From: Cypher7@aol.com Date: Thu, 15 Sep 94 10:45:25 EDT Here's the interview DECODING THE CYPHER "I think having an avenue to express yourself freely and experiment and test your creative tools is very important. For most it is the original reason we chose music as a life or career." Interview 'conducted' by Sean Cooper. What follows is an interview conducted via email with Alex Haas and Jeff Bova, who together make up Cypher 7. 'Decoder,' Cypher 7's first album, is out this month on Bill Laswell's Strata label (see the 'Reviews' section in the ambient folder in 'Sound Off' for other Strata releases), and to this listener's ears, really represents the limitless potential of ambient music to draw musicians from a variety of different backgrounds together under one vision. Of course, as this interview hopefull reveals, that vision is, and has pretty much always been, that of the avant-garde, regardless of musical, methodological, or historical context. And as two longtime members of that community (as well as its diametric opposite) it's particularly exciting to see musicians of the calibar of Haas and Bova at the front lines in the fusion of the two. Intro: About 'Decoder' (from Strata's Ministry of Elucidation): "...The record was conceived and recorded in 5 days. The concept was to approach the project like ambient dub; the distinctive difference was to utilize their skills to give more form and depth to the music without sacrificing the spontaneity and atmosphere that is such an integral part of the genre. Depth through minimalism..." 1. You seem particularly well-versed in contemporary styles of ambient house and techno (as well as older, more classical and TD-ish type stuff). Have you worked in this area before? What draws you to it? Jeff: I have been working with Bill Laswell since 1983, on everything from Material, Nona Hendrix, Herbie Hancock, and Iggy Pop, to a large number of other albums that Bill has produced, including the 'Divination' series ['Ambient Dub' Vols. I and II]. With over 10 years of exposure to this eclectic, adventurous world of music, it's bound to rub off on you. I first began my electronic music studies with Anne Modugno, a student of Vladamir Ussachevsky who, as you may know, is one of the fathers of modern Electronic Music/Music Concrete. He taught and worked at the Columbia-Princeton electronic music lab in New York. Music Concrete was in essence sampling, but with analog tape. The electronic music of that time (50s and 60s) is very similar in many ways to what today we call ambient. The big difference is, of course, the technology and the influence popular music idioms have had on all of us. Alex: Having been born in America but growing up in Europe in the 70s, I was exposed to and enjoyed every type of music; at the time my preferences grew towards progressive English bands (from Pink Floyd, very early Genesis, King Crimson, Gong, and all their derivatives ) then German electronic music ( Klaus Schulz, Tangerine Dream ) as well as the early ECM recordings, Terje Rypdal being a favorite. I then discovered, mostly through my music-loving Viennese father, the classics and the more "serious contemporary composers," from Stockhausen, Ligeti, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, Boulez. But none had a more profound impact than Brian Eno. The first time I heard 'Music for Airports' I thought, here is someone who has touched on an area that I had longed for. He had pinpointed a musical expression only occasionally hinted at by other composers, an area that captured atmospheres and landscapes. His 'Ambient' series was all I listened to for quite a while when I was at Berklee in Boston. I think everybody thought I was nuts! 2. Are you interested in doing more work in this area, in a more pure ambient or monochrome area? Alex: One of the great aspects about the new Ambient culture is that most people involved in it are not musically trained. There is a directness, an honesty that comes through. Since there are no rules yet many people in this area of music have three or four pseudonyms under which they can create for different purposes. Cypher 7 was originally formed for the Strata series that Bill Laswell conceived. Fuzzy Logic, our "mother band," was commissioned to make an ambient/noise record. Cypher 7 will be the outlet for Jeff and I to release the more ambient/monochromatic music we make. Jeff: We are preparing to do the next Cypher 7 record very soon. The musical territories available are vast, not limited by a record label's perception of what is radio friendly, etc.,etc. As you probably heard on 'Decoder,' we leaned toward using rhythmic devices. One reason was, not to be nessesarily more accessible but to perhaps entice listeners less familiar with the ambient medium toward it. Both Alex and I have worked in the mainstream music world for years. The emphasis has been on a certain amount of accessability. It's hard not to let it influence your writing to an extent. I personally have been signed to major labels and have experienced the best and worst aspects of working with the mainstream record companies. It is this experience that makes me personally very happy to be able to work with independents like Subharmonic/Caroline. To explore music freely and let listeners have the freedom to choose and explore their needs asthetically, is something many of us would like to see happening more and more. The problem I see with the record "Business" is that, You, the audience, only get to hear or see what "They" want you to see. 3. Laswell is doing more and more with artists like Namlook and Tetsu. Anything in the works where you're concerned? Jeff: As said above, the next Cypher 7 is in the works. Where explorations go with other artists or with Laswellxwe can't divulge at this time. It'd spoil the fun if everyone knew what to expect. Many lives could be lost too! 4. Ambient seems to really be being embraced by the avant-garde (Zorn/Naked City's 'Absinthe,' Laswell /Namlook, Fripp/FFWD, Fier/'Dreamspead,' Buckethead/'Death Cube K,' etc.). Why do you think that is? You indicated elsewhere that this record is something you've wanted to explore for awhile. What does ambient allow you to do that other musics don't? Jeff: For any of the creative artists you've mentioned I think having an avenue to express yourself freely and experiment and test your creative tools is very important. For most it is the original reason we chose music as a life or career. The music business has evolved into a marketing monster. What you lose is the artist that is left-of-center. You know that the head of promotion at a given major label hasn't a clue how to promote most of this music. I feel if people had the opportunity to hear more music that is potentially available to them things might be quite different in the music biz for all styles of music. Alex: Ambient opens the field to many possibilities that people interested in new and different outlets will appreciate: minimalism and abstraction are qualities I find very inspiring in this form of expression. The lack of form and the ability of expressing emotions that most don't want to admit having. I have been working on ambient music ever since I first heard those Eno records, I just didn't think highly enough of myself to push to have it heard. Right now its very trendy to be ambient, so many people are jumping on the wave. I am curious how many of them will still be on it a few years from now. When New Age was the only format this type of music would fit in nobody wanted to be part of it, least of all me. I don't consider a lot of what is out there to be truly ambient. 5. Finally, in terms of strict background data: Who are you? Alex: Jeff has recorded with such artists as Meatloaf ('Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell'), Eric Clapton ('Journey Man'), Robert Palmer ('Riptide,' 'Heavy Nova'), Tina Turner ('Foreign Affair'), Cyndi Lauper ('True Colors'),Vanessa Williams (upcoming album), Billy Joel ('The Bridge'), Material, Ryuichi Sakamoto and many, many more. He was a member of Herbie Hancock's 'Rockit' band, among others. He studied at Berklee College of music in Boston and at the Manhattan School of Music in NewYork. Jeff: Alex Haas also studied music at Berklee in Boston for about a year, then decided to be where music was happening (and that certainly was not Boston). He started working at Mediasound in New York City. He left Mediasound for the Power Station in 1986 and became a self-employed engineer in 1991. During all this time he had his home studio where he would experiment. Alex has worked with a wide variety of artists and musical styles. He considers this as one of the great aspects of being a recording engineer. His biggest achievement [so far] was in 1992, when he mixed the Grammy song of the year, Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven." Thank you both. And we're looking forward to the next project! Internet direct access code: Cypher7@aol.com. Jeff.... We'll let you know about the sound bytes shortly.