Everything & Nothing: Becoming Real

Becoming Real exists in a space that's difficult to define. Whether it's the decision to be a band or a solo act, dubby party music or technically minded bedroom noodling, to be a musician or present it as an extension of work as a visual artist, Toby Ridler finds pleasure in pulling things apart.Not that listeners are finding it too challenging. After selling out a 12" white label on Tough Love records last year, he returns with the 'Fast Motion' // 'Jen's Clock' 12" on RAMP this week. Harsh heartbeats, constantly morphing waves and barely there vocals that recall everything from the work of Hospital Records to new(ish) boys No Pain in Pop, this is electronic music at its most human.

We spoke to Toby about how it feels to paste everything with nothing.

The first thing I ever hear about you is that you're a "producer". Does that mean anything to you?

Err, I guess I don't really see myself as just a producer, sure I produce instrumental songs, but i feel like I'm more of a project manager (lol), which sounds really lame , but yeah I don't really think of myself as producer/musician/vocalist. I think I just have to manage and carve creative outpourings, I would say , without sounding too clichéd, that I see myself as an artist or a creator.

So do you admire producers work?

Sure , I mean I admire certain peoples work, I don't really see that big a difference between bands and producers, obviously there is a difference in terms of what you can and cant do as either, but at the end of the day it's music. Once a song has been written it's not the person or the people behind the music anymore, the song exists separately.

Where does that ethos come from? What other things do you take on board when putting a mix together?

There was a period when I was younger when stuff like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and Autechre had an influence on my music, but i can't really say that it crops up much any more. I think if there are similarities it's just because of an inevitability of perusing a certain line of musical exploration.

How is the art degree going?

Finished! Just had our end of year show the other day which went pretty well..

What kind of things do you make?

I used to do a lot of painting and collage, mainly dealing with, or attempting to deal with, the problems of representation in a day and age when the difference between reality and virtual is indistinguishable.







(see more work at http://www.tobyridler.com/)

Do you feel any affinity with guys doing the solo and electronic thing? What about Dam Mantle or Seams... even if it's not a musical thing.

To be honest , I think Dam Mantle and Seams are in a different ball park to me. I mean, we all have similar aspirations and ambitions, but I don't think our music is that comparable at all. I mean Tom from Dam Mantle is a good friend of mine, so whenever we hang out we have very similar perspectives on music and film (and skunk), but personally the similarities are more in the drive and ambition, not so much in the finished product.

Do you feel a lot of pressure to get it right every time when you play live?

Right now my live set-up is me and my friend Rob Carter. I don't think I feel much pressure to get everything "right", I feel like its more a case of trying to separate myself from the music so I can actually enjoy playing live in some way. I actually find this a bizarrely difficult question to answer as personally, the live thing is weird. You know, being on stage with this music I've been making intensely just in my bedroom! I could talk for hours about my music, but when it comes to live, my whole memory is a blur.

Sounds intense. You don't worry that it'll get "boring" for people to watch?

Well i guess Becoming Real live is more of a band thing you know? But even if it was me with just a laptop and mpc or whatever if the music demands that set-up then that's the bottom line, it's not about what the audience wants.

What are the best two things you've ever cut and pasted together?

The Queen with the Devil (obviously)

What are you planning on cutting and pasting together in the future?

Everything with Nothing.

Becoming Real's 'Fast Motion' // 'Jen's Clock' 12" is available from RAMP now

'Fast Motion' // 'Jen's Clock' 12" (RAMP Recordings - JUNE 21ST) by Becoming Real