David Byrne Interview: When to Resist Technology
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2013
- "Computers and technology push us in certain directions creatively and we have to know when to resist that". Legendary musician David Byrne known from the band Talking Heads talks about working as an artist in the field of new technology.
"To be honest, I don't think the quality of the recording is the most important thing." Says David Byrne and explains how he had moving experiences from listening to a crappy radio, when he was very young, and why he thinks good music should work in every format.
Recording and producing decent music is much easier today, because of the technology and software available. The technology "tends to encourage us to record in a certain way." Byrne explains. Regular, repeatable, strict and steady tempos were an ideal in the past, but are maybe not the best thing. We have to know creatively when to resist technology, Byrne says: "Starting without the computer allows me a certain amount of freedom."
Also, you cannot control how people choose to listen to your music - it may be on a phone, with crappy speakers - so the music has to work "in whatever format." When Byrne sees people listening to music holding up a phone it makes him wonder: "What kind of music works really well like that?"
The Scottish born, award winning musician, David Byrne (b.1952), who was a founding member and principal songwriter in the American New Wave band Talking Heads, has also released numerous solo recordings, and worked across various media, including film, photography, opera, and non-fiction.
Live footage from David Byrne & St Vincent at Stratford Music Center, Rockville, MD, Sep. 2012, kindly provided by NPR MUSIC.
David Byrne was interviewed by Pernille Jensen at Falconer Salen, Copenhagen, August 2013.
Photographed by Nikolaj Jungersen & Martin Kogi
Editing by Martin Kogi
Music by David Byrne
Produced by Marc-Christoph Wagner
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2013.
Supported by Nordea-fonden. - Krátké a kreslené filmy
we need to talk about and with people like David Byrne. in my opinion he has something to say, something meaningful. in contrast to many other people out there.
He isn't telling you to not utilize your computer, Iphone or whatever you use , he is telling you to be creative and not set in some programs point of view . He wants people to use the technology to your advantage but not to maintain the rigidity of the program. He is a musician that thinks outside of the box and it is important to think that way if you want to be an artist as well as a musician . David Byrne is and always has been a visual master as well as musician . His music has always been experimental and creative. I believe he is just warning people of the stereotypical settings of technological programs and again , to use them in creative ways , to think outside of the box.
Killing Joke gave a warning on this in their song "Beautiful Dead" back in 1991;
"You are an inspiration to me
You are my inspiration of how not to be
You are my inspiration to achieve a better way of life
The crowd was one (oblivion ran deep)
A consciousness of cannon-fodder walking in its sleep
Vacant expressions (and don't look ahead)
Everybody dance with the beautiful dead I said!
All queue up and gravel for a hit
Someone pulls the reins then you chew at the bit
Encouraged by commercials to spend beyond my means
I laughed as it all fell apart at the seams
(Hey! Take a look at tomorrow)
But will I inherit the good green earth?
Such a lovely world
All mod-cons there was dust on the drums
My electronic beat-box got the job done
Everybody emulate the pulse of the soul
And change your clothes (to make you feel whole)
Effort and sweat was a thing of the past (they said!)
Welcome to the world of the beautiful dead"
Spot on analysis. I was going to say something similar but I'll just thumbs up here.
Yeeeaah. If only I was creative enough to actually do that 😂
Our beloved, wise guide...the humble "dalai lama" of music making. Thank you David for keeping it real, thank you for staying human and for having a heart as big as that suit you once wore.
An incredible interview. He speaks the absolute truth - I have been in the recording business since 1989. I started out fully analog, recording on Studer A800's and 2" tape - I watched track counts explode on mixes when it became fully digital with Avid Pro-Tools and it got to the point where sorting through a mix was like being in a spiders web, with easily a 100 tracks. Lately I have gone back to less is more - and it seems to work. If I can not get from one end of a mix all the way down to the print track, without scrolling, there are too many tracks. The technology today can be a blessing or a curse, sometimes both at the same time. Less is more. David is such a brilliant man, and like David Bowie a genius and a true gift.
I'd love to see him and David Lynch working together.
How would you know which was which?
Funny because somehow David Lynch led me to David Byrnes sooooo get tf out of my head 😂
David Thomas, David Lynch, David Bowie, David Byrne, talent comes in fours
David Lynch: "You CANNOT watch a movie on your phone!"
David Byrne: "You can maybe listen to a solo violinist on your phone."
I remember hearing the Talking Heads and other great bands on a small palm size transistor radio in the early 80's, playing outside as a kid. The music definitely moved me even though it was coming thru a tiny 1 inch speaker.
You are a fascinating man, David.
Trisha Henderson-Wilson thank you :)
yes to all that, love your mind as I love your music! David Bryne brought me here just now
David sir . you are the Man! always was and always will be .
From a man who could walk into the best recording studios in the world, and whose band conquered the world when hi fi recording was at its zenith of power, the statement that the quality of recording is not so important (however much he wanted to laugh as he said it) is refreshing in the extreme. Even things like the scratchy mono recordings of Robert Johnson have their place, sometimes even more important for their rarity.
The soft sound of ruffling suit fabric is overwhelming.
This made me think of when I was very young and sitting on a beach in New Jersey listening to Little Eva’s Locomotion on a tiny transistor radio. I just couldn’t get over it. And then my hysterical father and uncle found me. But that beat , sax and voice all made it sound like a great train ride
Thank you David for stop making sense live my god what have we become musically peace
I agree, I think formalization can inhibit the creative instinct. However we must never doubt the integrity of our inspiration.
Simple Hang drum tunes occurred to me, after David's question at the end of this video, as plausible "phone" music. Somewhat metallic, yet soulful.
There's a physicality, an embodiment in David Byrne's music, that's essential to it. You have to SEE it to really get what he's going for. It's very, very human stuff. And his message about not getting subordinated to machines has a relevance much broader than just the realm of music.
Someone had to tell it like it is and Dave is the one to do it. He really knows how to cut through to the truth.
Never a true word spoken !! The man is a genius
Wow, he's ageless
DAVID YOU ARE SO AWESOME-- HOW ARE YOU NOT MY BROTHER, HOW ARE YOU NOT LIKE ME? AMAZING ESTHETIC GENIUS - I SEE YOU- I SEE YOUR HEART, LOVE YOU AND YOUR ART FOREVER WITH YOU, - YOUR TWIN FLAME WHO COMPLETES YOU.
Damn right. I personally think many musicians spend too much time, effort and financial resources
on the best studio equipment and the latest software,
just to end up being heard on low grade sound systems and not different than other musicians.
Even studio monitors are made big, loud and impressive whereas their only role is -
to preview how your craft is gonna sound like in other places, not to blow the hat off the listener's head!
That is a real problem. When you mix, you are mixing into high end, specialized and very flat monitors or the equivalent headphones. That is really a pre-requisite so you know exactly what is going on across the audible spectrum. But the "output" may be anything from a high end audio phile system, to "ear buds" or car audio systems that are all bass frequencies. You have to listen on a variety of devices. But here is the thing - if the piece has value, if it touches peoples soul, or makes them want to move their feet, they are going to listen to what is being said, sung or played - It all starts with the quality of the music, the musicianship, the melody and the lyrics. As an engineer, I can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear, or make poor lyrics sound better.
Well put sir...
Articulating so many sentiments that resonate so deeply.
Excellent. Truth.
Very good..
Can't give you a thumbs up but thanks
Agree with David. I listen to other musician's stuff over studio mastering reference speakers, 15, 8, 6, 4, 2 inch, and most of it has to be EQ'd to sound decent. Remastering my former 90's band recordings from analog tapes is a challenge.
My music is computer based, but it's emotional. I start every session in a generic way: a piano and the session is set to 120BPM. Then I play, completely improvised. No click, it just happens. If I involve other musicians, tempo is not discussed, as it's all about feel. If i need something to be tighter I will lock to a tempo, but playing to a click track can make things so rigid, so use a "visual tempo". David comes from a time before the computer, as do I, so he understands that there needs to be "feel" before anything else.
A great artist..
very interesting...
The irregularity of Talking Heads music has always been what fascinated me, exactly what David is mentioning here. Talking Heads 1977-1982 would have not been possible today, following the "easy" way that David is talking about.
It's like computer programming - newer generations are made lazy by conforming to what the capabilities of a computer editor and how their peer is using it. Have no clue about the basics or how to use them creatively and outside of the box. They are just human machines - like the majority of musicians David is talking about (he's being much more polite than me!)
Lol way to be so condescending, there are plenty of people using current technology in ways that are extremely creative and surprising.
Provided the stars align, a Talking Heads reunion would be something awesome. David is such a versatile musician. He took a stab at latin music and Make Believe Mambo was a good song.
Live is the best medium!
So who is on a phone and accidentally hit this video when you meant to hit the first video result?
The flight case / travelling trunk behind him is so cool. Look at those immaculate clothes hanging there! I want one!
Genius
Agreed 100
Sounds like he had his share expressing his opinion more frank.
what song was he performing live? sounded good.
MrHalfjack album: Love This Giant
+MrHalfjack "I Should Watch Tv" - Album: Love This Giant
My question, too. What is that music... and where can you get it?!
Ah? But does what Eno say?
from the sound of that live snippet, sounds like david byrne is making hip hop nowadays
Chris Arnold David Byrne has always been making things that sound like Hip Hop. He's a huge fan of it. Talking Heads' whole 1983 album speaking in tongues was inspired by South Bronx hip hop from the likes of Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa. Since both the punk scene and the hip hop scene were happening in two different New York ghettos, the groups associated often got a along. Talking Heads were actually great friends with Grandmaster Flash and their offshoot group Tom Tom Club actually let Grandmaster Flash sample their track "Genius of Love" (which was already heavily influenced by hip hop and dub reggae)
So they actually have always had hip hop hidden a little bit inside their music. Also funk. The synth player from Parliament/Funkadelic played for them briefly.
Just need more adaptive technology
Is that St Vincent?
yes
He still sounds the same wtf!!!
A singer who didn't mistreat his voice over the years?
music that would sound good just holding up a phone; maybe ringtones?
www.tinymixtapes.com/news/james-ferraros-ringtone-suite-is-live-on-the-moma-ps1-website
yeah...wot's not to to like about this guy.
Great interview, He's wonderful, but I think a lot of people use all or some technology to create their music, is because to hire musicians can be so expensive & out of people's price range.
Anthony Bourdain mannerisms
apathy withdrawal Richard in disgust is the same said
Peter Krause is the secret son of David Byrne!!
I think you missed the point of what he was saying.
i kno excatly what ur saying . Most of these newer artist have very little talent .
Can I just say, terrible bleeping clickbait. I got here through a paid ad saying "Musician David Byrne on how to resist technology". I hesitated to click that link because it sounded terrible. How is "how" equal to "when". Your paid ad was bad and you should feel bad.
Frankly, I liked David Byrne more when he seemed crazy.
He just explained why Radiohead became shit right after OK Computer.
kid a is kinda their best album but ok
Anan Zaa One of the best released in the 90s. Radiohead's descent into self-indulgence digital garbage signified the end of creativity with actual musical instruments.
***** Well if a keyboard is more creative than actual human fingerprints on a guitar, bass, or drumsticks, then maybe.
They still use musical instruments...
***** Like what? A musical triangle?
CZcams should get rid of that obnoxious thumbs-down button.
Prophetic comment 😂
They did a mistake though
Dont you know David its what the Music communicates that is important . No, you don't know. You used to, but you don't anymore. I don't listen to you anymore cos its just bla bla. Singing on top of Enos repetitive junk was boring too
You're dead to me David :(
Hold up a phone and listen to music? Lol you know he was talking bout black people hahaha
You're insane if You believe he was talking about black people! Walk down a crowded street and You will see people of every demographic either watching videos or listening to music, pod casts etc. on their phones!
This is so much BULLSHIT... Byrne is the most control freaquey person, and if he can't get The one guy who makes animal noises under his control he gets the other guy... He is a genius, but don't listen to him on this. He 's just old man Jones on this.
Yes! Don't listen to him. He remains relevant since the 1970's. He knows nothing of modern music!
"...control freaquey.." ? You mean to say that he's a control freak? Why would you spell it that way?
and you're a young idiot. don't worry it will pass.
CrazyBear65 spell check quantize?
I think you must be missing the joy in all his best live shows. The control is not rigid, it's aesthetic vision. He's talking about tools shaping composition excessively. And it s obvious to many of us using DAWs that this is exactly what is happening. It's an easy trap to fall into. He straddles eras of recording, and has some legit perspective here. DAWs are fantastic, but they shouldn't be doing the writing and the playing, that's all.