Couch Wisdom

Whether he’s working with artists like Freddie Gibbs, MF Doom or Erykah Badu, collaborating with the late J Dilla, or working under one of his own aliases, like the drugged out party creature Quasimoto, Madlib has carved out his own idiosyncratic corner in the massive hip-hop universe. Luckily, we were able to coax him out of his studio for this episode of Couch Wisdom, in which he discusses Prince, the death of his Quasimoto alter-ego, collaborating with Kanye West and his love of industrial music.

Damo Suzuki left Japan in his late teens and busked around Europe, attracting the attention of Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit of the band Can. Suzuki became their lead vocalist from 1970 to 1973, writing and singing on the band’s most enduring albums. In 1983, he returned to music-making to front Damo Suzuki’s Network, traveling the world to improvise and record with local bands. Here, he discusses his philosophy on “instant composing,” spirituality in making music and more.

Robyn’s career reads like a film script: Swedish star tops of the charts, sidesteps pop for a more personal sound, ends up self-sufficient and even bigger than before. This second chapter has included five Grammy nominations, appearances on Saturday Night Live, iconic music videos and mentorship of young women. Here, Robyn discusses key moments from the past 20 years, why she always thinks of Prince to keep in shape and the experiences that inform her long-awaited new album, with Adam “Kindness” Bainb

One of the forefathers of French electronic music, Laurent Garnier had an older brother who would sneak him into nightclubs. He caught the disco bug and moved to Manchester, falling under the spell of house music at the famed Haçienda nightclub. It was there that Garnier began to DJ in earnest, eventually leading to a well-earned reputation for eclectic, marathon sets. Here, Garnier discussed everything from approaching techno like a jazz musician to the role of radio in his early musical discoveries.

The Chinese experimental artist Pan Daijing's attention to granular detail makes for a deeply absorbing listening experience. Since being an RBMA participant in Montréal in 2016, she's released her acclaimed debut album, Lack, on Berlin label PAN. Other releases include an EP on Dubai’s Bedouin Records and a collaborative 7" with Austrian musician-composer Werner Dafeldecker. Here, she discusses her inspirations, the relationship between sound and emotion, and her approach to composition.

While Juan Atkins and Derrick May are known as the originator and innovator of Detroit techno, respectively, Kevin Saunderson is known as the elevator for bringing it to the mainstream. In the late ’80s, his group Inner City topped UK charts with singles like “Big Fun” and “Good Life.” In addition to his 30+ years as a solo artist, he also runs the venerable KMS label. Here, Saunderson explores the history of techno, his mainstream success and creating the first ever dance remix.

Susan Rogers dropped out of high school to teach herself sound engineering. By 25, she worked for Crosby, Stills and Nash at their Rudy Records studio. Rogers spent five years working for Prince, a relationship that would change her life. She now holds a doctorate in psychology from McGill and is Associate Professor and Director of the Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory. Here, Rogers discussed the intricacies of listening, becoming a producer and her memories of working with Prince.

Tony Andrews has been building PAs for decades. Today, the soundsystems made by his company Funktion-One are preferred by the world’s best clubs. Their speakers are more iconic than you might expect something so technical to be – a testament to Andrews’ uncompromising vision for how to achieve great sound. Here, Andrews discussed the curse of line arrays, how to prevent what he calls the chainsaw effect, and why listening to music through our phones and other portable devices has ruined our ears.

Philadelphia native Larry Gold has worked on countless hits over the past four decades. He was a member of MFSB, helping shape “The Sound of Philadelphia" via classic recordings on Philadelphia International. By the late ’90s, Gold was the go-to string arranger of the modern R&B and hip-hop era, working with the likes Brandy & Monica, the Roots, Erykah Badu and Kanye West. Here, Gold discusses learning and making music in Philadelphia, creating emotional depth with string arrangements and more.

A pivotal figure in the ’90s Chicago rap scene, producer No I.D. is responsible for the bulk of Common’s early output. He went on to manage a young Kanye West and work with Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z. He's been one of the top A&R men at Def Jam and worked as the executive vice president at Capitol Music Group. And he remains a great producer, shaping the sound of albums by Vince Staples and Vic Mensa. Here, No I.D. discusses why humility and focus are key to success, and much more.

Marshall Allen is the third man to helm the Sun Ra Arkestra. The alto saxophonist joined the group in 1958 and led its reed section for over 40 years. For this episode, Allen was joined by Danny Ray Thompson, a bassoon player and saxophonist who joined the Arkestra in the mid-’60s, managed Sun Ra for 10 years and handled production of the El Saturn recordings. Together, the pair recall their career with one of music's greatest visionaries, from the rehearsals to his humor and philosophies.

The roster for UK electronic label Night Slugs is stacked with talent, so it’s no small praise to say that British producer, songwriter and DJ Jack Latham, AKA Jam City, is one of the label’s most prominent artists. Though he's lauded for his dynamic solo work, Latham displays even greater versatility in his collaborative projects, like Kelela’s electro-R&B album Take Me Apart. Here, Latham discussed getting his club music education in London, the power of minimalism and the psychology of pop producti

Born in the Bronx and raised in Virginia Beach, Terrence LeVarr Thornton, AKA Pusha T, is one of the most influential rappers alive. He and his brother No Malice formed rap duo Clipse, whose Neptunes-produced albums are accepted masterworks of street rap. After the brothers parted ways, Thornton signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music, where he's released three studio albums, including 2018's Kanye-produced Daytona. Here, Pusha T discusses rap’s competitive spirit, making Daytona and much more.

Philip Glass' compositions transformed the world of classical music and, eventually, popular music in general. Time spent in Paris set Glass on a course toward the repetitive, dramatic and conceptually rigorous style that has become his trademark. He's behind compositions like Music In Twelve Parts and Einstein On The Beach, and became a popular sensation, a serious composer who wasn’t willfully obscure or too difficult to understand. Here, Glass discussed musical tradition and the art of performance.

Teki Latex is a progressive presence in the French electronic music scene. He got his start as a founding MC in Parisian hip-hop act TTC, along with collaborators including DJ Orgasmic and Para One. He co-founded the influential Institubes label, then continued pushing his genreless vision via Sound Pellegrino. He’s also the selector for the Paris arm of vogue legends House of Ninja. Here, Teki Latex shares his vision for the future of club music and retraced the evolution of his musical tastes and work.

"Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez have spent more than 20 years shepherding dance music down new paths. With remixes being their specialty, their treatment has been given to artists from Madonna, Debbie Gibson and Lisa Stansfield, to Saint Etienne, Michael Jackson, Brand New Heavies and about 800 other artists. They defiantly mix house, hip-hop, funk, disco, Latin, African and jazz into a universal groove. Here, the dancefloor dons discuss their famed remixes and their work as Nuyorican Soul.

Raised on the East Coast underground freak-punk scene, Dre Skull perceives urban music culture as a holistic affair. After lacing beats for heavy hitters such as Beenie Man, Popcaan and Pusha T, the mighty Major Lazer asked Dre Skull to co-produce Snoop Dogg’s reggae-fied reincarnation as Snoop Lion. In this episode of Couch Wisdom recorded at the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy in New York, the vybz master talked about how he became one of Jamaica’s most in-demand beatmakers.

London’s Ben UFO started out on pirate radio station Sub FM in 2007, playing alongside friends, producers and DJs Pangaea and Pearson Sound. After being sent new music every week, the trio started the Hessle Audio label, through which they joined the dots of the UK underground between house, techno, jungle and drum & bass. Ben has graduated to flagship London radio station Rinse FM and a near-constant touring schedule. Here, he touched on the label’s early days and making the weird accessible.

For Jam Rostron, the multimedia artist who performs as Planningtorock, subversion – in gender, sexuality and politics – has driven their creativity for almost two decades. After the melodramatic pop of their debut album and 2013’s anthem “Patriarchy (Over & Out)” – not to mention writing an opera about Charles Darwin with the Knife – Rostron’s ambitions only grew bolder on their 2018 album Powerhouse. Here, Rostron discusses growing up through music and art, the commodification of queer iden

Pianist, composer and entertainer Chilly Gonzales is no ordinary musician. Originally from Canada, he scored a Grammy for his contribution to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories and seamlessly switches from working with Boys Noize to Feist to Drake, to his education endeavor the Gonzervatory. Key to Gonzales’ work is a desire to push the boundaries, continuously tackling the highbrow/lowbrow dichotomy. Here, Gonzales opens up about his formative years, his time in Berlin with Peaches, Franz Liszt and mor

Sheila E is a world-class drummer and percussionist who's worked with some of the most acclaimed artists of all time, including Marvin Gaye, Beyoncé, Herbie Hancock and Diana Ross. She was Prince’s drummer and musical director during the period of recording and touring Sign O’ the Times, The Black Album and Lovesexy, and an artist in her own right, having scored hits such as “The Glamorous Life” and “A Love Bizarre.” Here, she talks about the rhythm of life on stage, in the studio and on the ro

Grammy-nominated Howard Bilerman is a former member of Arcade Fire and the engineer for the band's breakthrough album, Funeral. Throughout his prolific career he has worked with over 400 artists, including Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Handsome Furs, Wolf Parade, Thee Silver Mt. Zion, Leonard Cohen and more. Here, Bilerman retraces the steps that took him from recording live bands to becoming an integral part of the city's music scene.

Gudrun Gut has been at the forefront of Berlin music for decades. She cofounded Einstürzende Neubauten and went on to play in bands like Malaria! and Mania D. In the ’90s Gut founded Moabit Music and Monika Enterprise, exclusively releasing the work of women. In 2007 she made forays into downtempo electronic music on her debut album Put a Record On. Other projects include Ocean Club Radio and the international female:pressure network. Here, Gut reflects on Berlin before and after the Wall and much more.

Kara-Lis Coverdale became organist and composing music director at a local church in Ontario at 14. After studying musicology and composition, she moved to Montréal and befriended Tim Hecker, playing on his albums Virgins and Love Streams. In 2015 Coverdale released Aftertouches, which blurred the lines between electronic and acoustic music. In 2017 she released Grafts, which she composed with processed and looped vocal samples. Here, Coverdale talks collaboration, her Estonian musical heritage and more.

Veronica Vasicka has unearthed countless gems and revived a subgenre with Minimal Wave, the label she founded in 2005. Vasicka’s sound was partly cultivated via online radio station East Village Radio, where she was the station’s first program director. And her reputation cemented with the release ofThe Minimal Wave Tapes Volume One on Stones Throw in 2010. Ever since, she’s spread this incredible sound via her labels and DJ sets. Here, Vasicka discusses founding her label and much more.

Taiwo and Kehinde Hassan AKA Christian Rich have created some of the most progressive rap productions of the ’10s. After producing for artists like Foxy Brown and Lil Kim in the ’00s, Rich racked up credits with rappers like Earl Sweatshirt, Drake and J. Cole. Since moving to Berlin two years ago, Rich have continued that trajectory, producing songs for Jaden Smith and collaborating with Little Dragon and fellow Chicagoan Vic Mensa. Here, they discuss their biggest hits and their approach to production.

Manuel Göttsching is one of Germany's most influential talents. In the ’70s, he co-founded pioneering krautrock group Ash Ra Tempel and released several works of minimalist guitar music. In 1984, he made a left turn with E2-E4, the classic that wed Göttsching’s guitar with minimal electronic music. Since then, Göttsching has resurrected Ash Ra Tempel under the name Ashra and continued to compose new music. Here, Göttsching discussed his feelings about the term “krautrock,” the making of E2-E4 an

After discovering footwork while majoring in math at Purdue University, Jlin began studying from genre pioneers like RP Boo and DJ Rashad. Her track “Erotic Heat” caught the attention of Mike Paradinas, who included it on Planet Mu's Bangs & Works, Vol. 2 compilation. She worked at a steel mill while she wrote her acclaimed 2015 debut, Dark Energy. Her sophomore album, Black Origami, received even greater praise. Her latest is Autobiography, a score for her collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGrego

Born in the Bronx, Frankie Knuckles grew up during the early days of disco and was a regular at the Loft and the Gallery. He cut his DJ teeth with Larry Levan before heading to Chicago, where he helped shape and design the Warehouse, the club that birthed and named house music. While in Chicago, he also recorded some of the greatest music ever to bear the name house. Here, this legend, who tragically passed away in 2014, takes us through his 40-year career, from New York to Chicago and back again.

When footwork first erupted in Chicago, few were able to put names to the music behind the wild dancing. Gradually, DJ Spinn and DJ Rashad (who passed away in 2014) emerged as prime movers, with a crate full of beats designed to move the crowd and the curiosity and knowledge to look beyond their neighborhood. First they traveled to Detroit, then the world. Here, they reflect on the origins of juke and footwork, look at where it’s at now and claim that it’s high time urban music’s major players came ca

Chicago producer Kavain Space, AKA RP Boo, invented footwork with his 1997 track “Baby Come On.” By upping the tempo of ghetto house, he established a new template for an entire generation of dancers and producers. Space continues to produce and DJ around the world, his enduring success proving that there’s still no one quite like him. Here, RP Boo recalled the trials, tribulations, dances and productions that made him a pioneer of a unique Chicago sound.

Many musicians genre-hop, but few have an inventive take on every style they touch. Cue Objekt. Across his output on labels like Hessle Audio, Leisure System and PAN, audacious sound design and arrangements twist dancefloor conventions. In parallel, Objekt has become a must-see DJs of his generation thanks to a deft mixing style and a technician’s mindset honed through work as an instrument developer at Native Instruments. Here, he delves into his sound design and meticulous approach to DJing.

Senegal-born, Kuwait-raised and Berlin-residing producer Fatima Al Qadiri pulls together personal and political geographies. As a child, she experienced the Gulf War firsthand – a trauma that was furthered by her love for video games and playing the Desert Strike video game barely two years after she saw her native Kuwait destroyed. Memory is a crucial element of her own hyper-digital, often beatless landscapes. Here, she recounts her personal history and talks about reframing disparate sounds and ideas.

Malcolm Cecil was in a series of ’50s and ’60s jazz bands, but it was the synthesizer that really excited him. With Bob Margouleff he formed T.O.N.T.O.’s Expanding Head Band. The name was an acronym of a synth designed and built by Cecil himself. A dazzled Stevie Wonder instantly recruited Cecil and Margouleff, making them co-producers on his series of classic albums from Music Of My Mind through Fulfillingness’ First Finale. Here, Cecil discusses T.O.N.T.O., Wonder, what it means to produce and mor

Robert Henke is one of the most significant figures in electronic music. Along with Gerhard Behles, Henke developed Ableton Live, the DAW that allows musicians to store and trigger samples during shows. He's also made abstract computer music and dance-derived techno as Monolake. Here, Henke discusses the at-times improbable story of how Live came to be. We begin by hearing about what Berlin was like when Henke first moved there and the beginnings of Monolake, setting the scene for the software's creation.

Ryuichi Sakamoto came to fame with Yellow Magic Orchestra, along with solo work and collaborations with the likes of David Byrne, Thomas Dolby, Iggy Pop and Berlin-based electronic artist Alva Noto AKA Carsten Nicolai. The pair met when Carsten was performing in Tokyo, and together they formed their own sound, with Sakamoto’s minimal piano complementing Nicolai’s glowing digital tapestry. Here, they discuss their musical backgrounds, their approach to collaboration and live performance.

Hailing from Germany, Modeselektor work in a variety of tempos and styles with an emphasis on big, warpy synth sounds and heavy basslines that can threaten foundations. With plenty of artist albums and Moderat, their joint project with Apparat, it's as an audio/visual live act that they’ve truly conquered hearts and minds. Here, they bring the same anarchic disdain and chaos they’re known for in their live sets while discussing the fall of the Berlin Wall, German record store Hard Wax, Moderat and more.

Richie Hawtin always pushes the envelope: he started Plus 8 Records with John Acquaviva, formed the M-nus empire and developed Final Scratch. His works as F.U.S.E., the delicious desolation of Plastikman and his groundbreaking works with the Concept series and Decks, EFX & 909 are all firmly planted in techno's history. A fierce advocate of technology, he's continued to operate at the limits, whether via his CONTAKT events or his Ibiza night ENTER. Here, Hawtin reflects on his multifaceted career.

After her family moved to Berlin, Hanin Elias ran away from home and into the city’s punk and hardcore scene. In 1992 she formed Atari Teenage Riot with Alec Empire and MC Carl Crack, fusing punk and techno into what they termed digital hardcore. In 1999, Elias left the band and focused on solo work and championing female and female-identifying artists through her label Fatal Recordings. Here, Elias retraces her steps from punk squats to festival stages and onwards to a lasting independent career.

Mike Grinser made his name as one half of Manmade Mastering, alongside Tim Xavier. In addition, Grinser also works at Berlin's renowned Dubplates & Mastering. Grinser was a rock fan before being turned onto electronic music in clubs. Intrigued, he sought to understand how this music was created, learning to DJ before moving to production. Sitting in mastering sessions for his own records, he acquired a deep interest in the technical side. Here, Grinser shares details on what goes into getting great sound.

Alexander Hacke joined the influential Einstürzende Neubauten shortly after the band’s formation in 1980. Gareth Jones worked at the iconic Hansa Tonstudio, adding an industrial edge to recordings by Depeche Mode and others. Their paths crossed when Jones contributed production to the Neubauten albums Halber Mensch and Fünf auf der nach oben offenen Richterskala. Here, Jones and Hacke discuss their work with Neubauten, Berlin in the ’80s and what it means to create a signature sound.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, a young Alec Empire looked to the rebellious sounds of techno, acid house and punk to inform a new project: Atari Teenage Riot. The trio debuted in 1992 and became notorious for its self-styled digital hardcore sound. When ATR split in 2000, the group and its founder had become household names beyond their humble beginnings. In this episode recorded as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp Berlin 2017, Empire recalls the city's reunification years and more.

Black Coffee, real name Nathi Maphumulo, serves as Durban's house music elder statesman. His style is, in his words, “home-brewed but future-focused.” Maphumulo's recording career began in 2005 with a remix of Hugh Masekela's 1972 hit "Stimela" and has gone on to include five solo albums, including 2015's 'Pieces of Me,' which has been certified double platinum in South Africa. Here, Black Coffee discusses the early club sounds of South Africa, breaking through in a burgeoning local industry and more.

Bernie Worrell came to prominence as a founding member Parliament/Funkadelic, radically utilizing emerging keyboard technology during the golden age of synths. Later, he resurfaced with the Talking Heads. Worrell has also been a prolific studio musician, contributing to projects by the likes of Keith Richards and Deee-Lite, and he’s among the most-sampled musicians ever. In his 2013 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, Worrell sat on the couch – and behind the Hammond – to discuss his biggest records and m

The Atlanta-born Michael Williams’ journey began with a gift from his father, a Korg ES-1 sampler, followed by his first break: producing for hometown hero Gucci Mane. While the man best known as Mike WiLL Made-It is capable of impeccable rap-pop, he saves his weirdest, most adventurous work for crossover wunderkinds like Miley Cyrus and Rae Sremmurd. The incomparable producer talked about all of this and more during his lecture at the 2016 Red Bull Music Academy.

Grammy Award-winning musician, actor and activist Harry Belafonte is one of the most successful Jamaican-American artists of all time, renowned for bringing the Caribbean sound to the international mainstream. A close friend and adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Belafonte was also at the forefront of the civil rights movement. In this public conversation at the 2018 Red Bull Music Festival in NYC, he spoke with curator Kimberly Drew about activism, legacy and the power of folk art.

Starting her career in the late 1960s, Cosey Fanni Tutti went on to become a seismic force in experimental music. Whether delivering confrontational performance art as part of COUM Transmissions, pioneering industrial music with Throbbing Gristle, or constructing a prototype for acid house in Carter Tutti, her work has frequently been years ahead of its time. In her fascinating lecture at the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy in London, she delved into emotion, meaning and provocation in art.

Originally a rock and blues guitarist, Junior Marvin became a member of Bob Marley & The Wailers from 1977 to 1981 after getting into reggae through Toots & The Maytals. He continued playing with the Wailers until 1997, and in his lecture at the 2016 Red Bull Music Academy, he looks back on a career that brought him close to greats like Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix.

Around Berlin, Rashad Becker’s name is synonymous with sonic brilliance — a mastering engineer at the famed Dubplates & Mastering studio, he put the finishing touches on over 1,200 of your favorite techno, dub and house records. His album 'Traditional Music of Notional Species Vol. 1’ is a disorienting three-dimensional thrill ride inside Becker’s mind. In his 2014 Red Bull Music Academy lecture in Tokyo, he talked creating chewy and complex music, and how you can manipulate your sounds to do the sa

Brian Reitzell is best known for his contributions to films by Sofia Coppola, including 'The Virgin Suicides,' 'Lost in Translation' and 'Marie Antoinette,' but he’s also composed scores for the football drama 'Friday Night Lights' and the TV series 'Hannibal.' In his 2015 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, Reitzell spoke about the trials and tribulations of licensing music for film and his collaborations with artists like Air, Kevin Shields, Aphex Twin and more.