KIM CASCONE: I've always felt my core mission was to transport the listener into another space

What collaborations were/are the most interesting and important to You and why?

I think the live collaboration I did with Tony Conrad in Luxembourg in 2002 to be one of the more interesting collaborations I've done. It was totally unplanned. He invited me to do something with him on stage. I was working in Max/MSP at the time and had a patch I used for sound processing and he had some little small single string instrument which I processed in real time. I had no idea what to expect since I had never worked this way with Max/MSP before but I quickly realized something special was taking place and I'm very glad someone had the foresight to record this collaboration. I released it for streaming and download on Silent via iTunes, Google Play, Apple Music, Spotify, Bandcamp etc. Here is the link to the Bandcamp release: https://silentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-celestial-monochord.

What are the main ideas are behind Your music?

My ideas about music are in continual flux, but I've always felt my core mission was to transport the listener into another space. I like providing an evocative atmosphere that the listener can use to connect with their imagination. Even in my most materialist periods as an artist I've always felt that world-building was an important aspect of creation.

Could You name favorite compositions / albums / collaborations?

Not sure I can boil this down to a list. I have gone through so many different phases of music that I like to listen to. I get fixated on a composer or style and tend to immerse myself completely in that style for a while. Recently I've not been listening to much electronic music outside of my work at Silent Records and have been listening to a lot of indie psychedelic rock. One band I like very much these days is a German trio called Electric Moon. They released a new studio album called Stardust Rituals that you can find on Bandcamp.

What about the new album? How many are them in Your discography?

I haven't released anything new since my "subflowers" CD on Emitter Micro a couple of years ago. That being said, I've been making most of my CD's available on Silent's Bandcamp site https://silentrecords.bandcamp.com.

The sound is magic. But, what ends, when there‘s no sound?

Like John Cage's experience in the anechoic chamber there is always sound. The noise of our biological system is always present although we might filter that out. But I've yet to find myself in any environment that is void of all sound.

What is and what is not a Sound Art?
 

I've distanced myself from the sound art community. I have nothing more to say about it these days.

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

I don't really have anything to add to that discussion. I have moved away from the computer as an instrument or compositional device.

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

"Modern art is a disaster area. Never in the field of human history has so much been used by so many to say so little.” – Banksy

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

Other than having visited twice to perform and lecture I don't know much about Lithuanian sound artists/musicians other than my friend Darius Čiuta whose work I admire.

What are You working on right now?

I'm working on a series of guitar pieces distilled from the instrumental songs of Hildegard von Bingen. I've always loved Early Music and have wanted to do something in this direction for many years. Now that I've come full spiral to playing guitar again I can finally get some work done on this idea. The first experiment with this will be released on a compilation called "Tulpamancers" on Daathstaar, an imprint of Silent Records.

What do Your band names mean to You?

Each band name unconsciously evokes a particular world or atmosphere. I'm not sure where they come from sometimes but they find me rather than me finding them.

Thank You.

P. S. Subflowers ɸ album (2016) is really an astonishing piece of work. I would say it's a demonic incantation of low frequencies. Do not listen it at home, take it to your boss and ask bigger salary, it will work perhaps. To say it more serious, this two track 55 minutes album is a wonderful piece of experimental music which is not following any trends. It's pure Kim Cascone. Listen to his music, it is a real treasure.

Tracklist:

1     Subflower - ɸ Lower Region     34:00
2     Subflower - ɸ Upper Region     21:00

Edition of 33.