Cedie Janson Talks

Take note of the name Cedie Janson. With his new track, the exceptional post-rave workout ‘Light Curve,’ he becomes the latest artist from the Brisbane underground scene, along with the likes of Matt Kennedy and Multiple Man, to push things in an electronic direction.  “Inspired by sunrise hours in and after clubs” it marks the opening salvo from his eponymous EP due early 2015 and, if this is anything to go by, the man with credits as songwriter and co-producer of group Naked Maja is finding the infinite digital landscape particularly liberating.
 
We got in touch with Cedie to ask about his creative process, his musical leanings and the fertile Brisbane noise scene.

Light Curve is a subtly powerful rolling mass of excellence! What inspired you to come up with that?

Thanks. My original intention was for the track to be much more minimal – suited to the score of a short-film I've been working on. I was aiming for something with pace, so the beat was my first focus but as I found a flow the track became more expansive. Either way, I'm pretty happy with the results.

Can you tell us about the release in 2015 – will this be in the same vein?

The release will be closer to the EP length and titled Light Curve as well. There's definitely similar themes and textures flowing through the release. The song Light Curve felt as though I had stumbled across something special or a new direction, something I definitely wanted to pursue further.    

It's called a "cassette" in the promo – is this a reference to any kind of special cassette release or is it a hint to analog leanings?

The release will be available both digitally and with a limited edition silkscreen printed cassette.  Not an obvious hint to analog leanings but cassette definitely has its own unique aesthetic. 

How did your relationship to Lost Race Records come about?

Danny [Venzin] and I have been friends for a couple of years now. His band Nite Fields and Naked Maja have played together a few times, run in similar circles, etc. When he heard the new work I was doing – he was hugely supportive.

How long have you been making music?

I've played music most of the way through school but I think I started using computers about 10 years ago.

I remember having a demo version of Fruity Loops, it must have been the very first version – it seemed more like a game than any sort of production tool. I made a song called The Bad Girl with a bondage sample I stumbled across somewhere? My friend Chris probably still has it somewhere.

What equipment do you use?

Ableton Live is my software but I use a couple of synths – an analog one and a digital one. The digital one is was made by Korg, it isn't quite what you'd call vintage but it has a lot of great 90s sounds! Also, I use a couple of Kaoss Pads and I record my own vocals. 

Can you tell us about your production work with Naked Maja?  

I probably more "co-produced" Naked Maja. I was the main songwriter in the band and as a result had strong ideas of where to take the production but on all of our sessions we had another producer/engineer present.

What other artists are you loving at the moment?

I delve through the past a lot more these days – The Omni Trio is one thing I've been lovely lately. Lots of Drexciya as well.

What is the Brisbane "Noise" scene? Can you give us a rundown? Is it exclusive to Brisbane?

I think partly due to the awkward sizing of the city and partly a backlash from living in a fairly conservative state, Brisbane has had a long-standing interest in noise/avant-garde music. I think in most other Australian cities there is a much healthier spread between the experimental scenes and more 'indie' focused music but in Brisbane there seems to be a strong dichotomy between the two. I don't think it's one specific scene but a number of different things happening with similar ideals. Lost Race has been releasing everything from DIY electronics to garage bands. Room40 hosts a lot of international drone and avant-garde events, as well as being the biggest label of its kind in Australia. Then there is a culture of DIY spaces encouraging outsider music, they come and go but there always seems to be another one popping up – The Waiting Room and Real Bad Music have been two very significant venues in recent years.

Cedie Janson’s EP 'Light Curve', due out early 2015 through Lost Race Records.