In this 10-year anniversary question and answer session (Part 1), Igloo Magazine poses five questions with three of n5’s current roster including SubtractiveLAD (Stephen Hummel), Dalot (Maria Papadomanolaki) and Aerosol (Rasmus Rasmussen), all of which have fresh releases that are still creating ripples across the planet.
(October 2010) n5MD (No Fives, Minidiscs!) has developed a long-standing relationship not only with its vast array of musicians releasing top quality outings for the imprint, but with its dedicated listeners since 2000. The Oakland, California based imprint (operated by multitask-master Mike Cadoo of Bitcrush/Dryft fame) has numerous audible connections that it consistently evolves into a multifaceted community of like-minded individuals spanning the globe. While the label focuses on the output of devoted musicians alike, it has also taken on many other shapes and formations including mailorder with a plethora of labels and artists, a digital sister label (enpeg.com), a mastering boutique (37n122w) and has a firm deployment of various audio and visual technicians keeping the n5 footprint firmly etched into the soil.
Fast forward 10-years, with 2010 being the label’s most ambitious and exciting year yet, and we are more than pleased to have been given the opportunity to digest and write about many of n5’s releases, all the while developing a musical bond that is emblematic of a solid relationship.
In this 10-year anniversary question and answer session (Part 1), Igloo Magazine poses five questions with three of n5’s current roster including SubtractiveLAD (Stephen Hummel), Dalot (Maria Papadomanolaki) and Aerosol (Rasmus Rasmussen), all of which have fresh releases that are still creating ripples across the planet.
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Five questions with Stephen Hummel of SubtractiveLAD.
Igloo :: With n5’s 10th year in operation, what are your views about the label and/or stories you’d like to share about its direction in this ever-changing musical landscape?
SubtractiveLAD :: As things become more and more decentralized on the web, in terms of sources for finding great new music, labels like n5MD become increasingly important as a bastion for quality music. It’s great and all for every artist to have his/her own website and various social networking pages, etc… but to have a way to centralize things a little can help introduce listeners to similar acts (at least in terms of quality, if not style) and (most importantly) form a sense of community around the music. Mike is doing a great job of building this sense of community, both for the fans of n5MD and for the artists it represents.
Igloo :: What is your motivation to continue pushing out quality content and how has the label helped to bring your music to life? (this can go in many directions; artwork, mastering, collaborations, remixes, label support, etc.)
SubtractiveLAD :: My motivation to create just seems to be how I am wired. If I’m not working on something, then I feel pretty adrift. In terms of how n5MD currently plays a role in this, it is great to have Mike as a sounding board… I trust his instincts. Working as a solo electronic musician can be very isolating work… one can get into a bit of a bubble, so it’s great to have somebody that you trust be there as a buffer before you release something to the world. After I emerge from my writing/recording bubble, it is great fun to collaborate with the label on ideas for artwork, packaging, bonus materials (including remixes), etc. It has also been very gratifying to work on various collaborations and remix projects throughout my time at n5, so far. Again, this seems to build the sense of community around the label.
Igloo :: Tell us more about your process in creation; listeners always hear the final product(s) and rarely read/hear how the artist creates their sound. This can include hardware/software comments, studio/live aspect, audio/visual thoughts, or simply some background on your development of an album etc.)
SubtractiveLAD :: Well, listeners of my music can probably tell that my sound has shifted, over the years, from a primarily digital, highly processed sound to one that is more live and performance-based. There is still a ton of audio mangling that happens in my work but it is much more hands-on/real-time, these days, as opposed to sliced-and-diced with a mouse, in post. I guess this is just me getting closer to my improvisational roots and also finding ways to inject my music with the emotional weight of a real performance. I used to do almost everything from within the computer and now the balance has shifted to mostly hardware-based instrumentation. With this shift in approach, I have been finding my style having more and more in common with the electronic music that predates MIDI and digital synthesis… people will hear this even more clearly on my next album, Kindred… it has a decidedly Krautrock (hate that word)/Berlin School sound to it. Again, digging into my roots, I suppose… will I continue along this current path?… hard to say.
All that I can do is approach my music from where I am at, currently, and be as honest as possible with what wants to come out… and then hope that
other people will feel something in it. I have to do it for me first but always with the hope that it will connect with others.
Igloo :: If there was one question in a series like this that you are rarely ever asked, what would it be, and what is your response?
SubtractiveLAD :: I’ll leave the questions to you guys…
Igloo :: Any final thoughts, upcoming release commentary, words of wisdom for listeners and musicians? …or any n5 related kudos to deliver?
SubtractiveLAD :: I will leave the wisdom-giving for someone wise. I just want to thank my listeners for following my work through each bend and turn… thanks for listening to me in a world of overwhelming choices.
Visit SubtractiveLAD via the n5MD website here.
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Five questions with Maria Papadomanolaki of Dalot.
Igloo :: With n5’s 10th year in operation, what are your views about the label and/or stories you’d like to share about its direction in this ever-changing musical landscape?
Dalot :: I have been introduced to this beautiful label in 2006-7 when I listened to Last Days’ album Sea, soon followed by Bitcrush’s In Distance. Since then I have been following its realm with great enthusiasm, respect and admiration for its genuine spirit and its strength to release unique musics. n5MD should continue doing what it does best which essentially means discovering and bringing forward new stuff and providing unhindered support to its family of artists while keeping its DIY temperament. It should also carry on putting out albums that reflect its unique/signature sound that includes an engaging mixture of IDM, post-rock, shoegaze and experimental soundcapes. n5MD resides in the present but it surely belongs to the future as well, in terms of how it absorbs and integrates emerging forms, challenges and attitudes to its stride.
Igloo :: What is your motivation to continue pushing out quality content and how has the label helped to bring your music to life? (this can go in many directions; artwork, mastering, collaborations, remixes, label support, etc.)
Dalot :: I want to continue releasing music because it helps me vocalize my internal thoughts. My music serves as an unorthodox diary of occurrences. It provides me with the vital space I need to breathe, decompress and analyze my real life events. It is also important for me to share these thoughts with other people. Before signing with n5, some years ago I found ways to self-release materials electronically or by compiling DIY releases in the form of cassettes or CDr’s usually demanding a certain amount of time and resources. n5MD opened up a whole new spectrum of possibilities by significantly smoothing out the process of releasing an album. With Loop Over Latitudes everything happened so easily and fast (almost hands-free) while being an extremely fascinating experience. It also exposed me to a broader network of listeners, media and artists.
Igloo :: Tell us more about your process in creation; listeners always hear the final product(s) and rarely read/hear how the artist creates their sound. This can include hardware/software comments, studio/live aspect, audio/visual thoughts, or simply some background on your development of an album etc.)
Dalot :: There is nothing technically special or complicated in the way I create my music. All these years, also due to the fact that I was moving a lot from place to place, I have created a compact (almost mobile) set-up. I mainly use my guitar, my voice, environmental sounds, found sounds or snippets of instruments recorded here and there. I process these sounds using a combination of software like Ableton, Audacity or Max/MSP. And that’s it really. I definitely belong to the generation of bedroom musicians and I certainly cannot afford buying gadgets and hardware. Less is more! I have been in bands as well and I really enjoy the physical experience of performing, but my current status is def more introspective. I like to keep things simple when it comes to making music. Simple can sometimes be/sound more complex than it seems. That’s how I see it in my case at least. Therefore the most important part of the process is when I internalize experiences and transform them into sounds. Every single sound I use in my music is symbolic and a carrier of a specific/deliberate mood and dynamic. Although my music is not primarily destined for live performances, during a live set, I usually like to deconstruct my tracks and remix them in different and playful ways depending on the mood. The ideal would be to team up with a VJ. That would be awesome!
Igloo :: If there was one question in a series like this that you are rarely ever asked, what would it be, and what is your response?
Dalot :: Ha! Who would you like to be or what “musical career ” would you like to pursue if you weren’t where you are today? And my answer would be…
I would love to go back in time and be the sound-mixer and sound designer in Jacques Tati’s movies. I just think this guy was a genius. I find his movies quite musical and sometimes even more sound oriented than a video clip or a musical, haha. Sounds move, paint and add personality to the actions and the characters on screen. The leitmotivs and the uniqueness of the aural scenery are not a background deal as with many of the mainstream movies. It would also be extremely amusing to work and use the equipment and the technology of that time.
Igloo :: Any final thoughts, upcoming release commentary, words of wisdom for listeners and musicians? …or any n5 related kudos to deliver?
Dalot :: The 10 years n5MD compilation is ACE! Expect to be surprised.
Visit Dalot via the n5MD website here.
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Five questions with Rasmus Rasmussen of Aerosol.
Igloo :: With n5’s 10th year in operation, what are your views about the label and/or stories you’d like to share about its direction in this ever-changing musical landscape?
Aerosol :: With an ever expanding catalog and roster it’s impressive how n5MD maintains a unique and recognizable style throughout their releases. That makes it a great example why labels are still relevant. Every little band can send out their own music for cheap, which is great, but sometimes it’s hard to sort the good from the not so good. With a label like n5MD you know you’re in safe hands and sure to get quality stuff and a specific sound, but still with some room for surprise. All the great indie labels have been like that and I think n5MD is up there with the best of them.
Igloo :: What is your motivation to continue pushing out quality content and how has the label helped to bring your music to life? (this can go in many directions; artwork, mastering, collaborations, remixes, label support, etc.)
Aerosol :: My main motivation to push out new stuff is basically to see if I can make some music that works on an emotional level and reach a frame of mind that takes you out of the ordinary. Same as it was when I started, though the means are a bit different now a days. n5MD provides the perfect framework, because they’re on the same track and know how to get this kind of music out the right way. Mike is very open for ideas and has a lot of great input, so you feel like you are in good hands and that the label is putting all their effort into making every release as great a package as possible. I couldn’t have been happier with the way Airborne tuned out and how the release was handled.
Igloo :: Tell us more about your process in creation; listeners always hear the final product(s) and rarely read/hear how the artist creates their sound. This can include hardware/software comments, studio/live aspect, audio/visual thoughts, or simply some background on your development of an album etc.)
Aerosol :: I record and mix everything digitally with Cubase and a bunch of plugin’s, but leaning more and more towards analog hardware for my sounds. My guitars and my collection of analog synths are my main tools. I think the analog stuff has more character but I’m no purist at all. Both technologies has their advantages, and although I’d love to have a big studio filled with nice hardware, it’s great that you can just do all the mixing at home with the laptop.
Igloo :: If there was one question in a series like this that you are rarely ever asked, what would it be, and what is your response?
Aerosol :: That could be something like “What’s the cheapest piece of equipment in your studio“? The answer would be my western guitar, which is all over Airborne, but is nothing but a piece of crap bought in the local discount market for 50 dollars. It’s served me great though, but is probably the next thing in
line to get replaced.
Igloo :: Any final thoughts, upcoming release commentary, words of wisdom for listeners and musicians? …or any n5 related kudos to deliver?
Aerosol :: A big happy birthday to n5MD and congratulations with a good job the first ten years. I wish you another great decade. As for releases I wish I could say that there is something coming up in the immediate future, but it will probably take a while before there’s a new album ready. Most of my time has been used for live shows with other projects this year, but the winter will be a good time to start focusing on new material. As for thoughts and wisdom… not much.
Visit Aerosol via the n5MD website here.
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Visit n5MD’s website at n5md.com.
