Particle People Present… Black Christmas
Two of my most cherished people in this scene recently began a new journey into sound. Who are they? Whats this all about? The fact is, they are no stranger to the local Minneapolis dance music Scene, Tanya and Travis Norman are long time supporters of the local scene here in Minneapolis and some people think this is project is long over due.
In addition to telling you about complicit I want to also share a little about the other artists joining us for the next installment of Black brought to you by the Particle People Mpls. Joining complicit live this December 26th 2009 we have sets from Christian James and David Avid, Jacob Hoffman, and one of my oldest, dearest, friends and mentor Kevin Irvin (aka Cat In the Hat circa mid 1990’s) We will revisit some of them in the near future BUT…
For now I want to focus on an introduction…
complicit
complicit
[kuhm-plis-it] –adjective- choosing to be involved in a questionable act, esp. with others…
I asked Tanya and Travis to tell us a little about them self and there new project..
First off, thanks so much for inviting us to these pages! Minneapolis is fortunate to now have a blog along these lines and you all are making sure that this online channel lives up to the same standards of quality that the events consistently deliver.
What inspires you?
One of many things that inspire us is the potential for exploring new forms of communication. On one level there is the traditional synergy of musicians creating together in the moment that is the same type of interplay you see in any band or musical act. Yet since we control a single system we express a single idea, which gets divided in our performance primarily by frequency range. It is almost as though we are both right and left hand seated at the piano and reading the same piece of music.
We enjoy supporting and experiencing other talent as often as possible, especially our local innovators, and we are excited to now make a contribution of our own.
A motivating force for us both us is musical sound design, and learning our tools to the point where we can create the ideas we hear in our head. The learning process itself is enjoyable, especially when experimentation leads to unpredictable results, or takes us in a new direction. We often allow our sound shaping efforts to guide us and inform our decisions on how a track should progress.
What brought about this new project?
As far as the initial circumstances that lead to our attempting this project, the most recent Movement Festival in Detroit was pretty much a turning point for us. We witnessed a handful of moments where we felt the artists were connecting with the crowd in such a potent way – we knew we wanted to tap into this type of energy.
Complicit JackCast
Tanya – Tell us a little about your back ground in music…
“Even though I have only been seriously active in music production for a year now, a classically trained background in music has made the whole learning process easier. I started piano when I was 5, picked up flute at 10, and studied strings, woodwinds and brass instruments all through high school and college. I have my undergrad degree in music and a diploma in audio engineering. I also worked as a freelance audio engineer for several years, managed a music store, and currently am a director at a local multimedia college.
What tools and technologies have inspired you?
Ableton Live has had quite an impact on me, both technically and creatively. I studied ReBirth and Digital Performer back in the day, then got into Pro Tools and Reason. Ableton has made the most sense to me because of the way it’s designed for musicians and the flexibility it offers. After a few months of digging into it and reading manuals and magazines, I was hooked.
For years I have seen you on the dance floor, what moved you into realm of performing?
Before I started producing I spent years as a listener and avid supporter of electronic music. Watching and learning every move the pro’s make while seeing the reaction of the audience was the most moving experience I ever had in music. Humbled and in awe of the amazing techniques and skilled craftsmanship I was witnessing, I became aware of a growing desire to trying production on my own.
And who better to act as teacher and mentor than my husband, who comes from a wealth of background and education in production, engineering and performance as a DJ. I owe a lot of my knowledge in production to him. Luckily, we get excited about the same styles of music, so it made sense for us to start a project together. We’ll both admit that the musical communication process was not altogether obvious at first – it took a little while to figure out our workflow and how to present our ideas. It really was an altogether new level of communication for us.
Who/What Inspires you?
A lot of different artists inspire me. There is such great local talent in Minneapolis that every weekend I get to go out and hear amazing music. I love the deep stuff, the techno stuff and the house stuff. My music is a reflection of my feelings and an interpretation of my mood.”
Travis – Tell us a little about yourself…
This is an intriguing time in my life, one filled with change, and I am thrilled to be making music at such a furious pace and with a goal in mind of somehow documenting in sound the many new ideas and challenges which currently demand my attention. I find the process of music production cathartic, a chance to funnel the day’s ups or downs into an essence of experience that (hopefully) others can identify with.
On the flip of that though, I also enjoy crafting our songs around the simple sense of release available through the mighty 4 / 4 kick drum. For me there is a balance, where as a listener your body is responding to these primal and insistent rhythmic arrangements, literally triggering physiological responses to all the stimuli, and yet your brain is enveloped in the tonality and melody, occasionally even giving rise to a place where things come together – your questions answered, your goals defined, and your personal path forward now illuminated with clarity in your mind’s eye – these have been the among the most memorable experiences for me on the dancefloor. I want to create soundscapes that allow for this type of whole person harmony to unfold.
What is it about complicit that excites you?
Although I have a decade plus worth of experience in handling turntables and samplers in bands as well as an album out as a solo electronic artist, complicit is so exciting for me because I now get to share those cherished late nights of preparation and performance with the person closest to me.
Working alongside Tanya in this manner has been fun for so many reasons, not the least of which is just bearing witness to this new blossoming of her talent. I am always hesitant to present my ways of working on music as anything other than one approach out of a nearly infinite array, and so am always striving to supplement my “mentoring” with other resources like the epic Ableton Users Groups Minneapolis is so fortunate to host. The coolest part is that Tanya has reached the point of required familiarity with the “rules” and is now able to break them in interesting ways. Meanwhile, I get ready access to creative opinions and techniques outside of my own bag of tricks and ways of looking at things.
We are counting down to our debut show at Black, we can’t wait!
As an extra added bonus Jacob Hoffman sent us a mix and a little insight on who Jacob is…
Jacob Hoffman is a triple aquarius. Those that know him best will tell you stories about a life of emphasized question marks, without letting the story get too complicated. Though many bear fruit with just a piece, Jacob is an advocate of the whole pie, italics and all. With roots in Minneapolis, sharing the speakers with the likes of Andy Fargo, Bruno Pronsato, The Push, Particle People, Centrific, and all that challenge convention, Jacob has honed a quirky, moody style of house on the decks, and wears his sense of humor on his sleeves. Recently relocated to sunny Brooklyn, New York, dig in the heels, my friend.
What? He’s just kidding?
Jacob Hoffman
Mark Henning – Get Me To The Moon (Agaric Remix)
Dachshund – Taxidermy (Someone Else Remix)
Vera & Frederico Molinari – It Ain’t Music
Kris Wadsworth – State And Griswold
2000 And One – Burnin Dub
Audio Werner – Onandon
DJ T. – Gorilla Hug
Tim Xavier & Miro Pajic – The Persian Eye (Ambivalent Remix)
Sidney Frost – Superfling
Plastic FM – Anonymous (Matt Star Remix)
Zev – Forget The World (f/ Beckford)
Quasimoto – Green Power
Black Christmas
Tags: 2000 And One - Burnin Dub, aaron bliss, Audio Werner - Onandon, BLACK saturdays, complicit, Dachshund - Taxidermy (Someone Else Remix), DJ T. - Gorilla Hug, First Ave night club, Jacob Hoffman, jesse jakob, Kris Wadsworth - State And Griswold, Mark Henning - Get Me To The Moon (Agaric Remix), Plastic FM - Anonymous (Matt Star Remix), Quasimoto - Green Power, Sidney Frost - Superfling, Tanya Norman, Tim Xavier & Miro Pajic - The Persian Eye (Ambivalent Remix), travis norman, Vera & Frederico Molinari - It Ain't Music, Zev - Forget The World (f/ Beckford)
