| Going from zero to one isn’t that big a step, but for Brooklyn’s Mossyrock, their latest album solidifies their move away from their four-on-the-floor club cut beginnings as Intergalactic Faerie Funk to the subtler, pop-imbued sound found on their latest offering, The Zero to One Sessions.
Multi-instrumentalists Marc Hug, Dominica Paige and Peter B. Spiers combine slinky, broken beats with laptops, guitars, mandolin, cello and vocals to create what might be described as "folktronica" reminiscent of glitch-pop heroes Zero7 and Fourtet. Though they have a couple of remixes, singles and seven-inches under their belt, The Zero to One Sessions find Mossyrock solidifying their sound and offering a perfect soundtrack to a lazy summer day.
"It was actually pretty amazing," admits guitarist, mandolin player and laptop operator Marc Hug. "We went to this huge gallery in Kitchener (The zero to one gallery) with this ballroom. So we set up a bunch of fabric in a circle and didn’t leave for 10 days. We actually set up a tent and we’d sleep in the tent and then just wake up and make music. We’d sometimes stop for food, but we’d really just work until three in the morning and then do it all over again."
So was born The Zero to One Sessions – a simultaneously organic and pre-programmed romp through textures, loops and beats. The magic of Mossyrock lies in their ability to manipulate the sounds they create live. The most fundamental tool at their disposal is the Ableton Live program, a loop-based software music sequencer designed specifically to be as much an instrument for live performances as it is a tool for composing and arranging. Everyone from Blockhead and Daft Punk to Mogwai and The Crystal Method use the program in their live shows. Because of the performance aspect of the program, processing is done in real time, rather than the playback mode typical of most other sequencers and sample programs. This creates an interesting visual effect for the performer and the audience.
"There are definitely moments where I’ve been playing guitar onstage and the audience watching me will see me playing guitar but they can’t hear it," says Hug. "I’ll be catching a loop of it and then I’ll stop playing and the loop will play. I’ve seen a couple people look really confused, but then some people do know and get it."
It’s a process that works well for the group both in the studio and performing live.
"I’m not a very good guitar player," admits Hug with a laugh. "But I work out these pretty little lines and then loop them. Then I’ll do another thing with the guitar and put it on top and blend the two together to create something that really can’t be played on guitar in real time.
"All the sounds you’ll hear we’ve created ourselves and manipulated in some way. It’s a whole layering and building process where we’ll incorporate guitar, vocals and mandolin that we’ll catch in a loop. But at the same time we’re playing completely live." |
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