THE MAN-MACHINE

Technoself He’s drummed for Flying Lotus, Boots, John Cale and the Mars Volta; on Deantoni Parks’ solo album, he hammers a sampler perched atop a kick drum while working the rest of the kit one-handed. Though split between live performances and one-take studio recordings, Technoself is made from only that setup. In a sense, it’s all percussion; the samples are hit in real time along with the rest of the drum kit, yet it’s funky, wistful and raw as hell. When Technoself hits that perfect pace, it really shines. It’s conceptually intriguing, and for many that will be its selling point, but it’s so much more than just a display of dexterity — it’s an impressive display of music, full stop. (Leaving, leavingrecords.com)

WHAT’S THE MEANING BEHIND THE TITLE TECHNOSELF?

The term was taken out of an engineering context. It’s referencing the studies that involve humans and technology, where they cross paths. I found that to be an ideal title — self and techno was perfect for the method I’m working on now, which is how nomenclature should work, really.

IT’S ALL RECORDED LIVE, BUT IS IT OFF-THE-CUFF?

I had a year of being in a room and just putting myself through the process of getting used to it. I also had access to a few clubs in Atlanta where I could try this material out on a crowd who knew nothing about me or anything that I was about to play. I would come in and try to segue out of a DJ set. They’re just playing trap music all night and then I come on [laughs]. I mean, essentially I’m doing the same thing: I’m playing to the room, I’m providing percussion parts that have sounds on top of them, so it’s kinda the same thing... but totally different too, I guess. DARYL KEATING