Emancipator Interview

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2016 is starting off with a bang in Australia as Pretty Lights, one of America’s biggest electronic music stars, is set for a comprehensive Australian tour. Having been Down Under twice in the past as part of touring festivals Stereosonic and Big Day Out, this will be the first time he has ventured south for a headline tour – and he is bringing some friends along in the form of Emancipator and Opiuo for what is set to be one of the biggest broken beat tours to hit Australia in years.

Before you read this interview in full, we highly recommend you hit play on this live recording so you can fully understand where he comes from and the beauty of his music.

Portland’s Emancipator AKA Douglas Appling has been making waves in the USA for over a decade now with his introspective sets of live instrumentation and sampling which will appeal to all lovers of broken beats. Expect something different with Emancipator: traveling with Appling is the classically trained Russian violinist, Ilya Goldberg, who performs alongside Appling in what must be one of the most unique live setups in electronic music.

We caught up with Emanicpator to get some insight into his live act, Portland, and what we can expect from the upcoming visit.

Explore Darwin, Northern Territory

Hi Doug, thank you for your time! So you will be coming down to Australia with Pretty Lights, and will be joined by Opiuo for a series of dates. How well do you know Pretty Lights and Opiuo? Is this the first time that you will be doing a joined tour like this in another country?
Yes, this is the first time touring internationally with a joined tour like this. I’ve done a number of shows with Pretty lights including a mini-tour in 2009 and I’m looking forward to meeting Opiuo.

Would this be the first time that you visit Australia? If so, what are you looking forward to the most? Which city are you the most excited about seeing and why? And if you’ve been here before, is there anything that you would like to do this time around that you missed the first time?
This is my first time visiting Australia. I’m excited to see all three major cities we are playing (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne) as well as Rainbow Serpent festival to see how the festival world here compares to in the states. There are plans to visit Byron Bay on the off days and see some family.

I read that your past musical influences include bands like Radiohead and Pixies, but your music in its current incarnation is extremely ethereal and chilled out. How did you get you on this musical path and what were the musical act that influenced you the most to get to this point? Which artist would you say is currently influencing you the most?
I have roots in guitar and rock music and I played drums in bands up through college, but the Emancipator sound came from a time when I was most inspired by underground hip-hop, the art of sampling, and experimental electronic beats. I was captivated by artists like DJ Shadow, Nujabes, Bonobo, and Four Tet. Lately I’m really inspired by what some people call future beats which really just covers a wide range of innovative electronic music. Artists like Sango and Romare have caught my ear.

In your show you have a live violin player which really adds to creating an amazing vibe. How did this come about and do you have any plans to expand the live show with more musicians?
I’ve always felt that with the show format of a producer and a laptop, any live instrumentation goes a long way. Live violin adds another dimension of melody, harmony, and texture to the productions which is why Ilya has been performing at every show since 2010. We’ve recently expanded into the Emancipator Ensemble by bringing in live drums, bass, keys, and other special guests.

What can Australian audiences Expect of your show? Will you have Ilya the Violin player with you?
I’ll be mixing a blend of past, present, and future Emancipator tracks and remixes while Ilya blends in melodies and otherworldly sounds on the violin.

You run a record label called Loci Records which features artists such as Cloudchord, Framework and, of course, yourself. Are there and upcoming news with the label that you can share with us?
2015 ended strong with releases from Lapa, Nym, and Frameworks, and Emancipator. We are taking this momentum into the new year with soon to be announced albums from Caerus and Stratus.

All the releases on Loci feature extremely beautiful artwork. Who is behind all your artwork? Is the visual aspect of the label something you really pay attention to?
Each artist has provided their own album art. Most of the music released on Loci so far has an emphasis on beauty and any great album art will attempt to capture or reflect the sound of the music.

You are originally from Portland, Oregon which is currently in vogue due to the show Portlandia. Is that a true reflection on the current state of Portland? (hipsters everywhere lol)
Haha, I watched the first few seasons and it was hilariously on point in its caricature of Portland’s culture. I actually grew up in Virginia and moved to Portland in 2009. The city is evolving, but yes, everyone here is the coolest, most unique, and and has the best taste in music.

Our readers are all avid travellers – if they were to go to Portland is there anything in particular that they shouldn’t miss out on doing?
Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Valley are within an hour of the city if you want to go on an adventure and experience the classic landscape of the Pacific Northwest, like hiking through a fern covered moss wonderland. When in town, try to eat at as many restaurants as possible. Bike to a microbrewery or two.

What are the 3 most essential travelling items that you never tour without?
My computer, NBA Jam, ping-pong table.

Tour Dates

Thursday January 14th: The Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Friday January 15th: The Metro Theatre, Sydney
Saturday January 16th: Max Watts, Brisbane
Saturday January 23rd: Rainbow Serpent Festival (with The Opiuo Band)
Monday January 25th: The Villa, Perth (Pretty Lights & Opiuo only)

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