|
AmbiEntrance: Will you ever return to "plain old" ambient, or trance music?
Inoue: No... I don't think I'll do 4/4 trance again, but AUDIO ( 2000 may FAX record ) was more like "plain old" ambient. The word "ambient" has a deep meaning to me.
I will try to keep interpreting it.
AmbiEntrance: Do you think about your audience when you're making music?
Inoue: When I'm making music, I don't think about any audience... it's to me more like a personal diary. It comes more naturally if I don't worry about the listener. That wouldn't work for me.
AmbiEntrance: How did you get to be involved with Taylor Deupree?
Inoue: When I was living in New York, we always talked about making a record together, for the past four or five years. I love his 12k stuff, especially 0/r (by nosei sakata and richard chartier) was shocking to me. 0/r was pretty much outstanding... more like music for paintings or installations; it's not simply minimal.
AmbiEntrance: Did you ever physcially work *together* on this project or was everything done separately?
Inoue: We send sounds back and forth.
then I did the mix in my studio.
AmbiEntrance: What about the 2-part track titles?
Inoue: That was Taylor's idea. The idea of active / freeze, he came up with it. We made the music, then we put the type in.
AmbiEntrance: Taylor usually limits his releases to 500, but active / freeze was output to 1000 CDs; he must be pretty optimistic... how about you?
Inoue: I feel the same way. I think 1000 is a good number. I usually sell more than 1,000 CDs.
AmbiEntrance: How would you explain active / freeze to someone who's listened, but just doesn't "get it"?
Inoue: I think people who don't understand that direction should put their CD player in loop mode like background music - like a painting - and listen over and over... then see what that space does.
For something as active / freeze, people need a different state of mind. This direction is more like a sculpture on the wall, not direct. Every time you listen, you get a different feeling.
AmbiEntrance: Are you creating all your sounds digitally these days?
Inoue: For active / freeze I did, because I didn't want to go to another mixing board, so I created it digitally on the computer.
AmbiEntrance: Didn't you start out playing guitar? Will you ever do pop/rock professionally?
Inoue: Yes... more like a japanese Pop direction. Sometimes i play midiguitar (as in DSP Holiday). I play more structured, more song-oriented.
Me and Atom Heart are talking about going in that direction, making a recording, but it's still in the planning. I'm moving back to New York in August (from San Francisco) and will be closer so we can work.
AmbiEntrance: I haven't heard any of your recent work on John Zorn's label... how would you describe that material?
Inoue: It's more active listening... even more cut up, more experimental, but I put in some melody.
It's a great avant garde label because you can't categorize the direction; that's why I like it.
AmbiEntrance: Any future projects (solo or collaborations) you can tell us about?
Inoue: My solo music when I get back to New York will be a mixing of everything, not just software music.
AmbiEntrance: What do you do when you're not making music?
Inoue: I usually go hiking and things like that... walking in the woods or on the beach. In New York I usually go to the museum or gallery.
AmbiEntrance: In closing, I want to ask about a few of your past releases (which I'm also Overviewing this month)...
Slow and Low... what can you tell us about the making of that disc?
Inoue: Slow and Low was my transition time when I was getting away from ambient, more into music concrete, John Cage, that direction. I felt right about doing that, even if Peter (Namlook) didn't understand. It wasn't his style, but he trusted my taste.
AmbiEntrance: What about the dance/trance sounds of Om "Instant Enlightenment"?
Inoue: Om was a result of my time in India, my interpretation of actual trance music.
AmbiEntrance: Electro Harmonix? How was working with Jonah Sharp? Whose idea was the 47-minute "Morphing Cloud"?
Inoue: It was more like a journey. We sat in the studio just working from scratch. I think we did the whole thing in one day. "Morphing Cloud" was 45 minutes?! Wow, that's surprising... it's strange to realize I ever did such a long track. Now, I usually do shorter pieces, three and four minutes.
AmbiEntrance: Can you explain the term "Otaku" for those who may not be familiar?
Inoue: "Otaku" is kind of a nerd, a collector. In Japan, it's used as a negative term.
AmbiEntrance: Did you "plan" for Ambiant Otakuto become such a rarity?
Inoue: No, I didn't. I don't believe in "limited release".
AmbiEntrance: Did you have anything to do with its re-release?
Inoue: No, I'm not to do with the re-release. Peter was mentioning about people paying 100 dollars for a disc and it was really ridiculuous. Many people asked, so he decided to release it again.
What I don't understand is when people still want me to make music like that.
I usually make music which I hear in my head, right now I don't hear
Ambiant Otaku 2... maybe in the future.
| 
