fire extinguisher or two
Abseitiges:
For
the first time, you are planning your own event this Saturday where
you will give a live performance. What kind of format will it be and
what can we expect from this evening?
Hiroshimabend:
The
event is called “Up Your Jam presents ‘TASTE’” and will focus
primarily on underground/experimental/noise styles. We are actually
expecting a pretty good turnout, not only at the venue, but also a
global online audience since we will be streaming the event live
(audio and video via webcam) on Up Your Jam, the website business I
mentioned earlier. We are almost finished with the testing phase of
the site and preparing soon for a “soft launch” that will enable
viewers to log in and check out shows from all over the world. The
hiroshimabend performance will debut a new piece I am currently
working on and expect to have finished rehearsing and ready to
perform by showtime around 9:00 p.m. Vienna time. After that will be
Burkhard Stangl (10:00), then Manuel Knapp (11:00) who are both
affiliated with klingt.org. Just a small taste of the scene here in
Vienna, and depending on how things go, it may become a fairly
regular event, so if you, the reader are interested, stay tuned to
www.upyourjam.com
and www.facebook.com/upyourjam
for more.
Abseitiges:
At
this point, I only have to say to our readers: Go visit the concert!
All links are listed below, and to you, Michael, let me say thank you
for this great interview!
Hiroshimabend:
Thank you for an outstanding series of
questions. It has been a joy to shed a little insight into the world
of hiroshimabend and opiumdenpluto.
Links:
