INTERVIEW BY MAX LANE
So it has been a couple of weeks since Izaak Stern dropped his EP. After a list of reviews and countless interviews in which he has to explain his name, it’s time he received some in-house treatment. We pitted the new kid on the block with someone who has more than 20 years of experience, Jason Tan. At the peak of his career, the man behind Eastward Studio managed to get his tracks signed to React (UK) & Reel Music (Japan). And Jason is the one who added the magical mastering touch to Izaak’s bouncy beats.
And here we go:
When did you guys start dabbling in electronic music?
Jason Tan: Started in 1981.
Izaak Stern: There are a couple of versions to answer this question but they all unify somehow. Related to the answers are: Amon Tobin, Flying Lotus, Autechre, The Gaslamp Killer, Mike Slott, The Field, dubstep, drum & bass, hip hop beats and extensive control over creative output.
Let’s reminisce about electronica in the analog & pre-laptop era.
JT: The pre-computer era was a very expensive period. All the hardwares were very specific and you need a lot of gears for making music. I started off with making my own gears and the first synth I bought was a Sequential Circuits Pro One. There was no patch memory or sequence memory on board, so every time you power down, everything will be wiped off. So all the patch data are always recorded on paper. But the sound was never quite the same each time. The Japanese synth made things a lot more affordable when they came into the market. My first Japanese gear was a Roland MC-202 synthesizer/sequencer. There was no MIDI at this time so all the hooking up between gears were via CV/Gate.
To make a song I would spend hours sequencing just a few 8 bar patterns. Storing the data on cassette tapes and praying a lot when it was time to power down equipment. Playing live was always a pain for me, besides hoping not having corrupted data transfer, I had to carry tons of gears each time. Regardless of all the pain and instability, the analog synth era was a great period. I can never quite get the fatness from today’s virtual analog synths. Many things had to be built from ground up. Today you turn on a piece of gear and you’ll be running through the factory presets, which made things too easy. Tapes and cables were also my best friends during this period.
IS: I think I wasn’t old enough to work with pre-computer electronic music but I can offer you this: when I was 14 years old, I dug out an old Yamaha keyboard-synth hybrid that belonged to a relative in the 1980s (I kid you not!) from under some junk lying around the house. It ended up with my family because when I was 4, my mom tried to get me learning to play it with formal lessons and all (1 point me, 0 points mom).
So anyway, when I was 14, I hooked it up via quarter inch cables to a hi-fi set and played its lo-fi drum loops run while playing dark and ominous minor chords over them. It didn’t sound very good, as you might have already guessed, but in my defense, it sounded like BS 2000’s Simply Mortified record in my head.
I still use the old keyboard every now and then, but age is catching up with the old girl.
What does digital technology bring to the table for you?
JT: The most significant part of digital technology was making things more stable. My first digital/midi sequencer was the Roland MC-500. The other most significant part of it was the sampler. I still remember the when Akai launched the S900; a 12bit, 63 second sampler. It was god sent. “Sculpting sound with the world as my palette” was my saying back then. I would be out and about recording anything, bring it back and load it in the sampler. All these were still in the 80’s
Today with computers the process of making music is very different. Almost everything is done in a box. People are making music with their laptops and many don’t know how great a period it is. Not having to spend their life savings, having to break their backs carrying gears and the miles of cables to hook up the gears.
IS: Yes, convenience, for one. Writing and arranging in one place on my own, as opposed to say, working with a band, or having to splurge on studio time. Almost limitless possibilities as well, which goes without saying. The most appealing part of working on my own in my room is the fact that it enables me to be contemplative and experimental because there are no pressures from any peers to come up with a hook so the rest of the band can get on with their lives.
And how about the internet?
JT: The internet has shrunk the world. Working with people across the world is so easy today. You can write your tracks, load it up to the server and your friend across the other side of the world can download it to work on.
Today you can write and record a track and send it to engineer X to mix or mastered. Or you lay your tracks and send it to your friend to drop his/her vocals/guitar or whatever, send it back to you the next day, open the file and you can continue working. It’s the greatest invention of my time I would say.
IS: Of course, without the Internet, I might actually be a radio listener. But I cringe at the possibility. The Internet is a series of doors to various worlds which almost everyone enjoys nowadays, obviously. Without the Internet, I wouldn’t have heard Donuts, Los Angeles, Burial, Zomby, etc. I probably wouldn’t be such a huge Beatles fan either.
Let’s talk about getting your music out to the rest of the world as we know; Jason was once signed to international labels such as React (UK) and Izaak managed to get a favourable review from the New York Post earlier this year. How is it important for home grown Singaporean artists to reach out to various corners of the world?
JT: When a person makes a piece of art, they want to share it with an audience. Singapore is a very small country, a nation which sadly doesn’t give much thought to art. There’s only a small group of people out there that are hungry for local music and yet there are a lot talent here striving on their art and hoping to be seen or heard.
Being signed to a foreign label enabled me to reach out to people from the other side. It was a joy to know that people elsewhere are listening and buying my music; something I would never get locally. So to me it’s of great importance for an artist to share his work outside Singapore. Having someone else appreciating the music you made is the best pay cheque a musician can ever get.
IS: Well, for Singaporean cats, it’s particularly important. Amongst ourselves, we know Singapore has never been noticeably sustainable in terms of culture unless it involves million-dollar government grants, which we know isn’t for everyone. And of course, the more people listening, the better!
And yes, local music here in general has been an age old debate about the lack of critical mass, support & quality. In short, we don’t really have a music industry or a sustainable market (debatable still). With electronic music which is even more niche, it does make things harder. Anymore gripes to add on?
JT: I have touched on this issue way too many times. I want to stop ranting about this. I just hope one day it will be better for local artist.
IS: Well, to be honest, my approach is to just focus on the craft. With the internet, it’s really so much easier, because if people here aren’t listening, someone in London might be thanks to MySpace, SoundCloud, and e-mail. Remuneration isn’t on my mind at this point, either. I get enough satisfaction from finishing a tune and having a handful of people liking it, and even wanting to put it out on a label. Having someone design kick-ass album art for a collection of your tunes is also immensely satisfying (thanks, Kiat!).
Let’s move on to more comforting words & motivational thoughts on the situation and how we can reach that “one day” Jason had mentioned.
JT: Making music has never been as easy as now and the world is now smaller with the internet. You can independently release your own music if you are not signed to a label. Or simply just put it up on your own web site or sites like MySpace.
Sometimes I wish I am a kid of this era. Maybe I could have a fatter bank account. Haha. But that is not the point. I always go by these words, I don’t need the whole world to appreciate my works, I just need one person to like it and with that I know I’ve communicated my message. Art is a form of communication. So let it out and speak your mind.
IS: In a perfect world, everyone would be like-minded, forward-thinking, open to ideas, and generally motivated by creative progress. Not to be sanctimonious or anything but I would say it’s sometimes a struggle working with people who cannot see your vision. Not because they disagree but because they’re bound by complacency with regards to what they think is right.
I think the way forward is to just trudge on with whatever you’re doing, and make sure it’s keeping you happy. Your product, whatever it may be, should be your focus, and outside opinion should always stand secondary.
So Jason, with two decades worth of experience as a producer, what do you think of this new beat-based movement that Izaak is dabbling in, especially his creations that you have mastered for?
JT: I almost always enjoy listening to new tunes by our home grown talents. Listening to his tracks I see a great future for his music career. I really enjoyed the tracks. I am sure as time passes he will be polishing his art. I am looking forward to his next release.
And Izaak, after all that lonely nights in your bedroom pushing buttons for the tracks on the EP, how have they transformed upon Jason’s mastering touch?
IS: Massively. I work with a lot of samples that come from all sorts of places. And I possess little equipment or knowledge to tie everything together in an optimal way. For example, I don’t have a pre-amp for the turntable I work with. I also use bookshelf speakers and monitoring headphones because I can’t afford proper monitors. Jason’s midas touch helped my songs expand sonically; filling frequencies I missed in putting the tunes together. It made them sound like proper tracks. Thank you, Jason. Watching him work was also an inspiring experience.
Ok, you heard them. After you are done with the compare & contrast after-thoughts, do check out Izaak Stern EP here.
For those who need the wonderful sonic waves that Jason can provide in his mastering/production studio. Contact him here. Email: eastwardaudio@gmail.com
