Photo: Press (Paula Temple)
Paula Temple took a long break from releasing music after having had her debut EP on Materials in 2002. In fact, she only resurfaced as a producer in 2013 with two new tracks on the legendary R&S, which has been the Noise Manifesto founder’s home ever since. Both Colonized and Deathvox, Temple’s two contributions to Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes’ label, are both sonically and politcally radical statements. Before representing R&S at the label’s forthcoming showcase at Berlin’s Arena Club on November 18, Paula Temple’s contribution to our Groove podcast hints at what it is to expect of her performance. In 55 tightly packed minutes, she blends Doom Metal with hard-hitting Techno and even shares a track from the forthcoming second instalment of Noise Manifesto’s Decon/Recon series with us.
In 2012, you launched the label Noise Manifesto and successively released a manifesto of the same name. Is Techno these days in need of more definitive political statements?
Not for me to say. People do what they want. Some people are only in the music as an entertainer, some are pretenders, some just want to be number one, and some genuinely care. I’m personally drawn to those people who care. It’s easier to spot people who care by how much they are willing to speak up about important issues, especially on the issues that have remained ignored.
The Decon/Recon series best highlights the working process described in the manifesto: SØS Gunver Ryberg, Aïsha Devi, Rrose and yourself will equally be credited as the producers. What exactly does the working process look like within that constellation? Or, in the manifesto’s words, how does one not use technology as an “extension of ego”?
In the production phase, the four artists each contribute audio stems that has recognisable character of their sound into a shared pool. We each make a track from this pool that includes at least one audio from every artist. Artists can, if they wish and live close enough, work together on the production, but they usually work on their own. What is fascinating during the working process is how the artists usually experience an extended pleasure of considering a group of artists and their different styles all within one track, feeling almost merging into each other and our own identities taking less importance. Yet it is still our own vision and skills of how that track develops. Then when the music is released, the credit is given equally to all the artists on all the tracks, regardless of who produced which track. This is a great exercise for letting go of ownership and putting trust in the collective, even if, for example, one track becomes more popular than the rest. When the press start to talk about the music, it is interesting to see where the bias or hierarchy starts to form that is not about the music. The extension of ego through technology is simply this; when artists or DJs talk about the equipment they use as some kind of selling point or superiority above others. When talking with each of the artists on Decon/Recon they are talking about their connection with the sounds they make, not the equipment. On Decon/Recon #2 the common connection was having a strong spiritual or ritualistic approach with sound.
In 2013, you’ve signed to R&S, where you have released two EPs so far and which you will also represent at their Berlin label night. What would you say were your personal key releases when it comes to R&S?
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works
Kenny Larkin – Metaphor
Model 500 – Classics
CJ Bolland – 4th Sign
Lakker – Tundra
Muziq – Phi*1700.
R&S has since its inception undergone a lot of changes. What, speaking from your perspective, does the label stand for in 2016?
For me I connect with their non-conforming attitude and fuck you to the monotony of industry people who just stay safe and follow formulas. After 33 years of being a label, they still choose music they love, when other labels would probably reject under the fear of not having enough commercial return.
Your contribution to our Groove podcast was recorded live at Todays Art Festival. Why did you opt for a live recording and how did you experience at the festival, which focused more on the intersection of the arts than strictly club music?
I just really liked the flow of this set. I was a bit nervous playing at this festival to be honest, I kept asking if they were sure they wanted a club set, that maybe my live set would be more suited. During the day I went to see the premiere of “Entropy” by Dopplereffekt + AntiVJ bringing the story of the universe to life, which I loved. Then on the night seeing SØS Gunver Ryberg perform some of the best shamanistic techno I have ever heard. DJ Earle was on before me, played the most amazing footwork set, and then I was nervous again, thinking this time my set was not going to be club enough after Earle! All in all, the festival was a great success in its diverse curation.
Last but not least: Where can we see you behind the decks in the forthcoming weeks and what can we expect from you as a producer in the immediate future?
In the next 3 weeks I will play Stardust Madrid (28/10), Concrete Paris (31/10), Biel Switzerland (4/11) Soenda Rotterdam (5/11), Sound of Stockholm (11/11), Culture Box Copenhagen (12/11), R&S Party at Arena Club Berlin (18/11) and Terracine in Italy (19/11). Productions coming up include a new release for R&S and the second Decon/Recon on Noise Manifesto.
Stream: Paula Temple – Groove Podcast 80
01. Luis Flores – New Flesh (Drumcell Remix) (Droid)
02. The Body – Prescience (via Bandcamp)
03. Tunnel – Ritual (We Build Machines)
04. Gotshell – Physics Scalameriya remix (Nachtstromschallplatten)
05. Franck Vigroux – Elastique (D’Autres Cordes)
06. Xhei – The Hypnotist (Christian Wünsch Remix) (Nachtstromschallplatten)
07. Wata Igarashi – Void (Semantica)
08. Christian Wünsch – White Coats (Tsunami)
09. Architectural – Elliptical Storm (Non Series)
10. Ansome – Snake Eyes (OVR Remix) (Perc Trax)
11. The Plant Worker – 002 B1 (Limited)
12. Phase Fatale – Under (T47)
13. Material Object – Shimmer II (Semantica)
14. I Hate Models – Don’t Be Afraid of The Light (TWB Label)
15. Remco Beekwilder – Irregular Acid (Reflekt)
16. Redial Tone – Ska711 (Subsist)
17. Paula Temple – Colonized (vs Surgeon) (R&S Records)
18. Paula Temple – You Cannot Kill a Soul By Killing The Body (Unreleased live)
19. Fugal – Oil (Svreca rRemix) (Second Nature)
20. Time Traveler – Chaos
21. Cleric – Concrete (Infrastructure)
22. UVB – Dogma (Body Theory)
23. Mikael Jonasson – Exile 004 A1 (Exile)
24. SØS Gunver Ryberg, Aïsha Devi, Rrose, Paula Temple – Decon Recon 2.1 (Noise Manifesto)
