>JOHN KAADA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TS: When did you first start writing music?
JK: When I got an Amiga I was blown away by the way you could program sounds and music. I programmed the beats on the Amiga, recorded it onto a 4track mc tape recorder. On the other tracks I played mostly piano and vocals.It's the sickest songs I've ever made. Really far-out.
TS: Who were some of your earlier influences?
JK: When I was a kid I played classical piano all the time. I loved Bach, and went through all of his  keyboard related repertoire. Later, I became a big Frank Zappa fan. I think I've got about 70 Zappa LPs here. His world opened up my ears, and in every way he was my big idol.
TS: Do you use Pro Tools for recording?

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JK: Yes, we've just started working on a new album now. But we have a long way to go, and it won't be out before 2007.The songs we've written so far are very twisted and dark.
TS: What's some of the gear you like to use?
JK: Boy, do I love to get that question! Nothing is funner to talk about than musical instruments and technical stuff. I am a gear freak, and needless to say I am addicted to Ebay. If I'm struggling with my inspiration one day, I just pick up another instrument and off we go. So having an arsenal of musical tools makes my job a blast.
TS: Is there any piece you're particularly fond of?
JK: I haven't got any favorites, but the Clavinet has brought me much joy over the years, so if I had to pick one, it has to be the Clavinet. I actually have five of them, plus a rare one, called Claviset.

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So we had to work almost in the dark, which was challenging, since the music is written down on notes.  It was a meditative and unique atmosphere in there, and I think that it influenced the music in many ways. We were all very happy when the recordings were done. It was a little spooky in there. Speaking of spooky. the last song on the album sums up all the important themes from the album. I called it "In Hora Mortis", which means something like "In the last hour". When the mixing process was about to start and I had taken all the best takes onto my computer, I noticed that the total amount of playing time when I summed the thirteen songs, was exactly 60 minutes.

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JK: Yep. Protools is my main mixing desk. But I often compose on Logic or Nuendo before I transfer it to Protools.
TS: What is the worst, or most challenging, part of recording in your opinion?
JK: Well, the easiest part is somewhere in the middle of the process. When you know where the song is going. Then it is mostly just fun, cause the song kind of leads the way itself. The difficult parts are at the beginning when you're just getting started and you haven't got a clue of what you're making, and at the very end, when you are wrapping up the mix, and tweaking the last details towards the deadline.
TS: What's it like being signed to Ipecac Recordings?
JK: It's a great privilege to be on the label.
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TS: How did you come about making/modifying instruments of which were used on the new album?
JK: I have always enjoyed personalizing my instruments. I'm not an electrician, but I somehow do manage to put together some components, and to give the tools more flexibility. I'm always on the lookout for new ways to perform, to explore new soundscapes and recording techniques.  On the album, I used some circuit bent keyboards and pedals, plus my own homemade multi-spring reverbs.  Also, the string players had to play with unusual techniques, and sometimes with different metals attached to their strings.
TS: What inspired you to write "Music for Moviebikers"?
JK: After 10 years in front of my monitors, I decided that I wanted to make an album totally organic.

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TS: Did you really throw the Golden Clapboard award in the garbage?
JK: Oh well, the thing is that I've never cared much about remembering the past. I don't have a photo album, and I don't write a diary. An award is just one of those things. I like to keep the memories in my head, and to look forward.

There are not many other labels nowadays which has such as great distribution as Ipecac. Thanks to them, my albums are spread all over the world. It's fantastic, and a little bit absurd, to receive fan mail from countries like North-Korea or Chile.
TS: Is there anybody that you would like to collaborate with in the future?
JK: There are so many great composers around. The list would be endless. A real Russian folk music ensemble would be cool.
TS: Can we expect another album with Mike Patton?
JK: We have started working on some sketches, but it's too early to say if it ever will turn into an album.
TS: Will we be seeing anything new from Cloroform in the makings?
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So I sat down with the piano and started composing songs on paper again. I needed to get back to the basics and it was great fun. Also, there has been some fuzz about that I should release an album with film music, since I've done so much of that. But I've never really thought that the music to any of the movies I've done would work as a whole on a Cd. So, instead, I thought I could write filmmatic music, which was made to function on an album.
TS: How was it working with a 22-man orchestra?
JK: The album was mostly recorded in an old mausoleum. The acoustics there are just fantastic, but the problem was that it wasn't very enjoyable for the musicians to sit a dark tomb for two weeks. On the walls of this chamber there are many famous paintings, and off course, we weren't allowed to use much light in there, cause that might harm the drawings.
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