Amit D. Patel (aka Dushume) – Noise Music, Glitch, Live Electronics
Name: Amit D. Patel aka Dushume
Where do you live / work: Dushume is a thriving experimental noise artist/ musician from Leicester, with interests in fusing Asian underground sounds with electroacoustic music.
Personal Website: www.dushume.co.uk
1. How would you describe the type of music that you make?
Since 2008 I have been looking at bass influenced noise music through improvisations and working collaboratively. I would describe my work as experimental Noise music with generous bass influenced by the Asian underground, IDM, Electronica, Techno and Electroacoustic music.
2. If you had to use the genre categories to describe your music, which would it be?
Noise Music, Glitch, Live Electronics.
3. What types of sounds do you like to use when you compose?
I practice by exploring live electronics, sampling, looping techniques and perform with purpose built do-it-yourself (DIY) instruments. So it is a mixture of recorded samples, recordings from bespoke electronic instruments encompassing experimental textures of glitch, bass, high-pitched and low timbres and tones.
4. What makes these sounds your favourite?
Naturally I have developed an interest with this sound world. I like to physically feel the music and allow it to move me as well as hear it.
5. How do you go about starting or coming up with an idea for a composition? Do you personally use a similar approach each time? Or is it always different?
It is usually a slow work in progress. I will perform to produce sound materials, improvising on different noise instruments and make recordings.
I will then take these recordings and, using a computer, begin to splice, layer and subtly edit them. I use filtering, panning, reverberation and delay to mould the raw sounds into a new piece.
I have subtle ideas of how I want the final work to sound, however the process is flexible and constantly evolving with the result itself usually providing an unexpected outcome that is mostly positive.
A sense of ‘play’ and experimentation is very important to me. I enjoy my compositional work enormously.
6. Which composers /musicians are an inspiration to you?
I would say a number of different artists inspire me for various reasons such as the Dirty Electronics ensemble, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Dam-Funk, Michael Jackson, Burial, Talvin Singh and Nitin Sawhney.
7. What is it about this music that engages you so much?
Although the sounds can be deemed as unwanted to others I find the music quite meditative, relaxing and comforting especially most work by Autechre.
8. Could you pick a short section from one of your own pieces and describe how you created it?
The work itself is developed from recording sounds that are improvised live, then edited layered and composed later. All sounds come from the Dirty Electronics Bed of Nails Instrument.
- Sounds that are improvised live and recorded.
- The recordings are taken into a software programme and combined, layered and edited.
9. What were you trying to convey to the listener in this excerpt?
The lively hustle and bustle of the streets of India; ‘Rickshaw’ is a journey of Mumbai after dark. The composition attempts to capture, highlight and give you an indication of what a journey could be like at night on a rickshaw from the experience of Dushume.
10. If you were giving some general advice to someone who was beginning to compose a piece what would it be? What is the most important thing to remember when composing?
I would use this process of experimenting, find out what you like and don’t like and then practice, rehearse, record, compose and lastly listen and reflect, but most of all enjoy it and have fun.
Remember do not give up!
