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Q: I think one criticism of laptoptronica and possibly electronic at large is that the tools don't let a person be as immediately expressive as they could be with a guitar or singing voice. That the music can, as a result, be rather cold and distant to the listener.... Your music definitely sounds warm to me -- human and expressive, though tightly controlled. Where do you think this comes from? You only have the keyboard and mouse to control the machine with -- no strings or breath that can be molded and twisted and directly manipulated -- you just "ON," "OFF," and numbers. Does the expressiveness come from the simple skillful manipulation of those limited variables while you're performing live, or is much of it preprogrammed?

A: it's never about the numbers,... to be honest when I'm playing live, there IS nothing else. I just space out and see what happens next or what I feel like next. Its pretty much the same process I have while producing the music or sounds to be composed. Start random application and fiddle some knobs and see what happens next. It makes it fun. Which is something it always should be.

Q: So, then, what pieces of software have you been using during recent sets (like the Mojo's Daily Grind set and the last AMODA Digital Showcase)? And, say, when you open Ableton Live, what do you do? Do you start tinkering around in one way, or is it totally different every time? I'm just trying to figure out what goes through you mind while you're on stage. Do you get on stage thinking, "I'm going to creep everyone out tonight" or "I'm going to make something really lovely tonight" or does it naturally evolve into something without much premeditation on your part?

A: since december I've used nothing but abelton live... I've played only one show with a Reaktor ensemble I built 12 hours [solid] before the performace. It was the 1st time I've actually tried to do soething concrete and useful with reaktor. It had its moments, but I think the esemble still needs a ton of work and I don't really have patience for reaktor. So it will be awhile before it gets used again. I usually just try to put the set together about an hour before I play [if time allows]. Start picking samples at random and tune the melodies so they all flow together in any order I see fit, run through about 10 minutes of it and leave the rest up to whatever I feel like doing. As for what goes through my head whilst on stage: the sound of my laptop fan.

Q: What is your relationship with Merck and the mini disc label (n5md)? How did they find you (or vice versa)?

A: well both of them [merck and n5md] have been kind enough to release some music of mine last year; Negative [merck], among others [n5md]. I met merck through hydrant records who put out my first CD. The guys from hydrant went to the winter music conference that year [2000] in Miami and passed the disc out to everyone. And the kids at Merck just starting out back then, got a hold of it; and started writing me love letters. I think mike from n5md contacted me through component which I have done some compilation stuff through [with plans to do a 3 inch CD EP later this year].

Q: Merck has been the object of some others affection lately, such as VH1 (and I notice you and other Merck label mates fill out a substantial portion of the eMusic.com IDM Top 10 list). Where might this lead? Proem, VH1 Artist of the Month? Video commission by MTV for AMP? (Is that show even still around?)

A: who knows where any of that will lead. Where merck stuff winds up never ceases to surprise me. I'm not sure about the global mtv economy but I doubt that will ever happen. As long as support for proem continues to gather I'll be a happy little kitten. As for the video thing: I'd love to do a DVD release that's nothing but video and new material but that's a long way off.

Q: Leading me to: Will this stuff ever be on commercial radio? Does IDM in general have a chance for broad appeal, or will it always have a niche market like death metal or improvisational jazz? 1996 and 1997 seemed to be the high-water mark for mainstream electronic. A Salon.com article recently tried to tie the fates of these artists who hit it big (the Chemical Brothers, the Prodigy, and such) to the rise (and fall) of the internet industry and the sort of fascination and then disillusionment of the masses with technology in general. Is there any sense to that? Or did "DJing" consume "electonica" in the eyes of the masses?

A: I don't ever seeing there being a Grammy category for best IDM electronic act. If there were, kid606 and cex would probably win every year, because those things never go to the people that actually deserve them. It would be nice, but I'm not holding my breath for it. I think the closest it will ever get to mainstream culture would be if the nice people at XM decided they needed an IDM station. I'd get XM hooked up in a heartbeat. The probability is low, but it would be lovely.

Q: And you've done some traveling to other cities to play (Sinfest, Winter Music Conference, and such). How did you find the audiences in those places compared to the audience you get here in Austin, at AMODA showcases or the Mercury? Do you wish the audiences in Austin would respond to your music differently or do you not really care, as long as they're interested enough to come out and see you?

A: most of the audiences are pretty much the same everywhere... I wish however that there was more of a reaction from the audience,... fans of electronic are notoriously apathetic (myself included), perhaps they should drink more alcohol and dance like fools. I'd get sick of that too though. I did catch a few people dancing when I went to Portland, which was definitely a change from the usual social shoe gazing and mingling that I'm so fond of. I've been pretty consistently impressed with the turnout the AMODA showcases have generated.

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