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An Interview with Richard Bone
(a site exclusive)
05/01/05
Thank you Richard for taking time for a second interview. The last year has been busy for you with two CDs being
released, one currently awaiting release and one
about halfway completed. You have also begun
creating videos to accompany several of your
musical tracks. We'll start with your latest
recording THE REALITY TEMPLES that was released
June 2004.
MK:
THE REALITY
TEMPLES was a delight for fans and radio alike,
obvious by its chart positions and most notably
with its Nomination for the NAR 2004 Lifestyle
Music Awards 'Best Electronic Album'. How did you
feel about receiving that nomination?
RB: I
was thrilled! The last time I was nominated for
anything was in '79. It was the David Magazine
Music Awards which recognized musicians in the
South Florida area.
I probably worked harder on The Reality
Temples than any other work up to that point
(perhaps I am becoming more meticulous as I move
through my career because I feel I'm paying even
closer attention to every detail of the Saiyuji
project) so having the work recognized meant a
great deal.
MK:
Currently
awaiting release is your ambient recording THE
SERENE LIFE OF MICROBES, the follow-up to 2002’s
INDIUM expected to release this fall on
Electroshock Records. INDIUM contained your
first long-form ambient piece, “Indium Part II”
that was 30 minutes in duration. Will there be
anything similar on THE SERENE LIFE OF MICROBES?
How will it compare musically with
INDIUM?
RB:
No, not at all. As
a card carrying member of the Short Attention Span
Alliance, I've always felt that if a musician
couldn't convey an idea within 5-10 minutes one
should seek the assistance of an editor! As I've
said before, I basically write with "pop"
sensibilities and appreciate work with defined
structure and parameters. Anybody can twiddle
knobs for 45 minutes. The only reason Indium part
2, which is actually three distinct 10 minute
pieces put together, ran for 30 minutes is that it
was created as a live performance piece designed
to accompany its video. I suppose you could say
the overall mood of Microbes is a bit darker than
Indium.
MK:
Your work in
progress - SAIYUJI - is the final disc in the
trilogy that began with DISORIENT. How would
you describe what we might expect in terms of
theme, mood and overall scope of this
recording?
RB:
Saiyuji, which is
named after an ancient Buddhist temple in
Singapore, was never really intended to be part of
a trilogy. I didn't even realize what I was
creating until it was pointed out to me. It began
with the working title of Tales from the Analog
Attic because I had bought several old analog
sound modules. Primarily a Roland 8080 and a few
other smaller pieces. So the new work has been
created with mostly analog modeling synths and
will have less of the middle eastern flavor of
Reality Temples (although there is still a bit of
that flavor as well as quite a few backwards
loops). Because I was recording the entirely
ambient Serene Life of Microbes at the same time,
I wanted to try and bridge the gap between the two
distinct styles in which I work (ambient and
rhythmic).
MK:
How are you
feeling about how the new recording is
progressing?
RB: As
I mentioned, I seemed to be paying an incredible
attention to detail. These days it's not unusual
for me to spend a week searching for one sound or
part that may only last a few seconds within the
song. Other than that it's still the usual process
of creating for me: first elation with the new
idea, then frustration as I work towards
completion. This is followed, about a week after
the final mix, by "what have I done? this is
surely a career killer" and then eventually a
sense of satisfaction and pride. Sometimes,
however, that feeling of satisfaction and pride
does not occur. That is my inner signal to discard
a
track.
MK:
You have
mentioned you plan to include videos for several
of the tracks on both SAIYUJI and THE SERENE LIFE
OF MICROBES. What inspired you to begin creating
videos?
RB:
Simply that I
couldn't find anyone with whom I could create
videos. A matter of "I guess I'll just have to do
it myself." Now I find I am addicted to the video
processors and look forward to creating visual
interpretations of some of my
music!
MK:
You stated in
our first interview that your compositional
process begins with meditation. How does your
visual creative process come about? Do you first
create the music and then the video, vice versa or
do they happen more or less
simultaneously?
RB:
Usually I've been
completing the music first, then adding the audio
to the video editor followed by experimentation
with different footage. However, as an exercise, I
recently created a video using only an 8 second
repeating loop of a rose unfolding. Then I
transferred the video to my Clie handheld, placed
it on the keyboard and composed music specially
for that image. The result is the track "By Any
Other Name." The video will, most likely, be
included on Saiyuji.
MK:
Any plans in
mind of what might be on the horizon after SAIYUJI
has been
completed?
RB:
Yes, a
Mediterranean cruise in October!
MK:
What kind of
equipment are you currently using for your
recordings? Any specific or preferred
samples?
RB:
Primarily using
the Roland 8080 & 1080. Novation A & K
Stations, a Korg Triton and the tiny new
Alessis Micron. The samplers are all vintage
Akai with the exception of an old Roland S-10
sampling keyboard.
MK:
What have you
been listening to
lately?
RB:
While working on
The Serene Life of Microbes I was listening almost
exclusively to vinyl by Todd Dockstader, Milton
Babbit and other early electronic works from the
1960s. These days, when I'm working in the office
before heading up to the studio, I've been playing
Ian Brown's Solarized (I love the way that disc is
recorded) as well as the new disc from Athlete,
Tourist. Also, one of the LPs that formed my
opinions about composition and style in the
psychedelic 60's was just released on CD.
Chrysalis' "Definition" still has the power to
move me with its songs. In fact, even 30 years
after its release, I must listen to it from time
to time. So with the CD release I've been playing
that disc repeatedly as it contains several
unreleased tracks. The other unrecognized little
jewel from the psychedelic era which I've been
revisiting lately is the Bee Gee's first LP. It's
a gem. Oh yes, Al Gromer Khan's new one "Tantra
Electronica" is a delight!
MK:
Is there
anything you would like to add or elaborate on
that we haven’t mentioned
above?
RB:
Just that I'm
having a craving for chocolate peanut butter ice
cream and must depart!!!!!!!!!!!
MK:
Thank you once
again Richard for taking time to keep us updated
about your current projects. We'll be looking
forward to the next update!
(This interview was concluded May 1, 2005)
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