Wonderful party last night, thank you! Part One of our Q&A with James today x
qd21 the bestselling CD on Bandcamp :)
Hi all :)
Thanks to everyone that came last night, incredible crowd! Love these parties so much, you all make them so special - really appreciate all the kind words and positivity for James’ beautiful album x
Amazingly we’re now the bestselling CD in any genre on Bandcamp and second in any genre/format - thank you!
Digital still half-price and CDs going fast if you want.
Very pleased to share Part One of the Q&A I had with James - big thanks to him for being so open and sharing so much.
Please tell us a bit about your background and history in music
“I actually started my career in music as an audio engineer, recording local bands NY back in the early 90’s. It was lots of rock, punk and metal, but I was really into industrial and early rave/happy hardcore and wanted to work with the type of sounds I was hearing. I decided I would try making some of that type of music even though I had very little knowledge about synthesis or MIDI at the time, so I was learning as I went.
I had the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time, and attended the very first Storm Rave in NY and became part of one of the very first ‘rave crews’ in NY/Long Island.
My early experiments in electronic music were pretty rough and you can hear some of them on this release. I would make cassette tapes of my ideas to listen to in the car while driving to my day job working for Korg (in the warehouse!)), and some of those tapes ended up in the hands of friends. One day I get a call from Lenny D (of Industrial Strength Records) saying he was given one of my tapes and asked if I would be ok with him sending it off to Caspar Pound @ Rising High… and that became my first release as Influx and soon afterwards my first ambient release using my given name.”
Please can you describe a bit about your general philosophy and process as an artist?
“If the music makes me feel something, I’m doing it right. For me, composing/creating music is not a passive act or hobby.. it is my source of centering and my way of processing all that life can throw at us. Even if I never released another album, I wouldn’t stop writing.
For me, the process of creating something is the most satisfying part. Learning a new instrument, trying a new approach to recording, working with a new effect pedal or synth. Being lost in the moment of inspiration while finding your bearings… that’s the magic place. I love recording all of those first moments with something new. My mantra is ‘Always Be Recording’.”
What does quiet details mean to you and how did you use that to approach this album?
“My idea was to create this sense of calm and space so the songs could evolve and morph, while allowing for sprinkles of “ear candy”
I wanted to focus on one or two instruments maximum for each song, recording each part in one take. Many of the songs were created using the sound on sound looping method of recording on my Strymon Volante. Limiting my instrumentation forced me to explore all the different timbres and textures that instrument could produce. I have found that restricting my options forces me to stretch outside of my comfort zone and try new approaches.”
Part Two where we talk deeper about the album coming next week!
One shout-out - big thanks to Resom & Anna Haleta for playing a track from qd20 Plant43 on this lovely mix for Refuge Worldwide - support the stations and DJs!
Thanks again and much love friends :)
Alex
quietdetails.com
quiet details Bandcamp
quiet details Substack
quiet details studios - mastering and audio services