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Bruno Pronsato: "Always Make Your Music Sexual!"
Интервью · 12.10.2009
By 44100Hz
The star of the next Reflection party on Saturday 17 October at the Shanti club is Seattle native Bruno Pronsato. The American, known in real life as Steven Ford, can boast not only an exotic pseudonym but also an unusual biography. Bruno started out as a drummer in a speed-metal band, but made his name as a master of restrained electronic vibrations; his musical range stretches from micro-house to minimal techno. Today Pronsato is a notable figure. He tours major festivals like Mutek and receives glowing reviews from influential magazines XLR8R and Wire. His tracks are in demand at the most varied labels, from the German Philpot and Hello Repeat to the Canadian Musique Risquée and M_nus and the American Spectral Sound. The list of star disc-jockeys in whose playlists signor Pronsato's compositions regularly appear is impressive too: Akufen, Swayzak, Magda, Fumiya Tanaka…
44100Hz
: You have an extremely unusual pseudonym for an American artist. Is there some story behind it, secret ties with Italy?
Bruno Pronsato
: That's actually the name of my ex-wife's brother, and I simply nicked the name. It sounds so cool!
44100Hz
: You used to play drums in a metal band – a far cry from the music you record now. How did you come to the electronic sound? What caused such an abrupt change; did some people or events influence you?
B.P.
: No, I came to electronics on my own. The thing is, relying on three other people in your creative work is a bit hard. So at the beginning of 2000 I got tired of working in a band, bought myself a computer and decided to compose music on my own. And from there it was a stone's throw to techno and experimental electronica.
44100Hz
: Do your drumming skills help you in programming electronic rhythms?
B.P.
: Yes, of course! I think my experience as a drummer adds liveliness, an organic quality to the music. On the one hand you know the rules, on the other – you know how to quietly break them.
44100Hz
: How would you characterise your style? What is it – micro-house, minimal techno, something else?
B.P.
: Lately I've been saying that I just play house music. Which of the microscopic sub-genres to place my tracks in – let each listener decide for themselves. It's easier to live that way, and besides I don't want to back myself into some genre corner.
44100Hz
: Many producers say that ninety percent of a good dance track is the right kick, a grooving bass drum. Do you agree with this thesis? Which ingredients are most important in Bruno Pronsato's music?
B.P.
: For those who make exclusively dance music that's probably true, but I don't count myself in that category. I'm more of an electronic musician; my music isn't always danceable. As for the important ingredients, for me the main thing in music has always been sexuality. 'Always make your music sexual' – this mantra never lets me down.
44100Hz
: You've performed a lot on both sides of the Atlantic. In your view, what's the difference between the European and American techno scenes? Do the Americans still hold the leading positions they held in the heyday of Detroit techno and Chicago house?
B.P.
: Two or three years ago the baton of club-music avant-gardists was still in European hands. But now, in my view, the Americans are gradually regaining ground – they're once again coming up with interesting, innovative ideas. For example, recently a trend has emerged of diluting techno with these warm, poppy sounds; it sounds very fresh and interesting!
44100Hz
: You travel a lot. Do you have any favourite cities or, on the contrary, places you'd never want to return to?
B.P.
: Mmmm… well, I don't think I've ever had a gig so nightmarish that I'd never return to that city! And as for pleasant places, I adore playing in South America. The people there are very warm-hearted and open to the music I play.
44100Hz
: Have you been to Russia before?
B.P.
: Yes, I've been to Moscow twice; I have a few good friends in this city.
44100Hz
: You record a lot of remixes for other musicians. Do you have some remix philosophy, some goals you try to achieve when working on someone else's track?
B.P.
: Firstly, I take on a remix only if I like the original track. Then I strive to mould something of my own out of this material, out of these sounds, to find myself a place in a house that's already been built, and bring my own groove into it. Nothing complicated.
44100Hz
: What music do you listen to at home? Are there any musicians whose work inspires you at the moment?
B.P.
: Lately I've been listening to a lot of indie rock, drawing inspiration from the songs of Deerhunter, Grizzly Bear and Kurt Vile.
44100Hz
: Imagine you were offered work as a film composer. For which film would you most like to write the soundtrack?
B.P.
: Hmmm… I'm quite at a loss! It'd be cool to write the soundtrack to a teenage love story! Seriously though, writing a soundtrack is a very difficult task, and I'm not sure I could handle it, but it would be an amazing experience!
Reflection
Shanti
17 October, Saturday / 22:00
Special guest: Bruno Pronsato (USA) — Live!
Dj Dolshchik
