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In The Studio With: Mathew Jonson

Mathew Jonson is very much a live artist. He is devout to his hardware and not the type to just play records on the side of his own production. Even when it comes down to scaling down his equipment range for the stage the list makes pretty impressive reading for the technology obsessed. All of these analogue voices shine through in Jonson’s latest long player, Her Blurry Pictures; it’s just one of those releases that’s just rewarding to listen to and hear the sounds that Jonson has garnered from his expansive synth collection. It’s also woven together with a deft machine funk elevating the whole of the 9 tracker to the solid conclusion we’d expect from the Wagon Repair boss’s level of production. So to get behind the sonic markings of the release as well as look forward to what he’ll be brining to the stage in Room One this Saturday we asked Mathew to tell us in more depth about the details of his studio set up and what in particular is behind his latest album. So you've just released your new album on Crosstown Rebels, how did it come together for you? Did you really sit in the studio and focus on making the album or did the ideas come together more organically ingrained in your day to day living? I had the idea to do an album but when I write it's important to write what I feel and I translate the melodies that come into my head naturally. If I were to focus on releasing something be it single or album it would not be about the music but rather about the music business. These two things I like to keep as far away from one another as possible. How long did you take to put it all together? I made most of the tracks last year and then after putting the album together decided that the tracks I really liked sounded too similar. So I picked out a few favorites I'd been hanging onto for the right moment and substituted them for the weaker new tracks. This move brought the album together and better represented who I am as an artist. What were the ideas behind it? there's a feeling of light and happiness that's really evident I made a conscious decision to bring balance into my life a few years back. When I'm tired from the imbalances of touring I have the bad tendency to compensate this with alcohol. It only makes me downward spiral though so now I do a lot of things to keep my energy high. This of course is reflected in the music on Her Blurry Pictures as the lightness you experienced while listening. As we're doing more of a studio focused interview today, can you fill us in on what gear you used specifically for this album? Most of it was done with the Roland System 100, SH-101 and Fender Rhodes. The electronic drums where done with 808, 909, 606, XV5080, the Tama Techstar and the Simmons SDS800. I also used my voice and recorded live acoustic hand percussion. The effects are mostly Eventide and Cwejman modular. Was there a similar set up that you used throughout the 8 tracks? It was quite diverse for each track as I have quite a large collection of equipment but those just named were the staples. From spying online I've seen you've got such a huge amount of synths - which are your favourite? My favorite instruments are my Yamaha D85, and CS-60 and my beautiful Fender Rhodes. Which would you recommend to someone who was just starting out and wanting to get a feel for using them? The Roland SH-101 is the most indispensable and also cheap synth in my studio. It's very basic and easy to learn and also has a feel that is incredibly musical. It's also a great place to start when writing. What would you say is the ultimate drum machine? They are all really different so I would say my ultimate one is not built yet. If I had the opportunity to design a new one just off the top of my head it would be a mix of digital and analog sounds, it would have one set of buttons for 16th notes and another row of 12 for simultaneous triplet programming. Steps 1,5,9,and 13 of the 16th notes would align with steps 1,4,7 and 10 for easy visualization. Each knob to edit sounds would control only one function and be VCA. The only menu it would have would be to select the sounds for each part. So it would pretty much be like a modern mix of an 808 and 909 but including some acoustic sounds and features. Is really about the Roland machines or are there any other makes that you use? I use a lot of Roland machines but its the things like the Tama Techstar or Simmons that give a lot of flavour to the drums. For synths I use all kinds of things but the modular equipment probably gives my sound the real sparkle. I like big sounds with all kinds of very subtle effects and modular patches weaving things together. What if any part of your process is done on a computer? The midi sequencing when I'm playing the parts by hand on a keyboard gets sequenced in Ableton Live. The Metric Halo Leo 8 software is always on and recording in the background so that when spontaneous music happens I can just keep playing without having to stop and hit record. When you play live you always bring your own mixing desk, do you have a different one that you use for your live sets and the studio? The desk is on my tech rider. I like using either a Midas V240 or an Allen and Heath GL2400. They’re both pretty similar and easy for clubs to rent. It's important that my tech rider is available in most destinations that I travel. In my studio I use a 40 channel APB Dynasonics Pro Desk 8. It's actually more of a live desk than a studio board but it is far more superior to anything else in its price range. It's really a dream to use and it sounds fantastic! Do you feel any pressure on you to scale what you take out with you on tour? Can you give us a quick run through what you typically perform live with.. Of course. I have to be able to carry it on the plane so that's the scale right there. I like to change my set up quite regularly but for the most part these days it's a SH-101, this great MFB522 TR808 clone, the Eventide series Space, Delay Factor and Pitch Factor, an Electron Machinedrum and some midi controllers. What's the most obscure piece of gear you own? I'm not sure if I would call it obscure but I'm in the process of installing a Kenton midi kit into my Yamaha CS-60 and when I am finished that you will hear a distinct change in my output from then on. I'm really, really excited about that! It is already the most beautiful and expressive instrument I own so to be able to sequence it will be outer-worldly. The Novamod 101 I have is pretty alien communication too. And to finish of our interview can you tell us what, if money were no limit, would be your dream purchase for the studio? An EMS Synthi 100 or a Bucla system 100. Mathew Jonson will be performing live in Room One this Saturday, for more info go here.
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