New Video: Martin Schiller – Sampling/Looping

September 13th, 2013 posted by mike under Artist Profiles, Videos.

Martin Schiller uses the new ET-4.3 to make percussive sounds, samples them in Ableton and then plays them live through an Electro-Harmonix 2880 multi-track looper while layering on more tracks on the ET-4.3.

Therevox: What musical projects are you currently working on?

Martin: I play bass in the band What Seas What Shores and we have recently recorded some tunes we’ve been working on for the past 5 or so years. Brett Humber of Sound Foundry recorded us and we are excited to have it available for people to hear, which should happen relatively soon. I am also putting the final touches on the final instalments of my personal, truly experimental, solo project 87thingsforthefuture which I began over ten years ago. Not for the faint of heart when it comes to sound. I’m working on multiple other things that are in various stages of incompleteness, but will most likely post on my soundcloud page once finished.

Describe some of the things you’ve been doing recently with the Noiseborder Ensemble.

The Noiseborder Ensemble has been working with exploring the connection between sounds and visuals, and in my individual contributions I’m working with MAX/MSP to develop a simple concept of connecting music to drawing, like a paint application that is controlled with MIDI. Updates with video and more will soon be posted on the Noiseborder website.

You recently played in Germany, how was that?

Noiseborder did go to Germany this August to collaborate with Blackhole-Factory, and that was a lot of fun. Really cool artists, and fine people. We performed a variation on the modular piece Master Control which helped develop some ideas, and the audience seemed to enjoy what we were working on.

What gear are you currently using?

I have too many trinkets and doo-dads that make noise to mention, mostly old and used effects pedals, keyboards. The Electro Harmonix 2880 Super Multi-Track Looper is a very cool tool, which I feel I’m still getting the hang of. I have a Fender bass and amplifier.

What have you been listening to lately and what are some influences?

The last few Mouse on Mars releases come up a lot, Luke Vibert, Daniel Lanois, Battles, Grails, Bardo Pond, Secret Chiefs 3. I’m always trying to find obscure old stuff, and with global communication opening up so much over the last couple decades I’ve discovered a lot of cool, older music from all over the world, one really awesome dance band from Benin called T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou are a group I can’t get tired of. One last band I’ll mention is The Riderless from London, Ontario. Over the years they have amassed quite a collection of improvised music and I really like their sound. I could type about music I like all day, but I’ll digress.

You are also studying Music at University, how does the academic and creative side of music intersect for you?

Attending school has sort of focused my attention more on the technical/harmonic/theory aspects of music, I’ve grown a bit more of an appreciation for the old-masters of classical music, and the virtuosity inherent in a lot of it. I’ve also had to take a lot of non-music related courses as I finish up my degree, and that just bums me out that I can’t dedicate that time to music. But I’m at home with that reality.