L’Usine :: Covering as much ground as possible

Igloo: First off, why the different names L’Usine and LUsine ICL?

Jeff: I had an agreement with Isophlux and at the time I didn’t really want to lose all attachment
to the name. I’ll probably think of a different alias in the future. Maybe for the next Zeal release.

Igloo: Zeal?

Jeff: A guy named Geert Mets from Belgium started this label. All 7″s so far. Lots of cool artists.
(Zeal Records)

Igloo: The L’Usine ICL disc on U-cover covers a more down-tempo and mellow ground, is
this just a for the sake of the different projects or the direction you are headed?

Jeff: That varies. I’d like to cover as much ground as possible, so it’s hard to say what style I’m
trying to write in. I just get to the point where I need to change direction to keep myself
motivated. I’ve actually been writing much more dancy and hard stuff in the past few months.
Most of that CD was from a while ago.

Igloo: There are a few tracks on A Pseudo Steady State that use traditional
instrumentation, is this something that you plan on using more of in your music?

Jeff: Definitely.

Igloo: On your web site there is a remix of Speedy J’s “Drill” can we expect to see this appear
on a release soon?

Jeff: It will be on the Mute website as an mp3 along with a bunch of other artists.

Igloo: How do you feel about remixing compared to working on your own tracks?

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Jeff: It’s fun to take other people’s stuff in a different direction, but it can be a bit limiting
because I try to give the original a lot of attention, so you’re not totally free.

Igloo: What do you listen to when you aren’t working on your own music?

Jeff: Mainly rock stuff, but some electronic. Yo La Tengo, Sea and Cake, Susumu Yokota, and
Mark Van Hoen are getting a lot of rotation right now.

Igloo: Who’s music do you find most influential on your own?

Jeff: Not really one particular artist. But I do think my music is sort of a collage of several of my
influences in one. Obviously Warp people, Atom Heart, Amon Tobin, Luke Vibert. But, I think I
get a lot of inspiration from indie rock sort of stuff. Maybe not directly, but I think it really gets
me in the mood to write music.

Igloo: What role do computers play in the production of your music?

Jeff: A big one. Although I still like using a lot of outboard gear as well. Basically I spend some
of my time programming and most of my time editing.

Igloo: There is some interesting sound design on your releases. Any favorite tools for
achieving these results?

Jeff: Probably. I like using as many different things as I can because each piece of gear/software
does something better than everything else. I don’t use one piece of software for everything in
other words.

Igloo: What are you currently working on?

Jeff: A lullaby project for Eat this records. Carlos, the owner, is having a baby.

Igloo: Lullaby in the traditional sense? Sounds interesting.

Jeff: Conceptually, but not really musically.

Igloo: How is what you do live different from your studio work? Any different
approaches?

Jeff: Yes. Much more drawn out. Because I think I know what I like to hear at a live show.
Something can go on for 10 minutes without much interesting going on as far as complex
programming, but if it really builds and sounds nice, it can really work. I definitely try to play to
the audience. I think you have to sort of focus on one or two aspects of a song to really catch
people’s attention live. But, also, I try to make the set work as a whole rather than just separate
songs.

Igloo: Any other directions that you would like to take your music into?

Jeff: I’m trying to do this sort of minimal dark jazz/soul experimental thing right now. But, I’m
not sure if it’s working quite how I planned it yet.

Igloo: Any projects or upcoming events that you’d like to plug

Jeff: I’m supposed to play sometime in Feb. in LA. Sometime in March in Berlin and Tokyo
(w/Arovane), but it’s all still up in the air at this point.

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Upcoming Releases ::

  • The Surface EP comes out late February (Isophlux)
  • Slipthrough EP comes out on Hymen in April with the second half of the u-cover CD plus an
    extra track.

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    Remixes ::

  • Marumari (Darla)
  • Anton Price (Audioview?)
  • Metal Beast (Eatthis)
  • Speedy J (Mute)
  • Lullaby (Eatthis)

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    Compilation Appearance ::

  • 1 track on the Hymen V/A compilation
  • 1 remix of Funckarma on the Dub V/A compilation
  • 1 track on the Component V/A compilation
  • Discography
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