The ninth edition of our podcast series is mixed by Johannes Auvinen aka Tin Man, the flagbearer of the neo acid scene who enchants crowds all over the world with his Roland TB-303. On Saturday January 24th 2015 he will headline the TAROT IFFR special at Perron alongside Julio Bashmore. For this joyous occasion we’ve asked him to record a podcast (Tin Man: ‘a variety of some new and old dance club oriented House’) and especially for those who are yet to be introduced to this prolific musician, we’ve asked him to answer the questions below. Enjoy listening and reading and we hope to see you all on the dancefloor coming saturday!
Please tell us a bit about your background and how you came in contact with electronic music?
I did not grow up with electronic music. As a teen I started collecting records of electronic music. That went through different phases, lots of ambient and new age in the beginning and then into more experimental sounds eventually discovering acid, house, and techno. I did not have many close experiences until I travelled to Europe during college vacations and witnessed festivals like Sonar and spent time in clubs in Berlin. My record releases also followed a similar chronology, from ambient to acid.
Unlike many of your peers that have moved from the States to Berlin you decided to make Vienna your homebase. Could you please tell us about living there and what it is that made you decide to move over to the center of classical music and opera being the godfather of neo acid?
Vienna has culture, infrastructure, and a good sense of sarcasm. I could very well have ended up in Berlin. I am lucky to travel there often and appreciate the special sense of liberty which is particular to only there. Romantic Vienna can be charming or boring, but has always been nurturing and inspiring for my art. Musically, I take my inspiration from DJ friends there. Sometimes I visit classical concerts such as Matthew’s Passion from Bach, but I doubt that classical music had any influence on my developments on the melodic side of acid. It is certainly not Mozart. (Schubert if I needed to choose)
Does this environment sparked the Vienna Blue project?
The Vienna Blue project plays with casting a light of some old and romantic ideas over Vienna and uses a trio of Cello, Violin, and Clarinet.
Originally released in ‘82 as a bassguitar modulator, the Roland TB-303 wasn’t much of a success until DJ Pierre discovered it’s full potential. When did you and your weapon of choice crossed paths for the first time? What draws you towards the sound of the 303?
I bought my first 303 in 2000. I had been wanting for some time to try to make some acid tracks in the wild style of the Chicago innovators. My first acid record, Acid Acid, was infact a collection of acid jams that were my version of that sound. So it was imitation that came out of admiration. The 303 sound is modulated bass. It is amorphous, abstract, and funky. It can also be delicate and sing.
Could you please tell us a bit on your studio and live setup? What approach do have to making and performing music? Can you for instance think of an intricate acid line and then instantly reproduce it on the machine?
My studio setup is a rather typical one with many different machines linked to a computer. Writing music is always changing and I try to stay playful with it. Sometimes I start with sound design and sometimes I start by sitting at the piano. No, I am not able to imagine a line an recreate it on the machine. I always have a basic idea, but spend time fiddling with the 303 programming. There is a great deal of give and take when programming lines. It requires patience and luck to find some finesse.
The last years you released a string of beautiful records on labels such as Acid Test, Killekill, Global A and Pomelo. You also teamed up with Donato Dozzy recently for a project. Could you please tell us what you are working on and what there is to be expected in the near future?
At the moment I am focused on releasing some collaboration work. The next things to come will be my work together with Cassegrain and also my project with Gunnar Haslam called Romans. I will also release some works with Jordan under the name Rolling Ones. There will be some more Tin Man 12″s this year and another album.
For more information on Tin Man please visit his website
Ps. Here’s a video of Tin Man performing live that we’ve shot ourselves during an illegal party in the forest around Stockholm’s Kuknästornet TV Broadcasting tower in 2012.. Sweet memories!