hanging out with audiophiles

I chat with six missing aka TJ Dumser who’s a man of many talents Known for award-winning sound design, mix for web, film + surround , remote voice-over recording and of course his music which is waht we chat about most of time. His soothing sounds reached me over the interwebs and I was lucky enough to get the chance to remix a number of his called “sitting beachside” Which you can find here  https://sixmissing.bandcamp.com/track/sitting-beachside-feat-clariloops-jamie-lidell-remix After this experience I was keen to know more about what made him tick so we got on a call and it was recorded, edited, mixed and such and now it jolly well exists as a sonic companion for your walking, train riding, horse riding activities. Perhaps you’re even sitting beachside, in which case you win! Here’s a link to TJ :) https://www.sixmissing.com    

Michael Zähl, former engineer and designer of the main custom made mixing console at the legendary Studio of Conny Plank and Mark Ernestus, long time producer known from projects like Basic Channel and Rhythm & Sound had a special encounter which led to the collaborative development of AM1 - the state-of-the-art pure analog mixing console. I speak to these two excellent individuals about how they came to meet and the 9 years journey to make a mixing desk the likes of which we’ve never seen before. _____ Kind sponsorship of this pod comes from a lesser known company called Ableton! Live 12.1 is out and it’s a beauty of an update. I put autoshift through its paces in a mini nitty to kick off the show Happy to offer a nice juicy discount to listeners  Use coupon code “HOWA20” at checkout, and get 20% off at Ableton.com. Valid until November 15, 2024

A fascinating and frankly bonkers translation has taken place Taylor Deupree’s original album Stil., released in 2002 was made with 100% digital techniques with a heavy dose of microsound, layering and looping. It now exists as something wildly different and yet painstakingly based on that work. This new iteration is a 100% acoustic version which takes it from Stil. to Sti.ll This is a rare form of digital to analog conversion and should only be attempted by festidious and slightly insane people! Sti.ll, released in 2024, is a complete reimagining of Stil., recorded entirely with acoustic instruments, such as clarinets, vibraphones, and cellos, played by live musicians. This new version abandons digital sound manipulation in favor of human performance, where sounds previously made with software are recreated through physical instruments and microphones. The transformations go beyond just switching mediums; the acoustic textures bring warmth and depth, making it an entirely new and distinct experience, while retaining the essence of the original. Who would attempt such madness? Taylor Deupree (wiki-ish) is a prolific electronic musician, sound artist, and founder of the record label 12k. Known for his contributions to the microsound and minimalist electronic music movements, Taylor’s work often blends digital and acoustic elements. His music is characterized by its delicate, detailed textures and use of repetition to create slowly evolving soundscapes. Joe Branciforte (wiki-ish) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and Grammy award-winning recording engineer and producer based in New York. He is the founder of the record label Greyfade, which focuses on process-based composition, electronic and acoustic minimalism, and alternative tuning systems. Joe’s expertise spans both electronic and acoustic music, making him adept at bridging these worlds in innovative ways. His work often involves live electronic processing of acoustic instruments, and he has collaborated with renowned artists like Kenneth Kirschner and Theo Bleckmann. His technical mastery and creative vision were key to bringing Taylor Deupree’s acoustic reimagining of Stil. to life in Sti.ll, where he played an integral role in transcribing and arranging the complex digital compositions for live instrumentation. So good to chat with these masters about a project of such huge scope. We discuss this album at length and also Taylor’s collaboration with the late, great Ryuichi Sakamoto links: https://www.taylordeupree.com https://josephbranciforte.com MUSIC from the show: from the email I received: Last year Miet Warlop and me (Micha Volders) went to Dhaka, Bangladesh to make a visceral musical performance with young students. It opened the Dhaka Art Summit and we played for a curious Bengali crowd of thousands. This city is a whole other universe, it’s loud, it’s overcrowded, it’s vibrant. I work on a daily basis with young artists but I rarely experienced this kind of hunger, joy and motivation from these young students. We rehearsed 3 weeks in a row on this huge ghetto sound system placed middle on the road in the city, to a point where local residents were fed up and sabotaged our (already super shabby) P;A system by cutting all the wires,  It was challenging, it was exciting and it was touching. So one year later we made a record out of the recordings of this venture : it’s called ICCHĀ ——> check it out here

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Hauschka a.k.a. Volker Bertelmann thanks to my friend Dana Wachs who was a pod guest on EP71.  He’s had quite the wonderful and interesting adventure in music. It’s quite rare that you find someone who plays prepared Piano so deftly and was also once known as a rapper. Clearly, this was not going to be your average chat. If we place ourselves in the present  (which I’m told is always a good place to be !) Our ears might find the dancing frequencies from his newest album philanthropy which was released in the 2023. It’s a tremendous listen. Dare I say a real headphone listen as there are wonderful, textual details to catch in amongst the kind of more zoomed out satisfaction of the rather accomplished arrangements. Perhaps this ability to both evoke emotion, and to coax huge tonal intrigue placed him in good stead as a composer for film  He is most certainly made his mark in that area with a wide ranging set of scores and notably an Academy award for his work on all quiet on the Western front in 2022. Badass! He’s collaborated with another podcast guest Dustin O’Halloran (EP 92) on several works, including their highly acclaimed score for the film Lion. In fact, looking at the credits for his releases over the years it’s quite mind-boggling. Often he will deliver multiple film soundtracks a year alongside his own solo albums. He's like Prince!  Happy listening :)

Kazim Rashid is an artist, manager, and creative director based in Berlin and London.  I found out about him through my good friend David Okumu who is our magical, mutual connection. Aside from his work as a manager, Kazim is chief creative officer at Resident Advisor, the world's largest and most influential electronic music platform.  His work often focuses on collaborating with artists, record labels, and brands to help them achieve their goals in the music industry. We get into the current state of things for artists navigating the changing tides of music commerce. Strap in!   Music for this episode comes from a chap I met in Berlin thanks to Hainbach. Mr Ayjay Nils plays Viola in the Berlin Phil and is a great improviser :) A rare combo! He’s also super into weird and wonderful electronic music which is featured in this show. It’s all from an upcoming album Here’s his Bandcamp to check the action! https://ayjaynils.bandcamp.com

Im going to read from the press release this time coz its a good’n The simpatico sophomore album by the unstoppably prolific Alex Paterson and fellow Orb original Andy Falconer is an epic sail through the sky at night. Helmed by gentle spirits with warmth in their hearts, ‘SETI’ feels cold and dark, yet also glowing and welcoming. Aboard a cosy candlelit spacecraft, the duo experience the cosmos as somewhere overwhelmingly infinite, yet reassuring and friendly. A sort of ‘ambient unplugged’, it’s full of acoustic instruments and nostalgic samples, folding space between the old world, and places where no man has gone before. Dr Paterson speaks “The first LP had a great reception and sold so well I couldn’t even get a copy myself. Andy is brilliant at making ambient music, and working with him is always rewarding. We understand each other’s brains – it’s easy and organic - so doing another made total sense.” He adds, “SETI stands for Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence, but it’s also something you sit on, to chill out, which is why the album contains a Three Piece Suite. This record is musical ambience, which is what we like to make, rather than drone ambience, which there’s a lot of these days.” That last point struck me as it describes the sensations I associate with the music of the Orb which is a sort of maximal ambient rush. It’s a sound that whizzes me right back to my dreamy youth tbh when these guys were so responsible for making the soundtrack that accompanied me through my last years at school. It was a time when I needed music to blow my mind. When I was told I could speak to an original member of the orb I was so curious to ask Andy how it was all made back in those days. We get into that right at the end of this chat as well as a walk down memory lane and up the present.  It was great to catch up with Andy in Portugal. He’s had quite the life! Let’s get into it  

Bones.... Wind.... Caves.... A simpler time When we apes first tooted.. the fluuuute Yes it’s wild how far we’ve come and Matthew Herbert and I go back a bit too .. I mean not to the flute tooting era but we go back. He speaks during this chat of his achievements as an evolved ape and many had me gasping !  He tells of multiple slippers that he can slide into to tap different sonic personas. The making of 1000 pieces of music a year! The upkeep of his musical organ filled with pigs blood. Yes The stories are wild in this one so Strap in! Did I mention we go way back? Yes ! I was lucky enough to collaborate with him on a few notable pieces of music. 1) He played on the second super_collider LP raw digits on a track called gravity rearranging  2) I was a singer on his album Goodbye Swingtime and joined him and the bigband at the Hollywood Bowl opening for Bjork in 2003 alongside Bonnie Prince Billy. Hollywood bowl bigband? I mean come on!! 3) He joined me alongside Arto Lindsay, performing the most monumental show of my career at Sonar 2003. That show was the real unveiling of all my efforts in the lab to make an impov looping performance with max/msp. Something I’d dreamt of for years and finally made real. It was so fitting to have him and Arto come on for the final number and make a total racket with me. We just all clattered it to the ground. A moment I’ll never forget and it was all down to Matthew really as it was watching him show using multiple boss echos in short looping mode that got me started on that road. A brilliant and restless musical mind that has always moved in his own lane. It’s a treat to welcome onto the show Matthew Herbert ____   It’s been a while but I’ve some music to play from an artist and pod listener  This time it’s from an LP called TRIPLE TRANSIT  The artist is Braile and he makes some really solid Modular YouTube pieces too  His new record is out August 8th on Hotflush recordings.  Link! https://braillesounds.bandcamp.com/album/triple-transit

Superbooth 2024 here I come Im in a rush but I promised a show so here it is :) This is the second celebration of a wonderful maker in the eurorack world. Meet Instruo.  The company was founded by Jason Lim who is the guest on this episode and we discuss how a company like this can exist in the wild electric world. The kind of knowledge it takes. The team that has emerged. The nature of the design.  We answer the all important question  "do you feel the music of the mushroom?" yes!!! check out the modules here! https://www.instruomodular.com

Im joined by Matthew Allum (ALM/Busy Circuits) as we discuss the origins of one of the best loved and most popular eurorack modules of all time Pam’s New Workout (and subsequent PRO form) How does a person go from having a thought of an afternoon to running one of the worlds most beloved modular synth companies? All shall be revealed! For those sensitive to talk of whittling, I must warn you there is mention of carpentry but it’s short lived and most of the chips we linger on are of the silicon and not wooden variety. This is part of a 2 episode pre super booth special and I’ll be popping a few bit up on the patreon using an ALM based system to rinse it a little 🙂 Who’s coming to the booth!?!?! This episode is sponsored by the tremendous fabfilter They are celebrating 20 years in the game with a HUGE SALE yes you can get 30% off Fabfilter plugins until May 1st !!! Act now as these are some of the very best plugins on the planet. Here’s the link. Click on y’all https://www.fabfilter.com/shop

were you the co-developer of ableton live? ah no but Mr Henke very much was. Think about that for a minute. It’s easy to forget as he’ll never bring it up without being prompted. He’s not big on the dwelling and far more interested in his current obsessions. Special interests (SPINS) as they are called are the things driving the REAL artists of which Robert is most certainly one. I had one “job” interviewing him at this time. We were supposed to talk about the re-release of a classic monolake (Robert’s musical moniker) LP “Hong Kong” on Field Records. There was a hint of that here. It loomed in the fog over the hills as we, the ramblers, became fascinated by objects more close at hand. His tremendous work with the commodore PET platform as a primitive yet potent synth and drum machine for example. His encounters with the art world (which he is not fond of) his dislike of the infernal machine reverb ! ha. (also not fond it seems) His connection to the tonal land of the PPG wave and the Synclavier (yes, he’s fond) ah yes I loved reconnecting with him after all these years. He was always a brilliantly bright mind and continues to probe his passions to deliver wildly unique sound and light shows that stand apart from his peers. oh and dont forget he’s the co-developer of ableton live!

With 20 albums under his own name and his instrumental group Cosmo, the man knows how to make a record. He is a wildly accomplished and successful songwriter. For example in 2003 Harris he received the Grammy Award for Song Of The Year for Norah Jones’ breakout hit “Don’t Know Why,” from her debut album, Come Away With Me, which has sold almost 30 million copies worldwide. Versions of his songs have been sung by artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Cat Power, Feist, The Black Keys, M. Ward, Brad Mehldau, Bright Eyes, Smokey Robinson, George Benson, Pat Metheny, Kandace Springs, and Solomon Burke. I mean WHAT a list that is! Songwriting collaborations have included Maya Hawke, John Zorn, Madeleine Peyroux, Melody Gardot, Papooz, and Lana Del Rey. If you didnt think you knew Jesse, I bet you’ve heard his writing out there in the known universe of sound and by gosh he’s a real potent force. Even after all this success, he is very mild mannered and thoughtful in this nice rambling interview. He’s generous with his knowledge and a very easy guy to get along with. I must say I hang my pod head slightly when reflecting on how old this interview is. Like a fine wine, I hope it’s benefited from a little time in the digital cellar. Drink in the wisdoms y’all !

I met Jim thanks to the wonderful master of mastering Heba Kadry who's based in New York (whi btw that just finished mastering my new LP!)  She used him to assist in the making of her room and that set me on a journey to get my place into shape too. Him and his team at Sondhus did an excellent job and I've been loving my light and airy attic so much! I've talked about my space a little on the show and I've shared a few pics and videos from the spot so there's evidence of it out there.  I look forward to being in here every day.  Jim's story is really interesting and it's an angle that's not been covered thus far on the pod.  He has knowledge and passion on all manner of issues relating to studio spaces, from the flow to the sound and the minimal aesthetic that is a through line in his work.  He's made rooms for Martin Gore, Laurie Anderson, Heba Kadry, Philip Weinrobe, the Juliard School in New York to name but  a few. Wild ! In this show I demonstrate the sound of my rooms and why using a binaural head for interviews and voice over is a terrible idea :) ha

I have Patreon :) https://www.patreon.com/HOWA You can join now for as little as $1.50 a month.  All sounds from this episode will go to those on the upper tier and I want to thank everyone for their support! It really helps me keep the show going. _____ Medasin aka Grant Nelson is a feeler. I was initially drawn to his sample packs like a moth to the fire. The fire it turns out has many a hue and the music goes deep. It was excellent to speak to the man himself and uncover his philosophical side. We battle for who’s more of a hippy. It was close but as all hippies know there is no winner in this game. so just jump in the rambling river with us 🙂 Here’s some useful links to Grants work his website: https://medasinmusic.com his sample packs which are great! also he is selling all the stems to his last LP (the one he is discussing in this interview ) all here: https://medasindrumkits.sellfy.store he’s a fan of Theo Vaughn and the Kill tony YouTube I thought I ought to mention that 🙂 Thanks to Baby Audio for their kind sponsorship of this pod! I’ve LOVED using their new synth ATOMS as you can doubtless hear from the fun I had in the intro. I literally spent hours just making sounds for fun. It’s such a yielding instrument. I can highly recommend it! all the sounds I made go to the patreons on the soul science level of course. GOOD NEWS If you type AUDIOPHILES in the check out you get 15% off here’s the link you need! https://babyaud.io/atoms YEP!!

If you want to directly help support me in the pod work please consider joining my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/HOWA All sounds from this episode will go to those on the upper tier ! There’s over 4GB of audio from the experiments I did with the Oxi one using a custom tape machine, wild analog gear and generally odd stuff to yield those good samples. ok, let's get on with the show! Kid Koala is not like the others. I mean who else gets the idea to do a scratch routine with moon river? Who thinks (and pulls off) a show where everyone has their own turntable in the audience to interact with a performance? He's the creator of wonderful graphic novels Nufonia Must Fall and Space Cadet He’s opened for Radiohead He’s worked on movies like The Great Gatsby, Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim vs the world Creativity to the max. Joy to the max. It really is a treat to have him on the show. I’ve always been a big fan and Eric really couldnt be any more humble and wonderful ! ___ in the show the MUSIC is back ! Yes for this episode, the musical connections come from the rather brilliant mind of bossada I got the cassette of this btw and it’s a thing of beauty. This is great work. Let’s support the good art x LINK LINK LINK https://bossada.bandcamp.com/album/cantina-days Kind show sponsorship comes from oxi instruments makers of the excellent oxi one sequencer Here’s a link to it https://oxiinstruments.com/oxi-one/ if you want to buy one with a HOWA affiliate link together with perfect circuit go here :) there's a little video about the oxi as omnichord here 

Merriment abound ! It's that time again when sonic stockings are stuffed. This time with a fireside ramble twixt myself and the legend that is Dj Shadow as we celebrate his new LP "Action Adventure" Welcome.  I hope this finds you in good health and merry mood as the season sheds it's joy upon you. If joy is in short supply and the period feels claustrophobic and the family is doing your head in then I trust yule be able to duck out for a spell and use this as an escape pod. Who am I rambling with on the sonic sleigh? Dj Shadow really needs no Endroducing but in case you’re not hip to his MPC60 masterpiece from 1996 you MUST inhale that now. What a record. I recall having both of my Christmas stockings blown off by this LP and it’s humbling to be sat on a zoom with the chap now.  Such is the mystery of the digital time ghosts.  Twas a mighty pleasure to chew the cud with such a master of the chops. I hope this offers you some sonic solace this holiday  ______ I wish to alert you to a new way to give to this show, should you find it appealing :)  https://www.patreon.com/howa/membership It's the new $1.50 tier on Patreon, a wonderful idea that came from Hainbach.  A way to chip in and directly support the show as a kind of digital high five :) I really do pour my heart Into the HOWA podcast. As you can imagine, it all takes loads of effort. From finding the guests and organizing the chats, to trying to find new areas of sonic joy to explore and share in the episodes. Then there's all the time editing, uploading, promoting and all that. If you enjoy the show and feel you can spare a little over a dollar a month to help me carry on, that would be rather ace! thanks!! _____ Sponsorship comes from Distrokid Did you know that there's a new iOS and android app that lets you - Upload - Find out when money hits your bank  - Check streaming stats and loads more   Take advantage of the savings HOWA offers ya! Use this 30% off code http://distrokid.com/vip/lidell  

Quiz time. Who's recent LP did Thom Yorke executive produce? Answer: Clark. Pretty obvious from the title of the show but think about that for a minute. Thom Yorke. Bloody hell. I mean in terms of endorsements, there's few higher and there's good reason for TM to be Clarking, the C man is pumping out the goods and has been for yonks. Ack eye. We met an age ago me the C and shared a path in certain ways as label mates on warp records. I used to play shows with him and we both flocked from Brighton to Berlin and he back to Brighton in search of the muse. His work for dance, film, TV and video games is just one side of his polygon talent and we roll the dice here for a good while catching up as old pals whilst it's caught on tape. It's one of those chats that's a little more personal than some others as we haven't spoken in ages and just mostly linger on ideas like mushroom hunters. Catching sonic fungi here and there for appreciation before consuming and staggering/rambling on. Lovely to reconnect and good news his new LP is out NOW! Here's a perfect link for yahttps://throttleclark.com/album/cave-dog/ Thanks to Soundtoys for their kind sponsorship. This episode is the last in a six part dive into their excellent plugin line. This time I mangle it with alter boy :) Head over for a free trail and see if it's your thing. They craft some of the best plugins in the known universe if you ask me ! https://www.soundtoys.com  

He's worked with Donny Hathaway. That's it. That's all the intro he really ought to need. I mean can you IMAGINE being in the room with Donny singing? Too much. Ah but Jimmy has worked on music from Aretha, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones not to mention his extensive collaboration with Timbaland. Yeah, Jimmy is heavy. What's more he's a very friendly and engaging chap that has a pioneering spirit and he is not overly nostalgic in that way that can hold a person back. No wonder he's been so busy and in demand for all these years. A true master. Jimmy's in the HOWA house (literally.. this was a rare face to face. So fun) The show is kindly sponsored again by the excellent Soundtoys.  I delve into the world of the panman to do things other than just your average spinning. Micro nitty!

Great to chat with Brian and Josh from the band ! we talk minidisk, the joys of analog, hurdy gurdy and fish. I mean if that doesnt tickle yer fancy I dont know what to say :) Various links feel like they cropped up in the show --Valentin Clastrier - Master of the Gurdy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRsJw7UW98g --TAGO MAGO by can - go and listen (you can find it with your preferred music environment ) --If you need good tinned fish in the USA go here ! https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com --MODBAP - OSIRIS badass oscillator  https://www.modbap.com --JORANALOGUE DELAY 1 https://joranalogue.com/products/delay-1 ___________________________ kind sponsorship comes from the excellent SOUNDTOYS https://www.soundtoys.com

My guest on the show is James Ford who is really one of the most badass producers in the business.  Im talking about the kind of low key English badassness and not the Tarantino variety if you know what I mean. James is involved in so many things and yet he does it without needing a big spotlight on himself. Humble badass. That’s the one.  He’s been active for many years. I mean we used to see each other in that classic ships in the night stylee when I was touring with Cristian Vogel back in the late nineties. We are talking about a man with Multiple decades of energy dedication and knowledge a go go! He’s got the quadfecta mad skills as composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter which is probably one of the reasons he’s been able to be so nimble and effective working with a huge range of incredible artists from Arctic Monkeys to Depeche Mode via Foals, Gorillaz and Kylie Minogue.   You may know him as one half of Simian Mobile Disco, alongside longtime creative partner Jas Shaw or perhaps as a touring member of The Last Shadow Puppets. The hat cupboard in the house is ample!   I was lucky enough to feature on a track with SMD a while back and got to see the studio when it was at the Premises in Hackney.  Now he’s got a supreme attic room that is beyond decked out. We have a little tour of that for anyone who is curious about his gear choices after all this time.  Then we get deep into the world of making, art, the hurdles, the path. The good stuff of rambling! Welcome to the mind of a sonic chef. His first solo album “The Hum” is out now on warp records and it’s a corker!   https://www.jamesellisford.com ________________ If you want to directly help support me in the pod work please consider joining my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/HOWA All sounds from this episode will go to those on the upper tier ! ________________   Id like to thank show sponsors    SOUNDTOYS   https://www.soundtoys.com   KORG   https://www.korg.com   STAGER MICS   http://stagermicrophones.com   _________________   NITTY!!!

  Jon Hopkins pays attention. He has a ear for the smallest details and a deft touch both as a pianist and a producer.  I feel this interview is very timely as the rise of psychedelic therapy has caught the imagination of so many. Jon has made music that is so perfect for those wishing to go deeper with their experiences in that hugely rewarding domain.  His is the mindset that wants to expand and to meditate instead of flex and win the popularity contests in the game of music. Very refreshing.  We get into his beginnings in the classical world, his lack of patience with distracting factors and on to his success story and on to his musings on the current state of being a musician releasing music in this arguably confusing time.   ____________ The nitty returns ! I was fortunate enough to get an early copy of Andrew Huang’s first plugin :) It's a collaboration with Baby Audio called “Transit” It really inspired me to get my hands dirty and to explore it’s outer ways.  I stacked up about 30 or so instances to pull off a tonal transition that is rather epic ! I learned from an older me on this one. In EP 58 I explored a related idea in Melodyne. Here’s that show  ****** **** ** * SPECIAL DEAL !!   I’m happy to be able to offer listeners to the show a 10 % discount on TRANSIT when using the code BABYHOWA at check out Here’s the plugin!! Check it :) https://babyaud.io/transit Also.. Here’s the Ableton session called “The Bends” that I made to demo this  (sadly I forgot it’s the 11.3.10b5 Beta version of Ableton you’ll need to run this .. oops!)  _____________   Big ups to Catechism and REZN for their music on this show.  It’s from an album called “Infected Ambient Works” Here’s the link to it https://rezzzn.bandcamp.com/album/infected-ambient-works _____________   A massive shout to show sponsor Soundtoys! At the start of this episode I add the New SUPER PLATE and the classic PHASE MISTRESS plugins to a tape jam that’s fresh from my new studio and it just enters into a whole Different dimension.  These are Shockingly good plugins! Some of the very best you can find.  That’s why I’m so chuffed to work with these legends !  Check their masterful work here  https://www.soundtoys.com   ____________ If you want to directly help support me in the pod work please consider joining my  Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/HOWA All sounds from this episode will go to those on the upper tier !