Name: Takahide Higuchi aka Foodman
Nationality: Japanese
Occupation: Producer
Current Release: Foodman's Uchigawa Tankentai is out via Hyperdub November 10th 2023.
Recommendations: Album: 融 (Yū) by 空気公団 (Kukikodan). Listen here.

If you enjoyed this Foodman interview and would like to stay up to date on his music, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud. To dive in deeper, read our earlier Foodman interview.

Thanks for the translation to Kasumi Billington.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in production and technology? What were your very first active steps with music technology and how would you rate the gains made through experience - can one train/learn being an artist/producer?

The first technology I used to produce music was a software called Depth by PlayStation. I didn’t have any knowledge about music, but thanks to the software, I learned that even without musical knowledge or the ability to play an instrument, there was a way to create music through feelings.

I think there’s nothing better than having musical knowledge and the ability to play instruments. However, I believe there is definitely a quality of music that can only be achieved by knowing the joy of making music and making music based on feelings. That type of technology helps deepen musical knowledge too.

Were/are you interested in the history of production and recording? If so, which events, albums, artists, or insights stand out for you?
 
It’s well known that Japanese artist Rei Harakami would make everything by relying solely on the Roland SC-88.

The recording and music production technology continues to develop, and I feel very positive about that. Because of that, to me, Harakami’s pursuit of focusing on a piece of old equipment resembles a dialogue between a human and his machine.

For your own creativity, what is the balance and relative importance between what you learned from teachers, tutorials and other producers on the one hand – and what you discovered, understood, and achieved yourself? What are examples for both of these?

Once in a while, I reread the manual for the equipment that I'm using at the time. Rereading something after a time period creates new discoveries.

The producers I refer to are usually folks who produce using simple methods (for example, only using one piece of equipment for production), and through them, I learned how to enhance my own creativity.

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?

Ableton Live and the Korg Electribe SX. I use these for both live performances and for production.

Have there been technologies which have profoundly influenced, changed or questioned the way you make music?
 
I was extremely drawn to music created with AI. As AI technology continues to develop, music will become incomparable to music created by human beings.

I’m interested in the sounds created by AI currently. AI often creates incomplete sounds, like an empty collage that lacks a soul. I have a feeling that this sound will be reevaluated as an old-school AI sound in the future.

Yann Tiersen, in a surprising statement, told me: "I feel more sincere with electronic instruments [than acoustic ones]." Is that something you can relate to?
 
I like both acoustic and electronic instruments, but I mainly use electronic instruments.

I use acoustic instruments sometimes, but I haven’t played them enough with them to answer this question.

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 believe that it’s important to face yourself when creating something. In order to do so, keeping things simple, and using as little equipment as possible, helps enhance one’s creativity.

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

I start out by creating a sketch of the ideal sound. From the sketches that have accumulated, I select the ones that suit me most currently and edit on.

Rhythm, sound design, melody/harmony, something else – when do the different elements of a piece come into play for you?
 
I create music with a feeling similar to drawing an abstract picture. First, place some sounds. From there, I add more and more sounds that I envision. The sound can be anything from a melody to a rhythm.

In relation to sound, one often reads words like “material”, “sculpting”, and “design”. How does your own way of working with sound look like? Do you find using presets lazy?
 
Similar to the answer to the last question, I think of music as art. But I’m also not against using presets at all. That can be compared to using store-bought paint.

I think it’s ultimately up to you how you use it.

What, to you, are the respective benefits of solo work and collaborations and do you often feel lonely in the studio? Can machines act as collaborators to you?
 
Solo work is like a conversation with myself. Collaboration feels like a massage. The massage stimulates areas you couldn’t reach, and you discover something new. I feel like a collaboration is similar to a musical massage between two people.

I don’t really feel lonely in the studio.  

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?
 
My answer from earlier answers this question as well. Lol

At this point in time, I think it’s very unique. It’s okay to keep that incomplete quality. lol

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?
 
I’d love for someone to develop an upgraded version of Korg Electribe SX, MX without changing anything.