Having composed what could be the new revolution of auditory experiences, his Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 integrated masterpiece Maison melody AM:PM, there was no better time to chat to the award-winning composer and forward-thinker; Stephen Emmer….
L&L: How important is the visual element of music? (album covers, music videos etc)
THEY ALL COME FROM THE SAME AESTHETIC, ALSO THEY WAY YOU DRESS, STYLE YOUR HOME AND EVEN HOW TO DANCE TO MUSIC!
L&L: Do you think the above has changed with the introduction of streaming platforms and the decline of physical sales?
YES, THE TRAD. VIDEOCLIP ROTATION ON MTV IS GONE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND WE NOW SOON WILL GET NEW VISUAL EXPERIENCES IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD OF THE METAVERSE. SO I GUESS WE'RE IN TRANSITION AT THE MOMENT.
L&L: How important is music journalism considering the influence of streaming platforms and user-tailored playlists like ‘made for you’ on Spotify?
NOTHING WRONG WITH MUSIC JOURNALISM AS LONG AS THEY DONT OVER USE THE METADATA INFORMATION ON STREAMERS AS THEIR OWN PERSONAL GUIDE TO WHATS NEW AND INTERESTING.
L&L:What’s the hardest thing that every musician must face?
PERSEVERANCE. DECCA SAID NO TO THE BEATLES, REMEMBER?
L&L: Have you ever had any instances where you felt like giving up the dream of music?
NO, I FEEL COMMITTED TO THE ARTFORM SO MUCH THAT I WILL GO ON TILL THE END. MUSIC AND I IS A TURBULENT BUT LIFELONG MARRIAGE.
L&L: Can you explain the concept of Maison Melody to us?
I WANTED TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCE OF A MUSICMAKER WHILST CREATING WITH LISTENERS INSTEAD OF ONLY PRESENTING THEM WITH THE FINAL RESULT!
L&L: How do you think people will react to such a new method of experiencing not only music but sound itself?
AUDIO ONLY FORMATS ARE INCREASINGLY SOUGHT AFTER BY PEOPLE WHO GOT SIMPLY OVERFED OR BORED WITH VISUAL INFORMATION. ITS THE ONE ARTFORM YOU CAN COMBINE IN A MULTITASKING SITUATION. I THUS SEE…NO… HEAR A GREAT FUTURE, ESPECIALLY AS TECHNOLOGY ENABLES MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ON THE GO TO LISTENING TO NEW KINDS OF INFO AND ENTERTAINMENT WHILST BEING MOBILE.
L&L: What inspired you to explore such an experimental route with music?
ON THE ONE HAND DRIVEN BY THE NEW POSSIBILITIES OF TECHNOLOGY AND ON THE OTHER HAND I , AS A LISTENER/CONSUMER/ FAN MYSELF GET EASILY BORED BY MORE OF THE SAME. ITS KIND OF A POSITIVE CREATIVE RESTLESSNESS REALLY.
[Look & Listen Music - Editorial - 7 March 2022]
