Photo: Rafal Buch
Brooklyn-based producer and DJ Paul Feder recently dropped his sophomore EP, Never Sleep, following on the heels of his debut EP, Nightwalk.
A child of the ‘80s, Paul would listen with rapt attention whenever his parents would play their cassette tape of Trans Europa Express by Kraftwerk. This early exposure to electronic music set the stage for Paul’s first mashups in high school, synth instrumentals in college, and MIDI interfaces in grad school.
Paul started DJing and producing vocoder synthpop songs as Pico Fermi. In 2012, Paul co-founded Charcole Federation – a sitar-infused electronic band – that released their eponymous EP in 2015 and performed at the Rubin Museum and Holi Festival of Colors.
One day in 2019, Paul brought a laptop, a synth, and an old beaten-up harmonizer to Battalion Studios in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The solitude of that day, coupled with trying out old gear in a new way led to a creative and technical “aha moment.”
Paul found his voice and his debut solo EP Nightwalk was born – a set of five songs featuring sparse, open-ended lyrics and dense, visually evocative production, with contributions by members of the band Jane In Space.
Tattoo.com spoke with Paul Feder to discuss the connection between Nightwalk and Never Sleep, his fascination with gadgets, and his writing process.
What three things can’t you live without?
Family, nature, and making music!
What inspired your new EP, ‘Never Sleep?’
Waking up in the middle of the night during the height of the pandemic and just lying there floating on a sea of anxiety. It was a hectic time both in the world and for me personally, and the three songs on ‘Never Sleep’ came out of that time. More recently, my father passed away in December 2022. He was always super supportive of my creative endeavors and when I was struggling to finish the EP he got on my case, calling me often to urge me to “finish the songs!” ‘Never Sleep’ is dedicated to him.
‘Never Sleep’ picks up where your previous EP, ‘Nightwalk,’ left off. Is ‘Never Sleep’ simply an extension of ‘Nightwalk,’ or does it disclose the evolution of your sound?
I would call it a necessary extension of ‘Nightwalk,’ a journey I needed to take. I picked up where ‘Nightwalk’ left off in terms of sonic palette and recording techniques, but the inspiration was new and more personal this time around.
Walk us through your mindset as you entered the studio to record the EP.
The songwriting process started by chance one day when I unearthed my old 1999 Yamaha CS2X keyboard from storage in early 2021. This was my first synth, and despite the ‘90s cheesiness I actually still really like it a lot. That night I started jamming with it and a Pocket Operator, channeling all that stress I was holding inside into what would become the title track of ‘Never Sleep.’
You’ve been described as “a lifelong gearhead.” Is the description apt and, if so, why?
I’ve always loved gadgets – whether musical or otherwise. I feel really attached to my gear – I’m actually still pretty sad about a Korg synth I sold five years ago. I suppose I’d call myself a lifelong technology enthusiast. Back in the mid-2000s, I learned how to build my own mad scientist MIDI instruments at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. Now that I’m thinking of it I should probably dig those out, dust them off and see what I can do with them!
How did you get started in music?
When I was a kid in the ‘80s, my parents used to play their cassette tape of Kraftwerk’s Trans Europa Express in the car. I loved it – I didn’t even know what a synthesizer was, just that there were these amazingly evocative sounds emanating from the car speakers. In my senior year of high school, I started tinkering with making mashups and remixes on my old PC, and in college, I began to write my own tracks with that Yamaha keyboard. Since then, I haven’t stopped.
Did your sound evolve naturally, or did you deliberately push it in a certain direction?
Over the years I’ve naturally gravitated towards vocoders and vocal effects, partly because of my early interest in Kraftwerk, and partly because I recognize that my voice needs some help. In terms of sonic influences, in the 2010s a couple of friends introduced me to retro-wave music – and I became drawn to ‘80s nostalgia as its own universe separate from the actual decade of the ‘80s. I’ve had Electric Youth’s ‘The Best Thing’ and ‘A Real Hero’ on repeat for years since. Consciously or not, my own productions began to reflect retro ‘80s vibes.
Photo: Rafal Buch
How do you keep your sound fresh, and avoid falling into the trap of imitating either yourself or others?
It’s very easy for me to fall into the trap of too many mouse clicks, too much ‘in the box’ production, and not enough live energy. When my productions start to feel stale, I force myself to stand up and actually push buttons, turn knobs, sing, play instruments, collaborate with other people, etc. Sometimes I have synthesizer jams with my kids which is a blast. The opening vocal hums on ‘Home’ is actually a recording of my son singing, pitch-shifted up and down, and turned into a new instrument.
Are there any special recording techniques you use in the studio?
I wouldn’t call it special but since I don’t have a proper vocal booth, when I record vocals, I hang blankets everywhere and sometimes put a big blanket over my head and microphone, all to absorb sound. It’s dark, hot, and uncomfortable but who knows, it might actually help the recording process! I have learned to work with the limitations of my voice, so in addition to vocoders, harmonizers, vocal doubling takes, etc., I often sing lyrics up an octave along with the main line to give it a fuller sound.
What inspires your writing? Do you draw inspiration from poems, music, or other media?
Sometimes inspiration comes from watching a movie, hearing a song on the radio, or from some lived experience. But counting on inspiration to create is frustratingly unreliable. These days I try to dedicate time to work on music, whether or not I actually feel inspired. This can be hard – kind of a downer to be honest. It can take weeks, months, but then, out of nowhere that spark will light up, and I’ll hit upon a sound, a chord, a melody, an idea, and it’s exhilarating. The creative process can be a struggle, but if I can express something that reaches someone else, it’s worth it.
What can you share about your writing process?
I spend a lot of time in my home studio alternating between production tinkering (using my computer), and injecting live energy (pushing buttons, tweaking knobs on synths, etc.). Lyrics often come to me while listening to my instrumental drafts out and about in the city, walking, taking the subway, etc. When I have a solid concept and am ready to take the next step, I book a practice studio at Battalion Studios in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and jam with vocals, synths, etc. over the draft instrumental. Changing the location and context often busts me out of writer’s block and can breathe new life into a song.
Which artists in your opinion are killing it right now?
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s soundtrack to ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ is really good – I love that as a creative duo, they’ve done such random and unexpected film scores over the past decade-plus. The soundtrack gives the sense that Reznor and Ross were just letting loose and having a blast – interspersing their trademark industrial bangers with wistful piano pieces.
I’ve had Yaeji’s song ‘For Granted’ on repeat these past couple of weeks – I love that drum and bass section at the end! It’s super cathartic – the video is cool too. Yaeji channels deep personal stuff in her music, and blends a lot of electronic music genres, all while keeping a sense of humor.
What can your fans look forward to over the next six months? Music videos? Live gigs?
I’m working on a new project that I’m pretty excited about, and if all goes well, then yes, music videos and live gigs! For a while now I’ve been thinking about artificial intelligence – with a deep sense of trepidation about being replaced by robots (ironic because I am a human that makes robotic vocoder music, but I digress…). I recently told a friend I was going to start writing music on this topic, and he suggested that I use AI to help remix the music I’m making about AI. It was one of those eureka moments – the path forward became clear: a project in which I forge an uneasy alliance with the technology that freaks me out. Stay tuned for more on this.
