Ensemble Economique is one of the most prolific electronic acts in the last years. Brian Pyle’s latest album ‘In Silhouette’ (Denovali, 2017), is considered among the best of 2017. This Friday, November 17th, is one of those great chances to catch the artist at his peak. And this is happening at Death Disco!
Meanwhile, Brian is kind enough to answer our questions…
Hi Brian! Thank you for accepting this one! Lets start the other way around; What should the Greek audience expect from you upcoming live at Death Disco, on November 17?
Hi! The Greek audience should expect something intense and dramatic, a deeply immersive atmosphere, strong emotions.
Your latest, excellent 12th album, ‘In Silhouette’ was released via well-respected label Denovali. I would like to ask you about the excellent 21 minute opener/opus ‘In The Clear Water Of Memory’; Which were the main inspirations for this excellent piece of art?
Thank you. The main inspiration was the idea of memory and it’s fleeting nature, it’s almost abstract way of moving, with an intensity that’s hard to grasp, difficult to understand, easy to feel. I recorded one long 21 minute improvisation and sent that to my close friend, Jung An Tagen in Vienna and said, ‘hey man, listen to this, see if it inspires some ideas‘. JAT sent me back a couple of really nice overdubs and from there i went ahead and starting composing the parts, making it make sense. It was a big challenge to make this work and capture the right emotion, many hours of experimenting. In the end I think this particular composition is really something special, completely singular and that’s always a great feeling.
‘In Silhouette‘ is among the best electronic releases of 2017, with high critical reception. Did you expect this? Will this boost your creativity, and doesn’t affect you at all?
That’s really nice to hear, thank you. I’m never quite sure how the response will be from each of my records, so no, I try not to expect anything, just release the strongest work possible and focus on that. It’s great to get a nice response but in terms of my creativity it doesn’t have any affect. My focus is always on the next collection of pieces.
And what about the enigmatic titles of your tracks? Titles such as ‘Gonna Get Right With God, Right After This Next Cigarette’ certainly catch the attention…Please discuss.
I very much like the poetic, dramatic nature of titles and how it can play a small role in how a piece of music is listened to. It’s a big part of my personality, so the titles are generally a natural extension of myself as a person.
You are one of the most productive electronic artists around, always keeping top quality in your releases. How can this over-productivity be combined with such high quality?
Thank you. I think if your always working then there’s plenty of time to produce quality work. It’s just a matter of being in the studio and developing ideas. Creating is a streaky game, it’s an ebb and flow.
Which artists have influenced you the most and in what way?
I’m not so sure. I love so much. Let’s just say Tariverdiev, the Georgian master of the soundtrack, the king of soviet era cinema. His sense of style, of timing, of emotion, of atmosphere. All of these elements are hugely important for me.
Would you agree on the parallelism with Tim Hecker?
To a certain extent, there’s points where our sounds cross paths and a certain aesthetic/approach.
You have also been involved with other projects/bands! In what way do Ensemble Economique differ from the rest?
Ensemble Economique by virtue of just being myself will always have this deeply personal aspect that will always be unique for this project.
Is the Californian electronic scene, and especially the experimental-glitch one, in blossom at the moment? Which other artists/acts should we pay attention to?
There’s great, great music coming from the west coast, for sure. M. Geddes Gengras, Leech, Robedoor, just to name a few.
Should we expect a new album from Ensemble Economique within 2018? In general your plans?
Yes, I’d love to have the next record finished by the end of the year and ready for a May release. It’s almost finished and I think it’s sounding strong, i’m excited for 2018. In general my plans are to release this next record and tour in spring, 2018. beyond that, long walks on the beach, good wine, deep moments, the usual…
Photo credits: John Karabelas (2nd one)
Christos Doukakis