Prague-based Exhausted Modern contributes the number six to our podcast series with an hour long recording of his recent earworms. Catch up with the artist through a short chat we had about the development of his practice.
In your production you’ve recently started using speech more and there is a voice at the beginning of your Gravity Podcast as well. Why are you working with voice and who is an inspiration for you in this sense? What sonic qualities do you look for in the voices and speech you use?
I've always placed bits and fragments of speech into my production, I think of it the same way as I think of other instruments and layers. Maybe it's a reminiscence of 90's music that stuck with me, all these new beat tracks and acid house productions, where producers were quite often sampling TV and radio. I like to play with it, chop it up, play it backwards, stretch it and just mess around with it, perhaps it brings some kind of humanity.
What are you working on at the moment? Do you have any releases planned in the near future?
I'm always working on new music, it's a constant process, not sure what I'd be doing besides that. I have three new releases, a mini LP on Marguerite which has just been posted, and I'm super happy to be making a comeback on Brokntoys, a label that's supported me since the beginning (s/o to Anwar), but that's gonna happen later due to the current situation in the record manufacturing industry. Last but not least, I am part of the monstrous forthcoming VA project from Veyl records, which has been announced recently.
Photo by Jonáš Verešpej
Your sound has been progressing lately, moving more towards digital production and post-production. What were the constraints of the analogue approach that made you start working digitally more? Or were you just exhausted from it?
I'm glad it's visible, it's true that I'm trying to expand my knowledge. I'm kind of late to the party, since the world has shifted and progressed a lot lately. Thanks to evolution in technology, there are plenty of new options, digital VSTs have gotten much better and generally the digital and analog worlds have merged and taken the best from both. There's tons of new progressive music that resonates with me, but I certainly remember two moments that pushed me out of my comfort zone. The UXY Dosing© LP by Maoupa Mazzocchetti hit me like pure crystals of MDM (Maximal Dance Music), that was the point when I realised we've entered a new era - crisp clear production blending together all sorts of genres. Another transforming moment was seeing my friend Oliver Torr playing live at Fuga (Bratislava), he's a true mastermind, always seeking new sonic experiences, and positively pushing the boundaries of the Prague scene.
