Inlet Industry On the Making Of ‘Dialectics of Collapse’
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in 'Dialectics of Collapse?'
This album was made using all sorts of techniques. Some tracks were for the most part made with digital synthesizers, while others were created with analog gear. For example, the main musical motives of “1979 Beta” were made with a Korg Volca FM, while the more ambient-like sounds were engineered digitally. “Altered Forms 1” is possibly the most complex piece in the album: I recorded all sorts of sounds and manipulated them in depth. This is something I learned from the visionary composer Pierre Schaeffer and his “musique concrète.” Other tracks feature acoustic instruments, like an orchestral bass drum on “Eastern Tectonics” and obviously the vocal part on the title track.
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of 'Dialectics of Collapse?'
The truth is that much of my creative career has always been deeply experimental. Most of my pieces for acoustic instruments are post-tonal, complex, and formally quite rare. With Inlet Industry, my alter ego, I wanted to do something different, more familiar to general audiences but at the same time far from simple, generic popular music. This, paired with my interest in electronic music from the 1980s (Kraftwerk, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre…), is what ultimately brought me to make this album.
To sum up, while some elements of this album could be categorized as experimental, I believe that ‘Dialectics of Collapse’ is deep down a synth-pop record.
Have you noticed any particular interpretations or connections that listeners have made with this album?
I think that some listeners have clearly gotten the sci-fi nature of this music. This is a concept album about the birth, growth, and decline of an intelligent civilization. It may be ours, but it does not really matter. The point is that the album attempts to be the soundtrack of this civilization until some of its members escape their decaying planet in the hopes of finding a new home somewhere else.
Are there specific musical elements or techniques you enjoy experimenting with to create something fresh and innovative?
In the context of Inlet Industry, I love mixing all sorts of aesthetics and approaches. I have no fear of eclecticism. I love and am familiar with many types of music, so I do not want to remain in one specific niche, doing one little thing only. I really enjoy trying all sorts of things and allowing myself to pay homage to all the music that I love.
What draws you to experimental music?
What I love about making music, in general, is precisely the possibility it opens for experimentation. For me, it’s like cooking: sometimes you want to follow recipes, but most of the time you want to do the opposite and reinvent the original recipe. This is risky, in the sense that sometimes a meal will be too salty, or tastes may not combine well. Same with music. However, for me something is very clear: I prefer to make a truly original piece of music, even if this means that many unsuccessful attempts were previously required. Generally, I am very unhappy when the music I make (or the music I listen to) leads to generic results.
