What has been happening in the “Underworld"?
We have been building a new live set up which involves new equipment, computers, and swapping our main sequencer software, which takes a lot longer than it sounds. We managed to get fifteen of our songs ready to play last weekend as we had a show in Malta on Friday and another in Spain on Saturday but now we are back at it doing the remaining 45 songs.
DARREN PRICE - (UNDERWORLD)
Having existed in one form or another for nearly three decades, Underworld first rose to prominence in the UK's post acid house scene of the 1990s, with a string of hit records that successfully straddled the twin disciplines of dance music and rock culture. Darren Price, the band's keyboard player, studio mixer and live assistant since 2005, spares a few minutes to discuss the latest innovation in Underworld's studio- MASCHINE.
How does Maschine fit into your setup?
We love Maschine, there is no other piece of gear out there that does what Maschine does. It is very easy to work with and I love the way you can program a whole song without even touching a mouse. For the first month we ran it in stand-alone mode which is great and I got to learn most of its features while playing around and making some grooves for the live shows.
How do you plan to integrate Maschine into the Underworld live setup?
After reading more of the manual, I’m now running it in controller mode with Ableton Live which takes it onto another level. I can write a whole track using Maschine and Ableton without even looking at my computer screen or using the mouse. You can still use Maschine as normal, but by the click of a button you’re in Ableton control mode, launching and muting clips, scenes, effects, activate recording… well everything! Then click again and you’re back in Maschine mode writing new parts. It’s going to be great for live use and we already know it’s an excellent writing tool in the studio.
What are your top five Maschine features?
It’s very hard to pick just five features, as there are so many features that are great depending on the way you use them. But if I’d have to come up with a list, I’d include first of all the grooves and the way it quantizes - like old classic drum machines. Then the effects - a great bank that’s perfect for live jamming and recording. The step sequencer is also a favorite; easy to get to and fast and fun writing. Another feature that’s important for us is the ability to categorize our own sample library. We have several gigabytes of samples on various drives at the studio. Since we’ve added them to Maschine it’s easier than ever to find a sound.
And one of the main features for us is that it’s fun and easy to use and we don’t have to use the mouse! Maschine is definitely the best piece of studio gear we have played with for a long time. I could go on and on about it but I have songs to program so I must go.
Thanks so much for your time, Darren!
