Neil Tennant, musician “What is the influence of music on your photography? Has DJing and performing changed your approach to your visual work in any way?”
In a question above I mentioned my love for the layering in music, how it is built layer on layer and then broken down again. The simultaneity of different things happening at the same time is to me a reflection of course of life, where also many things happen at the same time. And visually I see things similarly, that’s why I have different subjects, genres and formats sit side by side, not separated. Sometimes I think visually in musical terms, in rhythm and sound. The German word for sound is Klang; “Wie klingt das?” a curator once said, this room swings. When I install exhibitions at night I listen to music at full volume. So music has informed my practice all along, maybe that’s why actually making music now seems a natural process.
Alasdair McLellan, photographer “What is your favourite 12″ single?”
I hate to be obvious, but obvious is sometimes good, because the best is sometimes obvious. So for me the best 12″ is Blue Monday by New Order. Closely followed by True Dub remix of True Faith. Blue Monday is the perfect audio visualisation of how music is layered. You can feel and hear each track and instrument as it’s added. Layering, and the co-existence of layers, is central to my understanding of the world. True Dub is taking that to another level. Blue Mondayis the craziness of simultaneity in itself, whereas True Dub is for the lovers of deconstruction.