what is your name?
Guglielmo Bottin, but I often use the English version of my name (William) since it’s much easier to pronounce for non-Italians
how would you describe what you do?
Errr. Music, I hope.
I also agree with one definition of music which states it as “Architecture of Time”.
what are you currently working on?
Finding new ways to kill time at airports,
Also a new record with my friend Rodion, inspired by the Italian paninaro scene and called “Galli di dio”
what has had the greatest influence on your work?
With my most recent work I suppose it is the soundtracks of b-movies of the 70s and 80s. And also the sounds of Italian television in those years. Those visions of the future that people had in the 70s and 80s, now we don’t seems to be able to have any more. Of course those predictions failed and that future never came, but at least there was an imaginative effort. Now we see the future as rather similar to our present, only with slightly unethical technological developments but very few aesthetic advancement. Yesterday’s future was interesting. Today’s future is boring.
what is the greatest misconception about you or your work?
About the Horror Disco album, some people have argued that it’s not dreadful enough – they totally miss the point of the project, which is an ironic one.
I’m not obsessed with horror movies and such culture. I’m a decent guy – not a crepuscular, self-mutilating vampire-wannabe
what do you see as the main strengths and weaknesses of the medium you work in?
I like the abstract nature of (wordless) music. It makes it extremely versatile and able to amplify or deeply modify virtually anything it’s juxtaposed to.
The weakness is that it’s abstract and bodiless nature make it easy to distribute but difficult to manufacture in the shape of an interesting object.
I wish we could embody songs in sculptures or even everyday objects and that people would have to have the object to hear the music. Like a chair or a fork or a sweater that transmits a unique track to your stereo. That I would like.
how has technology impacted upon the work you do?
It hasn’t, really. I don’t think there has been any truly innovative been technogical advance in music production, after the invention of the synthesizer and hard-disk recording.
The recent development with software synthesizers and intuitive sequencing has only made it easier, particularly for the aural illiterate. That is also the reason why there is an overproduction of music that not even decently crafted and we could easily do without.
But recent technology has greatly impacted upon distribution – and on one hand it is a good thing since it’s much easier to promote tracks via mp3s and streaming, on the other hand the whole digital phenomenon is depriving the audience of the motivation (and patience) that they once had with physical supports.
When I buy a vinyl record in a shop or at a flea market it’s usually because of the producers or the label behind it. Or perhaps it’s the artwork that lures me into buying it. With files everything is bodiless and anonymous. Basically you only know the artist and the song title. But we know that often it’s the producer and the session musicians that have crafted the recording, yet they remain nameless since there is not space for their contribution to be stated. This end ups with people hoarding a virtually infinite number of audio files, the majority of which gets quickly deleted after a first absentminded listen (although most music, with the exception of fm pop, requires attention and multiple exposures to it to be comprehended and eventually liked) – then many of the “surviving” files get forgotten in some remote hard drive directory.
This process, dictated by technology, basically prevents most listeners from forming a musical culture of their own. When people still bought music, the initial monetary investment forced kids to listen to an album more than once, just because they had to wait for their next allowance before buying another one.
what’s the greatest piece of advice you would like to pass on?
Do not follow trends unceasingly. Don’t jump on a music style just because it’s *a-la-page: *it’s the best way to lose your credibility as a producer or dj.
where can we find you online?
www.bottin.it and on my favorite dying social network http://www.myspace.com/bottinski
what are you reading at the moment?
I’m trying to read my girlfriend’s mind but, since I can make out much of it I guess I’ll go back to “Club cultures. Music, media and subcultural capital” by Sarah Thornton. Definitely easier.
what are you listening to at the moment?
The Turmoil of Discocracy
anything else we should know?
I’m quite happy and I plan to become even happier.