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LOST TRANSMISSIONS FROM PLANET ZERO - ISSUE 1 (AUTUMN 2006)
LTFPZ: So how did you come up with the and/oar idea?
If am not mistaken earlier it used to be 'oar' solely and then was transformed?
DL: 'OAR' is a referential acronym for a previous label called Overheard And Rendered.
Originally, and/OAR started as a sub-label of Overheard And Rendered, but
it quickly became more active and popular than its parent label, so I eventually
decided to cease operations of "OAR" to focus only on a/O.
The main focus of a/O has always been upon environmental recordings and
their use in various kinds of avant garde sound art.
I also chose the name because I liked the inclusive nature of the phrase "and/or"
in English, as well as the linguistic / Boolean reference to the word "ear" in
languages such as German (ohr), Dutch (oor), French (oreille), Italian (orecchio),
Portugese (orelha), etc.
LTFPZ: How did you get interested in the field recordings genre and really remember
how you were introduced to this 'world'?
DL: As with most people, my first exposure to it was with its use in various kinds of
music genres; and for as long as I've been working with music / sound, I've often
included it in my own productions, but actually, it wasn't until I heard various work
released on the Touch / Ash International labels that I started to disassociate
straight environmental recordings from only being an added effect for music, and
also the somewhat utilitarian use with "new age" or sound effects releases.
Along with that, I started to listen to the world around me with a different perspective;
And on philosophical / spiritual levels, I also found this to have important relevance
as well, hence one of the reasons I started the label. Of course labels like Folkways
had already been doing this for decades, but having discovered work released by
Touch / Ash lead me to go back and investigate older work that had been outside
of my radar range of attention previously.
LTFPZ: Regarding your recordings, you are not a 'purist' but mix your field recordings
with electronics & other media. Can you give me a few details around your work?
DL: Yes, most of the time, and even most of what sound like straight field recordings in
my work are actually nothing but foley work ("foley work " refers to creating a
particular sound environment out of various unrelated elements. It is a term mostly
used in the film and video game industries).
Actually, this is one of the biggest misconceptions I read in reviews about my work.
Writers have thought that certain passages were straight field recordings, when they
are not. But of course, I take this as an unintended compliment.
LTFPZ: Can you give me some infos on Phonography.org? and/oar has released
(or at least distributes) the site's / mailing list's compilations as well, can you
give me some details around them as well?
DL: From 2001 to 2005 I produced a series of compilations for Phonography.org, which
is an internet resource and info site (with an affiliated discussion forum) devoted to
the art of field recording (or "phonography"). The term literally means "sound writing",
and the general idea can be summed up in the analogy, "as photography is to the eye,
phonography is to the ear." The initial idea was for the compilations to serve as a
vehicle to help get the forum member's work heard. But guests were also included
as time went on. Eventually, the compilations started gaining interest outside of the
forum. The compilations were released and distributed by me, but the a/O name never
appeared on the covers because it was supposed to be presented as a project of
Phonography.org. But after producing 9 compilations (in 4 years), I felt like that
particular concept had run its course, plus I became increasingly too busy with other
projects to continue doing it anymore.
LTFPZ: Any people, projects or whatever that have been an influence to you and your
work (both audio & with and/oar)?
DL: In all honesty, if I were to pin down some of the biggest sources of inspiration
for and/OAR as a recording label, I would have to say:
- Touch / Ash International
- ECM
- Criterion (DVD)
- Trente Oiseaux
- Folkways
- 12k / Line
As for my own work, there are too many great and inspiring sound artists to name,
but I will say that the cinema has inspired my various approaches to sound work
more than any sound artist, and I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge a
huge debt to various natural sonic phenomena as well; for these have been largely
what I have aesthetically drawn upon when creating and transforming sound sources
from one thing to another.
LTFPZ: How about the releasing artists of and/oar, how do you come up with the
releases? Any fave of yours so far from the catalogue?
DL: Even though my release schedule is always booked a year in advance, I am always
vigilantly searching for unique straight environmental work that has rarely or never
been released on CD before; which sadly, does not cross my path very often, so
most of the future schedule consists of composed work. But I am very excited
about the upcoming schedule regardless, with solid work by Michael Northam, a
great multi-artist project curated by Kenneth Kirschner, a second various
artist cinema-inspired project (this one pertaining to Yasujiro Ozu),
a straight capture release dealing with "singing" and "booming" sand by
Rob Mullender & Isobel Clouter, the second live collaboration release of
Yannick Dauby & Christophe Havard, other collaboration releases by Seth Nehil
& Matt Marble, and Marc Behrens & Paulo Raposo, a double CD release
by a relatively unknown Japanese artist named Yui Onodera ( a CD re-issue of
his out of print "Entropy" CDR, and a new full length work), etc, etc.
But as for some personal favorites in the a/O catalog, I would have to say
"Fade With Consequence" by Duul_Drv, "Yours Gray" by Sawako, "Plumbing
And Irrigation Of South Asia" by Quiet American, "The Sun" by Andrew Deutsch,
"Shiso" by Koura, "Location Recordings" by Jon Tulchin, the Andrei Tarkovsky
project, to name but a few.
LTFPZ: So how did you come up with the and/oar idea?
If am not mistaken earlier it used to be 'oar' solely and then was transformed?
DL: 'OAR' is a referential acronym for a previous label called Overheard And Rendered.
Originally, and/OAR started as a sub-label of Overheard And Rendered, but
it quickly became more active and popular than its parent label, so I eventually
decided to cease operations of "OAR" to focus only on a/O.
The main focus of a/O has always been upon environmental recordings and
their use in various kinds of avant garde sound art.
I also chose the name because I liked the inclusive nature of the phrase "and/or"
in English, as well as the linguistic / Boolean reference to the word "ear" in
languages such as German (ohr), Dutch (oor), French (oreille), Italian (orecchio),
Portugese (orelha), etc.
LTFPZ: How did you get interested in the field recordings genre and really remember
how you were introduced to this 'world'?
DL: As with most people, my first exposure to it was with its use in various kinds of
music genres; and for as long as I've been working with music / sound, I've often
included it in my own productions, but actually, it wasn't until I heard various work
released on the Touch / Ash International labels that I started to disassociate
straight environmental recordings from only being an added effect for music, and
also the somewhat utilitarian use with "new age" or sound effects releases.
Along with that, I started to listen to the world around me with a different perspective;
And on philosophical / spiritual levels, I also found this to have important relevance
as well, hence one of the reasons I started the label. Of course labels like Folkways
had already been doing this for decades, but having discovered work released by
Touch / Ash lead me to go back and investigate older work that had been outside
of my radar range of attention previously.
LTFPZ: Regarding your recordings, you are not a 'purist' but mix your field recordings
with electronics & other media. Can you give me a few details around your work?
DL: Yes, most of the time, and even most of what sound like straight field recordings in
my work are actually nothing but foley work ("foley work " refers to creating a
particular sound environment out of various unrelated elements. It is a term mostly
used in the film and video game industries).
Actually, this is one of the biggest misconceptions I read in reviews about my work.
Writers have thought that certain passages were straight field recordings, when they
are not. But of course, I take this as an unintended compliment.
LTFPZ: Can you give me some infos on Phonography.org? and/oar has released
(or at least distributes) the site's / mailing list's compilations as well, can you
give me some details around them as well?
DL: From 2001 to 2005 I produced a series of compilations for Phonography.org, which
is an internet resource and info site (with an affiliated discussion forum) devoted to
the art of field recording (or "phonography"). The term literally means "sound writing",
and the general idea can be summed up in the analogy, "as photography is to the eye,
phonography is to the ear." The initial idea was for the compilations to serve as a
vehicle to help get the forum member's work heard. But guests were also included
as time went on. Eventually, the compilations started gaining interest outside of the
forum. The compilations were released and distributed by me, but the a/O name never
appeared on the covers because it was supposed to be presented as a project of
Phonography.org. But after producing 9 compilations (in 4 years), I felt like that
particular concept had run its course, plus I became increasingly too busy with other
projects to continue doing it anymore.
LTFPZ: Any people, projects or whatever that have been an influence to you and your
work (both audio & with and/oar)?
DL: In all honesty, if I were to pin down some of the biggest sources of inspiration
for and/OAR as a recording label, I would have to say:
- Touch / Ash International
- ECM
- Criterion (DVD)
- Trente Oiseaux
- Folkways
- 12k / Line
As for my own work, there are too many great and inspiring sound artists to name,
but I will say that the cinema has inspired my various approaches to sound work
more than any sound artist, and I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge a
huge debt to various natural sonic phenomena as well; for these have been largely
what I have aesthetically drawn upon when creating and transforming sound sources
from one thing to another.
LTFPZ: How about the releasing artists of and/oar, how do you come up with the
releases? Any fave of yours so far from the catalogue?
DL: Even though my release schedule is always booked a year in advance, I am always
vigilantly searching for unique straight environmental work that has rarely or never
been released on CD before; which sadly, does not cross my path very often, so
most of the future schedule consists of composed work. But I am very excited
about the upcoming schedule regardless, with solid work by Michael Northam, a
great multi-artist project curated by Kenneth Kirschner, a second various
artist cinema-inspired project (this one pertaining to Yasujiro Ozu),
a straight capture release dealing with "singing" and "booming" sand by
Rob Mullender & Isobel Clouter, the second live collaboration release of
Yannick Dauby & Christophe Havard, other collaboration releases by Seth Nehil
& Matt Marble, and Marc Behrens & Paulo Raposo, a double CD release
by a relatively unknown Japanese artist named Yui Onodera ( a CD re-issue of
his out of print "Entropy" CDR, and a new full length work), etc, etc.
But as for some personal favorites in the a/O catalog, I would have to say
"Fade With Consequence" by Duul_Drv, "Yours Gray" by Sawako, "Plumbing
And Irrigation Of South Asia" by Quiet American, "The Sun" by Andrew Deutsch,
"Shiso" by Koura, "Location Recordings" by Jon Tulchin, the Andrei Tarkovsky
project, to name but a few.
FEAR DROP ISSUE 10 (AUGUST 2003)
Phonography.org is above all, a website dedicated to phonography
(field recording) with which Marcelo Radulovich gathers resources
and information about composers using that type of recording. To
Dale Lloyd (one of the most active members of the group), a logical
step following this involvement was to release compilations. They
are the ideal framework to prove that phonography is not a genre
but is like a main instrument that will be used differently according
to the composers who'll bring it to extremely varied territories.
To this day, five volumes were released (but two new ones are
forthcoming) in two collections: three volumes feature artists from
various horizons, whereas the other two, entitled "Compositions
Using Field Recordings", introduce the work of the group
members. Through tracks composed by Richard Lerman, Toy
Bizarre, Murmer, The Beige Channel, Ven Voisey, AS11, John
Hudak, Yannick Dauby, Eric La Casa, Rod Stasick, Doug Haire,
Jeff Carey (aka 87 Central), Cal Crawford, Sawako, Cornucopia
(among others equally impassioning), those moments stolen in
time embrace different gestures often singular, mixing musique
concrete, dark ambient, minimalistic electronic... whether they're
marked by those genres or imply their subversion.
In addition, but in another logic, Dale Lloyd created the and/OAR
label in order to give more space to some artists and to his own
music made of very dark and sustained drones, in a play
oscillating between proximity and distance ("Eminus" and "Vulcan
Augmented"). An important part is devoted to sonic microscopies,
digitalized abstraction with for instance, the laptop duet Yannick
Dauby and Chistophe Havard or "Seismo" the mini-cdr release by
Rsundin, a sweet and hardly perceptible combination of pink
feedbacks, field recordings, and piano; as to natural microscopies
captured by Andrew Duke (whose "field recordings" one would
swear are reprocessed) or Quiet American whose "Plumbing And
Irrigation Of South Asia" is striking in its scenes which are so
detailed that they seem composed... or in another fashion, in
Maggie Payne's "Ping/Pong: beyond the pail", through sonic
vibrations captured thanks to different mics and the various
positions of a bucket under rain.
Reality is much more than what we perceive !
(Jos-Laj Durenn)
translated from French to English by Fabrice Linnsky
Phonography.org is above all, a website dedicated to phonography
(field recording) with which Marcelo Radulovich gathers resources
and information about composers using that type of recording. To
Dale Lloyd (one of the most active members of the group), a logical
step following this involvement was to release compilations. They
are the ideal framework to prove that phonography is not a genre
but is like a main instrument that will be used differently according
to the composers who'll bring it to extremely varied territories.
To this day, five volumes were released (but two new ones are
forthcoming) in two collections: three volumes feature artists from
various horizons, whereas the other two, entitled "Compositions
Using Field Recordings", introduce the work of the group
members. Through tracks composed by Richard Lerman, Toy
Bizarre, Murmer, The Beige Channel, Ven Voisey, AS11, John
Hudak, Yannick Dauby, Eric La Casa, Rod Stasick, Doug Haire,
Jeff Carey (aka 87 Central), Cal Crawford, Sawako, Cornucopia
(among others equally impassioning), those moments stolen in
time embrace different gestures often singular, mixing musique
concrete, dark ambient, minimalistic electronic... whether they're
marked by those genres or imply their subversion.
In addition, but in another logic, Dale Lloyd created the and/OAR
label in order to give more space to some artists and to his own
music made of very dark and sustained drones, in a play
oscillating between proximity and distance ("Eminus" and "Vulcan
Augmented"). An important part is devoted to sonic microscopies,
digitalized abstraction with for instance, the laptop duet Yannick
Dauby and Chistophe Havard or "Seismo" the mini-cdr release by
Rsundin, a sweet and hardly perceptible combination of pink
feedbacks, field recordings, and piano; as to natural microscopies
captured by Andrew Duke (whose "field recordings" one would
swear are reprocessed) or Quiet American whose "Plumbing And
Irrigation Of South Asia" is striking in its scenes which are so
detailed that they seem composed... or in another fashion, in
Maggie Payne's "Ping/Pong: beyond the pail", through sonic
vibrations captured thanks to different mics and the various
positions of a bucket under rain.
Reality is much more than what we perceive !
(Jos-Laj Durenn)
translated from French to English by Fabrice Linnsky
E / I MAGAZINE ISSUE 6 (WINTER / SPRING 2006)
If essence can adhere to a name, the and/OAR Boolean pun is an apt
banner for this growing family of limited edition CDR (and CD)
releases, a broad set of pleasurable conjunctions, rich disjunctions
and propulsive human/environmental transactions. Curated by artist
Dale Lloyd, a former indie-rock musician/producer, since 2001 the
label has released over 30 albums, including nearly ten compilations
with Phonography.org. and/OAR's roster embraces the
"environmental" in a broad context. "We can hear without listening,"
says Pauline Oliveros in sympathy. "How we listen creates our life."
*Note: reviews of Sawako: Yours Gray, Dale Lloyd: Semper, Duul_Drv: Fade With
Consequence, John Hudak: Sand Or Stars, Heribert Friedl: Raumzitate, Jos
Smolders: Habitat, Stuart Dodman: You Fill Me, and Dallas Simpson: For
Alderney follow after the segment above. To read these, please visit the
individual release info pages.
If essence can adhere to a name, the and/OAR Boolean pun is an apt
banner for this growing family of limited edition CDR (and CD)
releases, a broad set of pleasurable conjunctions, rich disjunctions
and propulsive human/environmental transactions. Curated by artist
Dale Lloyd, a former indie-rock musician/producer, since 2001 the
label has released over 30 albums, including nearly ten compilations
with Phonography.org. and/OAR's roster embraces the
"environmental" in a broad context. "We can hear without listening,"
says Pauline Oliveros in sympathy. "How we listen creates our life."
*Note: reviews of Sawako: Yours Gray, Dale Lloyd: Semper, Duul_Drv: Fade With
Consequence, John Hudak: Sand Or Stars, Heribert Friedl: Raumzitate, Jos
Smolders: Habitat, Stuart Dodman: You Fill Me, and Dallas Simpson: For
Alderney follow after the segment above. To read these, please visit the
individual release info pages.
TOKAFI (JULY 2008)
Stability is a double-edged sword: Too little of it evokes chaos, too much of it gurantees
boredoom. Over the last eight years, Dale Lloyd has managed to tread the fine line
between these two extremes. Between 1984 and the new millenium, his life was marked
by sharp contrasts and constant changes: A member of various Rock-oriented bands
and recording projects, Lloyd founded record company Manna in 1990. It lasted just two
years. His second stint in label-activities survived one year longer: æ, an enterpreneurial
and artistic collaboration with Clark Von Trotha, was closely connected to projects like
"Labradford", "Windy And Carl" and "His Name Is Alive". It put Seattle firmly on the Sound
Art- and Experimental map only months before Grunge exploded. With demos sent in by
some major acts lying promisingly on their desk, æ died quietly and left a vacuum in its
wake. For Lloyd, however, it also offered a fresh start. Influenced by a love for field
recordings and making use of states of "hypnogogic mindfulness", he began publishing
music under his own name for the first time in the year 2000. It proved to be a fruitful
direction: Lloyd's environmental noises recomposed a unique, mystical and mysterious
world of sound, a naive and dreamy space of refuge. Intertwined with these delicate
murmurs, discreet drones caressed the cool air of a forrest of associations and
whispers. In sync with his own output, he built his most recent record company,
AND/OAR into a focal point on the field recording scene. The continuity of the label has
secured it a prominent position, with its breathtaking packaging designs grabbing
headlines worldwide. All the while, the various sublabels, diversifying into Pop territory
among others, have kept Lloyd's vision stimulatingly eclectic and surprising. It is a well-
balanced combination unified by the will to undiscriminatingly integrate various
influences and creating music of timeless value.
Tokafi: Hi! How are you? Where are you?
DL: Hello! I’m in my office in Seattle listening to an upcoming release by Yuki Kaneko.
Tokafi: What’s on your schedule right now?
DL: I just released the first CD from the new mOAR subdivision by Mou, Lips! entitled
“Untree”. Currently at the manufacturer are releases by ºSone (Yannick Dauby,
Christophe Havard & Hughes Germain) entitled, “Passerelle” and a joint release with
Alluvial Recordings and FO A RM Projects for Arsenije Jovanovic entitled, “Galiola –
Works For Radio, 1967 – 2000”. I’ve got a very busy year ahead with a lot of releases
planned.
As for my own work, there is a much delayed CD to come out on Cherry Music in Japan,
my first solo vinyl LP (for Elevator Bath), and I’ve been trying to finish tracks for a 3” disc
on The Locus Of (based in the UK), plus tracks for compilations from Elevator Bath and
Yui Onodera’s Critical Path label. There are other works in progress as well, but nothing
else slated for release yet.
Tokafi: What’s your view on the music scene at present? Is there a crisis?
DL: Generally, I believe that there is only a crisis for those who look for a crisis, and I
think that one thing that has kept experimental music from gaining wider acceptance are
the attitudes of self limitation that have been inherent within the community for a very long
time. When people continue to look at their own music as having a “limited appeal” then
this is exactly what they are setting up for themselves. This doesn’t necessarily mean
they have to change their music style; it just means that by shifting their focus and
changing their attitude, they start to attract conditions that will allow for a different
outcome to what they are trying to accomplish. The reason why I can say this with any
kind of confidence is because of my own experiences in the matter. Granted, some
people take pride in the fact that their work only appeals to a certain group of people, so
that would obviously be their choice.
As for the situation of MP3 blogs giving away entire albums without permission
(regardless of the label or artist’s requests to remove them), while on the surface this
inconsiderate kind of activity seems like it might pose a threat to the financial support of
recording labels and self-releasing artists, I spent time thinking more about it (after
some initial misgivings) and concluded that in the long term, there is nothing (for me at
least) to worry about. Especially in light of what I just said about shaping your own reality.
Tokafi: Do you see yourself as part of a certain tradition or as part of a movement?
DL: Sure. So far, it appears to be somewhere in the realm of sound art and field
recordings.
Tokafi: What, would you say, are the factors of your creativity? What “inspires” you?
DL: Cinema and natural sonic phenomena are two things that have long inspired me,
but I’m not afraid to admit that other people’s sound work inspires and somehow
informs what I do as well. I don’t buy it when certain artists say they don’t listen to other
artists who work within their own genre. If everyone were so self absorbed and aloof to
what else was going on out there, then none of us would get anywhere. My belief is that
everything we are exposed to has an influence on us whether we are conscious of it or
not. If we like something, then we might incorporate some aspect of it. If we don’t like
something, then we try to stay away from it. Both situations influence us to make a
particular decision about our own work. This is why my standard answer to this type of
question is “everything”.
Tokafi: How would you describe your method of composing?
DL: Some of my best work comes from being in a state of what I term “hypnogogic
mindfulness”, which means that when I drift into a half awake, half meditative state, my
conscious mind gets out of the way and lets things happen. I also work well in a “stream
of conscious” type of way where everything flows quickly, naturally and without thinking
about it.
Tokafi: What does the term „new“ mean to you in connection with music?
DL: It means "something I haven’t heard before”, which is NOT to be confused with
“something that hasn’t been done before” which is a pointless claim to make and a
pointless stance to take. Who’s to say what has never been done before? Yet one could
say that all music is a perpetual evolution or variation of that which came before it, which
would technically render everything as “new”.
Tokafi: Do you feel an artist has a certain duty towards anyone but himself? Or to put it
differently: Should art have a political/social or any other aspect apart from a personal
sensation?
DL: Socially, I believe recording labels that charge money for their releases should feel a
sense of responsibility if they are to serve as trusted filters in deciding which music (of
their chosen genre) to make available to the public. Some would say that music by
nature is “political”, but I think everyone should have the right to choose whether their
work serves that purpose or not. And when I say “political” I refer to things like elections,
national and regional concerns, wars, environmental issues, civil rights issues, etc.
Tokafi: How, would you say, could non-mainstream forms of music reach wider
audiences without sacrificing their soul?
DL: As I’ve said, I think it begins with what an individual thinks is possible. Forget about
what history or prior experience has shown, or what the so-called “experts in the field”
have to say. It’s really up to the individual and what kind of outcome they choose to
remain focused on. Anything is possible.
Tokfai: You are given the position of artistic director of a festival. What would be on your
program?
DL: Can I dream? Give me the budget and staff to make it happen and and/OAR
(either/OAR & mOAR) would host a festival featuring performances, sound installations
and film. I might invite the following, among others:
(Performances) Oren Ambarchi, Steinbrüchel, Eliane Radigue, Francisco Lopez, Steve
Roden, Billy Gomberg, Yuki Kaneko, Celer, Corey Fuller & Opitope, Kim Myhr, Kai
Fagaschinski, Toshimaru Nakamura, Arve Henriksen, BJ Nilsen, David Stackenas,
Martin Küchen, Matt Shoemaker, Günter Müller/Tomas Korber/Jason Kahn, Werner
Dafeldecker, Ryuichi Sakamoto & Fennesz and or Ryuichi Sakamoto & Christopher
Willits.
(Installations) Rolf Julius, Steve Roden, Christina Kubisch, Brian Eno, Marc Behrens, CM
Von Hausswolff, Akio Suzuki, Miki Yui, Robin Minard, Yannick Dauby/Wan-Shuen Tsai,
Steve Peters, Skoltz_Kolgen.
(Film/Performance) Jurgen Rebel/Thomas Koner, Aono Jikken Ensemble, Ivan Palacky
& Vera Lukasona, Kamran Sadeghi, Akira Rabelais & Stephan Mathieu, Phill Niblock.
Tokafi: Many artists dream of a “magnum opus”. Do you have a vision of what yours
would sound like?
DL: Nope
Stability is a double-edged sword: Too little of it evokes chaos, too much of it gurantees
boredoom. Over the last eight years, Dale Lloyd has managed to tread the fine line
between these two extremes. Between 1984 and the new millenium, his life was marked
by sharp contrasts and constant changes: A member of various Rock-oriented bands
and recording projects, Lloyd founded record company Manna in 1990. It lasted just two
years. His second stint in label-activities survived one year longer: æ, an enterpreneurial
and artistic collaboration with Clark Von Trotha, was closely connected to projects like
"Labradford", "Windy And Carl" and "His Name Is Alive". It put Seattle firmly on the Sound
Art- and Experimental map only months before Grunge exploded. With demos sent in by
some major acts lying promisingly on their desk, æ died quietly and left a vacuum in its
wake. For Lloyd, however, it also offered a fresh start. Influenced by a love for field
recordings and making use of states of "hypnogogic mindfulness", he began publishing
music under his own name for the first time in the year 2000. It proved to be a fruitful
direction: Lloyd's environmental noises recomposed a unique, mystical and mysterious
world of sound, a naive and dreamy space of refuge. Intertwined with these delicate
murmurs, discreet drones caressed the cool air of a forrest of associations and
whispers. In sync with his own output, he built his most recent record company,
AND/OAR into a focal point on the field recording scene. The continuity of the label has
secured it a prominent position, with its breathtaking packaging designs grabbing
headlines worldwide. All the while, the various sublabels, diversifying into Pop territory
among others, have kept Lloyd's vision stimulatingly eclectic and surprising. It is a well-
balanced combination unified by the will to undiscriminatingly integrate various
influences and creating music of timeless value.
Tokafi: Hi! How are you? Where are you?
DL: Hello! I’m in my office in Seattle listening to an upcoming release by Yuki Kaneko.
Tokafi: What’s on your schedule right now?
DL: I just released the first CD from the new mOAR subdivision by Mou, Lips! entitled
“Untree”. Currently at the manufacturer are releases by ºSone (Yannick Dauby,
Christophe Havard & Hughes Germain) entitled, “Passerelle” and a joint release with
Alluvial Recordings and FO A RM Projects for Arsenije Jovanovic entitled, “Galiola –
Works For Radio, 1967 – 2000”. I’ve got a very busy year ahead with a lot of releases
planned.
As for my own work, there is a much delayed CD to come out on Cherry Music in Japan,
my first solo vinyl LP (for Elevator Bath), and I’ve been trying to finish tracks for a 3” disc
on The Locus Of (based in the UK), plus tracks for compilations from Elevator Bath and
Yui Onodera’s Critical Path label. There are other works in progress as well, but nothing
else slated for release yet.
Tokafi: What’s your view on the music scene at present? Is there a crisis?
DL: Generally, I believe that there is only a crisis for those who look for a crisis, and I
think that one thing that has kept experimental music from gaining wider acceptance are
the attitudes of self limitation that have been inherent within the community for a very long
time. When people continue to look at their own music as having a “limited appeal” then
this is exactly what they are setting up for themselves. This doesn’t necessarily mean
they have to change their music style; it just means that by shifting their focus and
changing their attitude, they start to attract conditions that will allow for a different
outcome to what they are trying to accomplish. The reason why I can say this with any
kind of confidence is because of my own experiences in the matter. Granted, some
people take pride in the fact that their work only appeals to a certain group of people, so
that would obviously be their choice.
As for the situation of MP3 blogs giving away entire albums without permission
(regardless of the label or artist’s requests to remove them), while on the surface this
inconsiderate kind of activity seems like it might pose a threat to the financial support of
recording labels and self-releasing artists, I spent time thinking more about it (after
some initial misgivings) and concluded that in the long term, there is nothing (for me at
least) to worry about. Especially in light of what I just said about shaping your own reality.
Tokafi: Do you see yourself as part of a certain tradition or as part of a movement?
DL: Sure. So far, it appears to be somewhere in the realm of sound art and field
recordings.
Tokafi: What, would you say, are the factors of your creativity? What “inspires” you?
DL: Cinema and natural sonic phenomena are two things that have long inspired me,
but I’m not afraid to admit that other people’s sound work inspires and somehow
informs what I do as well. I don’t buy it when certain artists say they don’t listen to other
artists who work within their own genre. If everyone were so self absorbed and aloof to
what else was going on out there, then none of us would get anywhere. My belief is that
everything we are exposed to has an influence on us whether we are conscious of it or
not. If we like something, then we might incorporate some aspect of it. If we don’t like
something, then we try to stay away from it. Both situations influence us to make a
particular decision about our own work. This is why my standard answer to this type of
question is “everything”.
Tokafi: How would you describe your method of composing?
DL: Some of my best work comes from being in a state of what I term “hypnogogic
mindfulness”, which means that when I drift into a half awake, half meditative state, my
conscious mind gets out of the way and lets things happen. I also work well in a “stream
of conscious” type of way where everything flows quickly, naturally and without thinking
about it.
Tokafi: What does the term „new“ mean to you in connection with music?
DL: It means "something I haven’t heard before”, which is NOT to be confused with
“something that hasn’t been done before” which is a pointless claim to make and a
pointless stance to take. Who’s to say what has never been done before? Yet one could
say that all music is a perpetual evolution or variation of that which came before it, which
would technically render everything as “new”.
Tokafi: Do you feel an artist has a certain duty towards anyone but himself? Or to put it
differently: Should art have a political/social or any other aspect apart from a personal
sensation?
DL: Socially, I believe recording labels that charge money for their releases should feel a
sense of responsibility if they are to serve as trusted filters in deciding which music (of
their chosen genre) to make available to the public. Some would say that music by
nature is “political”, but I think everyone should have the right to choose whether their
work serves that purpose or not. And when I say “political” I refer to things like elections,
national and regional concerns, wars, environmental issues, civil rights issues, etc.
Tokafi: How, would you say, could non-mainstream forms of music reach wider
audiences without sacrificing their soul?
DL: As I’ve said, I think it begins with what an individual thinks is possible. Forget about
what history or prior experience has shown, or what the so-called “experts in the field”
have to say. It’s really up to the individual and what kind of outcome they choose to
remain focused on. Anything is possible.
Tokfai: You are given the position of artistic director of a festival. What would be on your
program?
DL: Can I dream? Give me the budget and staff to make it happen and and/OAR
(either/OAR & mOAR) would host a festival featuring performances, sound installations
and film. I might invite the following, among others:
(Performances) Oren Ambarchi, Steinbrüchel, Eliane Radigue, Francisco Lopez, Steve
Roden, Billy Gomberg, Yuki Kaneko, Celer, Corey Fuller & Opitope, Kim Myhr, Kai
Fagaschinski, Toshimaru Nakamura, Arve Henriksen, BJ Nilsen, David Stackenas,
Martin Küchen, Matt Shoemaker, Günter Müller/Tomas Korber/Jason Kahn, Werner
Dafeldecker, Ryuichi Sakamoto & Fennesz and or Ryuichi Sakamoto & Christopher
Willits.
(Installations) Rolf Julius, Steve Roden, Christina Kubisch, Brian Eno, Marc Behrens, CM
Von Hausswolff, Akio Suzuki, Miki Yui, Robin Minard, Yannick Dauby/Wan-Shuen Tsai,
Steve Peters, Skoltz_Kolgen.
(Film/Performance) Jurgen Rebel/Thomas Koner, Aono Jikken Ensemble, Ivan Palacky
& Vera Lukasona, Kamran Sadeghi, Akira Rabelais & Stephan Mathieu, Phill Niblock.
Tokafi: Many artists dream of a “magnum opus”. Do you have a vision of what yours
would sound like?
DL: Nope