EIC's 10Q's w/ Alek Fin

"..sensual futuristic synthetic air.."

Alek Fin

Prudent Synthetic Honesty

Alek Fin Bio:

Alek Fin is the Electronic/Alternative solo project created by producer Adam Finkel in late 2009. The debut album “Better When Seen From Above” was released in early 2010. Since then Adam has been releasing a series of remixes as well as working with 4 good friends, Jonathan Marsh (bask), Jeff Zavala (Anicca), John Figueroa (Captions) and Umang Bhakta (Vex Mohan) in creating a live show around it. They are currently performing around Southern California

Hello, how are you?

Hey, I'm doing well. Thanks for asking.

What are you currently listening to?

Nosaj Thing's 'Home', Flying Lotus' 'Until The Quiet Comes', 'Shields' by Grizzly Bear, and Tame Impala's 'Lonerism'..

When did this project come about and whom were your biggest influences for said project?

I started Alek Fin in the Fall of 2009. I was listening to a lot of Unkle, Autolux, Flying Lotus, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Sigur Rós, and Jon Hopkins.

Care to tell us a little bit about your latest release 'Mull'?

It's an EP about the different stages of thought and acceptance I went through while dealing with some recent heavy circumstances. Took me a lot of time and work to get it where I wanted it. Really meant a lot to put it out there.

Any plans to tour for said release?

No tours scheduled yet. Have a good feeling that will change in the upcoming months though.

If you could choose one different artist for each song on your  EP to be remixed/re-made, whom would you choose?

"Mull" - Jamie XX /  "Rocks In Paper" - Caribou / "Waiting Like A Wolf" - Jaques Greene / "Gone" - Tokimonsta

Got any other projects we should know about?

I have a couple in development. Keeping them under wraps at the moment.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?

Blade Runner

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your  life ..which album would it be?

I would be happy with either Grizzly Bear's 'Veckatimest' or Radiohead's 'In Rainbows'. I have a lot of memories associated with both. They would be great for nostalgia.

Are you living your dream?

Still a little ways to go. Regardless, I'm enjoying the process of getting there.

Thanx Adam!

Alek Fin is currently too underrated (IMO), if you get a moment (please) spread the word..?

EIC'S10Q'S w/Seven Saturdays

"..each note bends, bleeds, breathes and morphs into an unimaginative force of captivating beauty.."

(Photo credit: Jonathan D. Haskell)

Seven Saturdays
Tranquil Sedate Transcripts

Seven Saturdays Bio:
Mulholland Drive, malt scotch, Edinburgh Scotland and Christmas trees may not seem like they have a lot in common, but in the case of Jonathan D. Haskell, orchestrator and multi-instrumentalist for the band, Seven Saturdays, they are the landscape for his cinematic orchestra.

A native Angeleno, Jonathan D. Haskell has spent years working and re-working the subtle melodic nuances that have become the headphone-centric Seven Saturdays. Conceived walking the cobblestone streets of Edinburgh, Haskell accepted his inescapable fate of never leaving Los Angeles and his impending return. With that, Seven Saturdays embody his love / hate relationship with said city.

"I became more interested in how music made me feel and became a bit more selfish in the type of sounds I wanted to record. I mostly listen to music in my car, and the sounds that moved me the most occurred late at night while driving around the steep slopes and sharp curves of Mulholland Drive. There's nothing like that winding road at midnight... the ebb and flow of swirling tones pouring out from all angles leaves you with a renewed sense of focus and direction."

Seven Saturdays is a direct result of this renewed energy and a reaction to growing up and feeling trapped in Los Angeles. "There is no escaping this city. If you're born here, even if you move away, its impact is always brewing just below the surface.”

Seven Saturdays was recorded, produced and mixed by Haskell and Daniel Farris (St. Vincent, The Black Pill) in the shadowy confines of downtown Los Angeles. And contributing everything from heart-pulled strings, down tempo beats, delicate keyboards and distant voices, Seven Saturdays comprises an impressive list of talented musicians including: Lester Nuby (Verbena, Terra Naomi), Morgan Grace Kibby (M83), Mike Garson (David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins), Wesley Precourt (Dave Stewart, Jenny Lewis) and Eric Heywood (The Pretenders, Ray LaMontagne).

”The Snowflakes That Hit Us Became Our Stars” is the second 2010 release from Seven Saturdays. Earlier this year, Seven Saturdays released an eponymous EP which was warmly received by critics ("Gripping and mellowly epic." Stereogum) and spent 6 weeks on CMJ’s Top 200 Radio charts. Seven Saturdays released a 10” single entitled “New Hope In Soft Light” and this fall, the band plans to hole up in the studio and begin working on their first full length.


Hello, how are you?
(Mr. Saturdays chose not to answer this one, we'll assume he's OK;)

What are you currently listening to?
At the moment I’m listening to a lot of ambient music and film scores to get inspired for a film I’m scoring called "The Diary Of Preston Plummer". I was recently turned onto this guy Jon Hopkins who composed the music for “Monsters” and was really taken by his music. Brian Eno’s "Music For Airports" & "Discreet Music", Stars Of The Lid and Arvo Part have also been on repeat these days.

Who’s sound influenced you the most when you began writing music for Seven Saturdays?
My engineer/producer Daniel Farris. I began working with him in December of 2007 and have probably gained more musical wisdom from him than any other artist. He really opened my eyes to ambient music and introduced me to the importance and emotion in minimalism.

Do you consider your sound to be “Post Rock”?
It’s post-rock. Ambient. Atmospheric. Instrumental (for now). Whatever label makes the person asking understand broadly what Seven Saturdays sounds like. I just put it into context and think that when trying to describe bands like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, This Will Destroy You, etc. using “post-rock” as the qualifier gets the job done. Those bands are all instrumental for the most part and explosive, so it works. But if my mom asks, I write film scores with drums…easy to visualize. Side note: you know what other bands I’m really into these days, Yuck and Baths. Genius music!!

Is Seven Saturdays a reference to “constantly being on holiday/free from work” ..or is it something else?
Seven Saturdays actually began as Firs. That’s what the first vinyl 10” single was released under. But due to a legal issue that arose, it was easier to change the name to Seven Saturdays, which was at the time, my ambient side project. While I was recording what would become the 10” and two subsequent EPs, it was taking much longer than I had ever anticipated, so I decided to challenge myself on the days off and write, record, and perform one complete song for seven Saturdays in a row. The result became a collection of ambient music that will be released on Dynamophone in February 2011. But Seven Saturdays was initially me just trying to do something fast and spontaneous, without over thinking every little part (which is easy for me to do unfortunately).

What‘s the overall difference between the last two releases you put out?
Both EPs are a compilation of recordings that were produced over an 18 month period. But in trying to give each work its own identity, I would say that the first EP, "Seven Saturdays", is a bit more song oriented and raw, whereas the second, "The Snowflakes That Hit Us Became Our Stars", is a little more cinematic. I worked with Mike Garson on both EPs, but his piano playing is a little more prevalent on The Snowflakes… I guess playing with Bowie for 30 years helps a bit with finger dexterity and stamina!

Care to name a few dream collaborations between you and whomever?
Brian Eno would be an obvious choice. And Daniel Lanois. I’ve always self produced everything I’ve put out on a very lo-fi bent, so it would be a real treat to work with a true master.

Have you ever thought of doing film scores?
Yes, as I mentioned above, Seven Saturdays is doing the score for The Diary Of Preston Plummer and it’ll hopefully come out some time next year. I got a little bit of a budget this time so I was able to bring in some real seasoned players. We basically just rolled tape for the entire duration of the film and jammed. It was amazing to see the creativity and improvisation from my friend Ana who plays cello, and my friend Eric who kills at the pedal steel. Doing a film score is fun and yet super challenging, because although you’re brought on to do what you do, so to speak, you’re forced to work within the mood of the film and the vision of directors and producers and writers. But creating ambient music is truly liberating and inventing a world in which an entire story takes place, is pretty great.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
"Meddle", by Pink Floyd. It speaks for itself. I don’t think I could ever tire of Echoes.

Are you living your dream?
Absolutely. I could never dream of doing anything else! Although, the day we start touring regularly and traveling, I think that dream will look even sweeter.

Thanx Jonathan & Daniel!

Seven Saturdays has released not one, but two amazing albums this year. Get them now ..go on...

♥

A few words to note:
"There's an album out soon by Brian Eno, with myself (Leo Abrahams) and Jon Hopkins... It contains the fruits of several years of jams between the three of us. I've not heard anything quite like it-- it sounds 'live' and 'alien' at the same time. Some things have been permitted to survive, which only Brian would have had the courage to let go, and it's so much the better for it..."

I'm...
::speechless::