Synth Aug 20th, 2013
GET TO KNOW: Mount Analogue
WORDS: Alex Caslano
Do we still listen to music? I mean, really listen? When was the last time you sat down and simply put a record on? In an age when music is purchased and consumed at the click of a button, it becomes so easy to overlook the true value of pressing play and switching off to the world. And that’s a shame, because when you devote your attention to a composition or album, you can take so much from it. Setting aside some time to listen to Glaswegian producer, Mount Analogue, that sentiment is almost instantly validated.
Having been making music under his current guise since 2007, this anonymous artist is one of a growing number of ambient producers in Glasgow, composing hypnotic and thought provoking soundscapes which have the power to completely absorb. Referencing the likes of David Lynch and John Cage as influences, his work often addresses poignant themes, with his recent project ‘Erase Repeat’ tackling the controversial Waco siege in 1993. He admits that he’s received something of a backlash regarding that particular album, but surely music that encourages a reaction (positive or negative) is healthy? “I’m a very politically active person with very strong views” he offers. “Much like my music, I refuse to water down or censor myself. No subject is off limits as far as I am concerned.”
And right there is why Mount Analogue is worth your time. As much as we like searching out the next big club track, it’s also important to recognise the music with meaning. As he suggests in the following interview, ambient music is not designed to be skipped through - it requires your full attention, give it that and you will be rewarded with a truly powerful experience…
Synth: So we wanted to begin with a bit of background, because although you’ve been releasing music for quite a few years now, we only really caught up recently. What initially inspired you to start producing and who or what would you describe as influences?
Mount Analogue: I’ve been making music for as long as I can remember, both on my own and in bands. Mount Analogue began life as a way of me putting music together anonymously and releasing it. It took a few years for me to discover exactly what Mount Analogue means - the music can be any style or mood, just as long as it causes some form of physical or emotional reaction. I play many instruments, however what really started me producing music was the sudden availability of high quality production software at home. If I have an idea I can record it right away and nothing gets lost. As far as artistic influences go, Jim O’Rourke, David Lynch and John Cage, they are the first that come to mind. I love any artist regardless of genre or medium who makes art on their own terms and with no consideration for the audience.
Synth: Your back catalogue is pretty extensive and it says in your bio that you have an 'insane work ethic', what drives you to create and compose? Are you working towards a personal goal or is it simply a way for you to express yourself?
Mount Analogue: I am driven by a need to compose; I don’t seem to have much control over it. My main goal is to make music that I want to listen to and subsequently that others will enjoy. The frequency of my releases is a little bit intense, but each release is from a different place in my head. I seem to compartmentalise themes and concepts rather well, this means I have 2 or 3 (3 at the moment) ideas gestating or nearing completion. The volume of my releases is the type of thing that gives record labels nightmares, but for me it’s driven by need rather than wish, once a record is done I move on quickly.
Synth: If we discuss the music more deeply, how do you find a track coming together? Obviously a lot of your music is ambient, do you find yourself getting lost in the production process for an extensive period?
Mount Analogue: I have a habit of keeping everything I record, so from time to time I will listen through all this material when working on a project - just loads of tracks and field recordings. I also keep everything on manuscript as well which gives me a different way of looking at the sound or melody and shifting its context. I try not to get lost in the production as I do have deadlines which I try to keep to, but sometimes mixing and mastering can really invade your every waking thought. I have an issue from time to time where I can’t seem to let go of a project and start to head into the world of obsession, but I have a cohort to call in from time to time who can listen from empty and cut right through all the shit.
Synth: We recently listened to your ‘Erase Repeat EP’ which featured themes focused around the Waco Massacre, do you feel ambient music or the type of soundscapes you create can encourage emotion on a more powerful level?
Mount Analogue: That depends on the listener. Some people need lyrics to feel an emotional connection to a track and others need no more that the gentle hum of a refrigerator with children playing in the background. I would like to think that my music has the ability to strike at the emotions of a listener, but any reaction good or bad is fine by me, I would rather offend you than leave you with no reaction at all. With something like Waco as subject matter I anticipated some backlash which I got through emails etc which I found quite funny. I am a very politically active person with very strong views, much like my music I refuse to water down or censor myself. No subject is off limits as far as I am concerned.
Synth: We’re quite intrigued to hear about some of the methods you employ in making your music as a lot of the tracks appear quite delicate, but also heavily layered. Do you find yourself doing a lot of field recording? Are there certain sounds which you gravitate to more than others?
Mount Analogue: I use loads of field recordings, customised MAX patches and various types of synths etc. I am not one of these synthesizer nuts - I will have only 2 or 3 synths set up and the laptops. I do tend to use as much live instrumentation as possible; playing as many instruments as I do allows me a vast sonic palette from which to create. I love experimenting with instrumentation and employing new methods or schools of thought which lead me down interesting paths. I would not say I am drawn to one particular sound but more to the idea of something new within a sound, for example, taking a 10 second guitar melody and stretching the audio recording to 10 minutes and then from that transcribing any resulting melody or noise onto piano. I find comfort in sonic repetition, it’s almost like meditation, records by Stars Of The Lid, Sunn O))) and Biosphere have taken on an almost religious meaning to me for this reason. A lot of the criticism I read about so called ‘Ambient music’ is that it’s boring - my response to that is turn it up louder, change your settings, turn out the lights. When it hits you, it leaves a deep impression.
Synth: Finally, we understand you’ve got your own label called Give It Water and you also do the occasional live performance, what plans do you have for Mount Analogue in the future? Have you considered sound tracking for films or anything like that for example?
Mount Analogue: As far as the label goes it will remain as it is for the next 12 months at least before its financial position will be reassessed. I do some work with other labels, for example I am currently working on a series of highly experimental records for Kamagraph Records, an independent record label based in Tulsa, OK USA. I do enjoy live performance sometimes, but to be honest the reason for the lack of it is that I have yet to find a promoter who is adventurous (or mad) enough to take a chance. The problems I encounter in venues due to the extreme volume and pitch changes frustrates me. At the time of writing I am about to leave on a six week trip to the USA from which I hope to pick up endless hours of field recordings which will result no doubt in midnight hotel room recording sessions. I also have a record I recorded with the awesome artist and author Poppy Ruth Silver which I am currently shopping round a few labels with the hope to release early 2014. As for sound tracking, I am a huge fan of cinema and would jump at the chance to work on project as long as it was at least interesting to me…
Mount Analogue ‘Erase Repeat’ is out now on Give It Water.
Interview with June 19, 2013
DGR Featured Musician - Mount Analogue
Good day to you all. Once more, it is time to feature an outstanding musician. This Feature goes to Mount Analogue. A musician from Glasgow in the UK.
To listen to Mount Analogue is know the ebb and flow of emotion. I have rapidly grown to appreciate and love the myriad influences in Mount Analogue's work. His devotion to the intricate journey of sound is awe inspiring. His music is a soundscape to unsettle, intrigue, quench and provoke thought. The surreal quality to his music is luring in many aspects and the unsettling aura to it will leave you feeling both entertained as well as intrigued.
If there was a chance to listen to music that inspires, moves, washes you ashore, lets you drown, gives you more questions than answers and lets your heart purge infinitely, this is it :) There is always an interesting, emotive moment. Always a chance to address the soul's wandering thoughts and distance yourself from this so called reality. Mount Analogue has many projects on the go and is always releasing top quality music to relish and change the perception. His music challenges boundaries put in place to control us all.
All in all, Mount Analogue's music is layered with perfection. A dream within dream. A chillout to distorted landscapes. A whirlpool of emotion that hits hard and leaves you dazed.
So without another sentence folks, hit the links below and give this awesome artist some credit where it is due. I bring to you, Mount Analogue