Name: Matt Bachmann
Nationality: American
Occupation: Composer, multi-instrumentalist, mastering engineer
Current release: Matt Bachmann's new album Compost Karaoke, featuring Jeff Tobias, Derek Baron, James Krivchenia, Cory Bracken, Roberta Michel, and Kyle Boston, is slated for release September 12th 2025 via Orindal. Second single “Heavy Step” is out now.
Recommendations on the topic of sound: I read David Toop’s Ocean of Sound almost 10 years ago and was really moved by how he discussed sound in many settings. I’ve always enjoyed listening to Pauline Oliveros talks and think of her when I’m at a talk or presentation where I dislike the speaker– trying to focus on the room tone rather than the content.

[Read our David Toop interview]
[Read our Pauline Oliveros interview]

If you enjoyed this Matt Bachmann interview and would like to know more about his music, visit him on Instagram.



How do listening with headphones and listening through a stereo system change your experience of sound and music?

I used to listen to so much music in headphones– it's such an intimate experience and I love imagining that I am in the center of the sound.

However, as my tinnitus has worsened, extended headphone listening has become more taxing on my ears so I find that I’m listening more out loud. It feels like a more big picture/broad strokes experience– I think I like this more as I get older (or maybe I tell myself this to ease the pain of tinnitus lol).

Tell me about some of the albums or artists that you love specifically for their sound, please.

I’ve always been interested in intimacy in sound. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the sound of Mashu Hayasaska’s Piano Etudes. It has a beautiful wavy tape quality that bites as his playing gets more animated. I love the piano diary feel.



Speaking of piano diaries, I’ve also been revisiting Ryuichi Sakamoto’s 12, and have been moved by how present his heavy breathing is in many tracks. I feel like I am with him on his final days.



I’ve also been spinning Natural Information Society and Bitchin’ Bajas new record, Totality, and was particularly moved by the song “Always 9 Seconds Away,” which features the rich texture of bowed bass, bass clarinet, and flute playing a melody together.



I feel like we were going for a similar texture with the bass clarinets in “TIAGDTD.”



[Read our Rob Frye of Bitchin' Bajas interview]
[Read our Joshua Abrams of Natural Information Society interview]

Are there everyday places, spaces, or devices which intrigue you by the way they sound? Which are these?

It's funny because my New York brain tries to keep everyday sounds out so as not to become overwhelmed. And given that working as a social worker can already be so overwhelming, I need to protect myself. But whenever I travel, I feel my shoulders loosen and my ears open.

I went to Japan for the first time last year and had a number of really pleasant aural experiences– we hardly slept our first night and went to the Tuna auction in Toyosu Market in Tokyo which happens at 5 AM. You watch the auction behind glass from this funny balcony that feels like a corporate hallway. They pipe in the sound of the auction at a low volume from these speakers in the ceiling– it was so pleasing– the sound of organized chaos (machinery, the auctioneer, chatter) condensed though this small speaker. White noise that’s living!

Later on this trip we heard the most incredible train crossing bell– it had this real dull flavor and was playing two tones around a half-step apart.

Have you ever been in spaces with extreme sonic characteristics, such as anechoic chambers or caves? What was the experience like?

I’ve had a number of experiences in really strange concrete spaces that have beautiful reverberant qualities– the abandoned domes at Casa Grande near Arizona; James Turrell’s C.A.V.U. at Mass Moca; and some handball courts in Venice Beach.

In each of these spaces, I’ve been lucky to be alone amongst close friends and gotten the chance to sing and stomp around together– those improvisations live fondly in my memory.

What are among your favourite spaces to record and play your music?

My favorite place to play music is my shared office in the morning before I go to work. It’s not a good sounding room and I’m playing on my keyboard, which isn’t particularly inspiring sounding, but it feels like a time that is all mine and an opportunity to get lost in the piano.

Depending on the time of year, I’ll be playing along with the birds outside (Spring) or the fan (Summer).

Do music and sound feel “material” to you? Does working with sound feel like you're sculpting or shaping something?

I’m not sure I would think of it as “material,” but I do think of what I’m doing as partially shaping sounds and partially searching for sounds. I guess I would say that it feels like shaping when it’s harder– when the sound needs more massaging to get right.

On a song like “TIAGDTD,” most of the playful alien sounds feel like they were “found” through funny experiments with guitar pedals. But the lo-tom sound of that song feels “shaped,” maybe because it was a little unwieldy to start.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds?

We recorded part of Mega Bog’s Life, and Another at a studio in rural Washington. While Erin (Birgy) was cutting the vocals for “Maybe You Died,” a pack of wolves (or coyotes? I’m no expert) started to howl in the distance.



Erin opened the door and stuck the mic outside to capture the moment (you can hear them featured prominently in the intro). After Erin captured a bit, we all headed outside and took it in amongst all these frogs croaking.

Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?

I was pretty safe with ear plugs for all of my life, but still ended up getting tinnitus. It came on after I was over exerting myself while mixing my record, Unconditional Love.

I was pretty devastated for a few months, getting overly precautious (like wearing earplugs in the car because it felt too loud). But I have learned to live with it– now the ringing acts as a barometer of my health– if I haven’t been sleeping well or am stressed, it will be louder. But most of the time I can ignore it.

My left ear is just generally fucked– if I put my head upside down, that ear feels like its going through a rock tumbler. I’ve been talking with more musicians about this and it could be middle ear problems? Water? Wax? I’ve noticed that my ability to perceive low end in that ear is worse (but maybe only when I’m congested in that ear?). It will be interesting to continue to age and see how it all plays out– I have a better disposition in general these days though; I can still hear for now and that’s great.

My father in law has hearing aids that seem pretty cool and he’s still a deep music listener. There will likely be a lot of “What???” being uttered in my future.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

Glenn Gould didn’t have a smart phone lol. I’m trying to find more time for silence and “doing nothing.” I fill my space with music, interviews, books on tape, and basketball podcasts– at times as a way to avoid feeling uncomfortable in silence.

I would like to be more intentional with my listening– I think I’m most thankful to movie theaters for providing me a space to feel focused and immersed. I love the sound of a great theater.