Mike Oldfield Interview |
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Quirky Turkey
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 17 2011 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 177 |
Topic: Mike Oldfield Interview Posted: July 24 2013 at 04:30 |
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In a very recent interview Mike Oldfield talks about Amarok! And the interviewer doesn't bring up Tubular Bells, to Mike's satisfaction. Mike also talks about his sound, his views on music, and the new album! It's one of the very few interviews where the interviewer is asking all the right questions as a genuine fan. I recommend this to all Mike Oldfield fans!!
http://www.innerviews.org/inner/oldfield.html |
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twseel
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 15 2012 Location: abroad Status: Offline Points: 22767 |
Posted: July 24 2013 at 06:13 | |
That's a really interesting insight to Amarok.
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lazland
Prog Reviewer Joined: October 28 2008 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 13365 |
Posted: July 24 2013 at 06:46 | |
That is one of the finest interviews I have ever read. Thanks for posting
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Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org
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Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Magic Theatre Status: Offline Points: 23098 |
Posted: July 24 2013 at 11:42 | |
^I'll second that clappy Steve
What an amazing interview! I read it earlier today and I just love the way he talks about music - also the players he's jammed with. The part where he talked about Pierre Moerlen and Morris Pert was just pure gold to a guy like me.
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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
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richardh
Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 26471 |
Posted: July 24 2013 at 16:12 | |
great interview , one bit that was particularly fascinating is Oldfield describing his guitar technique. I'd like to see anyone try and copy that!
You have one of the most immediately recognizable guitar tones in history. I haven’t heard it reproduced by anyone else. How do you achieve your sound? It comes from the way I learned to play electric guitar, which is through fingerpicking on acoustic. It’s a very pure sound, because I play with my fingernails. Any string that isn’t ringing is dampened by my other fingers. Most guitarists who play with a plectrum let the other strings ring a bit, messing up the purity of the sound. That’s the secret. Also, I use a violinist’s vibrato, rather than a rock guitarist’s vibrato. My vibrato is from side to side, whereas the typical rock guitarist goes up and down. My sound is a mixture of all of that and the very Celtic style I use, with lots of little grace notes like on the bagpipes. I put a lot of power and emotion into every note. I can play one note or three notes with such passion, conviction and authority. I don’t have to impress by playing very fast. I can play something very simple, too. I also use electronics to get the right sound. I used to have all sorts of strange, weird boxes to help me achieve my sound. At one point, I even bought the very original Manor desk. I took two modules from it and used them as part of my guitar rig. But now, I can have everything in a simple box like the Eleven by Avid and plug in and go |
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richardh
Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 26471 |
Posted: July 24 2013 at 16:18 | |
and also isn't this actually self contradictory??!
How did it feel to do an interview in which the interviewer made no mention of Tubular Bells? [laughs] My God, yes. It’s true. Unbelievable. That’s the very first time that’s happened. Normally, the first question is “Why did you write Tubular Bells?” That’s when I kind of crawl underneath my desk, because there was no specific reason for why I wrote it. But see? We did an excellent interview without you mentioning Tubular Bells. It is possible. |
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Dellinger
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: June 18 2009 Location: Mexico Status: Offline Points: 12625 |
Posted: July 24 2013 at 21:43 | |
Oh, I'm a bit disapointed about learning that Ommadawn actually means idiot. The name sounded really beautiful.
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Quirky Turkey
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 17 2011 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 177 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 07:57 | |
Well you may like this: The lyrics of the repeated section in Ommadawn Part 1 are "Daddy's in bed, The cat's drinking milk, I'm an idiot, And I'm laughing." Apparently Mike got the singer to write down the first things she could think of and then it was translated into Irish. |
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Nogbad_The_Bad
Forum & Site Admin Group RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team Joined: March 16 2007 Location: Boston Status: Offline Points: 20357 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 10:44 | |
I love the bit about making notes on cigarette papers then digging them out later for inspiration.
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Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
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Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Magic Theatre Status: Offline Points: 23098 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 10:45 | |
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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 10:56 | |
I thought it was well known that Ommadawn = Fool (or idiot)
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CPicard
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 03 2008 Location: Là, sui monti. Status: Offline Points: 10841 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 12:21 | |
So, "Ommadawn" isn't some Northern English dialect for "Oh my God"?
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Morsenator
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 13 2009 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 397 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 17:05 | |
I was going to bed almost an hour ago but got stuck reading this.. Pure greatness! I didn't know I could get this much inspiration from just a typically formatted interview with questions. I can imagine how Mike felt there at the end Like "so much win!!!"
Also, that "strange black bread from Finland" is rye bread |
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Guldbamsen
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Magic Theatre Status: Offline Points: 23098 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 17:37 | |
^Yeah it's the same in Denmark. I practically grew up on the stuff, which is why I look like a lumberjack now...
I read the interview again, and I have a feeling I'll be visiting some Oldfield faves in the near future. Incantations seems to be calling me from its place on the shelf... If all seems like s.h.i.t.e. in the modern world of music making, I think it's healthy to read something like this for inspiration.
Edited by Guldbamsen - July 25 2013 at 17:38 |
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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
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Dellinger
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: June 18 2009 Location: Mexico Status: Offline Points: 12625 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 21:23 | |
Indeed I would have thought with such beautiful vocals would have had some awe inspiring meaning, but at least it seems it was all just some good fun. |
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Dellinger
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: June 18 2009 Location: Mexico Status: Offline Points: 12625 |
Posted: July 25 2013 at 21:24 | |
Yeah, I guess the word fool bothers me a bit less than idiot. |
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Morsenator
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 13 2009 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 397 |
Posted: July 26 2013 at 09:23 | |
Yup. I think I want to try the method of how Amarok was recorded before I die |
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Moogtron III
Prog Reviewer Joined: April 26 2005 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 10616 |
Posted: July 26 2013 at 12:55 | |
Ah, Innerviews by Anil Prasad. Great interviewer, Anil. I used to read quite some interviews by him. I find him interviewing Bill Bruford especially memorable, but hey, this Oldfield interview is good too!
Thanks for sharing, Quirky Turkey!
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moshkito
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 04 2007 Location: Grok City Status: Offline Points: 16576 |
Posted: July 27 2013 at 15:55 | |
it is a way that humor sometimes is expressed. I doubt that anyone in that part of the world, would not have enjoyed the joke, and then laugh as the rest of big city boys and girls that didn't know a thing. On top of it, Mike has always done a couple of fun songs, and we don't think he has humor!
AMAROK, to me, is the best thing Mike has ever done, 2nd to none. There are a lot of pieces I always can listen and enjoy now and then, but none as lively and enjoyable as AMOROK. I had originally heard that most of it wasn't even composed, or thought about ... it just was done and that was that. And in so many ways, this turns upside down the "progressive" concept, which is in itself a massively great thing to do ... you can create a new world by peeeeeing on the old ideas! Heck, Fellini did ... why not Oldfield?
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com |
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moshkito
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 04 2007 Location: Grok City Status: Offline Points: 16576 |
Posted: July 27 2013 at 15:59 | |
From the acting perspective (from my directing view), this can be done ... but you can learn a lot with one exercise ... and that is lock everyone up in a dark room for a set amount of time ... try 2 hours ... and do not record anything ... and just watch how different things are at the start, from the finish. In the middle is where all the fiddling and scraping is ... and things get centered really well towards the end, "character" wise.
If you do this with musicians, you get King Crimson!
But there is a fear factor in musicians that do not believe that they should get off the staff and make sure they do not stick the notes and chords on their bum! And basically, you have to do this, and for a while, just forget it all that you have ever learned, in order to find ... something else.
How gutsy are you? And how creative do you want to be?
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com |
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