At eye level with the machines
»Griots was created under special circumstances. I’d sleep and be awake completely randomly, working all hours of the night and day. «
Beat / Up until a few years ago, most people only knew you for your jazz work and as a drummer. Now, you‘re releasing your second album as an electronic producer. It‘s quite a remarkable and somewhat surprising transition …
Gerald Cleaver / Yes, my musical involvement with electronics is very new. I’ve been at it for about 4 years, at various levels of engagement. And the extent of my gear were plugins. Since then I dealt with Logic and Ableton, using Arturia sounds and I picked up a couple of synths. But what really changed the game for me is VCV Rack, a modular synth emulation. Being able to modulate every aspect of sound really appeals to me.
Beat / When did you start getting interested in synthesizers?
