Sleep Research Facility

Sleep Research Facility comes from Glasgow, Scotland The project sort of arrived from nowhere, directly
landing a deal with the established British label Cold Spring Records. This led to the release of Nostromo as far as I know their only work so far. For those who recognise the title; yes, Nostromo is related to Ridley
Scott classic Sci-fi noir Alien from the late 70's. The setting for the album has been borrowed from the first
minutes of this film, minutes which depicts the space vessel Nostromo moving through space in a most Dark
Ambient fashion. Nostromo is one of the deepest albums in this genre that I have heard during the new
millennium True to the projects name, it gently bestows a feeling of extreme relaxation and drowsiness on
the listener. I got in touch with Kev - the man behind this project - and asked him a couple of questions
about what he is currently up to and how the future looks for Sleep Research Facility.
ECTONAUT: Please start by introducing Sleep Research Facility to the Ortus Obscurum readers. Who are
you and what is Sleep Research Facility all about?
KEV: Well, I don't have any kind of history or formal training to boast of aside from producing a long running
fringe music programme on student radio, and involvement with a handful of dubious "DIY proto-punk garage
bands" when I was younger. SRF is really just born out of self indulgence, kind of a fusion of lots of things
that interest me. I habitually listen to "music" as I drift off to sleep at night and originally started producing
SRF material simply for my own narcoleptic purposes. In a way, the music is specifically designed for falling
asleep to, but it would be nice to know that people appreciate it beyond this basic "functionality".
ECTONAUT: Nostromo has been out on Cold Spring for a couple of months now. What can you tell us about
this album? I understand it is intimately linked to Ridley Scott's first Alien movie. Could you please develop
the concept of the album further?
KEV: Ridley Scott's Alien continues to rank as my all time favourite film. It's a masterpiece of dark
atmospheres and brooding suspense. As an environment the ship Nostromo really whets the more shadowy
regions of my imagination. The slow panning shots of the vessel's interior during the film's opening 5
minutes (before the story really starts) communicate so much of what I like in that whole dark "isolationist"
thing. Although these dark themes are consistent throughout the film, it's during this opening sequence
when the ship is the focus of attention that the dark, tense environment is really exemplified (the characters,
at this point, haven't been seen yet so all we have to go on is this atmosphere). The album could be thought
of as an extrapolation of this, perhaps a bit like an alternative soundtrack to a tour we never really get,
through the dark vessel.
ECTONAUT: How has the feedback been on the album so far? Have your expectations been met? Are you
still satisfied with it?
KEV: Feedback has been very encouraging. The disc got some terrific reviews (and still is), so yes, I'm
pleased - even more so as it's my first release. Having confidence in one's own work can sometimes a bit of
an issue, so whenever there's a positive response it's a real boost. When I was working on it I had it in my
mind that hopefully I (or anyone else for that matter) would still be able to listen to it years from now and it
wouldn't sound "dated". So far I'm not sick of it and still play it occasionally for drifting off to, so things are
still good, I'm still satisfied with it.
ECTONAUT: The sound-textures of Nostromo are some of the deepest I've heard so far in the Dark Ambient
genre. I understand you want to emphasis a link in your music-making to the subconscious, yet recording
music is still a very conscious process in the end. How do you work when you combine these two aspects of
the human mind without losing the very subconscious nature of the music? Is there a lot of work behind this
procedure?
KEV: Well, if I understand the question properly I think what we're looking at here is balance. In a way the
audio has to be designed so that it's not "present" in a conventional musical sense but still has enough going
on and is intriguing enough to suck the listener in, providing something to "fall" into as the body and mind
relax deeper and deeper. I suppose the real WORK involved is finding suitable sounds and using them in
such a fashion that these results are achieved. Slowly shifting textures are a good tool to employ, I try to
avoid anything which is too sudden and may act to break the atmosphere. Generally what comes out in the
end is a result of considering what sort of noises act to relax a person. Think of the gentle "woosh" of car
wheels rushing over tarmac as heard from the back seat during a long lazy road trip (a sound that always
made me sleepy), that's almost the essence of the SRF sound. I'd love to record and release audio as

simple as this, but it's nice to take the "hypnotising" quality of this type of noise and shape it into something
more atmospheric and intriguing. I suppose that's where the "conscious process of making music for the
unconscious" comes into play.
ECTONAUT: What particularly strikes me with Nostromo is the lulling effect that the music has on me as a
listener. It is not often I praise an album for making me sleepy but in your case, the extremely entrancing
nature of your album has really made an impression on me and I must say that it is not often I feel as relaxed
by music as when listening to Sleep Research Facility. Are there any scientific methods consciously used in
order to establish this sleepy-effect or is it purely a result of musical intuition and sensibility?
KEV: Well, the actual physiological technicalities of what happens when one falls asleep elude me
somewhat, I'm less than informed when it comes to the science behind it all. To propose that SRF audio is
the result of intuition and sensibility is very flattering, especially if the desired effect on the listener is
achieved. Really, what comes out of the studio is simply a result of having an idea of what sort of sounds
have this lulling effect on me personally, and again it's a question of finding that balance.
ECTONAUT: You call the music of Nostromo "customised audio sleep-aids for chronic insomniacs" on your
website. Have you ever been approached by any sleep-therapists or thought of contacting them considering
using your music as a form of therapy. Could you imagine doing this?
KEV It's an interesting concept I've toyed with. The "chronic insomniac" statement at the site is a bit tongue
in cheek, but I do think there's the potential to explore the notion of carefully designed audio (beyond the
simple, thick textures of Nostromo) specifically designed for sleep therapy. Audio can be a powerful tool.
They argue that colour therapy can influence a person's state of mind, and that's purely based on visual
stimulus - it makes you wonder if audio can also have some kind of similar impact. To do it properly would
probably require considerable research and perhaps consultation with more qualified and knowledgeable
persons. Of course by reducing the audio to this kind of purely medicinal functionality one runs the risk of
boiling off any kind of artistic aesthetic contained in the work. Maybe in a way (seeing as Nostromo seems to
be inducing sleep as intended) I've actually inadvertently stumbled upon some of these key "frequencies" -that would be amusing to find out somewhere down the road.
ECTONAUT: How do you link the Sleep Research Facility concept to dreams? Would you like to be able to
direct your listeners into dreaming certain dreams with the help of your music? Perhaps this could be a step
further for you (if it can be accomplished of course)?
KEV: Again, an interesting concept. The "dream" factor is something I haven't really considered, being more
intent on simply knocking listeners out without considering what might happen after they've been
"tranquillised". Of course there's scope for possibly taking things in this direction maybe after a bit more
thought and planning - "DreamResearchFacility" certainly has an interesting ring to it, I'd need to find some
suitable "subliminals" as well.
ECTONAUT: There's an interesting effect in the beginning of the last track where it suddenly sounds as if the
transmission of the music is suddenly broken and everything just feels empty, about 11 minutes before the
end of the CD. Is there any special purpose behind this effect?
KEV: I like the idea of the audio "seeping in" seemingly out of nowhere, so the emptiness you mention is
more just for establishing some kind of void into which the sound textures can be slowly layered, in a sense
the silence can act to define a blank canvas of sorts. A well-placed gap in the proceedings can also serve as
a "pregnant pause" or a sort of lull to heighten tension in a "what's going to happen next...?" fashion.
Another instance on the Nostromo disc where I tried to use this idea was in between the third and fourth
tracks - there's 4 gentle "gusts" of soft white noise, then silence for a bit, then the viscous low end rumble of
d-deck creeps in to bottom out the emptiness.
ECTONAUT: "Ambient music should be as ignorable as it is interesting" says Brian Eno in the quote that you
have placed at the beginning of the Sleep Research Facility web-page. My general impression of Sleep
Research Facility and your page tells me that you have really made up your mind about what Ambient music
is all about. What is your opinion about this genre and how it is represented by projects today? What do you
think of the evolution that Ambient music and Dark Ambient music in particular have gone through during the
last decades?
KEV: During the last 10 years or so I think the word "ambient" has been really abused and sold off. If you go
to sites like www.mp3.com it's easy to see this. Navigating to their "ambient" section heralds a barrage of
everything from cheesy new-ageism to tacky commercial four-on-the-floor trance techno. When (uninitiated)

people ask me what sort of music I try to produce I'll generally walk over hot coals to avoid using the word
"ambient" for this reason. It's so easy for things to get misconstrued. Of course, it's not for me to define
what people's impressions of any given genre should be, and although this "technological renaissance"
we've gone through over the last decade has contributed to this glut of mediocrity by turning everyone and
their mother into an "electronic music producer" there is still a decent amount of good new audio being
developed and disseminated as a result also. I like that there's lots of bedroom studios on the go, Nostromo
was produced in a bedroom-studio!
ECTONAUT: So, if you are to listen Dark Ambient, what albums do put on? From which period in time?
KEV: I'm not fussy. Thomas Koner does fantastic work, as does Mick Harris (as LULL). I also like a lot of
stuff from Darrin Verhagen's Dorobo label. Just bits and pieces from wherever or whoever really. In all
honesty I don't actually listen to as much stuff as I really should . A good alternative when I can't be bothered
getting up to pick a CD is to just (de)tune a radio to some interesting static, pump it through a series of heavy
digital effects (often gently feeding back on themselves) and set the volume at low, letting the noise just
wander freely. Ironically, I find a lot of good source material for further manipulations that way.
ECTONAUT: ...and other music? Do you find much inspiration in other types of music?
KEV: I like to listen to different flavours I certainly like letting my ears chew on a variety, which is probably a
healthy thing. It all just depends on things like the time of day, my mood, company present in the room, what
I'm doing, etc. I suffered from a bit of tunnel-vision for a long period of time, listening to virtually nothing
except electronic music, and it feels good to dig out other kinds of stuff to wrap my ears round. Recently,
floating around the top of the CD pile in my living room you'll probably find anything from old discs by The
Police and the B-52's to Philip Glass, Merzbow, Autechre etc. I actually have an ancient Test Department
disc in the CD player right now, earlier it was Throbbing Gristle (I think it's a nostalgia trip this evening). I like
drum and bass as well, the rhythms are intoxicating.
ECTONAUT: You have so far only released one album so naturally; we only have Nostromo to relate you
with as a composer. Yet this doesn't mean that this album confines the entire Sleep Research Facility
concept so now I wonder: does Nostromo represent everything that your project is about musically or are
there more sides to Sleep Research Facility? Are we perhaps going to hear a different musical approach on
your future recordings?
KEV: I definitely don't want to get stuck in a rut churning out the same noises track after track, but at the
same time I feel that maintaining some kind of continuity is important. Nostromo was particularly dark in
concept and sound, and I think that was a result of the choice of subject matter. I don't know if SRF was
conjured up to be an exclusively "dark" project, but as I like to let things evolve on their own, we'll need to
see how it develops. I'd like to be able to vary the sounds, but hopefully I'll be able to keep things still sort of
"distinctively sleepy".
ECTONAUT: What more can you tell us about future Sleep Research Facility recordings? Are there any
follow-up to Nostromo planned for the near future? Will you remain on Cold Spring Records or are you
searching for a new label to release it?
KEV: When Nostromo was starting to take shape the way I wanted, I was thinking that a thematically similar
project would be a logical follow up so I planned on a sequel titled Sulaco (after the ship used in James
Cameron's film Aliens, which is the second instalment in the series of films). Of course there's the risk that
SRF could become a "novelty" act cashing in on a gimmick as such, so I put that project on hold to an
extent. The foundations are there, some basic textures and noises, but there will probably be something
else ready to go first. Having recently watched a documentary about remote weather stations on the
Antarctic continent I've been working with a lot of expansive "frosty" textures - the words "Deep Frieze" keep
popping into my head as a potential working title.
As for releasing on Cold Spring, well, that's up to Justin (who runs the label). Naturally he gets first crack at
any new SRF projects, it's only fair. I don't think he'd object to me submitting work he felt maybe wasn't
100% Cold Spring material to other labels, but for the time being any new SRF tracks will pass his ears for
edification first. The label recently released a new compilation, it's pretty awesome to see my name on a
disc alongside Laibach.
ECTONAUT: Any other news you would like to share with us before we disconnect?
KEV: An overhaul of the website is in the works. There will definitely be new audio, that's long overdue. I

have some recordings that are far more "motionless" than the 5 track Nostromo project - things like 30
minutes of gently sweeping radio noise, or an hour of rainfall heavily manipulated to the point of being little
more than a sixty minute rumble. It might be nice to release these on disc as ultra-minimal SRF works, but I
don't know if I could convince a label to take them on - they might however make for an interesting series of
mp3 downloads from the website... Also going to (finally) get a mailing list started for when the new version
comes on-line.
I should also take this opportunity to say thanks for the support and the chance to ramble on a bit here, and a
send very warm thanks to everyone who's encouraged me along the way (especially Justin from Cold
Spring). Goodnight, sleep tight...
[http://www.magazine.foreshadow.info/modules.php?name=Sections&op=printpage&artid=4]
Sleep Research Facility
"Nostromo" by Sleep Research Facility is undoubtedly one of the finest works of dark/space ambient out
there and with the imminent release of the new CD by SRF (Dead Weather Machine and DWM:ReHeat), it
seemed high time to find out who was behind such beautifully disturbing sounds. Little did I know that I'd
soon be squeezing sounds out of silence and broken heaters! Thanks go to Kevin SRF for his brilliantly dry
comments and for taking the time to participate in the interview.
Firstly, Sleep Research Facility don't seem to have got the exposure that I think is warranted so some
readers may not have much knowledge of SRF's music. Can you give us a quick view of what SRF are about
musically? Why did you choose Sleep Research Facility as a name for your project?
It's kind of crazy to think that SRF would have got much exposure at all, as there's only been the one low-key
release so far (not including the very recent Manifold discs) -- so it is pretty flattering to think that anyone
thinks it deserves exposure at all and also great when I get a positive response. Basically, SRF is more an
excercise in self-indulgence than anything else. I like to listen to music, or at least noise of some kind when
I'm crashing out, and after a while I thought I'd have some fun designing my own sounds to suit that purpose.
There were other albums I liked to use for passing out to, but sometimes there would be elements that would
break the drift - loud sudden bursts in the mix, things that sounded like structured tracks, sometimes rhythmic
tracks, that sort of thing. I'd already been playing about with other kinds or electronic music (minimal techno,
pseudo *Orb-esque* ambience, different sorts of stuff), and thought I would distil what I really liked in that
extreme-drift sound into something I could enjoy falling asleep to myself. Everything is road-tested on my
own drowsy ears and if others like it too then that's just a total plus. I guess that might give you an indication
of where the name comes from as well. It all might seem a bit clinical as a project, but I try to make it more
interesting than just something a therapist might give to an insomniac.
Those that have heard of SRF will probably know you through the Nostromo CD that was released by Cold
Spring a while ago. This was, as the name suggests, promoted as a soundtrack prelude to the Alien film.
Why did you choose to follow such a concept? Does Alien, or the imagery in the film, have any special place
for you?
*Soundtrack prelude to the Alien film*, that's a terrific description. Yeah, "Alien" is my favourite film (I'm big
into films and I really like good incidental music) and as a quiet haunting environment the ship "Nostromo",
on which the story takes place, is second to none. Also, it seems to me to be really highlighted during the
film's first moments those introductory slow panning shots, there's a strange sense of abandonment so the
whole project is kind of inspired by this opening sequence of scenes. Also one can't help but always
associate deep space travel with some kind of hyper-sleep or suspended animation, so that theme is almost
automatically present as well, though that wasn't really a deciding factor in choosing the subject matter (it's
really about the ship, not the people sleeping in it). I suppose I tried to create an aural equivalent of these
sensations one might feel, all alone exploring this vast dark place, cut off from everything and everyone -nothing (apparently) happening, just you and the environment, no distraction, no conversation, not really
overtly nightmarish but still curiously tense in some otherworldly and dreamlike way -- something lurks in the
shadows but it never jumps right out to scare you, it's maybe a bit like sneaking around in the dead of night
when everyone else is asleep, which can be fun and at the same time maybe a bit un-nerving in a compelling
sort of way.
SRF now have two new releases on Manifold Records. I believe that one of these was scheduled to be a
bonus disc but has now been released as a CD in its own right? Can you give us some details behind these
two albums?

I'd had this three minute recording of malfunctioning heater/blower which I'd made by swinging a cheap mic
in front of it at different angles resulting in different timbres and noises, and a friend had recently sorted me
out with some new sampling software so I started to play about with this just for fun, the whole utilisation of a
single obscure sound source to re-synthesize new noises and build tracks out garbage. Vince Harrigan from
Manifold got in touch to ask me if there was anything I'd been working on which I might like to submit to his
label for possible release (he was really supportive of "Nostromo" when it came out) so I sent him these
sampled regurgitations. He liked it a lot and we agreed that it would be released on Manifold if I wanted to
polish up a full project out of it - hence "DeadWeatherMachine" was conceived. Something Manifold is noted
for doing is limited edition discs (in the region of 100 units) which go alongside the general releases. When
"DeadWeatherMachine" was completed Vince suggested that if I had more sounds still on the go that I do an
additional mix for this limited edition series, so I continued resampling and reworking the noise into further
fifty minute slice of wandering textures. When he got the final master for this (eventually christened "DWM
Re:Heat") he thought it was sufficiently good enough to press up as a second general release, going the
whole distance and getting 1000 units produced instead of the originally intended limited-edition 100.
Naturally, I was pretty happy about this.
Moving to the music itself, how do you compose your music? Nostromo was obviously tied to a concept so
did this follow through to how the music was written? Is this any different in the new recordings? What do you
use to create the music with?
I didn't originally have any intention to become a *conceptualist* as such (I hate pompous terms like that),
but with "Nostromo" and "DeadWeatherMachine" I think I'm discovering that it helps me to formulate ideas if
I'm working AROUND something, and not just generating a collection of random noises. The end listener
result would probably be the same either way, but if I think about a project thematically it seems to help me
generate ideas. From a technical standpoint "Nostromo" is pretty different from "DWM" - the production
method was radically different, and I think the end result is reflective of this (especially the "Re:Heat" work).
When I was working on "Nostromo" I was using more conventional methods, synthesisers and such to
generate things, lots of studio equipment like effects machines, radios, waves of feedback from analogue
equipment looping back on itself and a big mixing desk to bind it all together on. When I started "DWM" I was
looking to experiment on something completely different not just thematically, but technically as well. So
having done the one-off recording of the mis-firing fan, I read this into a computer and started to manipulate it
using only about three or four very powerful pieces of software to mutate and mix/layer the sound. DWM was
produced almost entirely on the computer (aside from doing the original recording) which really let me probe
the depths of digital manipulation. I figure I'm going to work pretty much exclusively in that environment for a
while -- it's compact and at the same time ridiculously powerful. A friend was listening to DWM and we had a
laugh at the idea of re-inventing SleepResearch_Facility as a project using nothing but the original 3 minute
fan recording for future work, endlessly manipulating it into new noises as there really is no end to how far a
sound can be bashed about digitally. Not that I want to be perceived as being a production snob in any kind
of digital vs. analogue (or vice-versa) argument of course -- it doesn't really matter how it's made, what's
important is simply if the end result sounds interesting or not.
What influences, musical or otherwise, do you have? Is there anything specifically that drove you to create
your own music?
Influences, mmm... Well, I guess I like things that exhume a minimal aesthetic. That can really be anything.
Without getting into specifics, things like empty factories, really interesting works of architecture and design,
odd natural or man made noises like the rush of an 8 lane highway heard from three miles away, or thunder
(thunder is REALLY good!) certain things in the world we take for granted sometimes just grab my attention
in strange ways. I took a tour of a power plant a few years ago and while everyone was *oooing and awwing*
over the kilowatts-produced-per-hour, all I could think of was that whirring sound of the turbines should be on
CD. That's not to say I'm inspired exclusively by what people might think of as *industrial* of course - natural
environments can be equally as intriguing - empty frozen tundra, deserts, even jungles all have something
interesting to offer the mind conceptually. Some things just hit me in a certain way, and make me want to
conjure up a sound that represents it in some personified way (that sounds ridiculously pretentious - I'm not
really that artsy-fartsty though... I hope!) As for musical influences, I suppose people who listen to lots of
fringe-audio might see similarities to other drift/drone acts, though I don't generally hear something and say
*wow, THAT'S what I want to sound like* -- actually, my listening habits are probably not what people might
expect... my brother gave me a copy of Tool's "Anima" a few weeks ago and it is currently blowing me away,
at night I occasionally stick on some Jon Hassle but like I said, SRF is so self-indulgent that I usually just
listen to something weird I've recorded myself. Maybe that's one of the reasons I started to fiddle with music
in the first place, pure self-satisfaction (?)
What's next for SRF? Do you have any upcoming releases or ideas in the pipeline?

There is another project pretty much finished for Cold Spring which is pencilled for release just around the
beginning of 2005. I think I might like to re-mix a couple of edits, but it's basically complete - titled "Deep
Frieze" it's a bit like a soundtrack for sitting on an Antarctic ice-flow watching the glaciers go by (yeah, more
pseudo-incidental music). Sort of like "Nostromo" in it's drifting, but perhaps less claustrophobic. And I have
an ancient promise to produce a piece for the tiny but well respected *Mystery Sea* label in Belgium - again,
something is in production, but I'm not rushing it. One more thing I've started toying with recently is yet
another re-sampling project which involves reconstituting new textures (again, using purely the software
environment) out of an empty/blank/silent recording I made on my laptop one night when I didn't have a mic
or synth of any kind to make a noise with... there is an incredible amount of stuff to be found down around
the extreme lower end of the decibel level beyond the range of human hearing, in what seems to be a silent
passage, when you take the software and amplify it 1000's of times.
Sound interesting! Finally, any last words before we close the interview?
Just really a big thanks to everyone who's supported me and shown enthusiasm for the SRF stuff, it's really
encouraging. Sweet dreams!
by Dan_H,
September 2004
[www.coldspring.co.uk/Pdf/csr_janfeb07.pdf]
INTO THE VOID
An interview with SleepResearch_Facility
January 2007
KD Kevin Doherty
CSR: We here at Cold Spring is very excited to have SRF
back with us for another release!
KD: I'm happy to be back. Cold Spring has a fine
reputation, anyone would be pleased to part of your tree.
CSR: "Nostromo" received superb reviews and is still
raved about today, 6 years after it's release. Why do you
think themes of deep space hold such an allure?
KD: It's cold and dark and mysterious. We don't know
what secrets might be hidden out there. It's like a great
unknown and although our technologies reveal more and
more about the deep velvety blackness all the time, we
can really only speculate about what lies way out there in
the big emptiness. This makes a great playground for the
imagination. The possibilities (like space itself) are
utterly boundless.
CSR: "Deep Frieze' is based on specific co-ordinates in
Antarctica. This is another fascinating and virtually
unknown region to humankind. What gave you the
inspiration to write about it? What were the inspirations
to begin the process of creating this?
KD: The polar regions are awe inspiring environments of
inhospitable minimalism, and at the same time there's a
beautiful serenity to be found in their uncharted
bleakness as well. I think Antarctica holds more
mystique than its northern counterpart because it's an
actual land-mass, it's an island down around what we
usually think of as the bottom of the earth. There are

mountain ranges and deserts and rivers to be found if

you look. And if you wanted to be alone with your
thoughts it's probably one of the most remote places on
the planet. It's also one of those places where nature can
create bizarre and beautiful works of art all of its own
volition (natural structures, fragile ecosystems, strange
atmospheric phenomena all unique to the region).
There's a powerful purity and a timelessness to be found
there as well, snow which has lain un-trampled for
millennia and ice which formed eons ago. How could
one possibly resist writing about such a place?
CSR: SRF was "Born out of a desire to design
customised audio sleep-aids for chronic insomniacs" and
to provide listening environments wherein the music
simply adds texture to the silence". Can you elaborate on
these aspects of ambience and isolationism?
KD: Some people use white noise to help them get to
sleep. One of my brothers sleeps with a fan turned on to
provide a gentle rush of soft noise. I guess SRF is a bit
like a more interesting version of that "whoosh". I'm not
sure why but some people (myself included) either
require or desire something to focus on while drifting off
to sleep. I'm sure there are academics who could boil it
down to something chemical or physiological happening
in the brain as it lowers its frequencies while descending
into sleep, but I think talking about SRF within that kind
of clinical context feels like a diminishing of the sound's
aesthetics somewhat. The idea of generating specific
audio to sooth people with sleeping disorders was more
of a fun tounge-in-cheek description of SRF than an
actual mission-statement or manifesto. I love mbience,
non-intrusive sound that compliments the space into
which it's being played as opposed to trying to be the
center of the room's attention, and at the end of the day
it's not surprising that focused listening to this kind quiet
subdued sound can induce a relaxed state of mind and
body, so I guess the equation all sort of balances out. Of
course, I would hope that people see SRF as something
that could be listened to anytime actually, and not just
something to be used exclusively as an audio-sedative.
CSR: Who do you admire in theis scene today? Do you
take a lot of notice of it?
KD: I don't actually follow things much anymore. I used
to read a lot of music sites and 'zines, follow the reviews,
get discs ordered in from obscure labels and such, but it's
an activity I find myself doing less and less of these days.
My i-pod is actually chocked-up with tons of drum 'n
bass and ball crunching techno, though if you asked me
who mixed what I probably wouldn't be able to tell you,
I'm tragically ill-informed. One guy I really like though
is Anthony Child (Surgeon) who played at Cold Spring's
Laibach night last year.
CSR: Have you any plans to take SRF to a live audience?
KD: I would love to take SRF to a live audience, but I
think it would require a very particular environment to
work properly. A big, quiet room in a disused industrial
space with only the white noise from a television tuned to

static (or some equally obscure visual element) projected

against one wall for illumination sounds good. Maybe
cushions or beanbags scattered around in the gloom,
bodies littering the floor everywhere. this all sounds
about right too. A planetarium would be a great place to
gig SRF as well, more so because the chairs recline to an
almost horizontal position than anything else. Or maybe
a gallery space, I'm really into interesting audio
installations which are the next best thing to a live gig
(and maybe even better in some respects). An artstudent
friend of mine once suggested doing something
in a remote part of a forest which I thought was a really
interesting idea too. So sure, if someone came to me with
an idea to set up SRF live in an appropriate setting I'd be
totally all over it.
CSR: What future recordings are planned for SRF?
KD: SRF has gone deep space and now deep cold, I'm
thinking maybe we might go deep-sea for the next one.
And I've been messing around with another re-sampling
project similar to the DeadWeatherMachine discs.
There's rumours of a Nostromo re-release with a bonus
track. We'll just have to see what the future brings!