| Interview with Jack Dangers AMS: Which Analog Synths do you use? JD: The main thing I have I call "synth henge" which comprises of an Arp 2500, 4 cabinets of Roland 100m system, and on top of that, a single cabinet EMU modular system. Then, a Mackie Mixer 1604 at bottom, analog systems rack units, and a Kenton, a couple of tape echoes, Echoplexes and Space Echo. On the other side of the room I've got my Buchla sitting next to a couple of tape machines. I use tape a lot you know. I am a big believer in tape manipulation, there's a lot of things you can do with that. AMS: What sort of things on tape? JD: Like really super slow stuff, it sounds better than using a sampler. You know as the whole electronic music started, it started with music, and manipulating tape madness. I like using new technology, mixed with old technology and thats why I am into modulars so much. So you know I've got Pro Tool systems and I use Logic, I am into Pro Tools, I like using the new technology. AMS: Which Buchla is it? JD: It's a 200. AMS: That's quite an interesting system. JD: Yeah it's more complicated than the moog to use as well. AMS: Yes and less predictable. JD: Yes, it's got seperate lines, it's got bananna plugs for this control voltage, and mini jacks for the audio mixes in that combination - sometimes it's weird. AMS:Yes, so actually say on your last record did you actually use a lot of your Arp 2500, or Buchla? JD: Yeah, 2500 yeah that was the main synth on that record. AMS: So that was really well used not just a few sound effects here, and there it's really a primary piece of gear? JD: Oh! Yeah definitely. That what was so unique in the past about music composition - the actual time and length it took in the whole process. They created sounds far more interesting then anything i'm hearing these days and some of these recordings are about 50 years old! I'm more inspired by stuff back then, then anything I am hearing at the moment. That inspires me to mess with these things, and put time into it. That's why I got really into side projects, its quality rather then quantity. AMS: So your just really dedicated to getting great sounds out of the instruments you have? JD: Yeah, I think that's lacking a lot in so called electronic music. I think a lot of it is just people is just turning machines on and just jamming which I think is fine, but it's the whole essence of experimental music, is to experiment, and I don't think that is experimenting. AMS: Yes rather then using the presets and tweaking them a bit, which a Japanese engineer put in when he designed the instrument. JD: Yeah, but thats only fine for doing some stuff, but true experimental music, where your creating sounds that have never ever been heard before, even like Nord Leads, I can tell a Nord Lead a mile away. Just hear it you can hear the digital filters, you just can tell it's one of those things. The same with a DX7, or with drum machines. AMS: Did you use many of those polyphonic analog synths like Jupiter 8? JD: Yeah, I've used those over the past. But definetely the main instrument on the last album, was the 2500. AMS: So as the 2500 was used so extensively in the recording process, then when you play live what do you do, because I presume you don't take the 2500 on tour? JD: Well when we played live with the tour you saw, in that show I take out other synthesizers, and I've got some stuff which is coming off of hardrive as well. So when the 2500 is called for it's coming off of a hardrive. Primarily live I use the VCS3, and the 2600. Mark Pistol uses the Serge system. AMS: So how are you using the VCS3, or especially 2600 to a lesser extent, that's uniquely unreliable as well! Does it matter that it changes so dramatically? JD: No I like the randomness of it, you know what those instruments are doing, it's definetely like a random thing which changes from show to show. It's cool for what we do like if we were doing cover versions it be a tricky thing! (laughs) AMS: Yes, I guess you wouldn't see a VCS3 in a covers band. (laughing) Unless you're doing "Dark side of the Moon". It would be quite funny. What else? JD: Oh, I've got a 2600, and Roland vocoder keyboard version. AMS: Do you find anything interesting in the new stuff that comes out? Do you use many new keyboards? JD: No, no I don't intend to. I get more into the programs, software side, new stuff i'm more into that development then the keyboards. Because the keyboards follow that anyway. AMS: What else are you doing? JD: We've got signed with a record label with Ben Stokes, and we've been doing some records. So this is the latest thing I've been doing. He's based in Chicago, but the project is called Akino. It will make sense to you when you hear the records. (laughs) We're the producers. AMS: You live out in the US now - do you find the US is a more constructive place to work then England? JD: Yeah, it's very strange, for what I do and how I work it can be anywhere, because it's in this room, and it doesn't matter what country is outside. But for resources it's way better living over here in the US. For instance, because of the amount of vinyl you can find here, and also the same for equipment, there's way more equipment you can get your hands on out here as well. AMS: Yes I understand - so thanks Jack for your time and best of luck with finding all those modulars!!! |