Second Square To None

Fyodor-Summa by sstn noise


Turntable vandalism and more loop and delay pedals than you can shake a rain stick at this week from Square Waves radio show host Fionn Wallace, a.k.a. Fyodor. Here's what he has to say for himself:

What are your reasons / motives for making music, and how you arrived at this style?

FYO: My brother used to be the drummer in a grunge cover band when I was about 13 and I thought they were the shit. I started playing drums around the age of 14 with Killian Redmonk on guitar and we quickly realized that just jamming was way more fun than playing the music of other bands. Ten years later - with the addition of Niamh de Barra and Ed Devane - we were the JohnMaryTrilogy (and also on the brink of extinction). We were dedicated to improvisation at this stage and a noise element was steadily creeping into our music.

Reasons? Love of music. The act of creating music is pretty magical, especially with improvisation, even more so when playing with others. With JohnMaryTrilogy, we jammed a lot of shit music, but when it came together it was exciting and rewarding, jam sessions were something I really looked forward to.



So yea, the social aspect of playing in a group; the musical communication – when it happened – was/is a huge thing for me. Ed Devane and I still play together sometimes as FYED and that’s really cool, but I wish there were ten people playing electronics at once. I’d love to start a big improvising noise/electronics collective like MIMEO; electro-acoustic stuff, laptops, loads of pedals and maybe even a few acoustic instruments. Instantaneous Collective Creation!!! Haha – the socialist ICC; middle-class noisemakers of Ireland unite!!!

Style? Years ago I fell off a fence in a park, mangled some tendons in my hand and couldn’t play drums for a while. I got a drum machine, some effects pedals, an ancient little Casio keyboard, and started making horrible noises. Now it’s pretty much the same but with turntables and more pedals (and perhaps it’s more abrasive).

I play noise music because it’s so utterly pointless. It is subversive because it carries no message, it’s just what it is - a bundle of random sound. Waking down the street listening to Merzbow makes me feel awake, I’m not necessarily enjoying it – noise music is not exactly what you’d call entertainment – but it is stimulating, unsettling even. I think it’s fruitful to have our perceptions ruffled every now and then, lest we become totality complicit in the land of the same.

What sort of environment it is intended for, and what is the intended effect on listener (if any)?

FYO: I like when it’s played on good loud speakers, so you can feel the music in your belly.

What sort of equipment you use (e.g. computer, hardware, home made gear, circuit bent stuff etc.) do you use to make your sounds?

FYO: I use Turntables, effects, a few acoustic instruments, samplers and loopers, drum machine, drums, cymbals, bells, singing bowls, radio, harmonium, synth, that crappy like keyboard and assorted junk. An 8 track. No computers.

Any memorable noise-related incidents/ interesting gig anecdotes?

FYO: Yea, watching Ed Devane getting electrocuted by his own gear about 200 times since I’ve known him.

Info on upcoming gigs, preferred web address, releases etc.

Will probably get a little album together over the summer and will try to get that improvising collective on the road.

www.soundcloud.com/fyodor

www.soundcloud.com/squarewaves.