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 | Paul Haslinger: Late 1997 Interview (AmbiEntrance© - 1997) Paul Haslinger has good-naturedly allowed Link O'Rama to interrupt his current studio recording with a few questions. Prior to this project, the former Tangerine Dreamer has kept busy with1996's World Without Rules, plus several other releases and collaborations. |
| Link: Can we start with some brief biographical information... age, nationality, current home, any interesting etc.
Haslinger: Born and raised in Austria, as a result lifelong occurences of deep confusion mixed with desperate search for content character ( having read Robert Musil one too many times). Link: You studied in Vienna; In what ways does your classical training and Masters in Musicology affect your current work? Haslinger: It affects my work as much as the cup of coffee I drank last week - very much and very little... I always was and am eager to learn, but I rarely 'found what I was looking for' in the system of schools and universities I attended... Link: How did the gig with Tangerine Dream come about? Haslinger: Well, I've only answered that question 1.568 million times so far, so let us cut to the short version for everybody's benefit: In 1985 they looked for a live player to replace Johannes Schmoelling for an upcoming tour. I got the gig and subsequently stayed with the band for five years. The relationship ended in 1990, when I decided to move on and start a studio in Los Angeles. Link: Err... then I can only assume you've received at least 3.136 million questions about whether you might someday be involved in any future T. Dream productions? Might you? Haslinger: If I were to follow 007's advice, or rather Sean Connery's, I would say 'never say never' - but then, I'm neither Sean Connery nor 007 Link: Could you briefly differentiate between some of your other projects, i.e. Lightwave, Coma Virus? Are these entities defunct, or will we be hearing from them again? Haslinger: Lightwave is a group concept dedicated to experimental electro-acoustic music. The two principle players and founders are Christian Wittman and Christoph Harbonnier, who have worked together for over ten years. I've been able to collaborate with them on two of their more recent releases and hope to work again with them in the future. Coma Virus was born out of research materials at the Assembly Room, the studio I founded after moving to L.A. The focus on this project is to develop sound and noise structures to a point where they begin to form musical context, reflecting my ideas about sound design and contemporary music structures. Link: Your Assembly Room sounds fascinating. What can you tell us about it? Haslinger: It's a top secret military installation at the outskirts of Los Angeles, and you and me shouldn't even talk about it in the open ( or on the Net, as it is). Strange sounds can be heard emanating from the facility, especially at night, and several people are said to have vanished after attempting to lift its bass-heavy secrets. Link: How were you involved with the cartoon/movie "Spawn"? I saw the disc on the shelf recently, should I rush out and grab it for a fix of Haslinger? Is your work featured on the soundtrack CD, or only within the film? Haslinger: "Spawn" was the first in a series of collaborative projects with Graeme Revell, and as such the least interesting of the ones I've done so far. None of the score is included on the song-based soundtrack release. Both "Chinese Box" and "Phoenix" will be released sometime soon, and I recommend those both as a cinematic and musical experience over Spawn. Bear in mind though, that on all this projects I am merely contributing, not masterminding the whole thing. Graeme is a superb composer and producer himself, and he has a very good artistic sense and direction for all his scores. Link: I thoroughly enjoyed "World Without Rules". Just how much fun was it? Will you be conspiring with your talented co-workers again? (Isham, Hendryx, Whalen, etc.) Haslinger: Making it was great fun. Asking myself for the next 6 months whether it's good enough yet to release was the torture part ;-) Continuing conspiracies are sure to happen... Link: I understand you're in the studio now... is this the next solo album, or the collaboration with B. Lustmord? Please, share with us what you can. Haslinger: Work on the next album has begun, that's all I can tell you at this point. It may take another few weeks or another few years to complete ( see 'fun & WWR), but then again, what would life be without uncertainties ;-) Link: It's not professional to beg, but please, can't you reveal a bit more? Haslinger: It's even less professional to make announcements before there is really something to announce ;-) All I can tell you, is that I'm experimenting with a lot of new sounds and stylistic approaches, and that I'm excited about new production methods I've started to use over the last few months. Link: Upon release, will the new project involve touring? Haslinger: There is interest from several agencies, so with some luck there could be live action in 1998. Link: In lieu of more info, how about some piece of personal information that people just won't believe? Haslinger: I'm not too fond of anecdotes, especially if they involve myself. Link: If you could do a track (a'la Muslimgauze) concerning Sadaam Hussein's recent activities, what would it sound like? Haslinger: My relationship with Sadaam is based on a very simple principle: I leave him alone, he leaves me alone, we don't ever write songs about each other. ( I hear his singing is worse than my piano playing ;-) Link: As a seasoned artist, what advice do you offer to new musicians in the ambient/electronica world? Haslinger: The music business has gotten so complex and so unpredictable... it's hard to give a general piece of advice anymore. It still is true that you have to have a huge amount of naivete and enthusiasm to begin with, but even more so you got to have relentless conviction and dedication to do your 'own thing', whatever that may be. Listen to a lot of music, and don't listen to people telling you how it's done. Keep looking for that magic formula, and if you ever think you've found it, quit making music and do something decent for a living ;-) |
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Link: Thanks for letting me interrupt your work. Please keep us posted on new developments. Any closing comments?
Haslinger: We are all Eskimos ! ( quoted from the film: salmonberrys {w/ k.d.Lang} )
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Visit Paul Haslinger's Assembly Room site for more inside information. I'd like to add a special "Thanks" to Christian Mueck, Paul's Media Technician, for his assistance in this interview.
This interview posted December 15, 1997
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