Aidan Baker (NADJA): "We strive to create beautiful noise"

What does Your band name(s) mean to You?

Nadja is my first name spelled in reverse, but it also refers to Andre Breton's surrealist novel and Michael Almereyda's David Lynch-produced vampire movie. So, it is as much about the vagaries of personal identity as it is an aesthetic and referential choice.

The sound is magic. You‘ve proved it. But, what ends, when there‘s no sound?

There is always sound, even if only in one's own head...

What is and what is not a Sound Art?

Noise is any undesired sound signal...so anything can be sound art. Art is intention.

You worked with a plethora of artists over the years. What collaborations were/are the most interesting and important to You and why?

Collaborations which result in something unexpected and new to us are our most favourite and I think two good examples of this are "The Life & Death of a Wasp" with Ovo and "Cystema Solari" with Uochi Toki. With Ovo, we were forced to play with a live drummer which is a much different experience than playing to a drum machine, and the resulting album is a weird mix of dub, doom, and experimental rock. And with Uochi Toki, and experimental hip hop duo, we were obliged to adapt our sounds to the different structures and methods of rap music.

What are the main ideas are behind Your music? Could You name Your favorite Your compositions / albums / collaborations?

In short, we strive to create beautiful noise. Our music is heavy and oppressive, but also light and melodic, and that contrast is an important part of our aesthetic. Some of our favourite and most influential artists are: Swans, Godflesh, Neurosis, Khanate, My Bloody Valentine, Caspar Brotzmann Massaker, Coil, Red House Painters, Slint, etc.

Live at A4, Bratislava. Photo from http://www.fullmoonzine.cz/galerie/nadja-o-r-zsochy-5-9-2014-a4-nult-priestor-bratislava.

What about the new album?

Our new album "Sv" draws on these influences, of course, but incorporates a more rhythmic element than usual in our music...we've heard the album described as 'apocalyptic dance music' which I think is apt...

What do You think about relations between the old art and computer art? Are they compatible?

Of course, and so they should be. All new art is built on the bones of old art, whether in terms of aesthetics or techniques. Technology is just a new form of technique.

What do You think about thousands of neofolk/industrial/ambient/tribal/electroacoustic/avangarde etc. bands/projects? Is it a kind of trend, or just a tendency forwards better music?

Since music is so much easier to make and disseminate now with advances in technology and communcations, there are tons of bands and artists of every genre. Of course, it's not all good music and the ease of creation is not necessarily a positive thing...Yes, it's good that more people are able to create art and explore their artistic side, but it can be difficult and overwhelming to sort through the mediocre and find the truly inspired and good (subjectively speaking, of course) artwork out there.

What do You know about Lithuania? What Lithuanian and foreign musicians do You value most?

To be honest, I do not know of any Lithuanian musicians.

But we have performed in Vilnius several times now and have always enjoyed the experience. It is a beautiful city and the audiences there have always been enthusiastic and appreciative.

Your discography is really big, even wikipedia doesn't know the exact number and all the albums. How many and what project were / are You involved in, home many albums did You create?  What inspires You to be so productive and to create a really inspiring, quality music?

I don't know how many albums I have released either...I lost count a while ago. I have and have had a number of projects, but those that are currently most active, besides Nadja and my solo output, are a spacerock/trancepunk trio Caudal and an improv drone-jazz trio B/B/S/. I always have songs or sounds going through my head and feel compelled to try and capture them somehow...and each time I do, that gives rise to more ideas and possibilities to explore, so for me creation is something of a feedback loop. The very process of creating stimulates creativity...

How was Nadja born and when do You plan a new album? What are You working on right now?

Nadja began in 2003 as only a studio-based project to explore the heavier, noisier side of what I was already doing as a solo artist. As the project began to get some recognition and people began asking for live performances, my partner Leah joined so that we could bring the project out of the studio. Performing live and working as a duo did change the nature of the project quite a bit, for the better, and we've since been evolving over the years, even while we attempt to remain true to the original aesthetic and methodologies of the project.

We will have a new album "The Stone Is Not Hit By The Sun" out in November of 2016 on the British label Gizeh Records.

What kind of philosophy/mythology/religion/... inspires You? What is Your point of view about the world?

While we don't really subscribe to anyone religious or philosophical practice, I think we take inspiration from many different traditions. Shared experience and culture is one of the more positive elements of humanity and closing one's self off to new things -- ideas, people, practices -- is always a negative thing.

Thank You.

Links:

http://aidanbaker.bandcamp.com

http://nadja.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/aidanbakermusic

https://www.discogs.com/artist/69673-Aidan-Baker

https://brokenspineprods.wordpress.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aidan_Baker