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INTERVIEWS:
Read Martin France talk about his second album with Spin Marvel and his collaboration with Nils Petter Molvaer.
1. Can you tell me something about the origins of Spin Marvel – How and when the project began and when did the Spin Marvel sound come to you?
MF – The Spin Marvel recordings came about after receiving a commission from Tony Dudley Evans to compose music for a live show a few years ago. The line-up changed a little from the original and the basis for the music was re-established with Bass and Drums as the core foundation. It also enabled me to develop my experiments with various electronic percussion instruments which again influenced the music and sound of SM, from a starting point at least. I was also keen to experiment with both the music and sound by processing and reprocessing, with each step trying to move closer into the music, rather than getting further away from it.
2. Did you seek any particular influences when starting to record this new album?
MF – No, the only real influences were the people involved. Tim Harries and I had many nights of discussion in the orchestra pit at the National Theatre, and out of these conversations came the ideas that shaped the concept from the start. From a rhythmic point of view I wanted to experiment and try to create something that was not locked into a conventional grid of “pulse” or “beat”, but try to move away from this format and out into a different space. There are some drummers out there today who I feel are breaking new ground with modern concepts and ideas and it really has a big effect on the music that they make, which I like.
3. Can you tell me about the recording and production process – how each track was instigated, how long did the project take to finish?
MF – Each track was initiated by the evolution and subsequent editing of multi tracks of electronic percussion, this was our starting point. Bass and acoustic drums were then recorded, edited and compiled. All the sounds on the record are produced by the musicians involved and nothing was brought in from outside. The processing and mixing was done in Oslo by Terje Evensen, who was also was responsible for the resampling.
Files were going back and forth for many months until we had to say that’s it, we could have carried on for much longer!
5. Did you intend to record this new album as a complete suite or did that happen naturally?
MF – Originally we wanted to release the music on vinyl only, which immediately forced us to think along a different path in terms of content and presentation. I think in our minds it should be presented as one piece, with a slight break in the middle where you would get up and turn it over!
6. The first album was released to critical acclaim – has the project / sound of Spin Marvel changed since the first release or are the core values the same?
MF – We wanted to experiment a little more and have a another chance to realise possibilities and options that maybe we didn’t quite exploit in the first release, so from this point of view it’s a development. It’s using modern facilities and hardware but the core fundamentals of the music remain the same – the musical values that are strong to us.
8. This CD features trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer – can you tell me about this collaboration came about?
MF – Playing with Django all those years ago enabled us to travel and perform all over Europe, every weekend it seemed, and I met Nils through Django. We played together and have kept in touch off and on for many years. He very much liked the first cd and was interested when he heard through Tim that we were working on a new one. He had a very tricky job to record with us but the way he plays, it’s difficult for me to put into words, but it’s perfect.
9. You have played for many years with these musicians – can you tell me where you first met and played with them and how your strong relationship with Scandinavian musicians developed?
MF – I’ve been lucky enough to play with many creative musicians from all over Europe and I guess Scandinavian musicians more than any other. Many of those players were big fans of Django and the connection between their musical philosophies and his not only exist but are very strong, even though it might not seem like it on the (musical) surface. Emotional content in one form or another is a high priority to some musicians and without this crucial element music becomes pointless.
10. Spin Marvel I was your first CD as a leader – have you always had a sound in your head for this project or have you been waiting for the right musicians?
MF – It’ very difficult for me to see myself as a leader of this project, maybe more an instigator. Through each process of development the music has passed through everyone’s hands so to speak, in some cases several times! The right musicians are of course very important, and to have everyone’s understanding and to share musical similarities with great musicians in any situation makes life worthwhile! We never discussed each development in great detail, but we each understood individually the direction in which we were moving with the music. Both Tim and John are two musicians who bring so much musical sense to everything they do. For them it’s all about the music, nothing else enters into it which is extremely inspirational.
11. You have played for years as a drummer to many of the great jazz musicians in European Jazz – Do you see Spin Marvel as a focus in your work now or do you prefer to keep the variety of playing?
MF – I like the variety of life as a professional musician but it’s also nice to have somewhere where you can go to try to create something for yourself, even if it’s just for you. Experimenting with music has to be a good thing for the individual musician as you can not only learn from it, but it can help you realise what is important for you as a musician, and what you want to do and say. Someone said to me once that every musician should be forced to make a solo record, why not? It’s going to make you think, isn’t it!
