voices #45
◦ “voices” is the place where we ask, artists reply and you read.
here we got:
end, red dress
answering some questions. We have already observed his experimental / field recordings / drone work here.
[1. IDEA]
■ The A. O.: The track from “the brink” that we prefer is “it’s the thinnest and brittlest of veils”. Can you tell us how it came to light?
► end, red dress: I was messing around with a DIY shortwave radio I just assembled. Walking around in a remote field, listening to all kinds of sweeps and clicks and patterns that traveled through the ether… suddenly I stumbled upon this indiscernible transmission: there seemed to live someone buried in all that static. It’s that sudden rush of discovery, but feeling it slip away at the same time. I tried to get a clearer signal by repositioning around in all kinds of manners, but the signal was lost. Blips and swooshes remained. The transmission itself was probably just foreign radio talk on some mundane topic… but it’s the thrill of the unexpected. Luckily I was recording as well so it could become the starting point of this track: it just expands on that particular moment, as you so astutely observed yourself.
[2. CREATION]
■ The A. O.: How do you usually approach composition? Do you start with a concept, a sound, a state of mind or what else? How do you generally proceed from the initial seed to the complete work?
► end, red dress: It varies greatly actually, but I guess I always try to capture some kind of experience. Sometimes it starts with an actual occurrence (like walking around in a field and suddenly receiving something unexpected on my radio), other times there’s a thought floating around in my head and I go from there. There’s an abundance of ideas but my productivity is abysmal slow.. apparently the stars need to be aligned in order for me to be able to have that initial seed flourish.
At any rate, I usually tend to sketch out a broad sense of direction. I don’t want to fight the tide too much so to a large extent I won’t plan ahead. I just sculpt and nitpick throughout the whole process, throwing things overboard while I go, and with a bit of luck a nice dynamic ebb and flow emerges out of it. Most of the time it’s a smooth sailing from there, and after aeons of getting carried away I suddenly arrive at a complete piece. I know this is a bit vague, but I don’t have a specific routine or approach.. it just unfolds itself. It has to resonate with me, in whatever meaningful way.
[3. FEEDBACK]
■ The A. O.: What do you hope listeners feel or experience when engaging with your music?
► end, red dress: I am fully aware it’s quite the niche I nested in: it surely isn’t for everyone and that’s perfectly okay. Ideally, I’d say it requires some kind of deliberate attention in order to submerge yourself fully… but I guess all artists would want that. In the end, I hope it resonates with them in whatever meaningful way. And with a bit of luck give them a profound moment that resembles what I’m trying to convey.
[4. IDENTITY]
■ The A. O.: In a world saturated with digital music content, how do you try to keep your sound distinct and personally meaningful?
► end, red dress: The world is indeed saturated with content (of any kind) even to the point that a lot of that content exists purely for content’s sake. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that so many people are able to create! Like I mentioned before: not everything is for everyone and that’s okay. I digress.
Concerning the question: it’s a tough one. Aiming for a distinctive sound isn’t even considered by me now to think of it. While I understand it can be a deciding factor for creators in order to stand out, it’s just.. it isn’t of any value to me.
I guess I’m quite the opposite, sitting silently in a corner just prodding away at things. Because of that, maybe the only value I try to uphold is that things should resonate with me personally. I realise I’ve said this a few times already now, so I guess that means there’s some truth in that. Now, HOW to keep something personally meaningful… I’m afraid I can’t answer that since I wouldn’t know myself. And perhaps I am actually glad that I can’t answer.
[5. INFLUENCES]
■ The A. O.: Mention 3 albums that you consider relevant to your musical path and why.
► end, red dress: I’ll completely deviate from this question by talking a bit about forests. To me, to be able to convey such sensations in a work of art is something to aspire towards.
○ Elden Ring – Shadow of the Erdtree (2024)
Imagine traversing through dark, dense woods surrounded by steep ridges reaching endlessly high up to the sky. Your line of sight is minimal and you have to watch every step, for death awaits behind every tree. In the distance, a shimmering light gleams at the end of some cragged slope: a narrow passage through those towering walls of stone. There’s no clue on what lies ahead, but you’ll gladly leave this claustrophobic nightmare behind. As you venture through the crevice, you suddenly find yourself standing in an open field filled with lush flowers, and a breathtaking panorama stretches far and wide before you: a new area is unveiled to explore. Such an orchestrated but oh-so-subtle play between tension and resolve!
○ The Cure – A Forest (1980)
The first time I heard it as a kid, I was seriously creeped out by it. The hypnotising bassline, the dreamy guitar melodies, pulsating monotonous drums throbbing on and on and on, topped off with a fragile voice singing lyrics that were barely understandable for me at that time. Curiously but cautiously I kept listening as it lured me deeper into its world. It felt so eerie, so mysterious, and very very mesmerising.. like something was present in that song, but regardless of your effort it would stay just beyond your grasp of understanding.
○ Jan Mankes – Bomenrij (1915)
A while ago I visited an exhibition which showed some works of Jan Mankes. One of the paintings portrayed some deciduous trees in winter, accompanied by no more than mere shapes: a small flock of birds, some lonely figures, and just a hint of a village on the horizon. The fine lines that defined the trees dissolved at the bare branches into a fuzzy haze. The sky filled with fading jade colours flowed indiscernible and engulfed the earthly tones below. The painting was elusively muted, and to me a perfect depiction of the dead of night. As I was gazing into this painting of tranquil shades, I was left in a world seemingly still and a sensation of stasis whelmed me.
[6. REGARDS]
■ The A. O.: Leave us with a quote you love.
► end, red dress: The quote alone is short… so this needs a bit of context: During some interview, Karlheinz Stockhausen was asked if he could tell a bit about the most beautiful sound he ever heard. After giving it a good thought, he quietly replied: ‘No’. To me, this answer encapsulated so ridiculously much. Probably more than he intended.