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Interview: Airi Ingram

Posted on Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 in Interviews

In the Pacific and Indigenous Australian music scenes, multi-instrumentalist and producer Airi Ingram has seen and heard a lot. In this interview, he shares his insights on originality, good sound and how to make a song shine.

Airi has played in many influential bands including Tribe of Jubal and Grrilla Step, and with artists including Richard Mogu, George Telek, Ben Hakalitz, David Bridie, DJ Dexter and more.  He’s also an accomplished studio producer and a master of percussion instruments – comfortable behind either a sampler or a slit log.  He’s the musical director of Drum Drum and has even compiled a library of Polynesian, Melanesian and Indigenous Australian samples, now used in productions the world over.

With so much experience and knowledge to share, we quizzed Airi on some of his musical inspirations, studio tips and advice for budding producers in the Pacific.

What do you think makes your productions unique or different, and how did you develop your own style?

I guess what makes my production different is that I usually just focus on Melanesian and Indigenous Australian music, sounds, samples, stories etc. Usually my beats are pretty hard. I like heavy beats and bass!

I guess I developed this style by just focusing on Melanesian and Indigenous music pretty much my whole life. Learning rhythms on garamuts, pate, kundu, and bamboo flutes from all over PNG and Polynesia. I grew up with my own traditional music from PNG, but I also lived in Cook Islands a bit and studied for a short time in Hawaii. So I try to apply all that to my approach to production too.

Pacific music has really been my passion since I was young. I guess I came to the idea that basing the production on those things was the key to developing a unique sound. I never really studied African or South American percussion in much depth. I love African music but I leave it to Africans, and I like some South American styles too but I leave it to them. I guess we all have our own story to tell.

Some of my favourite music is definitely hip hop and sample-based production as well as all kinds of reggae, dub, dubstep, drum’n'bass, future soul, future ragga and so on. Some of my favourite producers are J Dilla, Stephen Marley, Bill Laswell, Madlib, Fat Freddy and Sly and Robbie.

What is the relationship between traditional and contemporary music, for you?

I used to be a bit more of a purist when it came to roots and contemporary Pacific and Indigenous music, but eventually I realised it’s a bit pointless being such a purist, because the reality of diversity and appreciating expression from all walks of life and life experiences I think makes more sense.

Music can promote, preserve and present cultural identity, but more importantly I think it can transcend all those things. It can connect history with the future, one generation to the next. Like the Yothu and the Yindi, the yin and the yang, the dissonance and release, the positive and the negative, the masculine and the feminine, it’s the oscillation that creates an energy that makes good music. Like 2 records spinning in a live remix… that’s where the magic’s at!

I love traditional sounds and traditional songs. Every now and then I discover a kind of music that blows my mind… like a sing sing group from Siasi Island, or conch shell choir, or 100 Kwakumba flute players going at once. PNG is so rich with diverse music.

What kind of gear do you use to record your productions, and why?

Well, my studio setup consists of the (Akai sampling workstation) MPC4000 as my first weapon of choice for making beats.

For keyboards I’ve got Wurlitzer, Hammond and Korg keyboards and a few analog synths. Drums-wise I’ve got garamuts, pates, kundus, drum kit and a percussion rig including congas, bongos and more.

I use a couple of AKG C414 mics as my all rounders, 2 Rhodes NT-5s, a couple of Shure SM57s and SM58s, and a Neumann vocal mic. I have a small 16 channel Mackie mixing desk, which I really only use for rehearsal – not for recording. And a pair of trusty old Yamaha NS-10 speakers…. with sub!

I basically use Pro Tools for recording, along with the MPC4000 and software like Reason. I have a couple of outboard compressors and reverbs, but they get used less and less nowadays.

I love working on the MPC. It takes the digital away from the computer screen, and the way it makes you approach samples is pretty unique. The way you can splice samples across 16 pads and twist them and flip them with quantise resolution and pitch control. It’s the mother ship! To me it keeps the digital recording thing hands on and feel-orientated, rather than clicking on a mouse.

What do you think is central to a good recording?

As a base to all your work, it’s good to have a computer based recording facility like Pro Tools or Logic. Keeping things as high quality as possible from the beginning makes it easier to mix and edit.

Everyone writes and records differently. Once you get a system of recording going that you are happy with, stick to it and master it. Buying gear and upgrading is a bit of a rabbit hole, it’s endless… the total wish list is never realised. Make do with what you’ve got.

To me it’s not just about the gear, it’s more about capturing the energy or a vibe, a feel or a musical moment. Some classic records like – Bob Marley’s Catch A Fire – were done on not much of a budget or the best gear. But it was revolutionary because of the songs.

As an electronic artist or a producer it’s important to have a unique sound or approach. You can do this by thinking about what it is you have that’s unique, and building on that. This way, you can find your niche in the industry and market. In other words: don’t imitate too much.

It’s cool to be influenced and inspired, but at the end of the day if you really want to make it in the music biz, you’ve got to have something special or something that no one else has – or just be insanely good at what everyone else is doing! For Pacific Islander musicians or producers, a good place to start is to look to the roots… traditional sounds, instruments, rhythms, language and story.

If you use samples to create tracks or even just to enhance kicks and snares, get good drum samples and sounds for making beats. Don’t compromise on quality at the start. You can buy sample packs from places like Native Instruments or Zero G, or just get sampling yourself.

Having quality authentic sounds is better than cheap imitation sounds. Having access to these is a big challenge in the Pacific, but they are worth the investment. If you can’t get authentic keyboards like a Rhodes, Wurlitzer or piano, get the best imitation sounds you can. Nord Keyboards or digital Hammond organs are a good start.

Always use live horns. Imitation keyboard horns suck! They are ok for sketching and getting the ideas down, but that’s about it. Always go for quality and authenticity in the studio. That’s how the music comes to life.

A good record collection or access to good music I think is important. As a producer you need to keep yourself inspired and reaching higher every time you work. Find a DJ or cool radio program, or get on iTunes and find out what’s fresh… and why. Not so that you pay too much attention to what’s fashionable, but it’s good to be inspired and keep the quality control high.

What advice do you have for musicians who have very limited access to equipment and technology?

The reality is that good quality recording costs money and time. But you can do it in a cost effective way.

- Try and keep it simple to start with, and play your mixes and tracks to people who have good ears and will offer constructive criticism.

- Play your music alongside your other favourite tracks by other artists. How does is sound? Match EQs, reverbs, delays, compression. Use your favourite tracks as a guide.

- Find the best quality keyboards… real ones! Find good drum programs, samples, etc.

Firstly, before you hit record, start with a good piece of music, a good story, or a good idea. The equipment and technology are only paintbrushes. What matters is what you say with your music.

Is it a love song, a political song, a personal song, a traditional song? What mood should it evoke? Does it have the right attitude? The production’s got to stay in tune with that.

To me the most important thing is the story, attitude and character in the music. I think the more people focus on what they love doing, the better.

What are some techniques you’ve used to get around the limitations of what you have?

My studio is still a bit ghetto style sometimes – like making mic stands out of bamboo and coat hangers, or using old socks for popper stoppers.

Limitations can actually be a good thing! I think it’s good to work within parameters. Sometimes all the options in the world can drive you mad, trying to work out the best one.

As for gear, it’s good to have versatile gear that you can use for different things.

Like a versatile stereo mic set up – e.g. a pair of AKG 414s (large diaphragm condenser microphones) – is good for doing acoustic instruments, drum kit overheads, amps, etc. You can then round things out with a selection of microphones more suited to specific instruments like drums or vocals, field recordings and more.

As far as studio goes? Be selective. Start with good music, a good song, a wicked groove.

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