Part 2
Do music and sound feel “material” to you? Does working with sound feel like you're sculpting or shaping something?
J: What an interesting question. I’ve never thought about this before, but sounds do feel like objects. When the three of us record a song, we talk about a space, almost like a room that needs to be filled. In a sense, it’s almost like building a house, and as a writer, I’m giving the listeners a tour around the house. Some rooms need to be filled more, and some rooms might be better left empty.
N: I prefer to use the word “direct” or “redirect” to direct the audience to the area I want them to focus on.
M: Since I consider myself quite late in starting my journey in sound design, I’d say that I mostly feel it when making a synth patch or “sculpting” the EQ. When I play, I usually just feel the music or whatever I’m feeling and do not concern myself too much with shaping the sound since I work with what’s already there.
How important is sound for our overall well-being, and how far do you feel a society or environment's "acoustic health" reflects its overall health?
J: I won’t answer this specifically about sound or music, but I’ve always believed that a society or civilisation is only as sophisticated as its art and sciences. In a way, the development of the arts reflects a healthy society. I’m not sure if I think that sound is directly linked to health, although this is an area of therapy that is used and explored in certain instances.
N: Music and sound have been around humans since day one. They are essential to everything, including learning emotions, feelings, theory, and development. It’s what makes us human.
M: I think humans will always need nice sounds, music, art, and the like. I believe that it’s part of the equation and central to our development as healthy, functioning human beings.
Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds?
J: In Bali, there’s a day called Nyepi, when people stay in for 24 hours and do nothing. You can’t make any noise, and no lights are to be turned on. So, at night, you can just be enchanted by the sounds of animals and the stars above. I’m so fortunate to experience this every year, and so many songs have come out of Nyepi Day from Balinese artists.
N: I always wonder why humans are here on earth and what our purpose is. Is there a goal? What do we truly want? I started questioning things and seeing how small we are in this universe.
M: Sounds and moments tend to be linked in memory, like the sound of a classroom bell in primary school or a tea kettle after getting home from work. I believe these moments, more so than the sound itself, leave lasting imprints in our memory.
Many animals communicate through sound. Based either on experience or intuition, do you feel as though interspecies communication is possible and important? Is there a creative element to it, would you say?
J: Of course. Many animals communicate with sound, but it’s not the only means of communication. Sharing knowledge between species is also possible through non-sound media and has been done for centuries.
I’ve seen clips of African tribespeople extracting information from monkeys to find a water source. I’ve also heard (American mycologist and entrepreneur) Paul Stamets talk about an experiment by Japanese scientists where they extracted information about subway lines from slime mould! We can only dream of the day when we can translate a dog’s bark into human language.
Regarding creativity, some species can be seen displaying their use of creativity. For example, there’s a famous clip in The Blue Planet where you see dolphins “play” with one another using various underwater objects, which I believe can only be done by unlocking the creativity part of their brain.
N: Probably yes, it’s possible. I’m not sure how, but I believe that animals would be able to do so through millions of years of evolution.
M: Whatever the method, I think understanding comes from observing, listening, and communicating, so yes, it’s important.
Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues–how do you cope with them?
J: They are severe risks to musicians and other people working in music, especially concerts. Bradley Cooper portrayed the best example of this in A Star Is Born, where he plays an experienced musician whose ears have given out through years of experiencing extreme decibels.
I take this seriously, as I always bring earplugs or noise-cancelling earphones when I go to a gig. I also ensure the volume on my ear monitors is still safe. But there are specific concerts where I go, ‘f**k this, I’m going to let this glorious sound absolutely destroy my eardrums’ (laughs). I remember my ears ringing for days after my first Tool concert. No regrets. It was worth it.
N: It's a serious problem that no one takes seriously. I don’t suffer from any, but I do take precautions, such as bringing earplugs or lowering the master volume during rehearsals.
M: EAR. PLUGS. IN. LOUD. ENVIRONMENTS.
We can surround ourselves with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself, and what importance does silence hold?
J: What a blessing it is that we live in a time when we can keep a magical device in our pocket that allows us to search for almost all music! It’s important for musicians to always listen to music, just as a novelist should always read books. Not only does it have the ability to invoke emotions and memories magically, but it also allows you to absorb inspiration.
But silence is equally important, just like the unplayed notes are just as important as the played notes in a song. It gives us space to sort our thoughts, digest and reflect, and ultimately be inspired to make our own art.
N: I try my best to be honest when writing music, apart from one song so far where I vicariously live out the life of a fictional character. So, all our lyrics reflect our daily lives.
We are naturally optimistic people, and as such, a lot of our songs have an optimistic and hopeful message. Call it naïve, but we need a bit of that in this increasingly confusing world. Music serves so many functions. Some lyricists, like Bob Dylan and Maynard James Keenan, try to explore and uncover deeper meanings in life through their songs. But whatever the lyrics say, learning about the artist’s motivation and journey will always give you an understanding of what it takes to be an artist.
Heck, go talk to a random stranger and truly listen to them. I bet you’ll learn a new point of view in life. You can learn something from anyone in any discipline, including music.
M: As a musician and a music lover, I take frequent breaks from listening to music. I do everything in moderation, which helps me appreciate music even more.
Seth S. Horowitz called hearing the “universal sense” and emphasised that it was more precise and faster than any of our other senses, including vision. How would our world be different if we paid less attention to looks and listened more instead?
J: I’m not sure I understand the quote because hearing can’t be faster than seeing. Literally, light is quite a bit quicker than sound (laughs). I’m not sure what this imaginary world would be like, but I know we would sell less makeup and clothes.
It is beautiful to imagine a world where we spend less on aesthetics. I suppose that in such a world, we wouldn’t face the same climate and garbage crisis as in the real world.
N: More honest, I would say. Humans tend to judge a book by its cover, especially nowadays, when social media is the norm. It’s human nature to judge. I mean, hunter-gatherers must judge and see if an animal is a predator. It’s a precaution.
M: Hearing and listening are two different things. If we listened more to each other, nature, and the world around us, I think we would be in a better place.
Although light moves faster than sound, humans perceive sound faster than light, so we hear things faster than we see them, which is quite complex and depends on various variables. If the source of the sound is very far away, we would see it first before hearing it.
