Hi
Christopher, what are you up to at the moment?
I work in a shop during the day and when I get home I’ll
make music until I pass out.
Is Remedial your first ever release?
Yes.
How did you come to electronic music? What
or who inspired you to record?
I’ve always loved electronic music but only a
few people have come close to making my idael music.
How was Remedial conceived?
Mike Paradinas selected the tracks from about three
CDs that I sent him
There seem to be two distinct poles on Remedial.
On one side, you present some dark and intricate soundscapes,
and on the other, you create much lighter pieces. Who
is the real Gasman?
Its hard to say really, I love the concept of dark unearthly
music that you don’t know how to react too but
if i sit down and plan to make something like that,
an hour later it will have turned into a hardcore rave
track. It’s like I just want to make music and
what ever comes out comes out.
This juxtaposition of styles, between dark
reflective electronic and classic hardcore stuff will
surely have people associating the album with some of
Mike’s or Richard D James’s stuff. Is it
something you’re worried about?
No, not at all. Early Rephlex stuff exited me so much
as a teenager. I’m kind of stuck in an early Aphex
/ breakbeat rave rut.
Do you think such comparisons can damage a
young artist’s work in any way?
If people think that your just copying then yes, possibly.
But at the same time, if someone said to me that there’s
a new single out by Ted Rogers and it had been made
in the same vein as Aphex Twin's Xylem Tube
EP, then I’d be well interested in hearing the
Ted Rogers record.
Have you been reading what the press has been
saying about Remedial?
Kind of, but I’m sure the novelty will wear off,
and then I probably won't care what people say
The painting used on the cover of the album
is somewhat disturbing and reflects Remedial
quite well. Who was responsible for the drawing?
It was done by a nice 18-year-old chap I used to know
who had major learning difficulties
How did you come to release the album on Planet
Mu?
I sent Mike three or four CDs in quite a short space
of time.
Planet Mu has gained a reputation for bringing
new talents out. What is it like to have your album
featured alongside the work of Venetian Snares, Joseph
Nothing, Speedranch and Mike’s own releases?
It feels quite odd I suppose. It feels good though and
I feel very fortunate to be on Planet Mu.
What inspires you to compose?
I’ve always had so many beats, melodies, sounds
and ideas going on in my head. It’s the possibilities
of what a piece of music can do and how a piece of music
can work that inspires me to compose
The press release for the album claims that
you work from old reel-to-reel classical recordings.
How do you process them?
I’ll usually cut up a load of tape, mix it up
and randomly stick it back together. Most of the time
it sounds like a pile of shit but once in a while you’ll
hit on something really interesting or a melody that
you wouldn't have thought of writing. I don’t
like to have too much involvement when it comes to making
melodies or chord structures. In my opinion, what makes
a good piece of electronic music is when the music sounds
like it had made itself.
Do you plan to take Remedial to the
stage, and if yes, what can we expect?
I’d love to play my music really loud in a warehouse
or something but I work on such a shit PC that it would
be too much hassle. It takes about four hours to turn
on and then it doesn’t work properly. I suppose
I could take my mini disc and pretend to look busy.
What do you listen to at the moment? What is
the last records you’ve bought?
I don't listen to a lot of music because I’m always
making stuff but if I do its usually a particular tracks
I get obsessed with by someone. At the moment its Hymnen
by Stockhausen, Kanon (Part 1: Brohuk), Sea
Snake Beware by the Sea Nymphs, and the Bermuda
Triangle by Tomita. The last record I bought was
Russ Abott's Happy Atmosphere.
Do you listen to a lot of music when you compose,
or do you prefer to isolate yourself from external musical
influences?
I don't know really. I certainly don't make a conscious
effort to isolate myself.
You come from Portsmouth, which is not really
renowned for its electronic scene. Are there other bands
or artists around that you see emerging in the near
future?
Not that I know of. Not experimental electronic stuff
anyway.
You currently work on your own, but would you
like to collaborate with other people, and if yes, who
would you have in mind?
I could handle remixing for somebody but I
couldn’t share the job of making a track with
someone. I know what I want to hear and there’s
no compromise
Aphex Twin in the early years, or Mike, or
more recently Venetian Snares, have released music at
an impressive pace at some point in their career. Do
you have material ready for the follow up to Remedial
already, or would you rather take your time and build
on your experience with this album?
I roughly make about twenty or twenty-five tracks a
month that I would consider releasing.
There are loads of new artists appearing all
the time. Is it easy to get noticed by record labels?
If you had to give some advice to someone who wants
to release his/her music, what would say to them?
Just keep sending the stuff off and be patient
Last, what’s on your diary for the next
few weeks?
I’m being evicted from my council house so I suppose
my main aim is to find somewhere to live. Or at the
least find someone who wants to lend me a plug socket
for my computer.
Email interview May 2003
Thank you to Chris, Jill & Mike |
