Voices #51
◦ “voices” is the place where we ask, artists reply and you read.
here we got:
THE GOLDEN SPIRAL
answering some questions. We have already observed his experimental / electronic work here.
[1. IDEA]
■ The A. O.: The track from “A Surfeit of Lampreys” that we prefer is “Pewter”. Can you tell us how it came to light?
► THE GOLDEN SPIRAL: King Henry I (reigned 1100–1135) allegedly died from eating a surfeit (excess) of Lampreys (a kind of eel), most likely served and eaten from pewter vessels, which during the Middle Ages were luxury items. The track therefore carries the weight of the complete composition.
[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?
► THE GOLDEN SPIRAL: It varies considerably, but in the case of this work it was experimenting with woodwind sounds which inspired me. This then reminded me of the allegorical story of King Henry l and his grotesque death.
[3. FEEDBACK]
■ The A. O.: What do you hope listeners feel or experience when engaging with your music?
► THE GOLDEN SPIRAL: I always hope that the listener will feel that they have been taken on a journey of some kind, through a landscape described by the composition.
[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?
► THE GOLDEN SPIRAL: I do not strive to be totally original, that is a fool’s errand. Putting elements together to create something new is my goal, to make a new alloy from musical ‘metals’.
[5. INFLUENCES]
■ The A. O.: Mention 3 albums that you consider relevant to your musical path and why.
► THE GOLDEN SPIRAL: ○ Hawkwind – A Space Ritual
A musical space opera which as a child took me away from my bleak council estate.
○ Procul Harum – A Salty Dog
Weird, beautiful and lyrical. It’s telling stories again, which is the link, and introduced me to the music of Bach.
The ○ Soundtrack for 2001 A Space Odyssey, which I bought because I liked the album cover. It introduced me to the music of Ligetti.
[6. REGARDS]
■ The A. O.: Leave us with a quote you love.
► THE GOLDEN SPIRAL: “I feel like a pig shat in my head” from Withnail and I.