In
Conversation
With
‘Emperor’
A
little background:
Not really a great deal I can say about the origins of
This interview or indeed who ‘Emperor’.
This began off when as I sometimes do on
myspace.com when I received a invite to
somebody’s music and out of interest I usually
will give the act in question a little bit of time
before I make my mind whether I want to carry on
or not.
Emperor I must admit when I first listened to it
Reminded me of my mate Seb out of August
Stars making me wonder whether it was him
(Think of ‘Stars of the Lid’ meets Brian Eno)
and then I found out it wasn’t.
This interview came quickly after that as I
Really enjoyed the drone experiments that
Were featured here.
More information on ‘Emperor’ can be found
Here:
http://www.myspace.com/distantempire
Setting Sun:
How are things and what’s happening at the moment?
Emperor:
At the moment i'm just trying to get my head around
some new equipment i've got hold of... basically a new
effects pedal that should, without getting too technical,
make things sound a little spacier and add some depth
(and hopefully some musicality) to my very basic guitar
playing...
Setting Sun:
Next, can you tell us a little bit about the history of
your
music for example as I like to say sometimes who fired
the
starting pistol etc?
Emperor:
As for the history of what i'm doing...Well, to be honest i
have been fooling around with tones and feedback for years.
One of the things i did when i got my first guitar was to try
and take all the attack out of the sound. I'd sit there for
ages and use some very basic effects and play around with
volume and tone until i found something that wasn't
obviously a guitary type of sound. It's only been fairly
recently that i decided to capture these little experiments
by sampling them and then recording on to an old four-track.
Setting Sun:
Following straight on, what are your influences
(music wise) and what are you listening to at the moment?
Emperor:
You can probably hear that Stars of the Lid and Brian Eno
are massive influences...I love Chris Herbert's album that's
out on Kranky...can't recall the title but it's fantastic. I really
love August Stars too...i've never met Sebastian (who is August
Stars – ED) but he has really encouraged me via email...
Setting Sun:
I have being really enjoying some songs recently on your
myspace.com account in particular ‘Instinct over Reason’ which
despite the fact you say on your page is ‘Random Guitar Sounds,
Sampled and looped by ancient equipment then recorded on an
archaic, analogue four-track. The resulting lo-fidelity and tape noise
left for all to hear due to ineptitude’ sounds really good and
perhaps for me is really added to by the ineptitude.
Emperor:
Thank you...it's great that you liked that track. I was really
lucky as it was in all honesty, pure good fortune that it turned
out so well! There is tape hiss all over that one but i'd like to
think it add's something rather than detracting from the music...
the machinery has it's own way of contributing something to the
process...
Setting Sun:
Do you play concerts? If you do, how do they compare
to your recordings or if not, do you have any idea how
you would
approach it?
Emperor:
At the moment i haven't played out live...it's something i have
thought about a lot though. I could approach it one of two ways i
think...i could take the trusty old tape machine and stand there
and replicate what you hear on the myspace page or i could try
and capture the feel of what's gone on before by actually playing it
live on the guitar...
Setting Sun:
Next, can you tell us where you are from? What’s the
music scene
like where you are? Have you being to any good gigs
recently?
Emperor:
I live just on the outskirts of Birmingham...i don't get out to
gigs much unfortunately...i did see July Skies recently
though...great songs...wonderful basslines...
Setting Sun:
What would you be your dream job if you were not a musician?
Emperor:
Probably a librarian or something...maybe in a
museum...
anywhere i could hear myself think...outside somewhere
maybe...
the city is just too noisy at times...
Setting Sun:
What would you like to be doing when you are 60?
Emperor:
What would i like to be doing when i'm 60? I'd like to be
able to
say i could finally capture the perfect ambient sound via
the guitar,
effects, e-bow etc...
Setting Sun:
What will you be doing when you are 60?
Emperor:
When i am 60 though, i'll probably have saved enough money to
buy a decent keyboard and save myself all that time by just taping
down the keys!