What do you use to make your music?
I use Ableton Live. I don't have a big library of virtual instruments, I tend to just find a range of sounds that work for me and stick withthem. I also use samples, generally very small snippets that get cut up and manipulated into sounds that are often a long way from where the sample came from. Even though most of the sounds are virtual I try and use hands-on controllers as much as possible, MIDI keyboards and drumpads. I have a lot of random MIDI controllers - I have a cheap MIDI theremin which can be fun in some situations. I also play guitar - I have a MIDI pickup which allows me to play synth lines and drum parts in on my guitar - and have done some very basic singing, harmonies, and also some found percussion.
Where/when do you best make your music?
I tend to be able to make music whenever I turn my mind to it, which I think is lucky. I think its dangerous to get into a mindset where you think you work better at certain times, because you can kind of use that as an excuse to not be as productive. Most people who are making interesting music are doing it in and around a million other commitments, so its important that you develop an attitude where you are comfortable and ready to be creative whenever the time arises. But even that takes practise, that 'readiness'. Its taken me a few years to get to that point. Everyone has 'bad days'- sessions where you sit down with the best of intentions, but just nothing worthwhile comes out - but the longer you stick with it (I mean over the years) the less bad days you have, or thats been my experience. Discipline is pretty important if you want to get better at what you do. I guess the only thing I would say is that I am most productive when I am having fun.What would be the ultimate way to get money for doing what you do?
Grant money definitely helps, if you can convince the right people that what you are doing is worthwhile. TV and film licensing can be good too, and I've had some luck with radio airplay in the past, which can lead to some good royalty statements. I'm lucky because my music doesn't cost a lot of money to make. But even so it doesn't add up to minimum wage, not for me anyway. Finding ways to make money from your music (even just enough to make back what you spent on making it) is kind of a full-time job in itself and it can really distract you from just concentrating on making good music.
Has anyone ever called you fox pas?Not really, though I have been called Pho Pas by someone who was extremely hungry.
What else do you do musically besides Faux Pas and how is it different?
I tend to release everything I do under the name Faux Pas, sometimes I wonder if that is confusing for people. Someone who comes across a cheesy synth-pop song that I've made, and really digs that and wants to hear more, is potentially going to be pretty disappointed when they download their next Faux Pas mp3 off some blog and it turns out to be an 8-minute ambient techno track or something. I'm not sure there are many people out there who are going to be into everything I do, so sometimes I get the feeling that most people who are engaged with what I'm doing are not really fully engaged - they're just crossing their fingers and hoping that the next thing they hear from me is going to be something that they can get into. I don't really know. Maybe I would be better off splitting up some of the different things that I do and putting them out under different aliases.
Maximums by Faux Pas
Maximums by Faux Pas
You Have been making music under the name of Faux Par for a few years now, how has the music and the way you make the music changed?
I started out by making sample collages very much influenced by DJ Shadow and RJD2 and The Avalanches. Horn blasts and dusty breaks from old records - except that all those old records I sampled I'd actually downloaded from the internet, exotica blogs and whatever. I remember for a long time people I met would be shocked that not only was I not a crate-digger, and not a DJ, but that I didn't even own a turntable. I grew up in a house with no turntable, never developed a fetish for vinyl, on the flip-side I've always been mad for computers since I was a kid. So the whole 'dusty beats' thing was a bit of a weird fit to being with. I'm still interested in sampling, but over the last few years I've moved more and more towards incorporating my own melodic and rhythmic elements into my songs. My hands are a lot more involved in the process now beyond mouse clicks and cut and paste stuff, a lot of played keys and guitar.
You have your music for sale on itunes and bandcamp, are these websites helping you out?
Sure. If you're going to put a price on your music and try and sell it to people, you may as well try and place it in as many stores as you can, digital or physical. The difference between iTunes and Bandcamp is that with iTunes, a large chunk of what the customer pays goes to Apple, whereas other services are more artist-friendly. But on the flipside, the customer base for iTunes is colossal. The majority of my digital sales have been through iTunes.
What do you do when your not making music?
I watch a lot of TV. I'm currently watching Doctor Who, David Tennant era. Excellent stuff. I like to read science fiction.
Something that no one knows about Faux pas?
Right now I am completely obsessed with AFL football. I love watching it, I think its the most elegant sport of all. Robin Nahas is my favourite player and I have a Toyota Dream Team.
Who would you like to make music with?
I think I'm actually at my best when I'm working alone. But there is a very long list of musicians that I would love to just watch working. To be a fly on the wall and just watch the way that they make music and take notes. I learn by trying to replicate what other people have done, so I would love to spend some time looking over the shoulders of giants.
Check out Tim's soundcloud, facebook and youtube. You can catch Time Shield (Tim Shiel) at The Gate's No fixed address gig this Saturday 16th.
Check out Tim's soundcloud, facebook and youtube. You can catch Time Shield (Tim Shiel) at The Gate's No fixed address gig this Saturday 16th.
