Artist: Mark Jenkins
Tracklist:
- Today we make History
- 59 new Hadrons and Counting
- The Beauty Quark
- Schrödingers dances for Joy
- Supersymmetry
- Proton Smasher
- The Higgs Mechanism
- Today we make History (Reprise)
LTD 100
AMY TRIPTYLINE talks with MARK JENKINS about gear & guys on his forthcoming CD album “MODULAR SESSIONS 3: WAVESTATE”
AT - We talked last time about why “Modular Sessions 3” is appearing first not third in the series, and about the Korg Wavestate synth and ideas behind the album. But what else contributed to the recording sessions?
MJ - Well, the Wavestate sat at the heart of the setup for these improvisations, but it wasn’t the only instrument involved. My studio has interconnectable groups of keyboard synthesizers and MIDI modules, software setups and Eurorack modules. Different albums will have a different balance of all these sound sources. On “Modular Sessions 3: Wavestate” there’s some guitar too.
AT - You had a remarkable young drummer Dieter Niemand involved in the sessions also?
MJ - Yes, a lot of the “Modular Sessions” CD’s involve collaborations, and “Modular Sessions 3: Wavestate” is a particularly strong launch title for the series because it has some very powerful drumming on it. I’ve always thought that the best thing to add to a synthesizer performing lineup apart from lead guitar was a great drummer - not the sound of drum machines or loops, although they have their place too, but really human percussion. You can’t beat Tangerine Dream with Klaus Krueger, Neuronium with José Maria Ciria, Klaus Schulze with Harald Grosskopf - there aren’t many great examples, perhaps because of the difficulty of synchronising drummers with sequencers.
AT - So what are the drumming styles incorporated on the album?
MJ - Oh, there’s a great variety, Dieter is very versatile. There’s very fluid rock drumming, a sort of tribal drumming leaning more on the tom-toms, and sounds from an electronic kit. There’s the use of classic drum machines like the Roland CR78, and a bit of orchestral percussion too. No surprise there though, it’s a very rhythm oriented album.
AT - And collaborations on the other albums in the series?
MJ - Yes, the second one is a major collaboration also, and it’s an approach I want to follow up through the whole series.
AT - So when do we all get to hear “Modular Sessions 3: Wavestate”?
MJ - Let’s go into that next time, I have some information coming about where it will be available too…
MARK JENKINS was talking to AMY TRIPTYLINE.
