In April 2001 we interviewed Analog Tara, the New York DJ and producer and founder of the acclaimed Pinknoises.com site.

Photo courtesy Kyoko Hamada.

SISTER SF: What residencies/crews are you part of?

Analog Tara: Besides organizing occasional Pinknoises parties with other NYC DJs and sound artists, I'm not part of any residencies right now… I played jazz piano in a cocktail lounge every week for 2 years, and that sort of got the performing bug out of my system. These days I'd rather focus on recording music, and only perform out once in awhile. But there will definitely be more Pinknoises events in New York, and hopefully we'll eventually do some parties in other cities as well.

SISTER SF: Why and when did you begin DJing? Did you have a mentor?

Analog Tara: I started DJing about a year and a half ago, because I found myself buying a lot of records to get ideas for production and writing music, and decided I might as well spin out once in a while to spread the good music that I was buying. I didn't have a mentor, but I've definitely run up to tons of DJs and asked them the names of tracks they were playing, or looked over their shoulders for some mixing tips.

SISTER SF: What styles of music do you play and make?

Analog Tara: Thus far I've produced abstract jazz and trip hop with distorted beats. Although now I'm working on more upbeat techno, still with the funk and jazz elements. My DJing style is deep funk--a mix of 70s funk with current funky techno and deep house.

SISTER SF: Have you had any classical music training?

Analog Tara: No, none whatsoever. I grew up listening to old jazz and blues records, and learning to play piano by ear from that stuff. But I never took any lessons; I didn't like the formality of it.

SISTER SF: Analog Tara - why analog?

Analog Tara: Analog refers to circuitry that uses a continuously variable current or voltage to represent an electrical signal (as opposed to digital systems, which represent data in fixed terms--ones and zeros). I like the way analog refers to something in a state of constant change and flow. I also like how it suggests analogy--because expressions of music (and identities) are unfixed and analogous to any number of things.

SISTER SF: How do you feel has the music scene in New York has changed since you began became involved? Where is it going?

Analog Tara: A big thing that's characterized the New York scene in the last several years is Mayor Giuliani's puritanical crackdown on nightlife, which means that most lounges have "NO DANCING" signs on the wall, and many clubs are periodically closed down for various "violations." With a new mayor next year, hopefully there will be less hostility to the underground, especially because openness to diversity and freedom for artistic expression has made this city what it is.

Another trend has been the explosion of the whole "DJ as the next rock star" phenomenon, where suddenly everybody wants to be a DJ! It'll be interesting to see how long this lasts… and if it will result in more people taking a genuine interest in underground electronic music over the long term, or if the general fascination with DJ culture will just disappear when another trend takes over.

SISTER SF: What problems have you encountered as a woman in the music industry?

Analog Tara: The music industry unfortunately markets artists according to existing stereotypes, so if you don't fit a stereotype, like if you're a woman instrumentalist and not a vocalist, it's really hard to get anywhere. As absurd as it sounds, at least I found this to be true when I was playing jazz, a lot of people expect you to be a singer and don't know how to deal with you if you're not.

I've found the electronic music scene to be much better in terms of providing an environment where people can be judged more on the basis of their music. But still, you occasionally run in to the usual bullshit; like people who assume because you're a woman you don't know how to use equipment. Some guy at a recent DJ gig I did came to the booth and was like, "I'm a producer, I'd suggest you use a little more treble, do you know what that is?" And I was like, "I'm a producer too, and the treble is just fine like it is!"

SISTER SF: What do you do to make sure you're given equal opportunities as a woman DJ?

Analog Tara: Well, I don't think there's too much you can do about it, but I think if you work hard to be good at what you do, most people respond positively to that. Also, I think it's a good idea for DJs who have more experience to find ways to share the knowledge they've gained and make sure there are good educational resources for other women and girls who want to get started DJing. Pinknoises is one place for this; also, DJ Shortee's done great stuff on her website and with an instructional video… that kind of thing is great in terms of working toward equal opportunity.

SISTER SF: What woman (in general) do you admire most & why?

Analog Tara: I have tremendous admiration for artists who chart their own path and are true to their creative inspiration regardless of what other people pressure them to do. I often refer to Georgia O'Keeffe as a most extreme example of this--choosing life in the desert over the city because that's where the inspiration was, and that was how she could get her work done best. Joni Mitchell is another example--someone who created brilliant music and then abandoned the spotlight to focus on painting. Regardless of gender, I admire artists who are bold enough to express a unique voice that no one can really imitate, almost as if they're writing their own language--like Gertrude Stein did with words, Charlie Parker with the saxophone, Ella Fitzgerald with scat singing, Dave McKenna with solo jazz piano.

SISTER SF: How do you feel about "all female" music events?

Analog Tara: Most women artists I've talked to, and I'd have to agree with this, don't want to draw attention to their gender or use it as a marketing tool, they just want respect for their work. But once in awhile all-female events are a good way to show solidarity or raise funds for worthwhile causes.

SISTER SF: You're the woman behind Pinknoises.com - what made you get involved in Pinknoises? How did that start? Who else is involved in Pinknoises?

Analog Tara: The idea started a couple years ago when I was setting up a home studio. I did a lot of Internet research on equipment and felt like there should be a better web resource on production than what was already out there. I also felt like sources of information on gear can be annoyingly sexist, and the coverage of women artists in most music magazines is still rather lacking. I was inspired by the do-it-yourself ethic of punk and Riotgrrl, and zines like Rockrgrl on women rock musicians, and thought it would be a good idea to create a girl-focused forum like that for DJing and electronic music.

The site never would've taken shape in its current form without Karen Choy, the awesome designer. Chealsea Wierbonski (aka DJ Sarah Jane Smith) has done tons of HTML programming too, and DJ Lola (of Deep See/Mindfluid in NYC) and Adrienne Day help with publicity and events planning. We all work on it in our spare time--of which there's practically none after counting out our day jobs, music lives, and life in general--so it's kind of a small miracle that it's grown as much as it has in a fairly short time.

SISTER SF: What direction do you feel Pinknoises is going in?

Analog Tara: I want it to be a strong resource and web community, and I trust that it'll adapt as time goes on to whatever seems appropriate. At the moment, a lot of artists have volunteered to be interviewed, so it seems like the site is definitely filling a certain need by providing exposure to artists and giving them a chance to talk about what they do. Over the long term, I'm interested in broadening the scope of how Pinknoises can help underground artists distribute and sell their music to a global audience--by offering streaming radio and live shows, maybe serving as an online record store... there are lots of possibilities.

SISTER SF: What record labels do you look for in record stores?

Analog Tara: I really dig Svek out of Stockholm, that smooth techno-jazz. I also love Yellow productions--jazzy French hip and trip hop from the Mighty Bop, MC Solaar et al. I also like Chain Reaction's dubbed-out minimal techno. But I must admit that some of my favorite records are things I've stumbled onto without knowledge of the label… For whatever reason, I do a lot of record shopping when I'm travelling--I guess maybe that's when you're most open to picking up random things rather than when you're in the local store where you know where everything is.

Recently in Iceland I picked up this great 1998 compilation on Raw Elements called "Da Minimal Funk 2" which I'm totally obsessing over, and in Amsterdam found some great homegrown stuff on the Delsin label--sort of melodic ambient techno with lots of static. These are some of my favorite albums lately, but I never would've found them if I was looking too hard…

SISTER SF: When you're not DJing and producing, what do you do?

Analog Tara: I'm a freelance editor at a medical advertising agency. Kind of drab at times, but there's flexible scheduling, which is good for music. And I'm currently working on an album of electronic funk inspired by medical terminology, so at least the day job has inspired something!

SISTER SF: How did you get into producing?

Analog Tara: In college in the early 90s I played analog synth in a 70s funk cover band--lots of Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, disco tunes too. I bought a used Roland HS-60 (same era and style as the Juno synths) for a couple hundred bucks, only because it had OK organ and clavinet sounds. But then, at rehearsals, the band would tell me to "make that string sound" exactly like on the Chaka record, and I'd have to tweak all the sliders until I got the exact sound. So I kind of inadvertently learned how to program a synth on the spot, learned what the LFO was and what the ASDR and filter envelopes did, etc.

Around the same time, I was going out dancing a lot and discovering how great those house and garage classics are--I'd hear the synthesizer sounds on the records and think, hey, I wanna do that… It wasn't until a few years after that that I started seriously getting into production, but playing in the funk band and going out dancing--in both cases seeing how music could make people feel so good--was definitely what inspired me to start.

SISTER SF: Did you find the process of learning to use the equipment daunting?

Analog Tara: I didn't find it too daunting, I guess because my whole life I've been teaching myself how to play instruments, so it was just a matter of learning electronic instruments this time around. But learning equipment--or any instrument for that matter--is really time-consuming and requires a lot of trial and error, which can be frustrating. But when you're excited to learn how to do something, putting in the hours is something you can't get enough of.

SISTER SF: Exactly what equipment do you use for producing?

Analog Tara: I'm getting fascinated by the possibilities of software (and the compact size of laptops), so I may switch over to that eventually, but right now I have a hardware-only studio, which I like a lot. Most everything centers around my Yamaha A3000 sampler. I sample a lot of drum loops from a drum machine and then chop and twist them up inside the sampler. Likewise, I have 2 electric guitars and 2 amps (one with great, gritty distortion, and one from the 1960s with sweet spring reverb) which I play into the sampler for guitar riffs or chords. I get a lot of bass sounds and pads from the Roland HS60 analog synth, and I use an Alesis QSR for the good realistic piano and organ sounds. I sequence with a Yamaha RM1X, which is good for live performances too; and then record everything through a Mackie mixer to a Roland VS-880EX hard disk recorder, which has a CD burner attached.

SISTER SF: What are your goals for the future in regards to music?

Analog Tara: My only goal is to write and record as much music as possible over the course of a lifetime. Two of my favorite quotes are from Georgia O'Keeffe, who talked about art as a process of "making your unknown known," and Louis Armstrong, who said "Jazz is only what you are." It doesn't matter so much how many people hear what you do or how many records you sell, I just think if you've got music inside, you have be true to it and churn it all out. Maybe then it reaches some people, affects them emotionally or politically.

SISTER SF: Have you played anywhere abroad or anywhere weird or interesting?

Analog Tara: Nothing spectacular… but playing piano in cocktail lounges was certainly interesting. People would write requests on napkins for all those old romantic songs. I've saved a bunch of these, and I still have the first 3 dollars I earned at a piano gig, which was a tip for playing "Misty" on the piano for some guy's wife.

SISTER SF: Got a gig horror story?

Analog Tara: Once I gigged with my analog synth hooked up to a wah wah pedal so I could make those cool wah-funk sounds like Stevie Wonder. Unfortunately, throughout the gig, the wah pedal picked up radio stations and broadcast them over the PA. I learned afterwards that with some wah pedals, you have to do some rewiring to ground them so they don't pick up radio signals. It wasn't too horrible, though; just kind of amusing! It added a cool "ambient" element... people were like, why is talk radio part of the funk song? It was kind of like a lo-fi way of sampling, I guess. Could be fun to try it again sometime, intentionally!

SISTER SF: If you could infiltrate the studio of any DJ or producer and get away with their records or samples or equipment, whose would you raid?

Analog Tara: I just did an interview with Andrea Parker, who has this incredible collection of analog synths--Moogs, Arps, a Fairlight, the whole 9 yards. Made me wish I could do some sort of timeshare, where she could have my little Brooklyn apartment for a month and I could go to the UK and spend time with all those analog puppies…

SISTER SF: Got any words of advice for DJs just getting started?

Analog Tara: I guess I'd say follow your intuition and make your own path. A music career isn't for everyone, but if you want to do it, you'll know. Someone once told me that you don't choose to do music, it chooses you. Then you just have to persevere and make it happen.

Analog Tara was interviewed by XJS. To contact Tara for bookings, email her at Tara@pinknoises.com
More information about Analog Tara can be found in the following places:
www.pinknoises.com
www.mp3.com/analogtara