Photo by Ariana Molly
Post-punk marinated, experimental synth-wave techno prince PULSUM is the ferocious and distinguished sound of Connor McComb.
So first tell us a little bit about the overall feel and influence behind this mix - any artists or tracks you want to shout out in particular?
I wanted to create a narrative-driven mix that has the same accelerating, emotional quality of a cinematic soundscape with the calming sensation of down-tempo styles. Part of the idea was to make a “MIDI-Medieval” playlist to make even the most mundane chores (i.e. washing your dishes) feel like epic, grandiose quests. And its effect was infectious, when listening to the mix I often found myself talking to my cats with phrases like “Lady Katya, my peerless paramour, did thou eat most well?”
The first album that introduced me and my fascination to “Dungeon Synth” was Aindulmedir’s “The Lunar Lexicon”. It depicts this calm, cold and desolate beauty, captivating in its ability to bring the listener into a dreamlike state. After that it was a slippery slope of discogs diving into the expansiveness of the style.
Your sound gravitates between post-punk, synth wave, new wave and acid to all out techno - do you feel like it’s evolving in one direction or another?
I feel like I'm finally at a point where I feel grounded in a specific style that really holds everything that I'm looking for - that EBM infused, Post-Punk marinated, Synth-Wave Techno sound is my bread and butter, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I always came from a rave background, and went through the whole journey of diving into all the dance subcategories. I'm always looking for something cool and experimental, but that still works in a dance-floor context - something about being conventional and challenging is really interesting to me.
“From then, it’s been a 100% shift into creating everything hardware based - I often feel more like a juggler - going through a routine of balancing and tweaking several different knobs and buttons at the same time.”
How did you start out making music?
I began making music when I was in high school using a laptop and samples stripped from the songs and records that inspired me. At first I found the sample-based style invigorating in its ability to create very textural, almost “audio collage” style works - but often felt limited by my resources and wanted to have more of my own personality reflected in the sounds. From then, it’s been a 100% shift into creating everything hardware based - and I now try to stay away from samples as much as possible. It’s a process of programming machines and how those machines interact with each other - I often feel more like a juggler - going through a routine of balancing and tweaking several different knobs and buttons at the same time.
Photo by Ariana Molly
What are some of the artists or eras that influence your sound? Your show Mirage Airwaves on n10as.radio always has an impeccable compilation of coldwave, synth, darkwave, post-punk, techno and all-round top shiz from all times (check it out folks).
Internet Radio has always been a refreshing format for experimenting, allowing you to play really whatever you want. I’m definitely very inspired by Post-Punk and EBM / Industrial movements of the 80’s / 90’s - but also attracted to way those genres are re-interpreted in new and emerging artists. At the moment, these are the artists that I am obsessed with:
Neutral Project
Santiago
L’Avis G821
Apart from PULSUM, you are working within a couple of other joint projects. Can you tell us a bit about your on-going project with Ariana Molly, Mutually Feeling? What was the trigger behind its coming into being and where do you want it to go?
Mutually Feeling is a project co-created with my partner Ariana. We've been together for 6 years now and this project is merely another extension of our heavily intertwined lives. The project came into existence almost accidentally - a blessing in disguise really. I had been asked by Melbourne-based label “Potatoheadz” to write a song for their compilation record. The whole EP had been fully assembled, mixed, mastered and ready to go to pressing when the “headz” decided that it wasn’t the record they wanted to release and asked everyone to submit new material. Feeling frustrated, and lost with where to go next, I asked Ariana to collaborate by writing a spoken-word style poem to interlace with a song I was working on. The track immediately clicked and it was clear that we needed to keep this project up. When making a Mutually Feeling track, it's a collaborative effort of balancing each other's energies - I'll write a synth melody with a basic beat, and Ariana uses that as the inspiration to drive her written work. Then we'll spend weeks recording the vocals, making revisions, recording, re-recording, until it's just right. It's a give and take and allows me to re-think the way I'm working & find fresh inspiration.
At the moment we’re creating and collecting for the next record- our intention is to release a synth-pop album - simple, voltage-infused, emotional dance music. Can’t say much more other than we’re both very excited with the new direction and style of this release.
Photography: Laurence Philomène
Mutually Feeling has a strong visual aesthetic and narrative behind it, how and what would you describe it as?
From an aural perspective we identify our project as “the sensual rave band” - but visually it’s more about the collision of darkness with romance. The visual element is fully from the mastermind of Ariana - she finds inspiration in flora (living and deceased), artificial luxury like old casinos and acrylic nails, jewel tones, 90s zines, the textural handy cam aesthetic, general opulence. She takes cues from filmmakers like Gregg Araki and photographers like Ren Hang and Synchrodogs. She is a photographer and filmmaker by practice so the visual world of Mutually Feeling is her place to play.
You also released an EP earlier this year (congrats!) under Nightdrive, another joint project with longtime friend Kaan Güneşberk. I understand this is quite an international project, where you two have been working between Montreal, Berlin and Toronto. How did you find working between the different cityscapes, do you feel like this had a significant influence on the sound?
Since we’ve both been living in different parts of the world, the occasion to create only comes up when we’re in the same city together. Luckily for us, the universe has brought us together on several occasions, and the knowledge that our time together is ticking in each moment really pushes us to work against the clock. I definitely think the cities shape the sounds we’re creating - the bleakness of Berlin in winter pushed us to create some truly dark and emotional material (including a very exciting Mutually Feeling collaboration forthcoming on Planet Euphorique). Whereas the Nightdrive record - which was written and recorded in mid-September, 2018 pulls more on the nostalgia of summer and the reminiscence of good times past. It’s always a pleasure to work with the musical genius that is Kaan Günesberk and I can’t wait until the next time the stars align for us to be together.
“When it’s recorded there’s such an obsession over getting every little element to sound “perfect”. But when it’s live people are more forgiving of the “mistakes.” It’s more about the emotional quality that you bring to a performance.”
What is next for PULSUM?
At the moment I’m stepping back from recording in the studio format to try and work more on creating a dynamic and interesting live show. I think there’s something about writing for a performance versus writing in the studio. When it’s recorded there’s such an obsession over getting every little element to sound “perfect”. But when it’s live people are more forgiving of the “mistakes.” It’s more about the emotional quality that you bring to a performance. For myself - I’m working to develop a more confident, and commanding stage presence...though that’s easier said than done haha. But I’m feeling really energized heading into 2020. There’s so much bubbling below the surface.
TRACKLIST:
Golden Dawn - Nothing But The Wind · Dies Irae - Finale tranquillamente: Cantus pro defunctis · Popol Vuh - Aguirre I (L'acrime di rei) · Black Middens - The Bassenthwaite Eachy · Wongraven - Det Var en Gang et Menneske · December's Fire - Deszcz Mą Łzą, Piorun Mym Krzykiem · Mortiis - En Mørk Horisont · Spectral Kingdom - Spectral Kingdom · Golden Dawn - Inward Leads The Mystic Path · P.I.T. - Amalgamation of Chaos · Aindulmedir - The Lunar Lexicon · Silent Love Of Death - De Produndis Clamavi · Endraum - An Den Dichter · Lunar Gate - Sandswept · lightwave - cités des miroirs · Police des moeurs - L'inquiétante ètrangeté · Devastor Execution - Il Canto della Resistenza
· Erevos - Widdershins · Soy Fan Del Dark - untitled Soy · Secret Stairways - Reflections On The Lake · Eternal Fear - The Past · Xarah Dion - Blandine