{"id":34390,"date":"2020-12-09T14:44:48","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T19:44:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/interviews-panm360\/faten-kanaan-le-choix-du-minimalisme-et-des-cycles-repetitifs\/"},"modified":"2020-12-09T14:54:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T19:54:16","slug":"faten-kanaan-le-choix-du-minimalisme-et-des-cycles-repetitifs","status":"publish","type":"interviews","link":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/en\/interviews-panm360\/faten-kanaan-le-choix-du-minimalisme-et-des-cycles-repetitifs\/","title":{"rendered":"Faten Kanaan: The choice of minimalism and repetitious cycles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Photo: Lena Shkoda)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A resident of Brooklyn, Faten Kanaan rakes through the territory of minimalism and repetition. With a passion for keyboards, from the piano to analog synthesizers, this young composer with Middle Eastern roots is part of a third generation to follow this path laid out by Steve Reich and Philip Glass. A Mythology of Circles<\/em>, her fourth album,<\/a><\/strong> this time on the British label Fire Records, was celebrated by music media interested in the post-minimalist corpus. PAN M 360 is one of these cutting-edge platforms, and Kanaan connected with us from Brooklyn, to explain her background and her creative choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PAN M 360:<\/strong> As a composer, you seem to have carefully studied contemporary minimalism and repetitious music from the USA and Europe. Can you explain your own path in that sense?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faten Kanaan: <\/strong> I studied piano at a young age, and then very briefly played the cello, harp, and oud later on. I never studied composition, but leant towards minimalism in music because it relayed an intentionality that I admire. Every note chosen serves a purpose. And with repetition, the smallest change can have a profound effect.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PAN M 360:<\/strong> What, for you, are the next steps in these post-minimalist explorations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FK: <\/strong>With genres blurring and artists exploring the depths of overlapping electronic and acoustic instruments, I think it\u2019s a really exciting time for music to expand its potential as a language. It\u2019s not just about harmonies and structure, but also pushing the possibilities in timbre and texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PAN M 360: <\/strong>Your culture in music is obviously broader than minimalism in contemporary music. What other music styles or forms are involved?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FK:<\/strong> Film scores are definitely a big influence on me, as is some folkloric music from various cultures. And the music I love listening to generally finds its way into my own sensibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PAN M 360:<\/strong> You seem to use different keyboards (including piano and organ) and other electronic devices, it\u2019s part of your overdubs and general sounds, can you explain?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FK:<\/strong> I like to be minimal with the gear I use, so that I can really get to know an instrument and fully utilise its possibilities. Every synthesizer and instrument has a sound that its voice can shine in. On my early albums, I used a vintage Sequential Circuits Prophet 600 \u2013 but I wanted something more compact and solid for touring, and with a brighter filter, so I\u2019ve been using an OB-6 desktop synth for the last three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My set-up for live shows and for recording are two rather different things. For live shows, I exclusively use the OB-6 desktop synth, with a midi controller keyboard and an old Boss 20-xl looper guitar pedal (without Midi) that I have. The looper has a nice natural drift to it, and I\u2019ve gotten so used to its timing. Sometimes its constraints hold me back a bit, so I\u2019m considering getting a new looper that will allow me more freedom on stage, compositionally. Since my introduction to performance was through classical music\/piano, it\u2019s important for me to perform everything live, so the audience can take that journey with me and understand how a song is being built, layer by layer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For recordings, I can fully explore a composition without these restraints. The looper\u2019s drift doesn\u2019t translate well into recordings for me, so I manually play the repeating parts without it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I use the OB-6, then add some VST instruments, depending on what the song needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each track is born differently\u2026 but most often, I overdub the main harmonies and chords of a song in five- to seven-minute single takes (yes, my hands get tired), until I have the spine of a track. I then start recording all the shorter segments for the arrangement, editing, and mixing as I go along. The mixing process is very much part of the arrangement. It\u2019s a lovely experience to hear a song becoming more nuanced as its structure and spirit take shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PAN M 360:<\/strong> What\u2019s your training as a musician? Where did you study?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FK:<\/strong> \u00a0I studied piano as a kid and loved it. I\u2019d thought about applying to a conservatory, but decided to attend a liberal arts university. I moved to America, and started off as a double major in Fine Arts and Biology (w a focus in genetics). I quickly dropped the bio\/pre-med bit, and did a minor in French literature instead. During this time I continued playing, just for fun, and occasionally sitting-in informally with friends\u2019 bands. I did my Masters in Fine Arts (painting & sculpture), but often felt more comfortable expressing myself through music & performance work. It would be years before I took the leap into considering music as a main path, and am so glad I finally did.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PAN M 360: <\/strong>As a listener, what are your favourite genres, artists or periods of music history?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FK:<\/strong>  Oh I can\u2019t really pick one favourite genre\u2026film scores, ambient drones, medieval and renaissance choral music, Arabic music, French and Italian 60s pop that my parents often listened to, folk, industrial, no wave, electronica…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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