Mark Rushton on his Music

Mark Rushton On His Music:

What does your music sound like?
I create such a wide range of music so it's hard to categorize. The best genres to describe my work are probably something like electronica, downtempo, or post-rock. Some early stuff falls under ambient or trip-hop, I suppose. There's even blues, rock, jazz, avant-garde, classical, and even Indian references. Mostly, it's just hybrid modern instrumental music. I don't really understand why people have to split genre descriptions down to the smallest levels. I never know what they're talking about.

I'd like to think that my music would also work as "background music" in both public and personal spaces.

Since 2005 or 2006, I've been focusing more on ambient sounds. Some are pre-arranged. Some are the recordings of improv sessions. Many are infused with field recordings from nature.

What kind of instruments do you play?
While I have played conventional instruments in the past (various wind and brass instruments), today I use a computer and software to create, arrange, and manipulate audio. I'm also a big fan of manipulating 'found sound' as well as rendering audio through effects.

How do you do it?
I work entirely with digital audio, using sound loops or chunks. I'll chop things up or use long passages of digitized and processed audio. Everything is assembled and mixed in ACID Pro. I've been using it since 2000 and just love it. I've tried other programs and have always gone back to ACID for the ease of use. For digital editing I use Sound Forge.

I like to use Ableton Live with a keyboard controller to generate sounds, although I always record off whatever I make and edit it later in ACID or Sound Forge.

I also use a Xiosynth, which is a USB keyboard controller that also has an onboard synth. I can't say enough good things about it.

For field recordings, I have a Zoom H2 recorder. It's everything I've ever wanted in a digital recorder. It's just an outstanding device.

I used to use a lot of ready-made loops. I haven't done much of this since 2005 or 2006, although occasionally I'll throw one into the mix.

Do you have any albums?
2008 - Mark Rushton and Jon Harnish
2008 - Flow
2007 - Regeneration X
2005 - Hum and Drift
2004 - The Driver's Companion

In 2003, I put out two albums, both of which are no longer available. One was an album of ambient recordings called Quiet Time. Some of those tracks ended up on later albums. I also released a 121-track "data cd" of MP3s called Florilegium (MP3s 2000 to 2003).

In 2001 and 2002 I self-released a couple albums via the old MP3.com. One was self-titled. Another one was called Panopoly Of Sound (the misspelling of "panoply" was intentional). There might have been a third album in the planning stages, but by the time I got around to doing the artwork was when MP3.com had gone under.

I also had a song out on a compilation CD. It was the first complete track I ever finished. It's called "The World's Design" and it was part of Confessions Of Young Moderns, a 49 song, 3CD tribute by fans to musician Bill Nelson. It was released on the Chicago label Bird Ornaments in January 2001.

I also release a lot of music via my podcasts. Other things get released as a free MP3.

In the "digital vault" are numerous recordings that either haven't fit on an album, stuff that's half done, or things I later disliked.

In 2004-2005 I created, sequenced, and made CD artwork for an album called Experimental Recordings. I was set to release it under a pseudonym, but I couldn't get clearance on the name I wanted to use. Later, I had second thoughts about some of the material, most of which was very extreme in the noise/avant-garde department. Some of these tracks will come out eventually.

I also have hours and hours of live stuff, mostly from when I played ambient improv at the Ambient Matyk Cafe. I doubt I'll put out an album of those recordings. Instead, they'll come out in podcasts and as free MP3s.

Do you perform live?
I did from late 2004 until the end of 2006. In early 2007 I sold my sound system, a Bose PAS. Now I'm going to concentrate on studio-based recordings.

I do get asked to do live shows, and I will probably do some again in the future. I'll only do them with visual backing.

Do you want to pursue music as a career?
I enjoy working as an independent recording artist.

What are your influences?
It's a fairly wide range. Do I have to list a bunch of names? Some examples are: Cabaret Voltaire, Neu!, Bill Nelson, Brian Eno, Pat Metheny, Kraftwerk, Bud Powell, Parliament/Funkadelic, New Order, Can, Harold Budd, early Stereolab, Mark Hollis, Cocteau Twins, Scott Walker, Leftfield, Russell Mills, Doves, Christian Fennesz, Dosh, Loscil, and on and on and on.... These are just influences and favorites. I don't go out of my way to sound like anybody in particular.

I listen to a lot of different kinds of music via XM Satellite Radio.

What kinds of music magazines do you read?
Practically nothing these days. Occasionally I'll look at The Wire. Usually it's sites like Disquiet.com and occasionally Pitchfork. I also like MP3 blogs like Moistworks. For all media, I enjoy Metacritic. I'm always on the lookout for something new / something different / something good.

What's it like making this kind of music and living where you do?
The culture here just isn't geared towards experimentation on such a level. That's OK. I don't consider modular music or the genres I work in that radical. People who like my stuff are spread out all over the world, so at least I have venues where it can be found, syndicated, and enjoyed.

I make music for myself. If other people like it, then that's great.

How can you be contacted?
mark@markrushton.com

Buy My Albums:

BIG SALE!

All of my MP3 album downloads at CDBaby for only $3.95 per album! Click here!

Ornate Culmination
(improv instrumental drifting ambient with some rhythms)