We met on the Fourth of May and talked about the "Dark Side" of music. This seens to be getting very "Star Wars".  You know, "May the Fourth be with you"

But in this interview we talk to the American keyboard player Kate Irwin about herself and our music project. The five pieces you can hear on this page.

Nick: Hello Kate.

Kate: Hiya Nick.

Nick: Tell us about yourself.

Kate: I am a Media Student living in California. I study aspects such as TV and Film Production, Writing Techniques, Music Composition and Production.

Nick: Well that sounds great. You live in California....LOL.....sorry. You seem to be covering quite a few bases there. You seem interested in many things. What is your favourite subject.

Kate: Probably the music side. It is a very portable media. It fits in with so many aspects of multimedia.  So it's in movies, radio, videos, stage productions and the internet.

Nick: I agree. It is very diverse And allows the mind to imagine the images created by the sound. What is your background in music.

Kate: I am a self-taught keyboard player. Probably playing for about 7 years. I am a big fan of older synthesizer music. The type of things that were produced in the early phase of electronic music.

Nick:  Like me as well....but I lived through that time.

Kate:  A lot of modern synthesizers have become stuck in a rut. Most are sample players and lack the raw quality of synthesizers like Moogs and ARP's. I have seen a few in real life. They are very organic, they have a life of their own. And the controls are very intuitive. You feel the sounds change and evolve as you turn the knobs or move the sliders.

Nick:  Yes have hit the nail on the head. I used a Moog Modular for a few years and it had a life of it's own. Sometimes a cutie, other times, a right pain in the backside. Have you followed the modern trend and moved to software synthesizers?

Kate:  Completely. Its a case of ease of and cost. Having computer control of all the parameters is vital to me. The fact that today you have a arsenal of famous synthesizers from the past means you can think like the early pioneers. Given that many early synths were monophonic, the fact you can now play chords changes the options in a dramatic way.

Nick: What softsynths are your favourites?

Kate:  Everything from Cherry Audio. Amazing sounds and super low cost. About $50 a throw. How can you beat that? Their Voltage Modular is amazing. So many new modules added all the time. Arturia have always produced quality softsynths. The Modular V and ARP2600V offer amazing patch possibilities. And in my wildest dreans I never imagined owning a Synclavier or Fairlight CMI. Orch5 sample anyone? UVI's Falcon wins for the most synthesis styles but can be a bit confusing. Synpase Audio DUNE3 features a lot in my work. It has a certain edge to it.

Nick:  What other aspects of music technology has caught your imagination?

Kate:  All of the Signal Processors available. Here we have to go straight to Plugin Alliance. The EQ's, Compressors, Saturators are unbeatable. I now only use their software. Quality and cheap. And lots of offers and deal. You can see the difference in a lot of home recordings in the last few years. I think this software has made studio quality sound available to everyone. I hear a lot more stereo width effects all over the place now.

Nick:  It looks like music is going to be a big part of your future.

Kate:  It is a path I will continue to go down. I am not fully sure it is what I will do for a job. But I would do it for myself anyway.

Nick:  Let's talk about our music. Why the "spooky" stuff. Shoudn't you get out more?

Kate:  SPOOKY? Atmospheric I would rather say. I think composers like Berlioz, Verdi and Saint-Saens were very creative in their composition and orchestration. They feel like early electronic music pioneer, looking for different timbres and effects.

Nick:  Great insight. They were getting away from traditioal Classical styles.

Kate:  I think at the time their music was seen as a bit controversial. They did put a lot of drama, fear and apprehension in their work. You listen and feel slightly on edge. Which works for ne. Which is why I always fancied trying to record several of my favourite pieces.

Nick:  Which is how we met. When I got your message it did peek my interest. I saw the challenges and admired your ambition.

Kate:  I had no idea just how much was involved. I had done lots of recordings, but this was at a different level.

Nick:  What surprised you the most?

Kate:  It wasn't playing the notes, it was the logistics of keeping track of everything. The amount of computer control of synthesizer parameters was startling. I remember looking at the DAW and seeing about 50 tracks. All of which we had to think about. Colour coding solves a lot of problems......LOL

Nick:  Welcome to the the real of professional recording. You win wars with good logisitics.  Did you enjoy the whole process?

Kate:  Very much so. It got tough and would have been easier to give up, but as it went on it did get easier. Strange to work so closely with someone 1000's of miles away.

Nick:   Lots of emails, MIDI file transfer, phone calls. But today that is standard practice. Do you think the results were worthwhile?

Kate:   From a learning process it was great. Working with different producers and musicians has always been something I've loved. Working with a EDM producer was different to my usual colleagues.

Nick:  Do you have  some favourite pieces?

Kate:  Probably "The Sorceror's Apprentice" by Dukas. It is pure electronic, which we did only used the Arturia Modular V. I love the changing pace and timbral changes. It is quite soft and yet quite cutting. I am actually still surprised I worked on that recording. I think the "Dance Macabre" captured what I was aiming for. It is quite rough sounding at times, but moves in a beautiful way. Some of the sounds were a bit off putting.

Nick:  It was definately you.....LOL....but the whole experience was wonderful for me as well. I learn a lot from these projects. You really can teach a old dog, new tricks.

Kate:  Thank You.

Nick:  Well Kate, thank you for talking to us. I know you are always busy. And those beaches are very close and the Sun always shines there.

Kate   OK.

Nick: And please remember the time difference between the US and the UK. I'm getting too old for the shock of a 3 AM phone call......LOL

**** "Itsy Bitsy Spider ****     Bass & Electric Guitars - Jo Thompson :  Electric Pianos - Nick Brickell