I recently had the pleasure of hearing composer Mason Bates with the LA Philharmonic at the Disney Concert Hall, performing his Liquid Interface. Immediately intrigued to see a laptop and electronic sampler amongst the ensemble, I listened as his subtle atmospherics and delicately placed rhythm patterns echoed alongside the symphony. Here is an excerpt from our dialogue:

ORBITER SIGNAL: You have developed a synthesis between your classical and electronic sentiments. What is the initial inspiration that compels you to explore the dynamic between these seemingly counterintuitive modes?

MASON BATES: Electronica is unique in popular music in its non-vocal nature. With no lyrics or vocal line to guide the ear, other musical elements elevate in importance. The resulting ear-tingling textures, intricate rhythms, and beautiful harmonies of electronica make it well-suited to the ears of classical audiences. And electronics fans, being drawn to exotic sonorities and complicated rhythmic structures, show a real curiosity for classical music. It’s that pregnant musical possibility that intrigues me compositionally.

ORBITER SIGNAL: The live orchestra context comments heavily on how people perceive your work. In contrast, do you feel your recorded material resonates more or less effectively in conveying your intent to the listener without the artifice of the symphony accompaniment?

MASON BATES: My symphonic music always works best in its intended space – the concert hall. But I do fantasize about recording this music, because it would reach a wider audience. There is always something lost when live music gets squeezed onto a CD, but the tradeoff is that many more people can encounter the music as a recorded medium.

ORBITER SIGNAL: Simultaneously a classical composer and progressive experimentalist, you have positioned your self in a precarious sociopolitical climate. How do you navigate this critical landscape?

MASON BATES: All that I can do is attempt to manage expectations. If a symphony’s marketing team gets overexcited and starts using words like ‘club’ or ‘dance music,’ the concert piece that ultimately gets played will be heard with all the wrong preparation. So I am careful to emphasize my interest in the ambient and IDM electronica worlds, which have a far less commercial connotation.

ORBITER SIGNAL: Integrated within your compositions Digital Interface and Music From Underground Spaces are the sampled organic tones of natural phenomena like wind, water, and earthquakes. In what way do these audio samples affect the emotional equilibrium of the piece?

MASON BATES: A theatrical moment is one the greatest possibilities a composer has inside the concert hall. Suddenly taking the listener to Antarctica to hear glaciers caving, or into the realm of tectonic plates with earthquake recordings, can shake up the listener’s reality in a unique way. So I love the possibilities of natural sounds, but also of *any* spectacular sound. In “The B-Sides,” I feature recordings of astronauts in the middle movement.

ORBITER SIGNAL: Lastly, how does your music reflect your worldview?

MASON BATES: I did not grow up in a highly musical environment. This has made me want to communicate in a way that is both fresh and inevitable.

Bates performing with The SF Symphony in The B-Sides

to review further: masonicelectronica.com