John fryer

The13th AÑO: 3

|

NÚMERO 35

UNA R E VISTA IMA GINARIA

NEVILLE STAPLE - JOHN FRYER CONTROL OF THE GOING EL ZAR | DURUTTI COLUMN | DESINTEGRACIÓN UNDERGROUND SINIESTRO | CICLO ENTREPISOS MARTY WILLSON-PIPER | BUDAPEST | MUCHO MÁS...

[ Interview With John Fryer from “Black Needle Noise” by Marina Cimerilli ]

JOHN FRYER: “BLACK NEEDLE NOISE IS AND SHOULD BE MIND EXPANDING.” The prolific engineer of sound and musical producer invites to a journey loaded with atmospheres in his new solo project.

Definitely, the creative universe of John Fryer does nothing more than expand. And the story surrounding his vigorous musical present dates back to early '80s England, when, almost accidentally, he found himself taking his first steps in Blackwing Studios as an assistant in sound engineering. There, in addition to meeting Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the renowned 4AD label and with whom he would later integrate the collective music project This Mortal Coil, Fryer was nurtured by the fruitful universe of independent production and gained renown not only as a sound engineer but also as a musical producer of the bands circulating on the label. The list of artists he has worked with since then is huge and includes names like Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Cocteau Twins, Yazoo, Peter Murphy and Love And Rockets. And to this day it continues to grow.

As if that were not enough Fryer, faithful to his curious spirit, also found room to continue experimenting through personal projects. It has given birth to several, and this 2017 finds it with all the energy put into its new offshoot: the bewitching Black Needle Noise. Already since last year he has been sharing - via Bandcamp / Spotify and one track at a time the songs that compose his first album, "Before The Tears Came", and it is in this context where we had the opportunity to exchange some questions with him about the project, its link with new technologies

and its plans for the future.

“Before the tears came” is the latest release with Black Needle Noise, your new solo project. In musical terms, how would you define this project? Was there something in particular you wished to experiment with when you conceived it?

Black Needle Noise is my Musical Spiritual Home.

Its where I belong now. After wondering the musical planes for years, I have settled here. It’s a place that suites me, it’s a place where I can be myself, be happy and call home.

Apart from its musical qualities, Black Needle Noise is also captivating due to the presence of several collaborators and female figures in it. Would you say then that the collaborative spirit is part of the essence of the project? If that were the case, did you conceive it like this from the very beginning, or it took shape on the way?

Yes, Black Needle Noise is all about the collaborations, it could not exist without them. I am very humbled and very proud that so many people want to work with me on this journey into the future.

Listening to Black Needle Noise is kind of a cinematographic experience in some way, so, if you had to describe those sound landscapes through a mo-

3

vie, which one would it be, or which director would film it?

Ha Ha, it wouldn’t be one movie or one director it would be many. Each song is like its own movie, its own journey. Its would take around 18 movie directors and movies so far and many more to come.

Streaming, digital platforms and online distribution, far from being an inconvenient, are tools that you knew how to take advantage of, by incorporating them from the very concept of your work: I mean the decision of releasing each track separately, distancing yourself from the traditional concept of “album”. Tell us a little bit more about that decision and your relationship with new technologies, and if you intend to release “Before the tears came” also in a physical format in the future.

I did a lecture in Oslo university for some 20-somethings; it’s the way they see the internet world and how they use it. So it just made sense to me to go about this musical project in this way. I don’t have any rules or boundaries for this project, so I can do what every I like with it. Why do I need to sit around for a year or two after I have the song finished? Its also nice for the singer to see their hard work come out almost as soon as they have finished singing the

song. Its something that works for me and Black Needle Noise, I don’t if it will work for everybody releasing one song at a time.

I am talking to a label at the moment about doing CDs and vinyl. So keep an eye out for that.

As an important member of 4AD label in the 80´s (not only as an engineer but also helping bands like Cocteau Twins to find their particular sound), what´s your opinion regarding the role of independent labels back then and nowadays, and what impact do you think that role has in the audience and the artists today?

It had a great impact back in the 80s. The indie labels came along with the punk movement; it was all rebelling against the major labels at the time. People who started the indie labels were people who loved music and wanted to see it out in the world. All kinds of music from very arty, noisy, to pop songs. They covered it all. I’m not so sure what the indie labels are doing today as with places like BANDCAMP, you can be your own indie label and release what ever you want.

Back in 1981, Depeche Mode were recording their first album Speak & Spell at Blackwing Studios, with

you as a sound engineer and a Tascam eight-track as your main ally. Since then, the evolution of musical and recording technologies has been huge, and the fact that such advances made work inside the recording studio a lot easier, I guess, must be undeniable.

But anyways: do you think that something has been lost in that process? There are those who recall analogue times with some sort of nostalgia. Would you say is your case?

I really like where we are technology wise today. It makes life much easier to write and record music.

The only thing it has changed is the discipline, in 81 and only having 8 tracks, you really had to be sure of your song, what you were playing and where it went it the song. You didn’t have endless tracks to record stuff and say oh I might use that later as a lot of the time you had to bounce sounds together so they had to be right or you would have to erase them and start all over again.

Not long ago, we were lucky enough to have Swans for the very first time in our country, and they gave such an amazing show. Besides having Jarboe as a collaborator in one of your songs, you also worked with her and Michael Gira in the “World of Skin” project. What can you tell us about this experience, and about your connection with such deep material?

I don’t know what Michael Gira is like today, but back then he was very intents in the studio. So it was a very intents and emotional time but very rewar-

ding as the album was amazing.

As a fan of Kevin Smith´s work myself, and particularly Clerks, I can´t help asking you to tell me something about that experience as a producer…

Well, unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet Kevin Smith back in the day, they just used the music I had been producing for the movie. It would be nice if he would like to use some of the Black Needle Noise songs in his new movies.

Are there any new bands or musical projects that have captured your attention lately?

You should be listening to the music of the singers, as that is part of why I’m doing this is to introduce you to artists you may never have heard of and what their music sounds like. Black Needle Noise is and should be mind expanding.

So, to conclude: given the nature of Black Needle Noise, are you considering playing live concerts as a possibility? If so, how would you adapt the format to the stage? I hope we can enjoy it in a live version too, and let me tell you that Argentina would be a great place to start!

I would love to take Black Needle Noise on the road.

The only way I think it could work is just to have one singer for the live shows unless its possible for other to join us at some stage or stages. I’m looking into this, so you never know what will happen in the future.

5

The13th U NA R EVISTA IMA GINA RIA