Alec Cheer On the Making Of ‘Seeing in the Dark’
Can you talk about any specific themes or motifs that run throughout 'Seeing in the Dark?’
The theme of the EP is around memory, feeling disconnected with the world, and wanting to reconnect with a sense of adventure, wonder, and mystery – recording the tracks and listening back to them made me think about where I grew up and what I got up to.
How did you approach the arrangement and instrumentation on this EP?
I’ve been experimenting with keyboards and drum machines for years and have recently dialled back my hardware to focus on software and soft synths – trying to be a bit more minimal with my set up, though I’ve found that there are too many settings and creative opportunities with virtual instruments – I’m still exploring half the stuff on my computer; I’ve been experimenting more with beats and rhythms. The arrangements and instrumentation of the EP came from exploring settings and textures until something sounded right, then the track would eventually evolve into something that feels finished.
How does 'Seeing in the Dark' fit into your overall artistic vision?
I love making things and I think the music on this EP links up with my previous work pretty well. Though the tracks on this EP are fairly beat heavy I think the atmosphere and melodies meld well with the more ambient or guitar-based tracks that I have created. It is certainly more commercial and in my head the EP is a kind of sequel to the last soundtrack I did called Night Kaleidoscope.
How do you stay inspired and motivated to continue pushing boundaries in your art?
I try and keep working and developing ideas, trying to experiment and investigate – keep moving and creating. A wide variety of cultures inspires me – I’m still really inspired by the DIY ethos of punk. My main inspiration is nature and the feeling of stillness – being in nature for a long period of time; an example would be walking up a Munro - for me, that is massive in resetting my brain, thoughts, and ideas.
How do you see the future of the music industry, especially with changes in technology and how people consume music?
I’m hoping that people will value music more like they used to. With AI becoming stronger and more readily available, there is the potential for consumers not being able to recognise who or what made it. I miss the days of trading tapes & CDRs – music used to be more social – trying to find new music these days is very tough. I’d like to think people might go back to relying on physical media; I’m very much for digital downloads if the quality is there but I do think it would be great if the idea of “album” or “collections of songs” was preserved – as for me it’s really important in understanding what an artist is trying to say.
Tell me about the wildest song you’ve ever written but never published
I have recorded a lot of music that I thought was too daft to let anyone hear – thankfully I have some quality control. I used to record very long-form tunes – I was really into drone and would record tunes that literally lasted hours; I once recorded a track about a two-inch moth based on a news story. I’ve also recorded an album based around samples from my favourite sci-fi films but I never released it.
