Music interview With Julian Ash

I would like to welcome you on my website for Music interview and the interview contain eight Questions .

Question One

how did you start making electronic music ?

Ans :- I started doing electronic music in 1989 after a party, where I met former NLC member Angustère, and we had a nice talk with some friends about Coil, which was the favorite band of everyone involved this night !! We bought an Akai S900, a Korg MS 20 and a Fostex 4-track tape, and we were on the way… The music scene was very dynamic in north-east of France, and our first demo became a CDsingle early 1990, and we did three different reissues in the following years. As our records used to sell quite well, we decided to concentrate on studio work only, and never played live. We were both organizing the Futur Interieur Festival, that was enough satisfaction for us with live performances, welcoming the bands we liked !

Question Two

What made you want to become a musician ?

Ans :- That’s quite a difficult question to answer… I think I always wanted to become a musician, my father was one, my grandfather too… And I remember composing my first tracks at the age of six or seven, so I think there wasn’t any particular moment when I decided to become a musician, it’s always been inside me. What made me record tracks and release them was meeting Angustère, and sharing lots of common tastes and ideas with someone has always been something I needed. I still enjoy collaborative work, even if NLC is a one-man band since 31 years…

Question Three

Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music ?

Ans :- No Answer

Question Four

what kind of music Gear you Used and Why ?

Ans :- I used to have lots of different samplers, synths, recording systems in the past. In 1996 I decided to stop working with MIDI interfaces, and stop quantizing. Till 2007 I increased the part of analog recordings of real instruments in my music, and then I stopped in 2007 for 14 years, the aim was reached, my 2007 album “Threatening Devices” was 80% “unplugged”, which could have been the end if I have considered myself as an “electronic musician”... And in some way it was an end ! I stopped working (in real life) in early 2021, and then started music again, because my oldest son Aloïs was becoming a professional composer and sound engineer. He was very keen on electronic music, but also a good violin and sax player. So we went on mixing electronic and real instruments, using MIDI devices and complete improvisation, sampling and other (de)constructions techniques such as cut-up, exquisite corpses with collabs, etc… I’m not trying to have a specific aim or concept now, just doing music and having fun. So I’m now working with one expander, one master keyboard, one microphone, one zoom recorder for field rec, one laptop, one bass, one acoustic guitar, one electric guitar, one mandolin, one violin, one sax, one flute and various percussions and toys and kitchen/plumbing tools… But whatever sounds can be used !

Question Five

Who is your favorite artist or a person you look up to in the industry ?

Ans :- Coil was my main musical influence. I may also mention EKS and Steven Stapleton, but also Cliff Martinez, Jim O’ Rourke, Joanna Newsom, Cocorosie, Einstürzende Neubauten, Zimmer, Schubert, Paganini, HF Thiéfaine, Mick Harris, Rudimentary Peni, Basil Kirchin, Lana Del Rey, Virgin Prunes etc etc… My fav band of all times is Chrome.

Question Six

Do you think anyone can be a musical artist ?

Ans :- No, I know people who absolutely don’t want to become musical artists. And no one may be forced ! And to be a musical artist you just have to want it, so .

Question Seven

What is your main inspiration ?

Ans :- Nature, only nature. Animals, water, fire, mountains… Nature is noisy, rude, smooth, soft, ambient, electric, nature IS music .

Question Eight

What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician ?

Ans :- I’m certainly not a great musician, but this may not be very important… My strength is my willingness. Time has also brought lots of good things, for example teaching to become perfectionist, that was something really necessary !

Thanks For The Musician Julian Ash