Plastic Operator interview

Plastic Operator interview

27 June, 2007 | 9.33AM

• Section: Music News
• Written by: Terry Church

With their debut album ‘Different Places’ finally released, Beatportal caught up with Pieter Van Dessel and Mathieu Gendreau from Plastic Operator to find out more about the happy-go-lucky duo, their music and their studio set-up.

Your debut album ‘Different Places’ is incredibly happy. Do you guys just skip through life like joyful little schoolgirls?

Pieter: “A lot of people have only heard ‘Folder’ so far, but the rest of the album takes you to some quieter, more reflective places too.

“Also, while it’s true that ‘Folder’ has a very happy vibe about it, there is definitely an element of sadness in the way it reveals a guy who isn’t capable of communicating the way he would like to.”

Mat: “We are essentially happy I would say, but most definitely not all the time.

“Actually, we both had some pretty big changes happening in our lives during the time we were working on the album, and when we finished, I realised the album reflected a lot of that.

“The album will lift your mood at times, but a lot of the songs are melancholic and some are fairly introspective.”

It sounds like you really put some thought into your music.

Pieter: “Our point of view is quirky and that catches people’s attention.

“But I think the reason people really connect with the music is that the melodies and arrangements hit them emotionally.

“People also tell me they relate to the lyrics.”

Why should your music be on MTV?

Pieter: “Because it will entertain your toddler all night long, or so one babysitter told us. Also because Pete Circuitt directed the ‘Folder’ music video.

“It feels like he created a whole mini universe for the song to live in. He is one seriously talented Kiwi.”

If you had to file ‘Different Places’ in your record collection, which two artists would it go in-between?

Pieter: “Between Kraftwerk and Hot Chip. Both write great tunes and rely heavily on cutting-edge music equipment.

“Also like Hot Chip, we love playing live, having fun and not taking it all too seriously.”

Cutting-edge music equipment? So what’s your studio set-up like?

Mat: “Pieter and I have totally different studio set-ups.

“I mainly use Apple Logic Pro and a Focusrite Saffire soundcard, which sounds brilliant.

“Pieter does a lot of work in Digital Performer and on Protools LE that he got with his Digidesign DIGI-002.

“We do all the drum sequencing with the internal EXS-24 sampler.

“We also use a bunch of other plug-ins and software instruments.

“The electric piano on ‘Folder’ is the EVP-88 piano from Logic.

“Most synths on ‘Singing All the Time’ are Logic’s ES2 and ES1.

“There are Emu Vintage Pro sounds in there as well.

“We’re also big fans of the PSP Vintage Warmer plug-in.

“That’s one of the best plug-in ever invented.

“It really gives an upfront and warm sound to your drums and bass - you can hear it on ‘Parasols’.

“I also have a hardware Access Virus and a couple Novation synths, which I love, but they’re still in boxes since I moved to Philly from London last year.

“I doubt that I’ll plug them in again anytime soon as software synths are way too handy.

“You can hear those hardware synths on the album though.

“We mixed the whole album on a G4 laptop using Logic Pro.”

Pieter: “We also use a bunch of Native Instruments plug-ins.

“Guitar Rig is amazing to make crazy noizes - we put anything through that.

“We often use Traktor for DJing. It’s very handy.

“For the live gig we use Ableton Live to trigger loops on the go and we play live keyboards and guitars on top.

“We aim to play live as many parts of the songs as we can.”

Wow, you sound like real computer nerds, hooked on software.

Mat: “I love analogue equipment but I don’t have much apart from a Doepfer analogue monosynth that I haven’t connected for about eight years.

“Analogue gear sounds great, but I can’t be bothered to plug all that stuff together and try to remember sound settings.

“Computers are better at doing that.

“We don’t mind if software synths don’t sound exactly like the vintage ones. It’s just different.

“That is not necessarily a bad thing.

“Right now I don’t even use a mixing desk.

“My set-up is a MIDI controller keyboard and a laptop connected to the Saffire soundcard connected to a pair Mackie HR824 speakers. That’s all you need.”

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