The concept of the robot encapsulates both aspects of technology. On one hand it's cool, it's fun, it's healthy, it's sexy, it's stylish. On the other hand it's terrifying, it's alienating, it's addictive, and it's scary. That has been the subject of much science-fiction literature.
— Thomas Bangalter
I think 'Tron' is a good example of minimalism.
Daft Punk would not exist if there was no technology.
A cello was there 400 years ago and will still be here in 400 years.
Computers were never designed in the first place to become musical instruments. Within a computer, everything is sterile - there's no sound, there's no air. It's totally code. Like with computer-generated effects in movies, you can create wonders. But it's really hard to create emotion.
Skrillex has been successful because he has a recognizable sound: You hear a dubstep song: even if it's not him, you think it's him.
The only secret to being in control is to have it in the beginning. Retaining control is still hard, but obtaining control is virtually impossible.
It's very strange how electronic music formatted itself and forgot that its roots are about the surprise, freedom, and the acceptance of every race, gender, and style of music into this big party. Instead, it started to become this electronic lifestyle which also involved the glorification of technology.
In 'Scream 2', they have this discussion about how sequels always suck.
When you look at what we can call the golden era of concept albums, which starts in the mid or late '60s and ends maybe in the early '80s, it's an interesting time for music. You see all these very established and popular acts and bands and artists that were somehow on the top of their game but really trying to experiment.
There have been movies like 'Paranormal Activity' or 'Blair Witch Project' in Hollywood that showed you could do movies with little or no money. It doesn't prevent them from creating larger than life spectacles as well.
Artists are overcompensating with this aggressive, energetic, hyperstimulating music - it's like someone shaking you. But it can't move people on an emotional level.
Technology is fascinating.
Technology is an interesting subject, people thinking: how much good, and how much bad, does it inherently carry?
There was a naive quality in 1982 around technology and the start of video games. And that's like the start of electronic music - there was this statement and, ideologically, these things to fight for.
There's something in human performance that is very smooth and very fluid, and at the same time it can be very precise, and that can take a lot of time, trial and error.
The late '70's and early '80s is the zenith of a certain craftsmanship in sound recording.
Usually, a band 20 years into its existence doesn't put out its best records.
When you look at C-3PO and Darth Vader and then look at the actors behind them, you can't really make the connection. It kills the magic.
Technology has made music accessible in a philosophically interesting way, which is great. But on the other hand, when everybody has the ability to make magic, it's like there's no more magic - if the audience can just do it themselves, why are they going to bother?
I remember when I was a kid, I would watch 'Superman', and I was super into the feeling of knowing that Clark Kent is Superman and no one knows.
It's really interesting to just look at the career of a musician and a producer that went into many different genres and many different styles and many different places but always breaking the barriers between genres and at some point reinventing himself all along the way but also inventing things at the same time.
Music was a vector that we wanted to build a universe around.
Music was segregated in the '80s, and then in the '90s the boundaries started to break down, and rock kids got into electronic music. But then you got this reverse snobbery where people would only listen to electronic music and not rock.
Electronic music has definitely taken over America. There is more and more interaction with hip hop.
Synths are a very low level of artificial intelligence. Whereas you have a Stradivarius that will live for a thousand years.
The spirit of house music, electronic music, in the beginning was to break the rules, to do things in many different ways.
'SNL' is this part of American culture with a certain timelessness to it.
Initially, electronic music was anti-establishment, as punk rock and rock n' roll were. The music was shut down; the police were against the parties.
Usually, the 24-hour, high-maintenance celebrity lifestyle can disconnect people from reality.
In the history of pop music, a lot of great records cost an enormous amount of money. There used to be a time where people that had means to experiment would do it, you know?
It's a very subjective, personal, instinctive approach as musicians of saying, 'We don't want to replace what's around; we just want to widen the possibilities.'
There's a confusion sometimes with the laptop being the current tools and where electronic music initially comes from.
Everyone making electronic music has the same tool kits and templates. You listen, and you feel like it can be done on an iPad. If everybody knows all the tricks, it's no more magic.
