A dreamer, maker, doer, and lifelong musical journeyman - driven by an insatiable intellectual curiosity, passion, and a thirst for experiential creative pursuits, expanding into disparate topics, experimentation, tinkering, and deepening his subject-matter expertise across time and space.
Iain Mutch provides perspective on his music-making process, the Glasgow music scene, how he dreams up and expedites ideas and finds endless joy during the ups and downs of the process of creation – where he's applied various techniques inspired by Dada, William Burroughs and David Bowie where he composes work by carving up the pages as part of his creative process by taking a finished and fully linear text and cutting it in pieces with a few or single words on each piece. Then rearranging the resulting pieces into a new text.
Creativity Without Frontiers available at all relevant book retailers
Stay in touch with Unknown Origins
Music by Iain Mutch
A dreamer, maker, doer, and lifelong musical journeyman - driven by an insatiable intellectual curiosity, passion, and a thirst for experiential creative pursuits, expanding into disparate topics, experimentation, tinkering, and deepening his subject-matter expertise across time and space.
Iain Mutch provides perspective on his music-making process, the Glasgow music scene, how he dreams up and expedites ideas and finds endless joy during the ups and downs of the process of creation – where he's applied various techniques inspired by Dada, William Burroughs and David Bowie where he composes work by carving up the pages as part of his creative process by taking a finished and fully linear text and cutting it in pieces with a few or single words on each piece. Then rearranging the resulting pieces into a new text.
Creativity Without Frontiers available at all relevant book retailers
Stay in touch with Unknown Origins
Music by Iain Mutch
Hello, and welcome to the unknown origins podcast series, the purpose of which is to deliver inspirational conversations with creative industry personalities on entrepreneurship, pop culture, art, music, film and fashion. Today's focus is musicianship and production, for which I have the pleasure of chatting with in much, and maker undoer and lifelong musical journey man, driven by an insatiable intellectual curiosity, passion and a thirst for experiential, creative pursuits, expanding into disparate topics, experimentation, tinkering, and deepening the subject matter expertise across time and space. Ian shares his perspectives. On his music making process, the Glasgow music scene, he dreams up and expedites ideas, and finds endless joy during the ups and downs of the process of creation. But he's applied various techniques inspired by data, William Burroughs and David Bowie, where he composes work by carving up the pages as part of his creative process by taking a finished fully linear text and cutting it into pieces with a few or single words on each piece, then rearranging the resulting pieces into a new text. Hello, and welcome in like a jet plane, it moves too fast. Is this all going to be like intellectual gymnastics where you're going to be trying to like catch me out through the all of this?
Iain Mutch:Why not? Oneup-manship!
Roy Sharples:john paul sutliff, what's your thoughts? The philosophy of existentialism,
Iain Mutch:existentialism come on?
Roy Sharples:You all these strong cards laid out
Iain Mutch:I'm sure you have, don't you just what I'm
Roy Sharples:somewhat inspired and attracted you to being a musician and producer is 1977.
Iain Mutch:And it was just before my ninth birthday. And there wasn't a ton of, of all places, and domain getting out occurred. But my dad's got it was he a marina and Marina on orange. And then for some reason, it just came up my head like, like, like an epiphany. I want an Elvis record for my name's dusty. And this was like a week later. And then I told my mom and, uh, subsequently got it.
Roy Sharples:He was on the radio, on the radio or the tape play. I've no
Iain Mutch:idea. I have no idea. This was February and February 97. So he was still still alive, just just, just and it just popped in my head. And Emma got it for my ninth birthday. And it was a complete life change. I started my own band because I was just desperate. And the band called the suffering suffering psychotics. And none of us had been on surfboards that we just thought you know, it would be a good gimmick, you know, to start up a sort of a psychedelic em guarded you know, like this. Yes, subculture
Roy Sharples:and the Southern California had an aesthetic subculture that spread around the planet back in the 60s, Dick deal the Beach Boys suffers and the inspired dance creases such as a stomp The Frog and the wet to see
Iain Mutch:that sort of like guitars and not beach waves but more like sort of punky Yeah. And it was quite fun you know, having that kind of bond and Macduff and all sorts of but a bit soften never been near a surfboard and dam so we all had you know, it was baggy, you know, bubble 19 super super young. So we had like the same clothes you know, like Kim jeans. Baker jacket, you know, like for the moons and with sporty shorts on sim can help good. Yeah, it was a lot binge and shaved a much you know, the sides and Burke and it was absolutely fantastic. You know, you're just at that age. We are being an ugly gang is it's just a sense of belonging and it was just so much fun. Yeah. And we all got Miss mistaken for each other no bill looked like because we're the same clothes and it was fantastic.
Roy Sharples:What does being
Iain Mutch:a musician mean to you? without it I would be a mere husk. A shell, a spent force an unrealized
Unknown:piece of flesh, unborn, wondering endlessly about this godforsaken planet. And an existential quandary what
Roy Sharples:is the best thing about being a musician and producer
Iain Mutch:the ability to realize that
Unknown:ephemeral
Iain Mutch:magical hard to get thing in your brain that you could spend a lifetime trying to describe. You could use metaphors, analogies. You could do it in Russian, French, but you can never express it better than then through music. It's just like it's like a conduit to the inner part of the brain that mystical part. It's in probably the pineal gland because let's face it, that's what the the main joins the body, according to I mean a ticker. And I buy that. So I think my, my music comes from the pineal gland.
Unknown:And music is that we tap into that.
Iain Mutch:And then you've got to use these tangible tools like microphones, and guitars, and recording gear to capture it. It's like the dream culture, if you will. And there's nothing better. Nothing better than like sort of doing a song do you think's good for that is good? Who cares? Who gives it? Who gives a jolt? And again, I think that's these. That is the thing that's people are so skilled at Who is this good? Is that who gives a dumb? If you think it's good, that is really all that matters. The rest is just opinion. And opinion, of course, isn't a touristy fickle. The
Roy Sharples:Beatles started off imitating American gospel r&b, rockabilly, an early rock and roll. Their music dealt with love songs and teen relationships up until that point. They then found their own voice and style and produced the lyrics and music about everyday life and observations and their native Liverpudlian accents. They revolutionized how music was made, and acted as a catalyst and soundtrack for social justice movements. In 1967. For example, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band provided one of the most powerful musical cornerstones to the now legendary Summer of Love The Beatles continue to enjoy a canonized status unprecedented for popular musicians even to this day. How has the Beatles influenced you
Iain Mutch:This podcast is not long enough for me to expound on my love expand the bottom line for okay me me to talk about my love the Beatles I mean I could wax lyrical for absolutely these years. But it all started I was a huge Elvis fan as I mentioned and I must have been a bit 10 it was definitely john was still alive. And I had the song surgeon peppered wafting crafting mystically from my in my brother's room so I don't even know because I couldn't it touches his guts i'd also death within See I made a pilgrimage and gift usermode again through twos bedroom covert pilgrimage and frantic limit threes records and those old fashioned plastic cases I can still smell the plastic smell of the sleeves you know that plastic sort of protect us looking through for the band called certain pepper or something like that and maybe didn't even find it you know in the first mission subsequently found it and that was the actual 1973 blue album and oh my god that literally was that was like fainting the the mystical jewels the holy grail I think I said that Elvis but this really this was the the real deal. And the cover is available to Beals all done in the front to build a look ancient, you know, on the front, you know with the long here, peeling over the banister and monster square. And in the back it was the young fresh faced ones. And I must have spent ages friend My brother was at work. Looking at the album cover flipping over sin All right, so this one's the one that one's this one. Oh dolmans looks different but that's definitely ham.
Unknown:And that was just the
Iain Mutch:the cover of the inside the music. You just can't fault it. I mean it's it's 212 inch pieces of vinyl with absolute majestic treasures and glory.
Roy Sharples:Every song was better than the last song. How do you come up with ideas and then how do you then move those ideas and the concept and actualization?
Iain Mutch:Oh my god, but I don't really I just pick up a guitar strum a few chords. Then stick it Dune, or like sort of melody comes and then pick up a guitar and get them Elliot to work with chords, and Linux, that's my Achilles heel because I really can't be bothered. I am love. You know, I love Dylan and momus. And these people, I've got no team, I've just not got the patience to emanate downwards. So I just, and I just kind of make up words in the notochord that, you know, Scott Scott sing, and then try and make some sense when I play it back and then just make up gibberish. You know, it's like, that much, you know, in the sort of David Baby, you know, like, you know, he used to do that thing you need to cut up like, once you know, yes, people, and then throw it up and just, you know, it's like data. Yeah. So um, data.
Roy Sharples:bottles use a similar thing as well. What are you with composers rockin the tape later carved up the ages as part of his creative process by taking a finished or fully linear text and then cutting it into pieces. So it sounds like your process is largely Sonic inspired. You pick up a guitar, and you'll just try and find a melody or a chord arrangement and then that will inspire you to craft the music and is it typically always like that? Or will it be a case of you could be out doing something or? Well,
Iain Mutch:well, well just get to see him recently in during the last lockdown me and Paul prison scanner. That's, that's my pleasant band, we formed a band called product, which was an art art house. And basically, the manifesto was that we had to use vintage sense, vintage drum machines on absolutely no sort of ganic sort of instruments. And then each song had to be about the lockdown experience. And each song had to be a minute. And it was such a such a learning sort of experience, you know, like writing a song getting the hookin getting the courtesan getting the verses, and all come down to to a minute. And then I must admit, you know, by the end of it, you know, I was pretty good at it. And then it was Paul. And then yeah, we used to send each other, like Paul used to send me some like acapella stuff, and I used to put cents to it and stuff like that. And, you know, I used to send him some stuff. So it was a great way about forcing these
Roy Sharples:constraints upon yourself and then working within those parameters. It's almost like a political process, isn't it? You know,
Iain Mutch:I it was very much like, I'm very organized now. Each Monday and Wednesday, you know, I used to do two songs. So you know, that was my obsession, you know, and they used to go up and up as song before lunch, and then the song after and videos. Yeah, just knock up some quick vids, and then put them out that night. So it was quite a busy team. And we've got 78 Wow. Yeah, but we've also got like some sort of Glasgow sort of luminaries. Lots of people in Monica Korean Johnny smiley. Douglas, you know, from from the BMX bandits. Yes. Yeah. He did some immigrant Neil Williamson, who's an author published, he did a nice v piece with some spoken pieces by poets. And it was each one sort of, pertaining to their experience. And it could be quite laterally You know, it didn't have to be like, this is what I did. Yeah, lockdown. It could be maybe they looked at me it was spelled an emotion feeling. And then you could document it in a one minute segment product
Roy Sharples:that's interested in AI So basically, you lead them that can a blueprint that and then you facilitate the process for other outsiders, and to kind of come in and contribute their own piece through their own unique voice style. And
Iain Mutch:I just loved the episode. Not not a contrived episode, you know, there's not enough absurdity in life now without being contrived. Yeah, I just like sort of revel in it. And the and the lockdown was very absurd team. So it was a very sort of fertile period. Yeah. It was great fun, you know, it was also you know, something to do you know, he still he gave my bacon like, kick Moby calm legend. I bought two little cameras, especially for the not a proper commerce that useful in making proper bids, but just a lot of things you could throw in my pocket, and then just used to film things, you know, empty Glasgow sleeps, you know, it was quite, quite great, you know, and I'm shooting like 10 years TV. No, it will be a document won't be of Yeah, anthropological study.
Roy Sharples:Yeah. The other thing as well as I guess now versus what was 2030 years ago. It's just how accessible and easy it is to kind of make music and to make film compared to kids.
Iain Mutch:Yeah, kids nowadays are so spoiled, you know? obvious got a mobile phone with a great camera. You know, these things, you know, Hollywood films made on an iPhone five and it's absolutely crazy. And if you download Filmic Pro you know that's a little up yet actually got as good as everybody Big Red or something. It's just amazing. And then recording you know, iPads. You've got the garbage burned. I think you've Yeah. And it's such a great we are up and it's free so the kids nowadays have got no excuse,
Roy Sharples:no excuse. What tools techniques and technologies do you use to enable your creative process sorting
Iain Mutch:guitars? I've got two ukuleles I've got an accordion. Just got a couple pianos and since will love since I've grown to love since more than m guitars. Especially sort of vintage since so yeah, I've got my old my very first Casio, I've got one I got from a chocolate shop, which was an absolute feigned. Can't see it. But partly it's quite a real and quite expensive. Yeah. So that's my instruments, or I've got an autoharp as well. That's like an old fashioned thing, which is really good for doing MSN trucks. But my good is well I've gotten I've got my old Roland workstation which still works still absolutely fantastic about it for almost two guns back in like 2000 which was an absolute fortune, you know, that was back just when this other digital technology was, you know, in this nice fancy. So you hit the spend fortune bit now, that's kind of redundant. Now, instead of that, I use a free up that I got with my iPad. And I've also got it on mark as well. my MacBook Pro and it's garbage and it comes free. And ideally is the best thing since sliced bread is absolutely fantastic. can get a great sound. And when you've got a MIDI interface, you can get millions of them instruments you can download various apps that what can turn them not like I've got a Mellotron I've heard people say you know no people No No, that doesn't sound like a Mellotron but to me it sounds exactly like a Mellotron I think there's some snobbery involved there. To me, it just seems like Strawberry Fields.
Unknown:Nuts like that was like 10 pounds.
Iain Mutch:So the time is absolutely fantastic for like young people coming through and creating, it's just gonna get better. You've literally got everything at your fingertips just just couldn't be better. And oh, yeah, and I've got see a lot limb focus state interface, which cost a bit 100 pounds. And so basically for the three up, and the interface now, that's all that I need. And it's in 24, but digital technology. So that is like studio Cooley. And you just can't get better than that. Now, you just can't get better than that. And then, you know, obviously you need a microphone as well. But you can buy him packages now for a bit 150 pounds, you've got a good sort of condenser make, and basically everything you need. And also the beauty of garnishment. Also, this is not applicable to me because I play everything. I am applying of polymers, the last the polymaths. And but you can do things like it's called. And I can't remember what it's called. Smart. Yeah, of course, it would be smart pianos. And basically all you need to do then is like just dial in the chords, you don't actually have to play it. So if you can't play an instrument, you can still get your iPad, get the free up, get a little interface, a cheap make and you can create immediately. So you can get up in the morning with nothing. And then by by lunchtime, half an album Well, maybe teaching the team has never been better for creative people. And that's the same with making like sort of videos and stuff. You know, you've got cheap cameras, and you've got free software like iMovie, which you know, he can make a fantastic You could make the Strawberry Fields promo on iMovie granted, you would need an old piano tends to paint a bicycle, and a sheepdog, what has been your production highlight today? Everything that I've done, really loved it. And each time you make a CD with a band or yourself you're always like, Oh my god, this is definitely definitely the best thing. This is really going to shake up the world. And then Time goes by and then it's time to make a new one. And then you look back retrospectively, you know, in your last one, I think house Parliament's Now it could have been a lot better. And then the destiny This is definitely This is going to be at World domination. And, and so it goes on, it's always it's just a question of
Unknown:all this time, they like get better.
Iain Mutch:I think it's like, you know, it's like the carpet you know, with Dunkey i think you know, you know, you're always trying to get beat, but you never will but that creates the sort of motion to sort of impetus to sort of move forward and pastime because let's face it you know if you're into kombu life play pointless it's simply absurd so so you need something to to pass the time Yeah. So so my best creation would be I can't really be objective in Auckland would be subjective. I think it's the the last thing that I did you know, it's it's always that last song, you know, you're always convinced though this is the one and then you think not, that's that's pretty rubbish. And so it goes on perpetual pointlessness of creation. Or the most important thing and the whole bait world. Let me think, Daddy attend to that. That's okay. I like the the thing that I did during the last lockdown. Meet Paul. Paul, Paul Ross, a big shout out there. And it was called product Tibbets. Like I think I mentioned it before our toes thing. And our collaborations with luminaries that was great fun. Yeah, I think I think on balance that may be my favorite things that I've done. Bit probably a thing ignore probably do something to tomorrow that I think is better. But most all this you know, I've got this sort of personal mantra. I all of us are dyskinetic need this sort of intrinsic thing today, a song that's not on par with him Strawberry Fields, because that would be presumptuous, but something that's my personal Strawberry Fields. And then I think I could like lay down my 14 guitars, my autoharps and cents unsayable. That's it. I've done my bit. That's me. My lesson data is,
Roy Sharples:What production techniques and tools do you use?
Iain Mutch:Definitely, definitely nothing fancy. have absolutely no time for them. lush, and high quality productions. In fact, that absolutely blew my head and, you know, all this sort of cacophony of noise. I'm not really a big sort of Phil Spector firm never have been I do like All Things Must Pass but just that noise actually gives me a pure headache a lake things to have its place musically speaking. You know, like things to be on scene that I really like in Pet Sounds. Not because it's DMC have the wisdom to Lake Pet Sounds, but I genuinely like it. I liked it long before you know, I knew it. Cut it such kudos. I really like how Brian Wilson mixes instruments. Is it it's kind of each instrument is kind of indecipherable. So it kinda is like a like a fill spec to the can a wall of sound but I don't know it's euphonic and it's pleasing. And the songs are just amazing. Not as good as smiley smile. By the way. That's my favorite beach puzzle. But brilliant. So back to techniques. I just like a nice crisp Sound like help? The Beatles album to me is archetype because it's the snare sound is fantastic. It's curse. Everything's clean and it's got its place. There's dud notes, a few vocal fluffs. But that's not the point. The whole point is the, the overall sound, it just sounds fantastic and vibrant and it sounds real. But in saying that, I do like real. I like authentic, but I love momus and momus is the pioneer of and authenticity is like very postmodern. And he uses like, bagpipes and Eastern instruments that, you know, obviously processed, and lots of like, woodwind, which is real. He plays flute in he plays. He plays a recorder, but he juxtaposes it with them some some deal announcements, like last two albums, he's been doing him. He's got some real accordion but you can't really play what she openly admits. That just works in tandem. Fantastic. It really is. He is the most important and crucial artist. Apart from Paul McCartney, of course, that's him making music today. It's just amazing. In fact, his last album was called the second last one was called M. accordion spelt the key check out. FM does listeners check out momus accordion is just mind blowing ly good. So yeah, production wise, a really male you know, the way that he sort of like jumbles up sort of em genres, musical instruments, and there's no rules. So I like all kind of production things. As long as it's essentially the sleeve to the song The song to me, is by far the most important. Anything else is, is superfluous. So you need a good song. And if you can just dress up in the best way possible, but please don't put on like a million guitars. A million bucks and vocals because it just to me, it just drains a song. It just it just wears it though. And that's my personal demons when in making music. Who cares if it's like a hi fi high face board. Like him Neil Young, his first few albums don't stand the drum sounds and stuff. It just sounded so. So so low phi. I am know that lo fi is now a thing. You know, it's no genre in itself. And it's like, people actually do hi fi lo fi like him. And I thought this was really quite stupid. But it was a gimmick. Neil Young recorded the whole open an old fashioned m booth from the 1940s. So you bought something on CD. That just sounded like it came from from the 1940s. All knisley kirkley and then distant. I guess it was like something of a debate, you know, for for the reviewers not particularly great album. I think it was an album of covers and stuff. But it certainly was in q2. So yeah, so a blue thumb is the song comes first. And production. bells and whistles can take a hike. Unless it's the Beatles in 1967. And I just love that. That's, that's my favorite thing. Beals 1967 and all that intricate production
Roy Sharples:Glasgow's industrial powerhouse roots have involved it into a creative and cultural center filled with artists, designers, creators and innovators. It's the largest music economy in the UK after London. And its public policies are famous for addressing both music and as an art form, as well as a tool of education and social integration. How has Glasgow helped inspire you to fulfill your creative potential?
Iain Mutch:Well, I came here I think I've mentioned before to with the sole purpose to him form a bond and 97 Well, me and the two guys from from the previous bond Came here. And it was absolutely perfect because there's gigs on every single night. There's so many venues. So many creative people, you know, as we mentioned, in fact, Alex planners, I think I mentioned, he used to put on a gig gigs in the foot used to be the old 13th note subsequently became Bob Backus. So, so that was a hotbed of gigs. And not only that, there was lots of things like when the first kmb used to go to, I was quite a pretentious club. And that was run by Steven postel. From the pastels, of course, and it was called, I could never really pronounce it a Spanish. I never looked it up in the sort of meaning it was something like soluti. And that was basically what you did, you wouldn't the club, you could get drinks and stuff. And we all sort of got old don't think it was a bloody and VCR thing. And we'll watch some sort of arthouse film, some maybe some Japanese film, maybe a French film, French New Wave. And then Steven pearl still would have a band playing but it was always like sort of an arthouse type band, like he did a few Japanese bands in one day. I remember, it was all in Japanese. So I have no idea of you know, what the they were singing about. It was guilds with kebab boxes, on their heads, and on the boxes, they're drawn like pictures of like, lions take us. And each teacher said the teacher should flip the box around. That was really good that that sort of stuck with me. Or, and then we used to discuss the actual film. And then give her thoughts on it and stuff. So man, that was such a, I just loved that quote. It was it was just held. And the again, it was held in the 13th note in a basement, you disappeared your pounder admittance fee, it was like must have been in the shop, stepping through the M stepping into a whole new phantasmagorical world of opportunity, excitement and magic pure magic.
Roy Sharples:So what are the key skills needed to be a musician and producer?
Iain Mutch:Well, the key skills are like something that comes comes from within
Roy Sharples:meaning to manifest what's inside of you, whether it be an emotion, an idea, a feeling, an experience, but also to observe the everyday life channeling and expressing that through the music that you make.
Iain Mutch:Oh, yeah, that's a benefit. Because, you know, you know, all your eyes, and ideas are subsidized through your vision and your healing. Yeah, and your senses. And then you just take it out and you start the trauma about it, but then you split it again. And if some people enjoy it great, but you know, some people aren't great. But it's the actual act of doing it, you know, just get out there. This cathartic, everybody has got the ability to sort of do it. Because most people can hear and see and most people can think, and they can then rationalize. And so, you know, all they need to do is learn like two or three chords, you know, like guitar.
Roy Sharples:So when you put it like that, like I I absolutely agree. And I do think that music is the language of the world. Right? I think Stevie Wonder that said is
Iain Mutch:Yeah, definitely is. It is right. And sans Yes. Then sans language, you know, it's just, it's a spiritual thing.
Roy Sharples:Yeah. And whether you're from China, Australia, Iceland, Russia, whatever. And it connects and it communicates in a way that makes people feel similar in United, in a way and then But to your point around. Everybody has this ability to tap into it, but they don't know how.
Unknown:Yeah, yeah, I actually don't think it's valuable enough. You know, it's like, you don't notice it in them but and you know, the two days in a season that the arts and stuff is like non essential, you know, like do the same lockdown and financing then given people in support. That's viewed as not an essential thing, but I think bloody bill is essential. You know, I think it's the most essential thing next to what you've got your sort of hierarchy, you've got your food shelters, next thing is definitely out. Music totalitarian kuhnian regime, where art is Judas and luxury will run rampant. Part of the cost
Roy Sharples:document without court seeing that, you know, every every child is an artist. And but that gets kind of knocked over them as they cannot go into school
Iain Mutch:school as well in school. Yeah. It's a hideous place. You know, it just knocks it knocks them sort of creativity a cleaner of kids. Yeah. And they're all sort of conditioned to be this Cutlass machines. That's That's
Roy Sharples:exactly it and it becomes off. But as girlfriends, no, no, no,
Iain Mutch:please. No, we're just gonna say, um, you know, instead of like self indulgent people, you know, and have certain more nuanced sort endeavors music color for you. Will you follow some sort of curriculum of boredom?
Roy Sharples:Yes, absolutely.
Iain Mutch:Music buff Academy, you know, like, you know, in my day, it was a complete waste of time, you know, it was like, maybe the wood classical piece and, and you will never engage that was such a shame. And I was desperate to certainly be engaged through through music, but no, it is. I think things that about beer, you know, schools have got more money, and maybe schools are good. Some guitars and yeah, and keyboards, but it's not enough. No, it needs to be, needs to be like, not hammered home. But it needs to be like, you know, if people are showing an inkling, some aptitude should be really encouraged, you know, at the expense of maths and, yeah, or that board and stuff.
Roy Sharples:It is. And I do think it's creativity, in terms of educational hierarchy. It should be there. Alongside right and reading and arithmetic capability of a human basis. And it is in it's like creativity is the essence of humanity, I believe. And it's not an incidental part, but it's distinctively human. And there is no attachment to fixed definitions of what any form of of life or reality making a be. And I think people, children should be taught in an unstructured way that can give them time to be to give them space and tend to be creative. Absolute
Iain Mutch:self. externalizing. Yeah, very much. So you hit the nail on the head,
Roy Sharples:as you're looking in your rear mirror, even if you are 18. Again, now, and you knew what you do today, what would you do differently, if at all, anything?
Iain Mutch:Oh, that's, that's a good question. Nothing, and would probably be my knee jerk reaction, because, you know, quite a charmed life. And probably do definitely a TT involved. Let me see where it was an 18. I was a big house Martin's fun. So so keep that, you know, I'm still a big fan of them are still obsessed by The Beatles. And the great homelife appeals and stuff, and moved away at 23, or something wouldn't change that move target Dean had a great team there. And then I went full team, with the band couldn't change that, you know, and that was fantastic. You know, lots of thing laughs. Therefore, American law school, oh, my God, such a great team here. I just knew that wanted to create and have fun, and then subsequently did and met some great people along the way. That's great. And then that's that, that that's really what it's about, you know, creativity, it's about meeting people and izmail sharing ideas and meeting like, sort of kindred spirits, you know, yeah, I also do like this sort of video thing called walking and William. And then through that, I've met some absolutely fantastic people. Absolutely, you know, people that you just go on with, you know, you're just in the same page.
Roy Sharples:That's great. When that happens. The Unseen,
Iain Mutch:it's so easy to go on with, like, sort of clear people mix. You know, you know, it's honestly, an unspoken thing. You know, you just know, you can just feel it.
Roy Sharples:Yeah, there's a there's a connection and energy a relationship that and you're almost in when it clicks. It's like you're almost finishing one another sentences. And if you were to be understanding without even having to speak.
Iain Mutch:Yeah, yes, I got it. What? So? Yeah, you've ever experienced that? You know, I mean, you were standing but you're in Johnny mouse thing and how, you know, the, you know, you met lots of great inspirational people.
Roy Sharples:Yeah, Johnny Marr collaboration was was a big deal. For me. It was about sustained creativity has been a true differentiator. And the people who regularly break through the status quo, and embolden others to do it to become our models for true ingenuity. So it was about mentorship, collaboration, continuous learning, and grow and having a growth mindset. But most of all, the human spirit being the engines that drive transformation in society, in business, in relationships and in the arts. And so, this was a story about Johnny's point of view around creativity and how technology has enabled his ideas and brought his ideas to life throughout his musical journey dismissed by the outsiders outsider, quintessential Northern English and their outlook and approach and the underpinned that working class angst and imagery with a two up two down, humdrum industry tone architecture and it's better and grim up north mentality. The Smiths uniquely saw the beauty in the ugliness and the poetry in the industrial architecture, and the smoking chimneys from the red brick factories. Johnny Marr is self styled, evocative and distinctive, and melodic and guitar sound. Were the perfect painting for the music born from the keen inner city. That's what his guitar sound sounded like me it was, it came from the roots of that industrial north. And his studio that we shot the movie in in South Manchester was a carbon copy of that imagery that I had. It was a converted red brick mill to collaborate with. He was just a complete joy. And you totally knew you were in the company of greatness fast at the same time. He could totally balance that off with being extremely human and just a great guy to, to collaborate and be creative with. He's a canny talent spar, surrounds himself with top top craftsmen and in really, really good people. So it's bonds James dual viac un grano jack Mitchell, and then also his art director Mark Bancroft, Ben Thornley, and his team from seccombe soldiers who made the movie with top drawer people, what's your vision for the future of music?
Iain Mutch:Hmm. My music or music in general music in general? Well, I think music in general is getting a really sort of raw deal. I think that, you know, example, Spotify, and these kind of like streaming sites. know, you've got to get a bit billion players to buy a cup of tea. Yeah, you know, I think we made 75 p last year or something. And it's absolutely it's an absolute scandal. It's theft. I I still totally like buy vinyl, and CDs, well, CDs, you know, I do buy vinyl, but I do prefer the the CD, you know, I am like having a artifact, you know, tangible thing. And so I do my bit, you know, for the music, and I have got Spotify, but I use it purely to check out new stuff. And then before like, I'll definitely invest in CDs. So to answer your question, I don't think it's looking too good.
Roy Sharples:Yeah, it was David Bowie. That said, music itself is going to become like running water or, or electricity. And his point was to take advantage of these last several years, because none of it is ever going to happen again. And so you better be prepared for doing a lot of tuning because that's really the only unique situation that's going to be left, I was
Iain Mutch:just, I was just thinking there, you know, it could be argued that the right outcome is a good sales to blame, because the CDs were just a sort of vehicle sort of repackage into resale. albums, you know, like, sort of release. So it was just a sort of vehicle to make more money, how to be a good one, because, you know, CDs are great, but in advance actually opened Pandora's box, because it made things digital. And once it was digital, it just cannot be contained. No, and then used to get those remember those like, sites can't remember, you know, an intimate used to download stuff. Yeah, you know, Burke Burke in its nascent, period. And then, you know, once it's digital, you know, it's exact same with films, you know, you can tape in and go free and blockbusters like Steven say, you know, and get the stuff that's in the cinemas. It's the double edged sword. Yeah, but also, also this sort of digital in, like, sort of things being there, you know, it's a flick of a switch, and he got a sport a fight, and you can get absolutely anything you want. Well, back in my day, you know, you hit tell him, you know, it was still venal. And I do remember them asking my brother, get my the Phyto. And see, and I'm not sure if you're still good, because that was years ago, it came out in 1968. So I'm not sure. And then we had to go to Aberdeen, you know, on a pilgrimage to like look at these things that became like magical things, you know, once you got in your hand was like, Oh my God, I've got the Holy Grail. Yeah. Now, if you just click it, it kind of becomes devalued. So that ties in with your question and that music isn't as magical as it used to be. Yeah, that's the only thing it'll be a bit of its mysticism.
Roy Sharples:It I totally agree. I think you're you put that really eloquently there around the pilgrimage analogy you're using it was like thought you know like and when you when you can leave it with this sort of fresh vein, all the details and
Iain Mutch:touching it.
Roy Sharples:I love it was a connection that was loving obsession. And, you know, you'd listen to the
Iain Mutch:it was pure obsession. Yeah. Which I'm not, you know, I'm not saying like kids knew it. You know, you don't get kids nearly as obsessed. But you can't be obsessed, you know, at the same level because it's so easily accessible, you know, so you're satiated. You're satiated immediately. You know, you just have a thought. Oh, I think I'll listen to a 1920s blues thing. A couple m presses or switch and there it is. That's right.
Roy Sharples:And it is. Yeah. Another point is that disposability as well as the old which is really
Iain Mutch:music as music is becoming suicide disposable. You know, it's Yeah, I don't know, the good thing, you know, that it's soon. What's what? utilitarian, you know, I think, a little bit soon commonplace. Is it a good thing? No, I think it's an opener of a certain magical pneus Yeah, and devaluing back the magic what what current projects
Roy Sharples:are you're working on at the moment, then Ian?
Iain Mutch:Right. Well, I've got product Well, first of all, you know, I've got my own stuff, you know, the subject amongst but that is just a piece of nonsense, you know, just like doing it. And I've got my video thing, Walker and William. But, you know, I'm doing lots of like, done lots of like, sort of semi big burns did the BMX bandits and, and the burning down in London. But my main band at present is a band called scanner. That's probably my first love. And we've been trading the boots. And since we formed in 2004, what Yep, so that's quite a long time. And And ideally, as you know, it's exactly my tip of music. You know, it's quite a theatrical at times, but it's not contrived. Yeah. It's just, it's just writing good songs. You know, it's like not hitting to like trends. And I've got no interest in like trends and then I've no idea Winston guitars and so we use lots of different and canned instruments. And it's just something that I love doing. And it's a bedrock you know, if my life Scott, check him out, you think Yeah, do you think him like sort of the digital you know, you know, you've got it just like the AC HD image. Jurassic Legion? I think this is definitely you know, the digital age, but I'm still in it. So it's hard to say because, you know, we've got no perspective yet. But do you think this will actually inform evolution, you know, like, yes, or no as an effect, in effect and people's brains wholly develop, as a bento
Roy Sharples:box society has became increasingly technologically mediated. Businesses are connecting products in the real world experiences and virtual environments. The streets and places we pass through, are becoming more and more augmented by interactive layers of digital content, and information. Most of the world's music is available instantly at a fingertips, we have access to many of the movies since the beginning of cinema, playing games and watching movies online. Let people enjoy a film together and interact online. Despite their geographic differences. With the help of multiplayer gaming, digital media, delivery services, and motion controllers, it almost seems like your friends are in the same room with you as you play online for sharing, which enables people to take pictures, apply digital filters to them, share them on a variety of social networking devices, never hasn't been easier to be entertained yet. We're always seeking more and more and more specifically, to your point in our own the explosive growth of social media and social networking, that has had a massive impact on how people organize themselves online. And Facebook has became a part of our everyday life. YouTube is an endless source of entertainment and education. People want to share the stories about the real experiences and build a personal brand around the passions or believes in their daily activities and pursuits. In the 1990s, we developed the we learned how to use in the 1980s we learned how to use the internet. And then since then, we've internalized it and the net made it part of our social routine tech journalism as one example, which shows the beginning of a shift from mass media, to media by the masses in which media is being redefined as countless conversations by non journalists, where I often have to ask myself or for subject to read in the social reviews and commentary fan, the actual story itself, which begs the question of who's in control, who actually is the journalist and ultimately These blurring of the lanes have made the lanes the boundary so blurred that the the edges no longer other are the boundaries between virtual and physical life and how we as humans have become increasingly driven by a primal need for social recognition and celebration, and sometimes instant gratification and success and the convergence of device functionality so mobile access to information or or need to be social or curiosity for authentic content and insights and the human need for balance are all factors that contribute in towards the socio political economic technological impacts that's redefining an evolving and bringing us to the next age wherever that might be.
Iain Mutch:Yeah, I feel the same but but as a caveat, you know if I'd said a negative thing is that I kind of miss the sort of colloquial yeah m aspects like Macduff for example you know feared fear to grow up it's just the same as each turn you know glass because it seems no brainer you get the CM shops Yes, you can lose that you know, it's it's kind of a big margin is blob critters before each place had its own particular identity accents shops, bakeries butchers. Yeah, so that's a negative state sort of nuances is getting kinda like blended out by globalization by Sir than a TV No, by X Factor experts have yet to do things. You know, that is just like doing dumb things. You know, like Bob Dylan looted, and he would never they would get booed off stage. Yeah,
Roy Sharples:exactly.
Iain Mutch:It's a sort of played for X Factor. And so a lot of artists are like getting looked over because it's, you know, you've got the sound like Mata Katie and these kind of people, and that verbal sort of, or that verbal gymnastic things this or that fake emotion that, you know, emotion once removed. somebody's doing a simile of something that may have been the motion years ago.
Roy Sharples:To your point, they don't do it on X Factor or America's Got Talent. And they do it by not driving up and down in the the the M one like you guys were doing in your campervan and hustling and connect gunslinging across local venues, local colleges, and it's sad, you know, because that's got nothing to do with creativity in your star. Thank you
Iain Mutch:great stuff.
Roy Sharples:For more inspirational conversations with creative industry experts on entrepreneurship, pop culture, art, music, film and fashion. Please go to the unknown origins website at unknown origins.com