Shawn Rudiman interview from 11th Hour Technology .



11th-hour :How did you first become involved in music (both electronic and otherwise)?

Shawn Rudiman: I was always listening to music as a kid, rock and such or whatever my parents had around, and when I heard synthesizers I was like, woah, what’s that sound?! In the early 80’s synth-pop had me totally absorbed - Duran Duran, Naked Eyes, Thomas Dolby, Human League, Flock of Seagulls. I couldn’t get enough of them. I had tapes with the same song over and over for a whole side. I got into production about 88-89 or so and was doing EBM /industrial stuff that I was into for a good while. I just kinda kept getting deeper and more serious with it. Until one day I kinda stepped back and realized, man - it’s become the biggest thing in my life. But music was always around me as a child.



11th-hour: When and how did you first write and release music of your own?

Shawn Rudiman: The first thing I ever released was in 91… It was a track on a EBM noise CD called TEKNITION –‘Man is the Animal’. Then from there my friend and studio partner Ed Vargo and I formed THD – Total Harmonic Distortion. More experimental kinda EBM stuff… That eventually led me to techno and Pittsburgh.



11th-hour: What was the catalyst for you to become more directly involved with Techno?

Shawn Rudiman: Mainly I moved to Pittsburgh to really pursue music as a ‘career’ of sorts. From there I ran into Trevor Combee who later became a close friend and label partner in Hypervinyl records. He kinda guided me towards techno and such. Then my first gig was with Selway, Christian Smith , Alexi Delano and Mark Gage. So after that I was totally sold.



11th-hour: Can you tell us a bit about Hypervinyl records - what was your involvement, and what sort of music were you releasing?

Shawn Rudiman: Hypervinyl records was started by myself and Trevor. We did 3 records under it - we released moody electro, and the full range of techno. Mostly swinging "housier" or Detroit kinda techno. To me it's just techno, but you have to describe it to everyone else in the world now since techno has become BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. Whatever. I did the first record with Trevor... him on one side, me on the other as "Tr-Generation" - electro/techno split. The second record was me alone under the Tr guise and was also techno and electro... the third was me under my name and was by far the best. 3 techno 1 electro. Real jazzy shuffled syncopated techno... with (oh my god!) MELODIES! Oh wait ....if it's musical isn't it house?



11th-hour: How did you link up with 7th City?

Shawn Rudiman: Trevor had some people here book Shake (Anthony Shakir) so we all went and then hung out afterwards… Shake and I got into an argument about computers and analog stuff… well Shake came over then next day to the studio to hang. He thought I had just recently gotten into all the analog stuff… when he found out I’ve always been into it, he apologised… calls my place the ‘synthesizer museum’ …anyway I had a CD that I just finished up, playing in the background and Shake really liked it, so I said take it, it’s yours - I really had no intention of soliciting it to him. So he listened to it - liked it a lot and wanted to release it under Frictional. But he didn’t have the resources at the time so he had passed Dan Bell at 7th city. Dan really liked it a lot and released it. Etc etc.



11th-hour: How and why did you choose to set up your own label, Technoir Audio?

Shawn Rudiman: It just seemed logical after Hypervinyl. It was necessary for me to have a label to release my own stuff on. Here I have total control of what comes out and how.



11th-hour: What drives and inspires you to create music?

Shawn Rudiman: Life and its experiences #1. Emotions and feelings #2. And anything that has contact with me in any way. It’s kinda weird. Everything affects what an artist does really. Music to me is the best release of emotions I have found. It’s my therapist and psychologist and all that all in one. It’s my vent, for good or bad. The act of creating is probably more important to me than the final product. Tracks are tracks. But if I feel better after I do it, that’s more important to me really.



11th-hour: What music have you drawn inspiration from, both in the past and today?

Shawn Rudiman: There’s so many influences it’s really hard to pinpoint specifics. I always try to listen to different things - it’s better for the output.



11th-hour: Do you feel that your music is affected by what you experience in the world around you, and if so, how?

Shawn Rudiman: Absolutely, my art reflects my life. Period. Anything that is on my mind comes out in my work. Shouldn’t it be that way if you’re really doing worthwhile work? I would think that anyone doing respectable work would have that quality…you’re expressing your ideas about something. If you’re not, ****ing quit.



11th-hour: You are reputed for your ability as a live artist – can you tell us a bit about your live sets – how you create them and where you would like to develop them?

Shawn Rudiman: Thanks. I try to do a good job with them. My live sets are smooth fluid and non stop unless I deem to stop them. They are impromptu. Like 90% impromptu. I only have riffs on a little sequencer that are a ‘preset’ structure and all the drums are done as I go. No patterns… they all repeat. Just 1 or 2 measure repeating patterns that YOU have to erase and re record while you go. No switching, no preset stuff. I try to keep things as live and flexible as possible. Why? It’s a LIVE set. Not a ‘pre-recorded and sequenced audio file.’ **** people who do that. Anyone can make tracks and arrange them on the computer and hit play. Maybe filter something or do a couple things here and there. Whatever. That’s just not how I work. Most people though don’t give 2 ****s what people do up there.



11th-hour: Do you feel that live sets are a somewhat overlooked medium for electronic music?

Shawn Rudiman: Yeah, for the simple reason that most are very automated and pre-structured and even pre-recorded. To me that’s not live that’s a sham. They could play 3 days in a row and play the same EXACT set. What the hell good is that. You’re a ****ing jukebox. I can play whatever wherever whenever. At any tempo or no tempo.



11th-hour: What equipment do you use for your sets (and production), and do you feel this has an important effect on the music you create?

Shawn Rudiman: For my live sets I use what I had available at the time. 909, Virus, MMT8, Korg ER-1, FR-777, Mackie 1402, Boss SE-50 and HR-16B. Simple and flexible. Most of all this can be done on newer machines, but alas, I’m poor and have no ****ing money. So I have to use the machines I’ve always had. No bull.



11th-hour: What are your thoughts on DJs, and is this a field you would like to be involved in at all?

Shawn Rudiman: I DJ. I don’t hate DJs at all. They’re staple. I’ve seen REALLY good ones and a lot of really bad ones. I’m actually a pretty good DJ. Most people just assume that I’m a one trick pony. I just don’t have the money to buy records. I can only buy ones that really grab me. I’d love to get DJ gigs but none book me for them. I guess my live sets are where I feel the most comfortable though. I have complete control and flexibility to do whatever I see fit.



11th-hour: To what extent have your music and label projects been involved in the development of the music scene in your home town?

Shawn Rudiman: Pittsburgh doesn’t really care about anything going beyond raves. There are only a couple of people who look beyond their ‘fishbowl’ here. People here are sheep and candy kids for the most part. I can’t write them all off though. Every once in a while people can go past all that crap. And hang around because they love music and not the scene or the drugs. We save who we can and forget about the rest.



11th-hour: Why do you think that quality Techno is taking such a long time to catch on in the States (particularly as many people would argue it was the main centre of its inception)?

Shawn Rudiman: Techno in it self will never be big here. America will always be a rock and roll format system. It was the same with jazz…‘where’s the words?!’ Whatever. The average person here thinks techno is anything with a 4-4 electronic kick drum. Or even anything electronic. It seems that a lot of people involved in this ‘scene’ now really have come to believe that techno is fast hard and ADATT (all drums all the time) whatever. America’s never going to understand it as a whole.



11th-hour: Has your music been as well received in the States as in Europe?

Shawn Rudiman: No. Not at all.



11th-hour: Are you satisfied with where you are musically at this time, or do you always strive for something further?

Shawn Rudiman: I always want to go further, do new things. Be somewhere I haven’t been before. I’m really never happy for too long musically. I don’t want to do the same song twice. Not even for money.



11th-hour: What plans do you have for the future of Technoir Audio, and do you have any other projects in the pipeline?

Shawn Rudiman: I just finished an album for Technoir, “SYNTHESEXUAL” is the title. It’s a full album, not just 14 treacks of pounding techno. It’s got a lot of stuff that goes from ambient to pounding, soul, electro, techno, house, broken beat. BUT it’s cohesive as a whole and between each other. It’s as it should be.



11th-hour: Do you work alone, or do you intend to collaborate with other artists?

Shawn Rudiman: I usually work alone. I’d like to work with people, but I haven’t had the right chances yet. I’m kinda picky.



11th-hour: Are you ‘purely’ into Techno, or are you still involved with other styles?

Shawn Rudiman: No, I do a lot of stuff. Anything with integrity. I love house, ambient, trip hop, electro-new wave stuff, broken beat/jazzy and experimental stuff.



11th-hour: What is it about electronic music that you love so much? Why is it such a force in your life?

Shawn Rudiman: It allows me to create a world and feelings all that same time. I build a world from silence. And fill it with a desired emotion/s. It’s my escape. My vent. My child. My lover and sometimes my worst enemy.