Slow Magic

Interviewed by

Glen Meltzer

date

Wednesday 19th February, 2014 9:55AM

Elusive producer Slow Magic is one of the more forward-thinking, progressive beat driven electronic artists out there at the moment. Despite never making his name public or showing his face, Slow Magic's work has made him one of the most hyped names online by his acclaimed remixes of Gold Panda, XXYYXX and even Bon Iver.

Slow Magic's true talents however, lies in his live performance. Rather than touring just with a laptop and controller, Slow Magic brings raw energy to the stage by intertwining his live drumming chops with electronic music. A true force of sound, we put a few questions to the man behind the mask ahead of this  New Zealand shows this week in Wellington and Auckland.

What first inspired you to start writing music?

I always enjoyed music from a young age. I was able to play with instruments that my father owned and taught myself how to play drums and keyboards.

How have you found going from the studio to the live stage setting? What adjustments do you have to make?

I enjoy both sides to project. The challenge of taking a studio made song onto the stage is very fun. A live song always has more live drumming.

Are you able to experiment a bit live with the drumming aspect of your show?

Yes definitely. Every show I will play the drum by itself and improvise to connect with people on a primal level. I enjoy making electronic music but also being raw with just one instrument where anything could go wrong.

You provide a unique visual element to Slow Magic as much as the aural, where did the inspiration to do so come from?

I want to make people wonder where the music is coming from. The visual element to music can be just as important as the audible.

For all the audio geeks like myself, what gear in your set up could you not live without live or in the studio?

In the studio I love to use old keyboards and instruments. I have a Moog Rogue that I love, an M-audio Ozonic controller that I've used for every song, and a Rhodes piano that sounds great. I also record my cello, and various acoustic instruments. Live I use an MPD controller and drums, simple.

Who would have been your favourite artist to remix so far?

I really enjoyed remixing Delorean and Gold Panda, two artists who I have been a fan of for some time. I also love to really get to know a song by spending time remixing it. El Ten Eleven, XXYYXX, Giraffage, Simian Ghost, Sun Glitters, Otem Rellik, Sattelite Stories, Niva, and so many more.