RA Exchange EX.347 Max Cooper
Mar 30, 2017
Max Cooper, electronic producer and former computational biology PhD who blends science, music and visual art. He talks about moving from science to electronic music, algorithmic and randomizing studio techniques, immersive audiovisual projects like Emergence, spatial audio and 4D sound, and translating visual sculptures and field recordings into evolving musical structures.
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Push Back When The Scene Tries To Pigeonhole You
- Avoid being boxed into a narrow genre; push back by releasing work outside expectations so you can expand creative space.
- Max deliberately released different-sounding tracks when pigeonholed to force growth and experimentation.
Build Tracks From A Simple Backbone Then Layer Depth
- Max composes tracks with nested complexity: a simple club-ready backbone plus progressively deeper layers of detail for listeners who delve in.
- He designs music to work on an iPhone and in 7.1 surround by ensuring strong kicks/chords, then layering finer elements.
Spend On Room Acoustics And Visuals Before Gear
- Invest early in acoustics and visuals rather than expensive hardware; room treatment and video collaborations set you apart.
- Max prioritised studio acoustics and commissioned video artists while using a basic laptop setup for years.