Name: Field of Dreams
Members: Chris Kentish, Al Mackenzie
Interviewee: Al Mackenzie
Nationality: British
Occupation: Producers
Current release: Field of Dreams's Keep Rollin EP is out via their very own Field of Dreams label.
Gear Recommendations: Try and get into the Native Instruments package. The plug-ins are incredible. The Arturia V Collection also.
I’ve stopped buying new synths as most are in boxes now gathering dust here!

If this Field of Dreams interview piqued your interest, visit the duo on Facebook, and Soundcloud.
 


The views of society towards technology are subject to constant change. How would you describe yours?

Technology, in general, is subject to constant change. That is part of our evolution. I don’t always understand it but you have to try and embrace it, otherwise, you will get left behind.

I spent years refusing to use CDJs when DJing, which was stupid. Held me back really. I decided not to make that mistake again.

What were your very first steps in music like and how would you rate the gains made through experience - can one train/learn being an artist/producer?

In the mid 80s, I had friends at school who were into On U Sound / Tackhead etc … and were dabbling with drum machines and synths. I had started DJing at parties and wanted to explore it so bought and old Alesis HR 16 drum machine and went round to their place and had a play around. I was hopeless.

When I met Peter (who became my partner in D:Ream), he was on the Akai S1000 sampler, Atari ST and a few keyboards. This would be where I started to learn as I was pretty clueless still. So the answer, in my case anyway, is you can learn.

I’m pretty adept at all aspects of production now. I have learned basic playing skills on the keyboard which means I can, pretty much, make music that sounds like I know what I'm doing!! You just, in my opinion, need an ear for music and the rest is technical stuff, which can always be learned, if you want to.

Making music, in the beginning, is often playful and then becomes increasingly professionalised. How important is playfulness for you today and if it is important, how do, concretely, you retain it?  

The more you do it, the more professional it becomes. That’s just the way of things.

I’m not sure about the ‘playful’ aspect of it. I have always tried to make music I liked, regardless of what others think. Getting the sound you want isn’t always that easy and that, for me, is where the professionalism comes in, and it is necessary.

There is a sound that could be considered ‘professional’, if that’s where you are going with this, which I am not a fan of and wouldn’t go there. That over produced, clinical sound is not for me.

Which other producers were important for your development and what did you learn from them?

Guys like David Morales and Frankie Knuckles in the 90s, on the dance front, really interested me. They locked in the groove and extended their remixes to their limits, getting every ounce of groove and soul out of them. Prior to that, and to this day, it was always Prince.

[Read our David Morales interview]

More so on the vocal and pop dance stuff with D:Ream. His vocal techniques, melodies and production was second to none. He was always trying new things and wasn’t scared to strip tunes back to their bones to squeeze as much funk / soul out of his drums, guitar and bass rhythms. I wish I could get to that level!.

Pete and I also love the old greats, George Martin, Brian Eno, Jeff Lynne etc. Obvious, but brilliant and what they did is still relevant today.

[Read our Brian Eno interview feature on climate change]

How and for what reasons has your music set-up evolved over the years and what are currently some of the most important pieces of gear and software for you?

We are more ‘in the box‘ these days. Certainly with Field Of Dreams and my own stuff. With D:Ream, we use a lot more live instruments but, even then, we sometimes back them up with plug-ins.

Obviously, I have moved on from the old Atari days and use a Mac. Logic is my preferred workstation. It’s what I‘ve always used from its earliest form. I’ve never been tempted to go to Ableton or any of the others. We used to use Pro Tools, which Peter (From D:Ream) loves as it’s a more professional workstation in many ways but Logic is pretty standard these days and is evolving. It does have some terrible glitches sometimes and I do wonder what the programmers are up to, with their constant modifications, but I live with it.

The Native Instruments and Arturia suite plug ins are immense. They are a bit pricey and use a lot of juice on the computer, so you need a decent set up, but they are incredible. They’ve, with the Roland plug ins, made using any hardware pointless, in my experience.

Have there been technologies which have profoundly influenced, changed or questioned the way you make music?
 
Influenced and changed, yes. As just explained. Much more ‘in the box‘ now. Not questioned though.

What is the relation between innotative tools and "innovative music”?
 
Innovative music doesn’t, necessarily, need to be borne from innovative tools. However, innovative tools can certainly lead to innovative music.

Late producer SOPHIE said: “You have the possibility with electronic music to generate any texture, and any sound. So why would any musician want to limit themselves?” What's your take on that and the relevance of limitations in your set-up and process?

I agree, wholeheartedly, with it. My limitations are purely based on my musical ability. Whilst I can play basic chords etc on the keyboard, with the set-up we have now, I can tweak and play with things that make me sound like I really know what I’m doing!! Luckily, in D:Ream, my partner, Peter Cunnah, is an exceptionally talented musician so he actually does know what he is doing.

Some of the plug ins now though are so amazing, someone with just an idea and little musical ability can create magic. That’s a good thing, in my opinion. It’s all about what you create, not about how you got there.

Some of the greatest musicians make some terrible music!

From the earliest sketches to the finished piece, what does your current production workflow/process look like?

It changes on every project. The electronic stuff can be fairly quick from conception to finish. I hear of people doing tracks in one session. That never happens with me. With Field Of Dreams we do short sessions, listen, then go back to them. In reality, some have only taken hours but have been spread over several sessions.

With D:Ream, as they are generally song based, we sometimes have a basic melody Peter has come up with or a few lyrical ideas. Sometimes he has most of a song. I turn up to Ireland and we work on them. They can end up completely different from the initial idea. Sometimes we start from scratch if either of us has an idea we need to explore. I like working this way with Peter and he has got used to me not liking certain things he has done and understands I can’t like everything.

I also prefer to have a starting point, when it comes to the song based stuff, and seem to thrive on it as I have a real love for the English language and melody. Any musician will tell you there is no set process really.

From your experience, are there things you're doing differently than most or many other artists when it comes to gear and production?

I, very much, doubt it!

In relation to sound, one often reads words like “material”, “sculpting”, and “design”. Do you feel these terms have a relationship to your own work of and approach towards sound? Do you find using presets lazy?

Presets are there for a reason. You have all the tools there to make the sound how you need it to sound. I wouldn’t want my sounds to sound like they were ripped off from another tune, especially something well known, but it’s all about the final product.

Loads of the new pop music and the tech house stuff out there are all using generic sounds and sound the same. Loads of it does really well. Are they wrong? I wouldn’t do it and get a buzz out of trying to create unique sounds but it’s all a bit ‘beard stroking’ bollocks really when you start using these terms. Horses for courses

To some, the advent of AI and 'intelligent' composing tools offers potential for machines to contribute to the creative process. What are your hopes, fears, expectations and possible concrete plans in this regard?

I will wait and see. It is scary what I am seeing it can do. Peter (from D:Ream) is really embracing it and trying to get his head around it. We are just writing a tune for the next album called ‘AI Messiah‘, as it goes!

Musicians may be completely redundant soon though

Technology has continually taken on more steps of the compositional process and "creative" tasks. From your point of view, where does "technology" end and "creativity" begin?

It all starts with the creativity for me. The technology is just a tool to get what you are creating to where it needs to be.

If you could make a wish for the future directly to a product developer at a Hard- or Software company – what are developments in tools/instruments you would like to see and hear?  

Oh, I don’t know. I’m still learning things with what’s available.