TONEARM – an interview with Downtown

In the Summer of 2005 there was a lot of buzz about the music of one Ilia Bis, performing under the name “Tonearm.” Many people were impressed by an intriguing amalgam of intellectual electronica, psychedelic guitar, and striking vocals, which could be heard in several highly regarded Moscow clubs. As a result of DownTown’s acquaintance with this genre-bending musician, we have procured an interview, which we are happy to offer to our readers.

DT: A lot of people here in Russia became familiar with your music only this Summer... You live in New York – we know that much. Tell us a bit about yourself – who are you, where are you from, how did you end up in the States?

Tonearm: I grew up in Moscow, finished high school there and was studying at Moscow University, simultaneously pursuing computer science and music. At some point there was an opportunity to transfer to a school in New York, and so I did, without giving it much thought really – more out of curiousity than out of any practical concerns. Then followed a long stint at the University of Chicago as a grad student in sound analysis and synthesis... until one day I realized I just couldn’t take the academic environemnt any more. So I made music my top priority, played in a number of bands, moved to New York, worked with various musicians as a producer/engineer, wrote several soundtracks etc., and finally launched my solo project – Tonearm.

DT: And what is the meaning of this name?

Tonearm: A tonearm is the part of a record player that carries the pickup. It’s a bit metaphoric, I guess, but mainly I just like the morphology; aside from “tone” and “arm”, it’s got “ear”, “near”, “one”, “ton” in it...and I do find it quite pleasing visually.

DT: Are you settled in Moscow these days or are you planning to go back to the US?

Tonearm: I came here in the beginning of the Summer, planning to go back to NYC in about a month... and I’m still here. It’s the third year in a row that this has happened.

DT: This Summer you played several shows in Russia. Have you performed here before? And what are you impressions of these concerts?

Tonearm: As Tonearm, I only played here this year. Before that, I’ve done some other things, like composing/DJing for Moscow fashion shows... And before leaving for the States, I managed to play in four or five Moscow bands... The first one was called “Microchip”. We were using old Soviet analog synths, and I had one that I designed and built myself... Yeah, I was into building my own weird gear back then, until computers obviated the need for that. As for my impressions from playing in Moscow – they are mostly very positive. You know, I wasn’t even planning on performing here, but my friends kinda convinced me (“hey, you are here and so is your laptop, so why not?”) I had no expectations – my stuff is rather “atypical” for the local scene, and few people were really familiar with what I was doing. So, I was very pleasantly surprised by how well-received my songs were at these shows.

DT: Ok, well then the next question is actually about the music – how would you define your style? When my friends ask about you, I try to come up with something like: Matthew Herbert meets Radiohead meets Squarepusher... Do you agree? If not, what’s your own description?

Tonearm: Oh, right... You know, I am still not properly prepared for this, even though this question comes up more than any other... I guess most musicians like to believe in their individuality, whereas critics and listereners in general tend to compare. But I am not against comparisons per se, and all the people you mentioned are really great... Probably, the defining aspect of what I am doing as Tonearm, is the interaction of the computer-based and live components of my music. I get into a studio mode, where I am really fussy about small details, timbre, rhythm, dynamics... And then there is the sponatneous live mode, where there is me singing and playing guitar on stage and the computer picking that up and processing parts of the sounds on the spot... There is a certain element of risk involved, because the whole thing is right on the verge of getting out of control, and because things may sound different at different shows, sometimes in ways I haven’t anticipated. But aside from that, Tonearm is of course a song-based project... In spite of all the sound design, processing, and so on, the primary drive comes from the songwriting. The rest is just using the vocabulary to convey the image contained in a song.

DT: What are your songs about?

Tonearm: :-)

DT: Sorry for asking this, but you know, at a show one doesn’t necessarily pay attention to the lyrics...

Tonearm: Well, they are quite different really. Sometimes I’m singing from a point of view of an imaginary character – in “Lift Off”, for example, a man who is convinved he got stuck on Earth and needs to return home, is building a spaceship in his basement... But in general my songs are not narratives – more like attempts to convey a certain emotional state. By the way, if anyone is interested, most of my lyrics can be found on the site (http://tonearm.net/music.html). But of course, the image is not just in the words, it’s cumulative...

DT: Right, and also you usually perform with visuals... So is your aim to submerge the audience into a certain emotional state? What, in other words, is the general message of all this?

Tonearm: Listen and enjoy! Well, I don’t even know what else I could say here.

DT: Ok, you know there’s music that’s light or dancey, music that doesn’t get into your head... In your case there is something darker, something that makes one contemplate... Or am I wrong?

Tonearm: Well, yeah, there is contemplation. Or an emotional connection. But it varies a lot from song to song... It’s true that I don’t write “dance music” per se, although there are some groovy tracks, but you know, something can be moody without being dark... I guess, I am simply trying to write stuff that would be interesting to listen to, and would maybe leave an impression, and if it makes you contemplate, well, I am not opposed to that. :)

DT: What other musical projects are you involved in?

Tonearm: I write a lot of instrumental stuff. Really varied, from practically classical orchestral music to very agressive electronica, breakbeat, for example, which often gets compared to Amon Tobin... Some of it is close to IDM, some – to ambient. But I generally think of it as “applied music”, it usually accompanies some visuals, as a soundtrack etc. Right now I am working on some trance remixes of Uzbek and Tatar music for the upcoming fashion shows... And somewhere I have a five-year old album of vocals + acoustic guitar, just some odd songs, unplugged. Never released it properly.

DT: What’s your take on the New York scene? Everyone says New York is a special place in terms of music...

Tonearm: Yeah. In New York, there’s just so much going on, the cultural density is enormous... On any given night there can be hundreds of bands performing, in all sorts of genres, and many of them are quite good.  It’s exciting, but after a while you do get oversaturated... After seeing a thousand live shows, one gets a bit lazy about going out and finding something really fresh. Besides, there is a tendency in New York – perhaps more so than in many other places – to try and commercialize whatever you are doing. I guess because of the recent surge in the cost of living and the toughness of the competition, many people are primarily concerned with making a marketable product. So you get a lot of imitation, a lot of scene-happy people, trying to catch up with the current trends. Still, I have been very lucky to have met and heard several really talented musicians there.

DT: Tell us some names!

Tonearm: Well, first of all, I gotta mention Regina Spektor. If someone hasn’t heard her, I strongly recommend you seek out her incredible records. I am quite glad to see Devendra Banhart enjoying some success – I saw him first about four years ago and he’s done tons of great stuff since. The last several LPs by Animal Collective are also very nice, although their live shows I found a bit disorienting. Actually, the band that has impressed me most live this past year was from Canada – The Unicorns, who have since, unfortunately, disbanded. Well, there’s lots more...

DT: How commercially successful do you think your music can be? Say, here in Russia vs. in Europe/US? Do you feel it’s accessible to a really wide audience or do you see yourself as more of a left-field/underground artist?

Tonearm: No, I dont think of Tonearm as an “underground” project, I don’t intend it to be that way at all. Maybe “ground-breaking”, but that’s not the same, is it?.. :-) Well, I am simply trying to write what I myself would find interesting, beautiful, engaging. Perhaps my stuff sometimes sounds unusual, but at every show I played there were people who had not been previously exposed to this kind of music at all, and who responded very positively to what I do. And, you know, an agent in New York has been sending some of my songs out, and we actually got offers of placement, TV and film... so, there’s been a lot of interest, I am just holding off on this until the record comes out.

DT: So, when will we able to purchase Tonearm’s CDs?

Tonearm: Great question! :-) I currently have a limited edition tour CD, which is distributed at the shows. As far as proper studio albums, the first one is about 80% done, and there’s enough material ready for about half of another one. We are talking to a number of labels at the moment; hopefully the first CD will come out by the Summer of 2006. That’s all I can say for now; thanks a lot for your interest and patience!

Tonearm was interviewed by Ilya Rasskazov (www.dt-own.ru)

Official website: www.tonearm.net

E-mail: info@tonearm.net