Daedelus Interview

You don't know this, but Daedelus and I go way back. I once gave Alfred a ride home in my car, which had a busted out passenger window. It was pissing down rain so he had to hide under a giant parka the entire 30 minute drive to my house. Then after sleeping on a terrible fake vinyl couch that would stick to every part of your body, I woke him up and took him to the airport at four in the morning and he was, somewhat grateful. When it was announced he was playing the Laneway Festival, I knew it was time to call in my favour of horrible sleeping arrangements and really cold transportation for a little phone time catch up.

Patrick Collins: What type of vision do you have for your music? I feel like it's been changing over the past few years and it seems like each album is growing and changing. Is that conscious or is it just organic and evolving on its own?
Daedelus: I think it really has to do with what label I'm on. That has an impact on my world view and knowing how people will wrestle with the sounds. I mean, now that I'm on Ninja Tune, I think there is an expectation for me to make a sorta upbeat dancey album. Versus Plug Research or Mush, which are completely different than that. I wish I could say that I evolved, I think it's probably more accurate to say I've been doing a whole bunch of parallel movements.

PC: From being a fan for a long time, I feel like it has evolved quite a bit.
D: Yeah I think I always get a few people and lose a few people each time. "Oh thanks for coming along" and "Oh sorry for leaving you behind, I'll make a record you like again sometime, I promise." (laughs)

PC: So I know everyone asks about it, but what is this hardware you use, the Monome, and did you always have it or did you try other stuff first and then come into using it?
D: Oh I tried everything ever. I tried every piece of hardware and classical groups and everything. It was always like a bad dream, you know, you start to fly a little ways and then you realize there's a chasm beneath you and you just fall to your death. Yeah like that.

PC: Did it shape your music or do you think your music necessitated its creation?
D: Well I do think we are at a terrible time period where technology allows for so many opportunities and interesting developments in music but what doesn't ever get talked about is how hard it is to present those ideas. So it's not that the Monome allows for everything possible, it's just the fruition of so many ideas are possible with it that you can get to different places with it every night and it can be a different experience.

PC: Crumping, Clowning, or straight B-boying?
D: Well I would actually pick, Juking and Jittering. But really, where is Tecktonic? (laughs)

PC: Why do you wear the Victorian garb? Why not something more practical like, say, a T-shirt?
D: What are you trying to say Patrick?
PC: (laughs) Oh, well let me follow that up...don't you worry about heat stroke?
D: Oh it's happened! Yeah it has some downsides. I had a gig in Baltimore recently where I came off stage feeling like I had taken a full shower. Thankfully some of the kids in the crowd were also soaked so I didn't feel completely alone. But no, the Victorian dress just makes me feel very comfortable on stage. It's not like a costume, it's literally attire that makes me feel in the moment. When I first started performing, in the same aspect of talking about things that weren't just quite right like the string ensembles, I would always dress normal, just like myself and when you look out into the audience and you see a whole lot of people dressed just like you, well there is just a banality to it. It's like they are sitting down and having a Starbuck's coffee.
PC: Yeah I can picture that.
D: I don't encourage any kind of drug use, but would you rather have someone listening to your show who's on qualudes or do you want it to be a full-on acid trip?

PC: What do you worry about on stage?
D: Well sometimes my equipment falters, but it's funny in this modern age. I mean I did a show with Justice a while ago and during their performance the one laptop that looks like it was performing all the music, crashed. The loudest applause they got all night was when their computer crashed. Because again, the technology allows for all these combinations that the music like, never stops. When the kids finally had their chance to respond back, it was just huge. Thankfully kids are very kind when your equipment falters. Hopefully it won't be a problem at the laneways, but I hear the weather is pretty fierce.

PC: If you were to go on a vision quest to find your power animal, what do you think it would be?
D: Well this is kind of funny, because I've done a bit of this before. I've actually done a vision quest to some extent. I've had a vision of a great cat type animal. Which isn't to say that I think it's a cat, because I think that's difficult. It was like when I was a kid I had this backstage zoo tour once, and I remember one of the lions pounced at me and was hanging off the cage inches away from where I was and it was this realization that if I was in the wild I would be this cat's food right now. I think I've always had a healthy respect for felines since then, so if anything, I'd probably be a cat.

By Patrick Collins

Release: Tour

To Cure: A predictable playlist

Keywords: Daedelus, Laneway Festival, Electronica