CM>>>The first thing I noticed when I hold your Album "NRTHNDR" in my hands was that inside you say “thanks” to your cats. Are they an important part of your life? (Is it just kind of a joke?) And how many cats do you own?
Reid>>> Well I mention my cats just because they are always around in some way. I have two… Abby & Willy. Abby is the standoffish female and Willy is the overbearing chubby male. He is the one that’s always trying to stand on my computer keyboard when I am trying to write tunes. It’s not really a joke, but because they are present I felt they deserved the mention.
CM>>> It’s a "standard" question for an interview, but I didn't find out the proper meaning for Wisp? Or better say in a proper context with a person? Why have you chosen this artist name? Is it a moniker? Is there a story behind it?
Reid>>> Well, originally I was going by the name Lobe. But found out another electronic fellow was using that name. Wisp kind of surfaced while reading The Lord of the Rings, I believe… It seemed like a good description to me. It carried some slightly magical connotations - if that doesn’t sound too silly. It wasn’t anything too serious, or something I felt I was going to get nailed down by. The definition, well one of them at least, of the word is: "A fleeting trace or indication; a hint." I like the playfulness the title allows.
CM>>> Aaron Funk was responsible that you got signed on the Sublight Label? How did it come to this? And where did you first meet him?
Reid>>> I was first contacted by Aaron over the net. He said he had been listening to some of my net releases and was enjoying them. Overall I was kind of baffled that they found their way to him. You never expect there are many other people listening. And then to find out Aaron was listening was that much more of a surprise. He was really great about it... I sent more unreleased material his way, and he was into it. He tipped off the guys at Sublight and well...You know the rest.
CM>>> Ok after being astounded about the cats in the credits I was even more amazed about the sound of NRTHNDR. It's been a while that I've heard such (sounds a little bit pathetic, but I don't find other words) a mixture of sounds and styles. Calm electronica with fast and massive beats. Can you tell me something about your music socialization and influences? Have you been raised in a musicians’ or an artist family?
Reid>>> Well I tend to think I wear a lot of my influences on my sleeve -such as the most obvious: Aphex Twin, u-ziq, etc. But I would like to think I am putting a little bit of a mark on it at this point. I am not really trying to go out of my way to break ground... I am just writing music I enjoy. If my sound develops into something different, I would prefer it to be a natural progression. With regards to my family, well, it’s a mix. My father’s side of the family tends to be more musical. My grandfather was really into Jazz and played the drums (that’s the J.D. half of the album dedication). My mother’s side wasn’t really musical, but a bit more on the artistic side visually (the other half of the dedication is W.W. - my other grandfather). I think all of those things had some impact on me... But I don’t have any kind of formal training, so I am left to make things up as I go, for the most part.
CM>>> I really asked myself with which hard- or software you produced this album? Because some parts really sound like being produced with classic or vintage equipment.
Reid>>> All of the album was written on my laptop. For most of my songwriting and programming, I am using Fruity Loops. An older version is still being used... my laptop is shit so I am kind of forced to put up with high cpu usage and stuttering tracks. It’s kind of a pain-in-the-ass, but it sets limits. It can be interesting working within certain limitations, and trying to find ways around them. I use various other programs for sound design and editing... I'm trying to figure out Cecilia right now. That’s the front end for Csound; which is super programming intensive, and I just don’t have the brain for that kind of shit. But the front end is challenging in a different way. Just trying to get the program to work and stay stable is a pain. For NRTHNDR, I also did a lot of track research on the city I live in (Niagara Falls, NY.) I did a lot of audio collages. There is a little bit of a loose narrative to the album - a lot of little blurbs about myself and the city buried in the tracks.
CM>>>On the first track you can hear a genuine drum kit hi-hat. May I say that it sounds like a rock hihat. Do you like classical sounds and beats like that?
Reid>>> It all depends. I think certain sounds have their places - adding to the momentum of the track, building it up, etc, etc. If I hear a sound that may sound acoustic in some way, but works, I am not opposed to using it in a track. It’s just a matter of making things fit.
CM>>> Is NRTHNDR an abbreviation?
Reid>>> NRTHNDR stands for "Northender". I come from the Northend of the city... My whole family, for the most part, were born and raised there. My grandfather was really proud to be from the Northend and the license plate on his car read "NRTHNDR". I didn’t use it because I am especially proud to be from here or anything. But the album is about the city, and where I grew up in a sense. The people and places I know, and my experiences in general.
CM>>> This is your first complete album. Lets call it: début album. Have you been excited the days before it was finally released? Or didn't it affect you after releasing so many mp3s and your release on Terminal Dusk?
Reid>>> I was really excited about this release. Everything behind it… having Aaron contact me, and getting signed by Sublight... It all kind of came together perfectly. And on top of that, it’s the first time I was able to get my hands on a tangible album of my own work. It’s nice to see the promotion and work I put into my material pay off.
CM>>> What about the Artwork - is it in a context to the title or the songs? Which area is shown on the back cover? Hmm, I also ask myself if the person on the cover is you?
Reid>>> My friend Justin Bergstrom did the artwork. He is an amazing artist and put something together that really reflects the album. It looks almost exactly like the city I grew up in, but actually isn’t it at all. It’s a collage of different industrial type settings that he pieced together. The colours of the cover art are basically my main input (aside from the music to inspire it) to the end result. I just told him I wanted something with darker tones, but nothing overly menacing. The inside art is an aerial view of the city. I am able to point out all the different little landmarks that helped inspire the album. That’s why I wanted to include it. And the person on the art is me - a picture that was painted to blend with the setting a bit more.
CM>>>Why and when did you start to play around with electronic instruments? And when did things start to become more serious?
Reid>>> I was always into video game music, ever since I was young. Then after hearing more listener-based electronic music, like Skinny Puppy, Aphex Twin & Meat Beat Manifesto (when I was about 14 or 15) I knew that’s where I wanted to go. I didn’t know how to go about it because I couldn’t play an instrument or read music. So I just started dabbling in freeware and shareware on the net - messed with a few Trackers but I soon after found Fruity Loops and some other programs. As much as I liked trackers, I gravitated to something more visual because it was like instant gratification. It became serious for me when I was about 17 or 18 - my senior year of high school. Up until then I was really into painting, and just playing computer games. But I realized how much I really wanted to pursue making electronic music at a serious level in 2000. So I focused on it more then, trying to polish my techniques instead of being so sloppy with my sound.
CM>>> Do you need a special mood or atmosphere to write new tracks or are you more a spontaneous person in your creative process?
Reid>>> It depends, I think. I get really into writing tracks after visual or literary stimulation. Watching a good movie or reading a few chapters from a favourite book can really help. I think I tend to write more energetic material after that. I also will write the quickest (whole tracks in like 6-8 hour sessions) after that kind of stuff. NRTHNDR took a little longer, because it was more of a personal effort. Much more thought out. I don’t go out of my way to take more time with material that would be perceived as "serious". It just kind of happens that way, because the tracks tend to be a little more challenging, idea and production wise.
CM>>> What do you do besides being a musician?
Reid>>> Hahaha... not a whole lot. Am I really a musician? I don’t know. I can’t play an instrument. But aside from making sounds, I read a lot - usually the same 5 or 6 books over and over again... hahaha. I’m a huge fan of Tolkien. Re-reading The Silmarillion right now, actually... I like to eat good food and watch films. I’ve been trying to get my girlfriend to teach me how to knit, but I don’t know if I have the patience for it.
CM>>> Ever been in Europe? Any tour plans for the NRTHNDR album in the states and other countries?
Reid>>> Well... I have been talking about going to Europe and the UK for a long time now, but nothing has come of it. But I have hopes for a tour soon. Nothing finalized. But it’s been talked about. I play as often as possible, locally. But it’s not often enough. I am up for anything at this point. Just getting it together is the tough part.
CM>>> What goes on in Niagara Falls, NY? Is there a musician, or electronic scene? Or do you have to travel for a "cultural exchange"?
Reid>>> There’s not much of a scene for indie electronic music in the Western New York area. There is a college in the area that has a bit of an academic, electronic music scene… But that can all be kind of stuffy. I have a few good friends that I am able to exchange ideas with. A few collaborations as well. I am working on one of them right now with one of my best friends. I don’t know when it will surface... But I am excited about it. I think there is some interest for this music locally, but after years of kind of trying to push it in the area, I don’t really bother any more. I play shows when I am offered them, but that’s the extent.
CM>>>> Do you just listen to electronic music or do you also prefer music from other genres?
Reid>>> I listen to a lot of music. I’ve been really getting into Medieval and Renaissance music, and different kinds of traditional folk music. I do listen to A LOT of electronic music though… mostly because the people I talk to on the net are producers. There is always something new to hear. It’s kind of like how punk music was, I think - a lot of exchanges everyone knows each other somehow. But it’s more on a global scale these days, with the net.
CM>>> When you finish a song do you play them to friends so they can criticize you?
Reid>>> There are a few people that I do exchange tracks with on a somewhat regular basis. I used to put tracks up for everyone to hear, but these days I’ve become a little more closed off to it. I like to hear other people’s opinions on my tracks just out of curiosity. But it doesn’t always directly affect the track itself.
CM>>> Are you in a special mood or do you have kind of a special feeling when a year ends? Or it doesn’t bother you?
Reid>>> To be honest, I don’t really pay much attention. I like the colder seasons, and the holidays can be fun - so November through February all kind of blend for me. I get a lot of song writing done in the colder months. The years tend to just come and go as of late.
CM>>> What do we have to expect next from Wisp?
Reid>>> After NRTHNDR was completed, I took a small break from song writing. It was a draining experience... but I am getting back into the swing of things. I have a few releases planned, but the material I am writing now is a mixture of more playful songs, and some inspired by Medieval themes (music, literature and art). Expect another release on Sublight sometime relatively soon, and a release on Earstroke Records.
CM>>> What do you need for a perfect day, I mean as a person not just a musician?
Reid>>> I would say the perfect day for me would be a day with grey skies and a little bit of sunlight around sunset; chilly outside, with a bit of wind. And during the day, I would like to be able to work on a new track. And then break up the evening with some good eats and a movie at the theatre with my girlfriend. Maybe come home after that and read for a little while, or work on music for a bit. And then receive a phone call at the end of the day saying that all of the plans for a tour in Europe have been finalized. Hahaha! That would be bliss. :-D
www.sublightrecords.com
www.myspace.com/wisp
www.wispmaeksmusic.tk
Interview: Michael Mück
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