Seb Taylor : Kaya Project/Hibernation
by Mister Mime
23trd April 2021
The past year and a half have been a busy time for UK based composer Seb Taylor. While producing a prolific output of music, Seb took some time out to share his music-making process, some “behind the music” thoughts, highly interesting, inspiring and/or humorous stories, and his insights on life as a musician.
Featured here are two releases in particular: ‘body.mind.soul’ and ‘Organic Technology’, and furthermore, what drives him to make such seemingly diverse yet integrated sounding records that bring out his own unique expression. To top it all off, his light-hearted honesty, invaluable perspective, and last but not least, modest musical genius make this Innerview a truly fun and inspiring one.
MM: What does "This Strange Isolation” refer to? Is it anything to do with the current scenario in the world?
ST: Yes, Indeed, a direct reference to the limbo we all suddenly found ourselves in earlier this year (& still finding ourselves back in it again to various extents around the world as I write this at the tail end of 2020).
MM: The lyrics in your tracks: “This Strange Isolation”, “Time to Emerge”, “The Fearless Path”, “Finding Balance”, “Souls entwined”, “The Light Within”: What are they?
ST: Each track is different & entirely dependent on the singer’s intention. Irina Mikhailova’s vocals, for example (The fearless path, The light within etc.), are often rooted in Eastern European traditional songs (Russian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Serbian etc.), but always with her own unique twist & re-interpretations. ‘Finding Balance’ features pure vocalisation improv by Randolph Matthews. There are no direct lyrical meanings, simply the heart song expressive vocalisations, which are very much Randolph’s trademark sound. ’Souls Entwined’, on the other hand, features a beautiful song of devotion, charm & love that was written by Pooja Tiwari, especially for that track. I sent her the backing track & she popped into a Studio in her hometown of Chennai & recorded the vocals.
MM: Are the vocals just meant to be a texture or a kind of feeling or more than that?
ST: I generally prefer to compose using words I cannot understand. In that sense, the human voice is usually treated as purely another musical instrument for me. I’ve always been drawn towards instrumental music, relishing the direct emotional connection possible through music alone, without the ‘intellectual manipulation’ that can occur when the analytical part of the brain is engaged by words, meanings, interpretations of lyrics. I guess it’s a left-brain / right-brain kind of separation that happens for me there. Music alone can often move me to tears or give me goosebumps, whereas words or lyrics have hardly ever had that effect on me. Having said that, however, this year, I’ve changed my outlook a bit, mainly due to composing music alongside some great spoken word & poetry by people like Allen Ginsberg & Leah from Rising Appalachia. That process has stirred some new feelings within me & a newfound emotional connection to the English language that I had never truly appreciated before. It’s an unexpected & interesting development for me. Having a child has also made me start to appreciate the language I have always taken for granted, starting to question the origin & roots of my own vocabulary. When I explain a word or phrase to my daughter, I often pause & start to question the etymology of it, something I never did before.
MM: I am very intrigued by the nomenclature of tracks in Music, especially in genres like dub, prog, psychedelic, etc. Are your tracks named with a particular intent, or are they meant to be broadly interpreted by the listener?
ST: In most cases, the track naming is the very last stage of the process. There are exceptions (Like San Pedro Rising) where I have the title long before starting the track. Generally, it is only after living with the track for a while that the right title presents itself. To be honest, it’s one of the hardest parts for me, finding the perfect name for a song.
MM: What was the idea behind the track “The Drunken Master”? Are the vocal percussive scats, violins meant to recreate a sort of feeling of a ‘drunken master'? Whats sounds were used for the intro?
ST: The track had a kind of unruly swagger, something bold but unpredictable. Cheeky energy that reminded me of those old funky kung-fu movies from the 1970s, haha. As soon as I placed a Turkish vocal sample from the Nuri Bilge Ceylan film ‘Winter Sleep’ it all came together & the title ‘Drunken Master’ made total sense. I am a huge fan of that film Director, His work is so cinematic & visually inspirational - & the fact that the direct translation for that film is “Hibernation” means it all felt connected & complete to me. Many of the Intro sounds were recorded at an unruly gathering of locals in Bali at the turn of the century (1999-2000). I have actually used those samples in a couple of other tracks before, it’s not the first time I have utilised recordings of exotic cockerels, haha.
MM: Why is ‘The Mind’ the electronic mix, ‘The Soul’ the ambient mix and ‘The Body’ the original mix?
ST: As a concept, Kaya Project has always operated in three very distinct sonic territories & in actual fact that is the origin of why I chose the name, having always been fascinated with the idea of ’trilogies’ in belief systems / spiritual philosophies. I chose the word ‘Kaya’ from the ‘Trikaya’ concept in Tibetan Buddhism although the “trilogy” regularly presents itself in various cultures all around the world. I have an uncanny knack for choosing band names that mean so many different things in Different languages & Kaya is no exception there. The Turkish, Indian, Native American, Japanese, Zulu & Ghanaian translations are all wonderful coincidences. So anyway - when it comes to Body.Mind.Soul - I feel like those 3 categories fit the concept perfectly. The Body refers to the Original tracks - focused on organic instrumentation, live human performances, lots of wooden acoustic instruments & percussion. Whereas the Mind refers to the electronic remixes - a much more deconstructed & analytical re-interpretation of the original works. The Soul kind of speaks for itself when it comes to describing the Ambient works - floating, ethereal & transcendent musical versions of the originals.
MM : The Fulton Birdcage refers to the Umbrella..? The track sounds to me like a casual saunter around the block in a light drizzle, introspecting something. Any story here?
ST: Haha! Yes, The Fulton Birdcage is my favourite umbrella. I’ve had a very close relationship with rainfall for my entire life. It’s the most inspiring thing for me - Which is probably a good thing as I live in England! Even as a child, my mum tells me how I used to run outside naked to dance in the rain at any given opportunity. Thankfully I don’t do that now - (Well, not when anyone is looking at least) The sound, sight & smell of rainfall brings me to a very calm & present state of contentment. Centring me “in the now” & temporarily distracting me from any worries or concerns I might be having at the time. I also suspect that rainfall / general bad weather is a reason so much great music originates from The U.K. Lots of “Hermit Mode” time locked inside a cosy studio creating music!
MM: “I’m Fine Thankyou Susan” - Who is Susan?
ST: It’s a sample from Kryten in ‘Red Dwarf’ - a classic UK Science fiction Comedy show. That Hibernation Album ‘Organic Technology’ is peppered with little references & nods to many of my favourite TV shows and a couple of the Track titles are direct quotes, like “I’m fine thankyou Susan” & “Mix it with The Relish”. Interestingly, that track also featured the oldest sound recording in history! - So I had this meta moment when I was recording it - saying to myself, “wow - at this precise moment in time, I am simultaneously recording both the newest recording on the planet & the oldest recording ever made! That’s Deep, Maaan!!” two recordings that were made 160 years apart! One recorded on a “Phonautograph” (actually recorded onto smoke-blackened paper in 1860) & one recorded directly onto a hard drive as Digital Binary Data in 2020.
MM : What are you thinking of when you compose music? I would say it has a devotional quality to it.. even inspirational or spiritual perhaps? When you make tracks/records, what’s the broader mood or emotion you are feeling/sharing through it?
ST: Not much thinking, mostly feeling. I compose primarily on instinct as opposed to intellect, & yes, it’s mostly about emotion. If something moves me during the compositional process I go with it, if it leaves me cold then I drop it & quickly move on. The ultimate ‘holy grail’ sign is that elusive goosebumps moment - when everything seems to click & the hairs on your arms or the back of your neck stand up, it’s not something you can ever really plan to happen- but when it does its a real synchronistic magic & you know you are on the right musical path! When composing music I tend to work very quickly, with very little time for deliberation.
MM: How did you come about separating your musical expression into several distinct and unique projects? Is it like alter egos or musical schizophrenia that splits into different sonic personalities?
ST: Having ‘borders to the canvas’ is one of the most helpful things when it comes to actually finishing tunes, Otherwise - where do you stop painting? I have pretty strict personal guidelines with regards to the individual sound palettes of each of my separate projects - Kaya Project & Hibernation are distinct from each other e.g. One being world-music influenced as opposed to Electronic, Jazzy & Glitchy, & there are sounds in each project that only rarely cross over into the other one. Shakta & Digitalis are very distinct from each other (Trance based vs breakbeats based) etc. The only time it becomes a little confusing is when I finish a remix for someone & I can’t decide… now is this a Kaya Project remix or a Hibernation remix? or possibly even a Digitalis remix?? haha! Remixes are a situation where my sonic borders are much more open to cross-pollination.
MM: Creativity and finding your own voice in music: Should it be informed by your life experiences and perspective? Is it so nevertheless?
ST: No matter what you create as an artist it will inevitably be informed by your own perspective. That’s the beauty of art & music to me - It’s so very subjective! give any 3 or 4 people the exact same tools & they will probably create 3 or 4 entirely different & distinct works As an artist your own life experiences will always inform the art you bring onto the world, every love, loss, childhood memory & trauma - it’s all in there somewhere, in your emotional toolbox, just waiting for a catalyst. It is an inevitable truth of art that you will create through your own personal lens. Even if you started off trying to copy/mimic other artists while in search of your own voice, your own voice will be in there somewhere, & the more you create, the stronger your own unique ‘sound’ will become. In that respect, I believe there is no shame in emulation! especially when you are just starting to try & find your own voice. People always say that I have quite a unique & recognisable style these days — that they can always tell a ‘Seb Taylor’ tune before they see the name of the artist - but I look back on my earlier works & can see blatant influences & ‘emulation’ / copying in there. People like Eat Static, Tipper, Cinematic Orchestra, John Barry just to name just a few - those have been some of my biggest inspirations, but the list of influences is extensive & it’s all a legitimate part of the journey.
MM: What are your influences outside of Music? Do you find Cooking to be analogous to making music? If so, how?
ST: Strangely I am obsessed with exactly the same kind of food as I am music - haha. Asian & Middle Eastern / Persian Food & Music both hold a special place in my heart (& Stomach). When it comes to South American or Anglo Saxon / Nordic Food & Music I can honestly take it or leave it (sorry, no offence intended) but put me in a kitchen with the ingredients to make a Thai or Indian Curry, Some Japanese food or a Moroccan Tagine & I am in total heaven! There may be something in the hereditary DNA there, as my recent Genealogy test revealed some interesting & unexpected ancestral pathways. There is quite a notable percentage of South West Asian DNA in there from my father’s side. I’d always believed that there was some south American blood in me (as he was adopted in South America) but the DNA test revealed an interesting story, an ancestral journey that runs parallel to all the music & food I am so very obsessed with! It’s a good case to strengthen the argument of Hereditary ‘Nature over Nurture’ I suppose. This idea of hereditary genetic characteristics is also where I got the Hibernation song title ‘Lysenko’s Plan’.
MM: Can you speak a bit about your work in Documentaries, TV, and Commercials?
ST: I’ve always loved composing to picture & there was a good chunk of time when that was my main music work. Between 2005 & 2015 I was involved with multiple ad agencies & directors, extreme sports companies & things like BBC Documentaries (Natural World), Commercials (for people like Red Bull, Shimano, Giant, Yeti) & I absolutely loved doing it. However in reality it was incredibly difficult to get the ‘international gigging’ side of my life & the TV music world to sit well together. When you write music for Ads or Trailers, they will often need sudden changes, quick turnarounds (often within an hour or so!) & you have to be ready to drop everything & re-write / re-submit that track immediately. I could write a hilarious book on some of the situations I found myself in whilst trying to meet those deadlines & keep myself in the loop - like climbing up a remote foggy mountain at a Brazilian festival seeking phone coverage to tell a director ‘yes! I can meet that deadline!’ or tethering to a helpful DJ’s phone out in the middle of the Australian desert (Thanks J-Dub!) just to try & maintain contact with a bike company in the USA - haha….. the hard truth about the TV music world is this - if you are unable to meet a promised deadline or make those last-minute unexpected changes, they will easily find someone else who can do it quickly (as it is so very competitive in that industry). If you stuck are in some paradisiacal remote festival location with absolutely no phone coverage/internet you simply aren’t able to deliver to TV music deadlines at a professional level. Basically, It is quite unrealistic to consider a busy international gigging schedule in tandem with delivering regular music to picture.
MM : What is your advice to young and upcoming artists and musicians?
ST: First & foremost follow your heart & make the music that YOU would like to hear, not what you think someone else would like. Like I said - that’s the beauty of any art - it is entirely subjective. Secondly, from a more practical point of view I would say BACKUP ALL YOUR WORK frequently (Yes, that is supposed to be in capital letters) & keep ALL of your old ideas! you never know when you might want to return to them (my last 2 albums had multiple ideas that were started over 12 years ago on them) I might also say - Try NOT to be too much of a perfectionist! (If you can) If you can work quickly & not strive for total perfection each time then you will start to build up a body of work. I have friends who labour over each track for months on end (& undoubtedly create stunning work), but in some extreme cases, they only release one or two tracks a year, & are inevitably unable to make a living from music. It’s also worth remembering that so many classic works of music, film, art were produced under quite tight deadlines & stressful circumstances where corners were undoubtedly cut during the process. In all honesty, some of the most ‘successful’ tracks of mine are the ones that were produced extremely quickly, with very little time spent on over-thinking or production ethics.
It’s not my place to say which of the tracks I release have that elusive ’magic’ that connects with people, that’s up to the listeners alone (& it very often surprises me) As Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones once said: “Songs are never finished…. they are just ‘released’ “. On a more personal note, I’d say It’s also important to realise that in the vast majority of cases a life of music does not come without sacrifice. (financial stability, emotional drain, even your health) Making music as a ‘Hobby’ & making music your primary source of income are two entirely different paths. You need to ask yourself - do you want a nice, comfortable & predictable life? or are you willing to go through an unpredictable struggle & face adversity in order to pursue your passion? I guess fundamentally that ‘Self Sacrifice’ is very often the badge of any true artist, at least in my eyes. It often boils down to “Are you willing to pay the price for your dreams”? Anyway, no two people are the same in this regard. A life of music is not for everyone but I can honestly say that I would never have had it any other way. All the most amazing things in my life, all my closest friends, my wife (& therefore my amazing daughter!), all my best memories, life experiences have all sprung from music. MUSIC IS LIFE!
You Can Follow Kaya Project on:
https://sebtaylor.bandcamp.com/album/body-mind-soul
https://sebtaylor.bandcamp.com/album/organic-technology
https://soundcloud.com/seb-taylor-kaya-project
All Images courtesy of Seb Taylor
