Jack The Box

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

[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.

 

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?

 

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

Back in April The Particle People were visited by Ben Klock. While on a short visit to the US (NYC and Minneapolis only) with a special night at BLACK we were able to find out why he was on the tip of everyone’s tongue. He was modest, nice and simply blew the dance floor away with an amazing mix of new and classic techno and house. This set was a perfect example of the raw gritty underground sound of US (mostly Midwest) and German dance music coming from Berlin at the moment, most noticeably a little club you may have heard of recently called Berghain.

While in Minneapolis Ben not only was able to see what the Midwest was about, Ben even took home a little piece of Minneapolis by signing our very own DVS1 for KlockWorks005. While here he interviewed for Tanya Norman from IPR and recently with us at Jack The Box for a followup. What Follows is the followup interview and below is the original interview from Tanya and Ben Klock from April.

To top it all off we were also able to get hold of a recording of that night for JackCast002 Ben Klock Live@BLACK…

 

Right Click and save here for Direct Download

You recently visited  Minneapolis, What were your impressions of the American Techno scene before coming and what are your impressions now? Specifically  Minneapolis …
Well I have to say before I had the impression that it’s a very small scene there and this was approved. But in the end it’s more about quality than quantity. And there were some people who were really into it – especially in Minneapolis. And it was great fun playing there, because people seemed to really appreciate.

Your latest release on Klockworks (klockworks 005) is from one of our own locals and is very exciting for us.  Is klockworks005 the first release from artists other than you?
Yes it’s the first release from someone else. So it’s something special for me too. I was really impressed by Zak (DVS1). He is minimalistic in it’s original sense. And very energetic. I loved his short but intense performance he did at that party in Minneapolis. And I’m glad I didn’t go straight home after my set and had the chance to meet this guy. I will bring him over to play at Berghain in February.

Do you plan on bringing more artists into the Klockworks roster?
Always depends on the music. If I find something that really fits into the concept that I have in mind for Klockworks then maybe there will be other artists. In fact I’m just planning something with a new artist but it’s to early to tell more.

Do you plan on visiting the  US  in 2010?
I’m not sure about that yet. We’ll see.

You are known for playing a very wide range of records. I remember hearing a number of classics in your set from your visit.  What is your favorite dance floor track, the one you almost never leave home without?
Yes I like mixing old and new stuff. But it always changes. I can’t tell you the one favorite classic. There are too many great records. But if you ask me which one never left the bag since I bought it in 1995 it’s Tyree on Dance Mania: Nuthin Wrong.

Are you currently working on any new music projects that we should keep an eye out for?
I’ve only been doing remixes since my album came out in February this year. Brand new in the stores is a remix for Function on Sandwell District.
And then there will be a record on Deeply Rooted House, distributed by PlanetE with two older tracks of mine coming out before the end of this year.

One of the things we love to talk about on this Blog is gear. Some people are gear enthusiasts and some are minimalists.  What is your current preferred DJ and music production set up?
I’m sorry to disappoint you if you expect a large analog production park. For my productions I’m using Logic Pro on a Mac and lot’s of digital plug Ins. That’s all I need at the moment. For me it’s more about music than loving machines. My DJ set up is two turntables and two Pioneer CDJs 1000 and a Soundbite loop player.

Thank you Ben!  Interview by Aaron Bliss for Jack the Box.

Below is the interview by Tanya Norman the night Ben Klock Played in Minneapolis.

Particle People Bring Ben Klock To First Ave VIP Room by Tanya Norman

On April 4, 2009 local promoters Particle People welcomed Ben Klock to the First Ave VIP Room. Coming to the USA all the way from Berghain Club in Berlin, this respected producer and deejay was here to promote his new album One and EP Before One out now on BeatPort and where vinyl is sold. Ben was kind enough to grant Tanya Norman an interview opportunity, allowing a glimpse inside his world of Berlin techno and sharing insight into why sometimes less is more…

TN: Who inspires you?  Mentors in music?

BK: I don’t know where to begin.  I’ve been making music all my life.  I listened to all kinds of music.  In the 80’s I loved Prince.  In the beginning of the 90’s I was beginning to look for new sounds.  There are some heroes: old US guys, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Robert Hood.  Basically, that’s where it comes from.

TN: What kind of technology and tools do you use?  Describe your studio.

BK:  It’s not that interesting. [laughs] I changed to complete digital. I really like total recall recording.  When I worked on my album I worked on different tracks at the same time.  I don’t want to have to reconnect cables…..with digital you can really do a lot of things.  I use Logic, a little Ableton… usually a Logic user.  And some plug-ins.

TN: Your current record label, Ostgut Ton, how long have you been with them?

BK: Since I’ve been a resident DJ at Berghain, about 3 years. Ostgut Ton is the label of Berghain. The venue they had before the Berghain was called Ostgut, that is why the label is called Ostgut Ton.

TN: You’ve been deejaying for over 10 years now?

BK: For a little over 10 years.  The international bookings started about 4 years ago, coinciding with the beginning of my residency at Berghain.

TN: Did you play any instruments as a child?

BK: When I was a kid I played piano. Before I became a DJ I also played in a band and did some songwriting, playing guitar and singing…

TN:  Did you find those experiences helpful with your current productions?

BK: Yes and no.  Sometimes it is not helpful when you are too educated in music and you want to make a good techno track…you don’t want it cluttered with too many solo parts, well, iIdon’t want it… [laughs]
See the full Interview at…
http://www.ipr.edu/blog/2009/04/particle-people-bring-ben-klock-to-first-ave-vip-room/

Be sure to see Tanya’s post for video and pictures from the night as well as visit Particle People on RA for more pictures here…

http://www.residentadvisor.net/photo-gallery.aspx?set=6248

and on http://www.myspace.com/particlepeoplempls

Oliver Ho visited The Particle People recently, and as a special gift he gave us a recording of his live set from the night. A rare treat for most, this is an amazing example  of what he has to offer. Not only a special podcast but also a few questions before and after the visit to Minneapolis.

 

What are/were your impressions of the Midwest dance music scene? specifically Minneapolis.
Prior to coming to Minneapolis I really hadn’t got a good impression of the Midwest, I had done a few raves in the late 90’s early 2000 which were pretty bad, kiddy ravers who really didn’t give a shit what they were listening to. I always found that quite strange, especially the carpet kids, who were just too high to care, no matter how many drugs I am on I always want quality music. Having said that, I don’t want to say that the Midwest didn’t have something to offer, it was just my personal experience.. Minneapolis was a pleasant surprise, a lovely bunch of enthusiastic people who love music/art and partying. I really enjoyed playing there and I think the Particle People have created something special there, further proof of this comes from the fact that Speedy J. decided to take his Umfeld project there for the Spark Festival, certainly a stamp of approval…

Are you currently working on any new projects?
I am working on new Raudive material, its coming out quite deep and funky at the moment, sometimes bleepy, and sometimes very organic, depending what mood I am in. I would like to record a Raudive album next year, I have an idea of 4 -  15 minute tracks, or 1  – 60 minute track that can be divided into 4, something quite conceptual..
I am also working on Zov Zov, an ambient industrial project. I hope to release some of this in 2010..

What is your current DJ and music production set up?
I use a mix of CDs, vinyl and Ableton live, I think they all have something to offer, I try to accept the technological advances while still retaining what has come before, its all about balance..

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A pre party interview by our own Tanya Norman is available here

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Right Click Here for Direct Download.

Interview By Aaron Bliss Art work by J. Matthews

Oliver Ho: Sign of Tomorrow by Tanya Norman

Any international DJ that plays in Minneapolis for the first time and drops “Sign “☮” the Times ” by Prince into a modern techno set quickly becomes a favorite of mine.  Local event promoters Particle People, (Jesse Jakob and Aaron Bliss) celebrated their one year anniversary by inviting London deejay and music producer, Oliver Ho, to be their guest. Sure enough, I have a new favorite.

As I walked through Gallery 13, admiring colorful oil paintings and striking collages hung on the wall by local artists, I remembered why I enjoy coming to events like this.  Minneapolis has been a favorite spot for many visiting deejays and with the help of several local promoters throughout the years (Hush, Klikmusik, Convergence, Intellephunk) fans have been given a chance to hear a variety of different styles of techno and electronic music.  Watching the colored lights on the  mixer glowing in this dark venue along with the nicely stacked speaker system producing thousands of watts of sound gave the listener the opportunity not only to hear, but to feel the music.  Literally.  And the sounds we heard from veteran producer Oliver Ho that evening gave us a glimpse of the future.

“I always wait to see what the vibe is like, and the atmosphere…I like giving something to people they might not have heard before.”

The advancement of music technology has greatly influenced Oliver’s music.  Being an active Ableton Live user enables him to play very diverse selections of music and to be more in control.  Compared to years past of using DAT, reel to reel machines and outboard gear he currently takes advantage of modern tools to create several styles of music, not just electronic.  “The amazing thing about software is that it has made music very democratic.  Anyone getting into production and using top technology has to have patience and not go too fast. With computers, I like the ability to re-edit music and work on it slowly over a period of time.”

Tracks from his new tech-minimal project, Raudive (pronounced raw-deev), have gotten the attention of other well known artists / deejays, showing up in sets from Daniel Bell to Ricardo Villalobos. Oliver noted, “What was happening a lot in the late nineties was techno music was becoming very narrow minded, so this was a chance for me as an artist and a producer to experiment with different ideas; I thought it was apt to use a different name for that.  It means I can make music inspired by house, experimental, different things..it’s a way for me to be diverse and using a name for that will let people know that there is a change of gear.”

Due in part to the different styles of music Oliver produces, it has worked well for him to collaborate with numerous record labels, such as Blueprint Records, Klang Elektronik and Poker Flat.  Certainly, Oliver has experienced the trials and tribulations of running a record label and found that it can be a difficult task.  His relationships with various labels have afforded him the opportunity to now concentrate solely on his music.  “The biggest challenge of running a label is being on top of it and not allowing people to take advantage of you.  There has to be a balance between making money and making music.”

As I peered over Oliver’s shoulders watching his quick hands mix, equalize and add effects to multiple tracks while he kept a close and engaging bond with the dance floor, I reflected on why I choose to come to these events.  For me its a chance to hear new sounds, have new experiences, and be surrounded by an open minded community of music lovers.  Mission accomplished.