Ian Williams, erstwhile guitarist in math rock pioneers Don Caballero, has been busy as of late--working on a new Battles record, writing his first piece for the American Composers Orchestra to perform at Carnegie Hall, fathering his first child. With Classicalite favorites George Manahan behind the podium, Theo Bleckmann on vocals and members of the Meredith Monk Vocal Ensemble lending support, Williams debuted his Clear Image work during the ACO's Orchestra Underground: Monk's Sphere, opening night of that storied ensemble's 38th season. We recently caught up with Williams to chat about his rocker past, the ACO collaboration, having a daughter and even his cameo in High Fidelity.
Classicalite: Congratulations on the world premiere of your piece Clear Image, commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra. You have been involved in indie rock band Battles for a few years now. When did you decide to do the crossover?
Ian Williams: Well I don’t really consider that I’ve done a crossover, I’ve always just considered that I’ve made music, and there’s just different venues to get it out and different instruments that you can use. I really don’t see it. I realize that it’s one of those formal things, but to me, from my perspective, I’m just sort of like making music and it’s not about that crossover, it’s just sort of a continuation for me.
Clite: I like that term, continuation. Is an orchestral piece something that you’ve always wanted to do?
IW: Well no, I think it’s more just, Derek Bermel offered me the chance to write something and it just sort of seemed natural. Most musicians would want to try that I think, if you have people like that at your disposal, so why not see what it sounds that. I’m used to working in multi-track format, a recorded rock band, and to some degree, the beast of an orchestra is a different thing, but it’s also it’s multi-people. So it’s sort of just finding different roles for different people, it’s not that different of a way to think. Being interested in electronic music for quite a long time, I’m entrusted in how, ADSR, the attack, the decay, sustain, and release of electronic sound and all the ways we can play with stuff and thinking of an orchestra as just a large instrument. It’s a new think I want to explore and try, that’s all.
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