R.M. Hendrix On the Making Of ‘Blindur’
What was the creative process like for this particular 'Blindur?'
I was in Reykjavik a couple of months and kept a sonic diary. Each day I'd write a song inspired by something that happened. I'd never worked this way before but I made a plan to do it before arriving there.
I had written a few instrumental and ambient songs before. There's a long outro on my Can It Find Us Here? record. And I did another for Shamblegloss. There wasn't really a plan for them, they just felt like the right creative choices in those moments.
But this time I wanted to do it deliberately. I created a simple structure. Whatever I wrote would have three layers: atmosphere, terrain and sub terrain. Atmosphere was high frequencies, always changing like the weather. Terrain was mid frequencies and could move from smooth to rugged, fast or slow. Sub-terrain was the earth below. That was bass notes.
Every song sketch had these elements. I didn't worry about linear structure like verses and choruses or beats, which is normally how I write.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for 'Blindur?'
I rented an apartment with instruments—a stand up bass, piano and acoustic guitar. But I ended up using none of them. Instead I used an electronic kit I had brought with me. I had a new input device from Roli that I had been waiting to use. It's kind of like a combination of a piano and a squid if you can imagine it. It has the keys but it's also squishy like it's filled with gel. I couldn't really play it like a piano. It was more like massaging the skin of an alien. The sensitivity is unique because it responds to pressure on all axis. The sounds you can create can bend or become quickly saturated. It opened a whole new world to me.
What is your personal favorite track from 'Blindur' and why?
Each track is the shadow of a memory. I kept the names really direct so that I could recall where they started. I wrote over thirty tracks like this and chose eight of them for Blindur. They're sequenced for a flow rather than chronologically like they happened.
I don't really have a favorite. The ep builds from a mysterious major composition toward anxious minor compositions. So it depends on my mood where I suggest you start. To get a feel for the record you could begin with the first track, "Stokkseyri" and then skip to "Yellow Alert." That will give you an idea of the range.
Every composer has a unique style. How would you describe your musical "voice" or signature style? What sets your compositions apart?
Like I said earlier, this is a new way of working for me. But there are some similarities here to my other songs and it's mainly in choices about texture and mood. I prefer broken, worn, and dusty sounds with depth. So if you listen to my earlier shoegaze records or the trip-hop records I think you can hear a certain vibe. War Is On Its Way is a pretty good mix of the two styles. I'm drawn to imperfection and decay.
Are there any particular skills or techniques that you have been working on lately?
I've been trying to unlearn. Trying to forget habits. Releasing myself from long-built expectations. These songs are the result of that.
