Blog

This interview was originally conducted for Outliered Music Magazine and published Friday, November 20, 2009.

There is no denying that these days art and technology not only collide, but frequently morph and spawn the most interesting music. Dustin started Paper Plane Pilot in 2006, originally writing his music on a little 25-key midi controller. Now he uses a Digital Audio Workstation to write electronic pop music with an Indie twist. Think Lily Allen meets New Order, the kind of sound you would happily listen to at home with your headphones on. In his home studio Dustin embraces the latest technology, he has even become a bit of an expert on the subject of DAWs. I talked to him about it, to find out his views on the marriage of music and technology.

What or who got you into music?

While I was growing up, music was exploding everywhere and really coming into the mainstream. I was born the same year MTV launched, and when we finally got the channel when I was nine or 10, I remember spending countless hours watching all sorts of music videos. These days it’s hardly a shell of its former self, but back then the exposure to this new music media was nothing short of amazing, especially at that age.

Getting a record player, tape deck and CD player were also big moments for me. Being able to listen to music on demand was huge, and it was a nice departure from the top-down communication of radio and MTV.

But more than anything I have to credit all the great music that I grew up listening to. As I started getting into music in the late 80s and early 90s, there was so much innovative and interesting music available. Synthesizer-based music gave us a whole new musical experience, the influence of which continues even to this day.

How many instruments do you play?

I’ve picked up a lot of instruments over the years, many unsuccessfully. When I was five or six my parents got me lessons on the violin, but each time the teacher would look away I would flip it down to my lap and try to play it like a guitar. In sixth grade I tried my hand at the saxophone, and after just a few weeks I fell in love with the drums in music class. I wouldn’t get to really play drums for another 10 years, but the idea of rhythm really appealed to me.

My parents got me my first synthesizer I think when I was 13 or 14. It was an early 90s Yamaha keyboard, and unlike most of the sample-based, pick-a-sound keyboards you see today, it was a true subtractive synth that had tons of sliders and knobs. It was actually way too complicated for a young kid, but I would play with the built-in beats and write little melodies over them.

I started getting serious about trying to compose music when I got my first guitar in high school. Most of my output from that time was pretty lousy, but I managed to play locally in a few punk rock and indie bands with friends. I also picked up the bass and drums. No matter what I played or what kind of music we played, it was always fun.

Why do you use a D.A.W.?

I’ve been playing with computer-based recording for almost 10 years. I started with Cool Edit Pro (now Adobe Audition) on a laptop that had no business running an audio program, but those experiences drove me to experiment and learn how to get the sounds I heard on other records. That’s where I picked up some rudimentary knowledge of effects and processing. Most of the music I recorded was live audio (vocals, guitar, bass, drums), and I didn’t get to recording electronic sounds for another few years.

These days, I use a computer because with a minimal amount of gear (a few synthesizers and a computer), I can make music that would have required a pretty serious studio just 10-20 years ago. Instant recall is also huge for me. I jump from idea to idea and song to song so being able to bring it up just as I left it is important.

It’s really great that the power we have in a typical computer these days enables artists to record and release their own music. Some people lament the fact that anyone can do it, but the democratization of the tools of production for music I think has largely been a good thing. I wouldn’t be able to make music without it!

I read who you have been compared to, but who are your influences?

I’m sure anyone doing electronic indie music these days will get The Postal Service comparison — they really brought the genre into the mainstream a few years ago. Owl City’s doing it again right now. And tons of rock acts today are incorporating synths in their music.

But my influences are a little more old school: New Order, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Human League, Kraftwerk and others. I don’t think I particularly sound like any of the above, but the sound that they captured in the 80s is definitely something that inspires me.

Interestingly enough, I’m also a big fan of ambient music (from pop-ambient to noise-ambient). I love texture and depth, and it’s definitely something I try to shoot for in my music. Some of my favorites are: Tim Hecker, Stars of the Lid, Fennesz, M83, Boards of Canada and Sigur Rós.

Do you have a day job, or is music your life?

In addition to music, another one of my passions is in web development. I’ve been building websites for probably 10 years, and it’s what pays the bills. It’s great, because I can use that stuff to help spread the word on Paper Plane Pilot, like with the paperplanepilot.com website.

I’d love to make a living from music, but I realize the challenges of doing that in today’s world. With so much music being created these days, each slice of the pie is getting smaller and smaller — there’s just so much available, and when you add piracy and the idea that all music should be free and on-demand, it’s even harder for an independent artist to make enough to live off off.

That said, there’s no better time to be a musician. Computers and the Internet afford artists the ability to record, release and promote their music more effectively than at any point in history. Unfortunately, though, the problem is one in the same… anyone can do it.

Do you ever play gigs and if so do you have any groupies?

Ha! I’d like to think I have groupies… and maybe some fans! But I’m not playing live right now so who knows if they would come out in support. But that’s what Internet fandom is for, right?

For me, the most rewarding part of music is in writing and creating. Some artists are strictly performers and that’s what they thrive on. Writing and producing music is secondary and is often done by someone else (or a team of people). I take a lot of pride in the fact that I write, record, produce and mix my music. I seek out the opinions of people I trust, but at 2 am I’m the only one in front of the computer turning knobs.

Once you start mixing your own music, it’s pretty amazing to see how much of your “sound” is developed in the studio. For all music, this sound is what defines them, which is funny when you consider that most artists have their sound created for them by someone else. That’s why I think it’s so great that more bands and artists are recording their own music today. They’re shaping their own sounds, which is authentically theirs.

From your blog I can tell how important is the internet is in promoting your sound, did you try traditional methods first, and what works best?

I spend a lot of time on computers and the Internet — professionally, musically and personally — so it just made sense to promote Paper Plane Pilot there. I’ve done digital distribution through the typical channels (iTunes, Amazon, etc), but I also provide full streams and downloads through my website. I have some things in the pipeline to do more with the blog, such as studio tips and other production advice, as well as trying some creative things with video, but there’s only so many hours in the day.

In addition to the site, I’ve used most of the social platforms with success: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, iLike, etc. Because everyone is using them, these tools are crucial in getting the message out there and promoting my home base, which is the website.

I’ve largely stayed away from more traditional methods of promotion. Aside from being ineffective without big budgets, the future of music is obviously digital. MP3 blogs and personal recommendations have replaced radio and MTV for music discovery, and the instant access of digital downloads are replacing CDs.

Earlier this year I did do a college radio campaign that was actually pretty successful with a few No.1 plays on some stations. Unfortunately, I didn’t see much of an impact on sales or fans, so it further reinforced my beliefs about the power of online methods.

What so you think about illegal downloads, do you have any ideas to get round it?

I understand why the big business side of music doesn’t like it. But they have as much to do with music as a paper mill; they’re in the business of making money, not music, so I’m not very sympathetic to their cries. Unfortunately, the idea of music as something that’s inherently free (or that can be “stolen” for free without penalty) is a problem for everyone, artists and fans. In the last few years, we’ve devalued music to the point where most people simply do not buy music anymore, yet as a society we listen to more music than ever. In the quest to fill our iPods, we’ve reached a state of digital gluttony. Why would we pay for that? Most of it is available for free, and you can download it right now.

But all is not lost. I think most fans want to support artists they like, and direct support does seem to be the future of music. We’re entering an age that allows us to support artists through donations, pre-funding their albums, or buying direct from the artists themselves. Illegal downloads are here to stay, and I think artists need to spend less time worrying about who is getting their music for free (they’re not buying anyway) and more about why they make music in the first place.

Was Sara Yune inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince?

That’s actually a great comparison! I never thought of that before. I was lucky to have her agree to do the illustrations for the website and the First Flight CD cover. In those two projects, we went back and forth on concepts and ideas, but when it came time to do the designs, I gave her the freedom to do whatever she wanted. I couldn’t have been more pleased. Sometimes I think the illustrations outshine the music itself!

What’s next for you?

Right now I’m in the studio putting the finishing touches on two tracks I’ll be releasing in the next couple months. It’ll be a collection of five two-song e.p. releases over the next year or so that will be wrapped up in another CD when it’s all said and done. With digital distribution, I think more frequent releases are the answer, but the quality still has to be there.

Where can fans download your music?

In addition to iTunes, Amazon and other online retailers, they can get it directly from my website at paperplanepilot.com.