Oh that’s sooooooo ’80′s…
On Monday, I bought the new Chairlift album, “Something”, and listened with avid delight to a work of sheer brilliance. As I sometimes do after listening to a piece and coming to my own conclusions, I went looking for reviews to see if anyone else had been blown away by it’s magnificence. The first review I found was on the NME website. Now, NME has a rich history of “up my own arse” reviewers and equally anally residential reviews. The reviewer of this particular album, one Mark Beaumont, gave it a respectable 7/10 but the headline really twisted my melons…
“They’ve adopted the ’80s as their new direction”
I read on and found such gems as, “The ’80s revival taken to its spangliest, synthiest, chino-flappiest extreme” and “You wouldn’t be surprised if Go West had produced it, with Jonathan King as engineer. It really is that ’80s”. Sprinkled amongst these were references to 80′s bands who the reviewer, himself probably only in single digits of age in the decade in question, compared certain tracks to in that annoying, “Band Y meets Band X” way.
Now, Beaumont is “famously” casutic in his reviews. In other words, they lack that much substance he requires to stir up a frenzy of annoyance to provoke a response and somehow demonstrate how “right on” he is, but it’s not him I’m singling out here. His was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.
What really wound me up was this trend of describing lots of music as “harking back to the ’80′s”. What does it exactly mean? What characteristics defined ’80′s music? And this is the thing. I AM old enough to properly remember the ’80′s. It was my decade. The decade of my formative teen years. So I remember that decade with great detail and affection. And yes, I am a massive fan of the music of that time too. But if I was Chairlift, I’d be a bit fucking peeved by this review. Obviously I can’t speak for them directly, but having just made a brilliant album some 22 years after the end of that decade, I’d hate to think people were positing that I’d just mashed up a bunch of old styles to create my new body of work. Influenced by the ’80′s? Yeah, I’d give you that. But not a direct comparison.
Image © Bruce Davidson from his book, Subway
Anyway, I got to thinking about this on the way home tonight. As one does. And then it dawned on me. The comparison with the decade that style forgot might actually be completely complimentary. How did I arrive at this conclusion? Well, it’s quite simple. In the ’80′s, pop music was booming and maturing. From it’s birth in the late 50′s, to it’s formative years in the 60′s and it’s troubled late teens and post-pubescent years in the 70′s, pop musicians had just come out of a revolution. Actually, two revolutions. The first one was Punk. Punk was not just a musical genre, it was a movement. An ethos, a way of life and an art form all of it’s own. It was all encompassing. And it shook pop music to it’s core after the self indulgent years of Prog, Glam and MOR. All of a sudden, a youth movement was awakened and empowered to go out and just do what they wanted artistically. Fuck the fact that you couldn’t play an instrument. Screw the idea that you needed cash to make it in the business. In fact, the business could go take a running jump for all we cared. We just knew that as far as music was concerned, we were as mad as hell and we weren’t going to take it anymore. Bands were formed, inspired by the revolution and proceeded to make simple but powerful statements, both in the music they made and listened to and the way they dressed and behaved. Punk was the enema that pop music needed if it was going to live. And it worked. Beautifully.
The second revolution was electronics in music. At the end of the ’70′s, synths were no longer the toys of the well heeled. The Japanese soon saw to that with Korg, Roland and Yamaha releasing every increasingly powerful and affordable instruments. Now, not only were kids spurred on by the Punk ethic, they could now achieve more using less by embracing technology. They may not have sounded like the Pistols, Buzzcocks or Ramones, but they sounded like no one else at all and that was exactly how they wanted it.
So the ’80′s was the empty pool that this new found energy and creativity spilled into. Every week, new sounds were emerging. Every week a new look burst forth from the pages of Smash Hits and Melody Maker. Every week a new sound was born and you didn’t know which way to turn when it came to Friday and Saturday nights. A myriad looks and styles, both in fashion and in music. Cliques and movements sprung up all over the country, always original and always new.
Style forgot the ’80′s because the ’80′s forgot style. Not the other way around.
So maybe, I wondered, as I drove the wet roads back home tonight, if one compares a band or album to the ’80′s, maybe it’s actually complimentary in as much as it means they are doing something new, unique and inspiring as opposed to what we have had to put up with for the last 15-20 years as far as pop goes, which is a constant deluge of musical effluent, cooked up and force fed to us by marketing people and the Simon Cowell’s of this world. Maybe, by “being ’80′s”, it’s actually a statement about being something other than the bilge and detritus that we are forced to consume like some pour duck being fattened for Foie Gras, crammed full of utter rubbish before being sacrificed for the pleasure and consumption of the wealthy elite.
Could it be that being referred to as being ’80′s is the ultimate compliment for being challenging rather than plagiaristic of a bygone era? Or is music just music and we find ourselves travelling on a cycle of revivalism and soon we’ll be harping on about how rave like the latest hits are and saying things like, “Ooooh, those guitars sound just like Graham Coxon”?
Whatever it is, whatever you think, music, on the whole, is stale, stagnant and in desperate need of another enema. I can’t see where it is coming from, or when it might happen, but we could do far, far worse than being “just like it was in the ’80′s”.
Vangelis interview
Vangelis
He doesn’t do many of these, so when Vangelis gives an interview, it’s worth sitting up and paying attention to one of the most celebrated, successful and brilliant composers of our generation. Here, as part of a United Nations Alliance of Civilizations meeting in Doha, a forum meant to encourage dialogue between cultures and people, he speaks to Al Jazeera TV. This isn’t a deep insight into gear, technology and musical composition, but the great man speaks about the power of music, the way it affects the world and how artists are productised by the industry.
Enjoy 
Private showing of a production Fairlight CMI 30A
Fairlight Instruments CMI 30A Mainframe
Peter Vogel has just announced that Fairlight Instrument’s General Manager, Graeme Renaud, is in Anaheim, CA during NAMM week. Whilst they’re not exhibiting at the show itself, Graeme will be happy to demonstrate the CMI 30A outside of the show
Here’s Peter’s post from the Fairlight Instruments Facebook presence…
Our General Manager Graeme Renaud has just arrived in Anaheim. We are not exhibiting at NAMM this year, but Graeme has a production model CMI-30A in his hotel room and will be happy to give a private showing to anyone who can get there this week. Just drop me an email peter.vogel@fairlightinstruments.com.au
You’ll also find some new pictures of production CMI 30A’s on there, being packed ready for despatch.
Exciting times! 
Olivia Broadfield – Say (Page-R Remix)
A little while ago, Olivia Broadfield announced a remix competition in conjunction with Propellerhead Software, TUAW and Soundcloud. The challenge was to remix her song “Say” which is featured on her album, “This Beautiful War” and also features as a demo track in Reason 6.
All you had to do was remix the song how you saw fit and so, I did! I say I, I had help from my musical partner in crime, Micky Dodds, so we entered it under our collective name of Page-R.
Olivia Broadfield - Say (Page-R Remix)
When I set out to do this, I had just been listening to Mark Reeder’s remix album and so was getting ideas about how to change the entire feel of a song. One track, Bad Lieutenant’s “Twist of Fate” had been subjected to a rather large tempo reduction and this changed the whole feel of the song incredibly. So I used this as an idea for this remix, but as the original was something like 86 bpm, it was already pretty slow. So I thought, how about speeding things up and for some reason, I got a disco beat in my head. The next thing I know, I’ve got string, drum and bass loops recreating the 70′s New York feel and the vocals seemed to fit so well so I just went with it.
After a week or two dabbling, I reached a point where I got stuck a bit. I had ideas but wasn’t sure if they’d work, so I sent the track to Micky who extended it a bit & threw in a lovely middle 8 instrumental bit. Once I got it back, I fixed some problems, threw in some drum fills and enhanced the bass a bit and committed it to the competition. There are some really great tracks up there which you really ought to check out, but here’s our effort. Hope you enjoy and do let me know what you think
Happy Whatever
Failed Muso
Whatever your beliefs, whether you celebrate anything in particular at this time of year or not, may you all, my friends, whether I know you and interact with you in the physical world or whether it just be in the virtual one, have a lovely mid winter celebration of whatever it is that floats your boat, and may you all, regardless of religion, tradition, superstition or any other word that ends in “ion”, enjoy the company of loved ones and take some time out of this busy little thing we call life to reflect, recharge and relax, and any other word that begins with “re”.
Be happy, one and all.
Lots of love,
Your friend Rob aka Failed Muso x
Fairlight team up with children’s charity
Announced today via this press release…
Sampler pioneer Fairlight Instruments has teamed up with Variety, the Children’s Charity to create a very 21st Century fundraiser.
iGrowUP is an entertaining new app for iPhone and iPad. It costs less than the price of a cup of coffee and is a fantastic last minute Christmas gift for parents.
This fun, easy-to-use app will keep children giggling for ages. Simply tap the microphone, sample your child’s voice and then make the picture bigger or smaller to make them sound older or younger (or even like chipmunks or monsters!). The result can be instantly emailed to family and friends so that they can join in the fun. You can even make funny birthday or holiday messages!
For more information and a demo video, please visit http://igrowup.com.au/
Each purchase helps Variety to help children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs.
Variety
So even more reason to buy this cute little app!
iGrowUP
Reason Forum Song Challenge III – The Winners
Propellerhead Reason
You can shove X-Factor up your arse. This display of raw talent is far superior, and judged by someone far more competent and relevant!
It gives me great pleasure to be able to announce the winning tracks from the third Reason Forum Song Challenge!
First up, I’d just like to say a few words, ya know, in true Fix-Factor style, just to build the tension….
This is our third challenge and the response has been phenomenal. Loads of interest, so much creativity, and incredible amounts of support and camaraderie between users and an amazing amount of skill and talent on show. A lot of people send me loads of great messages thanking me for doing these, and they humble me, but the real thanks must go to all of those who participate and show so much enthusiasm for the challenges. Without them, there would be no challenge. I just facilitate, that’s all. And I love doing that. But most of all, I love hearing their work, and I love seeing the passion and excitement. So, thank you one and all. You make these challenges, not me.
Right! Time for the announcement!
And the winner is…
Brent Rossen aka Dig Team One with his track “The 80′s?!?”
Yes, Brent has won it again!! Martyn Ware said of this track…
“A beautifully arranged and produced song with a haunting arrangement – a lot of thought and skill has gone into this – I found it impossible to turn off before the end – an object lesson in songwriting lyrically and musically”
So, Brent clearly has a magic touch! Congratulations to him and we will organise the delivery of the XXL ReFill as well as the extra prizes donated by Patrick which will be the latest B.E.F. box set, containing all B.E.F. tracks across 3 CD’s as well as copies of the first two Human League albums, Reproduction & Travelogue, both masterpieces of electronic music. Congratulations Brent!
Martyn’s two runners up were…
“Auf Eis Legen” by A Million Tiny Architects aka Holly Nelson
Amazingly, Holly gets a second runners up spot, just like the last challenge! Consistent!
Martyn’s comments were…
“I love the weird epic nature of this, plus beautiful and unique vocal and electronic arrangements”
And the other runner up is…
“Not In MY Pocket” by Micky Dodds
Martyn said…
“At least made an effort to pass social comment – and I like that – we need more – really like the palette of sounds too”
And there we go! The third challenge draws to it’s successful conclusion. And now, it’s time to take a rest. Not just for me, but for all the enthusiastic users at the forum. They have worked flat out on these songs for the last few months and I really hope it has all been a worthwhile experience for them all. The bar has been well and truly set by Brent & Holly with their back to back successes. The fourth challenge will appear very early on 2012 and I can’t wait to get them all together again in 2012 for more challenges!
All that remains for me to say is a huge thank you to Martyn Ware for being our judge and to Patrick Fridh for sponsoring the event and supplying the prizes. Don’t forget to check out the full XXL ReFill which is available to buy direct from Bitley.
All entries can be heard here…
An interview with Mark Reeder
If I have learned anything in my time as a blogger on the music industry, or my time as a tester/developer in the music industry, or my time as a general blagger in the music industry, it is this. The people that really make the wheels turn, the ones that innovate, progress and drive the art forward are the people most of us would have never heard of. And these people aren’t multi-millionaires, swanning around in their Maybach’s, judging talent shows or appearing on gutter based reality shows. The real people who push the envelope, create the palettes of sound and technology that the rest of the coat tail riding members of the industry apply their “brand” to are just that. Real people. Honest, hard working and decent real people whose simple focus is the art form of making music, be it creating the tools or shaping the sounds, promoting the hard grafting artists around all the pubs and clubs and regularly dipping into their own pockets to move things forward for little or no reward or recognition. They have no brand, no sheen or glossy cover. They are also completely talented. They have no ego that requires constant massaging and they go completely unnoticed for most of the time by most of the people.
Mark Reeder is one of these people.
Mark Reeder
Mention his name to the general public and I’d wager that only a handful of people out of a thousand might know who he is and what he has achieved. If, like me, you are a student of the Manchester new wave scene, then you may be more familiar with the things he has been responsible for. As a founding member of The Frantic Elevators with Mick Hucknall, a post punk band that emerged, like so many, after the famous Sex Pistols gig at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976. Shortly after, Mark left for Berlin, becoming Factory Records representative in the city, a city famous for it’s art, it’s duality between east and west and it’s burgeoning status as the centre of the electronic music world. From here, Mark established himself at the forefront of everything that was new on the music scene, organising, corralling, promoting, performing and having as many of his fingers in as many pies as was possible. He was so influential that the Stasi, East Germany’s state security service had a large file on him and monitored him very closely.
As the 80′s turned in to the 90′s, he was at the forefront of the Techno/Trance scene, working closely with many of the emerging talents, setting up a label and being at the very centre of everything related to it. His label, MFS (Masterminded for Success) gave the world its first glimpse of rising DJ luminaries such as Paul Van Dyk, Cosmic Baby (including their collaborative work as The Visions of Shiva) and Mijk van Dijk.
Most recently, Mark has become more visible as a remixer, his work with people like German dance guru’s Blank & Jones being held in high regard. Their album ‘Reordered‘ is highly recommended. His remixes pop up all over the place and rank highly, in my opinion, as great works that maintain strong ties to the original tracks but lending them a strong and new edge. And it’s this remix work that his new release, 5point1, takes to an entirely new level, utilising multi channel audio technology to breathe new life and space into much of his best remix work, with tracks from electronic stalwarts such as Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode and former New Order front man Barney Sumner’s new outfit, Bad Lieutenant.
I caught up with Mark last week to throw some questions at him about his new work, but also about his illustrious past and even got his opinion on the current situation in music where we find ourselves bombarded with overblown karaoke contests that have the nation voting more than they do in a political election.
I started off by asking about his multifaceted career. Being a man of many talents, I said, which of his many roles gave him the most pleasure?
MR: “Thank you for recognising that. Obviously, the role that gives me the most pleasure is being a musician and music producer. That’s what I love to do the most. I’m quite diligent and love the creative process and I love being in the studio, but yes, now that you ask me, I have probably covered almost every aspect that the music business can offer. Looking back, I’ve been a roadie, a doorman, worked in a record shop, worked in a venue, played in a few bands, been a live sound engineer, researched for books and TV shows and even co-hosted them too. I’ve also hosted radio shows and written for magazines. I ran two record labels, co-ordinated every aspect of my records releases from the studio, to A&R to compiling and mastering. I also designed and conceived many of the records artwork ideas and all their Ad campaigns too, I’ve been both behind and in front of the camera, promoted gigs and events, managed bands and artists and I have made and produced other peoples music as well as my own music and now I’m enjoying making remixes. And I’m also very proud to be the first and only Englishman ever to have been allowed to produce an album in Communist East Berlin (in fact, it was their last album too!). Although at times my career has been very challenging and, on rare occasions, disappointing, there have been many highs too. It’s definitely been like a roller coaster ride, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. Each part has been an essential element in my career.”
FM: The new album is, as indicated by its name, a 5.1 multi-channel affair. What made you choose this approach?
5point1
MR: “I am really into the whole multi-channel wrap around “surround” sound thing. It has always fascinated me as it seemed so futuristic. Now we are in the future and it is possible to do it. Quad (four channel quadraphonic sound), which was presented in the late 60′s and early 70′s, sounded like a brilliant idea, but it was unaffordable and no one I knew had such a sound system. Surround in the 80s and 90s made watching movies at home a much more enjoyable experience, but then came DVDs and multi-channel 5.1 and that really gave me goose bumps. The decision to make a 5.1 album was something I thought would be a bit of a challenge, so I talked my studio partner, Micha Adam, into it. I guess we wanted to see if we could do it. We planned it for quite a while. I admit, I was greatly inspired by the 5.1 releases of the Depeche Mode, King Crimson or Pink Floyd albums but I thought, why do only these big artists get the chance to release their music in 5.1? I wanted to hear some of my other favourite artists music in 5.1 too. So I had to do it myself. Luckily, I had already been given the chance to remix some of my favourite artists as well, so Micha and I just thought it would be good to go back and re-remix all of them in 5.1 and see if we could release them as an album. That album has become ‘Five Point One’”.
FM: Multi-channel audio has never really taken off in the way some hoped it might. Why do you think that is?
MR: “It is still early days yet. Affordability is the main key. It’s a question of cost and also to a small degree space. Not everyone has the room for a multi-channel set up, or wants one especially when there are lots of cables involved. Although now, as the 5.1 units become wireless, smaller and affordable, I am sure more and more people will consider buying one. It’s easy to set up and it’s a great toy and once you have one you’ll wonder why you didn’t get one sooner. Also, new technological developments such as Dolby Mobile will make the new generation of smartphones and mobile game consoles 5.1 compatible too. This will take listening to music to a different level and hopefully drive music producers to be more creative, because you really have to think about what comes where when making a true 5.1 mix. It took stereo over thirty years to finally reach the household in the late 60s. Some people said that would never take off too. Today we take stereo for granted. Let’s face it, what is the point of having a nice flat screen TV and watching all your films in simple stereo? It is so 20th century.”
FM: So, what piece of music or body of music would you love to hear in a multi-channel environment?
Electric Ladyland
MR: “That is a very very difficult question to answer. Some of Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland could sound great I imagine, but then again that is an album that was made in stereo and any attempt to make it 5.1 is not really going to work unless you have access to the original 24 track masters, which is a given for any 5.1 mix. It has to be something that was initially made for surround in the first place like the Fanstasia score or written especially for 5.1 as it is a very delicate operation. One album I think would work well in 5.1 is Global Communication’s ‘76:14‘ album. A magnificent piece of work. There are lots of sounds and space to play with.”
FM: I often get frustrated when people refer to music in 5.1 as “surround”. I prefer the tag “multi-channel”. What’s your view?
MR: “I guess “surround” is simply the easiest way to describe the sound effect. People can understand that. When the term multi-channel or 5.1 is used, you see the blank expressions because it is not a household term. What the hell does 5.1 mean? What is multi- channel? Is it like my TV? That has multi-channels too. It can be confusing. “Surround” is like the term “Techno” or “Classical” for music. It is a bit vague but it is a term everyone can get their heads around and it encompasses everything in that genre. It is only when you begin to dissect it and choose the part that interests you, that you can start to become technical and more precise. I initially considered calling the album “Surround”, but then Björk’s 5.1 album collection was already called “Surrounded” and so I decided that what it should be called, is simply what it is. ‘Five Point One’.”
FM: Have you ever dabbled with/considered binaural as a way of presenting music? Could there be a market now that so many people listen to music via headphones?
MR: “Considered in the past, yes. In the late 70′s and early 80′s there was a series of what was known as “Kunstkopf” records released by people like Edgar Froese. These were binaural recordings and sounded very wide and a bit 3D on your headphones. Naturally, I snapped these albums up and would listen to them in awe, but it was a bit of a solitary affair and not an experience you could share with your friends. The wider stereo-all-around effect looked promising with the release of the very ambient Psychic TV album, ‘Dreams Less Sweet‘ which was recorded using the incredible Zuccarelli Holograph. It produced a similar binaural effect, although that album could at least be played on a normal stereo system and the 3D effect could be heard and actually sounded very good. Incidentally, I think that would make an amazing album in 5.1. In an attempt to push the boundaries of CD audio, I released on my MFS label the first album by Cosmic Baby in super-wide B.A.S.E stereo, which stands for Bedini Audio Spatial Environment. It sounded fantastic on CD. However, it proved to be very limited because it was in super-wide stereo only and not at all mono compatible, rendering any radio play or mono play virtually impossible. Binaural is great for headphones, but the effect is lost on listening in stereo with your mates. At least with 5.1 you can all share the listening experience.”
FM: What plans do you have for future 5.1 releases or is 5point1 a one off?
MR: “Naturally I would love to do more 5.1 productions. It is all a question of production cost, as it is not easy or cheap to do. The mixing down process alone is much more time consuming and mastering is also quite difficult. You have to get the balance right so that it basically sounds good on almost every system. Then again, each sound system is set up to meet individual taste.”
FM: Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 fame runs a company called Illustrious with Vince Clarke that specialises in three dimensional audio installations. Is that something you’d like to get into or is that more about the “art”?
MR: “That sounds very interesting, but it is all about finding funding for such art projects and I really don’t have that kind of money myself to set up or develop my ideas in such an artistic way. I would like to though if ever given the chance. As a hopeless film addict, I am much more interested in making film music to be honest.”
FM: Illustrious were also used to provide the 3D audio for Heaven 17′s last gig in London’s Roundhouse in October. Is the live environment more suited to multi-channel audio and would it be successful?
MR: “I honestly don’t really know. Maybe in the future it could be. At the moment I’m not so convinced of multi-channel surround in the live or club environment. This doesn’t mean it won’t happen. I’ve seen it used to great effect when I saw Pink Floyd perform in front of the Reichstag in the late 80′s. Their gig was a kind of quad/surround event. It actually sounded amazing because they used the surround effect very sparingly, but after that, every attempt I’ve seen since to make a live surround sound concert has sadly failed. I think this is mainly due to the fact that the performers don’t really fully understand what it should do. Although people seem to like the idea, they don’t understand how to use it properly. Remember, in a club you don’t stand only in the middle. The people are all around and move about constantly and that means they mostly only get to hear what is coming from the front or one corner. The most recent attempt at displaying the advantages of a surround system in a club I saw a few years ago in the Tresor club in Berlin. The company, ISONO, installed a 16 channel sound system in the club. It was a very interesting idea and in a cinema could work wonderfully, but didn’t work for club music at all, that’s because most club music is made in closed pan stereo (virtually mono) for a louder sound on vinyl. The ISONO system allowed the DJ to position the sound to each individual speaker using a touch pad, but this made the sound jump from one speaker to the next and all the other speakers were left dead. As you can imagine, the DJs not knowing what was happening outside of their mono monitor system out there on the dance floor, used the pad to swirl the sound around the club, which made everyone feel sick. It was very disappointing that it didn’t work, but at least they tried and that was the main thing.”
FM: You’re sometimes referred to as the guy who invented Techno, or at least discovered it and some of that genre’s finest DJ’s. Were you always about the “dance” element of music?
MR: “For the record, I definitely, definitely didn’t invent Techno! Nor did I discover it. That accolade goes to others who rightly deserve it. I had a hand in helping Techno to develop in Berlin I suppose, as I was involved in that scene from the beginning. I started my record label MFS in late 1990 and we released some early Techno and trance records. I called some of my early ambient sounding releases hypno-trance and the abbreviated Trance name stuck. That is probably where the confusion comes from. This fusion of melody and Techno came from my eagerness to inspire my friends who couldn’t get into the Techno sound. Many of my friends at that time wouldn’t go clubbing because they felt they didn’t understand the nuances of straight Techno. They really missed the tune, the hook line. I wanted to draw together the elements of melody and ambience and combine them with driving, danceable Techno energy. I wanted the music to be pulsating yet sound emotional to help to fuel the feelings of euphoria that all those E’d up people were experiencing on the dance floor. From this idea evolved what has become generally known today as Trance. Although today Trance sounds nothing like the Cosmic Baby or Visions of Shiva style tracks that I released on the first trance compilation “Tranceformed From Beyond” which consisted of my label’s first year of releases, back in early 1992.”
FM: You have been a Berlin resident for many years, seen some of that city’s most poignant moments in modern history and even been a subject of interest of the Stasi. What is it about Berlin that puts it at the heart of dance music in particular but also as a very important and influential place for art in general?
MR: “Berlin has always had this impact. Its artistic attraction became more apparent just after the First World War, as no one had anything to lose anymore and everyone went bonkers. The Berlin of the Weimar Republic gave the world an incredible and radical artistic platform. This radical freedom of expression was either stamped out or forced underground during the dark ages of the 30′s and early 40′s by the Nazis. After the war, it took a few decades for Berlin to rebuild and recover and properly re-find its feet. I feel very privileged to have been here during the 80s as the city spawned a new wave of artists and avant-garde musicians reminiscent of the 1920′s. I never thought I would experience such a musical movement like punk and new wave ever again. That was until the thrill of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which fuelled a totally new style of dance music and gave us a club experience like nowhere else in the world. By capital city standards, Berlin is a poor city and not very money motivated. If it is money you’re looking for, then Frankfurt, Hamburg or Munich are much more attractive. Berlin is a cultural city. So it is also still fairly cheap to live here too, but that is slowly changing. The thriving sub-culture is the main attraction of the city for most young people and those who are creative usually don’t have the money to splash out on flash, expensive apartments and the like. Personally, I feel Berlin is probably the only place left where free-thinking still exists and that’s why artists and outcasts are attracted to it. You can experiment and be as creative as you want to be here.”
FM: So, when you first moved to Berlin, you were the Factory Records German representative. What was Factory REALLY like?
MR: “Luckily, I was in Berlin so I didn’t get to see the day-to-day horror. I only know from speaking with Rob Gretton or Bernard Sumner about some of the madness. Factory was, in my opinion, a great idea and it put Manchester firmly on the musical map like no other. Financially it seems it was a nightmare. Having run my own label, I know now what that experience can be like.
FM: You worked with New Order for a while. Do you have a view on the whole New Order break up “thing” with Hooky gigging old Joy Division stuff and Barney, Gillian and Stephen reforming New Order without him?
MR: “Hooky left New Order and went on tour playing Joy Division covers. That was his choice. So he can’t complain if the remaining members decide to carry on as New Order without his involvement. That’s how things go. A few good things came out of it too. Bernard formed Bad Lieutenant and I got to remix them!”
FM: What memories do you have of Ian Curtis?
Ian Curtis
MR: “Quite a few, although it is not like you remember or recorded everything he said or did. I remember him as a funny and intelligent person and you could always have a good conversation with him, if the subject was right. We had similar interests in music and history. One moment always comes to mind when I’m asked this question, and that was Ian telling me that he had recently had his palm read by Lindsey Reade and she told him he was going to live till he was 80!”
FM: You recently judged a music competition for me. What do you think of the current music scene, be it dance or otherwise? Is it stagnating or too much about the “product” (i.e. X-Factor, etc)?
MR: The first time I heard the term “product” at the MIDEM music trade fair in 1991, I shuddered. The term made me think. Music was always music to me and that “product” was a record. This suit, who was dealing away other peoples music, probably had no idea what had to be actually done to get it to the stage of it being a sellable “product”. He could have been selling washing machines. Unfortunately, this term has now become the adjective for potential success. The product is the entire package. Most kids think that to get anywhere you have to go to a casting and through a series of auditions coupled with humiliation. It obviously looks like it is easier than slogging about clubs and bars for years. The yearning to be “a star” is greater than learning the trade. After all, if you are good you will be noticed, eventually…or? Maybe not today. Thankfully not everyone thinks this way, and there are a lot of anti-casting-show-kids out there who are determined to prove they can do it without the aid of a panel of judges. It should be noted the talent show is nothing new. Back in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s we had talent shows too such as Opportunity Knocks which was equally as cringe worthy. They gave us the Bee Gees etc. So it wasn’t only in the Eastern Bloc where you had to perform before a panel of brown-suited old blokes, who determined if you were musically proficient enough to allow you to perform before an audience and own an electric guitar. I try and listen to new music whenever I can and I am always grateful to hear something new. I’ve discovered there is a lot of really good, new music out there, if you can find it, and that is the main problem. In the past making a record was something very special. You would hear a track in a shop, club or from friends or on the John Peel radio show. Today there are so many outlets to listen to music and the fact that almost anyone can make a track and upload it somewhere that makes this task increasingly difficult. So I find myself relying on blogs like yours to discover the majority of new music I hear, whereas in the past I would discover it in a record store. I listen to all kinds of music actually, but my passion is mainly for electronic music of all genres and film music. There is no longer one current music scene, there are several. Sadly, the singular “current music and fashion scene” has faded into history. There are so many separate scenes today, each one with their latest crop of new and exciting artists. It all depends on which style of music you choose to listen to and the accompanying fashion trend that goes along with it. Personally, I have been inspired recently by the many young artists making 80′s sounding music. It enlightened me to revisit my past and use the technology of today to attain a sound that was reminiscent of those times. I admit I was prodded into doing this through remixing Blank & Jones, but I decided to have a go regardless and with it I discovered how enjoyable and refreshing it was making songs. From that came the “Reordered” album and eventually the idea for my 5.1 album.
FM: It has been suggested, particularly by this correspondent, that as the world heads into desperately hard times, that the music made will reflect that, as it did in the 70′s and 80′s. Do you agree that some of the greatest music is borne out of hard times or harsh environments?
MR: “Absolutely, I do. Music has always been a vehicle for expressing feelings in every way. The question is what can we expect? How are hard times to be defined enough so that new music is allowed to emerge out of them? Young people seem attracted more and more to escapism or musical styles that have already lived through such hard times. We have had 25 years of hip-hop, over 20 years of Techno, over 30 of punk and decades of rock, and all genres seem to be going strong. This is probably due to the continuous availability of cheap and easy plug-ins or access to apps of retro instruments for iPhone and iPad etc. Maybe they are hoping something will rub off and they can feel the spirit that drove the original sound of that era. Since the turn of the century we have experienced an increased forecast of impending bad times. The “Alliance” has been at war since 2001 and that conflict hasn’t given us much to sing about. “Go tell it on the mountain” took on a whole new meaning after the US bombed Bora Bora. As the world enters into yet another promised global economic meltdown, do you think people will be singing about it? Not many. Vietnam protest veteran Joan Baez dusted off her acoustic guitar to strum a few chords to the Occupy movement blocking off Wall Street, but it has hardly lead to a flood of anti-globalisation protest songs hitting the shelves. Unemployment is no longer a new and frightening prospect, indeed it has become a normal aspect of daily life and people are presented with so many distractions it is difficult to be simply bored like in the 70′s. A split society has always existed between the haves and the have nots, so what is new there? I believe that the world is heading towards watching a conflict unfold with Iran. Maybe once Israel finally nukes them (or at least instigates it) maybe people will finally stop and start to think about what we are and who we are on this planet and we will see and hear something definite and new emerge.”
FM: What’s next for Mark Reeder? Ever considered writing an autobiography?
MR: Apart from a handful of remixes, I plan to release the “Don’t Tell Me Stories” album by my former 80′s band Die Unbekannten, for the first time on CD and also remaster the Die Vision “Torture” album that I produced in East Berlin. I discovered some cassettes with pre-production demos that I made during the recording process and they would make up a nice special edition CD. As for writing an autobiography, well no, as I don’t know anyone who would want to publish it let alone read it. If you want to read something, then check out Dave Rimmer’s book “Once Upon A Time In The East” or the stuff I wrote years ago on MySpace.”
Mark’s album, ‘5point1” is out now in a limited special edition and goes on global sale on December 19th 2011. Check out some of the tracks in regular stereo here…
Sneak Peek: Sound Techniques Mic Pre/EQ Strip
A first glimpse of the prototype of the Sound Techniques Mic Pre/EQ strip, created by my guv’nor, Geoff Frost…
Sound Techniques Mic Pre/EQ Strip
More details as and when I can get them. I’m most interested to see if I get a staff discount! 
The Fairlight CMI 30A’s are now entering construction phase…
A sneak preview of the progress being made by Peter Vogel and the team in Sydney with the production of the limited edition CMI 30A’s. In the video we see PCB’s being prepared and baked as well as cases and housings arriving at the powder coating factory, soon to emerge the other side in classic Fairlight white
Peter Vogel
Peter & Digby
