Trance
inducing electronica continues its reign of acclaim in the U.K. In
2015 synth maven Glen Wiffen released the latest CD and LP
by his musical namesake Wubworld. This jam-based electronica
albumalso featuring space guitar sounds by Dan Housegoborders
on psychedelia and if anything Wubworld have broken down the borders
between electonica and a more avant rock approach. Wiffen admits a
fondness for German space rock bands like Can and Neu! and Faust.
Wubworld hits a new sonic high with their 2015 CD entitled The
Chroniclers Of Ruuuna splendid effort based upon a wild
science fiction fantasy. Speaking about the album's concept,
Wiffen tells mwe3.com, "I don't tend to have fully formed
ideas before sitting down to compose. Most of what I do tends to come
from a single sound that appeals to my ear. I then develop that core
sound and see where it leads me. With The Chroniclers it was the core
of the title track Ruuun that led me to the eventual concept.
As I developed the track I thought if I could hear a planet breathing
this is what I imagine it would sound like. It was this notion that
got me thinking about the lifespan of a planet and our own impact
upon its growth and eventual demise. I concluded in the end that whilst
we might eventually learn to live both with ourselves and the world
around us, we could not ultimately stop the Sun from dying and that
no matter how in tune we get with our environment, we will finally
have to move on if we as a race want to survive." Sonically,
the CD is a spellbinding, hypnotic journey that is riveting throughout.
Many of todays younger artists grew up in the CD era but for
the release of Chroniclers Of Ruuun, Wiffen is very proud of
the vinyl version, which also comes with a CD tucked into the large
album sleeve. The CD sounds very dynamic and in your face but for
cosmic music fans, Chroniclers Of Ruuun is one of the best
instrumental space-rock albums of the year. www.wubworld.com
mwe3.com presents an interview with
Glen Wiffen of WUBWORLD
mwe3:
Can you tell us where youre from and where you live now and
what are some of your favorite cities and even countries to visit?
Glen Wiffen: I was born in Eastleigh in 1962 which back then
was an integral part of the British rail network, with a massive railway
works serving southern England. My father, like most people locally,
worked for the railway. In 1966 we moved to a village just outside
Eastleigh called Chandlers Ford. This was an idyllic place to grow
up being mostly woodland and fields, in fact the garden of the house
we lived in backed onto fields and I spent many hours playing in the
fields and surrounding woodland as I grew up. Sadly, like the railway
works, the fields and woodland have now been swallowed up by 'progress'.
I now live in Bishopstoke, which is a small suburb the other side
of Eastleigh from Chandlers Ford. I have traveled extensively throughout
my life, but have for now it seems returned to my roots.
In 2014 I visited Berlin for the first time to view the V&A Bowie
Exhibition. I was very taken with the relaxed cosmopolitan feel of
the city and impressed at how they did not flinch from accurately
portraying Germanys recent past. In fact, I was in the city
when the European Union voted as a whole. As I stood in this historic
city and contemplated the sacrifices made by so many, I was keenly
reminded why nationalism was never a good idea but then saddened at
the rise of the 'right' in the elections
it seems history teaches
us nothing beyond two generations at best.
A country I have visited recently that really caught my imagination
is Cambodia. Again, somewhere with a tragic recent past but so positive
and cheerful, with a real feeling of hope for the future. An absolute
joy.
If you pin me down and say you can only go here from now on though
it would have to be Scotland - fabulous people, stunning landscape
and whiskey, what's not to like!
mwe3: The new Wubworld CD, Chroniclers Of Ruuun is subtitled
An Imagined Future and is based on a science fiction concept.
How and when did you arrive with the concept for this album what was
involved in the process from composing, recording to pressing the
CD and LP?
Glen Wiffen: I don't tend to have fully formed ideas before
sitting down to compose. Most of what I do tends to come from a single
sound that appeals to my ear. I then develop that core sound and see
where it leads me. With The Chroniclers it was the core of
the title track Ruuun that led me to the eventual concept.
As I developed the track I thought if I could hear a planet breathing
this is what I imagine it would sound like. It was this notion that
got me thinking about the lifespan of a planet and our own impact
upon its growth and eventual demise. I concluded in the end that whilst
we might eventually learn to live both with ourselves and the world
around us, we could not ultimately stop the Sun from dying and that
no matter how in tune we get with our environment, we will finally
have to move on if we as a race want to survive.
The rest of
the album flowed from there really. Using pieces I had composed earlier
and developing others to fill the gaps in the story, I started to
put together an aural story of what might happen when there is nowhere
else for us to go. Once completed it was obvious that due to the overall
playing time I was not going to get it all on one CD and that the
natural place for it was on vinyl. As a collector of records for some
40 years this idea appealed as it would allow me to illustrate the
story through the artwork as much as the music.
The pressing of the vinyl it has to be said was fraught. Apart from
the sonic differences of working towards vinyl as opposed to CD, the
lead times for manufacture kept extending due to the resurgence in
vinyl worldwide and unlike CD you also have to factor in test pressings.
If you are unhappy with the test pressing to the back of the queue
you go!
In truth I nearly gave up on the whole thing, but my family and friends
encouraged me to keep going and I am glad they did as the reception
for the album has been very positive, making it all worthwhile in
the end.
mwe3: What are the differences in mastering between the CD
and LP, which is a double LP set? What recording system did you use
during the making of Chroniclers Of Ruuun and how did you get
such a vintage sound?
Glen Wiffen: Well despite being a record collector for years
it became apparent that I had never really thought about how the music
got there! It may seem obvious but there is an optimum length of music
per side and your mistakes in production and mastering can become
very costly in both time and money if you have to keep producing test
pressings. So yeah you need to get it right first or at the very least
second time really, particularly if like me you are producing the
thing at home. HDC Media, the production/management house that I used,
were very helpful though and I researched a lot in respect of the
dynamics.
Ultimately I chose to go beyond the optimum in terms of length per
side so as not to compromise my final work. To ensure quality this
meant producing the final master at less volume than one might normally.
So if you buy the vinyl you'll have to turn it up loud, but then hey
is there another way to listen to music?
I use Windows based computers and Cubase for all my recordings. I'm
of an age where everything to do with computers is self taught and
so tend to stick with whatever I started out with. Having said that
I like Cubase very much and enjoy being able to use whatever add-ons
I choose, as opposed to the operating system limiting my options.
This is especially true when it comes to the video's I produce to
accompany the live shows.
The 'vintage' sound is not a deliberate attempt I have to say, but
there is a sound for sure. I think it may be that despite now working
mainly within the confines of the computer I do tend to favor analogue
samples as opposed to digital interpretations and the plug-in effects
I like reflect my personal listening taste, which is that vintage
pioneering period in rock music of 1967 to 1975.
mwe3:
Tell us about the gear you played in the making of Chroniclers
Of Ruuun and who else worked with you on the instrumentation,
recording, mastering and art work? What are your main instruments
that you create music on and what part does the computer play in your
recording and performances?
Glen Wiffen: I use an old Yamaha PSR 1500 for most keyboard
work and a Cort electric guitar for simple riffs and drones, which
are mostly achieved with an Ebow and slide. In addition to this I
have various pieces of percussion, a Ukulele, a nice bright sounding
folk guitar and my voice. All these elements are channeled through
Cubase and subjected to effects, stretching and general manipulation
until I reach the sound required.
The playing element does not happen so much now though as I developed
a neurological disorder some ten years ago called Dystonia and this
now limits how long I can usefully play Dystonia causes involuntary
muscle contraction and the more I do the worse it gets. But I have
recorded quite a bit over the years and often sample myself when developing
new ideas. In addition I always carry with me a little Hitachi digital
recorder and if I hear an interesting sound while out and about I
will record and transfer it to my sound archive for future use.
All these elements will go into the mix when composing new pieces,
supplemented with standard samples when I cannot find my own sound.
Even here though I try to apply some originality by cutting and reordering
other peoples samples so as to create my own. As the various sounds
are assembled in Cubase I prefer not to use 'Snap To'. This brings
in the possibility of error and removes precision from the recording
process, which to my mind is more like your average band playing together.
The only exception to this rule on The Chroniclers album is
the track Preparation. For this I wanted to achieve a
precise mechanical head down work song and so laid the percussive
backing track very much to grid.
The more complicated guitar solos are carried out by a very talented
friend of mine - Dan Housego. Once the core track has been realized
we get together and work out the solos, recording them directly into
Cubase. If we are unable to achieve the sound I want at that point
I will later edit and embellish his recording to suit what I hear
in my head, which can make it a bit tricky for him when we come to
play live!
The final mix and mastering is always done with headphones not monitors
as I prefer to put myself in the position of the listener at this
point. I believe those that truly listen to music at home these days
rarely do so with 'naked ears', as modern living does not allow most
people the luxury of cranking the sound up without a near neighbor
being force fed your particular choice of the day. The only exception
to this is probably the car!
Due to my
disorder playing live is rather difficult. I therefore tend to prepare
and produce the live set way before a gig and then play it directly
from Cubase on stage but without the odd element here and there, including
the guitar solos of course. When we play live, Dan joins me and either
plays what we have rehearsed or improvises as the mood takes him,
which I am very happy for him to do as he is an extremely intuitive
player and always very respectful of my original concept. For myself
I monitor levels, alter the overall soundscape if necessary and join
in with a bit of guitar drone and theremin playing.
The artwork I do myself from images and video I have collected over
many years, manipulating them to achieve the look I want in much the
same way I do with the sound needed for the music. The only exception
to this on The Chroniclers album is the internal image of the
gatefold, which is from a piece my son Jamie was inspired to do after
I had told of my idea for the album.
mwe3: I thought Chroniclers Of Ruuun sounded very influenced
by early Gong and even early Pink Floyd. Would you say that Wubworld
is part of the 21st century resurgence of cosmic electronic music?
What other artists do you feel are keeping cosmic psychedelic instrumental
and avant garde electronic music alive today? I saw you are a big
Bowie fan. You have acknowledged his big contribution to late 70s
synth music.
Glen Wiffen: It's very kind of you to mention me in such wonderful
company, though I should not be too surprised if you hear an influence
as I am a big fan of both those bands. I agree that there does seem
to be a resurgence in cosmic electronic music and it would be nice
to think that I might be a part of that. In truth though it seems
very hard to get yourself heard due to the many listening choices
people have today, but sites like your own help tremendously in getting
the word out.
David Sylvian has produced some very interesting work over the years.
I particularly like his Approaching Silence album. The work
that Jon Hopkins has been doing with King Creosote is very rewarding
and I was lucky enough to catch Max Richter at an 'All Tomorrow's
Parties' festival recently - just sublime. On the edgier side I liked
the Fuck Buttons from the off and now also like the side project of
Blanck Mass. Thought Forms I have seen a couple of times and they
are very intense in performance. 65 Days of Static, Battles, Squarepusher
and God Speed You Black Emperor always excite me and who can ignore
Jah Wobble once he gets his head into a groove.
Other current favorites include My Morning Jacket so very inventive
and melodic. The War On Drugs whose sound is unique and life affirming.
Mercury Rev who always surprise me sonically and Enter Shikari who
I think will prove to be one of the most progressive and exciting
bands live in the coming years.
Yes
David Bowie has been an influence on me my whole life and it is true
to say that his pioneering spirit, in so many areas of the arts, will
be sorely missed. His early instrumental work just blew me away back
in 1977 when Low came out. I always hoped he would develop
this vein more than he did in the end, but like so much of what he
gave us, what we do have is sheer quality.
mwe3: How about the artists from different genres who influenced
you early on to want to be a musician and what were a few of the albums
that influenced you early on as well?
Glen Wiffen: The German progressive rock outfit Faust were
an early influence with Faust IV still a firm favorite and
Tangerine Dream's Zeit is still to this day an otherworldly
experience. The Welsh band Man inspired me greatly there long
extended workouts are the stuff of legend, check out a later live
recording of them called at the Star Club it just flies. The Rascals
work in the early seventies is very underrated in my opinion
I think they were penalized for not towing the pop line. Peter Frampton's
guitar work on Frampton Comes Alive still knocks me out, as
does Zappa's Hot Rats album and anything by Neil Young.
Other early influences include Manuel Gottsching, Neu!, Steve Hillage,
YES, Hawkwind, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Van Der Graaf Generator and
Robert Wyatt. I absolutely adore Roy Harper's output, particularly
the Work Of Heart album and that other great troubadour John
Martyn is never far from the turntable. The first two proper LP's
I bought with my own money were MFP (Music For Pleasure) cheapie reissues.
One was Dvorak's New World Symphony and the other was Procol
Harum's A Salty Dog. I still have them and they still get regular
plays.
mwe3: What are some of your favorite movies and movie soundtracks?
Are soundtracks an area that Wubworld has explored and may explore
more in the future?
Glen Wiffen: Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer is always
high up the list, both for the movie and the score by Marvin Hamlisch.
I am also a sucker for old musicals and Brigadoon is probably
my favorite for its sheer escapism. The Sommersby soundtrack
composed by Danny Elfman is gorgeous as is the Somewhere In Time
soundtrack by John Barry.
I recently caught the Argentinean film The Secret in Their Eyes
and absolutely loved it. A near perfect movie I'd say with a beautiful
score by Emilio Kauderer and Federico Jusid.
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence might be an obvious choice for
me but it is a very fine movie and that score by Ryuichi Sakamoto
gets me every time. Other film composers that never seem to put a
foot wrong in my opinion are Ennio Morricone and Michael Nyman
they both have very distinctive styles and never fail to compliment
the movie.
People often comment that my more ambient soundscape work has the
feel of a soundtrack looking for a movie and I think I would like
to explore that avenue more, but frankly at the moment wouldnt
know how to go about it!
mwe3:
How is Chroniclers Of Ruuun an evolution upon the other Wubworld
albums and in what directions would you like to take the Wubworld
sound in next? How about other plans do you have for 2016?
Glen Wiffen: I'm not sure that it is an evolution as such,
more a culmination of my output to date I think. It has the soundscape
and ambient sense of my first release Re:Define, coupled with
the more rhythmic thrust of Wubrhythm.
The future direction of Wubworld is very exciting right now as
I have found it necessary to reevaluate my role due to my Dystonia.
The result is the forming of a band to play and record the music and
the guys I have on board so far are stellar musicians with bags of
enthusiasm as to where we can take it. Our rehearsals to date have
resulted in some very exciting and intense jams and I can't wait to
present a show that incorporates both the sonic extremes of Wubworld
and the head down trance like grooves we've been kicking out.