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Interview by David Opdyke of AmbiEntrance.
AmbiEntrance: Thanks for taking my questions, Claire and for delivering some interesting new sounds.
Fitch: You are most welcome David. I'm thrilled to hear that you'd like to know more.
AmbiEntrance: Can you first give us a bit of general personal biography?
Fitch: I'm a cellist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. In my spare-time I have a studio to keep me busy. Most of the studio work I'm involved in revolves around writing and performing cello tracks and string parts for various people. I'm waiting for a few of the albums to be released right now. I also compose other types of music for various projects. Most of the work is Internet based, it's incredible to think I've worked with people in Germany, Belgium, France, England and USA all from my small studio in Dublin.
AmbiEntrance: Various projects such as?
Fitch: The most recent is a project or collaboration between the Universal Communication Network, Artemis and myself. UCN had remixed various Artemis material, and I was asked if I could bring a cello into the melting pot. It has worked very well, and I'm looking forward to doing more. Most of the mp3's can be found here .
Another project I'd like to mention is "Hars". A collection of film, photograph, textiles and music brought together by Alain Van De Burghe. Hopefully we get together this year to produce some more material.
AmbiEntrance: Tell us about your early musical experiences; what got you started?
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Fitch: My earliest music training started when I was 5 or 6. Saturday morning Piano lessons with a local teacher. I actually hated it and gave up after a year! Music wasn't really a part of my life again till I was 13, when a cello was given to me at school and I was told to learn it. I loved it and had a fabulous teacher, so it was easy to learn.
That was it, I've never looked back. The cello has been a central part of my life since then. I followed the normal route a typical music student would take, of music college and post graduate study. Honestly now, I worked very hard. I knew I needed to get an orchestral job if I was to make a living from playing my cello.
A year after graduation from the Royal Academy of Music I was lucky enough to be offered a job with the Symphony Orchestra. That's where I am today, living the life of an orchestral, session and teaching musician. I wouldn't have it any other way
AmbiEntrance: And this life consists of?
Fitch: Saturday and Sunday I was involved in a session, recording all the backing tracks for a CD. The project required a big orchestra, full strings, wind, brass and percussion. We were recording for 6 hours each day. Monday morning, I was back to work in the Symphony Orchestra. Monday evening, I was involved in another session. This time a much smaller affair, we just had to record the string arrangements for a CD.
Tuesday there was no orchestral duties, but I did have a cello pupil. Teaching is a great addition to performing. It is nice to really have to think about how certain techniques are accomplished, to be able to pass on ideas, tips and tricks.
Wednesday and Thursday were taken up with the Symphony Orchestra. Friday is the normal day for a Symphony Orchestra Evening Concert and we tend to rehearse in the morning as well.
AmbiEntrance: What artists originally began to steer you toward ambient/electronic music?
Fitch: When I discovered the software synthesizer Absynth, the instrument building program Reaktor and the Internet community that follows VSTi technology I knew I'd found something very special. The artists, friends and colleagues I have on www.kvr-vst.com inspired me more than they will ever guess. If I start mentioning names I will forget someone totally wonderful, so I'll leave it as a general shout to KvR . They know who they are.
But if I go further back, I find my CD collection is full of composers like Steve Reich ,John Adams ,Philip Glass ,Arvo Part and Terry Riley , rather than specifically ambient based music.
AmbiEntrance: Was there an exact moment when you decided to use computer technology with your own instrumental sounds, or was it a gradual merge?
Fitch: I'd been playing my cello for a few years, not really thinking about technology at all. But, gradually, I began thinking what the real future of music would be, if it were to have a wider appeal. The actual age of the people who go to classical concerts tends to be a pretty narrow cross section of society. I also knew that the music I listened to myself was not strictly classically orientated, I loved the electronic, minimalist vibe. So I decided to see if I could bring the two together.
I bought myself a computer, which is something I hadn't invested in since the Spectrum ZX81 era. Then I had to acquaint myself with the music software. It was a steep, but rewarding, learning curve. All those sounds I had dreamed of as a teenager were now affordable and available in software. Native Instruments Absynth and Reaktor really did the job, they totally satisfied the tweaker in me.
AmbiEntrance: What do your fellow musicians (at the Symphony Orchestra) think of your more-electronic endeavors?
Fitch: A lot of them cannot believe the stuff I'm doing, I know a lot are really very supportive. They have given me computer advice, listened to my music and generally encouraged me. Having strong support is such an important thing to me. That's why I never stop thanking them.
AmbiEntrance: Have your electronic inclinations "rubbed off" onto any other members of the orchestra ?
Fitch: Yes, I think so. One of them, who already has a music publishing business using Sibelius, has set himself up a small computer studio using Cubase and Halion. Another friend is considering getting into arranging, he's been picking my brain about which computer to buy.
AmbiEntrance: How did the Winter Solstice influence ambiencellist?
Fitch: Two months before the solstice a close relative died. She died of old age and had a wonderful life. When the solstice came up I had incredible feelings of thankfulness for her life, sadness at her passing and a real experience of closure that happens when you finally say goodbye. That's why I mention that the solstice was especially important to me as a time
for closure and renewal.
AmbiEntrance: Can you give us a little behind-the-scenes on your process?
Fitch: My first stop is sounds, whether that is patch making myself or moulding sounds produced by other people. Logic Platinum for Mac is my main working environment, so I'll work on the sounds and the music that follows in there. Usually I find that something starts to take shape pretty quickly and I build up the tracks to the point where I need a cello or string part.
Then I just start improvising a cello part to my own track. I'll record everything into logic until I feel as though there is enough material. Then, that's where fun starts, I start mixing and effecting my audio, processing my cello improvisations using the various plugins I own. One of my favourites for a warm cello is IK's Amplitube, a guitar amp and fx plug in that sounds incredible on cello. I enjoy this stage so much, because the music can really come alive using different effects.
AmbiEntrance: Have any orchestral "purists" criticized your effecting?
Fitch: Not at all, they have all been very supportive.
AmbiEntrance: Are there other sources used in your works?
Fitch: There were various sources involved in the sound production for the CD, some were commercially available sources, such as the "Absynth Sonic Expansion Volume 1", and sample material from primesounds.com. But, I have to mention 2 people by name, as their Absynth patches each feature heavily throughout the CD.
Biomechanoid is a producer I came across in my early Absynth days. He has produced one of the finest collections of sounds available for the instrument. We have actually built up a great professional relationship, where I provide a number of string and cello parts for various UCN projects, and he has done remix's of my material in return. Marc-Olivier Johnson is also an Absynth patch builder extraordinaire. The sheer range of his production is marvelous. A big thank you to both of them.
AmbiEntrance: Did you have a particular audience in mind when composing these tracks?
Fitch: Not really no, the music was composed as stream of consciousness type project. I didn't set out to enter the ambient market in particular. I was just so pleased when people really enjoyed the music. I've had a huge amount of feedback from this CD that it makes me feel very inspired to work on more.
AmbiEntrance: Do you have a most/least favorite track on ambiencellist?
Fitch: If I'm really honest now, I love all of them. They all have the same effect on me, which is complete relaxation. I have my copy in the car, it's a real antidote to Dublin's gridlocked streets. I like the fact that whenever anyone has expressed a favourite to me they have always chosen a different track to the last person that praised it. It appeals to such a broad range of people.
AmbiEntrance: Anyone else in particular you'd like to thank for feedback/support while you've "got the mike" here?
Fitch: Daniela Zuerner , for her wonderful photographs of Portmarnock and Sandymount beaches. JJ Vernon , for being a great Mac/Logic guy. But most of all, the forum members of www.kvr-vst.com for encouraging me and inspiring me to move forward.
AmbiEntrance: Has your website been helpful? Tell us about it.
Fitch: The website has been amazing. I could not have managed to share so many copies of the CD if it were not for that website. The original concept, which still stands true today, was that the website would be a showcase for my work. I have other things besides the CD up there. A 15MB free set of cello samples that I give away as well as Absynth sounds and Reaktor instruments all for free.
I felt that when I first started out on my electronic journey, so much was freely available on the net that I had to give something back. Recently I've been having so much traffic to the site that my host threw me off their "unlimited bandwidth" server, I was actually kind of blown away so many people could be visiting and gaining from my site. I've had to pay for a more reliable service now, but I hope the site continues to grow
AmbiEntrance: I don't hear much ambient coming out of Ireland? Is there not much such activity there, or is it an untapped resource?
Fitch: I think it's an untapped resource. Honestly, the amount of talented musicians in Ireland is incredible. Although I don't personally have much contact with any other ambient writers in Ireland I'd be open to collaborations.
AmbiEntrance: Do you feel there's an overt "Irish"-ness about Ambiencellist?
Fitch: I think there have to be some Celtic influences, I'm living in Ireland. But overall, I feel it has an really relaxing ambience to it.
AmbiEntrance: The ambient/electronic musical regions tend to be rather male-dominated; do you feel your gender helps or hinders you?
Fitch: Hahha! It's true there are a lot of men in the computer music industry. Alot of people have been incredible in supporting me, which I'm thankful for. Maybe it has to do with the "damsel in distress" type syndrome, or maybe it's had something to do with the fact I've been so willing to work with people. I still feel,though, that I've had to prove myself just as much as any male artist out there. A good musician is still a good musician whether they are male or female
AmbiEntrance: Can we expect to hear more "fitchsounds"? Any particular projects you can share with us?
Fitch: Certainly you can expect to hear more. As I mentioned earlier there are a number of albums which I've contributed to in the pipeline. As far as more cello/electronic ambient... I'm in the middle of writing a second CD which hopefully I should have finished by the summer. At it's core will be a more "summer solstice" feeling ;)
AmbiEntrance: I look forward to listening! Thanks for your input Claire; is there anything you'd like to add?
Fitch: A big thanks to ambientrance and David Opdyke for inspiring me to answer some interesting questions.