Sam Prekop's bewitching, forever changing career took another twist earlier this year.
Releasing new album 'The Republic', the Thrill Jockey aligned artist proceeded in a rather more electronic-inclined direction, focusing in particular on modular synthesis.
A gorgeous record, one track from the album has now received the visual treatment. Nick Ciontea stepped in to focus on the video, applying some hypnotic colour schemes to Prekop's ever-evolving production.
Check it out now.
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What is it that keeps drawing your further into the world of modular synthesis?
I think what's most important to me is that I have to "find" the music with the modular, it's less about writing with the instrument and more about discovering things I've never heard before and certainly couldn't have written, also I will admit I'm a bit addicted to the equipment itself, it's just so fun getting new modules and with every new element the sound potential broadens exponentially.
New album 'The Republic' is out now, and feels a little more accessible. Was the melodic approach deliberate this time?
I suppose, I let things through that I would have suppressed a bit previously, rhythmic pattern based material, before felt too easy in a sense, but really I just had to go further with it to make my own, in way, and that was a break through for me on this latest record.
We're premiering 'A Geometric' – can you tell us about that track? Judging by the title it's informed by mathematics… is that the case?
I consider it the most cinematic track on the record, a sort of travelogue, most of the tracks on this record start one place and end somewhere completely different, and this is the case here but in a way hopefully that makes complete sense, with purpose. The title came about after the piece was complete, there's a sort of handmade counterpoint element to the work that made me think of mathematics in reference to Bach. Also the word geometric hints at kaleidoscopic, but kaleidoscopic felt too literal as a title.
Nick Ciontea stepped in on visuals, have you worked with him before? Did you have any input into the resulting clip?
We haven't worked together before, it was a real pleasure to work with him on this project. I first saw his work at a "Bitchin' Baja's" show in Chicago, he was providing live visuals and I thought they were excellent. He sent me some first drafts and I suggested a few things mainly regarding the colour pallet, but I pretty much left Nick to work on the piece with out too much direction.
How do you feel about the video? It seems to lock into the structures of the track, while expanding on the lysergic whims. Do you feel it neatly compliments the music?
I think that the since video is in direct response to the music, the music itself initiated the movement and color via modular video synthesis, it's makes sense on another level, rather than arbitrarily attaching color etc. after the fact, it feels strangely integral in a way that wouldn't have happened using another process. I think the random but somehow orderly quality, really reflects what I'm going for with the music.
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'The Republic' is out now.
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