For their third iteration, Berlin-based Foul-Up continue their exploration of mind-expand ing electronics and off-stand ards sonic borderland s with Glaswegian producer Mark Kastner aka Galaxian at the controls. His new EP , ‘Blowback’ (out 28th April), makes for a blood-and -thunder wayfaring into deeply anxiogenic terrains and confined audio spaces, bridging an earthly post-industrial and ambient murk – ‘Truth Seizure’, ‘Parasitic Seduction’ – with mythical visions of everlasting human struggles as seen through a broken kaleidoscope of ruffneck electro and mind-altering drone flexions – ‘Ouroboros’, ‘Coercion’.
From this point Kastner fast-forwards from the unsettling inertia of a grey-lacquered suburbia up to a smouldering bedlam rife with acidic geysers, primitive drum motifs and untamed machines gargling in agony as interstellar winds blow loud and heavy. Galaxian sure feels at his best when the pressure is high and the comfort zone exceeded, moving against the cultural zeitgeist and its affiliated schools of thought to fight arbitrary paradigms and noxious ideologies with his own arms.
Facts
1: “I” don’t make music
2: All Empires fail
3: You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself
Questions
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Transmutation into the expanse of eternity. Facing the shear nakedness of what is. Raindrops racing each other to the bottom of a window. Leaves making their way bumpily along a street. Clouds, loving clouds in all their simplicity and grand ness. I read quite a bit and find a lot of inspiration from that. Various ideas and strand s of Anarchism, Taoism, metaphysics, consciousness, identity, self-actualisation, environment and nature.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
Started DJing in 90/91 at the height of the rave era. 1995 i was on a dole job training course at a music studio. One day having some spare time I made some Aphex Twin style ambient tracks. By 97 I had acquired a Bass Station synth and Boss DR-660 drum machine and an Atari St with 1.5 megs of memory and really go into in a big way from there.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
Can really only think of one right now that i played over and over again and that was
Aphex Twin – Ambient Works Vol ii
Some that i’m particularly into recently have been
Death Grips – The Money Store
Zoviet France – Live In My Livingroom (or mostly anything by Zoviet France)
Tim Hecker – The Ravedeath 1972
Nurse With Wound – Thunder Perfect Mind
Nurse With Wound – Salt
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
I love Berlin, from what i’ve seen it has an upbeat optimistic attitude which i really like. Despite being a massive city it seems quite relaxed in comparison to somewhere like London.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
I’ve recently moved to the outskirts of town. It’s still very much a built up urban area but I really enjoy the tranquility and peace here.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
I’d peel potatoes and enjoy the motion and natural flow of that
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
I think it was back in 2000. It’s that long I have no recollection of hwat it was. For many years I used to buy a shitload of records twice a week and had a credit tab in the local Rubadub record shop.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Wagner
Debussy
Chopin
Zoviet France
Nurse With Wound
Death Grips
Aphex Twin
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
I thought Death Grips were stunning live. Purely visceral experience and very real. Pure raw and powerful dynamics
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
I pretty much make all of my music on a computer so it’s vitally important in that respect. it can be very dry and antiseptic if you are not careful. Ideally i’d like to take a more naturalistic and organic approach to sounds and music production, doing it there and then with real natural sounds and instruments.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
My older sister is also a musician. She understand s the ins and outs of the creative process and has backed my endeavours and been supportive in the past.
http://www.lootingofreason.com/
