“With production, it’s a snapshot of a moment in time. And the more I try to manipulate it, the less powerful it becomes as a snapshot, and then it’s not as authentic.”

“When I do a few gigs with a certain set up, I start to feel more comfortable. And when I feel too comfortable, it’s time to change something now, to bring more risk back into it. I like to do live performances where I’m learning the gear as I’m performing, because that’s fun and exciting. I hope to transmit that to the audience.”

“People are used to a certain format. It’s very easy to set people slightly off balance by not sticking to those conventions. I like a performance which has a tension and release and can have difficult and awkward parts, and then has a resolution. I enjoy that kind of back and forth.”

“Maybe one of my ideas of techno is an idea of humans and machines interacting… Back to this Kraftwerk idea of man and machine, and so I don’t want to squeeze the human part of that out too much. I think that’s an essential part.”

Episode 42 welcomes a music industry veteran: Anthony Child, also known as Surgeon (@dynamic-tension), got his start DJing in the 1990s, Tony has long been an integral force in the world of techno, best known for his driving DJ sets, and his thoughtful productions. His music has also expanded into experimental live performance, with projects like The Transcendence Orchestra allowing him to explore even further corners of electronic music and question the very limits of what constitutes techno. 

In this conversation, we focus on an idea that has been on both our minds lately — what makes music authentic? How can an artist bring honesty to every facet of their work? What constitutes authenticity in a fickle industry? What does it mean to be true to your own voice?

++ 

Music:
Master of All Visible Shapes - Surgeon (2018)
Winged Assassin - Surgeon (2020)
Satsuma Felt Slow - The Transcendence Orchestra (2021)
Transparent Radiation - Surgeon (2011)
Having My Head is Felt - The Transcendence Orchestra (2021)

Follow AIR on Instagram https://instagram.com/_airpodcast 
Support us on Patreon https://patreon.com/airpodcast

AIR 042 / Surgeon

AIR is an interview podcast series with a different theme each episode. 

Created in 2017, AIR aims to be something different in the wide world of music journalism. Tired of the usual promotional fluff, host Emma Robertson invites artists, DJs, and musicians to get deep on one topic that inspires them — everything from nature, to film, to spirituality — in the hope that it inspires you, too.

Comments

Moirologist

Seraphic Dah

Fake Electronics

stmmtoy

littlecitybot

AIR

AIR

AIR

AIR