// Nadja (Aidan Baker)
// Nadja (Aidan Baker)
I’m not really all into that experimental stuff, always difficult to make up your mind how it really sounds. But i try to be as openminded as possible, and that got me into Aidan’s music (Nadja). It’s really stunning to see what the guy creates with is instruments, so hereby, you’re more then welcome to read the interview, make up your own mind, and then go rush off to find some music of this Canadian guy!
Hi there Aidan! How are you doing? You’re from Canada right? How’s life in Canada actually?
Canada is an alright place to live, though perhaps we’re a nation of perpetual fence-sitters — like we’re sitting on the fence between the US model of life and the European one…which may not be a bad place to be…but it seems a little uncertain sometimes. Musically, this country is kind of mixed too. There seem to be a lot of people doing experimental music but not a lot of infastructure to support it, whether that be in terms of labels/promoters or actual listeners. Of course that’s probably not unique to Canada…
I know some Canadian bands actually, but all in the more brutal metal scene, like Cryptopsy and Fuck The Facts. Aware of these bands? Which home-town bands do you like?
I know Cryptopsy of course, as they’re pretty big. To be honest, I’m not all that familiar with Canadian metal bands, apart from some of the classic ones like Voivod or Kataklysm or someone of that ilk. I know there is a fairly big metal scene in Quebec and Montreal — certainly more so than in Toronto, where I am. I’m more familiar with experimental/electronic acts here in Toronto than the metal since that’s who I play with most often.
You got your Nadja (touched) cd released through Deserted Factory in Japan. How did the deal work out? Are you happy with the way things turned out in the end?
Ryosuke from Deserted Factory originally contacted me to see if he could get some of my solo music (that I record under my own name) for distribution. We talked a bit and I mentioned that I was working on this Nadja material and he asked to hear it — I think I compared it to Corrupted and that got him all excited. I am happy with the release, I think it looks pretty good. I’m less pleased with the music now, since I’ve been working on new material that I think sounds better, but that’s all part of the process of improving.
Nadja is a weird project you have. Where do you get the inspiration to make such ‘music’ and do you call it music yourself?
Certainly I call it music. “Noise is any undesired sound signal”. I’ve listened to heavy music for a long time but have never had the opportunity or means to produce it, so it’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile and I’ve finally found a way of satisfactorily doing so. I get inspiration from all over the place — other people’s music, films, books — the attempt to capture a certain mood or feeling, sensation…Nadja isn’t necessarily all that different from my solo music — they both have similar drone/ambient qualities — just that I’m using noisier and heavier sounds with Nadja. More distortion, more overdriven signals…
It must be very interesting to see you live somewhere. How would a live-gig be for you, would you bring up fascinating attributes or would it be music-only?
I usually play under my own name, and sometimes with visuals. I have played a couple times under the name Nadja. One show was more of a noise set, no drums or guitars, just effects and drones. The other time I played guitar with a bass player and a guy on laptop who did rhythms and samples. Neither shows really sounded like the material on ‘Touched’ — the latter ended up sounding more psychedelic than heavy…At the moment I don’t really have the gear to reproduce the material on ‘Touched’ live. It would be cool to have other players do it, so maybe one of these days Nadja will be a ‘real’ band.
The Touched cd reminded me of Forgotten Silence, from Czech Republic. Do you know these guys? The odd thing is, they create likewhise music with a dozen of musicians. You seem to do it all on your own. Are you an autodidact? Learned everything on yourself?
No, I don’t know Forgotten Silence. I will have to check them out. I do play everything myself — I use a looping pedal, which is how I get the multi-layered sound. When I was young I took classical flute lessons for many years, but everything else (guitar, drums, violin) I taught myself.
Who’s Nadja actually? And who’s the woman on the front of ‘Touched’?
‘Nadja’ is my name in reverse (spelt with a ‘j’ to make it a bit more slavic). So maybe ’she’ is my inverse? my anima? The woman on the cover is just a possible visual representation of that inversion…
The music you make would fit perfectly with movies. Ever had the chance to work on such projects?
People have often told me that about my music, but I never have worked on a film. I would be interested to do so, though, if the opportunity came along.
Are you playing in other bands too? Something you like to share with us?
As I’ve mentioned I make experimental/ambient music under my own name. I also play guitar with the trios ARC and Mnemosyne, which make ethno-ambient music and space-drone-rock respectively. The members of ARC and I run the label Arcolepsy Records to release our own and related musics: http://turn.to/arcolepsy
People experimenting with music are most of the time very openminded, or very narrowminded. In what category do you belong, and do you have an explanation for that?
One would think that experimental musicians would by default be openminded but it’s true that some of them aren’t. I think it’s elitism — the idea that if it’s not experimental it’s beneath them — that all other music is just commercial drivel intended for consumption by the masses. I think that’s ridiculous. I appreciate and think there is value to all kinds of music, whether it be pop, classical, jazz, noise, experimental, techno, etc. It’s very limiting of people to ghetto-ize themselves into listening to just one kind of music.
Have any pets at home? If so, which one and how do you call them?
I don’t have any pets. The landlord won’t let us have any.
How does your life besides Nadja look like?
Well, when I’m not making or listening to music, I’m reading or writing — I have two books of poetry published, a third coming out this fall (with http://www.coldsnapbindery.com ) and I’m working on a novel. My day job is at a bookstore, so I do have to leave the apartment sometimes to go to that. Our apartment is near to overflowing with books and cds right now…
Any plans for the future? Some world-domination plans maybe?
World-domination sounds good…;) I have another full Nadja album recorded entitled ‘Skin Turned to Glass’ and I’m working on some more material, so I hope to have them out sometime soon. I have several solo releases coming out over the course of the next year or so with such labels as Drone Records, Mira, Nulll, Slobor, Sonic Syrup, and The Locus of Assemblage. One of these days I would really like to get over to Europe and play some shows, meet some of the label people I’ve worked with. Soon, hopefully…
That’s it i’m afraid. Thanx for the little chat and good luck with Nadja and all the other things you’re doing!!
Thank you!
Interview conducted for FishComCollective somewhere in 2003. Read more about Aidan Baker at his website.